Chapter 171 No Way to Enter the Earth

Soon, the meeting in Nightmare City concluded. The envoys left the hall, each heading to their respective areas of responsibility. The newcomer, Wen Yao, stood in the shadows, pondering the origins of each envoy.

Vacro and Burning Embers were Scourge. Like the deceased Rotlight, Frost Ape, and the others, they were likely voluntary followers of Vansalar. Limb Spider was clearly a Fallen One, a cowardly creature with a poor compatibility with the Nightmare City. As for Night Walker... as a Heartless One, he was the last person to be here. How strange.

Although these people all obeyed Vansalar's orders, their personalities and positions were vastly different, and their ideas should not be consistent. She thought this was a point that could be exploited, but there was no point in hiding such a small thought next to the reflection of the evil god.

So Wen Yao asked directly, "Lord Fansalar, why are they so willing to obey your orders?"

"That's the same reason you're asking me questions." Vansalar picked his teeth with his long fingernails. "Because you're afraid of me!"

"If I didn't fear you, I would be considered your enemy." Wen Yao chuckled.

"Oh, is that so? Do you respect me that much? This is truly delightful, but our workplace is known for its openness and transparency. I encourage everyone to speak their mind!"

The dark-skinned man twisted his head ninety degrees, looking into the woman's eyes from the side and below. "You must have been delighted to receive this mission. The entire Despairing Wilderness lacks even a single being above the particle 3 level. It's a veritable playground for you. Devour them all until not even a bone is left, and finally devour the old evil god, only a shadow of him remains. Take his authority and memories, leave the fog, and journey to the new, free world outside—wouldn't that be fantastic?"

Fansalar laughed loudly, and Wen Yao saluted amidst the laughter: "Please forgive my arrogance."

"This isn't arrogance, but normal ambition. I like your youthful courage, and I'm looking forward to your plots and challenges." Vansalar smiled. "Why did you give up? At least give it a try and prepare yourself!"

"Because I'm too afraid of you." Wen Yao said frankly, "I knew it the first time I saw you. It's wishful thinking to want to hurt you. I only hope that after devoting myself to you, I can find time to do my job."

"Really?" Vansalar laughed. "You, doing your duty? What's this new joke?"

"We still have to put in some superficial effort," Wen Yao said with a grin. "You've probably guessed that the higher-ups are deeply concerned about your wilderness. Your beloved trials have bred too many powerful enemies, and every Sephiroth 4 that 'graduates' from the wilderness has caused us immense trouble... Especially since the recent chaos caused by the Chaos Walker in the Blood Plains, which even infuriated Mother. She instructed me to secretly eliminate the newcomers and eliminate all worries for us."

"Sure! I don't mind. Go ahead and do it!" Vansalar said happily, "But wait until the trial is over!"

"Thank you for your forgiveness."

Wen Yao bowed and left the hall, listening to the teeth-grinding sound of the rotten wooden door closing. She hummed as she walked down the corridor, calculating how much benefit she could gain from this incident and what kind of things she could gain. These mundane yet sweet little thoughts, even if they only turned in her mind, could bring her a little happiness.

The sound of high heels hitting marble paused, and a thin, sharp blade quietly rested on Wen Yao's neck. She brushed the hair from her ear and breathed a floral scent toward the blade, "What can I do for you, Mr. Ghost Slayer... or Miss Ghost Slayer?"

Rockwa stood behind Wen Yao. He was taller than the woman, and his shadow looked like a tower behind him. He sheathed the knife in his palm and bowed. "All right! I have a small favor to ask of you."

"Please go ahead."

"It's been a long time since I've seen Lord Vansalar so happy. This newcomer is very powerful," said Waklo. "I share your sentiment. Threats should be eliminated as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the two most important people only arrived in my territory after arriving at the settlement. That's too late, and I don't want to give them any more opportunities to grow stronger. Please let them take a detour."

"It's a piece of cake." Wen Yao nodded, "But is it just a detour?"

"Lord Vansalar will be angry if we overdo it, and we loyal subordinates will be helpless."

Waklo scratched his head, smiling awkwardly, his eyes expressionless. He looked completely different from the madman he had been during the meeting.

Wen Yao observed with interest for a while: "I thought that you Scourge would enthusiastically support the Nightmare King's decision."

"Actually, Lord Vansalar is the only one who's passionate about the Brave Game," Waklo said. "I simply hope Lord Vansalar can continue to live. Even if you're ugly, weak, or broken, even if you're stuck in this stagnant quagmire for a thousand or ten thousand years, just being able to exist here is the best thing in the world."

"I will not allow anyone who threatens Lord Vansalar to exist. I will kill them with my own hands."

Tap, tap, heels clicked on the marble like piano keys, leaving only the slender figure in the corridor. Soon, the Nightmare City was silent. The silhouette of the evil god sat on a lonely throne, gazing towards the lightless dawn.

·

In this cursed land, there was not much difference between day and night. So when Ji Huaisu woke up, he was stunned for a long time before he realized that he had woken up normally and not because of insomnia.

Chu Hengkong sat cross-legged on the dirt bed beside him, eyes closed, resting. She was wrapped in a water quilt, like a giant aquamarine insect. "Hey~~ Why don't you sleep with me?"

"First, I have to keep watch. Second, I don't have the habit of taking advantage of others every day." The killer replied in a serious tone, "Finally, I'm used to sleeping alone, so it's no use lifting the quilt and patting the bed. You should get up now, Miss Ji."

Ji Huaisu was patting the bed and made a face when he heard this: "You said it! Don't even think about getting in bed with me anymore!"

"Can you please care about your own reputation?!"

"Wow...Akong has grown up and dislikes his sister..." Ji Huaisu rolled on the bed and pretended to cry.

Chu Hengkong silently held his forehead: "You really... I..."

"Just kidding, I'm glad you've recovered." Ji Huaisu said with a smile, "Did you sleep well last night? You had a silly smile on your face while you slept."

"Same here."

Ji Huaisu slept well too. It seemed that after defeating the Messenger of Fear, the Nightmare King showed mercy to them, and none of them who participated in the battle had nightmares today.

Instead, Finder's eyes were filled with despair, his single eye lifeless. After emerging from his sleeping bag, his spirits were twice as bad as they had been the day before. It seemed that Vansalar had not counted him among the combatants.

"I'm with you now, buddy," the beholder said. "Kill Vansalar now, or I'll go mad."

"You're so eager to fight so early in the morning. It seems even idiots have their merits."

Chongming appeared at the entrance of the sand house and waved to the trio, "Let's go! Let's get going while we still have energy. We have to get to the settlement before nightfall!"

"But I haven't eaten yet..." "I need to replenish my energy." "I'm really hungry."

"I have to rely on perseverance to overcome such trivial matters! Besides, what are you talking about with that eyeball over there? You don't even have the stomach for it!"

It turned out that perseverance couldn't be converted into energy; eyeballs without stomachs also needed to eat. Luckily, Chu Hengkong still had some sandworm meat tucked away in his sleeves. They roasted the sandworms over a low fire for a meager breakfast (they tasted like sandy watermelon). After bidding farewell to the monsters, they rode their ice reindeer carts out of the valley and set off up the slope towards the settlement.

"We really have to reach the station before nightfall." Chu Hengkong took out the eel head, "Because we don't have enough sandworm meat, we'll take turns eating eels for the next meal."

Ji Huaisu tugged at his hood and said tactfully, "Why don't we stew Fander?"

"Sand you!"

Fander angrily retreated into his coat pocket and waved his tentacles at Chongming in the seat opposite him: "How long will this journey take?"

"Two days and one night." Chongming carved a simple map on the ice. "Just be thankful, there's no danger on the road today..."

Heading east from the exit of the Undersea Valley, you'll see the dark, silty Shadow River. Heading south along the river, through the Lost Forest, and northeast, you'll reach the warrior settlement.

"...There are some ghosts in the forest, but we have people to help you, so once you enter the forest, you are actually in a safe zone. What you do from now on is entirely up to you." Chongming put away his knife. "Any other questions?"

"Yes." Chu Hengkong said, "This route takes too many detours. It would be faster to cross the Shadow River and head east."

"Oh, it's true that you'll die faster this way." Chongming said, "I don't mind if you get tired of living."

"Can you two talk properly..." Ji Huaisu sighed.

"I've already told you this: you're courting death." Chongming sneered, "Beyond the Shadow River is the territory of the Fearbringer. If you go there now, you'll surely die."

"I don't think the messenger is very strong." Chu Hengkong began to argue.

"That's because you haven't seen enough. The Dreadbringers are mostly Vansalar's old subordinates. Although they've been suppressed to a low level of Sephiroth, they all possess more or less high-level abilities. Under certain circumstances, they can fight Sephiroth 4 on equal terms." Chongming tapped his prosthetic body. "Just because Doom's prosthetic hand can penetrate the mist of history doesn't mean it can handle the abilities of all the heralds, at least not the one behind Shadow River! Do you still want to take a detour?"

"Commander Chongming, you keep talking about courage and counterattack strategy, but you are extremely cautious." Ji Huaisu said.

"Courage is for desperate situations. Seeking death for no reason is idiotic." Chongming closed his eyes. "Stop talking nonsense. Let's go."

The rest of the journey was silent, the ice deer cart moving at a brisk pace. After only half a day, they arrived at an ominous river filled with black water. The Shadow River flowed quietly through the mist, the faces of the unjustly killed floating in the water. On one side of the riverbank lay a haunted forest, deep and cold, looking like a perfect place for suicide.

Ji Huaisu stopped the ice cart in front of the forest. The researchers felt a lot more relaxed in this ghost place and whistled like birds.

"The forest is very long. Even if we just walk, we'll easily get lost. If we want to get out, we need a forest ranger to lead the way," the frog-faced researcher said with a grin. "He's a veteran of the wilderness! He wouldn't necessarily lose even if he faced you."

"The Ranger is an expert with both bows and swords. You, a martial arts fanatic, will definitely have a great time chatting with him." The Mohawk-haired man laughed strangely and whistled even louder. "Hey, Ranger! A very powerful newcomer has arrived!"

The forest hummed with the murmur of birds flying, but no birdsong could be heard. A faint figure emerged from the mist, its steps unsteady. Chu Hengkong became intrigued. He wanted to see who could live in such a forest for so long.

He saw a colorful face. Its eyes were a crimson purple like sour cream, its skin a brilliant blue like oily mud. Tender green blood flowed from the corners of its eyes, carrying melted skin and bones with it as it flowed into the ground, transforming the very earth into a sickening hue. His lips were gone, and mold grew on his bare gums. That horrible, eerie, indescribable man collapsed in the icy air, extending his melting hands to the people.

“——”

He seemed to be saying something, but it was inaudible. Just like when Chongming had explained swordsmanship, the untouchable knowledge was separated by the world itself. Only the dying man's face remained imprinted in everyone's eyes, a brilliant color tinged with deep despair.

“————”

"Everyone retreat!" Chongming shouted, "Run!"

Without a word, Ji Huaisu pushed everyone onto the ice cart and turned the reins around, dashing off for his life. Chu Hengkong looked back from a distance and saw the man's flesh and blood silently dissolving, leaving a withered skeleton in a colorful puddle. The blood spread along the road, seeping deeply into the soil, and the moistened ground grew beautiful velvet.

The route had to be changed because the ranger died.

(I've been suffering from insomnia lately, so I'll be taking a day off tomorrow (sad))

(End of this chapter)