Chapter 203: Echoes of Famine
Just as I was busy trying to find a way out for the stronghold through the Secret Garden Society, Jiang Wang's intelligence began to arrive.
Xiaobai's abilities were extremely secretive, and he became the "middle wolf" between me and the Investigation Bureau, sporadically revealing some information to me:
"The Bureau launched its first warning strike against the 'Lord of Thorns' territory. Their followers forcibly annexed three small shelters, resulting in hundreds of casualties..."
"Followers of 'Eternal Night' engaged in a violent conflict with a group of believers in 'Melting Fire' in the Tianbei Canal District. The cause remains unknown, and the Canal District has become heavily polluted..."
"Regarding 'Starry Sky Lord,' a preliminary assessment has been completed, and the observation level has been tentatively determined. However, some members have suggested that its development pattern is too 'gentle,' suspecting a deeper disguise. They recommend increased reconnaissance efforts."
"Inhibitor production is hindered, with some raw materials intercepted by unknown forces... It's suspected to be related to some emerging beliefs that reject 'modern medicine'..."
Each piece of information revealed a sharp deterioration in the external situation. The conflict between the old and new faiths was evolving from an undercurrent into open division and war. The Bureau was scrambling to put out fires everywhere.
The news about the evaluation of "Starry Sky Lord" and the "inhibitor" made me particularly alert.
The former suggests the Bureau hasn't completely relaxed its focus on me, and the potential threat remains. The latter suggests that even behind the rare good news of "plague control," the smoke of a religious conflict has begun to permeate. Some people don't want to see the Bureau stabilize the situation.
I have to speed up.
A few days later, I accepted a commission from the Secret Garden Society: to clear a newly formed secondary contaminated nest belonging to the "Sleepless Fetal Mother" system. The reward was a batch of urgently needed antibiotics and hemostatic drugs.
The operation went smoothly. For me, who has mastered some of the "illusory" authority, this nest without the direct supervision of the old gods is not too difficult to deal with.
It's a pity that the meat balls produced by the mother nest cannot be used directly as rations like the ones I hunted before. After these meat balls lose their activity, there are still residual pollution. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I don't plan to use it as a source of rations for the stronghold.
But during the cleaning process, I unexpectedly discovered some traces. Another force had explored this place not long ago. The remaining energy characteristics were cold and hidden, with a familiar feeling.
Is it Night Crow? Or another member of the Secret Garden Society?
They are also secretly clearing out the forces of the old gods. Is it to fight for territory, or do they have other purposes?
With the harvested medicines and new questions, I returned to the base.
When handing the medicine to Bai Zang, he showed a rare expression of relief: "These things can save many lives."
Looking at the medicines that were properly distributed and the simple yet orderly scene inside the base, the anxiety in my heart caused by the chaos outside was slightly relieved.
My path may be difficult, may be slow, but at least, I am protecting something real.
However, this calm didn't last long. On the afternoon of the second day after I returned to the base, that cold and hidden energy appeared again.
This time, it did not appear in the distant pollution nest, but quietly spread around the outskirts of the Black Dragon Gang's stronghold.
It seems as if something is secretly watching our "isolated island" that is trying to maintain peace in the storm.
The silent smoke of gunpowder finally drifted to our doorstep.
…
At night, I was sitting in the office and suddenly opened my eyes.
The cold, hidden aura surrounding the stronghold lingered like a malignant tumor. It wasn't a surge of malice, but rather a cold, detached scrutiny, measuring every inch of the Black Dragon Gang's defenses without emotion, assessing the quality of "Lord of the Starry Sky's" faith.
I resisted the urge to catch him immediately. Acting hastily would only reveal more of his hidden cards.
The illusory authority quietly flowed around me, spreading outward like an invisible spider web.
I set up sophisticated traps at several key energy nodes, distorting any power that attempts to penetrate the stronghold. They will be diverted by the illusory power and fed back distorted images that I have filtered through:
An ordinary survivor camp with decent order, strong defense, "normal" energy response, and the main purpose of survival.
At the same time, a dilapidated glass window abandoned at the corner of the wall became my eyes that peeped in reverse, silently recording every fluctuation of external energy.
The initial feedback gave me a slight chill. This aura carried a familiar sense of decay, subtly similar to the lingering power of the Plague Doctor I'd sensed while clearing the Abundant Hive's derivatives, yet even more obscure and cold.
Are they colleagues from the Secret Garden Society? Are they involved in "Eternal Night"? Why are they targeting me? Is it curiosity, vigilance, or... some form of "registration"?
Internal pressure is also not optimistic.
The inventory report that Shirazo brought weighed on his heart like a cold rock. Food rations had to be cut again, and fuel reserves were also running low.
Although the "Symbiotic Barrier" project was barely able to continue operating, a silent anxiety began to fill the air.
People are still working, but the light in their eyes is slowly dimming due to hunger and uncertainty.
Occasionally, you can hear suppressed quarrels, mostly over trivial resource allocations.
The path I envisioned to "make believers' lives better" has now led to a situation where I have empty faith but cannot fill my stomach.
"This is not a solution."
Bai Zang's voice remained calm, but the bloodshot eyes and slightly pursed lips betrayed his stress:
"Monster activity in the outskirts is increasing. Several common search spots have been cleared out, as if something hungrier got there first. Next time we go out, we'll have to go further, or... run into some tough obstacles."
He was referring to several nearby locations known to be controlled by small armed groups or questionable faiths.
I remained silent. The options before me were all fraught with thorns.
For a moment, I thought about accepting a higher-risk commission from the Secret Garden Society, which might pay well, but I quickly dismissed the idea.
Far water cannot put out a nearby fire, and once you fail, the loss will be unbearable.
But taking the initiative to attack and seize resources goes against my original intention and will drag us directly into the quagmire of the war of faith and make us the target of public criticism.
Just as I was weighing the pros and cons, an inconspicuous black feather in my arms warmed up slightly. This is the unique communication method of the night crow.
An encrypted message came from inside, listing several new commissions: "Clear the new base of 'Dark Moon' (high risk, reward: high-energy crystals/unknown knowledge), intercept the 'Abundant' mother nest delivery team (medium risk, reward: rare potion formula/contribution points), investigate the potential connection between 'Molten Fire' and the old god 'Lord of the Forge' (unknown risk, reward: customized weapons/intelligence sharing)".
The rewards were enticing, but the risks were also alarming, especially the "molten iron fire," which Jiang Wang had mentioned in his previous message.
As if in sync, at that moment, another extremely weak signal, carrying the fluctuations of flesh and blood activity, came through my preset receiving frequency. It was Jiang Wang.
The signal was intermittent, clearly difficult to transmit. "Internal debate escalates. The 'Starry Sky Lord' assessment team has been assembled... Lead: Secret-level investigator Gao Han, codenamed "Bing Bing." Abilities: Mind Insight/Psychic Suppression... Suspected to have already departed..."
"Also: West District B7 Harayuki Supply Station... was looted by the 'Melting Fire'... but a small amount of supplies remain on the battlefield... Dangerous... Enter with caution..."
It looks like it will happen in the next few days, so I have to make some preparations.
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