Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 856 Military Region
As soon as Xiao Ran shouted "Make your move," Wu Manren vanished from the spot.

Wu Man was moving too fast for Wang Bo and Zhang Qi to detect with their naked eyes.

But they could hear low screams and a huge rumble behind them.

The whispering evil spirits lurking in the dark corners and crevices of the ruins suddenly let out a short, mournful howl, and were all crushed into dust, the black mist dissipating.

After about five or six minutes, Xiao Ran glanced around.

"Let's go."

With that, he led the two into the ruins. After walking to the end of the street, they saw Wu Man standing in front of a convenience store with a cigarette in her mouth.

Seeing Wang Bo and Zhang Qi approaching, Wu Man shook her head at Xiao Ran and Jin Chanzi.

Wang Bo and his companion noticed Wu Man's action. Their expressions darkened, as if they had already foreseen the outcome. Without the slightest hesitation, they rushed into the convenience store.

Upon entering, one sees the shop owner's head placed on the table by Wu Man.

But when they found their companions, their eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Two of the three companions had already been dismembered, and the third had been stripped naked and hung upside down in mid-air with an iron hook.

Seeing this scene, even though the two of them were already mentally prepared, they were still trembling with horror.

Xiao Ran followed her in, and upon seeing this scene, she sighed silently, said nothing more, and walked to the body.

He crouched down and took out the needle and thread he always carried. His movements were so fast they were almost blurry; fine stitches flowed from his fingertips as he swiftly stitched the dismembered body back together.

The whole process is as simple as putting a disassembled toy back together.

"I'll wait for you outside."

After doing all that, Xiao Ran walked straight out of the convenience store.

The three men and one tiger stood outside the convenience store, looking at the surrounding ruins.

This place is completely different from the places they've been before. This place is more like a true reflection of the Lost City after it landed: chaotic, evil, disorderly, the whole city is like a hellish slaughterhouse.

The broken walls and ruins resembled bones gnawed by a giant beast, their jagged edges pointing towards the leaden sky.

The thick, viscous darkness was not a gift of the night, but rather a condensation of foul air seeping from the cracks in the ground and the depths of ruins.

Even now, Xiao Ran could still sense some faint, unseen gazes lurking in the shadows, secretly watching them.

"Does it need cleaning?"

Wu Man also noticed the prying eyes that were hiding in the shadows and asked in a low voice.

"No need, let future generations handle it."

Xiao Ran shook his head. With his and Wu Man's strength, it wouldn't be difficult to get rid of these evil spirits.

It doesn't even take long.

However, doing so is meaningless and will inadvertently deprive more people of the opportunity to hone their skills and advance their abilities.

Just as Xiao Ran had thought, more and more beginners will gradually improve their strength in the future. At that time, these evil spirits will become stepping stones for their progress.

The suppressed sobs emanating from inside the convenience store were clearly audible.

About ten minutes later, Wang Bo and Zhang Qi came out of the convenience store.

Wang Bo wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes: "Where are you going?"

Xiao Ran took out a piece of paper and handed it to Wang Bo: "Do you know this place?"

Wang Bo glanced at the address on the note: "We know it, but we've never been there. We've only heard that it's a military camp, but outsiders aren't allowed to get close. We heard that a few reckless guys tried to sneak in and get some guns, but they never came out."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran couldn't help but curl her lip: "Then they probably won't be able to get out in this lifetime."

"If you know, then lead the way."

Wu Man urged casually.

"Okay, but it's a bit far..."

Before Wang Bo could finish speaking, Xiao Ran grabbed him by the collar.

Then Wang Bo felt a blur before his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself flying into the sky.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Wang Bo's face turned pale. Fortunately, Xiao Ran kept her hand on his collar, preventing him from wetting his pants in fear.

"Stand firm, don't be afraid."

Hearing Xiao Ran's voice, Wang Bo finally calmed down and realized that he was not standing on air. Looking down, he found that he was standing on a small sword.

The sword wasn't large; he could barely stand with both feet on it, but Xiao Ran's hands steadily supported him, calming Wang Bo down.

"You can fly?"

After calming down, Wang Bo's gaze towards Xiao Ran changed. The ability to fly—wasn't that like a divine power?
"It's not a special method. Like cars and mobile phones, it's something new at first, but it will gradually become more common."

"real!"

Wang Bo's eyes lit up. He couldn't believe that on that day, everyone would be flying on swords. Wouldn't that be just like a myth?

"of course."

Having received confirmation from Xiao Ran, Wang Bo suppressed his surging emotions, looked around, and pointed eastward: "Over there."

Xiao Ran led Wang Bo and flew quickly eastward.

"Oh, them..."

Seeing how fast Xiao Ran was moving, Wang Bo immediately became worried about Zhang Qi on the ground.

"behind."

Upon hearing Xiao Ran's words, Wang Bo turned his head and cautiously glanced behind him.

There was nothing to be seen amidst the hazy white clouds. Just as Wang Bo was feeling puzzled, the clouds behind him were suddenly overturned by a tremendous force.

From afar, Zhang Qi's scream could be heard, and then the sea of ​​clouds tore apart, revealing a huge golden eagle emerging from it.

The golden eagle's wingspan was a full ten meters, and its two enormous claws gripped the tiger in one hand and Zhang Qi in the other.

Jin Chanzi sat cross-legged on the back of the golden eagle, holding a whisk in his hand.

Seeing this, Wang Bo was truly dumbfounded.

The legendary scenes of immortals and heroes were vividly displayed before my eyes at this moment.

I couldn't help but sigh in my heart.

So the ancient Chinese tales of flying and escaping into the earth were true!

With Xiao Ran and Wu Man leading the way, the speed was incomparable to that on the ground. In less than half an hour, Wang Bo pointed ahead and said, "It's over there."

Xiao Ran's gaze was sharp as lightning. In one glance, she saw a town below. The town was clearly not polluted by the Lost City, and traces of human life could be seen below.

Xiao Ran didn't want to cause any trouble, so she took Wu Man and landed near a town.

After landing, the group walked into the town.

The unique smell of rust, engine oil, and cold air filled the air.

The streets are laid out in a square pattern, with sturdy and durable low-rise buildings on both sides, and occasionally some warehouses and temporary reinforced residential buildings that have been converted into temporary housing.

The residents, dressed warmly and moving nimbly, hurried along. Most of the vehicles were jeeps and transport trucks with military paint schemes, and occasionally you could see civilian vehicles that had been modified and fitted with protective plates.

Wang Bo was clearly familiar with the area, and his tense expression eased slightly. He pointed to both sides and said, "This is the main road. To the north is the core of the camp, which is generally off-limits. Most of the people living in the town are military families and logistics personnel, as well as people like us who are stationed nearby to make a living."

Sure enough, not far along, we saw several young men dressed in thick clothes, carrying simple backpacks or cold weapons, riding electric motorcycles in twos and threes and merging into the main street from the side road.

Their faces bore the marks of excitement before a mission or exhaustion upon returning. A young man on the back of a bicycle was wiping a uniquely shaped short knife in his hand. Seeing Wang Bo and Zhang Qi, he raised his chin and called out with a smile, "Hey! Bozi, Xiaoqi, you're back? That was a quick trip!"

Wang Bo forced a somewhat stiff smile and waved his hand, saying, "Yeah, just got back." His voice was soft, with a barely perceptible hoarseness.

Only after the group of electric motorcycles had driven away did he turn his gaze away and explain to Xiao Ran and the others in a low voice, his tone tinged with bitterness:
"This area has been cleared out relatively well. There are a few dungeon entrances with suitable difficulty that are under control and open. It's not too dangerous. As long as you are careful, complete the tasks honestly, and don't be greedy or reckless, you can safely obtain ghost money and some basic supplies... Accumulate them slowly, and your strength will gradually increase."

When he spoke of "not being greedy or reckless," the pause in his words was clearly audible, his eyes dimmed for a moment, and his voice lowered even further.

Zhang Qi also lowered his head and clenched his fists. If it weren't for his greed and recklessness, perhaps...

Xiao Ran noticed his subtle emotional changes, gently raised her hand, and firmly patted Wang Bo's slightly thin shoulder.

“These things are unavoidable.” Xiao Ran’s voice was not loud, stating a cold fact, yet containing warmth. “The important thing is that those who survive remember the lessons and make every day of their lives more meaningful. This meaning is for them, and also for themselves.”

Wang Bo raised his head, his eyes slightly red, and met Xiao Ran's calm and profound gaze.

There was no cheap pity in that gaze, only a calm acceptance of life and death.

He nodded vigorously, making sure he remembered those words.

Xiao Ran's gaze fell directly on the deepest part of the town.

There, several larger military buildings emerged against the backdrop of low-rise residential houses, their towering metal walls covered with electric fences, and the heavily guarded sentries were faintly visible, creating a solemn and austere atmosphere.

"Now that we've arrived, you can go back."

Xiao Ran took out twenty pieces of ghost money from her spatial storage and handed them to Wang Bo: "Consider this money as your guide fee."

"what!!"

Seeing the money Xiao Ran offered them for the dead, Wang Bo and Zhang Qi were at a loss and immediately shook their heads to refuse: "You saved us, we haven't even had a chance to thank you yet, how can we accept your money, I..."

"That's all. Goodbye."

Xiao Ran didn't give the two women a chance to refuse. She stuffed the money into Wang Bo's arms, and the three of them, along with the tiger, headed straight for the military outpost ahead.

(End of this chapter)