Forge a path to success.

Chapter 132 Before the Battle
"Damn it, it makes me so angry just thinking about it. Last month we were living the high life, and now we've fallen to this state..."

"That first mate is a useless piece of trash, he can't even withstand one bullet! I never realized he was such a spineless coward, I should have chosen me as the first mate!"

"Come on, you're so tough, why don't you give him a go..."

"Newcomers, don't slack off!" the foreman yelled. "You're the slowest group out of all the teams. If you don't finish by noon, you won't get any food!"

The pirates quickly forced a smile, then turned and continued painting the wall, grumbling under their breath. The red paste, carelessly splashed on, dripped down the cracks, making it look like some kind of third-rate cult's ritual symbol.

These men had been sent to a detention center the day before, but escaped during the earthquake chaos before they could be sentenced. After their series of misfortunes, they would never dare to rob and steal again. Coincidentally, there was an urgent need for manpower for post-earthquake reconstruction, so the pirates found a construction site to eat at, essentially undergoing labor reform before going to prison.

From a corner away from the pirates, the girl with the broken heart emerged from the shadows. She carefully made a mark with her shuriken and secretly activated the communication: "This is Lighttime Nightfall. There are no anomalies in the western district for the time being."

A voice, both amused and exasperated, came from the communication device: "Xiao Ye, what are you doing...?"

“I’m monitoring key targets,” Qingye replied seriously. “For some reason I can’t explain in detail, I believe this group of pirates is extremely dangerous.”

"Oh, well, let's leave it at that."

Judging from their nonchalant tone, Sister Huaisu and the others probably haven't realized the truth yet. Thinking of this, Qingye felt a pang of sadness, but considering the enemy's possible reconnaissance methods, she couldn't express her speculation in words. This contradiction left Qingye feeling deeply conflicted.

"Please be patient a little longer, I will definitely save you!"

"Okay, then remember to come back for lunch."

Ji Huaisu ended the call, covered her face, and slumped onto the table: "What's wrong with this child! It's like he's fighting something we can't see. I have a feeling that Xiao Ye's brain isn't working very well!"

"It suits her age perfectly," Chu Hengkong commented. "Were you any smarter than her when you were 18?"

Miss Ji proudly puffed out her chest, which was even fuller than a high school girl's: "At my age, I've already been killing people on the street!"

"I really don't know where you get the confidence to talk about Qingye." Chu Hengkong activated the communication again, "Qingye, have you found Gulibo's manual?"

"No, I haven't found anything. I've searched around the elementary school these past two days, but I haven't found anything."

"No need to add verbal tics when giving a report."

"I understand," Qingye said earnestly. "I wish you success in your fateful battle with the mayor."

"Honestly, even I don't understand what you're thinking."

Chu Hengkong tossed the communication crystal to Gulibo, allowing the verbal tic enthusiasts to continue their in-depth exchange. Fan De, who was listening in, offered a guess: "Maybe 'Black Curtain' picked it up."

"If that's the case, it doesn't matter. Someone who can control the whole city in secret doesn't need a real-time map." Chu Hengkong shook his head. "Everyone, be more vigilant from now on and try not to go out alone. Wait for me to come back after I've finished fighting."

The strange occurrences during the rescue of the Ice Man were enough to prove the existence of a mastermind, and Vande's memory erasure technique further demonstrated his danger. Currently, the most capable fighter in the team is still him, the assassin with a level 2 particle. The thought of being ambushed and having his base raided while out and about is enough to send chills down his spine; he has to make some preparations first.

“Do we really have to fight?” Sethlen said. “The situation isn’t good… We can settle personal grudges later. Let’s all evacuate first, then we can fight…”

“A reasonable person would never become an assassin.” Chu Hengkong smiled. “He helped fight Jin Ye before because he still had some principles, but he’s not someone who cares about the big picture. He said the duel in two days was a must, and if I didn’t go, he would attack me, which would be even more troublesome.”

"What if the underground spiral tower ruins are completely destroyed in your duel?" Gulibo said helplessly.

Chu Hengkong pondered for a moment: "If the situation is really bad, I can try sending a message to the Empire."

Do you think the Imperial Empire will come to our rescue?

“The Empire will annihilate us along with the heretics,” Chu Hengkong said. “That way, we can die with the enemy, and at least we won’t lose out.”

Gulibo spun around, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, feigning death. Ji Huaisu couldn't help but chuckle: "He's just joking. He'll definitely ask Huilong City for reinforcements once things get better."

"Will the request for help be delivered today?" Sethlen, who was listening in, interjected nervously.

[The magic concentration is still too high; it will take at least half a day to activate long-distance communication.] Stone Seed wrote. [Bad luck.]

The luck was really bad. The magical turbulence after the stone goblin's death severely interfered with information transmission. Even though everyone had used every means to clean up the demonic dust these past two days, it wouldn't be until after the duel that it completely dissipated.

It was such a coincidence that it seemed like it had all been planned in advance.

"The situation is already like this, there's no use in rushing it, let's just let nature take its course!" Van der was quite optimistic. "Let's see if this thing can help."

It handed over a thick stack of notebooks, a compilation of manuscripts previously collected at Jinye's mansion, each page as rough as rock. After Jinye's death, much magic flowed into the manuscripts, turning them into a relic.

Although the original owner of this relic was not a good person, he was at least a talented individual. Chu Hengkong took out the large book and pressed it down. He hadn't had high expectations, but the result was much better than he had anticipated.

[Mixed Elements Magic Draft]

【Rating: 3 (Bold)】 【Origin: ■■Fortress■Er■La (A string of smeared text, only a few characters are visible)】
Kinyo City

【Effect: A collection of research results from the late-life scholar Jin Ye, containing manuscripts of numerous weapon and equipment designs. Some of these are whimsical ideas with no practical value, but nearly one-third of them reach the level of the Strange Blade.】

By inputting mental energy and matter, the design in the manuscript can be transformed into a physical object.

[For use only by those who have ascended to the Path of Submerged Light.]

[Thoughts: I am the true academic genius, and I must prove it. One day I will prove to the world that I am the best leader, that the ignorant masses will weep at my artistic talent, and that I will become the bravest adventurer in the world of motion. In this way, my inventions will possess the strongest power.]

Three more catties of fruit wine, please!

Everyone looked at the report and felt a mix of emotions, as if they had witnessed a drunkard who vomited every day actually come up with some kind of invention.

Van der, who was organizing the manuscript, was the most disappointed: "It's like drawing a high-rarity card that I can't use..."

The item is valuable, a top-tier, sustainable relic of level three. If Youyou saw it, he'd drag it to the workshop on the spot. Unfortunately, the team doesn't have a single Path of Light, so expecting it to help in the duel is hopeless.

Chu Hengkong stared at the incomprehensible text for a while, and for a moment even he had the thought of "reasoning with Shaks." He shook his head with a wry smile, stuffed the manuscript into his Qiankun sleeve, and stood up.

"Just to be safe, let's stay here until communications are restored. I'm going to fight."

"Come back alive!"

"You've worked so hard to come up with the ideas, there's no reason for us to lose this time."

The assassin left the base and headed to his own battlefield.

·
Very deliberately, Wu He let himself drift off to sleep.

In most of the Dust Isles, dreams represent the unknown and taboos. Dreams are the battleground between dragons and the moon, while nightmares are the domain of a notorious deity. Outside the protection of the ancient dragons, entering the dream world signifies emotional turmoil and instability, and some superstitious people even believe it to be an omen of misfortune.

However, Wu He didn't care about these claims. He possessed an extremely reliable "method" for protecting his dreams, perhaps the most dependable method in the world. With the help of that power, he remained detached from the dreams, looking down upon his past like a superior observer.

At first, it was a secluded paradise of green mountains and clear waters. In the temple atop the waterfall, monks painted, sang, and taught the mysteries of talismanic arts. It was fascinating, even by today's standards. But that wasn't the life he needed.

The scene faded away, transforming into the horrified faces of his fellow disciples. It blurred again, turning into a port, a forest, a city, a wilderness, a benevolent figure overlooking all things from a city gate, the battle lines where various races clashed, a battlefield that would never end... He waved his hand without hesitation, letting the past fade away one by one.

Suddenly, Wu He's movements stopped. The scene in his dream transformed into an endless sea, with vulgar and lowly people gathered on the ship, praising his power and vision. It was all thanks to the revelation that he had evacuated the fortress beforehand, escaping the white calamity. He turned around triumphantly, only to see the white light that annihilated everything, and within the light stood that cold, powerful steel humanoid figure.

Then the tsunami began. Giant waves crashed down like an entire world. Their ships sank, capsized, and their memories were cut off. When they regained their senses, they were on an unknown shore, thanks entirely to his "methods" that saved his life.

He led the survivors on an expedition… frail indigenous people… an absurd abundance of resources… secrets discovered in the ecstatic plunder. Incredible treasures. A power that defies common sense. It was like a dream; the long-awaited "antidote" was so easily obtained.

Then, the monster discovered them.

That was an absolute monster. An invincible monster. A deformed body bathed in blood, golden eyes as terrifying as a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Those eyes saw him. From that day on, he was targeted by the monster. There was no point in running away. The monster would catch up. The monster would find him. The monster would kill him. It would, it ...—

"cough!"

Wu He sprang to his feet as if struck by a heavy blow, clutching his mouth tightly, strange-colored blood seeping from between his fingers. He swallowed the blood, his eyes filled with the unwillingness of a defeated man. The trembling in his body subsided. He took a deep breath. A twisted smile appeared on his face.

"Excuse me, I've made you laugh at me."

Shakes threw a box of tissues at him: "I told you long ago that dream divination is a terrible idea. You can't beat dreams."

“I don’t believe it. You clearly have a lot of experience with nightmares.” Wu He wiped his mouth. “Tell me about it. It’s not like it’s some valuable information.”

“I’ve never beaten my nightmare,” Shakes said coldly. “I’m setting off now to beat it.”

Wu He paused for a moment, then understood what he meant. Nightmares cannot be defeated; they are the fear born of past defeats and setbacks. To overcome the source of nightmares, you can only start with reality, to conquer past defeats, and to defeat the very things that once terrified you.

Shax's nightmare is that assassin. His obsession with the upcoming duel stems not only from a thrill of the hunt, but also from a desire to settle his past.

"Whether you win or lose is none of my business... but as someone who shares your pain, I still wish you success."

"Oh, thank you."

Wu He watched as Shakes left the room, preparing for the life-or-death battle that would be upon the assassins.

A smile appeared on his lips. His previous wishes were sincere; as a semi-partner, he genuinely hoped that Shax would succeed.

He took out a small handbook containing a movable map. The employee handbook, which Gulibo had accidentally lost, had somehow ended up in this man's hands.

(End of this chapter)