This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 242 "Is this even human...?"

Zhao Deming changed his escape route several times, eventually heading northwest, intending to escape China from the vast and complex wilderness.

The environment of this land changed drastically after the arrival of the New World, but its general outline can still be matched with the old maps.

Zhao Deming chose this location because he knew that compared to the vast uninhabited area to the north and the increasingly complex natural environment in the south after the temperature rise, the northwest direction was at least a normal route. He also roughly knew where there were human settlements where he could make a move – he had been here before for business.

Of course, the terrain here also makes it easier for his RV to travel.

But this last stretch of road is also the toughest nut to crack.

The boundary of the new world is no longer a clear line, but a fragmented map pieced together from human settlements, mutated creature lairs, pre-civilization ruins, and the dark realms of various bosses.

In the current environment, official forces have retreated, mainly holding their positions in towns with high walls and defensive systems, while between these strongholds lie vast, perilous wildernesses.

These wildernesses have long been claimed as territory by various powerful 'leader-level guardian units'.

Zhao Deming's RV bumped along the border between the Gobi Desert and the barren land. Outside the window, the monotonous yellow sand was no longer visible; occasionally, large swathes of strangely beautiful crystalline forests or swampy depressions filled with purple mist would appear.

Sometimes, the air is filled with a chilling mixture of sulfur and unknown humus.

"Dad, I have a bad feeling about the area ahead..." Zhao Qian sat in the passenger seat, staring ahead, her voice a little nervous.

Zhao Deming sat up and looked ahead.

It was the entrance to a canyon surrounded by black, strange rocks. The wind howled through the crevices of the rocks, creating a shrill sound like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts.

Even during the day, the depths of the canyon appear dark and gloomy.

"...There must be a BOSS here."

Zhao Deming's face was grim.

“But taking the detour will add at least five days to the journey, and it’s uncertain whether other routes will be worse.” He pondered for a moment: “I’ve heard people say that most of the bosses here are elemental types with a strong sense of territory. As long as you don’t actively enter their core area or carry high-energy items with specific attributes, they generally won’t leave the Dark Zone to pursue you.”

"Let's hurry up and go straight through!"

He patted the back of the driver's seat: "Qian'er, you drive, keep the steering wheel steady, and turn the car's concealment rune to maximum power."

“Jane, prepare that ‘Silent Crystal’—the one that’s only available once. Use it immediately if anything seems amiss!”

Zhao Deming always saw himself as someone in control from the rear, so naturally he wouldn't personally drive through the formation. Zhao Qian immediately obeyed and switched seats, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Her mother then took a crystal from her backpack, one of its runes floating and shimmering—

If you want to succeed, you must know how to make choices and take risks.

Knowing they were doing something wicked, this family understood even better what was most important—otherwise they would have been caught and killed long ago!
After a brief preparation, the RV engine let out a low roar, increased its speed, and plunged headlong into the howling black canyon.

Almost the instant the RV entered the canyon area, a group of people climbed up a sand dune in the distance.

It was a patrol of soldiers who had somehow gotten into position there and hadn't been noticed by Zhao Deming and the others.

"They've gone in." The leader sensed the chaotic energy fluctuations in the wind. "These guys are pretty bold. They're not naive to have gotten this far. But to do something like this, they must have something to hide."

He stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on the direction of the canyon.

“He’s gambling,” the captain said coldly. “Gambling that if the border troops pursue them, they’ll alert that thing.”

"Send two people to check behind us. There might be pursuers. Don't confirm their identities, don't make contact, just let them pass, but keep a close watch... wait?"

He suddenly widened his eyes, and a golden gust of wind swept past, flashing into the mountain pass, only to plunge headfirst into a pile of rocks!

"...What the hell is that?!"

Zhao Deming had no idea that all his decisions and actions were being watched.

Their entire focus was on traversing this treacherous canyon. The RV tossed and turned in the fierce wind, like a small boat in a storm, the light of the hidden runes flickering violently under the impact of the wind pressure, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

"Faster!" Zhao Deming stared intently ahead, his voice hoarse with tension. He could feel that the dormant will deep within the canyon was being disturbed by their intrusion, and the energy permeating the air was becoming increasingly violent.

Just as the RV reached the middle of the canyon, something unexpected happened!

On the black rock walls on both sides, countless solidified black wind blades suddenly erupted from the wind-eroded holes that were originally only vaguely visible!
These wind blades were not chaotic; rather, they seemed to possess a life of their own, converging into a vast, all-encompassing net that swarmed towards the RV!

"Hold!!!"

Zhao Qian screamed and jerked the steering wheel, trying to avoid it, but the area covered by the wind blade net was too large.

Chi Chi Chi -!
A screeching sound rang out as the protective film on the RV's exterior was instantly torn apart, leaving deep scratches on the sturdy body. A piece of gravel, cleaved by the wind blades, shattered the passenger-side window, sending shards of glass flying and drawing blood across Zhao Qian's face. "Use the crystals!" Zhao Deming roared, quickly pulling out several crystals shimmering with different lights from his spatial backpack and crushing them.

In an instant, shields of various colors lit up in layers outside the vehicle, but they shattered one after another under the dense attack of wind blades.

Zhuang Zhen's face was pale, but her movements were decisive. She crushed the precious 'Silent Crystal' in her hand. A gentle yet incredibly resilient invisible wave spread out from her, instantly enveloping the entire RV.

Something amazing happened.

Those wind blades that were originally howling and roaring seemed to lose their target when they came into contact with this fluctuation, becoming slow, chaotic, and even colliding and annihilating each other.

The suffocating screams inside the car abruptly ceased, plunging into an eerie silence.

"Hurry up!" Zhao Deming, disregarding the loss of precious treasures, urged his daughter to speed up.

The RV engine roared, and taking advantage of the brief moment of peace, it shot towards the canyon exit like an arrow.

However, just as they were about to rush out of the canyon, a pair of pitch-black snake eyes suddenly opened in the deepest part of the canyon!

A pressure several times more terrifying than before suddenly descended, causing the ground of the entire canyon to tremble.

A pitch-black tornado, over ten meters in diameter, like a giant serpent rising from hell, took shape in the center of the canyon, carrying an aura of destruction, and hurtled toward them at an astonishing speed!

"Full speed ahead!" Zhao Deming was terrified and used up all the last few speed-up crystals.

The RV sped up and narrowly escaped the canyon exit just before the tornado closed in, once again bathed in the blinding sunlight of the Gobi Desert, and came to a stop just before a cliff.

Ahead lay a cliff with a drop of a hundred meters; one more step forward and they would surely plunge into the forest below. The three, still shaken, turned back to see the terrifying black tornado swirling and roaring at the canyon entrance, yet seemingly pulled back by some invisible barrier, ultimately not pursuing them. It merely swirled and churned, unleashing its terrifying, earth-shattering violence upon the canyon.

But... they survived! They survived!

Zhuang Zhen slumped in her seat, panting heavily. Zhao Qian's hands, gripping the steering wheel, were still trembling violently, and blood seeped from the wounds on her face.

Zhao Deming's back was also covered in cold sweat. Just now, he truly felt the approach of death.

He was just about to breathe a sigh of relief and order his daughter to turn around and drive down the cliff when his gaze suddenly froze on what lay ahead.

Under the sunlight, a figure had somehow appeared on the edge of the cliff, blocking their only path.

The man was tall and strong, with heterochromatic eyes calmly watching them, accompanied by a two- or three-meter-tall tiger.

The giant tiger looked impatient and was covered in dust. At this moment, it just shook its fur, and sand and stones flew everywhere!
The tall figure, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent, slowly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of mud-mixed saliva—

"Damn, you ran so fast!" Russell gritted his teeth and ran his hands through his hair. "Luckily, the boss wasn't wrong... but if you force me to burrow underground, I'll plant you all in the ground!"

"...Who the hell is this?" Zhao Deming was stunned.

The question became meaningless the next moment.

An invisible force suddenly descended. Zhao Qian pressed the accelerator hard, and the RV's tires emitted blue smoke amidst the ear-piercing screeching sound of friction against the ground, but it was to no avail.

A pair of armored hands grabbed the RV, and the heavily armored knight descending from the sky twisted and lifted the RV high into the air—

Through the car window, Zhao Deming's face was contorted with horror.

Beneath the helmet, Nie Weiyang's blood-red eyes remained calm, only icy coldness.

“The journey is over, Mr. Zhao,” he said.

He was radiant with light, and with a spin, he threw the RV with all his might!
‘Boom! ! ! ’

At an even faster speed than it had come, the RV flew back to the black-wind-filled pass and crashed into the rocks, shattering into pieces!
Russell had just spat out the mud in his mouth and was now dumbfounded, staring at Nie Weiyang along with Jin Huang.

"Is this even human...?" he muttered to himself, "Holy crap, that's some serious strength..."

“It’s human, 50%.” Nie Weiyang answered casually, pulling out a two-handed longsword and a golden spear in one hand, and looking into the mountain pass: “Alright, get ready to fight the BOSS… oh, no, wait.”

He paused for a moment, then said, "You go first, take the heads of these three with you. Although they're not dead yet, you might have to carry their heads yourself..."

He shook his spear.

"Stay away from me, a snake is coming for me."

(End of this chapter)