Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 93 Credit
A void tore open at the end of the starry sky.

Zhuang Fan followed the little girl and stepped inside without hesitation.

The scene before my eyes changed instantly, with a waterfall of data flowing in alternating light and shadow all around, the light distorted and elongated, creating a bizarre oil painting-like texture.

Zhuang Fan's consciousness drifted along with the data.

The little girl turned around and looked at him curiously.

"What's your name?"

"Zhuang Sheng."

Zhuang Fan made up a story: the girl in front of him was of unknown origin and he was unwilling to reveal too much.

"My name is Sweet Candy."

The girl smiled, revealing her dimples: "How did you discover that patch of starry sky?"

"An accident."

Zhuang Fan succinctly replied, then countered, "And you? How did you find out?"

"I was surprised too."

Sweetie tilted her head and said, "I was just wandering around here when I found a really strange road, so I followed it and then... I saw the starry sky, and you."

Her words confirmed Zhuang Fan's guess.

After he fell into a coma, Watson and others probably made a lot of effort to connect his consciousness to the network.

The girl in front of him, named Sweet Candy, clearly possessed extremely high network privileges and had inadvertently entered the world of memories he had constructed.

At that moment, a glimmer of light appeared at the end of the passage.

The distorted world returned to normal.

They were suspended above a brightly lit, bustling city, about 100 meters above the ground.

Below, hovercars stream by, holographic billboards flash dazzling colors on both sides of the street, and skyscrapers pierce the clouds.

But beneath this prosperity lies utter chaos.

Numerous extravagantly modified cars were rampaging through the streets, causing pedestrians to scream in terror and scatter in all directions.

"boom--!"

A luxury car was blasted into the air by several players wielding rocket launchers, and the blast wave knocked over pedestrians.

At the bank entrance not far away, several players were exchanging fire with arriving mechanical police, with explosions occurring one after another.

Several fighter jets chased and fought between the buildings, shattering the glass curtain walls of one building after another.

Fire sirens and police sirens blared incessantly.

Zhuang Fan understood immediately; this was "Sin City," and he was truly lying in a virtual pod on Mori-Ban Networks.

He tentatively asked, "Are you the game administrator?"

Sweetie shook her head in denial.

"So you're a bug in the game?"

"of course not!"

She puffed out her cheeks. "I'm just a temporary visitor, dropping by for a bit. The administrators are so stupid, they never notice me."

Like a child who had sneaked into an amusement park, she said with a hint of slyness, "This time, we should be able to play for a few more hours."

As soon as she finished speaking, her expression changed slightly.

"Oh no, they've located us."

Sweetie, with a hint of annoyance at being caught, said, "It must have been when I pulled you out that I triggered the alarm."

"Excuse me."

"It's okay, we'll meet again."

She waved to Zhuang Fan: "Then I'm logging off."

"etc."

Zhuang Fan was a little embarrassed: "I don't think I can log off. It might be a bug."

"No problem, I'll just kick you out."

Before she finished speaking, she reached out her small hand and gently touched Zhuang Fan's forehead.

Goodbye, Brother Zhuang Sheng.

An irresistible force gripped Zhuang Fan's consciousness and pulled him backward abruptly.

The virtual world shattered into countless points of light.

When Zhuang Fan opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a metal cabin with tubes inserted into the back of his head.

The realistic feel of flesh, the cold gel cushions, and the metallic smell in the air...

Everything was reminding him that he had returned to reality.

Those memories of the starry sky have faded and become blurred in my mind.

He only remembered his conversation with the demon general and his father's final words of comfort, but he could no longer recreate the specific appearance of that starry sky.

This may be a self-protection mechanism.

The brain is actively deleting and cutting information; otherwise, the sheer volume of information would be enough to cause cognitive breakdown.

We can no longer easily absorb demon generals.
Zhuang Fan reminded himself that every devouring was a high-stakes gamble, and the consequences of failure were unimaginable.

The virtual hatch slowly opened.

At that moment, bursts of gunfire erupted outside the door, accompanied by increasingly ferocious roars.

Zhuang Fan frowned, recognizing Tataji's voice.

It roared outside the door: "Where are you ants hiding! Get out here!"

As soon as one of the members raised his rifle, he was struck by its claws, his body flying sideways and crashing into the wall.

Cole threw away his empty gun, drew his dagger from his waist, and charged toward Tataji.

However, the two sides were vastly different in strength. Tataji didn't even look at him directly, but kicked him out, sending Cole flying backward and crashing into a wall.

"Roar--!"

Tataji gripped the necks of two men with his claws; they were Watson and Gage.

Watson and Gage's faces turned bright red, their legs kicking helplessly in the air.

"You won't die so easily. I'll torture you properly, then grill you into skewers and savor you slowly."

Tataji's eyes turned bloodshot, and he became increasingly insane.

Suddenly, a barely perceptible wisp of dark mist seeped silently from the crack in the door and crept into its head.

Tataji's three-meter-tall body suddenly stiffened.

It instinctively released Watson and the other man, covered its head with its hands, and its face was filled with shock and fear.

"who is it!"

It still clung to a sliver of hope, looking around.

A cold voice came from behind the door:
"Get in here right now."

That voice... it really is the Demon General!
Tataji's pupils suddenly contracted, and a fear from the depths of his soul caused his legs to tremble slightly.

The instinct for survival prevailed over everything.

The massive body suddenly turned around, trying to escape through the gap in the wall it had smashed open.

The faster you escape, the better.

But then several wisps of dark mist entered its head, causing its body to stiffen and it to collapse to the ground with a loud thud.

"Get in."

The voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

I will not repeat myself a third time.

"Yes Yes!"

Tataji scrambled to his feet, crawling on his stomach, no longer daring to have any thought of resistance.

The rat guards behind him also stopped firing, realizing something was wrong when they saw their leader's terrified expression.

Tataji, no longer the imposing figure he once was, timidly walked to the door and pushed open the iron gate riddled with bullet holes.

Watson and Gage were taken aback when they heard Zhuang Fan's voice, and then an overwhelming excitement welled up inside them.

The boss is finally back!
Ignoring their own injuries, they immediately sent people to check on the wounded and bandage their wounds.

Watson rushed outside like a madman, digging through the rubble with his bare hands, calling out his sister's name.

Hua Xin is still buried under the clock tower, and his fate is unknown.

The room was dimly lit.

In the center was a virtual reality pod. The pod door was open, and a shirtless man was sitting quietly inside.

Tataji recognized him; he was the Demon General's strategist and the apparent leader of the Recycling Station.

But at this moment, the man was shrouded in a faint dark mist, and his aura was exactly the same as that of the Demon General.

Especially those eyes, cold and lifeless, Tataji would never forget them in his life.

Clearly, the Demon General has taken control of the strategist's body.

"Demon General." Its voice trembled slightly.

"Close the door," Zhuang Fan said calmly.

Tataji dared not disobey and turned to close the door.

"Kneel down."

With a "thump," Tataji knelt down decisively in front of Zhuang Fan, causing several cracks to appear in the cement floor.

"What are you doing here causing trouble with this bunch of useless trash?"

"Sir, it was all Iron Tower's doing that made me do it!"

Tataji quickly offered an explanation, disclaiming all responsibility:
“He forced me to take the baron back. I was just following orders.”

"is it?"

Zhuang Fan's tone was unreadable: "But you seem quite imposing outside, not like you were forced into this."

Tataji was terrified and frantically kowtowed his enormous rat head to the ground, the sound of which was deep and loud.

"Dong dong dong——!"

The recycling center was so quiet that even the rat guards on the first floor could hear the king kowtowing loudly.

They looked at each other, pretending not to hear.

Tataji was resilient and didn't stop even when his forehead bled from kowtowing: "My lord, spare my life! I'll never dare to do it again!"

"Tataji, will you hold a grudge against me?"

It paused for a moment, then quickly shook its head: "Sir, no! Absolutely not!"

"If the Tower orders another attack, will you carry it out?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Will you be loyal to me?"

"Yes! I swear to the gods!"

With tears in his eyes, Tataji told three lies with heartfelt sincerity, and Zhuang Fan was even somewhat impressed by its shamelessness.

"I won't kill you," he said slowly.

Tataji froze. It knew this phrase all too well. It had used it to forgive traitors before, only to have its subordinates draw their swords the moment it did so.

It quickly pressed, "Sir, is this true? Even those around you won't kill me?"

“Of course, my team will never kill you.” Zhuang Fan nodded, making a promise.

This is not a lie.

He had only been awake for a short time and indeed couldn't even unleash a wisp of dark mist, nearing his limit.

Tataji is a demon king-level being, and only a large amount of highly concentrated black mist can inflict fatal damage on it.

"Bad debts can be waived."

Zhuang Fan's voice rang out again: "But we haven't settled other scores yet."

"Yes, yes!" Tataji breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn't die, everything was fine.

"Get out and let my men in."

"Yes!"

Tataji felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He got up from the ground, not bothering to wipe the blood from his forehead, and respectfully withdrew.

At the door, Hua Sheng was supporting Hua Xin.

The girl's face was covered in dust, and she had a deep, bone-revealing wound on her arm, indicating she had suffered a serious injury.

She was lucky enough to survive because she happened to be hiding in a crevice in the rocks when the clock tower collapsed.

The moment Tataji saw Hua Xin, a flash of anger crossed his bloodshot eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

It stepped aside to make way.

Hua Sheng helped Hua Xin up, gave it a wary look, and then they went into the room together.

Tataji watched the two figures disappear into the distance, clenched his claws, then quickly released them, turned around, and tried to slip away.

"Where are you going?"

Tataji froze, too afraid to move.

"Make him stand outside as punishment."

".good."

"Don't forget to close the door."

".yes."

In front of all the rat guards, Tataji felt utterly humiliated and overwhelmed with shame.

But it dared not resist, and fearfully closed the door, standing outside like a door god.

The Demon King's dignity vanished at this moment.

The team members were either injured or disabled, but they were all stunned by what they saw.

The boss only said a few words, yet he managed to intimidate the fierce-looking Tataji. What's going on?
inside the room.

Hua Sheng helped Hua Xin sit down. Although he looked exhausted, his eyes were full of excitement.

"Boss, you're finally awake!"

"Brother Ya."

Zhuang Fan felt bad looking at the brother and sister's disheveled appearance.

"Watson, how long have I been unconscious?"

"It's been a full 16 days."

Zhuang Fan was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected to be able to sleep for so long.

"Okay, tell me briefly what has happened during this period."

"it is good"

Watson recounted everything that had happened in the past two weeks in the simplest language:
From dwindling supplies to casualties among team members, then the zombie horde attack, and finally Tataji's assault.
After listening attentively, Zhuang Fan let out a soft sigh:
"I'm sorry, I have a lot of responsibility for the state of the base."

"Boss, I feel even more ashamed now that you say that. It was all my fault for making the wrong arrangements and for not being able to manage the team properly."

Zhuang Fan interrupted him: "Our most important task right now is to save lives and ensure all the injured team members receive proper medical treatment. The second thing is..."

Watson listened patiently and nodded:
"I understand."

Finally, with Watson's help, Zhuang Fan slowly walked out of the virtual reality pod.

"Oh, right, there's one more crucial thing. Contact Mao Shanwang immediately and sell this virtual reality pod as soon as possible. Remember to erase all information and clean it up completely."

"Why?" Watson asked, puzzled.

"Anyway, I have a bad feeling that I might be being targeted by another big company. I guess I should prepare for the worst."

He was already being relentlessly pursued by the Nuclear Group and didn't want to provoke Morisaka Networks as well.

Tataji stood outside the door, straining his ears, but heard nothing.

After Watson and his companion left the room, Zhuang Fan's voice regained its coldness.

"You come in."

Tataji jumped in surprise, took a few steps inside, closed the door automatically, and plastered his face with obsequiousness.

"My Lord Demon General, is there anything I can do for you?"

How much money do you have?

Tataji hesitated for a moment, then cautiously replied, "About 500,000 gold coins."

"I'll give you one last chance."

Tataji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed his words:

"One million! It really is only one million! I have to pay tribute to the Iron Tower every month, there's really no more!"

This time, it's the truth.

Zhuang Fan issued the order directly:

"Have your men bring the money, and all weapons and ammunition must be handed over, including your own rat burrow."

Tataji was startled. How did the Demon General know the layout of his bedroom?

"There are no secrets in front of me."

Zhuang Fan was just guessing.

How could a suspicious guy like him possibly sleep soundly without his bedroom filled with guns and ammunition?

"Move everything here, or you might as well die."

"Yes Yes!"

Tataji did not hesitate and immediately went out to have his staff make arrangements.

Then it stood respectfully to the side, like a servant awaiting its fate.

Zhuang Fan asked questions calmly, inquiring about the Iron Tower, the distribution of the Apocalypse Sect's hideouts, and the siege plan for Linhai City.

Tataji spoke frankly and almost everything he said was true.

"My lord, I am not aware of the siege time. I am only the patriarch, but perhaps the higher-ups of the Apocalypse Church know."

Zhuang Fan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Twenty minutes later, the staff member brought gold bars and a pile of gold coins and respectfully placed them outside the door.

All the rat guards' weapons and ammunition, as well as boxes of grenades and explosives brought from their lair, were piled up in the lobby on the first floor.

"Sir, is there anything else?"

"Disband the rat guards."

Tataji immediately complied, making them all roll back to their nest and ordering them not to come near the recycling station again.

"Have your staff stay behind; I have something to ask it."

The aide was taken aback. Seeing that Tataji did not object, it stood obediently outside the door.

"Tataji, you can go now."

"Yes."

"You'll officially start your job tomorrow."

"Starting work?"

"To be a treasure of the station."

"well."

Tataji was still pondering those words. Did they mean he wanted to send troops to protect the area?
Indeed, all the rats within a ten-mile radius have to listen to it; without it, nothing can be accomplished.

As it pondered this, it also wondered if its posture just now had been too humble and had damaged the Demon King's majesty.

As it descended the second floor, it reverted to its demon king persona.

His gaze swept over Hua Xin and the others, then fell upon the mountain of weapons and ammunition piled up in the center of the hall, and anger rose within him.

Jetta, in particular, showed no fear and stared back at Tataji.

"Okay, you're very good."

It resisted the urge to crush the Jetta and left the recycling center.

Thirty years of humiliation, thirty years of being a rat king—today's disgrace will surely be avenged tomorrow!
"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

Three sniper bullets, fired from the same direction, accurately struck its head.

The hard skull was pierced, leaving three holes from which blood was gushing out.

"Roar--!"

Tataji fell heavily to the ground, letting out a painful roar, and continued to struggle.

It has a strong vitality and will not die for a while even if it is seriously injured.

A figure darted out of the shadows, as fast as lightning.

It's Xiong Er.

He held a grenade with the fuse pulled and shoved it into the hole in Tataji's head without hesitation.

"boom--!"

With a loud bang, the demon king's head exploded.

The headless corpse twitched a few times and then fell silent.

Tataji thus perished.

Zhuang Fan stood calmly on the second floor, while his aides were stunned.

He turned his gaze to his advisor: "What's your name?"

The rat advisor was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening: "My lord, my name is Swarovski."

"The name is too long and hard to remember."

Zhuang Fan immediately made the decision: "From now on, you will be called Master, Master Rat, understand?"

"Thank you, Lord Xie, for bestowing upon me a name!"

"I'm a man of my word, and I always keep my promises."

Zhuang Fan's gaze slowly fell on Rat Master. "I promised Tataji that our team wouldn't kill him. Look, we haven't even made a move."

Zhuang Fan then pointed at Xiong Er, "But he's Mao Shan Wang's man. He wants revenge, and that's none of my business."

"Yes Yes."

He changed the subject: "Master, do you think I'm trustworthy?"

The rat advisor felt a chill run down his spine and nodded stiffly: "You're absolutely right, a great deal of trust."

“I also promised Tataji that he would take up his post and become the station’s treasure, and I will keep my promise.”

The Rat Advisor followed closely behind Zhuang Fan and arrived at Tataji's side.

Zhuang Fan called out softly to Xiong Er:
"I asked you to take revenge, not to blow your head off. You'd better work hard to piece it back together, then hang it on the roof so those rats can come and watch."

"Hmm, let me finish whipping you first, I'm still angry."

Xiong Er then cracked his whip repeatedly.

The Rat Advisor was terrified when he saw the King's miserable state.

"Master Rat".

"Yes, I'm here!" Master Rat replied quickly, bending down even lower.

"I ask you."

Zhuang Fan's tone turned serious: "With Tataji dead, the Brown Rat Clan is leaderless. What will become of them?"

The mouse advisor spun around quickly and immediately replied:

"My lord, the rat tribe cannot be without a king. If Tataji dies, the fate of the brown rat tribe will be dire!"

"well said."

Zhuang Fan nodded, gesturing for Jetta to come over:
"Is my friend Jetta qualified to be the Demon King?"

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(End of this chapter)