"It has at least the sharpness of a purple weapon, and a relatively high one at that."

Li Xia nodded, and said thoughtfully:

"This is terrifying. This world really is a resource planet."

In One Piece, the Grade 21 Great Swords are considered purple-grade equipment. In the Iron Continent, they might just be ordinary swords, the kind that every soldier carries, and maybe even common items you can buy at the village blacksmith's shop.

If humanity in this world had not perished, the unlimited steel resources alone would have allowed them to advance metallurgy to an incredibly advanced level.

All apostles would fight tooth and nail to come to this world, the holy land of fourth-tier blacksmiths!

I just don't know what this 'Steel Source' is, or why it has such great power.

Without the huge sum of money from 'Steel Source' dangling in front of them, simply cleaning up the battlefield and collecting these forged weapon remnants would probably be a considerable source of income.

This is hell for carbon-based life forms and paradise for metallic life forms, but for the apostles, it's like rats entering a granary.

"Let's go, let's finish off those guild members as soon as possible. I'm getting more and more interested in Steel Source."

............

As they continued their journey, they witnessed many sights they had previously only imagined in words: a waterfall of mercury molten metal cascading hundreds of meters down a high cliff, the silvery liquid reflecting a cold, sharp light. Countless droplets of silvery-white mercury molten metal splashed out.

The nearby alloy ground was corroded and pitted, with so many holes that it made people feel uneasy. The mercury river flowed along the crooked and twisted grooves, looking like plant roots extending outwards.

They also saw sheer, knife-cut metal cliffs and bottomless metal abysses.

What's even more breathtaking is a massive ruin that must have once been a magnificent city. Even though only ruins remain, after being completely metallized, it has a unique feel that blends the avant-garde with the retro.

Finally, they saw a broken inscription in the square, which recorded the process of the fall of the duchy called 'Ernis'. It must have been erected by the former exiles of the duchy. The steelmaking preserved it, and it quietly recorded the changes that had happened in this world.

"Their biggest problem is probably that they're too close to 'Steel Source'..."

Standing before the monument, Aowu gazed at the inscription and sighed. The Principality of Ernest was a city of medicine and art, peaceful and untroubled by the world. Its world-renowned medical and artistic achievements made it a 'city of hope' in the hearts of countless people.

Seriously ill patients come here seeking a final hope, while the artists, having witnessed countless partings of life and death, use their heartfelt works to encourage the patients not to give up.

But Ernest's location was too advantageous. They were less than 100 kilometers from the Iron Source. With steep mountains on both sides and a very flat road leading into the valley, Ernest was an unsuspecting sheep.

"A nation, however large, will perish if it loves war; a country, however peaceful, will be in danger if it forgets war!"

Li Xia shook his head. What country is undefended? What country can remain neutral forever? Temporary stability cannot guarantee long-term stability.

More likely, it's because the potential benefits haven't yet become too great to tempt them.

Boom!

A muffled thunderclap boomed in the sky, and rolling dark clouds swept in from behind the distant mountains, like spilled ink, visibly engulfing the gray horizon.

In a short while, dark clouds pressed down over the ruins, hanging so low that they seemed to cling to the top of the alloy cliff, covering the entire sky as far as the eye could see.

"Meow......"

Black Charcoal looked at the vast rain cloud and exclaimed in amazement. In all the worlds he had experienced, he had never seen such a massive amount of rainfall.

"normal!"

The dragon's whiskers swayed, its innate talent for water giving it an exceptional sensitivity. The little dragon raised its head, its clear dragon eyes filled with contemplation:

"The entire steel continent has been metallized, and this alloy has a very low specific heat capacity, so it heats up and cools down extremely quickly."

In addition, due to the lack of storage in the soil and vegetation, the water cycle here is very simple and rapid, so there should be a lot of rainfall in this area.

and....."

The tone of his roar carried an absolute confidence:

"The rain is going to be extremely heavy!"

As soon as it finished speaking, the wind suddenly intensified, whipping up rusted alloy fragments that swept across the broken walls with a low whistling sound, mingling with the clinking sound of metal fragments hitting the walls.

It sounded like the sobs of the fallen souls of the duchy, or like the resentful warriors striking their weapons.

Intertwined with the rumbling thunder rolling across the sky, it carried an inexplicable sense of oppression, making it hard to breathe.

The first few raindrops to fall were a few scattered drops.

The raindrops were small and icy cold, striking the metal inscription in the center of the square with a soft "tap," instantly spreading a small circle of dark watermarks on the smooth alloy surface before slowly sliding down along the engravings. Then, more raindrops fell from the clouds.

Li Xia looked up at the dark sky. The raindrops strangely changed direction when they reached his side, sliding along an invisible barrier to both sides.

A small floral umbrella opened, and Heitan and Xiaotian hid under it, their mouths agape as they watched the world transform into a giant curtain of rain.

In just a few minutes, the drizzle suddenly turned into a torrential downpour. The rain fell like a silver curtain from the sky, so dense that the outlines of the distant ruins were obscured, pounding on every corner of the metal world with a deafening roar.

The rain relentlessly lashed the alloy cliff face, making the metal gleam with a cold, silvery-white light. The rainwater, carrying fine alloy powder, flowed down the cliff face, forming tiny streams that left winding silver trails as they ran across the ground.

"Awoo!"

Li Xia withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Long:

"Check their location."

Xiao Long paused for a moment, but immediately understood what his boss meant. This kind of torrential rain was also a considerable problem for both the guild and the garbage collectors.

Equipment responsible for perimeter security would likely have significantly reduced detection capabilities in this metallic world, especially under such torrential rain. So... this is an opportunity!

"understand!"

Aowu readily agreed, and the entire dragon soared upwards amidst the torrential rain. The terrifying downpour seemed like a docile and obedient pet to Aowu, swirling around it in concentric rings.

In just a moment, Xiaolong had arrived below the rain clouds, looking down at the entire metallic land shrouded in rain.

Lightning flashed repeatedly in the clouds overhead, adding an eerie touch to the dark, gloomy sky.

The water flow instantly condensed in front of it, forming one enormous lens after another, constantly magnifying and shrinking to adjust the focus.

The outer layer is a convex water mirror with a diameter of more than 20 meters, like an inverted giant bowl, which gathers all the light scattered in the rain curtain; the inner layer has a palm-sized concave water mirror suspended in it, which adjusts its curvature with Aowu's thoughts.

Rainwater flowed across the lens surface without causing the slightest disturbance, and even the edges shimmered with a faint iridescent light.

Just a few breaths later, a clear image of the scene below was reflected in Aowu's dragon eyes. The 2cm resolution even revealed details on the metal. With Aowu's thoughts, the entire 'Super Galileo Telescope' began to constantly change direction, zooming continuously and switching magnification freely. Whenever a suspicious point was found, it would magnify it to the limit.

"Boss, I saw it!"

A howling sound rang out in the chat channel:

"They're at the valley entrance, blocked by a group of resurrected corpses. A fire mage is trying to use a scorching ray—"

The howling sound paused for a moment, then was followed by a gloating laugh:

"Idiot! This kind of rain is no different from being soaked in water. What's wrong with your brain, using scorching rays!"

"Ah."

Li Xia closed his eyes, and his Observation Haki suddenly spread out, covering a vast area. The whole world suddenly became quiet, but apart from the rain that kept rippling, there was no other movement.

"There shouldn't be any hidden sentries on the outskirts, so I'll just follow the main road and watch out for the detection equipment along it."

"Alright! Let's play hard to get!"

"A mix of truth and deception!"

There is only one road into the valley; the rest are extremely difficult mountain paths. However, the Apostles' detection equipment will only focus its efforts on the difficult paths.

On the contrary, there are fewer main roads, because they are the main roads, so the apostles usually don't take them. This has basically become a kind of default rule.

Therefore, going against the grain and choosing to take the main road is a good option.

As for whether the other party will anticipate your predictions, this endless nesting is meaningless. If the protection is truly tight, it doesn't matter where you go.

Li Xia led the two children, walking slowly forward in the pouring rain.

The constant roar of live broadcasts filled his ears; the continuous warfare had turned the surrounding area into a wasteland. The rain blurred Li Xia's vision, as did the enemy's.

His figure was gradually obscured by the rain, as if no one had ever been there.

Next, it's time to hunt.

------------------

1. Monthly pass 2. Recommendation vote

Do you guys still have any monthly passes left? We're just a few dozen short!

Chapter 5: Five Kills!

"Boss, there's a detector about 600 meters southwest of the road. It looks like a Sentinel V4-2."

Multiple hybrid detection methods are quite challenging.

Awoo adjusted the focus and said confidently:

"However, this kind of thing also has its drawbacks. It's almost useless in such heavy rain. Only two detection methods are still usable, and the range is relatively small. Just use the band protection plate in the warehouse to cover your body."

"Boss, there's a micro-energy bell hanging on the treetop on the northwest side, using energy to seal the cloak!"

"Boss..."

"Boss..."

The sound of "Awoo" kept echoing in their personal space. This was the meaning behind Awoo and Heitan spending so much time in the market and clubs. Their casual chats in the past had all turned into the driving force for their progress.

A casual remark from one of the summoned beasts, a curious inquiry with ulterior motives, and memorizing the stats of numerous items on the market—from Tier 2 to Tier 4—Awoo spent a considerable amount of resources to purchase and fill his warehouse.

Finally, they all came in handy. Even the second and third tiers, which were relatively expensive in the Hall of Fame, were never lacked in Li Xia's investment in the market.

And so, little by little, it slowly approached, like a highly skilled hunter patiently drawing near to its prey.

.................

"How come there are so many of these damn metal freaks!"

The huge, openwork tent shielded the area from the torrential rain. Even under such heavy downpours, the top of the tent only splashed water everywhere, without shaking in the slightest.

Ruzan's brows were filled with an undisguised ferocity, and faint black flames emanated from his body. His sinister gaze was fixed on the guild apostle who was desperately fighting against the metal resurrected corpse in the rain.

"Why the sudden outburst of anger? This kind of rain and this kind of rain scene are quite rare..."

Kieran still maintained his image as a refined gentleman amidst the turbid world. His light golden curly hair shimmered softly under the dim magical light inside the tent, and his fitted dark gray trousers and spotless black boots stood out starkly against the backdrop of the muddy battlefield outside.

He leaned back in an extremely comfortable-looking aristocratic chair, with an exquisite afternoon tea set on a small round table beside him.

"I don't know, but I just feel inexplicably irritable and panicked."

Ruzan picked up the silver pot on the small table and began gulping down mouthfuls of water from the spout. He thought it was an instinctive premonition of impending danger, and as a harbinger demon, Ruzan had an excellent sense of danger.

But Ruzan had no intention of saying so, because there was no way they could retreat. This was an order directly issued by the top leaders of the two major guilds; it was a decree and a divine oracle!

The orders carried out on behalf of someone else are absolute; no one dares to disobey them, or even treat them perfunctorily.

So even if we say it, it's pointless. We've already arrived at the Valley of Origins. Once we clear out the metal resurrected corpses, we can face the 'Golden Embryo' directly.

Moreover, Ruzan wondered if the Golden Embryo had given him this sense of warning. After all, the Golden Embryo was an existence that required effort to act as a substitute, and even if it had fallen to the fourth rank, it must still be an extremely powerful existence.

As for the other apostles... Ruzan never even considered that possibility.

This is a special world that cannot be entered through normal means. Even with the combined power of the two major guilds and the extensive use of their privileges, they only barely managed to achieve their goal, twisting an S+ level team mission reward into the only reward: a world key.

"It could be caused by this awful weather. You know, we demons don't like rainy days like this. There are only volcanoes and sulfur in Hell."

Ruzan spread his hands, finding another reason. Indeed, such torrential rain was as if water was being poured directly down. Even in all the worlds the apostle had experienced, he had never seen such rain.

"Makes sense."

Kieran nodded in agreement. Weather usually has little impact on the apostles, but such extreme weather is different. The person in charge of the alert had just reported that due to the "damned torrential rain," more than 60% of the alert measures had become ineffective or less effective.

Of the remaining 40%, no more than half can be fully utilized, and all of them are concentrated in the core areas of the '8th and 9th rings'.

Kieran didn't care about this and directly ordered them to retreat back to the '7th Ring' area, which is the 10-kilometer warning zone.

Ten kilometers is enough. Kieran is confident that no one within the fourth tier can break through his path instantly from 10 kilometers away and cause heavy casualties.

"By the way, Kieran."

Ruzan suddenly remembered something and tapped the table with his finger:

"Why did you need so many rare metals before? You've been keeping quiet about it, but now that they're almost here, shouldn't you be able to tell us?"

Kieran's smile vanished, his eyes fixed on Ruzan, making Kieran feel slightly uneasy. He then smiled again, returning to his original expression.

"You'll find out soon enough."

................

"Boss! It looks like the other side is retreating!"

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like