NOVPUBChapter 184: Chapter 183: The Second Battlefield
Chapter 184 -183: The Second Battlefield
“But that night, the mist only covered the countryside, it didn’t enter the city, did it?” Ailuodi said, puzzled. “And the situation didn’t seem like the actions of Evil God cultists.”
“Well, this…” Leisk rubbed the back of his head, “That day, I summoned the mist just to help you escape…”
“What?”
“I thought people like you shouldn’t die at the hands of the company…” he said softly, “If others could be like you, perhaps I would never need to blow the horn.”
Chaoyang gave a wry smile, realizing the tidal wave of mist that had thrown the entire city into panic that day was all a misunderstanding. He didn’t know players wouldn’t truly die, nor did he know that a car could cross the suburban hills in a short time to reach a safe evacuation point before the city guard and the company could react. The impulse to summon the mist was driven purely by goodwill.
He had wanted to ask if Hidden Mist Sect members only stayed hidden and watched, never thinking of stepping forward to lead the majority in a struggle against the Heretical Cult. But now he had his answer—if he truly were playing the role of a cold, heartless judge, he wouldn’t have acted to help based on his feelings.
“Now that I’ve said so much, it’s about time you introduce yourselves,” Leisk countered, “Who exactly are you? After the mist cleared that day, Gaotian Company dug three feet into the ground next to the tracks and didn’t find any left-behind weapons from your people. There were bodies, but I sneaked a look, and the degree of decay doesn’t seem like they died that night, and they also looked quite different than they did in the evening.”
Chaoyang thought for a moment, deciding to give something real in return.
“To be frank with you, I’m also a Divine Envoy.”
Leisk’s expression turned complex, yet he didn’t voice any suspicions.
“You don’t seem surprised?”
“…I should have thought of that possibility earlier,” he sighed, “In less than half a year, you’ve caused the big companies in the city so much trouble, wielded all sorts of magical weapons, had loyal warriors, and no ties with the city guard… If not the power of divinities, then what? So, which existence do you serve?”
“The Paradise Master.”
Leisk was taken aback, “The Paradise Master? I’ve never heard of that name.”
“That’s normal, because it’s only just been born,” Chaoyang said nonchalantly. Compared to those churches with hundreds of thousands of devotees, his followers were limited to the nuns of the temple and some healed miners, totaling less than two hundred people; it would be strange if outsiders had heard of it.
“A new Latter God?” Leisk’s expression, which had been complex, gradually turned to joy, “I thought it was some niche sect trying to develop in the New Continent. So, what is the faith led by the Paradise Master…?”
“To make the world more like paradise.”
“Are you… sure?” his smile fell flat again.
“I guess you’re going to say next, how could such an ideal shape a Latter God, right? After all, it requires many people embracing such a desire to give birth to a divinity,” Chaoyang smiled, “The last person who asked me that is now a follower of the Paradise Master.”
“But…”
“There’s nothing to ‘but’ about. Keep your horn safe and don’t take it out again,” Chaoyang assured him confidently, “This city will never be shrouded in the Hidden Mist, for it belongs to us.”
…
“Excuse me, make way! We’re here to save you!” Zhang Zhiyuan shouted from the top of the vehicle toward the crowded throngs on both sides of the street, “Don’t block the middle of the road, and don’t just stand there! If you don’t know where to seek refuge, then head to Fafu Street to find Yeni Temple, we’ve established a safe camp outside the temple to ensure your safety!”
“Are you the city guard?”
“Is this four-wheeled vehicle a construct? It looks so big!”
“There’s a monster over there, be careful.”
“Please, save my wife; she’s been trampled by the crowd!”
The people who had run into the street were all drawn by the sight of a vehicle like nothing they had ever seen before. The questions that erupted around were diverse and numerous, but more people were watching the errant vehicle with eyes wide with shock as it approached the blast site slowly but steadily.
“We are not the city guards!”
“Take your wife to the Temple; there are professional healers there.”
“Don’t get close to the front of the car, be careful not to get run over!”
Zhang Zhiyuan could only pick out a few questions to answer briefly. His professional habits made it hard for him to ignore these pleas for help. Besides, properly guiding the crowd could avoid completely blocking the roads with the chaotic flow of people.
“With such a great thing, why didn’t Paradise bring it out sooner?” Zhou Zhi, sitting in the car, couldn’t help but sigh. Through the window, he could see the astonishment, envy, and awe on the faces around him. In another world, even driving the most top-tier luxury car wouldn’t have anywhere near this kind of effect, giving him a sense of psychological superiority that flooded his thoughts. Rationally, he knew this attitude was not healthy, but emotionally, he was immersed in it.
“This isn’t a good sign,” Cui Zhen’en, who was driving the off-road vehicle, said with a frown. “It’s not just the car that didn’t need to be exchanged with points; even our respawn didn’t deduct any extra points. This means the situation is very serious; the Paradise officials can no longer afford to care about the loss and gains of points.”
Thinking back to the mission half an hour ago, Zhou Zhi still felt terrified—the horrific scene that defied all reason was even more frightening than the nightmares he had had. Even now, a slight itch at the back of his head made him tense, and he had to scratch it immediately.
However, there was also a surge of anger boiling within him. They had always been the ones dominating their enemies, and such a bitter defeat was a first for them. If he ever got the chance to encounter that Evil God’s Divine Envoy again, he definitely wouldn’t let them off.
Just then, a sudden series of screams came from around the corner across the long street.
Over a hundred people, panic-stricken, burst from around the corner and ran towards the vehicle. The emergence of this group brought a fresh wave of panic to those trying to flee.
“Don’t panic! Don’t push each other!” Zhou Zhi joined the fray, shouting instructions.
But the advice didn’t work well because everyone saw the homeless people running behind suddenly “flew” into the air. Their torsos, arms, and heads seemed to be violently drawn out by something, flung far away, while their lower halves stayed in place, then they toppled over, spurting blood.
Two “Potted Plant Monsters” emerged from the corner.
They were undoubtedly one of the culprits behind the killings and chaos!
“What kind of monsters are these!”
“Run!”
“Save me, I don’t want to die!”
More and more people started to run for their lives, and it seemed that the retreating crowd would soon trigger a new stampede.
Cui Zhen’en steadied the steering wheel and aimed the car’s front at the monsters not far away.
“Zhang Zhiyuan, it’s up to you now!”
“I know, leave it to me.” Zhang Zhiyuan unlocked the safety of the car-mounted grenade launcher and aimed the barrel at the target—the vehicle provided by Paradise was definitely not an ordinary off-road car. It had not only a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on top but also a 40mm grenade launcher, which was undoubtedly a heavy weapon suited only for vehicle mobility, fire support weaponry that a player as light infantry could never have on missions.
After a brief aiming, he decisively pulled the trigger—the kill radius of the high-explosive grenades allowed him to shoot without precision, only needing to project the firepower around the target.
With rapid firing sounds, grenades as big as half a fist were ejected from the barrel at a rate of one every 0.25 seconds, raining down on the monsters like torrential rain!
