Chapter 52: The Polar Region
Within the Sispanyn territory, at the Jilu Mine, inside a natural crystal cave.
Several contractors from the Apocalypse Paradise stood clustered together. At the center of their group floated a transparent crystal, about the size of a fist. The interior of the crystal was a chaotic blur, and staring at it for a few seconds would even cause dizziness.
"Is this… the World Core?"
An old man wearing a miner's lamp hat and holding a high-tech mining shovel stared blankly at the World Core. He had been looking at it for several minutes.
"What do we do? We just wanted to dig up some rare ores. How did we dig this up? The Sanctuary Paradise isn't easy to mess with, and the Reincarnation Paradise is a madhouse. I don't want to fight them. I'm already prepared to fail the mission and lose attribute points."
A little girl looked up, also staring at the World Core for a long time.
"Maybe… we should just pretend we didn't see it. Last World War, I just laid low. The main battle faction still won in the end."
"Are you kidding? If we just leave it alone, we'll probably get forcibly executed. Besides… finding this thing comes with a huge reward. Aren't you tempted?"
"Very tempted, but those two sides will definitely come charging over to snatch it. If it's two against one…"
"Stop talking. I can already picture it."
The group surrounded the World Core. They were early Fourth Rank contractors, and the very laid-back type. Every time they experienced a world, they completed the mission with a very low rating. Their main source of profit was searching for rare resources, which had earned them quite a bit.
This kind of small team wasn't uncommon in the relatively gentle Apocalypse Paradise. They were actually somewhat similar to Workers, just much stronger in combat.
The contractors and Workers of the Reincarnation Paradise were two extremes. One fought through blood and fire, while the other faced lower risks but had fewer paths to grow stronger. Neither could exist without the other.
"How about… we give it to Black Bee? That guy really wants to fight someone from the Reincarnation Paradise or the Sanctuary Paradise."
"Good idea."
"Just hand it over like that? Isn't that a bit…"
"Don't hesitate. Once this thing is dug up, it gets located by all contractors."
"Alright, it's settled. We'll give it to Black Bee."
As they were discussing, space rippled, and a figure appeared in the mine.
"Bl, Black Bee."
The little girl in the team stepped back a few paces, hiding behind the old man.
"You found it?"
The man who appeared out of thin air spoke. His voice had a metallic quality, and his arms were constructed of metal.
"That's right."
The old man with the miner's lamp hat was noticeably calmer. Although Black Bee was unpredictable, he wasn't crazy enough to attack his own side's contractors.
"Give it here."
Black Bee extended his metal arm. The old man hesitated for a moment, then handed the World Core to Black Bee.
Space rippled again, forming a vortex. A swarm of black bees buzzed around the vortex, and the man named Black Bee disappeared.
…
Sun Kingdom, Divine Court, inside a bedroom.
A woman wearing a golden robe and a hood sat on a wooden chair.
"Have you thought it over? How do you want to die? I can give you a dignified death."
The woman's voice was gentle, but her words were about taking a life.
"Lady Shenna, I was just…"
The woman waved her hand: "I'm asking you how you want to die. Don't answer the wrong question. The God is listening to our conversation. Tell it directly, how do you want to die."
"…"
The man kneeling on the ground had a twitching cheek.
"Shenna, if you kill me, no one will obey you anymore."
The man raised his head, meeting the gaze of the woman named Shenna.
"Actually, I don't want to kill you. Tools as useful as you are hard to find. But as you said, if you don't die, how can I command the others?"
Shenna took out a piece of parchment. The man kneeling on one knee suddenly tried to stand up, but several golden rings appeared around him, binding him in place.
With a tearing sound, the parchment was ripped apart. The man's face quickly turned ashen, and his body shattered like paper.
"Spare… them."
With a thud, the man fell. Strangely, Shenna, who had killed a member of her own side, received no punishment.
"The World Core is actually in Sispanyn territory. Finally, I don't have to tangle with that troublemaker anymore. That…"
Shenna seemed about to curse, but considering it wasn't appropriate, she held back the words on the tip of her tongue.
Meanwhile, in a certain office within the Divine Court.
"Calling me a troublemaker? Then you must be the shit."
Qingyan, holding a glass of wine, chuckled. His plan had been interrupted. There was nothing to be done about it. Once someone discovered the World Core, the battle situation would change instantly.
As soon as someone found the World Core, it meant the free-for-all among contractors was about to begin.
The current situation seemed chaotic, with the three sides not engaging in large-scale combat, but the reality was clear.
The Reincarnation Paradise side couldn't cooperate with anyone. In fact, no one dared to cooperate with them. Whoever held the World Core became the target of the Reincarnation Paradise contractors. For example, now that the Apocalypse Paradise side held it, they were the biggest enemy.
The Sanctuary Paradise was similar. Whoever had the World Core, they would attack. As for cooperating with the Reincarnation Paradise, it was completely impossible. Qingyan had already driven them to the point of vomiting blood (tu xue).
The Apocalypse Paradise was simpler. Aside from a few main battle factions, their attitude was: You guys fight each other, just don't come after us. Whoever won, they would assess if they could beat them. If not, they would put up a token resistance to avoid punishment for passive combat.
Now, the World Source was in the hands of the Apocalypse Paradise. Their strongest, Black Bee, clearly wasn't afraid of the Reincarnation Paradise or the Sanctuary Paradise. In the last World War, the world Black Bee was in had been won by the Apocalypse Paradise.
Of course, Black Bee wasn't arrogant enough to be overconfident. His plan was to ally with the Sanctuary Paradise, take out the most troublesome Reincarnation Paradise first, and then settle the score between them.
However, with the Geya Alliance's army pressing in, the Sanctuary Paradise contractors would need some time to leave the Sun Kingdom's territory. As for the Reincarnation Paradise contractors, they were on the winning side of the Geya Alliance, so extracting themselves from the battlefield wouldn't be too difficult.
…
Saint Limen Fortress, beside a half-collapsed concrete trench.
Su Xiao held a bowl of meat soup, checking the notification from the Reincarnation Paradise.
[Announcement: A contractor is now in possession of the World Core.]
[The World Core must be delivered within 15 natural days to: Polar Region · Hot Rainforest.]
[Hot Rainforest: Located at the center of Blue Sea Star. Upon arrival at the Hot Rainforest, the World Core can be placed at a specific location to form a World Coordinate. The coordinate formation must be guarded to prevent the other two sides' contractors from seizing the World Core. If the World Coordinate is successfully established, the defending side will become the victor of the World War.]
[Current holder of the World Core: Apocalypse Paradise.]
[War mission has changed. The Hunter must seize the World Core before the 'World Coordinate' is formed.]
…
"Found by the Apocalypse people."
Su Xiao muttered. Beside him, Bubu Wang raised his dog head, as if to say: "Master, don't worry. Last time, it was those Apocalypse Paradise guys who found the World Core first. I'll go steal it. I'm very experienced in this business."
Su Xiao stood up, considering whether he should head to the world's center: the Polar Region · Hot Rainforest, or directly charge into the Sispanyn territory. The World Core was something that absolutely had to be seized.