Chapter 37: The Most Unlucky Overlord Creature in History
In the quiet corridor, Su Xiao, Baha, Wood, Zuiyasi, Solomon, and Yuer sat in a circle, with a detailed map of the Great Ruins drawn on the ground at the center.
This was the first lesson Yuer had learned since he could remember. Every blade of grass and every tree within the Great Ruins was etched into his mind. Although the terrain had changed after the Great Ruins' mutation, combined with the sketches drawn by the Mushroom Knight, this map was exceptionally detailed.
When it came to exploring dangerous areas, no one present had more experience than Zuiyasi. Doom Star was fraught with dangers everywhere, with countless large and small high-risk zones. Doom Star was an immensely vast world, a hundred times larger than Earth, with dangers scattered throughout.
It could be said that Zuiyasi had been exploring perilous places since childhood, giving him ample experience in this regard. At this moment, he studied the map on the ground for a moment and said:
"Here, here, and here are all ultra-high-risk areas. I estimate that even if we inject the secret medicine, entering these zones will still affect us. So we must avoid engaging the enemy near these places..."
After some discussion, Su Xiao and the others formulated a battle plan, which was as follows:
After entering the Great Ruins, Baha would act first. It was responsible for sneaking into the central area and keeping an eye on the Mother of Deep Water.
The five of them—Su Xiao, Zuiyasi, Solomon, Yuer, and Wood—would spread out, moving along the edges of the Great Ruins to reach their predetermined positions, effectively surrounding the Great Ruins from five directions.
Meanwhile, Bubu Wang and Aidoer would go deep into the innermost part of the Great Ruins and wait for orders.
Once Su Xiao, Zuiyasi, Solomon, Yuer, and Wood were in position at the five directions of the edge zone, they would tighten the encirclement, approach their respective targets, and then conceal themselves. At that point, Bubu Wang and Aidoer, located at the deepest part of the Great Ruins, would begin their operation.
Aidoer would then inject a dose of "Pure Blood Potion," a potion concocted by Su Xiao after he, Wood, Zuiyasi, and Solomon had gathered the materials.
Its effect was that after Aidoer injected this potion, she would become a "Blazing Flame" in the eyes of the monsters, possessing an unimaginable attraction for these creatures corrupted by "Abyss Power" and "Tainted Blood."
After Aidoer injected the "Pure Blood Potion," Bubu Wang would use the sonic boom device gifted to him by the Bana Dwarf Clan to create a deafening roar that would echo throughout the entire Great Ruins.
After the loud noise, the monsters scattered throughout the Great Ruins would first be attracted by the sound. At the same time, Su Xiao and the other five would emerge from their hiding spots to prevent their respective kill targets from also being lured away by the sonic boom.
This way, during the battle, Su Xiao, Wood, Zuiyasi, and the others would not attract other monsters due to the sounds of combat. It was important to note that their targets—the Queen, the Four-Born Evil Ghosts, and others—were extremely formidable. If monsters like the "Fishman Brother" or "Sludge Man" were drawn in during the fight, the battle would become unwinnable.
After Bubu Wang and Aidoer completed the first phase of luring the monsters with the sonic boom, their task was not yet over. Bubu Wang would use the speed-boosting items provided by the group to push his running speed to the limit, carrying Aidoer on his back as they fled.
As a healing-type, Aidoer naturally had speed-boosting abilities, though their duration was short. However, she would be riding on Bubu's back the entire time, continuously applying buffs to him.
Do not forget that Aidoer, having injected the "Pure Blood Potion," would attract monsters like the "Fishman Brother" and "Sludge Man."
At that point, Bubu Wang, at full speed, would carry Aidoer and lead a large group of monsters in circles around the edge of the Great Ruins, commonly known as "kiting the train."
If this worked, Su Xiao and the others in the central area of the Great Ruins would be free to fight without restraint.
Clearly, Zuiyasi's plan was feasible. Apart from the immense psychological trauma Aidoer would suffer, everything else was perfect.
Su Xiao used a metal syringe to draw the potion from the test tube. This "Pure Blood Potion," which could attract monsters, was not difficult to concoct.
"May I ask, what is the principle behind this potion?"
Aidoer spoke weakly. She was about to inject it, so of course, she had to ask.
Su Xiao didn't answer, signaling Baha to explain to her. In Su Xiao's team, aside from Amu, Bubu, Baha, and Beini all understood some alchemy. They could learn alchemical knowledge without any cost; if they had questions, they could ask Su Xiao. The Alchemy Codex was placed in the alchemy laboratory in Su Xiao's exclusive room, and they could go read it whenever they wanted.
Receiving Su Xiao's signal, Baha cleared his throat and explained:
"You can think of it this way. The creatures here are eroded by 'Abyss Power' and 'Aquatic Influence.' For example, the 'Elite Fishman' and 'Sludge Man' have life wavelengths closer to ♂, which you can understand as the 'male' symbol. After you inject the 'Pure Blood Potion,' your life wavelength will temporarily change to ♀, which is the 'female' in the monsters' eyes. Moreover, you'll radiate 'pheromone signals' outward like a 'beautiful female.'"
Baha explained it in an easy-to-understand way for Aidoer.
Hearing Baha's words, Aidoer instinctively crossed her arms over her shoulders. The images forming in her mind at that moment were something even adult films wouldn't dare to show.
"I... I won't do it. I'd rather die."
"Bai Ye, this little girl must be thinking the wrong thing."
Zuiyasi spoke. Hearing this, Aidoer, whose eyes had almost lost their light, regained some vitality.
Seeing this, Baha, following Su Xiao's 'method of comforting people,' said: "If those monsters catch you, compared to reproductive behavior, they'd rather eat you. In their eyes, you're like a fragrant, delicious female steamed bun.
So, if they catch you, you don't have to worry about being humiliated. In just a second or two, they'll tear you apart. Given the digestive abilities of these mutated creatures, within five hours, you'll turn into fertilizer and return to nature..."
"Baha, stop. Look how scared the kid is, her face is pale."
Zuiyasi interrupted Baha. Beside him, Aidoer wore an expression of utter despair. She didn't want to become the protagonist of some bizarre adult film, nor did she want to become a female steamed bun.
"After this is done, use the merit card you get to trade with me for Angelic Battle Intent."
Su Xiao spoke, startling Aidoer. She couldn't figure out how Su Xiao knew that her special overlord identity had reached its time limit and that she had obtained a 100-point Kill Merit Card.
This was the unique reward for becoming a special overlord unit. As long as one could hold out until the third phase of Treeborn World, they would receive this reward.
That's right, Treeborn World had already entered its third phase. It was estimated that in half an hour, supply crates would be dropped near the Initial Tree in the ancient capital.
When the second phase began, Su Xiao had ignored the supply crate drops, as he was busy scheming against Shenfu.
Now, the third-phase supply crate drop had nothing to do with Su Xiao either. He had no time to seize them. He was only concerned with the fourth-phase supply crate drop.
The fourth phase was the final stage of Treeborn World. During that supply crate drop, there would be a special crate containing the unique yield of Treeborn World.
Due to the delayed opening of Treeborn World, this unique yield had entered a period of over-limit growth, further increasing its value.
Although Su Xiao didn't know what it was, he would definitely seize it. He was certain that Huishenshi had chosen to complete his plan in Treeborn World, most likely because he needed this unique yield to finalize the plan's last step.
Otherwise, there was no reason for the other party to have paid such a heavy price last time to delay Treeborn World's opening, allowing that unique yield to enter over-limit growth.
Su Xiao had a feeling that the fourth-phase struggle would be the moment he and Huishenshi would settle their life-or-death conflict.
"How... how did you know?"
Aidoer spoke. She couldn't figure out how Su Xiao had deduced that she had obtained the reward for her special overlord identity.
"I didn't know just now. I was just guessing. Now I know."
"I..."
Aidoer felt her brain buzzing from being outsmarted. In the end, she could only sigh and resign herself to fate.
At that moment, Zuiyasi stood up, looked around at everyone, and said, "Everyone, any other questions?"
"..."
Su Xiao stood up, as did Wood and Solomon.
"Wait, wait. This expedition into the Great Ruins is extremely dangerous. How about we take a group photo? Give me ten seconds."
Aidoer threw out a mechanical eye and quickly went to Bubu's side, smiling as she hugged Bubu Wang's neck. Bubu Wang, looking disgusted, turned his head away.
Click~
The photo was taken. The mechanical eye transformed, and within a few seconds, a finished photo emerged.
On the left side of the photo was Wood, dressed in a black-purple suit, seemingly lost in thought. Beside him, Zuiyasi, in white clerical attire, had one hand on Yuer's head. Yuer, a head shorter than Zuiyasi, smiled with the innocence and naivety of a youth.
Further to the right was Bubu Wang, looking disgusted, with Aidoer hugging his neck. Baha was perched on Bubu's head.
To the right of Bubu Wang was Su Xiao. Because he had been adjusting his left arm earlier, he was bare-chested, with his long leather coat hanging down, held by a belt at his waist. His left arm was a translucent blue crystal arm, and at his waist was the sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Beside Su Xiao stood Solomon, habitually standing in the darkness. Pairs of red-glowing vertical pupils or single eyes were behind him in the darkness, making him look like the King of Darkness.
Aidoer put away the photo. She felt that this photo had great commemorative value.
Ignoring Aidoer, Su Xiao moved forward along the corridor. After walking several dozen meters, he saw the black fog at the end of the corridor.
This black fog became thinner towards the center. Su Xiao continued forward, encountering a resistance that he ignored, feeling like he was squeezing into a semi-fluid that didn't stick to the skin.
After a roar in his ears that felt like an illusion, Su Xiao emerged from the black fog, and the sight of the Great Ruins unfolded before him.
He was on a high slope. A few steps forward was a steep earthen cliff. The soil here was very black, with high humidity and a faint smell of decay.
The entire area of the Great Ruins was about one-fifth the size of Bei City. The black clouds above formed a sky cover, and the surrounding black fog reached the sky, sealing off the Great Ruins like sky walls.
The Great Ruins could be divided into three parts: the outer ring, the inner ring, and the center. The outer ring had few ruins, while the inner ring was a vast expanse of broken walls and collapsed buildings.
At the very center, even from such a distance, Su Xiao could see a colossal object there—a super-giant snail shell.
This snail shell was black and shiny, looking like a mountain from afar. A small part of its bottom was buried in the soil. This was not the shell of the Mother of Deep Water but the shell of the world's strongest overlord creature.
Counting many primordial worlds, the void, Transcendent Primordial Worlds, and many unknown worlds, the overlord creature that left this super-giant snail shell, though not the strongest, was certainly the most unlucky.
Back when the Law Destroyers were completely defeated, the Law-Destroying Hall collapsed, and the talent awakening device originally placed inside fell into a spatial rift. After falling for an unknown period and accelerating to an unknown degree, it crashed into Treeborn World.
The overlord creature that left this super-giant snail shell was unfortunately hit by the talent awakening device. At that moment, the scene was beyond tragic. The shell was instantly shattered, and the flesh inside was blasted away by the impact, turning into paste.
In fact, they should thank this overlord creature. If it hadn't been for it, the talent awakening device, falling at that speed, would likely have been destroyed. Thank you, Snail Brother.
Su Xiao's goal was to break into that super-giant snail shell. He signaled Baha that it was time to set off. Baha nodded, merged into the alternate space, and sneaked towards the central area.
Zuiyasi and Yuer circled to the left along the outermost edge, while Wood and Solomon circled to the right. Bubu and Aidoer temporarily went with Wood and Solomon.
After everyone had left, Su Xiao moved forward alone. He needed to cross the outer ring, reach the inner ring, and find the Four-Born Evil Ghosts, the four from the fishing village.
That wasn't all. He also had to conceal himself and wait for the signal. At that time, Bubu, who had gone deep into the innermost part of the Great Ruins, would activate the sonic boom device. That was the signal to act.
The temperature in the Great Ruins had cooled. Su Xiao tightened his collar. There were many broken walls and collapsed buildings around him. Faint roars and heavy breathing came from the surroundings, along with an endless sense of malice. If he hadn't injected the "Life Secret Medicine," he would have died within a short time from the erosion of the mutated Abyss Power.
After moving less than a hundred meters through the ruins, Su Xiao stopped for a few steps. He took out a glass bottle, poured out some black bait, and threw it into the withered grass diagonally opposite.
Several humanoid creatures covered in fluorescent blue mucus rushed over. They grabbed the bait and stuffed it into their mouths along with the soil and withered grass.
Su Xiao suppressed his aura and bypassed the scrambling humanoid monsters from the right. With the bait in hand, as long as he was careful, the problem of going deep into the Great Ruins was manageable.
Half an hour later, by a stagnant river filled with thick, black-blue liquid, Su Xiao poured out the last of the bait from the bottle and threw it into the river.
Splash!
The river immediately boiled like a pot, water churning. The number of aquatic creatures inside was terrifying. Falling into this stagnant river would be more horrifying than being thrown into a purgatory.
Su Xiao's hand rested on the hilt of his blade but did not draw it.
"Blade Path: Blood Blade."
With a whoosh, no blood blade was slashed. Su Xiao passed through a blood shadow and appeared on the opposite bank. As he walked slowly, he took out a map from his chest. The territory of the Four-Born Evil Ghosts was just ahead.
After walking for over ten minutes, Su Xiao stopped in front of a large bridge. It was a flat bridge, about ten meters wide and one kilometer long, with an abyss of darkness below.
Su Xiao stood by the cliff, picked up a small stone, and casually threw it down. With a crack, the stone shot down like a cannonball into the darkness below, evaporating with a hiss.
This wasn't because Su Xiao had thrown it with force. Instead, anyone stepping onto the bridge would be subjected to a downward suction, pulling them into the darkness below to be disintegrated.
This was originally an anti-flight defense mechanism set up by the Elf race. After the Great Ruins mutated, this place became especially terrifying. Falling off the bridge was almost certain death, and injecting the "Life Secret Medicine" was useless.
To cross this kilometer-long, railing-less stone bridge, directly confronting the Four-Born Evil Ghosts was necessary. This bridge was the only passage to the central area.
It was important to note that whoever could enter the central area first would be the first to engage the Mother of Deep Water. After its mutation, the Mother of Deep Water's survivability had made a qualitative leap, while its direct combat power had weakened instead.
With such a large kill reward, why didn't Zuiyasi, Wood, and Solomon compete? If Solomon still practiced technique abilities, he and Su Xiao would have drawn lots to decide who would deal with the Four-Born Evil Ghosts. But Solomon no longer practiced technique abilities.
Falling off the bridge was almost certain death. In such a situation, fighting the Four-Born Evil Ghosts, aside from technique-type fighters, no one else was willing to come.
[Tip: With the Dawn Team at full capacity, all members have penetrated deep into the danger zone.]
[Inspecting this danger zone...]
[Inspection complete. If the Dawn Team achieves the following accomplishments, they will receive a Team Skill Card (Team Skill Cards have fixed levels, fixed bonuses, and cannot be upgraded).]
[Accomplishments for this zone are as follows: