Chapter 59: The Battle Begins
After the ‘Unknown Liquid’ incident, led by Yan Chen, several regimental commanders began discussing defensive strategies.
Footsteps sounded as a man in a black trench coat walked up to the seventh floor. The man seemed to have just woken up, occasionally yawning, followed by what looked like a ‘husky’?
“Which faction is this from?”
“Not ours.”
“Don’t recognize him.”
Several regimental commanders’ trusted aides all denied knowing him.
“Friend, please wait downstairs first. Once we’ve finalized the defense plan, we’ll notify you.”
A frail-looking man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses blocked Su Xiao. His attitude was still polite.
“Hmm?”
Su Xiao, still half-asleep, had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He had taken a nap during his free time, unsure if he’d get any rest in the coming ten days.
“Friend, I said…”
“Let him in.”
Yan Chen’s voice came through.
“Please.”
The suited man made a gesture of invitation; Yan Chen was his regimental commander.
Su Xiao walked into the seventh floor. Unlike the previous stillness, it was now lively—mixed scents of smoke, cigars, and red wine filled the air.
Various contractors stood or sat around the seventh floor, some silent, others loud. The only commonality was a faint blood aura on them, marking them as desperadoes ready to fight to the death at any moment.
“We meet again.”
The sis-con Yan Chen greeted Su Xiao before continuing to discuss defense plans with the other regimental commanders.
Su Xiao stepped forward, and Yan Chen looked puzzled.
“This is a detailed map of the ancient ruins. I arrived earlier and drew it out of boredom.”
Su Xiao handed Yan Chen an exceptionally precise map, then turned and walked aside.
Yan Chen glanced at Bubu Wang following Su Xiao and roughly guessed how Su Xiao had arrived early.
“This is a huge help. Looks like you have professional mapping skills.”
Yan Chen understood the map’s value.
“With your abilities, won’t you join our discussion?”
Yan Chen extended an invitation, but Su Xiao waved his hand.
Su Xiao didn’t join the discussions among the several regimental commanders. He knew his own command abilities—he had never managed an adventure group and was clueless about setting up defense lines for contractors.
For areas he didn’t understand, Su Xiao never interfered excessively or gave decisive opinions. Compared to him, those regimental commanders were the experts.
In Su Xiao’s view, people who flaunt their strength and meddle in unfamiliar fields were the most annoying. His usual approach to such people was to cut them down first and talk later.
Seeing that Su Xiao had no intention of joining the discussion, Yan Chen nodded inwardly. While lone wolves were strong, most were unruly.
However, no unruly lone wolves appeared in this war. Only four lone wolves qualified for the seventh floor—two men and two women.
Among them, the two women were clearly acquainted, but oddly, they hadn’t formed an adventure group. They were Aida and the Bug Girl. When they saw Su Xiao, they quickly turned away.
“Why is that monster here?”
Aida secretly glanced at Su Xiao.
“No idea. Should we pretend not to know him?”
The Bug Girl was also nervous. In the Survival Trial World, Su Xiao had left a deep impression on them inside the bug nest. In their eyes, he was an extremely dangerous old yinbi and monster.
As for the other two, one was the Gray Bear who had tasted the ‘Unknown Liquid’ earlier. He was puffing a cigar with a very grim expression.
The last one was Su Xiao, who leaned against a stone pillar, holding a tablet. From the sound coming from it, he seemed to be playing a game.
Seeing this, Yan Chen raised an eyebrow. With Su Xiao’s chilling aura, Yan Chen never expected him to have such a hobby as gaming.
About an hour later, the several regimental commanders finalized the defense plan.
The Oteranke Ancient Ruins were too vast. With over 700 contractors, fully defending them was a pipe dream.
Since they couldn’t hold everything, the regimental commanders chose not to defend the entire area. They would shrink the defense line and concentrate forces to hold the ‘Twilight Palace’ and the nearby Second Zone.
At three corners of the Twilight Palace were three stone bridges, which were the best defensive points. They could either hold firm or retreat into the palace behind.
Of course, the Reincarnation Paradise side wouldn’t start by defending the stone bridges. After discussions, they would first hold the outer Second Zone. If they couldn’t hold it, they’d retreat to the bridges. If the bridges fell, they’d retreat further.
If the Apocalypse Paradise contractors wanted to seize the World Core, they’d first need to break through the Second Zone, then the three bridges. Even after that, they’d have to enter the Twilight Palace and fight floor by floor up to the seventh.
This was extremely difficult. It must be said that before the war even began, the Apocalypse Paradise side was already at a disadvantage.
If Apocalypse Paradise contractors were defending the World Core, they wouldn’t choose this method. This layered defense seemed tight but had a fatal flaw: no retreat. If they couldn’t hold, they’d die—no escape routes. If Xi dared to arrange it this way, over 70% of her subordinates would oppose it.
If the Apocalypse Paradise side could actually fight up to the seventh floor of the Twilight Palace, it meant the Reincarnation Paradise contractors were nearly wiped out. Before that, the Apocalypse Paradise contractors wouldn’t be able to break through.
Success or death—that was the defense style of Reincarnation Paradise contractors.
Want to take the World Core? Then kill them all first. Until then, the Apocalypse Paradise contractors could only watch from outside.
After finalizing the plan, the several regimental commanders and the people on the seventh floor walked out of the Twilight Palace. On the platform outside, hundreds of contractors looked at the regimental commanders.
After Yan Chen explained the plan, the contractors only thought briefly before agreeing to the death-defending strategy. As for retreat, no one mentioned it.
If the World War was lost, everyone would die. Under that premise, considering retreat was meaningless. Instead, they’d think about how to survive the chaotic melee among contractors.
After receiving orders from their respective regimental commanders, the adventure group members spread out into the nearby Second Zone, forming layers of defense lines. The lone wolves were dispersed among the group members, while some long-range snipers climbed to the top of the Twilight Palace, the high ground.
Su Xiao stood before the stone steps of the Twilight Palace. He wouldn’t participate in the defense for now. He was waiting for someone—someone who would definitely come to find him.
“Bai Ye, though you’re not my subordinate, now isn’t the time to hold back.”
Yan Chen sat on a nearby stone step, watching the contractors deploying in the Second Zone. The Second Zone was a natural maze, making defense relatively easy.
“I don’t have time for now. There’s a troublesome enemy I need to deal with.”
Su Xiao was waiting for Lan Jue. He believed Lan Jue would definitely come to him.
“Troublesome enemy? Tell me his traits. I might have clues. I have plenty of intel on Apocalypse Paradise contractors.”
Since they were on the same side and Su Xiao had provided the map, Yan Chen didn’t hold back.
“Traits… He’s a mechanical summoner…”
Before Su Xiao finished, Yan Chen interrupted: “Does he use a whistle to control a metal arrow? Can his mechanical summons explode?”
“Yes. Have you seen him?”
“Of course.”
Yan Chen pulled open his collar, revealing a coin-sized scar on his collarbone: “I was careless before and almost got ambushed by that guy. You’re going after him?”
“Yes. I fought him once before, but he escaped.”
Hearing the keyword ‘escaped,’ Yan Chen’s eyes lit up. He then asked, “Do you have a sure chance?”
“Yes. Seventy percent chance he dies, thirty percent I die.”
Su Xiao had already thought of a way to deal with Lan Jue, but the opponent’s abilities were too comprehensive, and battles had too many unexpected variables, so there was a thirty percent chance of his own death.
“As expected of the Night of Decapitation. If my subordinates see him, I’ll notify you through the war channel. Sigh, I don’t know if I’ll survive. My sister is very beautiful, you know.”
At first, Yan Chen’s words seemed like a brother praising his sister’s beauty, showing concern. But in reality, it wasn’t. Yan Chen was afraid that if he died, his sister would end up with another man, effectively cucking him posthumously.
“You seem to care a lot about your sister.”
Su Xiao vaguely sensed something off in Yan Chen’s words.
“Of course I care. In every way, every inch.”
With that, Yan Chen walked back into the Twilight Palace.
“This sis-con.”
Su Xiao wasn’t stupid and understood what was going on. The personalities of Reincarnation Paradise contractors were surprisingly unrestrained.
Twenty-six hours passed quickly. The Reincarnation Paradise contractors were on high alert, their defense lines meticulously arranged. However, not a single Apocalypse Paradise contractor attacked. They didn’t even appear. The Second Zone was dead silent.
About ten minutes later, the silence was broken.
Swoosh, swoosh…
Dense sounds of wind came from above. The contractors looked up to see hundreds of green phosphorus fire bottles.
“Airstrike!”
The Reincarnation Paradise contractors reacted quickly. Bullets, arrows, energy spheres, magic orbs, and even rockets met the green phosphorus fire bottles.
Boom, boom, boom…
Explosions rang out in succession. Large patches of green flames fell in front of the Second Zone, burning away trees and weathered stones.
Rhythmic footsteps sounded. At least ten thousand orc soldiers marched out from the forest in the Third Zone.
Xi floated above the forest, watching the Reincarnation Paradise contractors from afar.
“Kill.”
Xi pointed her slender finger forward. Over ten thousand orc soldiers advanced. The Reincarnation Paradise side had a contribution store and military ranks, and the Apocalypse Paradise side naturally had them too. The terrifying part was that all Apocalypse Paradise contractors had transferred their battle merits to Xi, raising her rank high enough to mobilize over ten thousand orc soldiers.
“This woman is unexpectedly troublesome. But… flowers in a greenhouse wither faster.”
A black-haired, red-eyed youth tore off his shirt. He had at least a hundred various bombs strapped to his body.
The youth suddenly charged out of the Reincarnation Paradise formation, heading straight for the ten thousand orc soldiers. Needless to say, his mind wasn’t quite right—normal people don’t run into an army covered in bombs.
Seeing this, Xi’s beautiful eyes narrowed.
“These madmen.”
Xi’s pupils turned fiery red.
Boom!
The youth exploded before reaching the orcs. Flames shot into the sky, mud flew, and smoke rose.
A few seconds later, a staggering figure stood up in the smoke.
“That hurt.”
The youth cracked his neck. Light flashed on his body, and another hundred various bombs appeared.