Just then, a somber voice echoed from the depths of the passage.
–Aha, you’ve actually grown younger—was that dwarf really that weak? If I’d known, I’d have taken him out myself!–
It was the familiar voice of Director Huang from behind the bus!
No sooner had he spoken than another thin, spiderweb-like white zigzag beam shot forth.
–Oy, your opponent is me, you bastard!–
[Bai Yuan wishes to initiate a ChronosInvest for me.]
It was Bai Yuan. Yang Zicang, still running, turned back annoyedly to glance behind—sure enough, the man in the white trenchcoat was catching up.
There was never a thirty percent chance of choice; he had been lying all along. Yang Zicang realized it was a test.
At once, the four of them had their identities as newcomers seen through by him.
–What do you want now?!–
This bastard had fled before, but now came rushing back. At this moment, Yang Zicang saw that the symbol flickering on him was a triangle pattern.
Bai Yuan’s voice rang out from a distance.
–Hey, kid who’s gotten stronger, let’s take down this Red Moxel bastard together! Otherwise, if they add another nightmare chariot over there, we’ll be in even more trouble.–
–Get lost, liar. He’s mine!–
Yang Zicang, eyes flushing red under the influence of Moxel, shouted madly, then picked a stone from the ground and threw it backward with full force.
[3600N Chronos invested.]
The small ordinary stone instantly tore through the air with a golden shimmer.
Seeing Yang Zicang’s move, the Nightmare Bus, which had arrived moments earlier to witness the destruction of the monster’s armor, nimbly dove toward the ground, prepared. The stone grazed its back with a rumbling boom, blasting a massive gash across it.
–Director Huang!– Yang Zicang’s furious roar echoed through the tunnel.
The monster let out a wail of agony.
A pale golden streak of light, carrying 3115N, circled back.
The ground there turned dark, then surged aside like a tainted stain, vanishing into the wall of the tunnel.
It had fled.
Huang Hsu, hidden underground with the retreating train, broke out in a cold sweat.
He was fully snapped out of his frenzy now.
He wasn’t a god—merely overwhelming against ordinary humans. As for that guy just now, he was the true terror at this moment! What kind of world was this…?
Amid the shaking passage, the bus sank into the depths, while Bai Yuan jogged a few steps like a seasoned athlete before stopping and speaking.
–Ha, we scared him off.–
Bai Yuan’s cool figure appeared from behind, laughing as he struck a slight pose. There was blood stained on his clothes—clearly, some of those controlled by the train had been dealt with by him.
Yang Zicang turned around, armor raised before him, glaring coldly at this man who looked formidable but who, in truth, had only just acquired Moxel.
–Return Chronos to us.–
–What?– Bai Yuan dug into his ear, acting as if he couldn’t understand.
–I said, return Chronos to us. Don’t you remember scamming a girl out of thirty years of her life? Perpetual wasn’t an invest!–
The young man strode forward, no longer afraid of these so-called –veterans– of this world.
They were all a bunch of rotten people who schemed to steal away others’ lives.
–Ah, that. Wasn’t that just a gift from you all? I protected you—this was the fee.–
‘_-**Fine, I’ll come take it myself.’
Yang Zicang let out a ha, a hint of phantom-like flame emerging from his fist again.
Bai Yuan sneered with contempt:
–You truly understand nothing. I’ve joined forces fighting monsters. Would you strike a brother within the alliance? You don’t know the consequences—–
Before the words faded, Yang Zicang, tapping his Moxel ability, instantly transformed into streak of shadow surging forward.
Even before the eyes beneath Bai Yuan’s hat brim could shift to the side, a colossal golden fist came hurtling toward his head.
Why was it so fast?
A twinge of tension surged within Bai Yuan’s heart when suddenly he heard the whisper of an Invest.
[An anonymous entity wishes to perform Pro-Invest for me.]
[I have received 400N.]
–Thud!–
The blow sent Bai Yuan’s form flying, yet he merely crashed against the wall before rolling a few times on the ground.
[400N withdraws.]
He wasn’t dead.
As the fist struck his face, Bai Yuan realized just how terrifying the attack he had just experienced truly was.
Thankfully, at that critical moment, he had gained the protection of an Invest. Thank heavens—it seemed someone from headquarters happened to be watching this spot.
While tumbling across the ground, Bai Yuan felt the pain radiating from his cheek and thought with lingering fear: This newcomer truly didn’t know a thing! If someone was investing in him, didn’t anyone teach this bastard the most basic rules?
Yang Zicang glanced at his fist; the golden light upon it had vanished.
He pondered with a hint of confusion.
One adversary had been eliminated, and the Invest yielded its reward. Thus, the investors fully withdrew their Chronos, taking their corresponding dividends with them.
With a flicker of thought, he knew the currently remaining extra Chronos principal was approximately 505.4 N, and the currently remaining unwithdrawn InvestChronos was 167.10 N.
[All of this is my, the great Quad’s, credit.]
The numbers all converged into the small ring on his chest — 673.2 N.
–Oh, you actually dared to hit me.–
Bai Yuan glanced at his hat, which had flown to the side; his expression shifted several times as he said in a deep voice:
–The Monster Hunter party does not allow internal killings among its own people. I advise you to pay me a hundred years, and we’ll let this matter be. Otherwise, you will be punished! You will be stripped of all your extra Chronos and locked in a prison cell for a full three months!–
–Some people use their own life to threaten others. What Monster Hunter party? Who organized it? Did it only say no mutual killing, without anything else?–
Yang Zicang’s eyes, full of spreading bloodshot, approached step by step. The numbers within the ring on his chest decreased rapidly, and a spectral flame reappeared in his hand.
Bai Yuan was startled: –What do you mean by that?–
–Since you’re so greedy, here, take this armor as a gift. Do you want it or not?–
Yang Zicang appeared beside him in two steps, pressing down on his neck with a hand imbued with a golden phantom. Under such suppression, the man whose internal organs were still aching was utterly powerless to resist.
The tattered dark red armor was thrown onto him, and Bai Yuan felt a chilling malice writhing out from within, as if trying to burrow into his flesh.
–What is this thing?! Ah, hasn’t this nightmare died yet? Take it away, take it away now!–
He gazed in terror at the armor oozing root-like tendrils of dark red energy that stretched into his body, as if the monster were using them to revive itself.
Suddenly, a streak of light refracted, and Yang Zicang perceived a wooden office where a man shrouded entirely in black mist sat.
–It’s the Vice-President. You should talk some sense into him; we’re all on the same side. I’ll drop the one-hundred-year compensation.–
Bai Yuan said from the side to the void before him. It was clear that he too had been drawn in by this mysterious man’s mental connection.
–Same side? You swindled thirty years of my friend’s life—what makes you think we’re on the same side?–
{You’ve been corrupted by Moxel’s influence}
The man in the office chided him in a low, cautionary tone:
{This world works like this—no internal slaughter is allowed, but everything else is fair game}
Yang Zicang said, –And now I’m playing my own game. This armor suits me just fine. Since this guy likes it so much, I might as well give it to him. I’m doing a good deed.–
The man’s brows knitted tightly.
–Considering your Moxel is a Quad, I’ll allow this transgression of yours this time.–
Then, the sensory projection vanished.
On the ground, Bai Yuan, standing and waiting, gaped in shock. He stiffly turned his head to look at Yang Zicang, his voice trembling:
–Brother, I’ll, I’ll return Chronos right now. Please get that thing away from me.–
On the street, Mu Xiaoyu and the other two, hidden in a corner of an alley, were stunned as they witnessed the man’s performance in the Invest projection.
–Too late.–
A razor-sharp gleam burst from Yang Zicang’s eyes.
–Ah! Murder!–
Feeling the golden phantom converging on the fist, Bai Yuan instantly changed his tune again and shouted:
–Wait, I’ll give you all my Chronos, just don’t hit me! If you do, we’ll have to cancel each other out. It’s a loss for you too.–
Yang Zicang harbored a fierce bloodlust, but after his expression flickered several times, he ultimately suppressed the thrill that only brutality could bring. In agonizing restraint, he held aloft the fist that had hovered in the air more than once, ready to strike.
Bai Yuan, drenched in cold sweat from the murderous intent, finally realized the man was not bluffing.
[Bai Yuan has returned my Invest, and distributed excessive profits, totaling 128N.]
Was this his entire life? But this bastard hadn’t aged at all.
Yang Zicang gasped for air as he got up, kicking Bai Yuan square in the stomach, forcing the man to yelp –Owww!– and double over in pain.
–Don’t let me see you again, or else I’ll whip your ass every time we meet.–
–Sure thing, big bro, you take care now—urgh, sht~!–
……
Yang Zicang started sprinting through the underground passage, still mulling over the information Moxel had fed back to him.
–Hah, this damned world… not completely devoid of moral sense after all. At least there’s a bare-minimum safeguard, always ready to be trampled on.–
As he grew more familiar with this so-called Moxel, his speed increased, but it came at the relentless expense of Chronos. Each second drained one R. If he kept this up for a minute, it would cost him two months—such an extravagant price to pay.
Apart from Mu Xiaoyu’s investment, he had already allocated most people’s Invest and dividends elsewhere.
–Hey, little beauty, can you hear me? I’m heading to the next station now—let’s meet up over there.–
Right after he attacked Bai Yuan, two major organizations pulled their funds immediately, yet the Chronos from some scattered investors remained.
Seemed like they couldn’t care less about that so-called faction discipline.
And now, the scattered people in the city, upon receiving the news, were reassessing Metro Station—that once underdog site. It had actually birthed Moxel, the Quad’s hallmark force.
Above ground, Mu Xiaoyu wiped away tears of joy that had streamed down her face.
She said to the two elder-like figures beside her, –Let’s head to the next station; he’s waiting for us there.–
–Alright.– The two exchanged a glance and followed the rejuvenated, more youthful-looking ‘thirty-something’ voluptuous… young woman as she hurried in that direction.
After more than twenty minutes, the three spotted Yang Zicang’s figure on the road.
Then her perception scene vanished; Invest’s ten years had already returned, along with an extra two and a half years’ share from Chronos.
To the girl, this was already an unexpected delight.
–You’re amazing!– The girl lunged forward, hanging onto Yang Zicang.
The two old men exchanged a glance and both shrugged.
–Looks like our priority mating rights are gone,– Liu Ming joked.
Slim-figured Mu Xiaoyu let go, stood on the ground, spat at him with her cheeks puffed out in anger, –Pfft, what nonsense are you talking about?–
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