Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.116 第116章 来都来了
第116章 来都来了
Chapter 116: Now That We’re Here
枢纽镇，乔明顶不住队长的压力，再次询问逐银进展如何。
In Hubville, unable to withstand the captain’s pressure, Johnson once again inquired about the progress with Ju Yin Chase.
要知道那可是最接近百年器的时序战器。
After all, he knew that this weapon was the Chronos device closest to Cent-Arms in power.
绯月级的地貌聚合有时非常广大，光是要在半个月内穿行几座野兽横行的山峦，对于普通人来说都是难事，更别说对付那些充满奇异能力的「妖魔」了。
The geography of the Spark Moon-level cross-section winds was sometimes vast—simply traversing several beast-infested mountain ranges within half a month was a daunting task for an ordinary person, let alone confronting those “demons” imbued with bizarre abilities.
有这武器，对于稳定A级交错地来说，无形中就会有诸多好处，最直接的作用就是节约许多时序本金的增幅恢复时间。
Having this weapon in hand would bring many intangible benefits for stabilizing an A-level convergence zone, with the most direct effect being and the reduction of the recovery time for the escalation of Chronos mana.
一间装修简约的木质咖啡厅外，圆桌旁的逐银看著报纸道：
Outside a simply decorated wooden café, sitting at a round table, Ju Yin Chase glanced at the newspaper and said:
「我已经找到了个厉害的家伙，他愿意出手帮你们寻找。 嗯，告诉你个好消息，那几座跌进失频之地的A级山峦他们已经找到了。」
“I’ve already found a formidable individual willing to offer you his help in the search. Well, I’ll share some good news—they’ve already located those A-level mountain ranges that fell into the Shibin Wastes.”
旁边椅子上，身穿格子衫外套的乔明瞪大了眼睛。
Beside him, on another chair, Johnson, clad in a plaid shirt jacket, widened his eyes.
「真找到了！ 噢，谢天谢地！ 他是谁，有把握进入那里吗？」
“You really found it! Oh, thank heavens! Who is this person? Can he be trusted to enter that place?”
能这么快在广袤的失频之地上找到自己城市跌落进去的A级区域，乔明心中最大的担忧已经缓解。
Knowing that such a vast expanse as the Shibin Wastes could yield the location of his city’s fallen A-level zone in no time, Johnson felt his greatest worry beginning to ease.
寻找失频暮景，运气不好的话几个月都不一定找得到，而时间久了，那些区域的生机消泯，最后会成为一片荒芜，流出无数黑色的泉水溪流，让地形快速坍塌，那以后就更别想在失频之地找到它的痕迹了。
Finding the frequency-lost Twilight Scene was a matter of luck; in the worst case, it might take months, but with time, those regions lose all vitality, eventually turning into a barren wasteland. Countless black springs and streams flow, causing the terrain to collapse rapidly—after that, one could never hope to find any trace of it in the Shibin Wastes again.
逐银胸前四边形Moexl展现，一道细线折射进虚无。
Ju Yin Chase’s QuadMoxel upon his chest shimmered, a fine line reflecting into the void.
「正好，他就在那附近，要不你亲自看下吧。」
“Just perfectly, he’s right near there. Why don’t you have a look for yourself?”
随后他胸前又诞生一道折线射向身旁的乔明。
Another folded line then emerged from his chest, streaking toward Qiao Ming standing beside him.
浩瀚的阴云出现在乔明感应视线中，前方几道山峦高耸，一个年轻人正站在山外一片树林中。
Vast, shadowy clouds appeared in Qiao Ming’s line of perception. In the distance ahead, several towering mountain ridges rose, and a young man stood in a grove of trees beyond the mountains.
见到这几座山，乔明眼眸一亮：
At the sight of these peaks, Qiao Ming’s eyes lit up.
「真是这里！ 我的队员就是进入的这里，我跟他交流时看到过！ 让我想想，最后跟他通话的地方应该是那座山。」
“It’s here indeed! This is where my team member entered—I saw it when we spoke! Let me think, the last place he contacted me must be that one mountain.”
他的手指抬了抬，但对于感应画面来说，根本不晓得他指的是哪座。
He gestured with his fingers slightly, but within the sensory projection, one couldn’t tell which peak he meant.
另一边的杨子藏也听到了感应画面中的额外声音，是坐在逐银身旁的一位陌生青年，浑身散发著在此世界摸爬滚打后练出的凌厉战斗气质。
On the other side, Yang Zicang also caught the extra voice in the sensory projection. It belonged to an unfamiliar young man sitting beside Ju Yin Chase whose entire aura radiated a sharp combat presence, honed after struggling and battling in this world.
｛你说的是不是最里面左方第三座山？｝
“You’re not saying it’s the third mountain from the left, at the innermost, are you?”
「对！」乔明点点头。
“That’s right!” Qiao Ming nodded.
杨子藏心中一沉，那就是出现幻影之人的山头。
Yang Zicang’s heart sank—that was the mountain peak where the apparition had appeared.
｛我刚刚去过那边。你的队友叫什么名字？我等下展开Moexl试试能不能联系到他。｝
{I just went over there. What’s your teammate’s name? I’ll try using Moxel to contact him later.}
「我们叫他薛老二，因为我们城市有‘咒师‘，所以大家基本都用化名互相称呼。」
“We called him Xue Lao’er. Since there are ‘Spellcasters’ in our city, we basically all use aliases to address each other.”
咒师？杨子藏想到了自己城市中那些老人喜欢用化名的习惯，但此刻不是研究这些的时候。杨子藏大致将自己进入后的经历描述了下，只不过没有告知对方是以什么方式进去。
Spellcasters? Yang Zicang recalled that in his own city, the elderly tended to use nicknames, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. He roughly described his experience after entering, though he didn’t reveal exactly how he had gotten in.
听完讲述，乔明愣住了，「你都已经进去过了？竟然这么快！」
After listening, Qiao Ming was stunned. “You’ve already been inside? So fast!”
｛这个不是问题的重点。对了，我这边有人进去过这座山，他们都说里面有针对精神的幻境攻击，薛老二当时有遭遇过这样的攻击吗？｝
{That’s not the main point here. By the way, someone I know has entered this mountain before. They all said there were mental illusion attacks inside. Did Xue Lao’er encounter such an attack as well?}
「没有，他们进入后从几种地形幕景中选择了野兽居多的幕景，有我们的伪百年器在手，他们稳定的速度很快，十来天就出现了地貌聚合，在那之前都没有遭到精神攻击。」
“No. After entering, they chose the scene with mostly beasts from several terrain options. With our pseudo-Cent-Arms, they stabilized quickly. It took about ten days for the terrain to merge, and they faced no mental attacks before that.”
也就是说，针对精神的幻境攻击果然是来自于最后出现的地形。里面的怪物或者物品的幻境一出现，就覆盖了数十里平方公里的面积。
In other words, the mental illusions definitely came from the terrain that emerged at the end. Once the illusion of the creatures or objects inside appeared, it covered dozens of square kilometers.
杨子藏深深吸了口气，若是成功得到这种能力或物品，几乎是覆盖小半个城市的宝物。
Yang Zicang took a deep breath—if he could successfully obtain this ability or item, it would be a treasure covering nearly half the city.
乔明虽未进入过那A级聚集地，但通过队友的心灵链接也体验过不少区域，当下两人按照其指点进入山中。
Although Qiao Ming had never entered that Class-A settlement, he had experienced many areas through his teammates’ Syn-Link, and the two of them followed its guidance into the mountains.
深入没多久，杨子藏便感觉自己的思想不由自主往恐怖阴森的地方去想，甚至还会出现幻觉，觉得身旁之人对自己不怀好意。
Shortly into their journey, Yang Zicang felt his thoughts uncontrollably drift toward terrifying and eerie places, even experiencing hallucinations that the person beside him harbored ill intentions.
但每到此时，衣服兜里的香丸散发的味道，都让他胡思乱想的念头不断被打断，并让人清醒。
But every time this happened, the scent emitted from the incense pellet in his pocket constantly interrupted his wild thoughts and helped sober him up.
「这香丸真是个好宝贝。」
“This incense pellet is a real treasure.”
洛宾此刻终于正视起这颗丸子。
Robin Lo finally took this pellet seriously.
忽然，树林中一阵草木沙沙之身。
Suddenly, a rustling sound of grass and leaves came from the woods.
「吼~」
“Roar~”
青色皮肤上爬满粗壮血管，眼睛通红的大型生物从山坡上如风般冲来，宛如坦克般横冲直撞，将树木咔咔撞断。
A massive creature with cyan skin covered in thick veins and blood-red eyes charged down the slope like the wind, bulldozing its way like a tank, snapping trees with crushing cracks.
嗖！
Whoosh!
它还未靠近，白影念龙边瞬间冲出，一口将它的念力体叼了出来。
Before it could get close, the Paleshade Wyrm dashed out in an instant and yanked out its psychic core in one bite.
嘭啪！青皮变异野兽瞬间失去活力，躯体如失事轿车般咕噜噜滚下山坡，划出着道土痕摔在坡底停止了呼吸。
Bang! Thud! The cyan-skinned mutant beast suddenly lost its vitality; its body tumbled down the slope like a wrecked car, skidding along the dirt to crash at the bottom of the slope, where it stopped moving and breathed its last.
[我收获了43.7N.]
[I have gained 43.7N.]
乔明见到杨子藏身后突然出现的幻影，屁股下的椅子霎时咯咯直响。
Qiao Ming caught sight of the phantom that had suddenly appeared behind Yang Zicang, and the chair beneath him instantly creaked and groaned.
他不可思议的抬头看向逐银：
He raised his head and looked at Ju Yin Chase in disbelief:
「这，这难道是念力体恶魇？」
“T-this, is this a psychic fearsoul?”
「嗯哼。」
“Mm-hmm.”
逐银若无其事的捏起咖啡杯，轻轻饮了口。
Ju Yin Chase nonchalantly picked up his coffee cup and took a light sip.
乔明喉咙艰难的动了下，一个银白Moexl，居然有属于自己的念力体恶魇。也就是说那家伙竟然在诞生Moexl后，又完全降服了个念力体的恶魇！他怎么办到的？
Qiao Ming’s throat moved with difficulty. An ordinary silver Moxel actually possessed its own psychic fearsoul. That meant that guy had, after birthing a Moxel, completely subdued a psychic fearsoul! How did he accomplish that?
他心中瞬间出现几种可能，不过又全部快速被否定。想来想去没有结果，只得微叹道：
Several possibilities flashed through his mind at that moment, but they were all quickly dismissed. After pondering back and forth and drawing no conclusion, he could only sigh softly and say:
「不愧是副镇，连失频之地里的朋友，都有这般强横的能力。」
“As expected of Futown, even a friend from the Shibin Wastes possesses such formidable power.”
「哈哈，还好还好。」
“Haha, not too shabby, not too shabby.”
逐银臭屁的轻轻抖了抖手中展开的报纸。
Ju Yin Chase smugly gave a slight flick to the newspaper he held open.
乔明吃力笑了笑，他有心想要请教杨子藏是怎么做到的，但最终没有问出口。
Qiao Ming let out a strained smile. He was tempted to ask how Yang Zicang had managed it, but in the end he didn’t voice the question.
一上来就探寻别人的最核心秘密，岂不是有问鼎之嫌，这让人如何跟你合作。还是先把剑找到再说吧，那才是实在的。
Probing someone else’s most closely guarded secrets right off the bat—wouldn’t that feel like a challenge for supremacy? How could anyone be willing to cooperate with you after that? He told himself he should focus on finding the greatsword first; that was what really mattered.
洛滨看了眼滚下来的巨兽，嘴角扯了扯。
Luo Bin glanced at the giant beast as it rolled down the slope, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
这种级别的变异猛兽在以前的交错地中，绝对能让进去的人狠狠喝上一壶，却在杨子藏手中轻易被击杀。
A mutated beast of this level, in the old days of crossover zones, would’ve been enough to give anyone a real run for their money, yet it was effortlessly slain by Yang Zicang.
「哥，下次这种货色，哪需你出手，让小弟我来吧。」
“Bro, next time for small fry like this, there’s no need for you to make a move—let me take care of it.”
「OK。」
“OK.”
又深入两三里路后，杨子藏对洛宾道：
After venturing another two or three li deeper, Yang Zicang said to Robin Lo:
「你扩展Moexl看看，能不能找到个叫薛老二的。」
“Extend an area scan on your Moxel and see if you can find someone named Xue Lao’er.”
远在枢纽镇的乔明，听到感应画面中杨子藏的话后，心中也紧张起来。
Qiao Ming, far away in Hubville, tensed up when he heard Yang Zicang’s words from the sensory feed.
乔明此刻很是矛盾，既想找到薛老二，又有点害怕找到薛老二。
Qiao Ming was torn at that moment—part of him wanted to find Xue Lao’er, part of him was afraid of finding him.
乔明心中默默想到：薛老二，不是哥哥我不心疼你的命，只希望你能保护好时序战器，将它还回来，否则就不能怪我心狠了。
Xue Lao’er silently thought: “Xue Lao’er, it’s not that I, your big brother, don’t value your life. I just hope you can protect the Chronos Warbringer and return it—otherwise, don’t blame me for being heartless.”
洛宾展开Moexl将要说的话扩散了出去。
Robin Lo activated the Moxel and broadcasted what he was about to say.
｛哇，哥们，你们是在那座新出现的山里吗，居然没疯，是怎么保护自己的？｝
{} “Whoa, bros, are you in that newly appeared mountain? How come you haven’t gone crazy yet—how are you protecting yourselves?” {}
「滚一边去。薛老二，你在哪？！」
“Get the hell away. Xue Lao’er, where are you?!”
[匿名者为我投资20N.]
{& An anonymous user invested 20N for me. &}
｛这位兄弟，你们竟然能进入那片绯月级区域，能不能让我们投资点，分点时序啊。｝
{} “Brothers over there, you can actually enter that Pink-Moon zone—let us invest a bit and split some Chronos, huh?” {}
｛对对对，这位胖兄弟，行行好呗，那里面应该有很多发疯的野兽，帮我们杀点怪物弄点寿元呗。｝
“Yeah, yeah! This chubby bro here, have a heart, won’t you? There should be plenty of rabid beasts in there—help us kill a few to earn some lifespan, please.”
[仁秀为我投资100N.]
[Renxiu Invests 100N in me.]
[张山禄为我投资52N.]
[Zhang Shanlu Invests 52N in me.]
几十道数量不等的投资陆续而来。
Dozens of investments of varying amounts came pouring in one after another.
「什么玩意儿啊！」
“What the hell is this?!”
洛宾赶紧将这些时序全部遣返，但又瞬间多出几百年的时序投资。
Robin Lo quickly refunded every bit of that Chronos, only to find hundreds of more years heaped up in new investments instantly.
｛求你了。｝
“Please, we’re begging you.”
洛宾没想到在这穷乡僻壤的地方，这些人居然还如此热情，瞬间就投资了两三千时序，非要让自己去杀几只发疯的凶兽方才罢休不可。
Robin Lo never expected that in such a backwoods place, these people would be so relentless in their enthusiasm, having already invested two or three thousand Chronos on a whim—they wouldn’t let up until he agreed to kill a few rabid ferocious beasts.
洛宾扭头看向身旁的杨子藏，难怪身边这小混蛋不自己来。
Robin Lo turned his head to glance at Yang Zicang beside him—no wonder that little bastard wouldn’t do this himself.
「妈的，这些家伙都是些短命鬼来的吧。要帮他们杀几只吗？」
“Damn, these guys are all short-lived bastards. Should we help them kill a few?”
「来都来了。」
“We’re already here, anyway.”
杨子藏刚说完，林中便响起几道沉闷的低吼。随着树枝的破碎声不断响起，几头类似眼眸带血的疯牛般的疯兽从林中冲出。
No sooner had Yang Zicang spoken than a few dull, low roars erupted from the forest. Amidst the crackling of snapping branches, several maddened beasts—their bloodshot eyes like those of cattle—barged out from the woods.
「我去。」
“I’ve got this.”
洛宾不待杨子藏开口，就提着马超的纷云剑冲了上去。
Without waiting for Yang Zicang to say a word, Robin Lo grabbed Matt Chao’s Fen Yun Sword and charged forward.
疯牛铁蹄撞动地面，轰然作响。洛宾直奔而去，面对弯角的撞击灵动地一矮身子，一个滚就窜到了狂暴无比的疯牛腹下，一剑递出。
The mad bull’s iron hooves pounded the ground with a thunderous roar. Robin Lo charged straight at it, deftly lowering his body to evade the strike of its curved horns, rolling swiftly beneath the rampaging beast and thrusting out his sword.
噗！
*Pfft!*
收剑的当口又瞬间撤身滚开，避开飞洒的热血，脚下一蹬便冲向了后方另一头疯牛。
In the same moment he withdrew the sword, he immediately rolled away to dodge the splattering hot blood, then pushed off the ground and rushed toward another mad bull behind him.
「哞~」
“Moo~”
疯牛前蹄失力，倒在地上快速变得枯槁。
The mad bull’s forelegs gave way, collapsing to the ground as it rapidly withered into brittleness.
[我获得了32N。]
[I’ve gained 32N.]
｛帅啊！哥。｝
{Awesome! Bro.}
｛小心右边的树枝刮伤，应该会抵扣好几天时序呢。｝
{Watch out for the branches on the right—scratches from those could deduct several days of Chronos.}
｛一剑就杀死了那头好凶的野兽，厉害啊！哥们，你旁边那位要不要投资啊，他不出手吗？｝
{Damn, you killed that fierce beast with one blow! Nice! Dude, are you going to Invest in the guy next to you? Isn’t he making a move?}
杨子藏往前走了几步，保持香味离洛宾不会太远。
Yang Zicang stepped forward a few paces, keeping the fragrant scent within close reach of Robin Lo.
洛宾动作飞快的结果三头牛的生命，而后方野兽的动静却并未停止。这山里类似这样的野兽，不知还有几千上万头。
Robin Lo swiftly ended the lives of three bulls in rapid succession, yet the disturbances from beasts in the distance didn’t cease. In these mountains, there might still be thousands or even tens of thousands of beasts like this.
[我收获了38.2N，这都是我，伟大四边形的功劳。]
[I’ve harvested 38.2N—this is all thanks to me, the glory of the great Quad.]
[我又收获了21.3N。]
[I’ve gained another 21.3N.]
杨子藏静静看着洛宾的动作，没有丝毫要出手的意思。
Yang Zicang stood quietly, watching Robin Lo’s movements without the slightest intention to intervene.
而心灵连接中，很多人不知是震撼洛宾的身手，还是想要抓住这位强大的打手，帮自己继续赚时序分润红利，让人腻歪的溢美之词不断响起。
Within the spiritual connection, countless sycophantic praises echoed persistently—some were awestruck by Robin Lo’s skill, while others sought to secure this formidable ally to help them continue reaping Chronos dividends.
｛能在山里见到这么灵活的胖子，也是难得呀。｝
{It’s rare to see such a nimble fatty out in the wild.}
｛哥，我再借给你五百年！喂，哥几个，大家快给我转时序，我有投资，快快。｝
{Bro, I’ll lend you another five hundred years! Hey guys, everyone transfer Chronos to me right now—I’ve got an Investment. Hurry, hurry!}
｛天呐，这都有一两百年的时序了吧。 胖哥太伟大了。｝
{Good heavens, that must be at least a hundred or two hundred years’ worth of Chronos. Big Bro Fatty is truly magnificent.}
杨子藏掏了掏耳朵，而洛宾则在声声赞美中兴奋地主动窜入林中深处，寻找著后方的野兽，吓得杨子藏赶紧跟上，「喂，你要疯哇！」
Yang Zicang scratched his ear while Robin Lo, buoyed by the endless compliments, eagerly plunged into the depths of the woods in search of beasts ahead. This startled Yang Zicang into quick pursuit. “Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
｛要是我能进去就好了，那里获得时序也太快了吧。｝
{If only I could enter. You earn Chronos way too fast in there.}
｛别羡慕了。 就算你能进，也没办法像人家那样快速消灭那些疯兽啊。 只要被顶飞，几头牛一起乱踏，就你那点寿元，顶扛住几下？｝
{Don’t be so envious. Even if you got in, you couldn’t take down those mad beasts that quickly. Just one charge from them and a bunch of bulls stampeding around—with your limited lifespan, how many hits do you think you could withstand?}
这话算是说到了点子上。
This remark struck the crux of the matter.