Boom! Boom!
Two explosions thundered across the ground, instantly splattering one member of Peng Zone into a mess of flesh and blood.
–Ridiculous—you actually think you can beat us?–
A Li from the Desolate Freight Crew glanced at Zhao Qi.
–Alright, then!–
Zhao Qi smacked the blade of his knife against the beast’s rump beneath him, and in a flash, he charged forward.
Seeing that one of the apparent leaders of the enemy was heading straight for their own Penglord, the few close to Song Penglord immediately rushed to intercept.
There was only one Chronos weapon; if it was taken, their side would be utterly doomed.
Clang! Sparks flew everywhere.
A triangle on Zhao Qi’s chest flickered, and crimson flame erupted from the edge of his blade. In one strike, he cut down the oncoming opponent.
[I offset 342.5 N.]
–Not bad—someone offered you a Chronos to beg for mercy, right?–
Zhao Qi gave a sinister grin.
–You!–
The other two men charging at him suddenly caught on to his insinuation.
–Are you saying you sent those people to their deaths just to collect their Chronos?!–
–That’s right!–
Zhao Qi lashed out with his blade. The two had decent combat skills, swinging iron staffs as they clashed with him, yet dread crept into their hearts—the Desolate Freight Crew was willing to covet even their own people’s Chronos.
–You’d even turn on your own people…–
–The world will never run out of Cargo Crew.–
Clang, clang!
–There will always be newcomers, always those who seek immortality joining us. Hmph, it’s absolutely necessary to purge the weak!–
Bang, bang! Two gunshots rang out.
Amid the flashes, the two men ahead were struck all over by the shower of iron pellets, leaving them bruised and aching. One, unable to dodge in time, took a pellet to the eye. As his eyes snapped shut, Zhao Qi’s broadsword had already found his throat.
–Haixiang!– From behind, as Penglord shoved aside those who had cornered him, he spotted the scene and immediately let out a hoarse, tearful cry.
–Die!– Zhao Qi urged his colossal beast to charge into the crowd, crashing through them.
As Song Penglord saw the weapon whose entire blade burned with a golden, reddish phantom flame, he felt utter despair.
He already knew this was the color that signified Chronos Amplification beyond ten thousand.
The man before him was an absolute supreme master of this land.
–Song Penglord! Flee now, avenge us later!–
Several people around him cried out in rage.
–Me… me?! How could I ever flee!–
Four lines flickered across Song Penglord’s chest; hot tears welled in his eyes as he raised his longsword, each strike delivering 10 Newtons, and charged toward the beast and the villainous bandit astride it.
[Yang Zicang Invests 5000N for Me]
{Do not return Chronos to me.}
Song Penglord, who had been continuously securing financing for Moxel, heard a voice that sounded like an illusion.
[I suddenly received unexpected funding—exactly what I urgently needed. I should start using it right away.]
Song Penglord’s body trembled. Regaining his senses, he looked at the red blade inches away, and his body instantly erupted in a crimson glow.
[Because I am the great Quad…]
Boom!
Song Penglord was sent flying backward.
The red light of Zhao Qi’s blade dimmed suddenly. He stared in disbelief at Song Penglord, whom he had just struck away with a single blow.
–Ahhh! Damn it—my four thousand Chronos principal! Bastard!–
Zhao Qi charged forward like a madman.
But when the shadowy figure that had crashed to the ground got up and glared at him with a ferocious gaze, Zhao Qi suddenly realized the truth.
He had no more spare Chronos left.
Now was not the time to show off.
–Hurry, retreat!–
He yanked the reins of his hippo-like black bull, trying to flee.
–Die!– Song Penglord took a quick run-up and hurled a longsword gleaming with golden brilliance.
Zhao Qi cast a panicked glance behind him. Clenching his teeth, he drove the blade into the beast beneath him.
[I acquired 23.2N.]
–Help!–
He shouted at the wild chariot leaders riding atop the savage beasts ahead, but their gaze at him was akin to looking at a pile of trash.
The mutated beast howled in agony, flinging Zhao Qi off its back.
In the Shibin Wastes, the lifespans of monsters and beasts were the only replenishable resource. Zhao Qi, by now fully realizing he could not save his mount, did not hesitate in the moment he was thrown off by the monster to end the life of the mutated beast that had carried him for over a year.
–I dodged it!–
Still midair, Zhao Qi was gleeful that he had dodged the killing strike aimed dead center at his back. Suddenly, he felt his tumbling body wrenched in a different direction by an unseen force.
–What, no!–
Just before hitting the ground, his body uncontrollably snapped around to meet the oncoming blade hurtling towards him.
–Aaaaargh!–
In an instant, boundless terror flooded his mind.
Zhao Qi shrieked and flailed his arms, trying to stop himself, but still falling short of the ground by a mere few centimeters, while the knife shot straight at his head.
Boom! A sudden gust of wind surged.
In that final moment, he seemed to see a phantom train racing swiftly through the air a meter above the ground ahead, weaving past the crowd toward the rear of the convoy.
–This… can’t be…–
Thump, slap!
The long blade, enveloped in a golden radiance, pierced down from above into Zhao Qi’s body, as smoothly as a sword being sheathed.
The headless corpse thudded to the ground.
This sudden turn of events instantly changed the expressions of the few men on the backs of the beasts behind him.
–What’s going on?–
–That doesn’t seem like something he could pull off. Who is it?–
Their eyes swept left and right among the figures locked in battle—who could have suddenly stabbed Zhao Qi in the back?
Suddenly, they heard chaos and screams erupting from behind.
Shi Shuangbing immediately turned his head to look back, just in time to see two figures being tossed into the air. With a flash of crimson light, they burst apart with a bang, as if hit by a blast of buckshot.
–Someone’s coming!–
–Who?–
The people from the Small Workpen Settlement looked back toward the rear, a mix of shock and joy in their eyes. There, two beams of Moxel light had just flickered.
They were, unmistakably, two Quads.
Amid the dark, curtain-like sky, the stranger deliberately released flickering Quads toward the horizon, announcing their arrival.
Song Penglord stared blankly for two seconds, then lowered his gaze to the still-belligerent corpse lying on the ground. He stepped forward, wrenching out the blood-stained Chronos weapon, and drew a deep breath from within his chest and abdomen.
_-**Brothers!
–An expert is coming! Anyone who’s no coward, follow me!–
Originally, they were merely resisting with their last strength, but now a true turning point had emerged. Penglord’s call rallied an immediate response; the remaining fighters, retreating while engaging in battle, gathered around him and launched an arc-shaped assault on Cargo Crew’s flank.
Ning Yang stared blankly behind him. On the Syn-Link screen, the spot where Zuo Feixian was located—right there.
–This… am I dreaming?–
The four men beside him, who had been in utter despair, stiffened and braced against each other. Niuwa whispered in shock, –A passerby lending a hand?–
–It’s… it’s Jiazi Term,– Ning Yang murmured.
–What? Jiazi Term?–
–How could it be that guy!–
The four twisted their heads to look at the chaos behind them.
Anyone was possible, but for the newcomer to be Jiazi Term—this was the last thing they could have imagined.
A Cargo Crew squad leader approached the second-in-command: –Someone’s coming from the back, Brother Li. What do we do?–
Ali coldly stared at Song Penglord across from him.
–I miscalculated. Send two men to finish off that Song bastard. If we can’t secure a Quad-level Moxel tonight after all these deaths, I won’t have a way to answer to the boss.–
–Understood.– The man, still shaken by Zhao Qi’s corpse, turned and barked orders at two Cargo Crew squad leaders, then spurred his animal toward Song Zilin’s direction, charging forward.
Ali pulled an iron hammer from his back, gripping it with both hands, and clamped his legs around the beast beneath him, spurring it to turn around.
At the rear of the desolate Cargo Crew wagon.
When Robin Lo, standing by the door, flashed the light of a Quad on his chest, Xu and Zuo were both astonished.
–You’re also a Quad?–
Professor Chen and the others stared at Yang Zicang as if they’d seen a ghost.
–Good heavens, when did so many QuadMoxels show up here?–
–Well, as expected, experts do hang out with experts.–
Xiao Liu, trembling, clutched his teacher’s arm, staring at the portly figure in front of them.
Robin Lo, raising his head smugly and snorting, jumped off the carriage. He turned to Yang Zicang and said, –How about giving me the Chronos artifact? You’ve got so many cool things.–
Yang Zicang gave him a glance: –Don’t even think about embezzling it—I’m planning to keep it for Xiaoyu in the future. Besides, you need to join my Cargo Crew first, or you’ll have no way to contact the outside world.–
He flipped the sword that once belonged to Matt Chao over outside the train. He’d almost given it to Liang Xi earlier, but Luo Xin advised against it, warning that it might attract prying eyes. Realizing that the weapon originally belonged to Matt Chao, and that the Xiongying Group might retaliate against its holder, he reluctantly held back from giving it away.
–Alright! I’ll handle the small fry, and leave the red ones for you!–
With that, Robin Lo’s chest burst forth with folded lines, shooting into the distant void.
–Old Wang, get ready to work.–
Warren Wang on the other side of the Syn-Link was overjoyed.
Inside the train, Yang Zicang looked toward the crowd on the desolate Cargo Crew vehicles, which swerved around in the darkness and charged toward them.
–Morris, let’s start too.–
{Hehe, Morris acknowledges.}
{Popoli acknowledges too! With so many people, big shot, be careful!}
The young man in the khaki work jacket leaped down from the carriage door, landing steadily on both feet on the ground.
{Can I add a few more passengers?}
Yang Zicang froze for a moment; internally wrestled with the train issue, then sighed, –Go ahead, but be careful not to let Chronos exceed ten thousand.–
He himself was never really a good person. What he wanted to become was someone who could uncover the truth of this world.
{I’ll keep that in mind. It’s a pity you’re not the mature conductor who primed me; otherwise, this wouldn’t be my concern.}
–If I were your first conductor, you wouldn’t have gained this much Chronos.–
After all, the Nightmare was just a nightmare, not a human; this restriction—that humans cannot gain Chronos from each other—doesn’t apply to it.
A shadowy monster surged out from the churning energy behind Yang Zicang, the Paleshade Wyrm crashing fiercely into the crowd ahead, who were wielding swords and blades.
This was his own Nightmare.
Its Chronos was fully shared with him, like a true extension of his will.
This was the materialization of psychic power—[True Manifestation]!
–Kill!–
–Ah! Run, there’s an invisible monster!– The crowd scattered with a roar.
Professor Chen and Xiao Liu stared open-mouthed as the two breached the crowd as if it were an empty space, while the train drove forward swiftly, charging into the throng.
Bang! Thud!
From some train cars, rolls and crashes came as people fell, followed by eerie silence.
–Heh heh, you two, watch yourselves. We’re going to lend a hand too. And yes, keep storing our Chronos for us—don’t hand it back to us on your own!–
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