LWGP - Chapter 276
Chapter 276: Surrender?
After the teleportation was complete, the vast expanse 30,000 meters underground, where Gobi, Huaxia City, and the other major territories had been stationed, was gone. The clusters of buildings had vanished. The two empires from the Fourth Spacetime, which had been a short distance away, were also gone, making the area feel even emptier.
In this empty space, only a sea of blood from the battlefield remained. Blood was everywhere, but there were few corpses, as they had been taken away.
Compared to the scene half an hour ago, a chaotic slaughter where there was barely room to stand, the sudden emptiness was quite strange.
However, this emptiness lasted for less than three minutes.
The sound of rushing from all directions grew dense and close. Soon, a sea of starlight formed by the glowing eyes and bodies of creatures had surrounded the area. Their numbers were even greater than the previous record high.
"Failed. The target has relocated. Relocated. The vanguard's pursuit of the First Spacetime forces is unknown."
One of the massive subterranean creatures emitted a subtle, inaudible sound into the air, but it was indeed a form of information transmission. It reached the surface, carrying the cold, mechanical tone of the Eternal Night Race.
The response it received was in a similar tone.
"Acknowledged. Rest on site. Assemble greater numbers and continue to infect. Consider airborne mutation for transmission."
"Await the Empress's command."
After the command was issued, on the surface, the Eternal Night Race had descended once again. This time, they did not enter the underground directly. Wang Jiu and the others were holed up 30,000 meters below ground, a defensible position. Any deeper than 30,000 meters, and even the top-tier noble mecha of the Eternal Night Empire would be severely restricted, making them easy targets for the million-strong forces of the Earth players.
Therefore, they needed to accumulate strength for now.
The one who had just communicated with the underground forces had an aura similar to the previous Eternal Night Overlord, but its physical appearance was slightly different.
It was a female form with flowing blonde hair, its eyes like lightning.
Beside her, another male figure was directing the troops. He was bald, tall, and sturdy, standing four meters high like a giant. His entire body resembled a complete metal man, even his eyeballs had a metallic texture. His voice was hoarse, like a seashell scraping against metal.
"02, the vanguard pursuing the First Spacetime forces has sent back a report. They are in pursuit and closing in."
The Eternal Night noble, Unit 02, nodded and said without emotion, "I have relayed the information to the Empress. The order is to proceed as planned, but 09 will descend again."
At the mention of 09, even the perpetually calm and collected mechanical nobles couldn't hide their complex expressions.
None of them liked this 09. The Empress valued him the most and would only grant him audiences. As for the others, they typically received orders through program transmissions, and it was common to go centuries or millennia without seeing her.
On what grounds? He was merely the last to be created, Number 9. On what grounds could he surpass them? Moreover, his repeated failures and demise during this mission were a complete disgrace to the Empress.
02 didn't say much more; after all, the emotions of the Eternal Night Race were limited.
03 activated the detection device on his body. A moment later, he deactivated it and stated woodenly, "I can no longer sense the auras of those Earth creatures. They are either more than 50,000 meters underground or hiding in a place that evades our Eternal Night Race's detection."
"Evades?" 02 looked into the distance, the starlight in her eyes gradually sharpening.
"01 is also about to descend. They won't live for much longer."
"Hiding anywhere on Earth is useless."
Within the Eternal Night Empire.
Unit 09 had just boarded a starship bound for Earth. The Eternal Night Empress, who had seen him off, casually swiped her hand through the air, and a light screen appeared before her. It showed a view from below, looking up through the vast atmosphere, covering the entire Northern Polar Ice Plains. However, it could only show a rough outline and couldn't truly see the situation on the ground. The distance was too great, and the rules of the Wilderness Civilization game were also in effect.
She pressed her fingers to her temple, a few strands of silver hair shimmering as they lightly brushed against her cool lips.
There seemed to be a sound, yet there was none.
"So, you're here."
The northern landscape, a thousand leagues of drifting snow. That was a normal snowy scene. The Northern Polar Ice Plains, however, was a pure environment where you feared that a single exhaled breath of carbon dioxide would freeze solid, connecting to your throat and instantly freezing you from the inside out.
Ice, frost, cold, blue-white, and supremely beautiful.
"Damn it, beauty is all that's left," Wang Shu stomped his feet on the ground, letting out a puff of hot air. The breath did indeed freeze, but thankfully, he wasn't an ordinary person anymore and wouldn't be easily frozen. It just consumed a bit of Spirit Power.
"Even going out to spear a fish requires keeping a protective shield up at all times. This is too hard," Mei Qinghe grumbled, helping Wang Shu pull up a large, plump fish he had speared. He took one look and his face darkened. "This is a shark. It doesn't taste good. It secretes something through its skin. Nope, I can't accept this."
The shark was still thrashing, even trying to shoot a jet of water from its throat to attack them. But Wang Shu reached out, pressed down on its head, and shoved it back under the icy water.
"Go back and get one of your fish brothers. A grouper or a tuna will do."
Unfortunately, the shark was ferocious. After being pushed down, it gave a powerful flick of its tail, leaped out of the water, and shot ice cannons at the two of them. Bang! Bang! Wang Shu blasted it with a fireball, then flicked his wrist, sending a chain of fire to entangle and pierce it.
"You little shit, you don't know what's good for you," Wang Shu cursed as he roasted the shark. He divided the meat and gave it to some of the other biological races he had brought along. They happily gnawed on it right there, but Wang Shu was puzzled.
"What the hell is this?"
He had pulled something from the fish's belly. It was a crystal-clear bead, smooth on the outside but with extremely sharp angles within.
Mei Qinghe was stunned. "No way, you RNG God. You speared a shark and dug out a pearl? No, wait, this thing looks a bit like an energy crystal. Holy crap, what's wrong with you!"
Mei Qinghe was observing the bead, muttering that it didn't have much of an energy signature. Before he could even touch it, he saw Wang Shu's 200-jin fat body collapse to its knees.
Mei Qinghe hurriedly supported Wang Shu and called out to him a couple of times, but Wang Shu's face was pale and he felt weak all over. Liao Luo and the others, who were also hunting for food nearby, sensed it. Liao Luo was the fastest, using a spatial stealth and teleport to appear beside them in an instant. He took a look.
"Is this a seal?"
Wang Shu was on the verge of tears, panicking himself. "I don't know! My legs just suddenly gave out, my body feels weak, and my Spirit Power and everything is grayed out… It must be this bead! Don't touch it with your hands."
Liao Luo was surprised and was about to use another tool to pick it up when a black thread shot through the air, wrapping around it directly. In the blink of an eye, it returned to the Lord's Manor in Gobi City, hundreds of meters away.
Liao Luo turned his head and saw Wang Jiu, standing on the third-floor balcony, holding the crystal sphere.
She only glanced at it before handing it to Qing He beside her. Xie Lu and the others were also present, planning for the future.
"Is this one of the reasons you decided to teleport here?" Qing He touched it with her own hand. She felt its power but didn't collapse like Wang Shu.
"I suppose so. There are only two things to solve right now. One is the Gene Plague, and the other is buying time."
The issue of buying time that Wang Jiu mentioned had actually already been solved. It was only after arriving here that they discovered that within the Northern Polar Ice Plains, all starship detection equipment was useless. Likewise, their own detection abilities were also useless.
Unless one were to spread their soul power to search a large area. But after the game loaded, the glacial landscape continued to expand, now occupying about one-fifth of the Earth's total area. Compared to the vast territory of the entire ice plains, even with soul power like Wang Jiu's, she could at most explore one-ten-thousandth of it at a time, which was truly insignificant.
She had compared the sensory strength of the Eternal Night Overlord's chip; his range was on par with hers at the time. Even if there were stronger individuals among the top-tier nobles, they should belong to the same tier. At most, they would be on par with her current self or slightly higher, but they still couldn't pinpoint their location.
So, as long as they weren't found, they could buy time. The extra time would allow them to digest the Primordial Spirit Race's Nullification Wall inheritance that Wang Jiu had just given them.
She had directly placed it into Gobi City's system inheritance framework. As long as a territory member's contribution reached the standard, they could unlock the corresponding content.
Every member of Gobi had this right. Generally, ordinary members could only unlock 0.5%, elite members around 3%, and the main high-level members 10%.
Wang Jiu didn't play favorites or give Wang Shu and the others special privileges. Giving them everything was impossible. Firstly, she didn't care much about personal relationships, and secondly, they wouldn't be able to learn it even if she gave it to them.
Their level wasn't high enough, and their minds couldn't handle it. Giving them too much would just confuse them about what to learn, which would be counterproductive. In any case, with Wang Shu's current contribution level, he could exchange for 10%, but he was already complaining when he received just 1%.
Damn it, this is a slacker's nightmare!
Can't it be a skill you learn instantly? This requires comprehension and understanding. It's too hard!
However, Xie Lu and the others were like fish in water. They had been settled for less than two or three days, and they were already forgoing food and sleep. The reason they appeared today was for an indispensable discussion.
Actually, it wasn't a discussion. Wang Jiu made all the decisions anyway, and she never considered others' opinions.
It was more like a directive.
How to solve the Gene Plague?
"I'm not good at this. Let him talk."
Wang Jiu had always been a hands-off manager. The Old Lady understood this and looked at Long Aotian. Oh, so this was the one who released the poison. That poison was quite good.
A perfect counter to family planning.
Long Aotian was always one to read the room. He had long seen that the Old Lady was Wang Jiu's closest relative and immediately said eagerly, "This crystal bead is not unique to that shark. We saw similar metallic weapons with this ability in the Primordial Court. Although the materials look different at first glance, if you look at the sharp spikes inside this bead, they should be made of the same metal. But how can a living organism form a metal body? Under normal circumstances, it's impossible, unless it's influenced by the environment."
"From an animal's perspective, our growth trajectory and genetic development will change due to the environment…"
"I think there might be something under this Northern Polar Ice Plains similar to the Primordial Court that has influenced them, leading to the birth of this special metal."
The Old Lady: "It's also possible that it was originally next to the Primordial Court."
Hmm, was that possible? The Primordial Court was basically in a different dimension beneath the mainland, while the Northern Polar Ice Plains was in the oceanic region, with nothing but icy seas below.
"Nothing is impossible. The location of a different dimension isn't determined by its entrance, but by where its spatial pocket is located. The two places actually have similarities. So, Captain, are you planning to explore the seabed?" Qiao Xuejing was an array master and had some understanding of space. She had later studied some spatial abilities to create arrays, but the thought of Wang Jiu having to go out again… she was actually a bit reluctant, but her introverted personality kept her from saying it aloud.
The doomsday game had only been going on for about half a year, but everyone's bond was extraordinary, already like that of close family—at least, that's what they unilaterally believed.
"No," Wang Jiu replied casually. Wang Shu, who had returned, scratched his head. "Wait, this thing is powerful, sure, but what does it have to do with solving the Gene Plague?"
Lin Guiwan lightly patted his head and said, "It doesn't necessarily have to be a direct cure. If we can deal with the infected creatures, that also counts as a solution."
Even with her priest's nature and dislike for killing, after entering the game stage and recently experiencing one brutal battle after another, the tragedy from three days ago was still fresh in her mind. Not to mention the countless warriors who died on the spot, nearly a hundred million people were ambushed and killed after venturing out. This battle had cost the player alliance about a third of its population.
The corpses could probably form a mountain the size of the Alps.
So, the idea was to use this special metal that could melt or weaken living beings to deal with the infected creatures?
Wang Shu's eyes lit up. "I get it! So, Master doesn't actually have to risk going into the sea to find that secret substance. We can also collect these crystal beads by hunting the sea creatures under the ice plains and then use them to make weapons."
It was clear. Their current task, besides cultivating the Nullification Wall inheritance, was to hunt for these special crystal beads.
This was Wang Jiu's directive.
Qing He, however, shared two final pieces of news.
"The people from the First Spacetime ran first, but they were ambushed later. They eventually escaped, but with considerable losses. They should also be on the ice plains now. I guess they know a lot about the Primordial Spirit Race and are aware of this place's peculiarities."
"The Primordial Spirit Race has disappeared. They are not in their original hiding place fifty to sixty thousand meters deep in the cave. I estimate they fled at the first sign of trouble. Although they can't teleport, I remember that in your spacetime, the Undead Race had a route to this ice plain from underground. I guess they took that path and should have arrived on the ice plains by now."
Speaking of the Undead Race, everyone thought of the Icebound Undead. They had ambushed Wang Jiu in the Devil's Sea and suffered heavy losses, but they surely had some remaining forces on the ice plains.
Qing He asked, "Do we need to find and contact them?"
Although it was like finding a needle in a haystack, Qing He felt that Wang Jiu probably had a way.
"Find the Icebound Undead. They should have what I want in their inventory."
"As for the Primordial Spirit Race, no need to look. They will come to me on their own. We wait."
After everyone left, in the extreme icy sea beneath the ice cave on the side of the territory, Bai Bai and Gun Gun were swimming and frantically hunting sea creatures. They weren't alone; the fox clan, Gun Gun's clan, and some affiliated groups were also down there.
After swallowing a massive whale shark three hundred meters long, Bai Bai picked its teeth and contacted Wang Jiu. "Great-Grandma, we just need to eat?"
"Yes. If you feel you can't digest it and feel weak, go find the Old Lady and have her prepare a potion."
After Wang Jiu finished chatting, a private message from the Old Lady came through. "Based on current findings, it's not related to physical strength but to the creature's genes. Humans are naturally repelled by this type of metal, but other animals or plants have a much higher tolerance for it, with a reaction only one-tenth that of humans. Are you trying to get them to form corresponding crystal beads inside their bodies, thereby gaining free control over this ability?"
Wang Jiu: "No, there isn't enough time. Biological evolution takes a long time. Even with you using potions to control their genetic direction, their spiritual bodies still need to adapt. Otherwise, they can only keep it in their stomachs like those sharks."
If that wasn't the purpose, then it was another one.
"I will record their digestion and create a genetic model, then give it to you." The Old Lady had already guessed that Wang Jiu wanted to use this on herself. However, this was a major project, and time was of the essence. She thought for a moment and contacted Saling.
She had given herself a complete copy of the Nullification Wall's contents, but she had also given a complete copy to her right-hand man.
No conditions.
Why? Because she was never afraid that others, after receiving the same inheritance as her, could threaten her.
This was the pride of her character, and a frank self-confidence.
The Old Lady wasn't surprised at all; instead, she felt that this was how she should be.
In Roy's words, this person had vision. As long as the overall benefit increased, she was very generous. But if her own interests were harmed, she would let people know the meaning of eradicating something root and stem, leaving no blade of grass behind.
That night, Wang Jiu was digesting the contents of the Nullification Wall and got stuck on a section. It was about the Dao of love and soul.
She had never been good at this, so her emotions were somewhat turbulent.
It wasn't that she didn't understand, just that she didn't care.
Just then, she heard some commotion outside. Wang Jiu got up and walked out onto the spacious balcony. Facing the cold wind, she saw a sea of fire in the open space a few hundred meters outside Gobi, under the aurora-lit night sky.
It wasn't a skill attack, nor was it a battle. It was… a memorial.
After relocating here, for three consecutive days, even those who had lost family members had tacitly put other matters aside to focus on reorganizing the city, scouting the surroundings for safety, and the essential task of self-cultivation. Now that things had stabilized after three days, they began to mourn their friends, relatives, and comrades who had died in battle.
Or their comrades-in-arms.
There was little crying. They were probably numb, or perhaps they knew crying was useless.
Because there would be another battle, and perhaps many more.
There were many people outside. Wang Shu and the others were there too. Unlike Wang Jiu, they had real social circles. They had known some people or fought alongside them, so there were always some bonds.
Wang Jiu watched with cold eyes, feeling nothing. She had no thoughts like "I must avenge them" or "I must lead the survivors to live on." But she observed carefully. Later, a faint ripple appeared in her pupils. In the distance, a woman grieving for her dead husband suddenly felt a daze, finding it strange, but she quickly became immersed in her sorrow again.
After a while, Wang Jiu's soul returned to her body, retaining the emotions she had just experienced, and she went back to tackling the content on the Dao of love.
Done. Next chapter.
Wang Jiu raised an eyebrow and was about to turn back inside when she saw Xing Yao land on the roof. He looked at her and seemed to freeze for a moment, but his gaze quickly moved away from the avocado green slip dress she was wearing. It was fresh and elegant, infinitely softening her demonic aura but exponentially amplifying her femme fatale quality.
He quickly said, "The people from the Primordial Spirit Race have found us. They asked me to contact you. I estimate they want to cooperate. They're preparing for a meeting."
This kind of cooperation could concern everyone, so others were also present; it wasn't just a matter of finding Wang Jiu.
After all, the Primordial Spirit Race didn't know that Xing Yao and Mo Ran were already Wang Jiu's slaves. According to the contract, they had to obey her completely.
The reason they didn't approach Wang Jiu directly was that they were unsure of her attitude and feared walking into the lion's den, only to be slaughtered and devoured by her.
After all, this woman's ferocity was simply outrageous.
But they had observed and found that Xing Yao's character was the most trustworthy and easier to talk to, unlike that Mo Ran, who was colder than the Northern Polar Ice Plains.
Not many people attended this meeting, only twenty or thirty. Even those from the Japanese and Korean sectors weren't invited, as it was unnecessary.
However, the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy because Mo Ran was present.
This woman came with her own air conditioner.
Saling didn't come, and Suo Nu and the First Duke weren't talkative. The Young Prince was unsupervised and looking around. He had grown bold and was actually pestering Mo Ran. "My Imperial Father went to find Ma Lisu? Why isn't he back yet? Aren't you going to contact them?"
Mo Ran turned to look at him, her eyes devoid of emotion. The Young Prince shivered, but after years of being beaten down by Xing Yao, he had thick skin. So he muttered, "I heard from Saling that you guys went out to do things together several times, shared hardships. Why do you look like you have such a bad relationship…"
Just as Mo Ran was about to shut the Young Prince's mouth, Wang Jiu and Xing Yao arrived.
As soon as she arrived, the system meeting hall, which had been as quiet as a tomb, seemed to inexplicably heat up to forty or fifty degrees.
Shen Wan, who was sitting next to the leader and taking notes, was stunned for a moment. The leader glanced at her.
Our diplomat is blushing again.
Before Wang Jiu even sat down, she saw that the Primordial Spirit Race's side far outnumbered their own.
"Coming out in full force, huh? Is this a show of sincerity for your surrender?"
The leader of the Primordial Spirit Race was a young man with a buzz cut. His soul was solid and powerful, but he looked young, not old and stubborn like Qin Fu and the other old geezers.
This person stepped forward voluntarily. "I am Yuan Wei, the current representative of the Primordial Spirit Race. I have come this time seeking to cooperate with Your Excellency Wang Jiu and the Fourth Spacetime."
Once you've been beaten down, you know how sharp the whip is.
Proactively seeking cooperation was an acknowledgment of Wang Jiu's supreme strength.
After he finished speaking, he saw Wang Jiu sit down, cross her legs, the silky hem of her dress brushing past her calf, teasing the flip-flop that was about to fall off. She pressed her fingers to her brow and sized him up, and them.
"Would you shake hands with a corpse in a funeral home?"
"Or would you get sentimental with your food?"
Gentle and elegant, softening the Demon King? Impossible, absolutely impossible. The moment she opened her mouth, it was a tempest, yet her tone was as gentle as a spring breeze, without a hint of aggression.
Yuan Wei was not intimidated. He simply met Wang Jiu's gaze and said, "I believe that as long as there is value, we can cooperate."
Wang Jiu smiled. "What value is there that can't be obtained by killing you for drops? What information is there that can't be shared by devouring your souls?"
Yuan Wei's fingers, hidden in his sleeves, tightened. He said, "Other things, you can certainly obtain by devouring us. But anything related to the Founder is a racial taboo. Even if you absorb our souls, that segment of memory will naturally dissipate."
That was true.
Yin Lao's memories also contained such knowledge.
Wang Jiu thought for a moment. "In that case, please speak."
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