Chapter 896: Conspiracy and Strategic Alliances
Chapter 896: Conspiracy and Strategic Alliances
At the end of April, multiple explosions rocked the Central City, followed by a series of attacks targeting high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Governance and government representatives.
The perpetrators were the "Deep Sea Revenge Army," claiming allegiance to the "International United Resistance Front."
As these incidents also involved suspected sightings of Third Limit Fighters, they immediately caught the attention of the Ministry of Governance, prompting the Handling Bureau and City Patrol to launch a large-scale manhunt and investigation.
As Mr. Chi had anticipated, the emergence of the resistance organization meant that the city's violent institutions would not have it easy until the resistance was eliminated. Moreover, the covert agencies like the Great Shun Administration Bureau would inevitably divert some of their attention, creating a favorable situation for the resistance's operations.
In early May, Mr. Chi arrived on a cruise ship overseas, invited by Noce. He brought along a person with Noce's spirit attached, participating in the pre-mission communication.
Given the sensitivity of a Fighter's identity in Central City, any slip-up could lead to exposure. Therefore, the three Fighters gathered for this mission would not appear directly. Instead, their agents and spirit-attached individuals would handle the communication, later conveying the information to the Fighters themselves.
The ship was provided by the Original Being Corporation, ensuring absolute security in terms of equipment and personnel, all sourced from the corporation.
After Mr. Chi and his team entered the ship's cabin, two individuals were already seated. On the left was a man with an ordinary appearance and an expressionless face, the vessel for a Fighter who had once worked for the Original Being Corporation—a human puppet produced by the corporation.
On the other side sat a woman with purple eyeshadow and two implanted eyes at her temples.
Mr. Chi gestured, and the spirit-attached individual beside him sat down.
The eye-makeup woman crossed her arms and said, "I'm here on the boss's orders, and he doesn't like to wait too long. So, if there's anything to discuss, let's get straight to it."
The human puppet remained silent.
Mr. Chi turned to the spirit-attached individual beside him, "Mr. Noce?" The latter replied, "Since everyone is here, let's begin."
Perhaps due to being the only representative without a spirit attachment, the eye-makeup woman was the most talkative. She looked at Mr. Chi and said,
"The boss has received your message. He believes that the target will definitely stay in the Fusion Land for more than two months. Currently, the target is likely in a cultivation phase, having recently become a Fighter. The boss suggests that now is the best time to act, as any delay could result in the target's strength increasing.
If we wait until the next opportunity, who knows when that will be? By then, the target will be familiar with the terrain, making the hunt more efficient. If we choose to act at that time, it will be their home field, which is unfavorable for us."
Although Mr. Chi was not a Fighter, he agreed with this assessment. According to the analysis report provided by the corporation, the target's growth potential was astonishing. The earlier they acted, the more opportunities they had. He glanced at the woman, and it was clear that the Fusion Sect was more proactive in this matter.
At this moment, the human puppet raised its head and asked, "Mr. Chi, have the items promised by the United Heavy Steed arrived?"
Mr. Chi replied, "As per your and Mr. Noce's request, two meticulously prepared active consciousness vessels have been delivered outside the city."
The puppet nodded, seemingly satisfied. These specially prepared active consciousness vessels could, to some extent, serve as vessels for Fighters with divine forms, even if they were single-use.
In the world of Fighters, one more chance meant one more life.
The spirit-attached individual of Noce spoke up, "Only two?"
Mr. Chi explained, "The United Heavy Steed is unwilling to directly intervene in our affairs. These vessels were provided under a third-party name, and it's impossible to get more. Time doesn't permit it either, as custom-made vessels require at least two to three years of cultivation.
However, for this mission...
We actually have another ally."
As he spoke, he took out a chess piece in the shape of a helmeted warrior from his pocket and placed it on the table, pushing it towards the three individuals.
The eye-makeup woman immediately reacted, "The Former Imperial Palace?"
Mr. Chi nodded, "A Fighter who ended up outside, having killed a Conquering General of the Former Dynasty. A rising star, the Former Imperial Palace wouldn't let this go."
However, the eye-makeup woman didn't seem pleased. Instead, she spoke bluntly, "I don't trust them, and neither will the boss."
Mr. Chi said, "I don't trust them either, but you can rest assured this time. Due to the defeat in the Fusion Land and the loss of underground trade channels, the Former Imperial Palace has suffered a heavy blow. They are eager to open new channels and resume business, so we don't need to worry about any tricks from them in this matter.
Moreover, in the Fusion Land, the Former Imperial Palace has more information than we do. They can provide us with ample intelligence, like this one..."
He tapped the Boundary Token, conveying a message to each person present, "Regarding the target's destination, there might be a special existence, possibly an aberrant ancient Fighter."
"The puppet spoke up, 'If it's an obstacle, let's deal with it together. It'll be a good opportunity for the three of us to practice our skills.'
Noce had no objections.
Although he was a renowned assassin with his own style, he wasn't opposed to teamwork.
A group of fighters working together could significantly increase their combat effectiveness, even against opponents of a higher caliber. With the right strategy and tactics, they could take down even the most formidable foes.
If his teammates couldn't handle it, he'd do it himself.
Seeing that neither of them objected, the woman with eye makeup hummed and didn't say anything further.
Mr. Chi turned to the puppet and then looked at Noce, his expression becoming more serious.
'Currently, the violent organizations and secret departments in Central City are under our control, but this window of opportunity is short-lived. We'll arrange for both of you to enter the Fusion Land in Jingbei Province as soon as possible.'
After a six-day journey on foot, Chen Chuan found himself facing a vast ocean at the Unknown Depths.
His choice of direction wasn't arbitrary. Firstly, this route led deeper into the Fusion Land, and by traveling in this direction, he could reach the World Ring and its opposite side. According to the map, multiple rivers converged inward in this area.
In the 16th and 19th editions of the 'One Book, One Bar, One Look, No Mistake' atlas, this was clearly marked!
If there were any creatures of a certain level heading towards the World Ring, following the rivers would be the most likely route. With multiple rivers converging here and flowing into the ocean, it meant that the chances of encountering creatures of the same level were much higher than in other areas.
Chen Chuan decided to stop here for a while, thinking he might gain something from this place.
As he looked out, he saw that the clouds above the ocean were unusually low, and the seawater was surging. In the distance, there was a strange sight—a cyclone rising from the sea, lifting seawater into the sky, and seemingly creating a permanent opening in the sky, connecting the sky and the sea.
As he observed this, Chao Ming let out a cry and descended from the sky. Turning back, he saw a flock of fierce-looking birds flying towards them.
As the birds flew over the sea, suddenly, more than a dozen gigantic tentacles emerged from the water and, with a single swing, knocked down many of the birds. However, most of them managed to fly away from the area.
The birds couldn't fly any higher, possibly due to the cloud cover over the sea. In reality, those clouds weren't clouds at all but swarms of tiny insects, each so small that they were almost invisible from a distance, making them appear like cloud formations.
Seeing the tentacles submerge back into the sea, Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and instructed Chao Ming to wait at a distance while he put down his luggage and entered the seawater with the Snow Lady Sword.
This time, he stayed underwater for over an hour. When he resurfaced, he first pulled up one of the tentacles and then dragged out a massive creature, resembling an enlarged jellyfish, measuring fifty to sixty meters from head to tail.
This creature was documented in the bestiary and was known as the 'White Sea Ghost.' Its limbs were renowned for their delicious taste, and its altered organ had strengthening effects on a fighter's muscles and bones.
Both of these parts could be cooked and eaten. With an abundance of nutrients, Chen Chuan decided to pay some attention to the flavor of his meal.
After dragging the entire creature ashore, Chen Chuan first used the Snow Lady Sword to cut off a section of the tentacle and then split open its hard skull. Under the influence of the field, a jelly-like object floated out.
He then carried these two items back to a higher area on the beach and lit a bonfire. He took out a pot and placed it on the fire, adding some dry wood and dry water. Then, he put the altered brain tissue into the pot.
After a short while, the jelly-like substance solidified, resembling soft tofu in its whiteness and smoothness as it lay at the bottom of the pot. At this moment, he cut off a piece of the tentacle with a short blade and chopped it into pieces, adding them to the pot as well.
Feeling that these two ingredients were a bit monotonous, he was glad he had hunted and prepared some snacks and dried food earlier. He had also collected some vegetables and meat chunks, which he now added to the pot all at once.
Soon, the pot began to bubble and boil, transforming into a thick, creamy white broth. He tasted a spoonful and found it incredibly delicious, possibly due to the naturally salty taste of the tentacle, which didn't require any additional salt or seasoning.
He served a bowl to Chao Ming and began eating with a spoon. At that moment, he felt a sense of awareness and looked out at the sea.
Just then, he had felt as if something was watching him, but now, all he could see was the surging seawater—nothing else."
(End of Chapter)
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