"The source of the Rule Radiation..."
Lin Qingyue took the map from Sular, her fingertip gently tracing the conspicuous red marker.
"Northeast of the Silent Forest, hundred miles away."
Sular's voice was hushed to a near-whisper, as if afraid of disturbing the dust motes in the air.
"That's 'Winred City.'"
She added, her tone turning incredibly strange.
"In mercenary and traveling merchant circles, it has another nickname: 'The Everlasting Den of Debauchery'!"
Winred City?
Lin Qingyue's gaze sharpened.
She had heard that name before, boasted by a merchant with a slurring tongue in a Blackrock Stronghold tavern.
A city of sin, infamous for its extravagant indulgence.
Rumor had it that its madness surpassed even "Tender Village" a hundredfold—a hellish paradise that could suck the very marrow from a person's bones.
Now it seemed it was no paradise at all.
It was clearly a colossal Evil God sacrificial ground!
So, after all this fuss, the BOSS's lair was just sitting out in the open?
That's right. This isn't 'the most dangerous place is the safest place'; it's 'the most depraved place is the most suitable dining hall.'
The Mother of Rebirth fed on chaos and corrupted souls.
What place could be more suitable as Her Divine Realm on Earth than a city of sin steeped in ultimate desire?
That place was Her personal buffet.
"Sular, I have some important intelligence as well."
Lin Qingyue recounted the key information about the Mother of Rebirth's powers, the Flesh Ritual, and the Steam Magitech Mecha Legion in the most concise language possible.
"Take this information to the Garrison Commander."
"This isn't just Blackrock Stronghold's crisis; it could engulf the entire Dungeon. We need allies."
Sular nodded firmly, her face grave. She understood the weight of this intelligence.
An Evil God who commanded both flesh manipulation and mechanical ascension—its threat level had to be reassessed.
"Understood! Excellency Qingyue, you must be extremely careful yourselves!"
Before her voice faded, Sular's figure vanished like a wisp of green smoke, silently melting into the faint light of dawn.
Lin Qingyue glanced around and signaled to her companions with her eyes.
"Let's talk back in the room."
-
Inside the inn room, the door and windows were shut tight.
Lin Qingyue spread the map on the table, sank into her chair, her tone lazy.
"Alright, partners, time for a strategy session."
"We currently have two options."
"Plan A: We stay in Blackrock Stronghold and experience an ultra-hardcore tower defense game. The enemies are tin cans equipped with intelligent AI, plus a horde of crazed beauties on steroids. If we hold, it's a huge win. If we fail, it's game over for everyone."
She paused, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.
"As for Plan B..."
"We set out right now, take a spontaneous trip, and head straight for Winred City, a hundred miles away."
"Before their main forces can assemble, we'll dismantle their headquarters."
"I choose B."
Su Wan was the first to declare her stance, her azure eyes glinting with rational sharpness.
"Passive defense is a slow death. Blackrock Stronghold's fortifications might not withstand a precisely calculated saturation bombardment. Only by taking the fight to the enemy's heart can we regain the initiative."
"I agree!"
Xia Lian quickly raised her hand, her small face filled with the focused intensity of a hunter.
"A Ranger's creed is to hunt, not to hunker down. Striking proactively and piercing the enemy's heart is the only way to end this once and for all!"
Lin Xiyue chuckled, "Heh heh," and slammed her massive tower shield, Blackstone's Protection, onto the floor in front of her.
Thud!
The dull impact echoed across the floorboards.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's fuck 'em up!"
The consensus was unanimous.
Rather than passively waiting in Blackrock Stronghold for a siege battle with an uncertain outcome, they would seize the initiative and strike directly at the enemy's core!
It was insane.
But it was very "Quantum Battleship."
-
City Lord's Mansion, temporary command room.
When Punk and Lilina heard the raid plan from Lin Qingyue's group of four, the City Lord, who had weathered countless storms, froze completely.
"You... you're going straight to Winred City?"
His voice was dry, and he suspected he was hearing things.
That was the Evil God's main stronghold!
Just the four of them?
This wasn't just audacious; it was practically delivering themselves to the Evil God on a silver platter!
However, unlike her brother's shock, Lilina's emerald cat-like eyes glinted with a sharp light.
"I like this plan."
She spoke lazily, her fingertip tapping lightly on the map.
"The followers of Chaos excel at dragging orderly places into a chaotic mire. But if the battlefield is at the very heart of chaos, their advantage vanishes."
"However, time is tight. Traveling on foot is too wasteful."
She snapped her fingers. "Follow me. I'll show you a shortcut."
Lilina led the four to the City Lord's Mansion's underground wine cellar, pushed aside a row of dust-covered wine racks, and revealed a plain, unadorned Stone Gate behind them.
Behind the door was a teleportation array covered in complex runes and crystals.
"This is the Church of the God of Contracts' secret teleportation network, stable and fast."
Lilina patted the base of the teleportation array, as if introducing a prized possession.
"The destination is a secret outpost thirty li outside Winred City. My people will meet you there."
She handed Lin Qingyue an exquisite leather scroll bound with mithril thread.
"This is a detailed map of Winred City, along with intelligence on the major factions within. Remember, trust no one there. There is no order, only transactions driven by desire."
"Thank you."
Lin Qingyue accepted the map, her estimation of the Saintess of Contracts rising even higher.
This sis is truly reliable in how she handles things.
The four stepped onto the teleportation array. As Lilina activated the magic circle, the space around them instantly twisted and warped.
The sensation was like being forcefully stuffed into a soda can, then kicked hard.
After a brief spell of dizziness, they found themselves in a dark, damp basement when they finally stood on solid ground again.
A middle-aged man dressed as a bartender, who also had cat ears but looked utterly exhausted, was glaring at them irritably.
"Lady Lilina sent more trouble my way?"
The man sighed.
"I'm the one in charge here. Just call me Old K. The intelligence and supplies you need are over there."
He pointed to the stairs above, his face clouded with annoyance.
"Listen, I have to warn you. Further north, the 'sweet scent' in the air will strip you of your sanity, turning you into beasts driven only by mating and slaughter."
"I've seen too many confident fools walk in there, and not a single one has come back alive. Finish your stupid business, or die inside, but don't bring that damned thing back to my place. I haven't lived long enough yet."
With that, he went back to polishing a glass, unwilling to say another word.
The four ascended the stairs out of the tavern, confirmed their direction, and headed north.
-
As they neared the vicinity of Winred City, the landscape began to undergo a bizarre transformation.
On the once relatively normal wasteland, the colors of the plants grew increasingly vibrant, displaying a sickly brilliance.
A cloyingly sweet scent drilled into their nostrils.
It was like cheap perfume mixed with the stench of rotting fruit; barely noticeable at first, but after a while, it made their temples throb and stirred an inexplicable mix of irritation and excitement in their hearts.
"This air is toxic."
Su Wan frowned, and a thin layer of ice shield materialized around her, blocking out the cloying air.
"It's more like an emotion amplifier, specifically designed to provoke desire."
Lin Qingyue calmly offered her conclusion.
Damn, a map-wide stimulant aura? No wonder this place breeds so many lunatics.
They moved quickly, venturing deep into the region in less than half a day.
Just then, a cacophony of discordant musical instruments sounded from ahead.
Following the noise, they saw a grotesque "parade" marching grandly along the ancient wasteland road.
The people in the procession wore revealing clothes, their expressions dazed, their faces painted with exaggerated, garish greasepaint.
Some beat strangely shaped drums, others blew twisted horns, all while singing and dancing, loudly chanting incomprehensible hymns.
They didn't look like combatants, more like a group of addicts at a carnival.
Yet the twisted fervor emanating from them, born from the depths of their souls, was more chilling than the killing intent of any heavily armored soldier.
The Parade had clearly spotted them as well.
Their singing and dancing didn't stop; instead, they swarmed toward the four with even greater enthusiasm.
"Sisters from afar!"
A voluptuous cat-girl swayed forward, golden bells jingling on her bare feet.
Under the influence of the [Truth] rule, her words were brutally direct.
"You look travel-worn and weary. Why not join us and revel in this eternal carnival?"
Her emerald eyes burned with a fanatical flame, full of seductive allure.
"Offer your weary souls to the merciful Mother Goddess!"
"She will grant you endless beauty, ultimate pleasure, and immerse you in the peak of joy every day and night!"
"Join us! Embrace rebirth!"
"Join us! Attain eternal bliss!"
The Parade members behind her roared in unison, their voices merging into a demonic wave that crashed against the four's minds.
Xia Lian gripped her shortbow tightly, her fingertips icy cold.
This direct spiritual contamination was far more unsettling to her than any sword or blade.
Lin Xiyue slammed her tower shield into the ground with a heavy thud. The resounding crash echoed, yet it failed to interrupt the others' chanting.
A chilling frost was already gathering at Su Wan's fingertips.
Lin Qingyue looked at the fanatical cat-girl believer before her, not even bothering to shake her head.
"Sorry."
She spoke calmly.
"We're not interested in joining a pyramid scheme."
Her refusal didn't anger the other party.
Instead, the cat-girl leader offered a pitying smile.
"Poor, lost souls. You still don't understand the Mother Goddess's greatness."
She didn't try to persuade them further, nor did she resort to violence. She simply raised her hands slowly.
"If words cannot make you understand, then experience it for yourselves..."
"In the dreamscape granted by the Mother Goddess, feel the true paradise!"
As her voice fell, all members of the Parade instantly fell silent.
They closed their eyes in unison, pressed their palms together, and began chanting a strange, ethereal hymn that carried a powerful hypnotic force.
A Psychic Storm erupted!
It wasn't a visual distortion, but a deeper, more fundamental unraveling.
The wasteland beneath their feet instantly turned soft and viscous, like melting syrup.
The surrounding air congealed into an amber-colored gel, enveloping them.
The hypnotic hymn no longer came from their ears but resonated directly from the depths of their bone marrow. Each syllable transformed into a cloyingly sweet, warm current, eroding the dams of their reason.
Senses were shattered.
Logic was overturned.
The next second, when their consciousness reconverged, the world was completely different!