Wei Huan asked, "Do people die often?"
Mu Dehao nodded. "The beast tides are very dangerous, requiring the Legion to work overtime to construct the strongholds, which are fundamental to survival. Exploring ruins is secondary, but the danger level is higher. Vehicles cannot drive into them, requiring warriors to fight off-car, and sacrifices are easily made."
"If they aren't high-level ruins, I should be fine," Wei Huan finally offered his services.
However, Mu Dehao shook his head. "Our reconnaissance suggests that Sea Beasts are gathering, and a major beast tide will erupt here within three days. I know your abilities are strong, which is precisely why you must remain in the base. I will arrange work for you after this beast tide has passed." Wei Huan nodded, finding this acceptable.
Mu Dehao then cautiously scanned the surroundings, ensuring that only his absolute confidantes were present, before saying, "Tell us about your experience in the Assessment World. Did the Dark Beasts come? What were your losses?"
Speaking of losses, Wei Huan frowned. This time, the casualties were indeed enormous. A large portion of his troops were in a state of weakness, with their combat power currently reduced, and they would take a month to recover. He genuinely could not afford to be too reckless, especially since this was the Tier 5 world. It was correct that he had taken the time to reorganize his undead army during this rare period of rest, preventing him from suffering an unexpected defeat.
Halfway through Wei Huan's reflection, he heard Mu Dehao exclaim in surprise, "You killed two Dark Beast Royals? And one escaped? No, you don't understand how difficult Dark Beast Royals are to kill. Not only can they shapeshift, but even destroying their territory doesn't matter. These Royals possess many special techniques, and when they gather together on a large battlefield, concentrating all the Miracle Buildings, all Dark Beasts can gain more than 100% attribute bonuses..."
Mu Zhong was recounting their experience in the Assessment World, and Commander Mu and his adjutant listened with shocked expressions. Dark Beast Royals were truly powerful. They could fight, apply buffs, shapeshift, and crucially, they could escape. On large battlefields, humanity had previously breached Dark Beast Royal territories, but they only destroyed the territory and did not kill the Royal. A Dark Beast Royal that lost its territory would merely retreat temporarily, only to return soon after. Killing a Dark Beast Royal had always been a headache for humanity.
"How did you do it?" Mu Dehao's adjutant couldn't help but ask.
Mu Zhong glanced at Wei Huan and replied, "With a dragnet, we don't let anything with a breath escape. We shake the yolks in any eggs we find, and we vertically dissect every earthworm we dig up."
"This, this..."
"Hahaha!"
Mu Dehao and his adjutant's voices chimed in simultaneously, followed by Mu Dehao saying, "That is a thorough and meticulous method of searching that permits no carelessness. I will issue a notice that this will be the standard going forward."
They stayed in the office for a while longer, but people kept coming and going during that time. Mu Dehao actually had much more to talk about, but seeing the two growing bored, he asked his adjutant to call someone up to familiarize them with the base.
The person arrived quickly, and it was an acquaintance. Still, Mu Zhong asked, "Where are Captain Wang and Brother Xiaotian?"
Liu Xiaotian was a super extrovert who treated the greatly feared Corps Commander like his own grandfather and regarded Mu Zhong as his own brother. Like Li Xue, when something happened to Mu Zhong, Liu Xiaotian was nearly ready to take revenge on society. With such genuine affection, Mu Zhong treated them like family. Seeing that the person who arrived was not them, he naturally had to ask.
Mu Dehao said, "They are out on a mission and will return in a few days."
"I see," Mu Zhong nodded. Seeing the person who had arrived, he smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, let's go."
"Lieutenant Colonel Mu, just call me Zhou Haoming," the man replied.
"Alright, Brother Zhou."
The man simply smiled.
---
Leaving the office building, they first returned to the carriage. The carriage was parked downstairs in the area closest to the office building. Among the numerous Vehicles bearing the Legion's emblem and covered in camouflage coating, the white, original-version Vehicle was strikingly visible and unexpectedly quite attractive.
The vehicle's wheels were locked into position, steadily parked in its bay. As Wei Huan and the others approached, the door automatically opened. Space laws underwent a subtle shift, and what was an ordinary carriage door instantly transformed into a magnificent entrance, like that of a grand hotel lobby.
Walking through the large door led them to the plaza on the first floor of the vehicle. The enormous plaza was encircled by the six-story ring-shaped building. Compared to other Vehicles, this one, which had been upgraded too quickly to add more decorations and furnishings, looked very spacious and could be seen end-to-end at a glance.
To Wei Huan's surprise, his carriage's combat personnel were still lined up and training, having not yet been released from their combat readiness. Wei Huan then recalled that he had left in a hurry and had not issued a command, so they had simply maintained their combat status. This was the spirit of a soldier: military orders are absolute.
Wei Huan immediately announced the stand-down of combat readiness, but he did not give the crew members a vacation, as Mu Dehao had suggested. A beast tide defense battle was imminent in the next three days, and there were so many overseas islands waiting for them to conquer, especially that huge island he longed for that had fallen to Aosam. He was determined to find and occupy it first. There was also the matter of the Elder Race of the Tier 5 world; their true faces needed to be shown to humanity, or at least to Daxia, as soon as possible, so the same mistake would not be made twice.
There were many tasks that all had to be done. It looked like they would be spending a long time in the Challenger World ahead. Unknowingly, the first day in the Tier 5 world passed. Before nightfall, the vehicle made a special trip out, returning to the Challenger World's exit point to wait.
As expected, after dark, a fragile Tier 3 white carriage appeared at the teleportation gate, trembling under the pressure of the Tier 5 world's might. The vehicle drove up and took the small white carriage into its belly. As soon as the carriage returned to the parking lot, the people inside were greeted like heroes. Many crew members who were off-duty gathered around. Liu Chengzhi walked through the crowd with his chin held high, looking extremely proud.
Xu Qingqiang leaped directly from the fifth floor, pushed through the crowd, and grabbed Liu Chengzhi by the back of his neck. "I want barbecue. Stop dawdling, you fat thief."
Liu Chengzhi, whose neck was squeezed like a large, fat cat, said with a bitter face, "Brother Qiang, hold on, let me see the Boss first."
That was an impossible request to deny. Xu Qingqiang's eyes rolled. "We'll go together."
Liu Chengzhi was carried away, but he did not forget to wave back to the people who had welcomed him. "Talk later, talk later..."
Liu Chengzhi had been very brave this time. Although it was a pre-arranged mission by Wei Huan and a chance for unearned merit, it was not entirely risk-free. If a random monster had spawned and dropped onto his head during that time, it was almost certain death for a Sequence 3 hiding in a Tier 3 carriage against the threat of the Tier 5 world. But Liu Chengzhi had bravely completed the decoy mission, which was commendable.
Liu Chengzhi knew this well. Upon seeing Wei Huan, he said, "Thank you for the Boss's guidance. Mission successfully completed. Liu Chengzhi reporting for duty."
Wei Huan was also happy to see Liu Chengzhi appear completely unharmed. "Alright, take a rest. There's a gathering waiting for us back at the base."
"A gathering? Will there be food? I'm not tired, and my hands are itching these past two days. I'll go prepare some food to bring to the party. Brother Qiang, tell me what kind of skewers you want, and I'll make them for you."
Xu Qingqiang's expression finally brightened upon hearing this.
With the person secured, the carriage drove back. Wei Huan saw the night view of the Tier 5 world for the first time. The Islands World was definitely an excellent world, very suitable for human survival, compared to the next one. The islands scattered across the sea, large and small, dotted the landscape, all capable of serving as footholds for various countries to build their cities and territories.
A total of 13 countries had currently arrived in the Tier 5 world. Daxia accounted for half of the total combat power and territory area in the Tier 5 world. Even the large island they were teleported to from the Assessment World had a large portion occupied by Daxia, where the Black Tortoise Legion was stationed to build their city.
On the return journey, Wei Huan commanded the Steward AI to take a slight detour to glance in the direction of Black Tortoise City. The visibly completed Tier 5 Black Tortoise City was located on the central plain of the island. Inside, buildings could already be seen, along with vehicles returning just as the evening darkness began to set. The city's lights not only drove away the dark miasma but also illuminated the massive array of weaponry mounted above the city.
Like any city he had seen in the Tier 4 world, this one was also armed to the teeth. It could not only withstand attacks launched by Sea Beasts but also gave latecomers pause for thought, while providing the Challengers from Blue Star with their first foothold in the Tier 5 world.
The Vehicle skimmed past the edge of Black Tortoise City. Traveling less than 200 li further, they saw a city under construction. Brother Zhou, their guide, said, "This is Aosam's city. It's half-finished. They construct during the day and return to Black Tortoise City for rest at night. Daxia is always dedicated to the concept of a shared future for humanity and has provided a lot of help to other countries."
However, driving a hundred li further, as they passed a dark valley, Brother Zhou pointed to it and said, "The city belonging to the Haisang Country is here." He was clearly aware of Wei Huan's conflict with the Haisang Country, and he specifically mentioned, "After Commander Da Cun of the Haisang Country was arrested on Blue Star, construction here stalled. I happened to lead a team to check it out recently and found that the construction progress is very slow. They are likely concentrating their efforts on helping Aosam build their city."
Neither Wei Huan nor Mu Zhong gave this information much thought. Da Cun and his more than one thousand members were virtually all rounded up by Daxia, with only a few successful escapees fleeing to Aosam. The Haisang Country was now reorganizing its leadership, but this was destined to be a long process that Wei Huan did not need to concern himself with. Wei Huan coldly moved his gaze away from the dark area. He held no fondness for that country and had shown no mercy. Those who fell into his hands were beaten, killed, or captured as they deserved. Now that he was far ahead, it was time to focus on things that could truly change humanity's future.
Not far from the Haisang Country base, they left the island and proceeded over the sea. They did not approach any islands along this route, heading directly toward the Azure Dragon City supply point. However, looking at the nautical map, they had passed four islands on their way over, and the 20-kilometer radius around each was Daxia's territory. Additionally, there were three other territories spreading outward in different directions, managed by the other three Legions.
"...The Black Tortoise pioneering effort is much slower, and they often borrow troops from us. We've sent them, and they are now slowly catching up to our pace..."
Wei Huan asked casually, "What is our ultimate plan?"
"To build four cities," Brother Zhou answered clearly. "Black Tortoise City has already been completed. Vermilion Bird City found an ideal island, but friction and a struggle arose with Aosam. The forward paths of our Legion and the White Tiger Legion have not yet found suitable islands."
Wei Huan nodded. The goal was clear: he needed to help Daxia find large islands to build cities. Cities and supply points were two different concepts, and their weaponry and defenses were not on the same scale. For instance, the current Azure Dragon supply point only needed enough defense to handle a beast tide. Later, when the main forces withdrew, the remaining on-duty squad could easily hold out with the defenses. A city, however, had to consider not only the Legion but also subsequent Challengers moving in. The more people who gathered in the Challenger World, the more frequently monsters spawned, and they would include high-level, General-level, and even Royal-level beasts, making it very dangerous. A city needed an excellent location and sufficient capacity to support the required population and defensive works. In the Tier 5 world, the bigger the island, the better.
So, in which direction was that island shaped like a five-pointed star?
Soon, they returned to the Azure Dragon supply point. The journey took only 20 minutes. Being so close to the Assessment World's teleportation point suggested that Daxia's development of this world had only just begun. The surface of the supply point consisted only of the city walls, the lighting arrays almost completely embedded along the walls, and a few underground passages enclosed by the walls.
The vehicle arrived at the main gate, descending from 30 meters high and entering the city on its four wheels. Along the way, permits, passwords, and on-board inspections were all in place, strictly enforced. Wei Huan was completely cooperative.
The crew members on guard duty knew it was Wei Huan's vehicle. They happily rushed over, vying for a chance to climb aboard. Although they did not see Wei Huan, they saw Captain Xue. They said, "The party is all ready. We've been waiting for you."
Captain Xue replied, "Thank you for your hard work. I'll bring some over for you later."
"No, no need. We're on duty. The kitchen will save some for us. You should hurry inside."
The vehicle was successfully granted passage and guided to the nearest underground parking garage entrance. The light remained consistently bright all the way down, so despite being in the Challenger World and underground, it did not feel dark or scary. This naturally prevented the breeding and attraction of dark-elemental monsters.
The parking lot on the first basement level had more vehicles than when they had left. It seemed that all the vehicles that had been out on missions had returned before dark. Challengers left their Vehicles and talked with teammates from other vehicles, and the atmosphere was more relaxed than during the day. The white carriage sped down the middle of the road and quickly reached the Command Headquarters building.
The gathering was held in the parking lot below the Command Headquarters, surrounding five vehicles arranged in a circle. Wei Huan's carriage arrived and parked precisely in the empty spot reserved for him, completing the circle with the five other vehicles.
When Wei Huan stepped out, the Captains and key personnel from the other carriages also disembarked. Led by Mu Dehao, they stood in the open space in the center, once again welcoming Wei Huan's arrival as if it were the first time that day.
At the same time, Mu Dehao introduced the most important figures of the Azure Dragon Pioneer Corps to Wei Huan. There were four Captains: two women and two men. Three of them—two men and one woman—were the Brigade Captains of the three pioneering detachments. Each could lead six carriages, totaling 500 people, to go out and execute orders. The remaining female Captain and her crew were responsible for logistics, including coordinating the construction of the supply point with the Pioneer Corps Commander-in-Chief, Commander Mu Dehao.
The total number of people in Daxia's Tier 5 Pioneer Corps was over 50,000, with over 40,000 being frontline combat personnel. However, Daxia had four Legions, and the Azure Dragon Legion was allocated just over 10,000 people and about 100 Vehicles. In terms of sheer numbers, this was far less than the number of Undead Wei Huan commanded.
Yet, every single one of these frontline combat personnel was a true prodigy with genuine ability. If, in the previous world, Wei Huan's three Roman Horse-level Undead could barely manage a back-and-forth fight with a Sequence 4 Challenger, here, against an ordinary Challenger, Wei Huan would need a 10-to-1 exchange rate, and against a Captain-level Challenger, 100 Undead might not even exchange for one. Wei Huan's combat power was certainly outstanding here, but he could not afford to act recklessly and dominate the world as he pleased.
Wei Huan met the three Pioneer Corps Captains. All of them looked formidable. The female Captain also looked difficult to cross, with her Sequence 5 aura pressing down, which was rather unfriendly to people of lower sequence. At the same time, Wei Huan was curious about Captain Wang and Liu Xiaotian. If they were not Pioneer Captains, what were their roles?
He later learned that they were Mu Dehao's personal guards, responsible not only for Challenger World duties but also for any matters on Blue Star that required combat power for Mu Dehao. The total number of people in the personal guard unit was three carriages, about 300 people. Zhou Haoming was also a member of the personal guard.
Furthermore, while Commander Chai was currently stationed on Blue Star, he also had his own personal guard unit that traveled back and forth between the Challenger World and Blue Star. Their numbers were twice that of Mu Dehao's unit.
In addition to these, there was a particularly special personal guard unit: Commander Hong's men. Commander Hong had been incapacitated for half a year and had not yet awakened. Although his authority was temporarily filled by Commander Chai, his title as the Azure Dragon Legion Commander-in-Chief had not been transferred, so his personal guard unit had not been disbanded. It was rumored that the Sequence 6 Life Angel could not only regenerate severed limbs but also heal brain trauma and awaken Commander Hong. Therefore, Mu Dehao did not neglect anyone. He arranged for Commander Chai's people to come up and also sent Commander Hong's people up, meaning his own direct unit ended up being the smallest.
Naturally, with Wei Huan and his group's arrival, they were Mu Dehao's direct lineage, without question. The carriage of his own son made their position clearer than anything else. For these various reasons, Wei Huan received the warmest hospitality.
The gathering was held in Mu Dehao's carriage, and those present were all at the rank of Pioneer Corps General. The other ordinary warriors ate the same food but were in a separate area. Everyone who was off-duty attended, making it very lively.
The event was called a "gathering" because they wanted it to be informal. Large feasts were unsuitable during the pioneering period, so the format was simple: a buffet where everyone could eat, chat, and foster relationships. Liu Chengzhi also showed off his cooking skills, preparing two portions of 12 dishes, which were delivered to the two venues. Everyone who ate the food, even without knowing its specialty beforehand, remarked on how delicious it was and wanted more, along with an indescribable feeling of happiness.
Zhang Man, the Deputy Captain of Pioneer Detachment 1, was a famous big eater. He was remarkably good at eating and possessed a "criminal" characteristic that allowed him to absorb food and convert it into strength. Normally, he had to eat and drink heavily for three days to gain 1 point of Strength and Stamina. But today, halfway through his meal, he glanced at his attributes and was astonished to see that he had spontaneously gained 1 point of Strength and Stamina.
"Who made these dishes?" Zhang Man asked around, continuing to eat and drink heavily. He even ran from the auxiliary venue to the main venue, only picking the delicious food that made him feel "satisfied," and he watched as his Strength and Stamina each increased by 1 point in less than an hour.
"Which chef made this food?!" Zhang Man shouted, holding his plate, drawing the attention of everyone else.
Someone asked him, "What's wrong, Captain Man?"
Zhang Man said, "This stuff is strange. Quick, quick, quick, help me find the chef."
"What? Is it poisoned!?" The listener's scalp went numb, and they let out a surprised cry.
The venue instantly fell silent, and even Wei Huan looked over. Zhang Man felt his scalp tingle, being watched by so many high-ranking figures. He quickly clamped a hand over the loudmouth's mouth and explained, "No, no, it's not poisoned. I'm saying the food is delicious, and I want to meet the chef."
Seeing that it was the famous big eater Zhang Man and that he was asking for the chef, everyone smiled knowingly. Mu Zhong came over with a smile. "He's the head chef on our carriage. Feel free to come to our carriage to eat while we are staying at the base."
Zhang Man knew Mu Zhong and blushed, saying, "I'm not being greedy...," before turning to share his discovery.
Mu Zhong raised an eyebrow in surprise upon hearing this. Liu Chengzhi was quickly called over. He was fair and chubby. Although he was 190 centimeters tall, he did not look intimidating at all and smiled warmly, making him very approachable.
"Huh? My food can boost attributes? Isn't that normal? Our Micro World has already been upgraded to Tier 4, and the ingredients are plentiful and good. Brother Qiang always gets a small boost after he eats."
Liu Chengzhi continued, "But this time when I went back to Blue Star, my grandma gave me a recipe. She said it was a recipe opened in the Challenger World, and it was a special item that could be taken to Blue Star. I made some of the dishes today according to that recipe."
Everyone immediately stopped talking. Liu Chengzhi's recipe was passed around among the high-ranking figures, and they all agreed that it was no ordinary recipe. Only a very small number of items could be taken from the Challenger World to Blue Star. Most of the time, transactions on Blue Star were done using special props to complete a virtual transfer via cell phone; the physical object could not be seen. Items that could be taken to Blue Star had to meet the primary condition of not altering Blue Star technology. A famous example was the "Bamboo Dragonfly," which only allowed people to glide on Blue Star, making it seem more like a toy. But in the Challenger World, the "Bamboo Dragonfly" could actually fly. The data glasses worn by Wei Huan and the others, as well as the Dark Beast Bane data they acquired, were also such items.
The purpose of these items was hard to define. They were not strictly critical, but they could sometimes bring great surprises. Now, this recipe that could be taken from the Challenger World to Blue Star seemed unusual, but given the "temperament" of the Challenger World, it probably had some other special aspect to it.
Finally, Mu Dehao spoke. "Chengzhi, may I borrow this recipe to study for a few days? Don't worry, I will return it to you shortly."
Liu Chengzhi replied, "Commander Mu, why be so formal? You can even keep it if you want. You are the Boss's father, which makes you my grandfather. Who else would I trust if not you?"
Mu Dehao, who had unexpectedly gained a "fat grandson" through a roundabout way, was speechless.
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong, who had inexplicably gained a "fat son" through a roundabout way, were also speechless.
They wondered if Liu Chengzhi didn't feel embarrassed talking like that. But looking at Liu Chengzhi's happy and expectant expression, it was clear that he definitely did not feel embarrassed.