The last shred of hope is gone.
The facts prove that Wei Huan, right under their noses, killed a Gold-tier monster with unbelievable speed. Such power is terrifying, but perhaps it's not entirely a bad thing...
Someone suddenly thinks of the "Alliance Protocol" proposed by Wei Huan, which is currently a hot topic among the Pioneer Corps. Countless people are cursing Wei Huan's fantastic ideas, and those in power hate his actions. Yet, everyone knows that Wei Huan's extraordinary strength is the hope for the civilizational war. Humanity has already lost too much on the main battlefield.
"Report this to our superiors."
"They will only blame us for our incompetence."
"What else can we do?"
"We could..."
The last sound is swallowed deep in the throat. The people in conversation look at each other for a long time, ultimately choosing silence. Power is always the ultimate truth, especially in the treacherous Challenger World. When they are struggling with all their might just to kill a Gold-tier monster, the combat power capable of killing even Diamond-tier monsters has already tipped the scales in their hearts. This has nothing to do with loyalty or sincerity, but simply their baseline in this difficult situation and their desperate craving for victory and survival.
Some people are forced to endure the pressure of being reprimanded and report the results of this operation to their superiors. The rest either quietly return to their war vehicles or remain where they are, awaiting a possible judgment that might make them furious.
In this atmosphere of anxiety, a sharp-eyed person is the first to spot an anomaly.
"A war vehicle is coming from over there."
The person points to a war vehicle approaching from several miles away, saying flatly, "It must be those people who do nothing but order us around, and now we have to endure their arrogant faces again."
But as the war vehicle draws closer, someone asks, puzzled, "That war vehicle doesn't have the Aosam flag."
"It's not an Aosam war vehicle!!" someone else immediately shouts.
The realization dawns on the others. They look at the war vehicles parked nearby, letting out tense, high-pitched cries: "The war vehicles aren't raising an alarm?"
"It has a cloaking coating."
"Watch out, everyone! Get back to the war vehicles quickly!!"
As befitting seasoned Challengers, they immediately make the correct judgment. They switch from their previous confused and relaxed state directly into combat mode.
But they are a step too slow.
The suddenly appearing war vehicle is incredibly fast, covering several kilometers in an instant. Before more people can return to their war vehicles, it is already within their attack range.
The war vehicles parked in front of the vanished ruin are forced to enter combat mode, immediately raising their weapons and shields. Simultaneously, they issue a warning to the incomer: "Warning, this is Aosam territory. Identify yourselves immediately, or else..."
Before the threat can be completed, the other party appears in front of the war vehicles. The immense, three-hundred-meter-long, pale-white legs of a Burrow Mother Beast are like cotton stuffed in their throats, choking off all sound.
This is...
Looking at this gigantic Burrow Mother Beast floating in mid-air, soft like a jellyfish, but upon closer inspection, composed of segmented white bones and enveloped in a layer of transparent air bubbles. Who doesn't know now? Wei Huan is back, again.
The Aosam captains, who had been angrily preparing for battle, collectively clear their minds the moment they realize the situation. Battle? No, no, no. A 12-on-1 fight against any other war vehicle, even if it were Fang William, they would dare to engage. But with Wei Huan instead, the immediate thought in every captain's mind is: Perhaps we can talk this through? Resolve it peacefully? Yes, going straight to war is too crude.
One war vehicle captain even orders his AI butler: "Retract the weapons for now. Don't provoke Wei Huan." He pauses, then adds: "Wei Huan took the Gold Treasure Chest and could have left, so he must have a reason for returning. It's not too late to attack after we understand his intent."
All these are just excuses. The truth is, Wei Huan has driven his war vehicle right in front of the Aosam convoy, practically bumper-to-bumper with them, yet the Aosam convoy, despite having greater numbers, has no one daring to strike first.
This reaction is so bizarre that even the people on Wei Huan's war vehicle find it unbelievable, which is immediately followed by a profound sense of pride. It seems the formidable Aosam army is not as brave as they pretend. They also know who they can pick on. Wei Huan, by himself, has overawed over a thousand people from Aosam. This achievement is truly exhilarating!
Xu Qingqiang, who has just finished a meal, has not fully recovered from his demonization. He opens his mouth filled with sharp teeth, a scarlet tongue licking the bloody grass root from the corner of his lips. "Hehehe, the Endless Prison has been upgraded. Not only will the attributes gained from feeding be doubled from now on, but I can also appoint five Tier 1 Wardens."
Wei Huan sits in the captain's seat, his right hand gripping the Ring of Mofidi and his left hand resting on the Colossus, positioned like a king on a throne. His dark eyes are calm, watching the Aosam war vehicles floating up and lining up in front of him. He opens his mouth, and his voice rings out from outside the war vehicle: "The Gold Treasure Chest was opened by Daxia. According to the Challenger World pioneering laws, this area will become the territory of Daxia."
After a brief pause, giving the opposing side no time to think, Wei Huan declares: "Move aside, or I will treat it all as an invasion!"
A deathly silence.
The Aosam convoy is naturally not going to move just because Wei Huan told them to. As official Challengers, they are only acting on orders and have no decision-making power. Move aside this area and let Daxia build a city? Who would dare?
Wei Huan knows they cannot make the decision, but it doesn't matter. He will give them a way out.
On one hand, Wei Huan instructs Mu Zhong to announce the success of opening the Gold Treasure Chest on Five Star Island via the World Channel. On the other hand, a thought flashes in Wei Huan's mind. Eight Portals appear, and the Undead army and Dot Mom's cultivated Burrow Beasts surge out.
This is a sight that is terrifying only when witnessed firsthand. The speed of the Undead appearing from the eight Portals is already fast and terrifying, and the Burrow Mother Beasts emerging from the giant Burrow Beast's abdomen can simultaneously fly out large numbers of Facehuggers. In just a few breaths, the sky and ground are covered with Undead, and the Aosam convoy is instantly surrounded.
Should they fight? Facing Wei Huan seems like suicide.
Should they not fight? How can they justify it?
What torments the Aosam army the most is that while Wei Huan's Undead are numerous, they show no intention of attacking the Aosam war vehicles. Instead, they bypass them and land on the site where the ruin once stood. Just as Wei Huan announced, since they dealt with the Gold Treasure Chest, this land should be theirs. He is not here to fight, but merely to reclaim what is rightfully his.
"Colonel Wei, you are making things very difficult for us." Finally, someone speaks up, though his tone is diplomatic and weak.
The person responding to him is Mu Zhong. Mu Zhong says: "We strictly adhere to the Alliance Law."
"But the Gold Treasure Chest was already designated as our materials. Your action..."
"What about it?" Mu Zhong smiles. "Daxia has many idioms to describe the act of designating materials but failing to exploit them. I don't need to list them one by one, do I? So, do you want to fight?"
"Uh... fine. We will appeal this matter to the Alliance and request arbitration." The Aosam captain is the overall commander of this operation. Despite his reluctance, he has to bear this responsibility.
Mu Zhong merely smiles: "You can request arbitration, as long as it doesn't interfere with our city construction. Otherwise, we will treat it as an act of war."
"You absolutely cannot build a city here until the arbitration is concluded."
"Go ahead and try to stop us."
"Mu Zhong, don't be too excessive. Do you think strength alone decides everything?"
"Doesn't it?"
Mu Zhong stares deeply at the Aosam officer, the smile on his face slowly fading. When he doesn't smile, his authority presses down like a mountain. Despite being a young man barely over 20, the middle-aged Aosam officer dares not meet his gaze. Finally, Mu Zhong says: "Wherever the Undead stand is our territory. You have five minutes to withdraw."
The Aosam officer's forehead throbs with strained veins due to anger, but the overwhelming difference in power drags his rationality back. In a situation that is not a critical fight for survival, who wants to rush into certain death?
Finally, he converts all his complex emotions into one sentence: "Mu Zhong, tell Wei Huan not to be too arrogant. The Challenger World is never short of miracles."
Leaving this outwardly fierce but inwardly weak statement, the Aosam officer finally chooses to leave, taking the other war vehicles with him.
Wei Huan watches the retreating Aosam convoy and orders the Undead army to follow them for seven kilometers before stopping. Simultaneously, at the seven-kilometer mark, the Undead escort three waiting war vehicles all the way to Wei Huan's position.
The city construction talent gathered from various Daxia military corps begins frantic construction the moment their feet touch the ground. Especially Mu Zhong's mass-produced Tier 2 mechs, which are perfect for urban infrastructure. Under Wei Huan's watch, in just an hour, the foundation, covering dozens of square miles, is dug ten meters deep.
Aosam will certainly not concede. Even if they don't critically need this land, Daxia building a city on an island they consider their private domain is like sand rubbed into their eyes—intolerable. Aosam will soon return with reinforcements. Before that, what Wei Huan needs to do is guard the construction team and complete the city's base.
He is ready to face Aosam's army at any moment. Wei Huan is confident that he and everyone on his war vehicle can suppress all of Aosam's war vehicles.
Time passes by the minute. The city's foundation has reached a depth of one hundred meters, nearing the official structural filling stage.
The World Channel is constantly abuzz with discussion about Wei Huan forcibly landing on the island and seizing the Gold Treasure Chest from Aosam. Some denounce his bandit-like behavior, but others feel a deep sense of satisfaction.
Aosam treats Five Star Island as its "private property," and the way they handle resource allocation is simply disgusting. Daxia was the first to enter the Tier 5 world and land on the first major island. If following Aosam's logic, Daxia, which has long completed the construction of the Black Tortoise City, would have no need to give up the island, much less help other countries build their cities. Daxia's selflessness only highlights Aosam's ugliness. Therefore, Wei Huan's action garners significantly more support than condemnation.
5:00 PM.
Seven hours have passed since Wei Huan's forced landing and city construction. The construction team has essentially completed the foundation work.
"A city can be expanded from small to large, but only a basic, up-to-standard city can raise the Challenger military flag and declare territorial ownership. Engineer Zhang said that with construction continuing overnight, the flag can be planted before dawn tomorrow."
Mu Zhong finishes speaking and looks at Wei Huan: "It's getting dark. Be careful. Aosam should be responding now."
As he speaks, Wei Huan and Mu Zhong simultaneously see a large number of war vehicles appear on the scanning radar. The war vehicles, specially marked as hostile by the AI butler, turn into flickering red lights, speeding in from the edge of the map.
There is no doubt that Aosam has finally assembled its forces and is coming.
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong's expressions are serious: "They are here already?"
"Get everyone back to their posts. Prepare for battle."
"Will there be a battle?"
"Yes. If Aosam wants to maintain its prestige, it must fight."
"It's a shame that a battle is absolutely necessary."
"They must compete to accept the reality."
The two look at the rapidly approaching cluster of war vehicles. With nearly a hundred vehicles, Aosam must have gathered all the power it could currently muster, rushing in aggressively. Mu Zhong sits down beside Wei Huan and places his hand on the Colossus. Their pinky fingers touch. As the warmth flows between them, they can't help but exchange glances, seeing a trace of solemnity in each other's eyes.
Facing a common enemy, humanity should not fight amongst itself, but unification is often accompanied by bloodshed. If Aosam remains steadfast in its position and moves against Wei Huan, then Wei Huan and his crew can only use Aosam as a sacrifice. Suppress the "headstrong," and the rest will be obedient. Similarly, Aosam likely shares the same thought as Wei Huan. A battle must be fought to determine who the boss is.
Aosam's cluster of war vehicles is now visible to the naked eye. At the same time, a sight that makes Wei Huan's eyes narrow is the continuous dark cloud hanging over the war vehicles. A dark cloud? It looks similar to the one currently above Wei Huan's war vehicle, but one is formed by Ghost Crows, and the other is composed of Bats exuding rich dark energy.
"Aglis is here," Mu Zhong frowns.
Wei Huan nods: "Aosam waited until now to attack, likely waiting for her."
This is normal. To fight Wei Huan, only by inviting Aglis Franglin is there a possibility of victory. Challengers ranked high on the combat power list have their greatest strength in their individual power, which transcends the war vehicle, giving them the combat ability of a one-person army. That sky full of Bats is Aglis's signature skill.
"Dark Bats can suck blood, but they primarily amplify dark energy, coming from the 'Dark Heart' Profession Training Ground of the Sleepless. These Bats are not weak, and there's a Vampire Count among them whose combat power is formidable."
Mu Zhong quickly details Aglis's abilities. Since they knew a battle with Aosam was inevitable, intelligence on the opponent has long been fully gathered. Especially for a powerhouse like Aglis, the Azure Dragon Legion's intelligence department has a dedicated large section for recording her abilities and every word and action. Mu Zhong, coming from an intelligence background, has a very detailed personality profile on Aglis.
"After Yake entered the Tier 5 world with us, we lost track of him. It's highly likely Aglis hid him away," Mu Zhong adds, then his gaze sharpens: "Here it comes, the Witch of Disaster's disaster."
The cloud of Bats, far ahead of the convoy, breaks away and actively charges toward the Undead army.
Wei Huan's Undead army deployed in the front consists mainly of aerial units this time. The long legs of the Facehuggers are intertwined, forming a massive net that divides the sky and ground in two. The Bats do not retreat or evade, crashing straight into it.
"Boom!"
Black and white collide in a large area, even kicking up a gust of wind. Subsequently, some Facehuggers are torn apart and scatter to the ground, while other Bats are firmly wrapped by Facehuggers and plummet to the ground. Like rain, they soon cover a layer of the forest floor.
It looks evenly matched, but Wei Huan's brow furrows slightly. His left eye's green flame flickers, and as his eyes rotate. A Dread Eye Lord, which is unique in appearance—a huge eyeball behind which are entangled muscle and blood vessels—and positioned behind the interception net, has its eyes rotate simultaneously. His vision descends upon this elite Dread Eye Lord.
Wei Huan sees that as the Bats make contact with the Facehuggers, whether the Bats are tearing at the Facehuggers with their sharp teeth and claws or stirring up a foul wind with their wings, a special energy is flowing. Unbeknownst to them, red and green spots appear on the Facehuggers' white bones, rapidly spreading and engulfing large areas. The Facehuggers look as if they are being corroded. Not only does their attack slow down, but their bones also become extremely brittle. The skeletal structure that the Bats initially had to tear apart now disintegrates into dust with a mere touch.
The Facehuggers are completely suppressed. The Bats only lose a few members, achieving a great victory. Cheers erupt from the Aosam side, having clearly witnessed this scene.
However, Aosam's laughter is quickly silenced.
Dread Eye Lords and Ghost Crows surge out of the Portals in large numbers. The Ghost Crows unleash Soul Shrieks, weaving through the Bats' bodies. In this high-tier world, the Ghost Crows, which were gradually being phased out, show a subtle ability to suppress the equally limited-strength Bats. The cloud of Bats in the sky freezes, clearly hit by the Soul Shrieks.
At the same time, the Dread Eye Lords, who require a longer wind-up time, successfully complete their first wave of aiming.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"
Black beams flash in the sky, piercing the Bats, which fall one after another. But before the Dread Eye Lords can fire a second wave, the remaining large number of Bats suddenly turn into a black mist and vanish, including the Bats that had fallen to the ground.
The next second, the mist gathers in hundreds of spots. After a bout of distortion, it transforms into a hundred human-shaped figures with blurred features—blood shadows. The blood shadows are humanoid, but their limbs are long and thin, with membrane wings growing under their arms. They are entirely crimson, looking as if they have been flayed alive. Their heads are small, also completely crimson, without eyes or noses, only a pair of large ears and a mouth ripped to the earlobes.
Upon their appearance, they emit a piercing shriek, "Zhi zhi—," which causes dizziness and nausea in those with insufficient mental power. Of course, Wei Huan's Nether Force is the strongest in the world, so this mental damage has almost no effect on him.
The Dread Eye Lord on which he had focused his vision stares intently at the direction of the blood-colored demons. As its eyeball trembles, the Dread Eye Lord army rushes forward to meet them.
"Zhi zhi zhi—"
"Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!"
The two sides instantly become entangled. The blood-colored demons are renowned for their speed, while the Dread Eye Lords possess potent attacks. Some blood-colored demons latch onto the Dread Eye Lords and bite. The plague spreads rapidly. Within seconds, the Dread Eye Lord is consumed by the plague, shrivels up, and falls to the ground. However, many unlucky blood-colored demons collide with a Dread Eye Lord's attack while moving. A black beam pierces their chest or blasts their head, causing them to instantly dissipate into black mist.
Wei Huan did not send the Ghost Crows in at the beginning. In a battle of this level, the Ghost Crows' attack would certainly be ineffective, as he is currently only Sequence 4.
Mu Zhong, watching intently beside him, is ready to deploy his Shaman abilities at any moment. But as he watches, he suddenly realizes something and can't help but look deeply at Wei Huan. It is obvious that Wei Huan is not fighting to the death. He is trading moves with the opponent, and whoever runs out of cards first loses. This is an act of cherishing talent.
This is simply a dispute over resources, which happens every day here. If he were to injure a human powerhouse over it, it would clearly go against Wei Huan's original intention. At least, he holds no personal hostility toward Aglis. Just like Yake, Aglis also upheld a corner of humanity's civilizational war in the previous life.
The two sides appear to be fighting spectacularly and profoundly, yet in fact, neither is using their full power.
When the battle between the Dread Eye Lords and the blood-colored demons reaches a critical point, Aglis, lacking reserves, finally changes her tactic.
The black smoke formed by the previously killed blood-colored demons has somehow converged. A power that makes one's heart tremble emanates from the dense black mist. Wei Huan sees it but does not stop it. He is familiar with Aglis's methods, both in this life and the last. With his deliberate restraint, a new demon finally coalesces in the black mist.
As the black mist dissipates, a Vampire—a being from Western mythology, folklore, and film—appears. Tall and handsome, with a straight build, immense strength, and the ability to fly.
But the most striking detail is that this Vampire has a face identical to Yake's. It is said that Aglis was madly infatuated with Yake when she created her first servant. Aside from the unnatural pallor of his skin and his excessively crimson lips, this Vampire is truly the spitting image of Yake. His demeanor even bears a resemblance to Yake's. Standing in the void, he is graceful and dashing, his scarlet cloak billowing, and his well-fitted suit makes him strikingly handsome.
He then flashes, a red light streaks past, and "poof, poof, poof," the Dread Eye Lords in his path explode. With his attack, the blood-colored demons also become stronger and faster, breaking through Wei Huan's Undead army like a hot knife through butter, charging toward the war vehicle.
Inside the Aosam war vehicle.
Aglis Flanglin raises an eyebrow. In her video feed, war vehicle captains and commanders from other war vehicles let out triumphant laughter, as if victory is already certain: "It turns out Wei Huan's strength isn't that great after all!"
This is certainly not Wei Huan's full strength, but no one mocks the military officer for the superficiality of his words. In truth, after knowing their opponent was Wei Huan, everyone was terrified, and some people's fingers were trembling when they received the orders. Under the pressure of Wei Huan's reputation, they desperately need some victory to boost morale, even a small one.
Aglis is expressionless. No one can see the cold sweat beading on her back behind her calm face. Her spirit power is rapidly being depleted. She does not believe she can win in a war of attrition against Wei Huan. If she wants to win, she has only one move left to gamble on.
The world knows that Wei Huan is the king of positional warfare but lacks means for concentrated offensive pushes. However, she possesses the ability to gather all her power and unleash it simultaneously. Her expression unchanging, Aglis silently utters the words: "Bloody Count."
But who says she must use it?