Wei Huan opened his first Platinum Treasure Chest after entering the uninhabited zone.
Whether it is due to the new world or the sufficiently high world tier, Gold Treasure Chests have become relatively common. This is likely because high-tier materials for Tier 5, 6, and 7 worlds can only be dropped by Gold-tier Chests and monsters. In comparison, the probability of finding a Platinum Chest remains as low as before, and the strength of the contained Platinum-tier monsters is also formidable and difficult to kill.
This time, the Remnants Tribe are no longer disguised as Atlantians. The exact reason is unknown, but the fact is that a group of Necromancers appears before Wei Huan and his team. Perhaps it's an acknowledgment of Wei Huan's strength by the Diamond-tier monster, or perhaps it's the reverence of the humans in the war vehicle convoy, but in any case, it chooses to manifest as an Undead army.
At a quick glance, the sight is quite intimidating. Their numbers are over a hundred times greater than Wei Huan's Undead. Even Hero-tier Burrow Beasts of Dot Mom's size are present in the thousands, resembling countless Godzillas, towering over the environment as they stride through the sea.
"Necromancers? How can they be Necromancers?"
"Are these summoned by Wei Huan too?"
"Watch out, retreat!"
Immediately, a captain who signed the temporary alliance sends a message: "I apologize, Colonel Wei. We plan to observe this battle. The sight before us is too bizarre. Shouldn't you be the only necromancer in this entire world?"
He is practically asking Wei Huan if he has set some kind of trap to ensnare them.
Wei Huan never expected to have many truly loyal and brave allies at this stage. He established these alliance conditions in preparation for Tier 6 and above worlds. When they reach higher-tier worlds, the influence of nation-state forces will be broken, and only his faction will remain. At that time, even if he only offered benefits, he could firmly bind these war vehicles, which came with different agendas, to him.
For now, while mutual trust is still fragile, it is completely normal for them to have doubts and prioritize self-preservation over fighting to the death. Wei Huan immediately agrees to their request and no longer pays attention to whether they completely leave after withdrawing from the front line or merely observe from the rear. As for whether they gather intelligence on his battle against the high-tier Chest monster, it's irrelevant, because they are never looking at the same world.
Wei Huan shifts his gaze from the screen and sees Moji, who was summoned and immediately hogtied beside him. Moji has gradually grown accustomed to being a "tool," initially struggling but now simply lying on the floor to rest whenever it appears inside the war vehicle.
However, Wei Huan has already used Moji as an "anchor point" to see the real world. The towering, Hero-tier Burrow Beasts are in fact giant pieces of seaweed, shaped like the kelp we often eat on Earth, but large enough to span between the sky and the sea floor. And the Facehuggers floating in mid-air, along with the Swift Wolves, Brutal Bears, and Shura Horses stealthily moving underwater, are merely large and small red roots.
Both the seaweed and the red roots possess considerable combat power. Coupled with the Platinum-tier monster's effect on the brain, it is actually quite difficult to kill. Sometimes, one might think they are engaged in a back-and-forth battle, when in reality, they are mostly just slicing through air. The mental attack not only distorts the five senses but even affects physical perception.
Wei Huan orders Mu Zhong to relay the combat instructions to their "allies," requiring them to only attack the locations targeted by the Undead army under any circumstances.
The Ghost Crows are the first to be released by Wei Huan. Their combat power is now insufficient, but besides scouting and opening chests, a new capability has finally been developed. Dozens of Ghost Crows cluster together to form a dark cloud. The cloud encircles an area, marking the target that the allied forces must attack.
"I understand the Ghost Crows' meaning, but that's just air."
"We've confirmed it. Lieutenant Colonel Mu said to only bombard the area circled by the Ghost Crows."
"Understood. We'll follow Lieutenant Colonel Mu's instructions."
The allied forces open fire. Arrows and the most powerful concentrated attacks from the War Platforms simultaneously blast the location circled by the Ghost Crows. The Ghost Crows' body phasing allows them to ignore most attacks, perfectly serving as living targets. Beams of light pass through their bodies, striking a seemingly empty area behind them.
With a loud "boom," scarlet blood splatters. A red root, ten meters long, is blasted into several segments. Even as it breaks apart in the sea, it continues to twist and struggle. Looking ten meters away, the more than ten Shuromas have vanished, leaving only two or three mosaic-like Shuromas still viciously attempting to charge toward them.
"There!"
The alerted captain sees the Ghost Crows forming another circle. This time, he orders fire without hesitation.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
More red roots explode, and the few Shuromas that were about to charge also vanish.
After successfully firing the first shots of the battle, the allied captains not only fail to look relieved but instead knit their brows. Why can Wei Huan precisely identify the monster's true body while they see nothing? Is their mental power that low? Or does Wei Huan possess some method they don't know about? Can they, as allies, share this secret?
Some are already considering how to ask Wei Huan to share his secret, others are thinking about sending this intelligence out, and still others are single-mindedly focused, genuinely seeking to rely on and join Wei Huan.
Wei Huan, using Moji, clearly sees the monster's true form: a clump of deep-sea flora. However, it's much smaller than the Diamond-tier one, only a few dozen miles across, making it easy to kill. The prerequisite for "easy to kill" is, of course, having an anchor point. Moji serves as the anchor point for him and all his ranged units, allowing the remote attackers on the War Platform to ignore all interference and precisely hit the monster's body. Wei Huan's Undead army can also guide the allied forces' combat.
However, these are just "blood-drawing" perimeter battles. The real, core battle, invisible to everyone else, has already begun in the depths of the sea.
From the start, Wei Huan had the Undead dodge all interference and sent the small Kobold deep into the seabed. Upon reaching the location, the small Kobold immediately spits out Xu Qingqiang. The moment Xu Qingqiang emerges, the entire world momentarily distorts, as if a double image appears. The melee squad and the Undead army that follow only need to attack the relatively clear image within that double-exposure. They strike with 100% accuracy, every blow precisely landing on the monster's body.
That's right, Xu Qingqiang, the "Melee Anchor Point," is almost fully trained. After continuously preying on a large number of the Remnant Tribe, Xu Qingqiang's mental resistance against this tribe is constantly increasing. When he successfully resists the tribe's mental attack, the world within a hundred-meter radius centered on him exhibits a mixture of illusion and reality. Initially, Xu Qingqiang's resistance was low, and he could only see a blurry, real shadow. Now, the reverse is true: reality overrides illusion, and the battle has become much smoother. Perhaps once Xu Qingqiang eats this Platinum-tier monster, he will completely max out his resistance to this tribe.
Wei Huan knows very well that this tribe is not only a Chest monster in the Tier 5 world but is also the World Monster of the Tier 6 world. The Tier 6 world is a "Seabed World," and it's filled with these things. You don't need to open a chest; you'll be attacked and deceived by them everywhere.
Strictly speaking, the "Criminal Sequence" might be the only "BUG" in the Tier 6 world. The premise is obtaining the "Endless Prison" and maxing out mental resistance. Otherwise, humanity might find it impossible to move an inch in the Tier 6 world.
Conversely, with Xu Qingqiang, the "Highest Warden in History," taking action, the battle has become simple. There is no need to worry about being deceived. Every attack lands directly on the monster's body, and they can avoid sneak attacks hidden in the darkness. Even if the monster's own combat power is not weak, as long as they can land a direct punch, this monster is not difficult to kill.
Of course, Wei Huan and Xu Qingqiang both see the tiny red roots, like "seeds," flying away from the monster's main body, attempting to land on them. However, these things break upon contact. When they are visible and there's a will to defend, they can't touch their skin at all. As for what would happen if they did make contact, no one wants to try. They look repulsive. Who would want them to land on their body?
The melee fighters use Xu Qingqiang as an anchor point, fighting their way deeper into the seabed. That's right, they have only one combat objective: to find and destroy the monster's core, the brain-like object.
The Platinum-tier battle is not easy. Xu Qingqiang relies on "Bloodlust" to deal sufficient damage to the monster, and the other melee classes, fighting in concert, can only deal about the same amount of damage as him. But in contrast, Xu Qingqiang has to eat while killing. If the creatures he consumes cannot offset the negative effects of his Bloodlust, it is very dangerous. For this, Wei Huan has arranged for many Undead Horses to follow, ready to be consumed by Xu Qingqiang at any moment.
Thus, the allied forces distract the monster on the surface of the sea, while the main force on Wei Huan's war vehicle goes deep into the seabed to find and destroy the monster's core.
The battle lasts for over half an hour, and finally, Xu Qingqiang and his team find the "brain" buried deep underground. Having encountered similar remnants of the Tribe often, they have gradually learned to discern the difference between the hidden "brain" area and other places. After following their intuition and finding the location, they are met with fierce resistance. The most obvious sign is that the allied forces on the surface notice a sudden decrease in the "Undead army." In reality, the Remnants Tribe, sensing danger, diverted its roots and seaweed to stop Xu Qingqiang.
Xu Qingqiang and his team need to concentrate on the "brain," so Wei Huan decides to personally take over the interception work. He is once again teleported to the battlefield via the Kobold. Eight Portals open simultaneously, and the Undead army erupts like a fountain. They crash head-on into the "Undead" descending from the surface, initiating a fierce battle in the middle layer of the ocean. The battle is so intense that the seawater seems to be boiling.
The monster's Undead army is numerically superior, but it is ultimately a mental attack. Their individual combat power is comparable to Wei Huan's Tier 4 Undead army under normal circumstances. However, Wei Huan is not unprepared this time. At least Dou Lin's judgment provides a one-fold combat boost, and some Undead have received attribute blessings from Mu Zhong. As a result, the Undead army, which is slightly superior in individual quality, achieves a rare victory of the few over the many.
No matter how many times it happens, everyone finds it difficult to remain calm about their commander-in-chief's fondness for personally joining the battle. Why would a Summoner, who should be safely in the rear, run to the front line?
Upon seeing Wei Huan arrive, the melee squad splits into two, intending to divert a significant portion of their combat power to protect Wei Huan. Wei Huan is here to help, not to be a burden, so he naturally refuses. With a thought, Dot Mom is summoned and immediately shelters him on her broad back shell. The back shell is covered by a layer of air bubbles, isolating the seawater and air. Wei Huan doesn't even get wet, standing on it as if he were on land.
Immediately afterward, three to five Facehuggers scuttle over, linking their arms and legs to quickly form the shape of a seat. By the time Wei Huan turns to walk over, a three-meter-high white bone throne has been constructed. The backrest is five meters tall, and the white bone spikes, like a crown of thorns, pierce the air bubble. They are so sharp they seem capable of slicing through the seawater.
Then, out of the eight Portals that constantly move with him, Gut-Bro, Big Bear, and Sister Crow jump out. Sister Crow flies onto the white bone throne, cawing "Gah-gah." Gut-Bro and Big Bear crouch on either side of his body. Additionally, blessed Shura Horses and Dread Eye Lords float in a circle, spanning a thousand meters, entirely surrounding Wei Huan. Flying Monkeys and Green Light are also constantly ready to sacrifice themselves for Wei Huan, along with the small Kobold standing on the armrest of the throne, hooking its hands and smiling with narrowed eyes.
Given this formation, Wei Huan only needs to exchange glances with the people preparing to come up, and they all obediently retreat. With this setup, they might not even be as well-protected as the Undead army if they approached.
However, Captain Xue still approaches alone. He knows he has a bit of a monster-attracting constitution, so by standing next to Wei Huan, any attack will hit him first, creating an opportunity for their boss to escape. Wei Huan does not refuse. He is also aware of how important he is now. He does not believe he will die in a small battle, but a little caution is certainly warranted. If the Portals for summoning the Undead could be opened beyond a hundred meters from his body, he would not risk coming to the front line. But as things stand, if he doesn't take action, Xu Qingqiang's operation will likely fail. Failure isn't the main concern; the fear of casualties is Wei Huan's bottom line.
Xu Qingqiang leads his team deeper into the depths. Wei Huan, in the cleared area of the seabed, summons the Undead to resist the attacks descending from the surface, with the allied forces providing support.
After only about ten minutes, a mental shockwave suddenly descends. Wei Huan feels a blur before his eyes. As many fragments enter his mind, the Platinum monster's body begins to wither. The tiny red roots floating in the ocean also stop moving, then turn to ash, and are washed away by the seawater, disappearing.
The Platinum monster is dead. Xu Qingqiang successfully ate its brain.
The next time Xu Qingqiang appears, he may become the strongest anchor point. Moreover, after imprisoning a Platinum-tier monster in the Endless Prison, he might be able to upgrade another level of Warden. Each level-up for the Criminal Sequence Warden doubles the attribute gain from consuming monsters. Xu Qingqiang will become even stronger.
Wei Huan does not wait for Xu Qingqiang's return. Once he confirms the battle is over, he returns to the war vehicle via the small Kobold. With his departure, the white bone throne disassembles, and the Facehuggers return to the Burrow Beast's abdomen. The remaining Undead circle Dot Mom and head back toward the war vehicle.
A great victory. The battle, which seemed to last nearly two hours, is not long at all considering it was against a Platinum-tier monster. In the eyes of many allies who have not worked with Wei Huan, it even raises the suspicion of whether the Remnants Tribe remnants in this world are truly weak. Platinum-tier? In previous worlds, a Platinum-tier monster required the combined strength of nations to kill. And they, with just a few dozen war vehicles mostly playing a minor role, managed to kill it?
Wei Huan killed it so easily that it gives others the feeling of "I could do that too." The allied war vehicles that previously backed out and refused to participate simply turn around and leave, wanting to find a Gold Treasure Chest to open for themselves. The ratio of Gold Treasure Chests in this world is high. In a large area, Gold Chests refresh every few days. Initially, people were afraid to open them, which meant new ones wouldn't refresh until they were opened. Many people, during their repeated forays, often encounter Gold Chests that haven't been opened for a long time. The people here have secret maps that they won't upload, so finding a Gold Chest is not difficult.
Back in the war vehicle, Wei Huan hears Mu Zhong say that some people have left. He is not concerned. The purpose of classifying the alliances into "Temporary Alliance," "Formal Alliance," and "Strategic Alliance" is to give both sides a choice. When the other party chooses Wei Huan, who says it isn't Wei Huan's opportunity to evaluate them? Captains who are unwilling to participate in a minor unfavorable situation and harbor many petty thoughts are welcome to leave, which suits Wei Huan just fine.
Furthermore, the hard-earned intelligence from this battle is probably spreading like wildfire now. Wei Huan is not so selfish as to only strengthen himself and ignore everyone else. He had long sent the intelligence about the Remnants Tribe back to Daxia. To date, Daxia has successfully opened three Gold Treasure Chests from the tribe. It is rumored that Captain Fang's war vehicle has not only begun upgrading but has also fortunately acquired a core material for the Farmer Sequence Tier 6. Now, Daxia can stand on its own two feet.
Daxia is already ahead, and next are its allies. Friendly nations that have always maintained good relations with Daxia have likely exchanged some secret intelligence through trade. There are no secrets in this world. Other powers receiving the news is only a matter of time. Moreover, with so many people brought along by Wei Huan, the intelligence is impossible to conceal.
"Don't worry about them. Notify everyone to continue advancing. Hurry up and take a break."
"Understood."
Wei Huan returns to the captain's seat and first clicks on the material warehouse. This time, he did not organize his Undead army, mainly because as the intelligence on the Remnants Tribe gradually improved, killing them became increasingly simple. He didn't even use a Netherfire Bomb in this battle. It's better to first look at the Platinum-tier drops.
He finds a Tier 7 blueprint, Tier 6 Strength Potions, and three pieces of Platinum-tier equipment. There are no weapons, and all are physical-based equipment. A wasted effort. However, the dropped materials are all very important, being necessities for upgrading high-tier sequences and high-tier war vehicles. There is also a blueprint for upgrading the Tier 7 deck, and the materials for it are almost all collected. Wei Huan suspects that on the very day he upgrades to a Tier 6 war vehicle, he can complete the upgrade of 2 to 3 war vehicle Tier 7 components. His previous accumulation is about to reach a major outbreak period, allowing him to pull definitively ahead.
In addition, he also dropped a core material for the Life Angel Sequence Tier 6. Wei Huan is delighted when he sees it. The Life Angel has always been one of Wei Huan's goals. He had previously planned that even if the first Life Angel was not from Daxia, it wouldn't matter. He could pay a high price to hire them to first heal Mu Zhong's legs, as well as the mental trauma of Mu Zhong's cousin and others. Now, he can cultivate a Life Angel himself. Unfortunately, the strongest Angel on his war vehicle has only recently advanced. It will likely take some time for her to upgrade.
Wei Huan immediately contacts Mu Dehao, hoping he can help him find an Angel who is close to advancing to Tier 6, and he directly hands over this core item to Mu Dehao. Mu Dehao, of course, knows his urgency to cultivate a Life Angel. For Mu Zhong, whose legs are also a heavy concern for him, he naturally agrees without hesitation.
However, after discussing the main matter, Mu Dehao changes the subject: "Just a while ago, the leader of the Great Bear nation contacted me, saying they wanted to open a Gold Treasure Chest, but I stopped them. They haven't had the mental preparation for the Remnants Tribe. Opening the tribe's chest rashly would be dangerous, so I arranged psychological classes as part of the exchange. Also, I have found the next candidate for the Criminal Sequence. Unlike our country, the Great Bear nation is one of the few countries that incorporates the Criminal Sequence into its regular combat teams. They might be eager to find you."
Of course, Mu Dehao does not hide what he exchanged for helping the Great Bear nation in this way. It mainly involves physical resources. Many energy sources that used to cost a fortune are now directly given to Daxia. While it may not directly equip the Challenger military, Daxia has more than just the Challenger military—it has hundreds of millions of citizens, who are the fundamental source of the Challenger military's strength.
While discussing preventing the Great Bear nation from opening a chest and arranging training for them, Wei Huan did not realize that in another part of this world, Aosam, due to its blind confidence, was rapidly heading toward an abyss.
Deep within that ruin, where the Gold Treasure Chest once lay, a root, buried deep underground and enveloping an object, is slowly moving deeper. Without a doubt, this is the core, the "brain," of the Remnants Tribe remnant. The "brain" is perfectly intact. The Aosam Challengers, who never underwent training, never thought to ignore all the illusions, even with blanket attacks, and kill the "female necromancer" that first appeared. Now, having successfully deceived them, and with roots already implanted in the heads of the Aosam Challengers, and with more nourishment, it has already spread its "seeds" to a more distant place.
That place is Aosam's base on the other side of this island. Unlike Five Star Island, Aosam built a base on this island that meets all required standards and registered it within the Challenger system. This way, even if Wei Huan saw it, he wouldn't try to seize it. He would not break the rules.
But no one expected that a chest Aosam had guarded for half a year would, upon their rash opening, bring danger back to their base like a plague, carried by the group who opened the Gold Chest. Even on the way back, the base commander, upon asking about the chest's contents and receiving the answer that they couldn't get the materials until they killed the necromancer, harbored deep suspicions. Unfortunately, they knew too little about this tribe. Although the base commander was very vigilant and immediately took control of the ten-plus war vehicles upon their return, and sent his subordinates to question them one by one to ensure their loyalty, what he never dreamed of was that his subordinates, upon returning from the questioning, brought him many "small gifts."