The survivor was a woman from the Three Kingdoms Alliance, her ethnic features distinct beneath her military uniform. She lay in the pocket of space, possessing a heartbeat but no breath—exactly like General Josh.
Wei Huan surmised that all challengers who couldn't be controlled had been sent here. The crew of Pandit's chariot hadn't been entirely wiped out, but they couldn't exactly be called "alive" either.
"Bring them back first," Wei Huan commanded.
A Facehugger reached out with its pincers, but the moment it touched the woman, its metal-like claws began to sizzle and melt. She was encased in a film of Divine Surge energy that was stubbornly eroding her residual power, attempting to seize control of her body.
However, the Power of Destruction was the natural nemesis of the Divine Surge. Several Facehuggers swarmed her, and despite losing parts of their limbs to the corrosive energy, they successfully pried her loose. One Facehugger hoisted her onto its back, encased her in an air bubble, and deftly navigated through the floating chests to exit the space.
The moment they cleared the area, they also left the signal-jamming zone. Every chariot captain saw the feed.
"Is that...!?"
"A member of Pandit's crew! Her face hasn't changed—is she still alive?"
As the captains clamored in shock, Mu Zhong acted as Wei Huan's spokesperson. "Yes, we've found a zone containing surviving compatriots. There are over a hundred of them. But don't celebrate just yet. We don't know if this is an enemy trap, and they've been trapped for days. We'll try to save them, but stay vigilant—remember the risk of parasite infection."
While the others fretted over the risks, Wei Huan's focus remained on the "Treasury" and the rapidly narrowing tunnel. Time was running out. If he didn't find the "breakthrough" the Heart of Steel had hinted at, this entire trip might be for naught.
He ignored the chatter and sent a swarm of Facehuggers into the space. Of the 93 humans detected, he attempted to rescue them all.
He soon discovered a grim pattern: those whose energy was still fighting back could be saved. Those who had been fully consumed by the Surge aged rapidly the moment they were pulled out, experience a final, agonizing moment of consciousness, and then crumbled into ash.
Wei Huan didn't hesitate. He chose to save only those who could be saved. For the others, he granted them a final, undisturbed sleep in the eternal darkness.
Among the survivors was General Josh. Despite the time passed, his high-tier equipment had shielded him, and his chest even showed slight movement—he was in the best condition of the lot.
Another survivor was a young woman who looked vaguely familiar to Wei Huan. She lacked Josh's high-end gear and was only Sequence 4, yet her breathing stabilized almost instantly upon rescue. Wei Huan noted her face; if she was familiar, she must have been a prominent talent in his previous life. If she survived this, she was worth cultivating.
Suddenly, the first woman they had rescued—the one with the blue eyes—gasped as if waking from a nightmare. In a reflexive survival instinct, she gathered her remaining lightning power and discharged it from her palms.
'CRACKLE!'
The bolt hit the Facehugger carrying her. The creature spasmed, its body jerking sideways, and one of its legs slammed into a treasure chest they were trying to avoid.
The chest flashed white and vanished. Instantly, Wei Huan's chariot notifications exploded:
[Obtained Gold-grade Agility Potion x1]
[Obtained Gold-grade Data Goggles x1]
[Obtained Vehicle Shield Blueprint (Level 6) x1]
...
"Crap!" Mu Zhong shouted.
Wei Huan's brow furrowed. He couldn't stop the chain reaction. In place of the vanished chest, a hundred-tentacled monster appeared, lashing out at everything in sight. Its limbs struck other chests, triggering more spawns.
'BAM! BAM! BAM!'
[Obtained Silver Sage Robe x1]
[Obtained Diamond-grade Wisdom Potion x1]
...
When Diamond-grade loot started scrolling across the screen, Wei Huan's heart skipped a beat. A Diamond chest had been triggered! It was a massive waste—Diamond chests were best opened by someone who 'didn't' already have a Professional Training Ground, and the monsters they spawned were nightmares to kill.
"Go!" Wei Huan ordered. The chariot turned for a full-speed retreat.
The scene behind them was chaos. Thousands of chests were being popped open as the undead fought the spawning monsters.
Wei Huan refused to leave empty-handed. He pushed his Beholder further into the depths of the space, looking for the "key item." Finally, tucked behind where a Diamond chest had been, he saw it: A white stone, floating in the air, emitting a soft, warm glow.
Its light had been masked by the dazzling radiance of the Diamond chests.
Wei Huan didn't have time to be picky. He commanded his crows to dive-bomb every remaining chest in the room. If he couldn't open them carefully, he'd take the "all-you-can-eat" approach.
Thousands of chests—six Diamond, hundreds of Platinum, thousands of Gold—all popped at once. It was the haul of a decade. His warehouse replenished instantly, turning his recent energy deficit into a massive surplus.
"We're rich! Holy hell, we're rich!" Xu Qingqiang, the criminal-class driver, yelled from the cockpit, his eyes turning green with greed.
But the White Stone wouldn't go into the inventory. It was a physical object that had to be carried. A Dual-Headed Hidden Demon grabbed it, and with the help of the giant Shura Horse Avatar, they made a break for the exit.
The moment the stone crossed the threshold of the pocket space, the Divine Surge went berserk. It let out a silent roar and crushed the Level 6 Hidden Demon. Even at that level, the demon's body was half-obliterated instantly. The Surge had entered "Defense Mode."
The Shura Horse Avatar caught the falling stone in a massive palm and sprinted. Behind it, a tide of Diamond-grade monsters and the Divine Surge itself gave chase.
Oddly, the chaos helped. The Divine Surge attacked everything—including the treasure monsters. The weaker ones were dissolved instantly, and the stronger ones fought the Surge while chasing the Shura Horse. It was a three-way brawl that Wei Huan used to his advantage.
Finally, the Shura Horse burst through the last layer of the surge and leaped back into the open ocean.
Wei Huan was waiting. His freshly summoned undead army stood ready to "slaughter the donkey now that the grind was over." He was in a position where he could fight or flee at will.
"Wei Huan," Mu Zhong called out, his voice beaming. "The loot... we have enough materials to upgrade a Level 7 chariot and 'seven' Level 6 chariots. And we found a Level 8 Shield Blueprint!"
Wei Huan's eyes lit up. "Excellent! We upgrade the moment this battle is over."
"Also, Xu Qingqiang is taking Xia Yu to check on the survivors. I sent ten lightning-attribute crew members to guard them."
"Good," Wei Huan said. "I have the item. Let's see what the Heart of Steel thinks of it."
Outside the chariot glass, a group of Hidden Demons and Earth Beasts approached. The lead demon held out its massive hands. Resting in its palms was the white stone.
It was about three meters long and a meter wide, oval-shaped and glowing with a gentle, milky light. It looked less like a stone and more like a giant egg.