Chapter 2543: Finally Waiting for You
"You guys could speak more honestly, that way I wouldn’t have to keep guessing." Xu Huo looked at the other with a half-smile.
However, the young man just kept smiling and said somewhat awkwardly, "In fact, after the Outer Zone Forces intervened, the Portal Space underwent drastic changes. We’re also starting from scratch; there’s no deliberate withholding of important information. What we know might not be more than you. You’re a Time Evolver; with those mixed-up forces at the outpost, while so many of us have no clue, you might just take one look and understand the situation."
He wears flattery well, speaking much more adeptly than Qiu Xiangming and the others.
"Your surname?" Xu Huo suddenly asked.
"Just call me Chang." The young man nodded to him, "Chang Yu."
Xu Huo didn’t say much more but instead focused on the direction of the outpost.
Clearly, the humbleness of District 001 was exaggerated. The places occupied by Outer Zone Players weren’t entirely inaccessible to them. On the contrary, not only did they get in, but they also explored some relatively safe routes, which is why there’s talk of ’ten total offensives.’
How they explored these routes is unknown, but it’s logical that even without Time-Directed Super Evolvers, District 001 would have other ways to experiment. Of course, whether District 001 has any Time-Directed Super Evolvers remains uncertain.
"Brother Xu, I’ll follow you later." Bubble Bean pressed close to him, emphasizing.
"You stay here for now," said Xu Huo, "You’re not very agile."
By this time, Bubble Bean had already fitted himself with a metal prosthetic limb, though it still required some getting used to. However, rather than staying with District 001 Players and becoming cannon fodder, he preferred the risk of sticking with Xu Huo.
"Sir, you should stay here." Chang Yu said, "Mr. Xu’s mission is important, and you can’t help."
The implication was that if you can’t help, don’t be a hindrance. This wasn’t persuasion, but a warning.
Two players came over to flank Bubble Bean from both sides.
Bubble Bean was angry but helpless; he couldn’t help but look toward the Girl in the painting.
The Girl in the painting didn’t care at all about the opinions of District 001 people, smilingly displaying her results to Xu Huo. Her notebook was filled with several pages, all stamped with emblems given by Qiu Xiangming.
Xu Huo flipped the notebook open and advised, "Be careful later."
The Girl in the painting naturally packed the stamps into her backpack and nodded earnestly.
At the appointed time for the first squad, District 001 Players, positioned around the outpost, began to advance and coordinate from different directions into the outpost ahead.
Since the outpost was surrounded by hills and the valley path was impassable, they needed to climb over the mountain. Several surrounding hills were within the coverage of Time Force, leaving few areas for Players to maneuver. Although District 001 had many people, they had to enter in batches to effectively engage, while Outer District Forces would ambush along the route.
Xu Huo and the twenty protecting him didn’t head up the mountain until ten minutes after the total offensive began—in terms of Rank-A Player combat strength, ten minutes is quite a long time. Although Xu Huo and his group didn’t encounter any ambushes when they went in later, they saw players who died in the forest at intervals; some were impaled by Spatial Power, others wind-dried, and some left only their clothes and personal items behind.
These corpses, being unintentionally covered by Time Force or Spatial Power, were irretrievable, becoming convenient safety markers instead.
"Did you figure out your pathways by this method?" Xu Huo couldn’t help admiring the determination of District 001 people. To inherit the Super Dungeon, the most elite, talented people in the entire subdivision must be gathered here. These people, regardless of their success, are likely to become the backbone of District 001 in the future. Without absolute consensus, such sacrifices couldn’t be made.
"In critical situations, we are nothing compared to the whole of District 001," said a captain walking in front of him, "As long as District 001 exists, countless of us will emerge."
Just as she finished speaking, she suddenly raised her hand to signal the people behind her to stop, then swiftly drew a Hidden Weapon from her waist and hurled it forward!
Two distinct clangs were heard, as the Hidden Weapon was clearly knocked down by someone. The underbrush parted, and from the height and shape, it appeared to be a person, but the individual seamlessly blended with the surroundings, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye. He managed to avoid player detection by hiding in a corner of Time Force.
The outpost’s Space-Time Power is relatively chaotic, with many areas occupied by Spatial Power also covered by Time Force. Invisible Spatial Barriers and Spatial Ray Blades are everywhere, but Time Force is less dense; it is relatively stable and changes periodically. Areas not covered by Time Force are safer for players. This invisible player was hiding behind the corner, using Spatial Power to avoid detection and also as a protective layer, making it difficult for anyone to approach easily.
The fact that he could bypass Time Force and emerge indicated he knew where was safe and where wasn’t.
Xu Huo didn’t lower his voice on purpose, "Is there a Time-Directed Super Evolver on the other side?"
"Absolutely not!" affirmed the captain ahead of him, "Are Time-Directed Super Evolvers like cabbages in a field, ready to be pulled out anywhere?"
"They’re using some kind of monitoring instrument," she said, raising one in her hand, "This instrument roughly detects the distribution of Time Force."
Xu Huo glanced at it. It was a simple instrument with only a needle that would move and change length as it approached Time Force to indicate distance.
"Hahaha!" The invisible man in front suddenly laughed, with a rough, proud voice, "I said, the last wave of attacks so fierce must’ve been a smokescreen, and here you’ve arrived!"
As he spoke, leaves and Spatial Power around him began moving slightly. The Super Evolver from District 001 quickly stepped forward, manipulating Spatial Power to form a Defensive Barrier and warning Xu Huo and the others, "Be careful, the people of the Holy Sword Society are experts at using chaotic Spatial Power for sneak attacks. They came prepared, and general Spatial Power attacks find it hard to penetrate Defensive Clothing."
Indeed, the invisible man’s actions were triggering Spatial Power, causing a chain reaction as countless Spatial Ray Blades unleashed indiscriminate attacks on surrounding objects. The already devastated vegetation was once again churned up, but this didn’t last long. A few seconds later, the chaotic Spatial Power was organized into rows of Spatial Bodies, which linked together in a square Spatial Barrier, enclosing District 001 Players and that invisible man within.