Sabah Kingdom, Royal Palace
Bai Yi gazed at the pale hint of dawn in the sky, feeling a twinge of disappointment.
As anticipated, no conflict had erupted.
However, there was some good news. Reports from a mechanical mosquito that had stayed close to Lilia indicated that a clash had indeed occurred in Night Town last night. Charles' condition seemed unusually unstable, leading to a newfound respect among the members of the Dawn Team.
In this world, it appeared that only strength could shift attitudes so dramatically.
Bai Yi recalled one of Charles' specialties:
[Darkness Release]: A force that does not belong to him accumulates. When health drops below 20%, health is locked for three seconds, granting +99 to strength, agility, endurance, and intelligence until the dark force dissipates. Cooling time: 30 natural days.
If this was true, it meant Charles was essentially sacrificing his life force.
Yet, the sheer power of this ability was undeniable. An attribute boost of over thirty points could lead to a crushing victory; this expertise was a formidable weapon for a comeback.
But without this ability, Charles' threat was significantly diminished.
Bai Yi mused that the world could not last another month—at least, the White Plague would not allow it.
As he pondered, he considered the implications of Charles gathering intelligence and being forced to use his trump card. This suggested three things:
The rank of Lilia's specialty, [Blessing of Doom], was more formidable than he had imagined. Pu Sheng's control over the Cult of Night was greater than expected. The natives of Night Town were exceptionally powerful.
While this had its drawbacks, Lilia still listened to him, and her expertise remained undetectable by others—a significant advantage.
[Blessing of Bad Luck]: Anyone harboring ill intentions toward you will suffer misfortune. The stronger the ill intent, the more severe the bad luck.
As long as he was with Lilia, both Pu Sheng and Charles would be plagued by misfortune. According to the principle that weakening the enemy strengthens oneself, this seemed like a stable strategy.
Bai Yi felt a glimmer of hope but knew he needed more information. Charles still needed the Dawn Squad, meaning he couldn't eliminate Lilia in front of them. However, a connection to her would ensure that misfortune followed him.
Perhaps Lilia was the true turning point.
He checked the growth of the Evil Blade:
[Growth: 78%]
After unsheathing the Evil Blade, Bai Yi reluctantly stored the blood pool box. If it reached 90%, he would consider using soul resources and blood essence to transform it into gold. At 78%, it wasn't worth the risk; the completion of blood sperm transformation held greater value.
Yet, growth was slow, and he needed to find a way to expedite its transformation.
Putting away the Blade of Extreme Evil, Bai Yi settled in to wait. Charles might find a way to contact him, but for now, the nobles of the Kingdom of Sabah were still under control, so any leaks wouldn't spread quickly.
He could also continue studying [Frenzy Bloom], planning to develop this transformation alongside the explosive [Ode to the Sun]. He realized he might not be able to harness the true sun, but the small world created by the Lady of Night had its own version.
Intercepting a small world's sun to create a Sun Tribute could be seen as a nuclear weapon in the extraordinary realm. The ultimate version of the Sun Tribute could even be combined with an intercontinental launch silo. Bai Yi's eyes sparkled with excitement—this was the essence of explosive power!
Time flew by, and soon a day had passed.
During this time, Night Town remained unchanged, but the number of people outside the town peaked at over 130—nearly thirty Dawn teams gathered under Charles' command. It was a staggering number.
If Bai Yi faced a suppression team of this caliber now, he would have no choice but to flee. The boss template was indeed strong, but how many gold-level fighters were weak? Especially among upper-tier gold fighters, even the White Plague wouldn't be able to defeat them instantly.
After setting up the fourth teleportation array, he instructed Zero to monitor the mechanical mosquitoes and flies closely.
He stepped into a teleportation array.
Buzz~
A buzzing filled his ears as the images before him shook violently. When they stabilized, he found himself in a vast wilderness—the Mithril Mine.
Mithril was an essential resource; equipment and mechas from silver to legendary levels required it. Gold essence, with its extreme density, greatly enhanced durability and was known as the golden shield.
The gold-eating worm could form three million cones because 80% of its body was composed of gold essence. Therefore, the more of these two materials, the better. Even obtaining tens of millions of tons of White Plague at once wouldn't be excessive.
Surveying the area, Bai Yi noticed a mine fenced off by official agencies. He approached.
After a brief and friendly exchange, he obtained:
[You obtain 3 tons of Mithril.]
He set up a teleportation array and detonated a bomb to destroy it once the teleportation was underway.
With a satisfied smile, he moved on to another teleportation array.
[You obtain 7 tons of gold essence.]
Upon returning to the palace, Bai Yi dismantled the two teleportation arrays from the mine, eyeing the third array leading to the Forbidden High School.
The images from the mosquito and fly showed the once-thriving city now buried in dust; streets were chaotic, and a stench of decay filled the air. It was clear that after becoming a regulated area, those who could escape had done so, while those who remained perished.
Now, only a school in the city center and a few residents bound by rules maintained the last vestiges of life.
According to intel, the rules of the Forbidden University were frightening, with multiple rule monsters patrolling the area.
These monsters emerged through two methods: punishment and assimilation.
Those who broke the rules weren't always killed outright; instead, they were hunted down by powerful monsters birthed from the very rules meant to regulate them. These monsters didn't vanish after killing their targets; they lurked in cracks, ready to reemerge when someone else violated the rules.
The second method, assimilation, involved some individuals triggering coincidental rules, erasing their thoughts but granting them immense power, turning them into mere puppets of the rules.
Regardless of the method, they were formidable foes.
Bai Yi's aim was to launch Frenzy Bloom accurately and test its strength.
"Yu Yuan, come here."
He beckoned the first Frenzy Bloom.
The slave, huddled in a corner, slowly rose and approached Bai Yi with a dull, vacant expression.
"Stand up and open your mouth."
Bai Yi commanded, producing a handful of mechanical mosquitoes and flies.
Yu Yuan complied, standing on the teleportation array and opening his mouth. The soul controlling him was that of a submissive slave, trained to obey.
Bai Yi stuffed the mosquitoes and flies into his mouth. The spatial teleportation wasn't something these fragile machines could withstand. Only a few would survive within the confines of Madness Bloom, and when the teleportation concluded, only those surviving would remain.
The previous attempt to send mechanical mosquitoes to the High School had ended poorly; the operator had been devoured by a lurking monster.
Though it didn't matter, the loss of 90% of the mechanical mosquitoes was significant, leaving Bai Yi with insufficient resources to fully observe a gold-level battle.
"Shut up."
Yu Yuan slowly closed his mouth at Bai Yi's command.
[Control the mechanical mosquito and fly, and retreat as soon as the spatial fluctuation disappears.]
Zero responded: [Control of the mosquitoes and flies has been established.]
Bai Yi began channeling magic power into the teleportation array.
Buzz~
The spatial vibrations intensified, and Yu Yuan's numb eyes flickered with unexpected energy.
A terrifying aura emerged, escalating at an incomprehensible pace.
Boom!
As the teleportation array charged fully, a furious howl echoed in Bai Yi's mind.
"Ah..."
From his perspective, countless mechanical mosquitoes and flies flashed black as they were destroyed.
The remaining images coalesced, forming a singular view.
In the desolate city, the school's ground was riddled with cracks. A weak, twisted figure howled hysterically.
The voice carried a potent mix of unwillingness and rage.
Waves of red light spread around, and the cracks widened ominously.
An unsettling aura disturbed the tranquility of the school.
In the corner, students fled, panic etched in their expressions, while a few, seemingly entranced, walked steadily toward the collapsed Yu Yuan.
"Ahhhhh."
The hysterical cries continued, and as those figures approached, Yu Yuan's body began to mutate.
His prisoner's clothes erupted, muscles swelled, and bright red veins pulsed, transforming into scarlet tentacles that writhed eagerly.
Blood spilled forth.
Distortion manifested rapidly.
"Ahhhhh~"
When the stiff figures closed in within thirty meters, Yu Yuan had morphed into a towering creature over nine meters tall, his scarlet body bristling with countless eyes and tentacles.
With a roar, he unleashed a wave of energy that painted the sky of the Forbidden High School crimson.
The ground beneath him cracked further, extending toward the teaching buildings, causing several to crumble.
In the wake of his roar, a rigid figure was halted by the force of the wind, buildings nearby shaking as they collapsed.
"Classmates, please keep the volume down in school!"
A hollow voice interrupted, emanating from someone resembling a teacher wielding a ruler, who struck Yu Yuan fiercely.
Boom!
The ruler collided with one of Yu Yuan's tentacles, crimson blood erupted, and he staggered forward.
"Roar~"
With rage, Yu Yuan turned and raised his fists high, smashing them down with ferocity.
His fist, half a meter in diameter, radiated a frenzied aura, stirring up a tempest of wind, indicating the sheer force of his strike.
Boom~
Silence enveloped the area for a moment, then a violent shockwave erupted. The ground fissured, and all structures within the Forbidden School collapsed.
Half of the mechanical mosquitoes and flies, soaring hundreds of meters above, went dark, while the remaining operated under Zero's command, retreating from the destruction.
Boom~
As dust and smoke billowed, Yu Yuan struck down with renewed fury.
The ground, already spiderwebbed with cracks, crumbled further beneath his relentless assault.
"Classmates, please refrain from destroying school property."
The hollow voice echoed again, as a monstrous figure resembling a kitchen staff wielded a butcher knife, lunging at Yu Yuan.
Clang~
With swift precision, the tentacles behind Yu Yuan were severed, revealing deep gashes on his back, a fresh wave of blood pouring forth.
"Roar~"
Yu Yuan's face, now adorned with hundreds of eyes, glimmered with malicious intent.
He raised his arms once more, turning to unleash his wrath.
Boom!
Buildings further away collapsed under the weight of his rage.
Madness unleashed, all his power converged in this chaotic battle.
Yu Yuan, now a force of pure destruction, cared little for the consequences.
"Classmate."
"Roar~"
Boom boom boom. The onslaught continued. Five more rule monsters appeared but were swiftly crushed beneath Yu Yuan's relentless strikes.
He hammered down with such ferocity that the ground, already pulverized, compacted further, only to be shattered anew.
The raw physical energy surged, his hundreds of eyes clouding with fury, feeding into the bonus from the [Frenzy] feat.
A scarlet aura of tyranny enveloped him.
The bodies of the five rule monsters shattered, yet they were reassembled by the very rules that governed them.
But as Yu Yuan's attacks intensified, their regeneration slowed, while his strength continued to escalate, seemingly limitless.
Even through the screen, Bai Yi sensed the instability within Yu Yuan.
He was a living bomb, on the verge of detonation, relying on wild venting to maintain the power surge fueled by his fury.
Perhaps the noise had drawn attention.
In the distance, a thirty-meter-long lizard-like monster approached, drawn by the chaos.
Yu Yuan noticed, leaping high before crashing down with immense force.
Boom~
His colossal feet slammed the five monsters into the ground, using the momentum from his fall to maximize the impact.
Then, with incredible agility, he propelled himself forward, crashing into the giant lizard.
"Roar~"
Yu Yuan roared in fury, biting down on the creature's eye with ferocity.
Bang!
Green blood erupted from the wound.
"Roar~"
The giant beast writhed in pain, shaking its head violently, but Yu Yuan clung tightly, tearing and gnashing with unyielding rage.
The giant lizard rolled, shrieking and thrashing, but could not dislodge the nine-meter-tall behemoth.
A true battle of giants had commenced.