Chapter 19: Chaos
At the Dansha Gu’s Great Pharmacy Station, a Spiritual Ability User rushed through the entrance corridor, and as soon as he entered the station, he saw blackened corpses sprawled in disarray across the entrance, causing his pupils to contract slightly.
At that moment, a strong Spirit Energy Fluctuation surged, and a girl’s voice floated eerily behind him.
“Over here~!”
Looking in the direction of the voice, he vaguely saw a figure closing in from the darkness. The Spiritual Ability User immediately felt a sense of danger, and without a moment’s thought, he raised his hand, releasing a dazzling fire that crashed into a nearby stone pillar.
“Nice move!” praised Luxianbei.
Then…
With a swift motion, the sword fell.
The whir of the sword slicing through the air burst forth, cold light intertwining and mercilessly tearing apart the body of the Spiritual Ability User.
“Puff—!”
“Thud—!”
As bl**d splattered and the body hit the ground with a dull thud, Luxianbei quickly retreated, hiding once more, silently awaiting the arrival of the next target.
Almost time to move on to the next phase, Luxianbei thought, her gaze drifting outside the station.
Even in this decaying city, where everyone was on drugs and not quite sane, it didn’t mean they were fools.
Strictly speaking, they just couldn’t control their emotions.
Luxianbei had learned about the strange substance that the vagrants affectionately referred to as “treasure” during her casual chats with them inside the station.
From the vagrants’ descriptions, she figured it was likely a Spirit Energy addictive substance catalyzed from alchemical materials, sounding similar to certain mind-affecting poisons in the Great Serpent God’s knowledge, but not exactly the same.
After consuming the treasure, a special Spirit Energy Fluctuation would be released in the user’s body, suppressing the deep-seated pain and sorrow from the soul level, amplifying joy and happiness.
According to those vagrants in the station, during the drug’s effect, they could recall the joy of their first love in youth, the thrill of completing a beloved game for the first time, the sweetness of candy, and even the happiness of drinking mother’s milk, all amplified infinitely, which was quite uncanny.
However, once the effect wore off, those temporarily suppressed negative emotions would rebound a hundredfold, dragging the user down into the abyss of pain. Such a stark contrast was enough to shatter most people’s and urban legends’ mental worlds.
Thus, those who had consumed the “treasure” in the city would begin to grow irritable, sensitive, suspicious, and self-serving under the influence of the drug, with their desires swelling to unprecedented levels.
This was also why Luxianbei was confident in her ability to disturb their emotions with words, leading them into “madness.”
However, from Luxianbei’s perspective, this was definitely not a long-term solution.
With so many people and urban legends outside, using this method would only k*ll a small portion at most before others noticed something was wrong and became wary.
A dungeon that couldn’t be cleared alone would eventually evolve into a team raid, Luxianbei thought.
In one-on-one scenarios, she was confident she could take down these average level 0.5 newbies of urban legends and Spiritual Ability Users in a short time, but if they formed a team…
Her odds would only be around 70%, with the risk indeed a bit high. She’d need to change strategies then.
————
Outside the station, a group of raiders gathered in the wasteland near the station.
Just as Luxianbei had suspected, upon hearing the continuous screams coming from within the station, many of the people and urban legends quickly slowed their steps, gathering together to discuss in low voices.
“Don’t you feel something’s off?”
“Yeah, those unlucky souls that went in first seem to have walked into an ambush; this might be a trap!”
“So what now? Although we know there might be a trick involved, we can’t just stand by and let others go in first, right? What if they really get ahead of us…”
Becoming the Red-Clothed Supervisor was too tempting for these poor souls, enough to make them take the risk.
“Bro, we’ve known each other for a long time. If you trust me, why don’t we go in together? This way, we can look out for each other!”
“Uh… let me think about it.”
“…”
After a bit of discussion, the originally scattered raiders began to change.
Familiar Spiritual Ability Users or urban legends gradually grouped together, forming little “brotherhood” teams of three to five, and they launched another assault towards the station.
————
Inside the station, at the entrance corridor.
After killing another urban legend that had entered alone, Luxianbei lightly shook her wrist, shaking the bl**d off her broken sword, ready to hide again and wait for the next prey.
At that moment, a thought of anticipation suddenly flashed through her mind.
[They have appeared at the entrance of the corridor.]
They? Have they started to group up? Even faster than expected!
Luxianbei furrowed her brow, no longer lingering. She quickly moved ahead of the paired Spiritual Ability Users and urban legends before they could arrive.
With a push from her toes, she leaped and climbed up along the stone pillars of the station, hiding in a dark corner of the metal framework, minimizing her Spirit Energy Fluctuation.
Once hidden, after pondering for a few seconds, she whispered, “Coat, make the robe a bit more tattered…”
Then, with a wave, the coat transformed from a brand-new black robe into a battle-scarred black robe.
Soon, a sound of footsteps emerged from the station’s entrance corridor.
Hearing the footsteps, Luxianbei peered out from behind the stone pillar with one eye, looking down to see a Spiritual Ability User and an urban legend entering the station together.
They maintained a certain distance from each other, cautiously guarding against threats from different directions, forming a vague protective formation.
These two raiders consisted of a shorter, stocky Spiritual Ability User with a grotesque scar extending from his crown down to his jaw, and another urban legend with a hunched figure, covered in large deformities.
Luxianbei assessed them, narrowing her eyes slightly.
Both of them were not weak; according to the faint Spirit Energy Fluctuation emanating from them, they should be two of the seven or eight A grades previously sensed.
Not easy to deal with! Better to wait a bit longer, Luxianbei thought.
As she pondered, a soft cry rang out from the station.
“Wait, something’s not right!”
As soon as the two raiders entered the station, they were greeted with the sight of corpses littering the entrance corridor, causing them to halt momentarily, exchanging glances that made the atmosphere noticeably tense.
“Looks like there really is an ambush?” the Scarred Face growled lowly to his companion in the darkness.
“Get a bit closer; don’t let your guard down.”
“Hey, don’t worry! With the two of us together, we’re already the strongest combination tonight. Anyone who dares to play tricks will regret it!” the deformed urban legend cackled.
Oh? The strongest combination tonight? Luxianbei raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of cunning flashing in her eyes.
Watching as the two raiders began to search deeper into the station, dark thoughts started to form in her mind.
A minute later, just as the two raiders hadn’t gone far, another preemptive thought surged through Luxianbei’s mind.
The second wave of raiders is about to appear.
Judging from their Spirit Energy Fluctuation, they were significantly weaker than the previous two raiders, but there were many of them, a full twelve individuals.
Sensing the Spirit Energy Fluctuation of those twelve raiders, Luxianbei’s gaze sharpened, and she swiftly moved to position herself above the corpses she had previously slain before they could enter the station.
After a brief pause, she slid next to a stone pillar, dropping silently, then concealed herself beside the corpses.
Kneeling on both knees and preparing herself, after brewing her emotions for a few seconds, Luxianbei took a deep breath, grabbed a headless corpse, and unleashed a piercing wail.
“Oh my God! My dear brother!”
“In this hellhole, you were my last friend; what will I do now that you’re dead?”
“Last time, you still owed me that treasure!”
Just as the first two raiders had not ventured far and remained tense, they were suddenly startled by the scream from behind, turning sharply to see Luxianbei clutching the headless male corpse.
The Scarred Face exchanged glances with the deformed urban legend, asking quietly, “What’s going on?”
“Looks like it’s a brother who got ambushed and killed when he stepped in first?” the deformed urban legend replied in a low voice.
The Scarred Face didn’t say anything, simply nodding slightly to acknowledge the deformed urban legend’s explanation.
Just then, Luxianbei suddenly pointed in their direction, shouting, “You, you’re too insidious! That was supposed to be a fair competition, but you ambushed us!”
Scarred Face and the deformed urban legend, “???”
What’s going on? Is that guy high from the drugs or something? Why is he talking nonsense?
While they were momentarily stunned, a dozen shadows—some hideous, some strange, some twisted—gradually appeared around the entrance of the corridor.
The twelve urban legends walking together heard Luxianbei’s sorrowful outcry, and upon entering the station and seeing the corpses scattered on the ground, their steps halted, entering a defensive posture.
And before they could grasp the situation, they saw Luxianbei suddenly look at them, loudly warning, “Everyone be careful! Those guys were waiting in ambush earlier!”
The twelve urban legends glanced at the Scarred Face and the deformed urban legend ahead, which could be considered a formidable group, then looked at Luxianbei, who was clutching the headless corpse, looking tattered and pitiful. Hesitation flickered in their bizarre eyes.
The Scarred Face was momentarily stunned, then suddenly realized, turning to Luxianbei with a dark expression.
“Shut your mouth! You little brat, you dare to say that again?!”
“It was you!” Luxianbei retorted fearlessly, “You killed my brother! You even wanted to k*ll me just now!”
“Good! I’ll give you credit for having guts, but I’m going to see if you can say the same thing later!” the Scarred Face bellowed, charging forward menacingly.
While advancing, he glanced at the twelve urban legends, about to explain something to them, when Luxianbei suddenly exclaimed, “Everyone run! He wants to silence me!”
Upon hearing this, the twelve urban legends were startled, taking a collective step back and then gathering their Spirit Energy Fluctuation, adopting a defensive stance while shouting at the advancing Scarred Face.
“Stop! One more step and we’ll strike!”
“Jin Dao Lao San! I told you to stop; don’t think we’re afraid of you!”
The Scarred Face, known as Jin Dao Lao San, became increasingly ferocious, growling, “You idiots, don’t fall for that guy’s trick! Let me through; I’ll only k*ll her and won’t harm you at all!”
“Everyone definitely can’t believe him!” Luxianbei cried out timely, “Though they’re few in number, they’ve already become the strongest among the night! If they get close, perhaps the situation will be dire!”
“Just now… right! My brother and I were exactly ambushed like this by those scoundrels! They even said teamwork was better for backing each other up, but who would have thought that when they found a target, they would turn around and attack us!”
Found a target? The urban legends’ expressions changed subtly. “Are you saying the treasure has already fallen into their hands?”
“Exactly! If I hadn’t run fast, I would have ended up like my brother!”
Luxianbei chattered on, and the anger of Jin Dao Lao San grew, the murderous intent started to rise.
A guilty person bears the consequences—if Luxianbei had just been slandering him, now she wanted to k*ll him.
He looked at the twelve urban legends with a cold voice, “Do you believe her nonsense?”
“This…” The urban legends hesitated, looking around.
Jin Dao Lao San was indeed very strong, and that girl weeping while carrying a headless corpse appeared quite pitiful.
“Brother, brother, you died a terrible d*ath!”
Seeing this, Jin Dao Lao San’s expression turned cold, and he stepped forward, projecting a powerful Spirit Energy Fluctuation aggressively ahead.
“Why waste time with you? In short, let me through!”
“This… Jin Dao Lao San, whether to let you through or not, we should clarify the situation first, right?” one urban legend said solemnly, “How about we just have a good talk?”
“Trash like you talking to me?!”
Jin Dao Lao San roared, continuing to push forward, drawing the wide-bladed dagger from his waist.
“Stop!” The urban legends cried out in horror.
However, Jin Dao Lao San seemed to have completely ignored their words and continued advancing.
At that moment, Luxianbei, hidden behind the twelve urban legends, pinched her nose and ominously called out, “Everyone, it seems like he’s gone berserk!”
“If we want to survive, we must join forces; we are numerous and shouldn’t be afraid of him; why not all attack together?”
Attack together? The urban legends hesitated.
Jin Dao Lao San, within the range of the Dansha Gu’s Great Pharmacy, was known as a fearsome character; otherwise, they might have rushed in once they found out that he had located his target.
While the urban legends were contemplating, Jin Dao Lao San had already charged right up to them, his heavy butcher’s kn*fe erupting with dazzling golden light as it descended.
“If you don’t get out of the way, you’ll d*e with her!”
With a swift swing, the twelve urban legends scattered in fright, but one urban legend, a mutated zombie, was a bit slow and couldn’t escape Jin Dao Lao San’s attack range in time. The next moment, the golden arc swept through, and a gruesome splash of bl**d erupted.
“Puff—!”
As foul-smelling bl**d sprayed everywhere, a head, blue and purple-skinned, rotten flesh, soared into the air, tracing a parabolic arc before crashing heavily to the ground.
The twelve urban legends were still torn between whom to believe when they saw Jin Dao Lao San approach, suddenly bursting forth, and they had made their decision.
While distancing themselves from Jin Dao Lao San, their Spirit Energy Fluctuation erupted.
In an instant, the dark entrance of the station became like spilled oil paint, covered with layers of colors, cascading light clashed in mid-air, producing deafening roars.
At that moment, the third wave of raiders entered the station.
Luxianbei was just about to continue fueling the flames when she heard a shout from among the eleven urban legends, who were being pressed down by Jin Dao Lao San and the deformed urban legend in the chaotic battle.
“Everyone, just now it was Jin Dao Lao San who ambushed us!”
Luxianbei, “…” Wow, they’ve learned to backstab as well?
That saved me a lot of effort in talking.
Good! Let the fight begin; hurry up and fight!
The third wave of raiders, totaling six Spiritual Ability Users, hesitated upon hearing the urban legend.
They didn’t want to participate in a dog-eat-dog situation.
Soon, another urban legend growled, “They stole the treasure; we’ve discovered them trying to silence us!”
“I’m a witness; I saw it too! They even killed my brother!” Luxianbei chimed in.
Upon hearing this, the six Spiritual Ability Users were momentarily stunned, and looking at Jin Dao Lao San, their expressions gradually turned gloomy.
Involving interests, their thoughts shifted.
“Hey, Jin Dao Lao San, did you really get it? Why don’t you hand it over to us, and we’ll help you take out those urban legends?” one of the Spiritual Ability Users smiled meaningfully.
With no way to argue back, Jin Dao Lao San roared in anger, “I’ll hand over your mama!”
Brandishing his kn*fe, he slashed.
The dazzling golden light came slicing through as the four Spiritual Ability Users hurriedly dodged, while hostility surged in their eyes. They exchanged glances among themselves, then spread out to surround Jin Dao Lao San and the deformed urban legend.
At that moment, the fourth wave of raiders appeared.
“What are you doing?”
“That d*mn Jin Dao Lao San, disrespecting the rules, actually daring to ambush and lay traps in the station!”
“k*ll Jin Dao Lao San and seize the Calamity Core!”
Thus, after a simple and straightforward dialogue, a brutal slaughter began.
Before long, chaos infiltrated every corner of the station, with deathly wails and the sound of Spirit Energy Fluctuation clashing ringing continuously.
The waves of shock spread like ripples.
Amidst the chaos, no one noticed a petite figure using the cover of darkness to slip away.
From a distance, hearing their conversation, Luxianbei was filled with questions.
What’s going on?
They really came for me?
Calling so many people to come and cut me, what vendetta could they possibly have against me?
As she pondered, she quickened her pace, rushing towards Ahua’s hiding place.
d*mn it; a zone of disputes isn’t a place to stay long. It’s about time to bring Ahua and escape…
