novelraw Chapter 342: Survivor base
Chapter 342: Survivor base
Alexander decided to give imitation a try. Immediately, the Ghost Energy within him began to stir, tracing a hexagram pattern at the same position on his chest.
To avoid any accidental mishaps, he even followed Quillhart’s stroke order while drawing the hexagram, ensuring the amount of Ghost Energy used was as close to the original as possible.
As the hexagram was completed, Alexander instantly felt a subtle change in the inconsequential wisp of Ghost Energy that had formed the shape.
The residual Ghost Energy inside him, whether from consuming Ghost Food, absorbing Ghost Crystals, or ingesting the black beetles, all of which he could not fully absorb and hence remained dormant, was now being drawn from every limb and pore, converging towards the hexagram on his chest.
Even Alexander himself had not realized that he had such a large residual pool of Ghost Energy within him—its quantity was even more terrifying than that of an Emperor Crystal.
This Ghost Energy was rapidly differentiated; he could genuinely feel an increase in both the density of his flesh and his Ghost Energy reserves. Although the increase was so subtle that it was hard to notice without complete focus, it was undoubtedly there.
He was an Inheritance Ghost Emperor, after all! Having gone through two inheritances, he was far stronger than an average Inheritance Ghost Emperor. If Alexander were still at his initial prince tier, this hexagram alone could effortlessly elevate him to the level of a Ghost Emperor.
As he felt the greyish hexagram within him gradually fade away, Alexander’s brows furrowed tightly together. This did not feel like a cultivation method but more like the triggering mechanism for a law or a rule.
Just as an apple will inevitably fall when dropped, following the law of gravity, drawing this hexagram also triggers a pre-established rule that differentiated and absorbed external Ghost Energy within the body.
It was somewhat like the fantasy worlds where gods could establish laws exclusive to their abilities. The so-called Ghost Nerve was merely a triggering mechanism for such a law.
In the thick mist, Alexander cautiously followed behind the three individuals.
Caution was necessary; facing a terrifying tide of beetles that seemed as vast as the ocean, even if he had a million duplicates present, they would stand no chance in a head-on confrontation. Perhaps if all those duplicates had activated their Hell Curse talents, they could have contended with the tide to some extent.
Unfortunately, when dealing with the hellish tide of warriors previously, Alexander had ordered all the duplicates present to use their Hell Curse.
In order to expedite the unification of the Horror World, he had even ensured that every team had at least ten duplicates, with at least two of them possessing the Hell Curse talent. Their role was to harness the terrifying power of Hell Curse and the Abandoned Emperor Stones they carried to accelerate the unification process.
It was predictable that aside from a few stronger teams, almost none of the remaining two hundred thousand duplicates would retain their Hell Curse talent.
Regretful as it was, the urgency of the situation in the real world and the need for rapid unification took precedence. Alexander had no choice but to adapt.
Contrary to what Alexander had imagined, they didn’t exit the city to find some grandiose survivor base or venture into deep underground slums resembling shantytowns. Instead, they arrived at a cluster of warehouses.
"Is your survivor base really located in a place like this?" Alexander asked, puzzled.
The warehouse cluster was situated along a riverbank, close to a turbulent river. Due to the rise of rail transport and the local government’s plans to harness the area’s abundant water resources by building a heavy dam, these warehouses had gradually fallen into disuse. Some had already been torn down; the rest were practically abandoned.
Alexander recalled how in middle school, he and his friends had often adventured here, seeking treasures when the warehouses were already largely unused, serving only as short-term rental spaces for goods. Years later, most of the warehouses were now dilapidated, leaking, and in utter disrepair.
"Can a place like this really fend off those black beetles?"
It wasn’t that Alexander didn’t trust them; according to the trio, this ’Base One’ should have a considerable population. These warehouses could perhaps accommodate tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people if they crammed.
But the questions loomed: what would all these people eat? Even if they had enough stored food, could these warehouses, built with hollow concrete blocks, withstand the gnawing of those terrifying black beetles?
"Those are teeth sharp enough to easily pierce through Alexander’s body—an inheritance Ghost Emperor! And mind you, Alexander’s flesh and bones are much stronger than mere steel.
Deep underground, that’s where Alexander had always imagined the most suitable sanctuary for survivors would be. After all, no matter how fearsome the jaws of the black beetles are, they couldn’t possibly chew through a hundred meters or more of the Earth’s crust!
What’s even more crucial is that this cluster of warehouses, just like its surrounding environment, is eerily silent, showing not the slightest trace of human presence.
"Mr. Alexander, we could establish a survivor base here, and for that we owe much to Thorneblade! Follow us, and you’ll soon be in for a big surprise!" Quillhart said, smiling as he led the siblings quickly into the cluster of warehouses.
Bold and confident, Alexander naturally had nothing to fear and followed immediately. Passing through warehouse after warehouse, they swiftly arrived at the center, where a seemingly dilapidated warehouse stood.
Quillhart didn’t head for the main entrance but instead stopped in front of a milk-white wall. Unlike the other walls, this one was smooth and freshly coated in a creamy latex paint. In the center was a square brick the size of a fist, adorned with numerous minuscule, flowing runes.
"What is this?" Alexander’s pupils contracted sharply at the sight of the square brick. He had seen it before! When he had just acquired the Forbidden Ring, he had used it in a graveyard and was transported to a former graveyard communal. It was engulfed by a dark space filled with these enigmatic runes, into which he had nearly been absorbed when he tried reaching in.
"Why would these runes be in a brick, embedded here?"
"This is the Soulstone that Thorneblade gave us. It can isolate our aura, creating a separate space. It’s thanks to this that we can survive in this Mist," Quillhart explained, walking directly towards the white wall.
When he touched it, it seemed as though he was entering a viscous liquid, creating subtle ripples. Then, Quillhart’s body completely disappeared into the wall.
"Hurry up! Don’t worry, we won’t harm you. Our base is behind this wall. Once you’re in, you’ll understand," said Moonshade, mistaking Alexander’s hesitancy for caution. She walked over, took Alexander’s arm, and led him toward the white wall.
Alexander didn’t resist or decline; he simply allowed himself to be led to the white wall. Had it been before, he would’ve been hesitant about risking the unknown, perhaps even sending in a duplicate to scout first.
But seeing that black brick and hearing Quillhart’s words, Alexander lost any inclination for caution. The enigmatic runes in the dark space of the graveyard communal and Quillhart’s mention of Thorneblade couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.
It led Alexander to think of one person—Sophia, certainly their Thorneblade!
This erased any hesitations Alexander might have had, and he followed them in. What awaited him was indeed not a trap. It felt as though he had plunged into quicksand; with a little effort, he passed through the wall.
Then, his vision cleared to reveal an awe-inspiring, gigantic city. The mist had completely dissipated, but a faint Ghost Energy and the familiar feel of the surrounding environment sent chills down his spine.
"This environment... the Horror World?"