novelraw Chapter 329: The Only Way
Chapter 329: The Only Way
Chapter 329: The Only Way
Human Genius? Sorry, I’m a Deviant
Summon the Mist himself?
The thought had just risen when he rejected it himself.
Black City was not the sparsely populated northwestern Gobi; this place had a dense population. Once a Mist incident was summoned, especially high-level Mist Creatures, it would inevitably cause a large number of innocent casualties.
The administrators of Black City might tacitly allow conflicts and dark transactions, but they would absolutely not tolerate such events causing large-scale chaos.
Moreover, an Aberrant capable of summoning the Mist appearing in Black City... that was practically carving the words 'Transcendence Society' on his forehead!
At that point, he would have no way to defend himself, and what awaited him would be the hostility and encirclement of the entire Black City.
This sole safe zone would transform into the most dangerous death trap.
He couldn't summon it... yet he couldn't be without Mist Creatures...
It seemed like an unsolvable dilemma.
Su Zhan's brow furrowed slightly, a sense of urgency pressing down on him.
The only way...
Contact the City Lord of Black City.
If... if he could obtain special permission from the City Lord, be allocated a designated Uninhabited Zone, and be allowed to summon the Mist there in a limited capacity for cultivation...
This idea seemed far-fetched, but upon careful consideration, it wasn't entirely impossible.
The City Lord of Black City controlled this land and possessed the privilege to set the rules.
As long as he paid a sufficient price, or proved his own value, perhaps he could buy a sliver of opportunity.
But... based on what?
Su Zhan's heart sank.
He was someone with a sensitive identity, a Special-risk first stage whose strength wasn't top-tier even in Black City. What gave him the right to make that mysterious City Lord make an exception for him?
What chips did he have to trade?
He didn't know... but there was no other path.
Su Zhan took a deep breath of the tainted air, and his eyes regained their firmness.
No matter what, he had to try.
Find a channel to communicate with the City Lord, demonstrate his own value, or find chips that could move the other party...
This was the only path he could currently think of to safely increase his strength within Black City.
After clarifying his long-term goal, Su Zhan began to deal with the pressing problem at hand.
That was his face.
The face of "Chen Qing"... could no longer be used.
Su Zhan was very clear that Qin Bai and the Aberrant Purge Division had already recorded the appearance of "Chen Qing" in their files.
During his previous escape, he had used his regeneration ability to make slight adjustments to his appearance, blending in parts of his original features to form a new face.
However, this face, fused with his original appearance, was inevitably recognizable.
During the brief confrontation by the canyon last night, the light was dim, and he had deliberately made himself disheveled and dirty. He didn't know if he had completely fooled Qin Bai.
But since Qin Bai hadn't recognized him last night, it was highly likely he wouldn't recognize him now.
He had to change completely.
Su Zhan needed a brand new face.
He touched his cheek, his fingertips meeting dried filth.
This was deliberately applied.
Now, this layer of disguise had instead become part of his current image.
First, find a place that could handle this.
In Black City, such skills for altering one's appearance were definitely not lacking.
This place was filled with people who needed to hide their identities.
Fugitives, traitors, Awakened individuals or Aberrants evading enemies.
Correspondingly, underground clinics, black market doctors, and even some people with special Life Souls or skills would provide this service.
Of course, the price and risk were equally high.
His very appearance could expose the secrets he needed to hide.
In the faint light of dawn.
Su Zhan's figure merged into Black City's intricate web of streets and alleys, beginning his first true exploration of this place.
Time quietly slipped by.
Su Zhan was either met with closed doors or felt the other party wasn't reliable enough, never finding a suitable target.
Night slowly awoke.
Utterly different from the lifeless stillness of the day.
Black City under the night sky seemed infused with vitality.
Su Zhan stood at the edge of a relatively wide street, flanked by brightly lit taverns and casinos.
There were also shops hung with ambiguous pink lights.
In the middle of the street, two groups of people collided without warning.
"Viper Gang scum! You dare steal my goods!"
"Blood Wolf Gang mad dogs! Does that batch of goods have your name written on it!?"
The group on the left had green cloth strips wrapped around their arms.
Their leader was a tall, thin Aberrant with vertical slit pupils.
He roared, the nails on both hands rapidly extending, shimmering with a venomous green light, and lunged fiercely at the opposite side.
Several people behind him, some with fireballs coalescing in their palms, others brandishing cleavers wreathed in wind blades, were clearly Awakened individuals.
The group on the right wore red wolf head insignias. Their leader was a burly, muscular man.
Amidst the roars.
His skin took on a grayish-white hue, and he brazenly used his chest to block the opposing Aberrant's poisonous claws.
His subordinates behind him also displayed their unique abilities.
Ice spikes, earth spikes, and pure brute force attacks.
They clashed in a melee with the Viper Gang members.
For a moment, Spiritual Energy light flashed chaotically in the center of the street, venom splattered, ice shards and sparks flew together.
The sounds of collisions, furious roars, and agonized screams were incessant.
A Blood Wolf Gang Awakened individual, around Stream Realm third stage, had his throat slashed by a claw from that Viper Gang Aberrant. With an incredulous expression, he fell to the ground, convulsing.
That rock-skinned burly man was also forced to retreat repeatedly by the combined flames and wind blades released by several Awakened individuals, scorch marks appearing on his body.
What caught Su Zhan's attention the most was the reaction of the spectators on both sides of the street.
Pedestrians had long since skillfully retreated under the eaves at the street's edge.
Or simply climbed onto nearby piles of debris.
In the taverns, some people leaned against the doorframes holding wine glasses, pointing and gesturing with great interest, as if watching an exciting street drama.
Vendors deftly packed up their stalls, hiding in safe corners, muttering, "These two gangs of lunatics again... how many times is it this month?"
There was still a touch of excitement for the spectacle on their faces.
Occasionally, stray projectiles or residual energy waves would splash over, only to be casually deflected by certain inconspicuous individuals among the crowd.
On the nighttime streets of Black City, self-preservation was everyone's basic skill.
Su Zhan stood quietly in the shadows, watching this bloody slaughter with cold indifference.
A battle of this level, compared to the life-and-death crises he had experienced, was like children's play-fighting.
Yet this scene presented Black City's law of survival to him with stark realism.
Chaos was the norm, strength was the right to speak.
And death, here, was as cheap as stones on the roadside.
Here, to find a reliable plastic surgeon, one probably also had to demonstrate corresponding strength or value, or... find the right connections.
Su Zhan stood quietly in place, observing this street farce.
After the initial melee, casualties began to appear.
The sharp edge of both sides was worn down.
That Viper Gang Aberrant leader with the poisonous claws, though agile and ruthless, had wounded several Blood Wolf Gang members. However, under the fearless frontal assault of that rock-skinned burly man, his movements also began to falter.
"Damn it, let's fight them to the death!"
The Viper Gang leader roared, seemingly wanting to unleash some mutually destructive ability.
The Blood Wolf Gang's rock-skinned leader was more experienced. Seizing the moment when the other's old force was spent, he charged forward fiercely, ignoring the ice spike thrust from the side.
His palm, large as a cattail leaf fan, slammed hard into the Viper Gang leader's chest.
*Crack!*
A clear bone-cracking sound rang out.
The Viper Gang leader spat out a mouthful of foul-smelling blood, his entire body sent flying backward to crash heavily against the wall at the street's edge.
He slid down limply, clearly having lost his fighting ability.