In just a single day, Shinji traversed over seventy polluted zones of all sizes across the Sixth Ring World. He didn't even skip the several polluted zones located in the polar regions, checking each one individually.
However, the results remained the same: not a single abnormality. Consequently, Shinji returned to the Knowledge Tower filled with doubts.
The great battle surrounding the Knowledge Tower was still ongoing. However, due to the successive arrival of reinforcements from the other five magic towers, combined with the powerful sweeping of Glory Alice and Greedy Wolf Hengo—who spared no ammunition or energy—the number of flesh puppets besieging the Knowledge Tower was rapidly shrinking.
Another day passed, and the fighting finally subsided.
Having eliminated the invading powerful enemies, the mages all breathed a sigh of relief, each one jubilant. However, atop the temporary war fortress, looking at the smoke-filled, wrecked battlefield surrounding them, the Lampbearers all wore solemn expressions.
Greedy Wolf Hengo lit a cigar for himself: "They are celebrating too early!"
Arcane said helplessly: "Having finally eliminated the flesh puppets, everyone naturally relaxed!"
Alice looked worried: "This is only temporary. Soon the second batch, the third batch will appear..."
Arcane was naturally aware of this, so he looked at Shinji and the old warrior: "Have you two gathered any useful information over these past two days?"
Because he was a melee type, the old warrior, like Shinji, had not participated in the battle against the flesh puppets these past two days but had gone out to investigate instead. Hearing Arcane's question, he replied: "I walked around the perimeter; I didn't find any abnormalities."
Shinji said calmly: "I investigated ninety percent of the polluted zones in the Sixth Ring World and found no abnormalities. The Plague Hegemon seems to have no reaction whatsoever to the appearance of the Propagation Hegemon."
"What!?"
Everyone was startled upon hearing this.
Shinji had been away from the team for only a day, yet he had traversed ninety percent of the polluted zones in the Sixth Ring World. This kind of mobility was simply inconceivable.
Alice privately considered her own speed to be top-tier within the Lampbearer circle, but facing Shinji's mobility, she felt inferior.
Shinji ignored their surprise and stared at Arcane, asking: "You are the Lampbearer of this world; have you really felt no abnormality at all?"
Arcane explained: "Sigh, the magic ring sustained by the six Sorcerer Supremes both resists the Plague Hegemon's invasion and shields my perception of the outside world as a Lampbearer. So currently, I am actually the same as everyone else!"
Alice seemed to have known this already. She took up the conversation: "The first step of our plan has succeeded. Now we need to confirm the second step—whether or not a conflict will break out between the Plague Hegemon and the Propagation Hegemon!"
The old warrior asked: "Then what should we do?"
Hengo replied: "The satellite remote sensing system is being prepared. However, to cover the entire Sixth Ring World, we need at least seven hundred base stations. Even if we use construction robots for everything, it will take at least a month!"
Because of the shielding from the Sorcerer Supremes' magic ring, all sensory magic would fail when attempting to detect the universe. Therefore, they could only detect the universe through technological equipment.
The old warrior sighed: "In other words, it will take at least a month before we can know the overall situation?"
"Mm!"
Hengo nodded.
Soon, everyone fell into silence.
Although the satellite remote sensing system had not been set up yet, judging from the current situation, no conflict had broken out between the Plague Hegemon and the Propagation Hegemon. Instead, they were jointly invading the Sixth Ring World. The worst-case scenario was unfolding.
Shinji was considering whether to have the six Sorcerer Supremes stop the magic ring so that Arcane could use his status as the local Lampbearer to confirm the situation outside the spatial barrier.
But thinking that this was someone else's world after all, asking the Sorcerer Supremes to stop resisting just to confirm the situation outside the spatial barrier ahead of time was too rude and overbearing.
Shinji thought to himself: "I'll wait another month then!"
...
In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed.
The base stations for the satellite remote sensing system were being deployed across the Sixth Ring World. However, the attention of the Lampbearers was no longer on the satellite system.
Because within these twenty days, the Propagation Hegemon's flesh puppets had once again launched a siege on the Knowledge Tower.
This time, the flesh puppets were not only larger—individual sizes were now as big as small hills—but their numbers were also vast and uncountable.
Simultaneously, in just twenty days, twenty new polluted zones had appeared, an increase of nearly thirty percent.
Whether or not the Plague Hegemon and the Propagation Hegemon had clashed remained unknown, but all signs indicated that the Hegemons' invasion of the Sixth Ring World was accelerating. According to Glory Alice's data model, the lifespan of the Sixth Ring World had plummeted from two years to just six months!
Rumble...
The battle outside the Knowledge Tower continued. However, because the scale and strength of the flesh puppets had both increased, even though the Knowledge Tower's side had support from the other five towers, a large number of surrounding outposts fell one after another within a few days.
Alice and Hengo vented their firepower frantically, trying to stop the encroaching flesh puppets. However, restricted by ammunition and energy, after battling for half a day, they had to retreat to the temporary war fortress for resupply.
Looking at the endless stream of flesh puppets surging from all directions, a pale-faced Alice spoke guiltily to Arcane: "I'm sorry, my plan has harmed you!"
Bang...
Hengo slammed his fist hard into a nearby wall, his expression pained.
Arcane, however, did not lose his composure. He smiled and said: "I agreed to this plan. You were only trying to help me; there's no need for apologies."
Alice was somewhat despairing: "It can basically be confirmed now that when contesting a world, Hegemons not only refrain from fighting each other but will instead cooperate in the invasion. My plan has failed completely!"
Just as the group was shrouded in a cloud of gloom, Shinji spoke: "That might not be certain!"
"What!?"
Confused, everyone looked at Shinji in unison.
"Robbers might work together while breaking down a door, but when it comes to dividing the loot, that may not be the case!"
As Shinji spoke, he looked outside.
Alice asked: "Akame, what are you thinking?"
"Since they won't fight, I'll instigate a fight!" After a pause, Shinji looked at the group and grinned: "Things are already like this anyway; how much worse can it get?"
With that, Shinji flew out of the temporary war fortress. With a wave of his right hand, nine Truth-Seeking Balls landed in his palm one after another, transforming into a brilliant and dazzling golden sword!
Whoosh...
In the next instant, Shinji swung the sword!
At the moment of the swing, the golden sword in his hand extended for dozens of kilometers, a full tens of thousands of meters long. With a single slash, he pulverized all the flesh puppets that had filled his vision!