Chapter 257: Controlling the Weather
After that little episode, the players—especially XB—became much more cautious. No one dared to be careless like before; they obediently followed behind Zhou Ning.
Half an hour later, Zhou Ning gradually entered the depths of the forest. The life force here was dense, making the trees especially lush and green, while wisps of mist wound between them. From time to time, strong winds swept through, lending the place a faintly sinister air.
Along the way, Zhou Ning saw more tracks and often encountered beasts of various levels. But ordinary monsters stood no chance before him. With his agility now close to 250 points, even a basic attack was wrapped in searing flames. Coupled with the naturally fast attack speed of his class, his damage output was absurdly high. Ordinary monsters couldn't even touch the edge of his cloak.
What frustrated him, though, was his level-cap removal quest—it required killing 10 boss-level creatures above level 60. Yet despite all the monsters he had slain along the way, he hadn't come across a single boss.
Instead, Little Deathwing had been leeching quite a lot of experience. Unknowingly, it had already reached level 15, gaining a new skill called Frenzy, allowing six consecutive normal attacks. Its body had also grown a bit larger. At this rate, perhaps it really might one day learn the legendary Cataclysm skill said to be able to destroy the world.
After a while, Zhou Ning suddenly halted, his eyes narrowing. His sharp senses picked up voices ahead.
Not long after, he saw a group of silhouettes in the distance—several dozen people dressed in gaudy red and green outfits. They didn't look like an adventuring party at all, more like… a noble sightseeing tour.
"Who goes there?"
Zhou Ning's approach quickly drew their attention. One figure stepped out from the crowd and walked toward him.
It was a man dressed like a typical adventurer. He wore a black coat suitable for combat, carried a greatsword on his back, and had a firearm tucked at his chest. Judging by his gear, he seemed to be a meteorologist.
Zhou Ning tipped his hat in a friendly manner and said with a smile, "Good afternoon. My name is Wayne Sturwell, just a passerby."
"Wayne Sturwell? I've heard of you—a formidable gunman." The man's expression eased slightly as he nodded. "I'm Argus, a mercenary from Darkland. This time, I'm escorting my employers to the Allsop Swamp."
He turned and gestured to the group behind him.
Zhou Ning followed his gaze and saw a dozen or so people gathered together—ten men and three women. The men were effeminate young nobles, while the women looked somewhat more normal. The sight reminded Zhou Ning of Yue Buqun and Lin Pingzhi's Huashan Sect. Argus's "employers" were clearly a bunch of aristocrats chasing after the miracle of life out of sheer boredom. Among Bryston's nobility, this trend of "gender reversal" had become fashionable. From Joshua's diary, Zhou Ning knew that one of Darkland's most sought-after socialites had once been a man.
"What's going on, Argus?" A handsome young noble walked up and, upon seeing Zhou Ning, his eyes lit up. He extended a hand with a charming smile. "Spark Lambert, second in line to inherit the Lambert family. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"
What the hell—is he hitting on me? Zhou Ning felt a chill crawl down his spine from the man's smile. He kept his face calm, refused the handshake, and said flatly, "Sorry, I'm not interested in making acquaintances with strangers."
"You're no fun." Spark withdrew his hand with some resentment and turned to Argus. "When can we get moving again?"
"We'll have to wait a bit longer. There's going to be a strong acid rain ahead." Argus's tone grew solemn. "If you're not in too much of a hurry, I suggest you wait." His last words were directed at Zhou Ning's group.
"This NPC must be a really skilled meteorologist." Another meteorologist, Wrath of Thunder-Chasing Winds, looked at Argus with admiration—he couldn't predict anything at all himself.
"Acid rain?" Zhou Ning blinked. He had encountered it before: highly corrosive, deadly to the weak, though it posed little threat to him—just rough on clothes.
Wait…
He suddenly remembered: his newly obtained Cortés Sword had a special ability—controlling wind or rain within a certain range, with its scope scaling with his spirit power. He hadn't tested it yet. Could it control acid rain?
The thought stirred a strong urge to experiment. According to the system's description, although weakened compared to its prime, the sword could still summon heavy rain, thunderstorms, gales, even hurricanes—virtually unrestricted in manipulating weather. The stronger the phenomenon, the shorter its range and duration.
On Earth, where supernatural power was scarce, such an ability was practically divine. No wonder Cortés had nearly single-handedly conquered the Aztec Empire with this weapon.
Even here in the Apocalypse World, where transcendent power was common, such might bordered on semi-divine. Unlike meteorologists, who needed mediums and combos, this sword relied solely on black magic and its own power to alter the weather.
Zhou Ning placed his hand on the hilt at his waist and activated the ability. A wave of dizziness struck, and methods of controlling the weather naturally surfaced in his mind.
In short, by consuming focus points, he could alter local weather: turn drizzle into a downpour, heavy rain into a light shower, summon thunderstorms, lightning, storms—it was spectacular.
He quickly made his decision and waited calmly for the change in weather.
Sure enough, soon after, a heavy acid rain began just as Argus predicted. A constant hissing sound filled the area as plants and trees corroded, riddled with small holes.
"Stay close to me."
Zhou Ning spoke calmly to the players, gripping his sword hilt, and strode directly into the acid rain.
"This…" The players exchanged uneasy glances but, trusting the protagonist, followed him. To their amazement, although acid rain poured from the sky, not a single drop touched their heads.
"What… what's he doing?"
Spark, who had just returned to his companions, heard the exclamations. He turned—and froze.
The man who had just caught his eye was calmly walking straight into the acid rain.
"My God…" Spark gaped. Before everyone's stunned eyes, a sudden gale surged up. The curtain of acid rain split neatly in two, driven aside by the wind. Wherever he walked, the rain parted. Not only he himself, but even the few following him remained completely unharmed.
"What in the world…?" Spark rubbed his eyes frantically, trying to convince himself it was an illusion. What a joke—even the strongest meteorologist couldn't do something like this!
But no—he wasn't imagining things. In moments, the intruders had crossed through the acid rain and were heading deeper inside.
"Should we… go too?" Spark asked Argus. The mercenary only gave him a look as if he were crazy. "You can try if you want."
"It really works…"
Zhou Ning, who had deliberately chosen to manipulate wind, felt a rush of exhilaration. The Cortés Sword's power exceeded his expectations—it was without doubt a trump card in his arsenal.
But testing also revealed the weapon's drawbacks, and not just one.
First, while wielding it, Zhou Ning felt an unavoidable surge of greed—just like the historical Cortés himself.
Second, his focus drained rapidly, with his spirit power showing signs of collapse. For weaker transcendents, this could easily lead to total mental breakdown—like what had happened to Richard.
Still, for short-term use, both drawbacks were manageable. With such a powerful weapon in hand, he could crush opponents with ease. And honestly, what's wrong with a merchant being a little greedy?
A few minutes later, Zhou Ning had led the players safely through the acid rain. He didn't bother waiting for the group behind, striding onward. After more than two hours, they gradually entered a dark swamp.
System: You have discovered the Allsop Swamp.
"We're here." Looking at the mist-shrouded swamp ahead, Zhou Ning couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.