Translator: AnubisTL
Against the left wall stood a slender pillar, roughly a meter tall, topped with a red button and a small display screen below.
The screen read: "Mutated beast production can continue for 289 days. Administrator, please replace the energy block before it's depleted."
Chen Jiang pressed the button.
A light gate suddenly materialized in mid-air before him.
Standing at the gate's entrance and peering inside, he saw a vast, white space.
At the center of the floor was a white circle.
Mutated beasts emerged from within, slowly solidifying into physical forms before walking into nearby green circles and vanishing from sight.
The white circle served as the exit for the manufactured mutated beasts.
It maintained a steady production rate of five beasts per second.
The surrounding green circles, on the other hand, were direct portals to mutated beast spawn points in the wilderness.
At a glance, there appeared to be over a thousand green circles.
In other words, this mutated beast manufacturing facility maintained the supply and transportation of mutated beasts to over a thousand spawn points across the wilderness.
This was the fundamental rule governing the emergence of mutated beasts in this world: artificial creation.
Using methods they couldn't comprehend, the facility mass-produced mutated beasts.
"How should I put this?" Scar Dog said, standing at the light gate, his expression complex as he gazed at the scene before him. "I thought that after learning so much about the Ten Thousand Races Arena, even understanding the underlying logic of mutated beast creation, I would have a clearer understanding of it."
"But for some reason, I feel even more lost now."
"It's like the Ten Thousand Races Arena has become even more incomprehensible."
"If you don't understand it, take your time to observe," Chen Jiang said, striding through the light gate. "Let's go. Seal all the exits marked by green circles, leaving these mutated beasts nowhere to escape. Then, when the global mutated beast extermination event begins, we'll wipe them out together."
"Alright."
Soon, Chen Jiang and his group stepped through the light gate and retrieved manhole covers from their space bracelets, sealing off all the green light circle exits.
As expected, once the exits were blocked, the mutated beasts began wandering aimlessly through the vast white space like headless flies, unable to escape.
As for where they got the manhole covers...
They had simply used unrestrained modification to transform pistols, shotguns, and similar weapons into manhole covers, a process that consumed several thousand one-star items.
"Done."
With all the green light circle exits sealed, Chen Jiang gazed at the mutated beasts roaming the white space and nodded in satisfaction. "There are still 26 hours until the event begins."
"That's 93,600 seconds."
"At a rate of five births per second,"
"We should accumulate nearly 470,000 mutated beasts before the event starts."
"That number should be more than enough to secure the top ranking."
After completing their preparations, Chen Jiang and the others left the white space through the light gate. They pressed the red button again to close the gate, allowing the mutated beasts inside to continue multiplying rapidly.
It was then that they finally turned to examine the last wall behind them.
Embedded in the wall were over a thousand small, white beads, almost identical to the one they had retrieved from the fish's belly.
The entire wall was covered with them.
At the top of the wall, a line of text was inscribed:
"No. 088 Myriad Races Arena, No. 1024 Central Control Room."
"1024?" Scar Dog's expression flickered with a strange look. After carefully counting the beads embedded in the wall, he exclaimed in surprise, "The beads on this wall, plus the one I'm holding, exactly total 1024!"
"Now that you mention it, I remember something too," Li Hao said gravely. "The green light circles in the white space were also 1024."
"Everything's 1024?"
"This Ten Thousand Races Arena seems to really like the number 1024."
"However..."
Scar Dog's lips twitched slightly as he gazed at the wall covered in beads. "If I remember correctly, the item description for these beads stated that the explosive power of a single one is equivalent to a small nuclear bomb, right?"
"So, if all 1,024 beads were to detonate simultaneously..."
"At the very least, it should ensure our safe passage out of here."
Chen Jiang narrowed his eyes, studying the wall before glancing around the room. "Let's go," he murmured. "Back to the surface."
They had found the source of the beads.
The beads had detached from this very wall, rolled into the corner, and then through a small hole that looked like it had been gnawed by rats.
Pressing his ear to the hole, Chen Jiang could hear the rushing water of the underground river below.
The square room spanned the rocky walls on either side of the river. How the hole had formed, how the bead had rolled through it and into a fish's mouth—these were mysteries beyond his understanding.
He left the rest of the room untouched.
Apart from the red button that activated the white space, there was nothing else he could interact with. Everything operated automatically.
All he could do was choose whether to destroy.
But as long as he had his wits about him, he would never destroy this "No. 1024" control room before his strength was sufficient, lest he attract the administrator's attention.
However, this central control room could at least provide him with information unobtainable from the outside world.
For example, the specific details and start time of the next global event.
Just like this time, knowing in advance about the global "beast tide assault" event starting in 26 hours allowed them to prepare accordingly.
Otherwise, by the time the global event began, they would likely spend a long time just searching for mutated beasts.
Soon, the group retraced their steps and resurfaced above ground.
Scar Dog's phantom gate could only appear in air or water, not in soil. Otherwise, they could have opened several phantom gates directly above their heads to return to the surface without this trouble.
Of course, even if Scar Dog's phantom gate could appear in soil, they still wouldn't be able to tunnel through.
It would be like opening a phantom gate only to find a solid wall behind it—impossible to pass through.
"Phew!"
Scar Dog, his feet back on solid ground, couldn't help but sigh with a complex expression. "Why did they have to show me so much? Now I'm not even in the mood to enjoy my fish."
"Oh, Li Hao, did you put that fish away like I asked?"
"Yeah, it's in that puddle over there," Li Hao pointed to a nearby puddle. "It should still be alive; the puddle's pretty deep."
"Good." Scar Dog nodded slightly, relieved. "Even though I'm feeling a bit down, a plump, juicy fish should be enough to lift my spirits."
But the next moment—
Scar Dog, now standing before the puddle, stared blankly at the large fish floating belly-up in the water, its pale underside exposed. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "It's already dead?"
"Great. My already lousy mood just got even worse."
However, Scar Dog quickly regained his composure.
"It hasn't been dead long. It's still edible."
"I'll make some fish soup for everyone."
"I'm experienced at making fish soup. No need to help."
At that moment, Zhao Ritian suddenly leaned in, his voice hesitant: "Scar Dog, do you think this fish might be an avatar of the Blue Star World Origin?"
"This fish somehow managed to bite a corner off the No. 1024 Central Control Room, retrieve a pearl, and swim upstream, battered and exhausted, until it finally encountered a human player."
"But all that effort had completely drained its strength."
"All it wanted was to deliver this pearl into the hands of a human player, hoping they would learn the truth about the Ten Thousand Races Arena."
"That's why it died even after we put it in the water before leaving. Could it have been simply too exhausted?"
"That makes sense."
Li Hao nodded thoughtfully. "The Blue Star World Origin is like our mother. She was captured by the Ten Thousand Races Arena, yet she still desperately tried to help us, using every means possible to send us information."
"I think there's a real possibility this fish was an avatar of our mother."
"Thinking about it that way, the Blue Star World Origin suddenly feels so pitiful."
"..."
Scar Dog, who had been squatting down, sleeves rolled up, ready to scale and gut the fish, froze in place, his expression blank, as he heard the voices around him.
After a moment's pause, he abruptly stood up, cradled the fish, and walked away without a word.
"Where are you going?"
Seeing this, Li Hao quickly asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to bury this fish somewhere."
"But weren't you going to make fish soup? You're not going to eat it?"
Scar Dog slowly stopped walking, turned expressionlessly to face Li Hao, and said, "After what you said, how could I possibly eat it? Eat our mother?"
Nearby, Scar Dog buried the fish in a shallow pit he dug earlier. He lit three cigarettes and stuck them upright in the dirt before the grave.
With a helpless expression, he said, "Look, I don't know if you really are or aren't who you say you are. But either way, whether you are or you aren't, you've suffered enough. I'll burn these three incense sticks for you, as a farewell. Rest in peace."
He rose and walked toward the base of the world tree.
He wasn't sure what this thing really was, but since Li Hao had spoken so emphatically, he decided to err on the side of caution and abandon the idea of eating the fish.
If he hadn't known, he would have eaten it without hesitation. But after Li Hao's words, the fish was clearly off the menu.
Soon, six hours had passed.
Chen Jiang sat beneath the roots of the world tree, gazing at the two random item chests before him.
These were two-star item chests, rewards he had earned during the "Ten-Thousand-Meter Vine" event.
When he first obtained them, a notification had warned him that the chests could only be opened after a six-hour waiting period.
Now, that time had passed.
The first chest quickly opened.
[Item Name: Body-Shaping Belt]
[Item Star: Two-Star Item]
[Item Details: This is a belt—yes, the most ordinary kind, practically devoid of any embellishments.]
[Item Effect: When worn, this belt prevents any changes to your physique, regardless of how much you eat. If you're overweight, it can also rapidly slim you down.]
[Item Description: "In the world of the slender, even being fat is a sin." — A crow among swans, from some distant planet.]
"This item?"
Chen Jiang frowned slightly as he studied the item description panel. To be honest, he didn't think this item deserved a two-star rating.
No matter how he looked at it, neither its ability to prevent size changes nor its ability to make fat people lose weight quickly seemed particularly impressive.
Not only did it offer no combat advantage, but it also lacked any practical applications.
Unlike the Gentleman's Cane, which, while also not directly enhancing combat power, could produce remarkable effects in specific situations!
Especially considering that items drawn from two-star random item chests in the Ten Thousand Races Arena were supposed to be unique.
For such a unique item to turn out to be this... frankly, it was rather disappointing.
But then, a thought suddenly struck him.
If things were as he suspected—if the creation of items and innate abilities in the Ten Thousand Races Arena was entirely random and uncontrollable, and if, after the Arena concluded, some of these abilities and items were stripped away from their owners like ripe fruit falling from the sky—
Then this item... it would probably be quite valuable in the outside world.
Within the Ten Thousand Races Arena, an item that offered no combat power or special effects would indeed be considered useless. However, in the outside world, such a weight loss artifact could fetch a high price.
Of course, this assumed that the outside world actually existed.
Chen Jiang nodded thoughtfully, stowing the item in his pocket before turning his attention to the second two-star item random chest.
[Item Name]: Blue Jade Thumb Ring
[Item Star]: Two-Star Item
[Item Effect]: When worn, this ring grants immunity to fear. Under any circumstances, you can maintain perfect rationality and remain unshaken by external influences.
Additionally, you can perceive the thoughts and emotions of others within the past ten seconds.
[Item Restriction]: Mind-reading can only be used once every 24 hours.
[Item Description]: "Gazing into the human heart inevitably evokes fear. This ring's immunity to fear is a necessary safeguard."
"Gazing into the human heart?"
Chen Jiang raised an eyebrow and slipped the Blue Jade Thumb Ring onto his right thumb.
Hmm, the size is just right.
Perfect.
It looks like it was custom-made for him.
(End of the Chapter)
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