CHAPTER 132: CHAPTER 127: TURMOIL! THE VANISHING BLACK DEMON

The massive metal chains clattered as they were drawn taut by turning gears. Accompanied by the rhythmic meshing of teeth, an immense force lifted the heavy metal gate. As the doors slowly parted, a hazy light spilled from the crack, revealing a color unique to the outer districts—a faded, worn-out yellow.

The moment the gate swung fully open, a pungent stench of decay and rot washed over them. This was Chen Pingchuan’s first time entering the City of No Night through its main gate. After all, in both reality and the simulators, he had always snuck in through secret passages.

"All of you better sit tight! If you fall out, don’t expect me to stop and save you."

"If that happens, you’ll just turn into a lump of shit squeezed out of a Black Demon’s ass."

The man’s coarse voice was wild, and his words were grating. However, knowing they had to yield to the circumstances, Chen Pingchuan, Liu Haofeng, and the others chose to endure it for the time being.

Indeed, the six-person team had boarded the off-road convoy heading to the Energy Crystal mine. The day before, Ye Luo’s sudden appearance had been unexpected, creating a moment of brief awkwardness, but no melodramatic soap-opera scene ensued. After the little girl carefully explained everything, Ye Luo realized it was all just a misunderstanding. Chen Pingchuan hadn’t known she was the little girl’s sister. Thinking about how she had secretly mocked him, assuming he was just another lustful scoundrel, Ye Luo felt a wave of shame.

Of course, after a hearty dinner, the three of them grew much closer. Ye Luo told Chen Pingchuan that their previous deal was just a joke and that she wouldn’t charge him for such a trivial favor. Chen Pingchuan offered no comment. Upon parting, he handed his backpack to Ye Luo, telling her not to open it until she got home. Ye Luo took it, never imagining it was full of money—after all, what normal person stuffs a backpack full of cash?

Feng Jiaqi paid the exchange no mind. During the meal, Ye Luo herself had stated that their relationship was merely a transaction. Even with the new bond formed through her sister, it couldn’t progress any further.

After returning to her small, cramped home, Ye Luo opened the backpack and found it stuffed with money and a note.

"Accepting the kindness of others is also a form of self-redemption."

The sentence seemed baffling at first, but an intelligent girl like Ye Luo instantly grasped Chen Pingchuan’s deeper meaning. It troubled her so much that she barely slept that night.

The next day, the six of them gathered on the training field and met their instructor. It was just as Liu Haofeng had said—there wasn’t just one person. To be precise, there wasn’t just one vehicle!

It was an entire convoy, armed to the teeth. Before departure, Feng Jiaqi and Ye Luo were assigned to an off-road vehicle driven by a female officer, while Chen Pingchuan and Liu Haofeng’s group were placed in a vehicle with a rugged-looking man with a large beard. Judging a book by its cover might be wrong, but analyzing a person’s character by their appearance was often surprisingly accurate.

"AH... AH... ACHOO!"

"You little rascals, are you talking trash about me behind my back?"

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gearshift, Big Beard loudly questioned them without turning around, a hint of suspicion on his rugged face.

Chen Pingchuan’s expression was grim, and he remained silent. Liu Haofeng looked just as livid; after all, he had vehemently opposed this choice yesterday. Unfortunately, the circumstances were beyond his control, and he had been forced to compromise. Now, karma was biting back. When had he ever been so directly berated?

While those two kept quiet, the other two underlings couldn’t handle the pressure from the large man. Plastering obsequious smiles on their faces, Zhang Lei spoke up first.

"No way, Brother Jie! We’ll be counting on you to look out for us on the road ahead. How could we possibly curse you? We wouldn’t have enough time to sing your praises!"

"Oh, right! My father is the supervisor in charge of resource distribution in the City of No Night. He has a few bottles of fine liquor stashed at home. When this mission is over, I’ll sneak some out as a gift to show my respect."

Hearing this, Big Beard stroked his beard and said hesitantly, "Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?"

"It’s perfect! Fine wine is for great men. Giving that liquor to my dad would be a total waste. Only a true hero like you is worthy of it."

It had to be said, flattery works wonders. Big Beard thoroughly enjoyed Zhang Lei’s sycophancy, and his tone softened.

"You’re alright, kid. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to take good care of you on this mission."

"As for the others..."

Big Beard paused for a moment, let out a short "Hmph," and said no more.

Li Qiang, sitting next to Zhang Lei, grew anxious. He too forced a fawning smile and asked, "Brother Jie, could you look out for me too?"

"What does your father do?"

"He runs a restaurant."

"Oh. Then I can’t look out for you."

Hearing Big Beard Wang Yujie’s words, Li Qiang instantly deflated.

The group’s chatter was nothing more than meaningless banter. This was a result of the oppressive atmosphere. Twenty minutes had passed since they left the City of No Night, and aside from the sound of tires crunching on stones, the outer district was like a forbidden zone of life, utterly devoid of human presence. There wasn’t even the chirp of an insect or the call of a bird.

Chen Pingchuan watched the rapidly retreating streetscape. The outer district before him had undergone a world-shattering transformation from the one in his memory. The once-bustling old streets had turned desolate. Scrapped cars littered both sides of the road. Storefronts were shattered, their windows coated in dust and cobwebs, and the merchandise within had been plundered long ago.

Suddenly, a beastly roar echoed from between the ruined walls, sending a chill down the students’ spines.

"Bro-Brother Jie, what was that sound just now?"

Wang Yujie’s expression grew solemn. Although he often enjoyed scaring newcomers, today’s atmosphere was undeniably unusual.

What people call Black Demons, I prefer to call them Night Fiends. These creatures sleep during the day and run wild at night, just like the night owls from my past life. But when they hear a sound, they’ll track the scent like a dog. Though they can’t match a car’s speed, they will still give chase for a while. But why is it so quiet today? This is definitely not normal.

"Big Beard, check behind your vehicle. See if any Black Demons are following," a woman’s voice crackled through the SUV’s intercom.

Wang Yujie glanced at the rearview mirror, his usual joking demeanor gone. "Reporting, nothing to see. No Black Demons trailing us."

"Nightingale, copy. Stay alert. Something’s not right today."

"Got it, Boss. Big Beard understands."

After replying on the intercom, Wang Yujie genuinely shed his casual attitude, his expression turning serious. While driving, he continuously scanned both sides of the road for any movement.

At that very moment, not too far from the convoy, a colossal Black Demon over ten meters tall stood atop a nine-story building, watching them. It was surrounded by a dense, innumerable swarm of elite Black Demons.

In the outer districts, nine stories was the maximum height for any building.