CHAPTER 1006: CHAPTER 524: DREAM OF DEVOURING FECES

It wasn’t until Rod stepped into the firelight of the garrison that the tense atmosphere finally eased a bit.

Three bishops approached with lanterns and Curse-breaking Stones to check if his soul had been polluted or distorted.

This was a step only taken in extremely dangerous areas to ensure the worst-case scenario wouldn’t occur.

Rod naturally wasn’t polluted; his soul showed absolute purity during the examination.

Mephit did not undergo the check, as her soul was heavily cursed, rendering any test inaccurate.

If not for Rod’s guarantee, a person like her would never be allowed in the team.

After passing the check, Rod took off the lantern from his waist, and someone immediately came to refill the Fuel Element, while another handed over clean water and steaming hot food.

—In such expeditions, the importance of food and water is second only to lanterns and Fuel Elements.

Rod was indeed thirsty. He took a big gulp of water, and bit into a fresh roasted steak, the lusciously greasy aroma of the meat instantly reminding him of the meaning of life.

After devouring the steak in two bites, he asked for another and handed it to Mephit.

Then, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Rod informed them that the mission was successful, and the designated area had been cleared by him and Mephit.

Only then did a hint of brightness appear on their faces.

The warriors began to shout in unison: "Black Cauldron!"

Even the scholars joined in.

This was one of the few pieces of good news amid countless bad ones, so Rod didn’t interrupt, and could reap another wave of humanity.

—Mephit’s consumption made him pay a bit more attention in this aspect.

Next was a short rest.

Rod closed his eyes and lay in the Dream Realm chair, where dreamless sleep could significantly accelerate soul recovery.

And the Twelfth Star [Blood Contract Revival] could vastly eliminate physical fatigue, and the Second Star [Frost Blue] could swiftly restore Spiritual Energy; under the combined effect of these three, Rod’s recovery speed was nearly inhuman.

In this expeditionary team, no one’s recovery was faster than his.

Because of this, his combat efficiency surpassed anyone’s, second only to Moonlight Knight Olivia.

It’s worth mentioning that regardless of Rod’s high-intensity efficiency, Mephit could keep up.

Though she mostly used only ice and consumed far less than Rod, just being able to keep up with Rod made her exceptional.

During Rod’s resting period, others were not idle.

Professor Bins and Professor Barrett organized another operation, leading half the scholars and all the research personnel, protected by dozens of high-ranking combatants, carrying various instruments, to survey the areas Rod had cleared.

Exploring and researching Sagus City was extremely important.

The Black Fog originated in the Second Epoch, and if they could figure out how it appeared, maybe they could find a way to eradicate it completely.

Three clock hours later.

Rod opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, mentally active, and full of Spiritual Energy.

"Very well, let’s begin the next phase of cleaning."

Rod thought.

Approaching the center Fog Disk, on it lay a miniature Sagus City, partitioned into numerous areas in various colors by Olivia.

Most of them were either black or red, indicating dangerous areas, with the darker shades being more perilous. The relatively safe areas were gray, and the cleared ones were white.

His gaze wandered through each area.

Each area would be stared at for a few seconds so that Star Square could display the divinity that could be obtained after clearing it.

Rod would assess the area’s value based on the amount of divinity.

This feature was incredibly convenient, as it could help him find the areas with the most divinity and the least danger.

Such areas usually had a tremendous impact on them and should be prioritized for cleaning.

As for the tough nuts to crack, those were left for Olivia.

Of course, Star Square wasn’t always infallible; sometimes, it wouldn’t show specific numbers but would use vague terms like "a lot," "quite a lot," "an enormous amount" to indicate the amount of divinity available.

Whenever faced with such moments, Rod could only rely on intuition to judge.

And now, it was time to use "intuition."

Rod looked at the three areas labeled "an enormous amount" and fell silent.

Each area was so black it was red, marked with special symbols indicating extremely powerful monsters existing there.

Olivia had told them that unless a powerful force was assembled, they should not attempt it lightly.

Rod was very hesitant; although he was extremely strong now, it wasn’t enough to walk unchallenged through Sagus City.

Choosing these three areas could encounter unsolvable problems.

But selecting others, he was reluctant to let go of the words "an enormous amount."

It’s important to know that previously, Rod had only seen "a lot," and it was only after some adjacent areas were cleared that it turned into "an enormous amount."

Evidently, these three areas were currently the most crucial for them.

Amidst his hesitation, Ye Feng, Riegel, and Vito returned to the garrison on footlight.

After clearing the check, Riegel couldn’t help shouting; "We won! We exterminated all the monsters!"

Once again, cheers erupted, and everywhere people shouted:

"Iron Men!"

"White Mist!"

"The Unfading Shining Eyes! Krama’s Brain!"