「Fourth Ring.」

Bai Yuetong turned her head to look at the smoke giant and the black horse in the sky, her expression solemn.

Lu Mengna's information wasn't wrong—the Black Tide had indeed arrived!

"Sister Na, since you're an Exotic Species, I can't take you to the Third Ring, so you'll have to find a place to hide for now. Once this blows over, I'll come find you again!"

The red, phantom-like Lu Mengna nodded at Dumb Hair and quickly flew into a cluster of buildings to hide. Being an incorporeal Specter Species, surviving in the chaotic Fourth Ring was relatively easy for her.

After ensuring Lu Mengna's safety, Bai Yuetong began to liaise with the Third Wall's Wall Guardians.

"Hello, my name is Bai Yuetong. I am applying to enter the Wall in the capacity of an Alliance Mecha Armament Design Engineer."

The Wall Guardian, looking at the very young Dumb Hair, subconsciously wanted to dismiss it as nonsense, but seeing Bai Yuetong's focused eyes, he restrained himself.

"There's currently an overflow of requests to enter the Wall. Please wait a moment."

"Okay."

Before long, the Wall Guardian hurried out and bowed respectfully to Bai Yuetong. "Dr. Bai Yuetong, you may now enter the Wall. However, they..."

"They are my research team and extremely important, so I must take them with me into the Wall. My highest clearance allows for 50 people—there shouldn't be 50 people here, right?"

Bai Yuetong was very assertive at this point, and though the Wall Guardian wanted to argue, he ultimately gave up.

"Alright. Would you like to enter the Wall now?"

Bai Yuetong checked the time, then glanced back at the chaotic scene of the Fourth Ring.

"Wait a bit longer. One of my researchers has gone missing and hasn't arrived yet."

"Please hurry. You're surely aware of the current situation in the Fourth Ring. We don't mean to make things difficult for you, but we also hope Dr. Bai Yuetong won't make our job harder."

The Wall Guardian had been quite clear, but it seemed Bai Yuetong hadn't grasped his point. Or rather, she had, but she didn't want to act according to what the Wall Guardian had said.

"Just do your job."

The Wall Guardian's face soured. He knew that research personnel were often insensitive, but there's a time and place for insensitivity, right? It's just one researcher. Abandon them if you must. Why wait here? This is absurd.

The conversation between the Wall Guardian and Bai Yuetong was overheard by some members of Circle Studio. Especially the new members who had joined since the cataclysm in the Fourth Ring. Upon learning Bai Yuetong had direct authority to enter the Wall, their ambitions were piqued. The Inner Ring! A place they had never been to! The Inner Ring signified wealth and power—it was a place all people from the Fourth Ring aspired to. During moments of crisis, the Inner Ring also meant safety.

"Sister Bai, what should we do now? Shall we enter the Wall?"

"Wait for Zhou Kai," Bai Yuetong said, her expression slightly cold.

"With the current situation, how long do we wait?" another person couldn't help but ask.

His question sparked a change in many people's hearts. It wasn't entirely their fault; the sky-blotting smoke giant and the colossal form of the Nightmare Demon had delivered too great a shock. Moreover, when these ordinary individuals looked at the Nightmare Demon, their mental states would rapidly become unstable, even leading to hallucinations.

Seeing their reaction, Bai Yuetong felt somewhat uncomfortable. Human nature is selfish, she could understand that. But sometimes, people needed to have a bottom line. Once that bottom line was lost, there was no difference between a person and a beast.

"I will decide how long we wait. No need for your reminders."

Seeing that Bai Yuetong seemed somewhat displeased, the others fell silent.

They were displeased and anxious, but wasn't she feeling the same? Lu Luo was absent, Gu Fangyi was absent, Zhou Kai was absent, and even Qi Xinzhu was nowhere to be found. Now, she had to take responsibility for the people of Circle Studio on her own. Zhou Kai was Lu Luo's good friend, so no matter what, she didn't want to abandon him.

She took out her phone again and dialed Zhou Kai's number. The first two calls had gone unanswered, but this time, she got through.

The call connected. "Where have you run off to, Zhou Kai?" Bai Yuetong roared.

However, what came from the other side were the sounds of explosions and gunfire. Once the gunfire ceased, Zhou Kai's voice came through, "I killed more than 80 Exotic Species! Fuck, I've never killed so many before. Can you stop rushing me? This is so tough!"

"Is that so? Then you... be careful."

Bai Yuetong had originally wanted to urge Zhou Kai to hurry, but after thinking it over, she chose to remind him to be careful instead.

Dumb Hair, that girl, still has some humanity in her; she didn't rush me! Zhou Kai carefully put the phone back into his pocket. His left hand was a bloody mess, and the branches of his right hand were also charred. In such a state, it was all too easy to accidentally smash the phone, and then he would have no way to contact Dumb Hair.

CLICK! CLICK!

The repeater rifle was reloaded. Zhou Kai looked at the Third Tier misshapen Exotic Species blocking his path.

His heart hardened. When narrow paths cross, the brave prevail! Even a luckless fool will eventually get lucky! I'm going to break through! This time, charge!

「In the sky.」

Ludie had already been battling the Nightmare Demon for quite some time. The previously white clouds had turned completely red—all of it Ludie's blood. Normally, he wouldn't have that much blood. But Ludie was clever; he mixed his blood with the mist and then blended in a large amount of Qi He to create vast red mists. Because his own blood was mingled in, to some extent, his control over the red mist could reach a higher level. That was how he had the means to contend with the Nightmare Demon.

A Catastrophe was ultimately a Catastrophe; it was too powerful. Every second he confronted the Nightmare Demon, Ludie felt as if he were undergoing a trial of the soul.

"Have you thought about it being your child?"

"Have you thought about its gender?"

"Have you thought about how Qiu Guling feels when you battle it?"

"Have you thought about seeing Qiu Guling again?"

"Have you thought about whether Qiu Guling would be sad if you died?"

These strangely unsettling questions appeared in Ludie's mind, continuously disturbing his thoughts. Sometimes, it even led to him being distracted during combat. Fortunately, Ludie's willpower was incredibly strong. He knew these were thoughts he had had before, and he knew it was abnormal for them to be emerging now. But he was not swayed by these thoughts to abandon his confrontation with the Nightmare Demon. This time, he would not compromise again!

Elsewhere, the Netherflame surrounding the Nightmare Demon began to disperse Ludie's fog. The Nightmare Demon gazed at Ludie, letting out a dull roar.

"No one from the Inner Ring will come. How much longer do you think you can hold out?"

"I can probably last until the moment you fall."

"If you surrender now, you'll have a chance to see my mother."

Although the Nightmare Demon's words were delivered calmly, they had a significant impact on Ludie's soul. It had to be said, Ludie was tempted. He really wanted to see Qiu Guling again, very dearly.

Ludie's gaze gradually became hazy, a touch of purple lighting up within his pupils. The Nightmare Power seeped into his spirit, and he began to drift slowly towards the Nightmare Demon. The corners of the Nightmare Demon's mouth turned up slightly, but very soon, it couldn't smile anymore.

Perhaps it was because he was close enough, or maybe it was because the surrounding blood mist was getting thicker. The red fog, like thick blood plasma, began to congeal upon the Nightmare Demon. The clash between the Netherflame and the red fog became increasingly violent, more and more entwined. The Nightmare Demon twisted its body, but the strength of the red mist seemed far greater than it had imagined.

"What exactly is this?"

When the Nightmare Demon looked at Ludie again, it found Ludie staring intently at it. That kind of look... should it be called affection? What was Ludie longing for? The Nightmare Demon couldn't figure it out. However, it could be certain that the purple in Ludie's eyes had completely vanished.

"You weren't controlled by the Nightmare Power?"

Ludie shook his head. "The effect of the Nightmare Power is to warp the minds of others. But have you ever considered that in these seven years, my mind might have been warped countless times, to the extreme? I am not insane simply because I do not wish to be insane."

Standing in the clouds, Ludie took a deep breath, brought his hands together, and blood began to overflow from the corners of his mouth. "Aside from Qiu Guling, I have never exposed my Sequence in front of anyone else! From your long battle with me, and your lack of any prepared defenses, Qiu Guling must not have informed you about my Sequence either."

A massive Netherflame outbreak erupted on the Nightmare Demon's body; it seemed to pay little heed to the concept of Sequence Force. "What difference does it make whether I know or not? Even if it's a Grade S Sequence, if it's not developed to its pinnacle, it has no significance to me."

Ludie nodded, smiling. "Is that so? But my Sequence is called 'Capacity'!"

Sequence A-3-Capacity

Effect 1 - Energy Extraction: Drawing "energy" from non-living things while retaining the object's original properties after the "energy" has been extracted.

Effect 2 - Energy Storage: The ability to store "energy" within oneself, the total capacity determined by Constitution*100*age.

Effect 3 - Energy Infusion: Inject any amount of "energy" into an object, initiating particle fission.

Description: Infuse oneself to gain strength; infuse into the enemy, destroy paradise.

The Nightmare Demon stared at Ludie as massive amounts of Netherflame burst forth from its eyes, nostrils, and mouth. This Netherflame was clearly much stronger than before, easily tearing through the blood fog Ludie had laid down. But at this point, Ludie no longer cared about the Nightmare Demon's actions. He extended his fingers, his gaze firmer than ever before.

"From the moment of my failure, to the moment I returned behind the Wall, I never again used my Sequence. Every moment I was extracting and storing energy, constantly preparing. Preparing for the time I would meet an antagonist I couldn't stand against, to have a way to fight back! I originally thought this move would be used against some big shot in the Inner Ring. But I didn't expect them to be so ruthless! To drive a Seventh Tier to death, they would employ so many tactics, even at the sacrifice of the entire East Ring! I can't be as ruthless as they are, so this move can only be used here. I'm sorry. I am human!"

Energy Infusion—Blood Burst.

BOOM!

A sea of red fog completely obscured the view as Netherflame and blood fog spread across the sky, entwining, gradually extending to every corner of the world. The moon, once pure white, had turned completely red.

No one knew what had become of the Nightmare Demon and Ludie. But looking at the colossal breach in the Wall of Explorers, many could guess what would happen to the Fourth Ring next.

...

Dodging the harpies in the corridor, Lu Luo returned to the hall. After some simple probing, Lu Luo was almost certain that the Red and White Castle was likely divided into three types of zones.

Safe zones, where no one minds what you do as long as you don't cause trouble, like the dining hall. Warning zones, where patrolling security might appear after you enter to warn you. Danger zones, where you'd be attacked by guards if you entered rashly, though using Netherflame could grant you a safe identity. Of course, this safe identity only worked on the dumber or lower-level Exotic Species. I haven't tried it in front of a Lord-level being, and I don't want to; that would be too risky. Safe zones are safe, warning zones have risks, and danger zones offer rewards. This must be one of the hidden game rules of the Red and White Castle. How to safely enter danger zones and reap benefits from them would require a lot of thought and trial. But fortunately, I have a cheat; it's not a big problem.

Only six and a half hours left until 9 o'clock; I need to speed up.

By now, the dining hall was empty. Lu Luo walked up the stairs between the first and second floors, contemplating his earlier judgment. Why would a castle, built with so much effort and so many intricately designed traps, be abandoned? With the Nightmare Demon's power and its rapid rise, becoming a top-tier Exotic Species Monarch like Noah wouldn't be a problem at all. I even feel that the Nightmare Demon's potential far surpasses that of Noah and Stonemother. It only took a little over seven years from its birth to its Awakening, and then to becoming a regional overlord. Seven years to turn a nebulous aberration into an Eighth Order Catastrophe. That definitely requires great ambition and drive. So, what exactly is the Nightmare Demon's ambition?

"Lacking information, I can't yet determine the purpose of this hazy ceremony conducted by the Nightmare Demon! World destruction and all that? None of my business! I'm here to save Xinzhu; let the big shots from the Inner Ring handle saving the world!"

Maintaining his optimistic mood, Lu Luo arrived at the stairway junction on the second floor, which led to two vastly different doors. To the left was a door representing a fusion of mechanization and handcrafted wood, exuding a sense of ancient style mixed with cyberpunk. On the right was a sliding bookshelf door, a hybrid of magical bookshelves and sliding doors.

If it's the witch, it should be this way, towards the bookshelf!

As Lu Luo approached, the clock next to the bookshelf suddenly popped out a parrot, which pointed at the bookshelf.

"If you want to enter, answer a question from Miss Ellie first."

Miss Ellie? Ling Jia did say the witch's name was Ellie. A witch... should be a pretty young lady wearing a hood, right?

The bookshelf held many notes of different colors. Lu Luo casually took a pink note, which had some sloppy handwriting on it.

[Pink, such an ambiguous color.]

[If, on a stormy evening, you see a helpless, beautiful girl sitting on a school playground bench, getting drenched in the rain, what would you do?

A: Take off your clothes to shield her from the rain.

B: Bring her an umbrella.

C: Do nothing and just leave.]

Heh, what a moronic question. Typically, only women who've had too much of that sentimental "chicken soup for the soul" stuff could come up with something like this. This is the time to strike hard and show what a real man is made of.

Lu Luo immediately picked up a pen and paper from the shelf and wrote crookedly under the note:

[D: I would call Gu Fang, Brother Kai, Dumb Hair, and Xinzhu over. Then I'd bet them 10 bucks that this woman is actually an Exotic Species.]

After writing it, Lu Luo put the note back.

The nearby parrot let out a few strange SQUAWKS, then took two pieces of candy out of its nest. "Your answer is interesting. Miss Ellie will like it. Here's a reward of two pieces of candy for you."

Lu Luo took the candies offered by the parrot. They were wrapped in colorful paper, one red and one yellow, bright and shiny.

[Witch's Candy - Red]

Grade: Rare

Effect: After eating, your Strength +1.

Description: You cannot eat more than 99 candies. You can exchange them for something with the witch.

[Witch's Candy - Yellow]

Grade: Rare

Effect: After eating, your Constitution +1.

Description: You cannot eat more than 99 candies. You can exchange them for something with the witch.

The stats on these candies are pretty potent! If the witch's rewards are all this good, what about Ling Jia's?

This definitely isn't the time to eat these candies. Holding them, he walked into the room on the right side of the second floor.

After winding through a long corridor, Lu Luo arrived at the so-called witch's room. This place could be considered a massive library. The room was very tall and filled with floating books, brooms, and assorted items.

Lu Luo's arrival caught the attention of others in the room, including many of the groom candidates who were present. What struck Lu Luo the most were the two Fourth Tier victors. I remember one of them was named Duorang; I don't know the other one's name yet.

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