Chapter 245: When Did Our Country’s Chosen One Get Replaced?!
The tamed crows were fairly obedient, quietly resting on the back seat of the off-road vehicle.
According to the old witch, you mustn’t let the crows get too hungry—otherwise they’ll lose their fighting strength. But you also can’t let them get too full, or they’ll have no interest in fighting at all.
The fact that you can obtain crows as companions in this stage suggests that what lies ahead will be significantly more difficult. It’s no longer something an ordinary “Chosen One” can handle, which is why the strange world provides this kind of hint.
If someone fails to truly understand the rules here and merely follows them to avoid the crows, then the difficulty of the next stage will spike dramatically.
How to effectively make use of these crows to overcome challenges—that’s what the Chosen Ones need to figure out. It’s also a major headache for most of the top-tier players right now.
“Most,” because Zhang Yangqing can’t be bothered to think about it.
He didn’t tell the one-eyed boy about the existence of rules, but he did share his general plan: if they encounter an insect outbreak or other dangers, find a way to use the crows to deal with it.
After all, the rules say crows can handle insects—but they never said they can’t be used against humans.
And these creatures are no joke. Even among fierce ghosts, they rank near the top in combat ability.
Since disinfectant is running low and there’s currently no way to restock it, it needs to be used sparingly.
Tonight, Zhang Yangqing even feels that with the crows around, they might not need to use disinfectant at all.
The one-eyed boy is careful and capable enough—so let him handle the complicated stuff. Zhang Yangqing can just sleep peacefully.
——-
It’s now 1:30 a.m.
The Chosen Ones lean back in their seats, having survived yet another day in this bizarre and torturous world. Deep down, they all share the same thought:
“It’s good just to be alive.”
Before resting, Gregori gets out of the car and carefully inspects the surroundings, circling the vehicle to make sure there’s no danger. Only after confirming everything is safe does he get back in.
He locks the doors, sets an alarm, and prepares to sleep. After all, only by resting well can he improve his chances of surviving tomorrow.
But the moment he breathes or opens his mouth, that nauseating stench assaults his senses. It churns his stomach, making him feel like he’s about to vomit.
And the thought of that massive egg still inside his stomach makes him toss and turn restlessly.
He can’t help but wonder—what if the egg hatches into a crow? Would it crawl out of his mouth?
That might not even be the worst case. What if it stays inside him, feeding on his internal organs?
The more he thinks about it, the more disturbed he becomes.
High-level instances of this strange world are always pure torment.
“I really can’t understand how the Celestial Master from Dragon Country enjoys coming here again and again,” Gregori mutters.
After entering this world twice in a row, he already feels like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Anyone who hasn’t experienced it simply can’t understand. During the day, you must remain constantly alert—one small mistake could mean death.
Your nerves are stretched to the limit as you memorize every detail, piece together rules, and connect bits of information. It demands enormous mental energy.
At night, even sleep is shallow—you need to wake up at the slightest disturbance.
Most survivors wouldn’t dare enter this world twice in a row—they need time to recover.
Gregori only managed it because of his superior physical condition as a superhuman. But no matter what, he swears he’s not coming back for a third time.
He genuinely admires how the Celestial Master from Dragon Country can keep entering without breaking down.
If Zhang Yangqing heard that, he’d probably say:
“Is it possible… I’m just playing?”
To him, life in this strange world is far simpler than life at Longhu Mountain.
As the number of disciples there grows and the temple flourishes, so do his responsibilities. That’s exactly why he “escaped” here in the first place.
While other superhumans suffer in this world, he’s practically on vacation.
Even the Pope has a mountain of daily work—reviewing reports from bishops across regions, dealing with resource allocation headaches, and personally baptizing new recruits.
Being the leader of a major force is no easy task.
Of course, if given the choice, the Pope would rather stay in the Vatican doing paperwork than enter this nightmare world.
He’s been doing those tasks for decades—they’re second nature to him.
This world, on the other hand, constantly humiliates its participants. He wouldn’t want his followers to see him at his worst.
At this point, a saying has proven true:
Even those who’ve never entered this world know how strong Zhang Yangqing is.
But only those who’ve entered multiple times truly understand just how absurdly powerful he is.
On the surface, it looks like everyone is competing here for resources.
But in reality—how many actually manage to get them?
The “Prison Town” stage isn’t particularly difficult—but you have to choose the right path.
Those who chose wrong, like two other top-tier players, are still driving in the middle of the night, constantly dodging danger.
At night, massive and bizarre creatures appear.
Fortunately, the smell of disinfectant in their car keeps mutated insects from attacking them. Instead, those creatures destroy the roads ahead.
The two drivers keep turning the wheel, racing across fields, leaping over broken terrain, pushing forward nonstop.
It’s basically a horror-version of Fast & Furious.
If they make it to Prison Town alive by morning, they can consider themselves lucky.
After seeing the rules for Plague Town, they didn’t even dare to enter.
Out of eight rules, three guarantee death, four involve the arrival of horrors, and only one offers a chance of escape.
Anyone with a brain would realize—they picked the wrong route.
Overall, casualties among the top-tier players remain low. These are ruthless and exceptionally capable individuals.
But the second tier has suffered heavy losses—out of over 110 players, 53 have already died, and 20 are injured to varying degrees.
The third tier has also begun to experience incidents—internal conflict at the rehabilitation center.
Twelve players have died due to fights caused by food shortages.
If they don’t leave by tomorrow, things will only get worse.
Aside from the two still racing through the night, almost all surviving players are now resting—wondering what horrors tomorrow will bring.
As for the dead… they no longer need to worry about such things.
The next morning, between 8:00 and 9:00, the Chosen Ones gradually wake up.
Second-tier players search for usable vehicles, while top-tier players are already back on the road.
The gates of Prison Town open at 8:00. As long as they have a pass, the inspectors don’t make things difficult.
The sooner they reach the next destination and learn its rules, the better their chances of survival.
In places without rules, you’re truly on your own.
At this hour, most players are driving carefully.
Only Zhang Yangqing is still asleep.
He wakes up briefly in the morning to stop the car, take his medicine, eat breakfast—and then goes right back to sleep in the passenger seat.
As for feeding the crows and driving? That’s all left to the one-eyed boy.
Zhang Yangqing acts like a completely hands-off boss.
Compared to his laid-back attitude, the one-eyed boy’s cautious, focused demeanor makes him look far more like the actual Chosen One.
Some viewers have started to notice this—but they’re not entirely sure yet.
The boy studies the map seriously. Everything other players have, he has too. All the information they’ve gathered—Zhang Yangqing has shared it with him.
Honestly, if someone just tuned into Dragon Country’s broadcast for the first time, they might think the one-eyed boy is the Chosen One… and the lazy guy beside him is just a local NPC.
Does the boy feel resentful about being worked this hard?
Not at all.
First, he wouldn’t dare complain—one wrong word, and Zhang Yangqing might toss him out of the car.
Second, he understands cooperation. Zhang Yangqing handled most of the danger earlier, so it’s only fair that he contributes now.
Compared to his previous teammates—who were basically carried the whole way—the one-eyed boy actually feels involved this time.
——-
Around noon, the one-eyed boy suddenly stops the car.
“What is it?” Zhang Yangqing asks, having just woken up.
“The bridge.”
The boy points ahead.
He means that the bridge looks dangerous, and he wants to go check it out. But since Zhang Yangqing is extremely perceptive, a single word is enough.
Zhang Yangqing nods.
The boy gets out of the car with two crows perched on his shoulders and heads toward the bridge.
The bridge stretches 1,500 meters across a wide river.
Below, the water churns violently—murky and filthy.
If you look closely, you’ll see unidentifiable objects floating in it—possibly human corpses, or animal remains.
Industrial waste and kitchen garbage are constantly being dumped into the river.
If you scooped up a handful and drank it, it would feel like the entire periodic table was raging inside your mouth.
If you somehow survived, you’d probably develop incredible immunity.
If this place were the main battlefield, the warriors of A-San Country would probably volunteer eagerly.
Some viewers from that country are already bragging about how they’d dare to swim in it.
If their Chosen One heard that, he’d probably throw them in himself.
Anyone with common sense knows—jumping in means certain death.
The danger isn’t just below the bridge—it’s everywhere.
Once a major transportation route between cities, it’s now a battlefield.
Burnt-out vehicles litter the surface. Some sections are charred black.
The path forward is narrow—as if deliberately left open.
Like a trap.
Anyone passing through might be ambushed by lurking humans… or something worse.
This isn’t paranoia. This is the strange world—and there are no rules here.
The one-eyed boy removes his mask and smells the air—burning gasoline, mixed with metal and paint.
A truck lies overturned at the edge, still smoldering.
Nearby, a car has flipped over, its windows shattered. Inside are rotting bones and chunks of flesh, as if someone tried to crawl out but failed.
There are also remains of strange creatures—some unrecognizable.
One resembles the mutated insect seen in the underground parking lot, its head blown apart, only a twisted wing remaining.
Parts of the bridge have even collapsed—falling means plunging straight into that toxic river.
Everything here screams danger.
Driving across directly is clearly impossible.
The boy continues observing carefully.
“If there were only human corpses, it would suggest mutated insects are hiding here… but there are insect corpses too. That’s strange.”
That’s his inner thought.
After studying Zhang Yangqing’s methods and observing the environment, he reaches the same conclusion as others:
Something terrifying is lurking here—something that attacks anyone who tries to cross.
Armed with a steel rod and a bottle of disinfectant, he begins his exploration—just like a true Chosen One.
He considers other options.
He could cross the river—but that would mean abandoning the car. And how would he continue afterward?
Carrying supplies on foot would exhaust him.
The map only shows this route to the new hospital. Searching for alternatives risks running out of food.
So despite the danger, he must investigate.
Ideally, the stronger partner should go.
But he’s the kind of person who endures quietly—he feels he should contribute too.
Besides, with all the tools he has, failing here would make him seem useless.
And there’s no way he’d dare order Zhang Yangqing around.
He puts on his mask.
One crow stands on his head, keeping watch. The other circles above, ready to signal danger.
And just like that, he steps into the hazardous zone—just like the other Chosen Ones.
At that moment, viewers in Dragon Country—just waking up and tuning in—are stunned.
Wait a second…
When did our Chosen One get replaced?!
