Chapter 254: Just One or Two? Who Are You Kidding? I Want Them All!
To Zhang Yangqing, the small fries before him weren’t even worth recruiting.
They weren’t individuals mentioned in the rules, and if they couldn’t provide useful intel, then in Zhang Yangqing’s eyes, they were no different from dead men.
Letting them go would only invite future trouble; they might come back to cause a ruckus and disrupt his sleep.
Besides, this was the final stage. Zhang Yangqing didn’t even need anyone for menial tasks anymore.
So, for these people, there was no other path but death.
Whether they surrendered or resisted, the outcome was the same.
Zhang Yangqing’s method was just that simple and brutal.
Forcibly suppressing the blood threatening to surge up from his throat, Zhang Yangqing took a moment to catch his breath.
He glanced back. The one-eyed kid seemed relatively normal—after all, he had witnessed even more absurd scenes before.
Even if he was shocked speechless now, he managed to maintain a composed exterior.
The other four, however, looked as if they’d been frozen in place, utterly petrified.
They’d lived half their lives in this Nightmare World. What horror hadn’t they seen?
But someone as terrifyingly outrageous as Zhang Yangqing… this was a first.
Zhang Yangqing shot the one-eyed kid a look, prompting him to snap the others out of their daze.
If not for the swath of destruction before his eyes and the warmth of the glaring sun on his skin, Lone Wolf might have suspected he was still dreaming.
As for the three female nurses, they gazed at Zhang Yangqing with even more starry-eyed adoration.
Women are naturally drawn to powerful men, and this one was handsome to boot.
“You should be walking in front. Why are you standing behind me?”
Zhang Yangqing spoke to Lone Wolf, who was lingering behind him.
His eyes were full of exasperation.
Isn’t this your territory? How am I supposed to find my way if you don’t lead?
Lone Wolf chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head as he replied, “I was just worried I might be blocking your view, brother.”
That’s just how people in the Nightmare World were. The more overwhelming strength Zhang Yangqing displayed, the more humble and deferential they became.
Now, they didn’t even dare to walk in front of him. They even watched his expression before taking a step.
Deep down, they felt that if this big shot got upset, chopping them all down in an instant wouldn’t be a problem.
“Expertise lies in specialization. We still need you to lead the way here.”
Zhang Yangqing’s words made Lone Wolf feel as if bathed in a warm spring breeze.
It was like receiving approval from a deity; his face lit up with a pleased grin.
To be acknowledged by someone of Zhang Yangqing’s caliber—even with just a casual remark—was enough to make many people wake up laughing from their dreams.
This held true both in the Nightmare World and in reality.
This was exactly what Lone Wolf had been waiting to hear.
With you having my back, brother, I can stride forward without a worry.
If Zhang Yangqing didn’t also have a purple mark on his neck, Lone Wolf might have thought he hadn’t even been infected with the virus.
For this guy to be so formidable even while infected… Lone Wolf knew he was absolutely not someone to cross.
But having such a powerhouse in the team made him feel like there was nothing left to fear.
Eager to curry favor with Zhang Yangqing, Lone Wolf was now on high alert, diligently searching for the Wu Gan fruit.
Time had reached noon. The teams of other Chosen Ones had already returned to camp.
After all, a day or two of foraging for food was usually enough. There were no refrigerators here; some food wouldn’t keep for long.
Besides, other teams would go out looking for food tomorrow, too. There was no need to work themselves to death over it; it wasn’t like they were getting paid.
After lunch, the teammates of other Chosen Ones rested inside the temple, waiting for updates from other groups.
During this time, many Chosen Ones made excuses to slip away from the temple vicinity to search for the Wu Gan fruit.
Some Chosen Ones were simply too honest, or perhaps inexperienced, and hadn’t persuaded their teammates to join them.
In their minds, the Wu Gan fruit was something they needed. They couldn’t find a reason to ask others for help.
Zhang Yangqing was different. He thought: I know what these locals want. I’ll just tell them what they want to hear, paint a rosy picture, and they’ll gladly help out.
That was his recent strategy: turning his own problem into everyone’s problem.
This way, it looked like everyone was working together, but in reality, they were all helping him solve his own issue.
Deep within the dense forest, Zhang Yangqing’s team was slowly approaching the location of the Wu Gan fruit.
In this vast, boundless primeval forest, searching aimlessly for Wu Gan fruit was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Finding Wu Gan fruit required a certain technique.
Based on Zhang Yangqing’s experience, one just had to work backward from the information.
Does Wu Gan fruit attract mutated Bizarre Insects?
Then wouldn’t finding an area with a high concentration of mutated Bizarre Insects lead them to the fruit?
Much of the information could be interpreted this way.
A simple hint from Zhang Yangqing was all Lone Wolf needed to figure out a method.
He first discovered some corpses of mutated Bizarre Insects and deduced that the creatures might have fought over the Wu Gan fruit in this area.
“Alright, if we find a Wu Gan tree, don’t startle those things. Give me a bottle of disinfectant, and I’ll go retrieve the fruit.”
Lone Wolf began sharing his knowledge.
To humans, the Wu Gan fruit was just a bitter, unpalatable juice.
But to the mutated Bizarre Insects, it was like heavenly nectar—sweet and delicious.
There was a subtle piece of intel here, easy to miss.
Other Chosen Ones paid it little mind, but Zhang Yangqing seemed to file it away.
He always remembered these tidbits that seemed irrelevant on the surface but were actually connected.
As they navigated around towering trees, the number of mutated Bizarre Insect corpses increased.
Clearly, they had engaged in fierce battles for the right to the Wu Gan fruit.
Even before reaching the Wu Gan tree, Zhang Yangqing could hear the sounds of combat and the cracking of branches.
When they arrived at a sun-drenched clearing, the sight before them sent chills down many spines.
Three terrifying mutated Bizarre Insects stood in a tense, three-way standoff. Each constantly made threatening sounds to intimidate the others, but none were willing to back down.
These three behemoths faced off, frozen in a deadly stalemate.
On the ground was a monstrous Bullet Ant over three meters tall and five meters long. Its mandibles looked vicious; it was a carnivorous insect.
The Bizarre Bullet Ant was dark brown, with a triangular head and thorax and a bullet-shaped abdomen.
Its rear contained venom glands that secreted a potent toxin known as “Bullet Ant Venom.”
In the tree was an eerie white spider, unidentifiable and terrifying just to look at.
Its abdomen was grotesquely swollen, seemingly brimming with venom.
The eight eyes of the Bizarre Venomous Spider glinted with cunning cold light; any creature caught in its gaze would feel their skin crawl.
As for the Bizarre Hornet buzzing in the air, it hovered restlessly, searching for an opening to attack the other two insects.
This Bizarre Hornet was about two meters long, the stinger on its tail gleaming with a chilling light.
It seemed that even a scratch from that stinger would deliver a lethal dose of venom, killing a person on the spot.
The Bullet Ant looked relatively normal for a Bizarre type, but the other two were clearly mutated variants.
This meant they had likely consumed many other creatures and undergone further mutations.
And the Wu Gan fruit was on the very tree the three of them surrounded.
These were three highly venomous creatures. A Chosen One didn’t even need to worry about accumulating virus stacks; any contact with them would mean instant death.
The sheer menacing aura radiating from the three insects made many Chosen Ones feel suffocated even from a distance.
Over a dozen dead Bizarre Insect corpses lay nearby, their bodies discolored in strange hues, clear signs of death by poison.
This proved not only their terrifying combat prowess but also the extreme potency of their venom, lethal even to their own kind.
Just seeing this scene was enough to make probably ninety percent of the Chosen Ones’ blood run cold.
Hilda, the Awakened from the Hanseatic State, sighed, “If only I still had my Bizarre Crows, I wouldn’t fear these things.”
Well, even with disinfectant, he wasn’t willing to take the risk.
He’d been in a car crash back in the Infinite Parking Lot stage and now only had half a bottle of disinfectant left.
He wasn’t sure he could retrieve the Wu Gan fruit before the scent of that half-bottle completely dissipated.
If any unexpected problem arose and the disinfectant smell wore off, his chances of survival against those three venomous Bizarre Insects would be near zero.
So Hilda chose to withdraw. He felt he had no chance of completing the hidden mission anyway. He’d only come here to see if he could snag a useful item; he wasn’t desperate for it.
If he couldn’t even handle these three, facing the Mother Insect would be suicide.
He’d reconsider things once his strength recovered.
Hilda employed a certain ‘calculation’ method here.
Bizarre Crows could handle regular Bizarre Insects—it was a natural predator-prey relationship.
But a BOSS-level Bizarre Insect was beyond the capability of Bizarre Crows.
This could also be deduced from the scenario on the bridge.
Therefore, to deal with a BOSS-level Bizarre Insect like the Mother Insect, one would need to summon a BOSS-level Bizarre Bird, like the Bird of Finality.
That was the established power structure of this Nightmare World.
Quite a few Chosen Ones withdrew at this stage, just like Hilda.
Most of them hadn’t obtained the Black Liquid and were looking for excuses to leave.
Clearly, in this stage, whoever had the most disinfectant left would be the one to claim the Wu Gan fruit.
Those Chosen Ones who did possess the Black Liquid were naturally devising their own plans.
The method to complete the hidden mission was right before their eyes. How could they back down now?
In their previous encounters with Bizarre Insects, they’d either been inside a vehicle or had Bizarre Crows for protection.
Facing three terrifying Bizarre Insects alone, however, left many feeling uncertain.
Gregori didn’t bother making excuses. He knew exactly what to do.
After sprinkling disinfectant over himself, Gregori strode forward confidently.
In the world of Rule Anomalies, one had to be adept at using the rules to accomplish tasks.
Since the rules stated that the Bizarre Insects in the underground parking garage feared disinfectant, the insects here must fear it too.
As Gregori stepped through the leaves and neared the Wu Gan tree, all three Bizarre Insects let out terrifying screeches directed at him.
The horrifying sound waves were deafening. The way they bared their fangs and twisted their massive bodies, ready to devour, sent shivers through the audience watching from outside.
This was a test of mental fortitude and courage. Right beside him were these massive, terrifying, venomous Bizarre Insects.
All of them acted as if they wanted to tear him apart and eat him alive.
Even a single touch could mean instant death.
Facing that kind of pressure, daring to step forward and pick the fruit required nerves of steel.
But thanks to the scent of disinfectant, none of the insects attacked.
They could only watch as Gregori climbed the tree.
There was another crucial detail here, one that Gregori managed to avoid.
That was to stay as close as possible to the Bizarre Bullet Ant and the Bizarre White Spider.
Essentially, he used his presence and the disinfectant smell to drive them back slightly, moving along the path they occupied.
The key was to absolutely avoid provoking the Bizarre Hornet.
Because that thing was constantly beating its wings. While the airflow wasn’t as strong as that from a large bird or beast, the air movement around it was significant. This would cause the scent of disinfectant on a person to dissipate much faster.
Basically, any Chosen One with more than one full bottle of disinfectant could pass this test.
Gregori nimbly climbed the tree. Seeing over a dozen Wu Gan fruits, he dared to take only two before leaving, careful not to enrage the three Bizarre creatures.
Taking all of them would infuriate the insects, causing them to follow persistently.
They wouldn’t attack a Chosen One while the disinfectant smell lingered, but being stalked by them would still be a major problem.
After climbing down, Gregori held up the two fruits in his hand, as if to signal: I only took two. You guys carry on; ignore me.
By taking only two, he made it not worth the insects’ while to abandon the remaining fruits on the tree just to chase him.
This was a relatively safe and steady approach.
The Awakened from Kangaroo Country got greedy and took five fruits, only to be targeted by the Bullet Ant.
Five was a considerable number.
If he hadn’t quickly dropped four of them, he likely wouldn’t have made it out of that forest alive.
That was how other Chosen Ones acquired the Wu Gan fruit.
But anyone familiar with Zhang Yangqing knew he never returned empty-handed.
Just one or two? Who are you trying to fob off?
I want them all.jpg
Zhang Yangqing knew that the method Lone Wolf described would yield only a small amount of fruit, and still involve significant risk.
Now, looking at the three terrifying insects, Lone Wolf kept swallowing nervously.
If only these three weren’t venomous, he might have considered giving it a try. Even if he got hurt, it would just be flesh wounds.
But why did they have to be poisonous? He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
He’d been boasting a bit, but was it really worth risking his life over this?
Yet, with all his teammates watching, how could he back out now?
Just as Lone Wolf was steeling himself to go through with it, Zhang Yangqing clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Let’s step back a bit. This little brother of mine here is quite capable too. He’s got a knack for dealing with Bizarre Insects.”
Zhang Yangqing had clearly noticed Lone Wolf’s predicament and wasn’t about to force him.
After all, Lone Wolf wasn’t his only tool.
Giving him a graceful way out now would earn his gratitude.
As expected, Lone Wolf felt immense relief and gratitude when he heard he didn’t have to go; he was nearly moved to tears.
He felt like he’d just taken a round trip to the gates of hell, and his fondness for Zhang Yangqing skyrocketed.
Zhang Yangqing handed the one-eyed kid a bottle of disinfectant and gave him a meaningful look.
The signal was to use the Bizarre Crows to deal with the three venomous insects. The disinfectant was just for show.
Zhang Yangqing naturally wouldn’t deign to handle such a trivial matter himself, especially since someone needed to pick the fruit anyway.
The one-eyed kid nodded in understanding and headed straight for the Wu Gan tree.
To keep the Bizarre Crows hidden, Zhang Yangqing warned the others that things might get noisy and suggested they move further away.
Lone Wolf and the three nurses assumed the one-eyed kid possessed similar destructive power to Zhang Yangqing.
So, to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, they followed Zhang Yangqing away from the area, waiting for him on the path back.
Once the one-eyed kid confirmed everyone was out of sight, he began summoning the Bizarre Crows.
At this stage, the disinfectant couldn’t be used carelessly.
Disinfectant repelled Bizarre Insects, but it also repelled Bizarre Crows.
After all, neither were humanoid anomalies.
If he masked the special scent on his body, the Bizarre Crows might just fly off.
The one-eyed kid hid off to the side and sent the two Bizarre Crows into battle.
He’d become proficient at coordinating with the two crows back on the bridge and knew their combat capabilities well.
Taking down these three venomous Bizarre Insects wasn’t too difficult.
As long as they first ambushed the Bizarre Hornet in the air, then focused their attacks on the Bizarre Bullet Ant.
The Bizarre White Spider would likely retreat on its own.
Zhang Yangqing and the others hadn’t waited long on the path when the one-eyed kid came trudging back, laden with a huge bundle of fruit.
He’d basically picked everything that could be picked.
Whenever Zhang Yangqing gave an order, he strove to execute it flawlessly, leaving no room for criticism.
There were over a dozen Wu Gan fruits in total.
The more fruit they secured, the higher the probability of successfully feeding it to the Mother Insect.
After all, who knew how many Mother Insects there might be?
Who knew what the Mother Insect even looked like?
Chosen Ones who only managed to get a single fruit had just one shot; they had to feed it to the right Mother Insect for it to work.
With the one-eyed kid’s return, the task for the Purple Mark group was complete.
Everyone headed back towards the temple.
Seeing his teammates all carrying supplies, Zhang Yangqing felt a bit out of place being empty-handed. When he made a ‘symbolic’ gesture to help carry something, his teammates all refused.
Their reasoning was that trivial tasks like these shouldn’t trouble a big shot like Zhang Yangqing.
His job was simply to ensure their safety.
Truthfully, Zhang Yangqing hadn’t actually wanted to carry anything anyway. But since they insisted, he graciously accepted their refusal.
If any of the other top-tier Chosen Ones saw this, they’d be green with envy.
They had to suck up to their teams and carry the heaviest loads just to get scraps of information, sometimes even lugging food for their teammates.
Meanwhile, this guy not only carried nothing but was actively being buttered up by his teammates! He was living the high life! So unfair!
Along the way, the Purple Mark teammates showed not a shred of wariness towards Zhang Yangqing; in fact, they chatted with him enthusiastically.
This wasn’t because they trusted him completely, nor was it due to any ‘affection’ level.
It was because when the locals perceived a Chosen One as overwhelmingly powerful, so strong that resistance was futile, their only option was compliance.
As long as Zhang Yangqing showed no intention of killing them, they saw no need for caution.
If Zhang Yangqing wanted to kill them, being cautious wouldn’t help anyway.
Back at camp, the one-eyed kid and the others deposited the food at the designated spot, awaiting distribution by the middle-aged man.
The food consisted mostly of fruit and small game; the primeval forest offered little else edible.
It was now around three in the afternoon.
The Red Mark team—the family of four plus their own Lone Wolf guide—had finished setting up traps around their perimeter.
Any intruder from outside or anyone entering certain zones would trigger the mechanisms, alerting those inside.
The Green Mark team, led by the middle-aged man, had also made some progress today and were on their way back.
The Purple Mark and Red Mark teams seemed to be on unfamiliar terms.
Upon returning to camp, individuals from different teams kept their crow masks on and didn’t appear inclined to interact.
Whether this was due to the differing viruses they carried or simply a lack of rapport was unclear.
At this stage, the focus was on gathering information to locate other key items.
With the [Wu Gan Fruit] secured, only the [Blue Potion], [Green Potion], and the [Well] remained.
The more items one acquired, the smoother the final escape would be.
Consider those Chosen Ones who already possessed the Black Liquid.
If pushed into a corner, they wouldn’t hesitate to scatter the Black Liquid right at the city gates, summoning the Bird of Finality to attack the guards.
