I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 179

Chapter 179: These Creatures Aren’t Even Fit to Be Zhang Tian Shi’s Dogs!

The Evil Dragon’s Lair and the Balrog’s Territory were nightmares for the Chosen Ones.

Many Chosen Ones had already perished in these two places.

During this time, quite a few Chosen Ones still managed to deliver spectacular performances.

Utilizing the powerful mobility of their mechanical bodies, they moved at high speeds, leaving the Evil Dragon disoriented and dizzy, constantly relying on obstacles to evade its repeated attacks.

The entire screen was a blur of motion, rushing and weaving through this eerie, blood-red forest.

It made the viewers’ blood boil with excitement.

Because a single mistake from any of these Chosen Ones would mean losing their lives.

But now, on the live screen of the Dragon Country’s Chosen One, an intense battle was also underway.

However, the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master was not participating, merely observing from the sidelines.

The Evil Dragon was being tossed around like a sandbag by a woman.

The roars of the Evil Dragon’s Lair and billowing dust never ceased, and the number of massive craters on the ground kept increasing.

The Black Bear Girl seemed to be venting revenge from many years ago, beating the Evil Dragon within an inch of its life without actually killing it.

Now, even with the Evil Dragon’s pitiful whimpers for mercy, the Black Bear Girl showed no intention of stopping.

This made the two brothers watching from the side green with envy. It was their first time possessing such immense power, and they still didn’t know how to use it properly.

Coupled with the Evil Dragon’s high magic resistance, they could only watch and learn from the periphery while it was being subdued.

Watching the Black Bear Girl’s moves, Zhang Yangqing murmured to himself, “Is she some kind of genius?”

Because the way the Black Bear Girl was throwing the Evil Dragon around was the exact same technique he had used on her a few days ago.

In other words, after being beaten up a few times, this Black Bear Girl had actually learned the ‘Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Pounds’ technique?
It seemed her comprehension was remarkably high.

But then again, it made sense. To become a hegemon in this world, one must have exceptional skills.

The Black Bear Girl’s understanding was also very sharp; she was a beast, after all.

Worshipping the strong and imitating the strong was her instinct.

In her eyes, learning even a fraction of her boss’s skills was already satisfying enough.

After the Black Bear Girl had beaten the Evil Dragon to her satisfaction, Zhang Yangqing’s entourage gained another member.

Next was taking turns tormenting the local BOSSes.

As one of the BOSSes, the Balrog naturally didn’t have it any easier.

Compared to the Evil Dragon’s beating, the Balrog’s situation was truly humiliating.

It was a Balrog, a fusion of magma and magic, a great spirit of the lava.

It possessed unparalleled fire abilities and was a creature feared by all living beings.

The Balrog had always been the most powerful energy entity in this region, second only to the Elf Queen.

But today, two beastmen who had just acquired power were challenging it.

And here came the humiliation.

Normally, anyone encountering it would be incinerated to ashes; that was the price for facing it.

It was a terrifying demon, an emissary from hell.

But today? It couldn’t strike with full force, afraid of injuring the two beastmen, because the man behind them was far more terrifying.

With just one glance from that man, it was sent flying dozens of meters away, severely wounded.

In that man’s eyes, it was as weak as an ant – no, it was an ant.

Facing such a powerful human, it wanted to kneel and submit, even willing to be his dog.

But he didn’t want it, at least for now. He told it to fight properly against the two beastmen.

So, during this time, the Balrog was tormented to the point of a mental breakdown.

It had to fight earnestly without using its full strength, which required a certain level of skill.

When the two brothers had more or less mastered the power within them, the Balrog almost wept with relief – it had finally survived the ordeal!
Just as other Chosen Ones were tormented by them, Zhang Yangqing was genuinely tormenting them.

Other Chosen Ones would die if they were the slightest bit careless when facing these terrifying creatures.

If Zhang Yangqing was the slightest bit careless, these terrifying creatures would die.

By the time Zhang Yangqing led his team back, most other Chosen Ones had also completed their tasks.

Some of the Chosen Ones had a strange look in their eyes, as if they had suffered immense mental torture.

Some became more resolute, or perhaps more cold-blooded, as they hadn’t hesitated to ensure their own survival.

The gears of the elevator platforms turned continuously; many Chosen Ones had managed to survive their journey of despair.

Zhang Yangqing, on his side, was making final preparations.

His five subordinates now possessed considerable combat ability.

Perhaps this combat power meant nothing in front of Zhang Yangqing, but they were already among the top-tier creatures in this world.

The audience could sense that his approach was becoming increasingly free and unrestrained.

There was nothing the audience could imagine that he couldn’t accomplish.

And the Green-Skins were about to face despair, just as they often brought despair to other races.

Having regained his physical body, Zhang Yangqing lost his identity as a Mechanical Guard and could no longer command mechanical creatures.

But by this stage, mechanical creatures weren’t of much use anyway.

They were still operating according to the commands Zhang Yangqing had previously given, routinely performing tasks like patrols, maintenance, and operations.

And with the pre-prepared palm print – the Green-Skin City Lord’s hand – still available, he could activate The Sky Fortress and proceed to the final destination.

Even Gretico sighed: Is this guy just lucky, or did he actually plan for all of this? If even one piece were missing, he’d be stuck.

Or perhaps, since the Strange Tale World was designed this way, there were naturally special methods to clear it, depending on how one operated.

As long as one didn’t mess up completely, there was always a way to reach the conclusion.

At this stage, normal Chosen Ones could choose to conclude and leave, hastily exiting this torturous journey.

According to the rule hints, the endpoint still hid many dangers.

Obtaining the Green-Skin tribe’s treasure was easier said than done.

At this point, many viewers were watching the Dragon Country’s live screen because everyone knew that while the final reward was difficult for others, for this one, it was probably as simple as taking a detour.

On The Sky Fortress where Zhang Yangqing was, the Black Bear Girl and the beastman brothers followed him like shadows, never leaving his side.

Even when Zhang Yangqing wanted to rest, they would stand guard nearby.

Zhang Yangqing was indeed powerful, and some things were truly unnecessary.

But as subordinates, they couldn’t neglect these duties; that was their attitude.

The Sky Fortress was soaring through the clouds, while behind it, a fearsome dragon carrying a fire demon was in pursuit.

If those two appeared, it would alert the Green-Skins.

So, following from behind and awaiting Zhang Yangqing’s summons was the best choice.

At that time, the Black Bear Girl suggested that Zhang Yangqing sign a master-servant contract with them.

This would make it easier for Zhang Yangqing to manage them and prevent them from escaping.

The Evil Dragon and the Balrog naturally didn’t refuse, as being a dog for such a powerful person wasn’t exactly shameful.

But Zhang Yangqing refused, stating his reason bluntly: They weren’t worthy.

Many might find this exaggerated.

But some understood: these creatures weren’t even fit to be Zhang Tian Shi’s dogs.

It was no exaggeration to say that for these creatures, being Zhang Yangqing’s dog would be an honor they didn’t deserve.

Zhang Yangqing wasn’t afraid of them running away. If they dared to leave the area he designated, then he wouldn’t hesitate to unleash a map-wide attack.

After all, he already knew the clearance conditions; he didn’t care if most of this Strange Tale’s areas were destroyed.

If they dared, they were welcome to try.

Zhang Yangqing didn’t need to consider the feelings of the Evil Dragon and the Balrog, nor did he need their loyalty. All he wanted were two mad dogs that could bite, nothing more.

The Evil Dragon and the Balrog were happy to be Zhang Yangqing’s mad dogs.

Asking them to handle complicated tasks was beyond them, but asking them to slaughter a city? Nothing could be simpler.
The Sky Fortress sailed at its steadiest speed, and Zhang Yangqing rested in the navigation control room.

When he opened his eyes, The Sky Fortress had crossed the sea, and a massive island appeared before them.

On the island stood a sturdy, prosperous-looking city. This was where the Green-Skins lived, the Orodruin City mentioned in the rules.

Orodruin City had the sea as a natural moat, allowing the Green-Skins to attack other races while remaining unassailable themselves.

So, it wasn’t without reason that the Green-Skins were considered cunning.

Even to this day, other races didn’t know where the Green-Skins lived.

And those of other races captured by the Green-Skins had no way to escape this place.

They either chose death or accepted enslavement.

Every year, many slaves died and were thrown into the sea by the Green-Skins.

The resources on an island were limited. To maintain their lavish lifestyle, the Green-Skins dispatched The Sky Fortress to capture people and plunder resources.

From above, two other aerial fortresses, similar to The Sky Fortress, could be seen near the island.

Other Chosen Ones sighed with relief upon seeing this.

Under the City Lord’s command, The Sky Fortress landed smoothly beside the magnificent Orodruin City.

Then came the docking procedures. Numerous Green-Skin warriors entered The Sky Fortress with their mechanical creatures, retrieving the plundered resources and captives.

Upon arriving here for the first time, the Chosen Ones sensed a prosperity distinct from other civilizations.

The walkways were lined with well-maintained greenery, and the bluestone paving slabs were impeccably laid, with even the gaps being perfectly aligned.

Gardens are everywhere, along with beautifully sculpted fountains.

The people here didn’t worry about hunger, freely enjoying delicious food and living a carefree life.

The further in they went, the more resplendent and magnificent it became.

But upon reaching this point, the Chosen Ones suddenly recalled their experiences along the way.

The comfortable life these Green-Skins enjoyed was built upon the suffering etched into the bones of other races.

The delicacies the Green-Skins casually discarded here were things that other races might not be able to eat even after a year of hard work.

The slaves oppressed by the Green-Skins, the servants arbitrarily executed, were the parents lost to the children of other races.

The blood-soaked earth, the smoke-filled cities, the graveyards filled with bones – all seemed so distant from here, where laughter and joy abounded.

The perpetrators of all these tragedies were the ones enjoying the world’s beauty.

And the Chosen Ones were accomplices to these people. What a profound irony.

Many Chosen Ones, seeing this, truly wished they could blast this place to smithereens with a cannon.

But they were powerless. They could only silently proceed to the grand mechanical hall, silently serve as the Green-Skins’ killing machines, become cold mechanical creatures, and choose to check out and conclude.

But what they didn’t dare to do, someone else did – someone who had the power.

Hovering in mid-air was a colossal entity: The Sky Fortress where Zhang Yangqing was.

Zhang Yangqing had already removed the City Lord’s hand, leaving The Sky Fortress suspended in the air.

Because a battle was likely to break out soon, and according to the rules, he still needed to ensure the safety of this Aviary City. If it were destroyed, he would violate the rules.

So, keeping The Sky Fortress hovering in mid-air was the best option.

The audience wondered how Zhang Yangqing would descend – using the elevator platform or having the Evil Dragon pick him up.

While the audience debated, Zhang Yangqing leaped down, plummeting towards the ground.

The high-speed fall made the viewers’ hearts race, and those with acrophobia couldn’t bear to watch.

But at this moment, the audience was unusually unanimous: no one believed he would die from the fall.

As expected, just as Zhang Yangqing was about to hit the ground, a gentle breeze seemed to cushion him, and his feet landed softly on the ground, stirring a small wave of air around him.

His landing point was right at the entrance of the mechanical hall.

Under the bewildered gazes of the nearby mechanical creatures, he walked inside.

Here, even superhumans like Sidney from Pasta Country had to explain that they had been cursed by the Elves to end up in this state.

Zhang Yangqing had no habit of explaining himself to ants. As a veteran of the Strange Tale World, he knew that achieving the mission objectives was all that mattered; he couldn’t care less about the rest.

Following the rule prompts, he checked in at the guard post in the mechanical hall.

The so-called ‘check-in’ simply meant passing through a specific location to mark completion.

At this moment, the words [Check Out and Exit] appeared before Zhang Yangqing.

Seeing this, everyone knew he was about to begin.

The normal procedure was for the Chosen One, after capturing a High Elf, to gain the City Lord’s favor. The City Lord would then take the Chosen One to access the ultimate treasure of Orodruin City – the hidden treasure of this Strange Tale World.

From the aerial observations, this Orodruin City had three aerial castles, meaning there were likely three City Lords. To obtain the hidden treasure, there were two normal approaches.

The first was to capture three High Elves and offer them to the three City Lords respectively – which was rather unrealistic.

The second was to follow the hints from The Sky Fortress’s Lord and overcome numerous difficulties to retrieve the treasure oneself.

The Chosen One from Argentina, Ramírez, was doing exactly that, as he had indeed captured a High Elf.

He had also learned about the hidden treasure from The Sky Fortress Lord. After checking in at the mechanical hall, he began his treasure hunt.

He was one of the few ordinary Chosen Ones daring enough to seek the hidden treasure.

If he were in his ordinary human body, Ramírez wouldn’t have considered it.

But now, with his mechanical body, he could give it a try.

If things went wrong, he could always hit ‘Check Out and Exit’ and hold on for the few dozen seconds of countdown.

However, one thing to note was not to harm any Green-Skins; otherwise, he would be erased by the rules before he could even check out, which wouldn’t be worth it.

This was the so-called normal procedure.

Of course, the normal procedure was for normal Chosen Ones.

As for an abnormal Chosen One like the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master, the audience knew exactly what he was planning.

After Zhang Yangqing finished checking in, several mechanical guards and a few Green-Skins surrounded him.

Because until now, no ‘beastmen’ had ever moved freely in Orodruin City, openly entering the mechanical hall.

The news of Zhang Yangqing moving around freely here was naturally reported by the mechanical guards.

Just as a Green-Skin was about to speak, Zhang Yangqing waved his hand to stop him.

Then, he began murmuring a countdown. When he reached ‘1’ from ’10’…

BOOM!

The ceiling of the mechanical hall was shattered, and a wild woman clad in animal skins landed forcefully.

The expensive floor of the hall instantly cracked, and fissures spread across the ground.

She also crushed several mechanical creatures underfoot.

Simultaneously, two colossal figures appeared in the center of Orodruin City.

The Balrog leaped down from the Evil Dragon’s back, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The Evil Dragon began attacking the tall buildings here.

Their orders were simple: Kill! Slaughter the Green-Skins here!

Because two other Green-Skin City Lords were hidden within this city, Zhang Yangqing’s own power was too immense; accidentally killing them wouldn’t be ideal.

Besides, wasn’t the reason Zhang Yangqing brought them here to make them work? Everything was calculated.

The beastman brothers had already reached the main hall of Orodruin City, searching for the Green-Skins’ treasure – the ‘Scepter of Supremacy’ recorded in The Sky Fortress Lord’s room documents.

It was adorned with all the treasures the Green-Skins had plundered over the years.

The top was set with a dazzling ruby, surrounded by other special jewels.

The scepter was made of gold, with an overall majestic and imposing design.

This was the target for the beastman brothers.

The Balrog and the Evil Dragon were responsible for destruction.

The Black Bear Girl was responsible for clearing the small fry around Zhang Yangqing.

It could be said that the three parties had clear divisions of labor.

Zhang Yangqing only needed to stroll around here.

He ambled towards the most magnificent palace, surrounded by artillery fire and explosions.

The sounds of collapsing buildings, cries, and screams rose and fell incessantly.

The steps, crafted from precious materials, begin to flow with red liquid.

Similar to the cities destroyed by the Green-Skins, they too were now facing destruction and despair.

One BOSS was already more than they could handle, but now there were five.

The Balrog and the Evil Dragon were directly venting the fury they had accumulated from being beaten up earlier.

With a single swipe of its claw, the Evil Dragon caused numerous casualties. Even the firepower of the Green-Skins’ mechanical creatures could only inflict superficial wounds against its high defense.

The Balrog had gone completely berserk. It unleashed the heat within its body freely; wherever it passed, it left behind molten craters and the skeletal remains of evaporated flesh and blood.

The Black Bear Girl wasn’t as exaggerate. She was well aware of her duty: to block anything approaching her boss and clear all obstacles in his path.

What was supposed to be the most dangerous stage became incredibly easy for Zhang Yangqing. From beginning to end, he never even lifted a finger.

Along the way, one could see the city damaged by battle, crowded masses, corpses littering the ground, damaged mechanical creatures leaking electricity, and two colossal beings wantonly destroying the city.

From the mechanical hall to the throne in Orodruin City’s palace, to receiving the Scepter of Supremacy handed to him by the elder beastman brother, Zhang Yangqing maintained a leisurely pace throughout, as if he were watching a monster siege up close.

Immersively enjoying this movie-level spectacle.

After handing the hidden reward to Zhang Yangqing, the beastman brothers also joined the slaughter of the Green-Skins.

This was their way of venting years of resentment against the oppression they had suffered from the Green-Skins.

By obtaining the Scepter of Supremacy, Zhang Yangqing completed all conceivable tasks for this Strange Tale.

The item in his hand was essentially a powerful magical staff that could multiply the potency of spells cast.

Zhang Yangqing had no interest in such a thing. If his power were multiplied, this world truly couldn’t handle it.

So, he casually tossed it to the Black Bear Girl, bid a simple farewell, and checked out, leaving this Strange Tale.

Watching the fall of Orodruin City brought a sense of catharsis to many Chosen Ones. Through the Dragon Country Celestial Master’s screen, they witnessed what they wished to do but couldn’t.

This was the power of a top-tier clearer – doing as one pleased within the Strange Tale World.

Wherever he went, despair followed for any race.

Just as everyone habitually awaited the conclusion, they noticed one more live screen was still lit!

Thank you, esteemed readers, for catching the typos. Much appreciated!