signingbooks Chapter 1304 The Continent of Ten Thousand Beasts
Chapter 1304 The Continent of Ten Thousand Beasts
The cleaners are very fast.
That night, Peacock mobilized half the city's manpower to trace the thief's movements in reverse.
The surveillance footage was reviewed frame by frame, the call logs were checked one by one, and everyone who had been in contact with him was identified and questioned.
But all the leads have gone cold.
The last person to have contact with the thief was the owner of a hardware store in the north of the city.
According to his recollection, the young man had come to the store about a month ago to buy a screwdriver and a bundle of thin wire, and then never appeared again.
The hardware store owner had a vague impression of the person, only remembering that he was wearing a dark hoodie with the hood pulled down low, and that he paid in cash.
Peacock retrieved the surveillance footage from the area around the hardware store and discovered that all the recordings from that time period were inexplicably damaged. They weren't deleted, but rather physically damaged due to interference from some kind of strong magnetic field.
This result sent another chill down Peacock's spine.
She knew what this meant; the other party was someone who could still use unconventional methods in the real world.
She dared not imagine just how strong this person was, nor could she imagine why such a person would target Lin Yi.
She only knew one thing: this matter was beyond the cleaners' capabilities. The only thing she could do was to send more people and raise the alert level of that street to the highest level.
Lin Yi was drinking tea at a traditional Chinese medicine clinic when he learned of the news.
The call came from Peacock herself. She said that all the leads had been exhausted, all of the thief's social connections had been investigated, and no suspicious contacts had been found. The remittance from the overseas account had completely disappeared on a cryptocurrency platform after multiple transfers, and the final destination of the funds could not be traced.
Lin Yi said he understood and then hung up the phone.
He wasn't surprised by this.
The reason why the Grey Gentleman has survived the pursuit of the Paradise of Reincarnation is not because of luck, but because of his almost obsessive caution and extreme control over details.
If the Grey Gentlemen were really that easy to catch, they would have been killed long ago, and they wouldn't be able to become so powerful over time.
It's normal that they can't catch them. From the beginning, Lin Yi never expected the Cleaners to be able to find the Gray Gentleman's lair by following this line. He sent the Cleaners to investigate just to confirm one thing - whether the other party was indeed the Gray Gentleman.
Now that it's confirmed, he feels much more at ease.
A threat that is overt is always easier to deal with than one that is covert; at least he knows who he is facing.
After hanging up the phone, Peacock made a decision: she raised the alert level for the street from level two to level one.
This means 24-hour uninterrupted monitoring and patrols, and in emergencies, the cleaners can mobilize half the city's manpower for support within three minutes.
She knew this decision would cause her to go over budget, but she didn't care.
The next wave of crackdowns spread from the east of the city to the entire Guangming City.
The petty thugs who used to roam the streets were swept out of the city like garbage by the cleaners, and the gambling dens and drug trafficking points hidden deep in the residential areas were taken down one after another.
Even the middle-aged women who dance in the park have been included in the crackdown. The volume of their speakers has been restricted to a very low level. If anyone dares to turn up the volume, a person in a black suit will appear in front of them and tell them in an unquestionable tone that they must either turn off the speakers or come with them.
At first, the women were not convinced. Some called to complain, some went to the media to expose them, and some posted protests online. But these voices were like pebbles thrown into the ocean in front of the cleaners, not even making a ripple.
A few days later, all the square dancing groups in Guangming City disappeared, and the music that used to resound through the streets at night vanished completely.
Time passed by unnoticed. Lin Yi and Su Xiao had been recuperating in the real world for nearly half a month, and their recovery was faster than expected.
The aftereffects of the abyss baptism gradually subsided during this period, and Lin Yi could feel his body adapting to that new power. The connection between his soul and body had completely returned to normal.
Su Xiao has also recovered well, and the murderous aura around him has faded considerably.
That change wasn't a deliberate reduction, but a more fundamental transformation. Like a blade that's been sharpened too much; after a period of time, the edge is no longer so glaring, but you know it's sharper than ever before.
At least many people's legs stopped trembling after seeing Su Xiao, which is already good news.
When people on the street saw Su Xiao walk out of the jewelry store, they would still instinctively make way for her, but at least they wouldn't freeze in place like before, not daring to breathe too loudly.
Some people started daring to greet Su Xiao, although they would just nod from a distance and then quickly walk away, something that would have been impossible in the past.
Lin Yi felt this was a good sign, indicating that Su Xiao was gradually adapting to this relatively peaceful life.
Although this peace won't last long, and the Paradise of Reincarnation won't let them stay in the real world for too long—a new world could open at any time—they can at least use this time to relax and completely release the fatigue and pressure accumulated in the battle for supremacy.
When the notification sound of the Reincarnation Paradise rang in Lin Yi's ears, he was sunbathing in the backyard of the Chinese medicine clinic.
[Warning: A new world is about to begin. The hunters will return to the Cycle of Reincarnation. Please ensure there are no witnesses nearby.]
[Note: The new world is a super-large world, involving conflicts within the amusement park, large-scale battlefields, struggle for the world's core, and resource competition (resources are condensed forms of spacetime power).]
The Paradise Merit System will be available soon.
The battle for global dominance is about to begin.
[This round of the world competition pits opponents: Death Paradise, Apocalypse Paradise, Holy Light Paradise, and Sanctuary Paradise. The Four Paradises have not reached a cooperation agreement.]
[Transferring... Teleportation location: Paradise of Reincarnation.]
[Transmission complete.]
[Announcement: The Void Tree is currently undergoing notarization...]
[Announcement: Notarization complete.]
[The location of this war: the Continent of Beasts.]
[War Intensity: Medium-High!]
[Announcement: According to Initial Law 1548762, the Void Tree is absolutely neutral.]
……
After the teleportation ended, Lin Yi was already standing in his personal room in the Paradise of Reincarnation.
In the battle for the world, the opponents are Death Paradise, Apocalypse Paradise, Holy Light Paradise, and Sanctuary Paradise. The four paradises have not reached a cooperation agreement.
This means that the five parties in Paradise are in a hostile relationship, not one against four, but a five-way melee.
This situation is much better than he expected. If the four paradises really unite to deal with the Samsara Paradise, then this war will be a foregone conclusion from the beginning. No matter how powerful the Samsara Paradise is, it will not be able to withstand the siege from all sides.
However, Four Directions Paradise did not join forces, for a simple reason—this time, the competition for resources involved was not limited to one type.
Besides the core of the world, there is something called the condensed body of spacetime power.
This resource is far more precious than the core of the world, and there are not just one piece, but many pieces scattered in various corners of the Beast Continent.
Each amusement park wants to grab as many spacetime power condensations as possible, and no one is willing to share them with others, let alone give them away after they have worked so hard to get them.
Therefore, Four Directions Paradise could not reach a cooperation agreement, not because they did not want to cooperate, but because cooperation was impossible under this pattern of interests.
If you cooperate with someone to get a piece of aggregate today, how will that aggregate be divided tomorrow?
You say you want half and I want half, but the other party wants the whole thing. If you can't reach an agreement, you'll fight. Fighting is internal strife, and internal strife gives others an opportunity to take advantage.
Rather than that, it would be better not to cooperate in the first place and let each person compete based on their own abilities.
The reason for the appearance of the spacetime condensation is that a super-giant world near the Beast Continent collapsed, and the spacetime power formed a condensation that scattered across the Beast Continent.
These aggregates are numerous and widely distributed, which means that this war will not have a clear front or a fixed battlefield.
Contractors from each Paradise would swarm across the Beast Continent like locusts, rushing to wherever there was a Cohesive Body, grabbing it and running away, or dying if they couldn't escape.
In this situation, backstabbing is a common occurrence.
If you see a girl from Holy Light Paradise find a fused object today, people from the neighboring Death Paradise and Apocalypse Paradise will team up to rush up and snatch it.
Tomorrow, the people of Death Paradise will find the condenser, and the people of Apocalypse Paradise and Holy Light Paradise will join forces to launch a counterattack.
There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests.
Whoever gets it first keeps it; if you don't, you can only blame yourself for not being good enough.
Even before arriving at the Beast Continent, Lin Yi could imagine how intense this world war would be, with five factions embroiled in conflict. Too many scenarios were possible, and preparations needed to be made for each one in advance.
[The partial condensation of spacetime forces has successfully landed.]
Landing Location: Beast Continent.
The hunters must reach the rendezvous point as soon as possible and board the world shuttle within 30 minutes to prepare for their journey to the Beast Continent.
The notification sound from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang in Lin Yi's ears, carrying a hint of urging.
It's clear that the Paradise of Reincarnation is also very eager for the resources of the Beast Continent, otherwise they wouldn't be in such a hurry to let them board the ship.
Lin Yi did not stay in his private room. He changed into clean clothes and then went out.
There were far fewer pedestrians on Workers' Street than usual. Many of the contractors who usually loitered on the street were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were workers hurrying around carrying supplies.
Lin Yi noticed that long queues had formed in front of several shops, with some people buying potions, some performing final maintenance on their equipment, and some checking the supplies in their storage space.
It seems he's not the only one who's received the signs.
The Reincarnation Paradise is making a big splash this time, as can be seen from the atmosphere on the staff street.
Lin Yi quickened his pace, walked through the trading market, bypassed the stalls piled high with goods, and found the familiar blacksmith shop at the end of the market.
Reed was busy in the shop, standing in front of the workbench, hammering a piece of red-hot metal.
The hammer fell with a steady rhythm, each strike sending up a string of tiny sparks in the air.
Hearing the bell on the door ring once, he looked up, glanced at Lin Yi, then put down the hammer, used tongs to pick up the piece of metal from the workbench and threw it into the sink. The cold water sizzled as it came into contact with the red-hot metal, and white steam billowed up above the sink.
"The robe is repaired, and the sword is sharpened. The materials needed for the set upgrade have been pre-ordered. One is the Sands of Time, and the other is Astral Meteorite. These two items are hard to find in the Paradise of Reincarnation, so the goods will arrive in a while."
Lin Yi had already prepared the supplies.
He doesn't need to stockpile large amounts of supplies like other contractors, because his healing abilities are the best supply in themselves.
As long as his abyssal power is not completely exhausted, he can pull himself back from the brink of death in a short time, which is his greatest advantage as a support class.
Based on the coordinates, Lin Yi passed through the trading market and arrived at an open space.
He had been to this open space a few times before; it was usually deserted, with only a few contractors occasionally testing their skills here.
But today is different. A dark iron spaceship is docked here. Its size is astonishing, with an estimated length of over 800 meters, like a sleeping steel behemoth lying on the ground.
The spaceship's hull was iron-black with a dull sheen that did not reflect sunlight, resembling a meticulously polished obsidian.
A blood-red 'ф' mark is visible on one side of the spaceship's hull; it is the symbol of the Paradise of Reincarnation, standing out starkly against the black hull.
The tail section of the spacecraft was open, with a wide gangway extending from the hatch to the ground.
Lin Yi walked up the gangway, his boots making a crisp sound as they stepped on the metal steps.
As I stepped into the tail section of the spaceship, a gentle wave immediately spread over me. It felt like being enveloped in warm water, seeping from my skin into my muscles, and I felt an indescribable sense of comfort.
[Under inspection... The hunter has no physical injuries and will not be affected by the healing crystal.]
[Healing Crystal: Creates a 'Healing Aura Lv.MAX' at the rally point area, restoring 1% of maximum health per second.]
[Note: This recovery aura is free, therefore it is not fully activated, resulting in slower recovery from injuries and it cannot heal injuries such as severed limbs or brain damage.]
Lin Yi glanced at the notification but didn't pay much attention to it.
However, this halo is currently only partially functional. It's possible that the Paradise of Reincarnation isn't running it at full power to save resources. After all, in such a large-scale war, resource consumption is astronomical, and every little bit saved counts.
However, this also proves that this is definitely a super melee, and Lin Yi's halo ability will have plenty of room to shine.
The tail section is very large and can accommodate hundreds of people boarding the ship at the same time.
Several tables were placed at the edge of the stern, with food and drinks on them, presumably for the contractors boarding the ship.
Lin Yi walked through the rear compartment and through a narrow passage, at the end of which was a pneumatic door.
Lin Yi walked to the door, and a light blue beam of light swept down from above the door frame, scanning his body and confirming his identity before the air pressure door slid open silently.
We've arrived at the main cabin.
The main cabin is more spacious than the stern cabin, with an area of at least a thousand square meters.
The innermost pneumatic door is open. Inside, there is an alloy passage about five meters wide, with metal doors on both sides of the wall, each marked with a number.
This should be a place for contractors to rest, with each door likely having a separate rest pod behind it.
Further ahead should be the captain's cabin and control room, which are the core areas of the spaceship and are generally inaccessible to ordinary people.
When Lin Yi arrived, there were already quite a few people in the main cabin.
They gathered in twos and threes; some ate at the buffet, some drank at the bar, and some leaned against the wall to rest with their eyes closed.
Lin Yi's gaze swept across the faces of those people, and he recognized several familiar faces.
Those who had clashed in the arena, brushed past each other in the mission world, or occasionally bumped into each other on the staff street, were all gathered on this spaceship at this moment.
Many people came over to greet Lin Yi after seeing him. Everyone knew how rare a good healer was in a world of war.
Lin Yi has a very good reputation in the park, which has attracted many lone wolves to come and try to build a relationship with him.
At that moment, Bubuwang darted out from beside his feet, squatted down next to his legs, and then raised its head and barked in the direction of the self-service restaurant.
Lin Yi glanced down at it and knew that Su Xiao had also arrived.
After a short while, the two sat in a corner of the main cabin, not saying much.
The main cabin became increasingly crowded, and the atmosphere grew more and more lively.
The various sounds mingled together, creating a buzzing roar.
The two passed through the alloy passage and found their respective rest pods at the end of the corridor.
The hatches are numbered 027 and 029, with an empty cabin in between.
Su Xiao pushed open the hatch of 027 and went inside, while Lin Yi pushed open the hatch of 029 and went inside as well.
The interior space of the rest cabin is not large, about ten square meters.
A narrow bed was placed against the wall, covered with a white sheet and a thin blanket. The pillow was made of memory foam, which would slowly bounce back when pressed.
There are several storage compartments on the bulkhead, which can be used to store personal belongings.
The overall layout is simple but not shabby; it has everything it should have and nothing it shouldn't have.
The Reincarnation Paradise has always been like this in its attention to detail; it doesn't need fancy decorations, just fulfilling basic functional requirements.
There was a small porthole on the bulkhead, through which you could see the outside view.
There was hardly anyone left on the open ground; all the contractors should have already boarded the spaceship.
The massive, iron-black machine began to tremble slightly, and the roar of its engine came from outside the bulkhead, deep and powerful, like the low growl of a giant beast awakening.
The spaceship began to take off, and the view outside the porthole changed from the ground to the sky, and then from the sky to clouds.
The stars twinkled in the darkness, their points of light flitting past the porthole like fireflies retreating.
Lin Yi leaned against the headboard cushion and closed his eyes.
The spaceship traversed the void, carrying them towards the continent of ten thousand beasts.
War is about to begin. (End of Chapter)