Chapter 189 Natural Crystal Mine
Every Land of Death had a color, each representing a specific trait.
People traditionally categorize these lands by numbers, star ratings, or words, but William preferred using colors.
Most agreed with William that colors depicted the land's vibe more effectively.
Red for bloodiness, black for brutality, green for eeriness, yellow for intensity...
No matter the method, the terror of the Land of Death was clear, striking fear into everyone in the post-apocalyptic world.
The Land of Death stood like eggs on Earth, wrapped in thick fog. The fog's color matched the land's primary color.
This fog was called the "Chaos Barrier."
One couldn't see through the Chaos Barrier, but humans could walk through it. For the creatures inside, it was both a hunting ground and a prison. Unless they were super strong or the barrier cracked, the monsters stayed put.
In his past life, William had visited this Land of Death and even bled there, all to compete for resources.
But he came five years after the apocalypse started.
By then, the Chaos Barrier was a faint red, and the outer resources were almost gone. This land was considered white-level, meaning mild danger.
Things changed when a warband lost several squads hunting monsters here. The elite members found a small but high-quality crystal mine hidden away.
Newly born Land of Death monsters had absorbed energy from the mine, evolving quickly and wiping out the squads.
Crystals were super valuable in the post-apocalyptic world, essential for craftsmen, alchemists, pharmacists, elemental masters, and magicians. Even some Evolving persons with Battle Pets needed crystals to feed their companions.
This made crystals a hot commodity and a resource worth fighting over.
William's warband base was near this Land of Death, within their influence zone. So, William joined the fight for this area.
This white-level Land of Death turned deep blue, signaling extreme danger, thanks to monsters that had consumed the crystals. After a heavy toll, the warbands and factions successfully cleared the monsters with an average evolution level of five. Following another round of human infighting, the crystals were finally divided.
The Land of Death wasn't static. Strange things happened there, like monster reproduction, evolution, and feeding. Humans didn't fully get it, but it seemed that as long as monsters stayed alive in the Land of Death, they could grow, evolve, and reproduce.
William decided to risk entering the Land of Death to see if the Crystal Range he remembered still existed. Was it a later development, or had it always been there, undiscovered?
It turned out that the Crystal Range had always been there, but it was later occupied by monsters or other reasons, preventing its discovery until five years later.
William couldn't figure out why there were no monsters here now to consume the crystal energy.
That's why he and his team approached cautiously, not getting too close to the azure Crystal Range.
Michelle suddenly whispered, "Three o'clock direction!"
William immediately looked through his binoculars.
At first, he saw nothing, but soon he noticed a patch of shrubs at the foot of the Crystal Range that looked different from the surrounding ones.
Seeing this, William understood why there were no other monsters here to absorb the energy.
This place was claimed as territory by a powerful monster, ranking among the strongest in this land.
"What is that?" Natalie asked, curious.
She saw the mark but didn't know what it was due to her lack of experience.
William replied, "That's a mark left by monster urine!"
The others got it immediately. Many animals on Earth marked their territory with urine to declare their domain.
William frowned, almost certain that the Crystal Range had returned to an unclaimed state because the monster that originally occupied it had grown so powerful it broke through the Chaos Barrier and left. The mountain was then taken over by other monsters of the same attribute, gradually growing stronger.
William wondered, 'If that's the case, then the Land of Death has been around for almost a month now. What level has this monster evolved to? Can we handle it?'
'Moreover, this place is deep within the Land of Death. What if a fight breaks out and attracts other monsters, causing them all to converge here?' he thought.
These were crucial factors William had to consider because, in the Land of Death, any mistake could cost lives.
"Are these the Natural crystals you mentioned? The kind that can be embedded in the Staff of Nature?" Lucy asked.
She didn't understand why there were such beautiful blue crystals in the faint red Land of Death, but she was captivated by their beauty.
William explained, "Yes, see those light-colored stones? Those are water-type Natural crystals. The darker ones are ice-type Natural crystals. They're companion minerals."
Everyone then realized these were indeed Natural crystals.
William looked at the Crystal Range for a while and decided to lead everyone out first.
Leaving the Crystal Range, William led the team in the predetermined direction. His experience was crucial. He could tell from subtle traces if there was danger ahead. His route was winding, but overall, it was almost a straight line.
This left the three armed police officers in the team, who had some tracking expertise, utterly amazed. They weren't ordinary people like Natalie and Lucy; they had professional training. But compared to William, their methods seemed outdated and rigid.
William remained silent amidst the astonishment of others, a testament to his ten-year post-apocalyptic survival expertise.
Pill also played a significant role. Its extraordinary hearing and sense of smell complemented William's experience. The group managed to exit the Land of Death safely in just over two days.
"You're going back?" When everyone, having just escaped danger, heard that William was returning to the Land of Death, they thought he was crazy.
Although they hadn't encountered any major dangers along the way, there were constant minor threats. The team had once seen a powerful level-four monster leading three level-three evolved monsters walk past them. If it weren't for William's quick thinking, making everyone jump into a pile of monster dung, they might have had to fight those four monsters. The outcome would be predictable; it would be lucky if a few of them escaped.
They had also seen over two hundred level-two monsters running and hunting their prey in the land. Even if each team member could individually face a level-two mutant, facing two hundred disciplined and cunning monster troops together was something even William wasn't confident about surviving.
In such a dangerous situation, William wanting to go back alone seemed like a death wish.
William tried to reassure the group, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm a smaller target and less likely to be noticed. Plus, I won't push my luck. If it looks too risky, I'll retreat."
"I'll take Pill with me. You've seen how capable it is. With it in the Land of Death, nothing can ambush me," William said confidently.
Hearing his master's praise, Pill quickly stood up and shook its fur, making its presence known.
Seeing that everyone was still worried, William added, "You also have tasks to complete. I've chosen Cloud Peak Manor as our base. We're not far from our destination now. Before I return, you need to scout the surrounding area. Check for any factions, monsters, or large groups of corpses. If possible, look for roulette wheels and see where they are and what level they are. But remember, don't go to Cloud Peak Manor."
"Alright, it's settled then!" William stood up and clapped his hands. "When I return, we'll take over Cloud Peak Manor."
As William was about to leave, Cecil, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "I'll go with you. I can take the lead."
"Protecting David is the same as protecting me." With that, William took Pill and returned to the Land of Death.
The red-haired Iron Corpse's body swayed, and its chewing slowed down.
At that moment, two black shadows that had launched a powerful mental attack rushed forward. The humanoid shadow suddenly emitted several gray needle-like objects, reflecting a cold light in the dark. A smaller shadow, swift as lightning, bore a tiny yet fearsome sharp claw that pierced the darkness to strike the red-haired Iron Corpse's heart.
The red-haired Iron Corpse let out a low warning growl, raising one hand to deflect the small shadow's claw. Although it left two cuts on its arm, the red-haired Iron Corpse, which no longer felt pain, didn't mind.
However, these cuts were familiar, similar to the wounds on the face of the human parasitized by the white octopus earlier.
While the Iron Corpse swatted away the small shadow, it couldn't avoid the cold glints. It was struck and staggered back two steps. Its tough skin prevented the injuries from penetrating its body. It looked at the projectiles, which seemed to be strands of hair.
Furiously, it yanked out the hair and looked up to retaliate. However, the figure was already beside it, delivering a powerful punch to its face.
The punch was so strong that its head snapped to the side, and the white octopus it hadn't swallowed yet flew out of its mouth.
The shadow didn't pause, reaching for the octopus.
In the moonlight, a black Magic Crystal on the figure's forehead gleamed brightly.
