Chapter 202 Another Future Nine-Star Powerhouse
The Fang Beasts' strict discipline usually gave them confidence, but it also made them freeze up at critical moments.
Consequently, when their leader confronted them directly, an unusual sense of hesitation and fear gripped them.
Especially after another deputy leader was suddenly killed, the whole group fell into chaos.
The front line, already retreating from William's attacks, saw some Fang Beasts running out of the valley, some running towards the other group, and some still trying to attack William's squad.
The other group, after seeing the leader kill the second-in-command, started growling and fell into disarray. They looked at the leader in fear, waiting for the next command.
But instead of stopping, the leader charged into the group, killing one after another without mercy.
The Fang Beasts' strict hierarchy usually kept them disciplined, but now they were just scared and trying to escape. None dared to stop the leader.
William's squad watched quietly, worried that joining the fight might provoke the Fang Beasts. The leader might not face resistance, but they would.
This continued for over a minute, during which the leader mercilessly eliminated dozens of his own. Finally, some Fang Beasts, driven by survival instincts, resisted. But they still didn't confront the leader; they charged at William's squad instead.
The battle resumed, but now they faced less than a hundred disorganized second-level beasts instead of a disciplined group of over two hundred led by third-level beasts.
The outcome was clear. Half an hour later, the last Fang Beast was dead.
The squad had no major losses. Only Cecil and Lucy were a bit tired from the mental strain.
After the third-level Fang Beast leader was sealed back into the Quell Card, the once bright card now looked dim, showing the sealed Einherjar was either hurt or very tired. It needed time to recover, and once the card was bright again, it would mean it had fully recovered.
The squad, used to working with William, started cleaning the battlefield without needing instructions. Camilla and Tom joined in.
William took care of the valuable Fang Beast materials, like their fangs and claws.
The battle was intense, but cleaning up was a drag because of all the monster corpses in the valley. Even though many had been eaten, the remaining bodies were still shocking, making everyone wonder how many monsters William had killed.
Pill's injury was healed by Lucy, and it was now on lookout duty at the valley entrance. Of course, it had dragged away two third-level beast corpses to munch on while working.
From the energy it was giving off, Pill was close to evolving again, which amazed William at how fast mutated life forms could evolve.
With an abundance of third-level beasts to consume, Pill was on the verge of becoming the first member of the squad to reach the third-level evolution stage.
Camilla had mixed feelings about Pill, wanting to pet it but wary of the white Magic Crystal on its forehead. Pill wasn't very friendly to strangers either.
About three hours later, the squad left the valley, each dragging a makeshift cart with several Cloud Hoof eggs.
Including Camilla and her brother, the squad now had thirteen members, carrying over fifty Cloud Hoof eggs, which was quite a sight.
Naturally, the squad asked William about the eggs. After he explained, they were excited about having such cool mounts. In a post-apocalyptic world where traditional transport was tough, these fast and enduring creatures would be a big help. Plus, Cloud Hoofs had some combat abilities.
However, William wasn't sure how many eggs would hatch. If a third of them did, he'd be happy.
They had spent many days in the Land of Death, and the journey out was pretty easy. Since the Land of Death had only recently appeared, the dangers were still in the early stages. If they came back in a few months, it would be much riskier.
When leaving Rivercrest Deadland, William thought about going back to kill the Three-Tailed Demon Frog and take over the Natural Crystal mine, but he knew it was too dangerous.
The squad's high-end combat power mainly relied on the avant-garde mechanic and the Staff of Nature. Although he thought the mid-level ice gem could threaten a fourth-level beast, he wasn't sure it could kill the Three-Tailed Demon Frog. Failure would mean the squad's annihilation, so he decided to play it safe and gave up.
The Crystal Range wasn't going anywhere, so William decided to let the Three-Tailed Demon Frog have it for now and come back when he was stronger.
Stepping out of the Chaos Barrier and seeing the blue sky and white clouds lifted everyone's spirits.
The constant danger and gloom in the Land of Death had worn everyone out. Even though the outside world was still dangerous, it felt different.
"The news from Accraville City is just hearsay; I'll fill you in later. But we have a good grasp of the situation around Cloud Peak Manor," Michelle told William.
After leaving the Land of Death, the squad found an abandoned factory to rest in before moving on.
While the rest of the squad rested, William and Pill stood guard. Michelle, unable to sleep, came over to share some info they had gathered.
"We didn't touch Cloud Peak Manor as you instructed, but a lot of people have gathered there, split into three factions. We didn't make contact, so their exact strength is still unknown," Michelle said, with a hint of mockery at how humans never seem to unite.
She continued, "But the biggest threat isn't Cloud Peak Manor. There are at least five forces that could be a problem for us." Michelle spread out a map of Accraville City, with Cloud Peak Manor at the center, surrounded by several circles, showing they had studied it well.
"Tech City Squad," she said, pointing to a circle. "They're based in a village 7.5 miles east of Cloud Peak Manor. Their leader is Logan Hayes, a two-star Evolving person. The village likely has a second-level roulette. They have over five hundred people, with at least thirty one-star Evolving persons."
She paused, frowning slightly, and continued, "It's hard to tell if they have any professionals or what kinds. The most troublesome thing is that they're very domineering. They banded together when the apocalypse began, hence the name Tech City Squad. They have a lot of handguns, probably from the roulette they control. So they've amassed quite a few over the past month."
William nodded without speaking. The Tech City Squad was indeed strong. In terms of high-end combat power, William wasn't afraid of them, but their large numbers and overall strength made them a force to be reckoned with.
Michelle continued, "There's a large cement factory with seventy to eighty people calling themselves the Hungry Tiger Knights. They're young but well-known around here. They don't have any two-star Evolving persons, but most of their members are one-star Evolving persons. So there's probably a roulette in the cement factory. They also have several powerful professionals. A few days ago, they even clashed with the Tech City Squad, and a few of them almost killed Logan."
"Their leader is Darryl Perry, about your age," Michelle added.
As they talked, light footsteps approached. Candice, wrapped in a coat, joined them and sat next to Michelle, her eyes on the map.
"Candice knows this area better; she scouted it. Let her explain," Michelle said.
Candice nodded and began, "Accraville City Prison."
"This place is infamous, housing serious criminals. Michelle and I have captured a few felons who were imprisoned there. The inmates are mostly desperados and psychopaths."
"When the apocalypse hit, something happened in the prison. The inmates have now taken over. I observed the area for half a day, and there are at least a thousand of them, with plenty of vehicles and weapons."
Candice revealed, "Their leader is Arthur Lewis, known as Black Dragon. Michelle and I were both there when he was captured. He's a formidable person, having studied authentic boxing. After mastering it, he got into drug trafficking along the Canadian border. He later took over a drug lord's assets and came to Accraville City, engaging in dangerous activities."
"He should have been executed, but somehow he survived," Michelle said, pouting.
"He's a two-star Evolving person and a professional. Rumor has it he's a Summoner," Candice said, looking at William with some worry. Being aware of Arthur's proximity made her feel apprehensive about settling in Cloud Peak Manor, considering it an unfavorable location. The apocalypse was too suitable for someone like Arthur, who thrived in chaos. Conflict with him seemed inevitable.
"He's not a Summoner; he's a Ghost Painter," William suddenly revealed, surprising Candice and Michelle.
Hearing this name again in this life, William felt complicated emotions. It wasn't because of anything else but because, in his previous life, Arthur was someone William had to look up to.
He was a nine-star powerhouse!
