Chapter 290 Detonation (Part 1)
William had gathered an assortment of intelligences, giving him a clearer picture of his next steps.
Right now, he couldn't help but be impressed by these smaller groups. Sure, they didn't have the hundreds of Evolving persons like the big factions, nor could they take down third-level mutated creatures together. They were often bullied and robbed by the big guys.
But they had their own unique flair.
Take their scouting methods, for instance. They were so clever that William found it hard to believe. They used every bit of terrain, buildings, and tools they could find. One team even had some high-tech stuff, like wave frequency scanning. Apparently, they had a grad student in applied physics on their team.
This intelligence helped William get a better grasp of the situation around the Poppy roulette wheel and map out clear boundaries.
That was the line between the camps of the three big monster factions.
"Captain Wright, those guys are moving more often. Looks like they're gearing up for something. Should we wait for them to make a move and then swoop in?" Wayne asked.
Wayne, who had been easily beaten by William before, had a lot of respect for him. He was talking about the top fifty factions' alliance in Accraville City.
Since finding out that the big factions had also teamed up and were eyeing the Accurately exchange roulette wheel, the small factions' alliance felt a weird kind of excitement.
Usually, they were pushed around by the big factions. Many small groups had their territories squeezed by the top fifty factions. They were forced out of their comfort zones to live elsewhere.
In the apocalypse, an unfamiliar environment could be a death sentence.
Some of the small factions' hunting trips were also messed up or even hijacked by the powerful ones. Using their strength, they often attacked small groups hunting zombies or mutated animals, snatching the Magic Crystals the small factions were about to get. If the small factions resisted even a little, they were wiped out.
When small factions went to spin the roulette in areas controlled by the big factions, they were also harshly exploited.
This kind of stuff happened all the time. In short, the small factions had no love for the big ones.
This time, everyone was united. Even though their target wasn't the Major Power Alliance, their goals were pretty much the same. Everyone knew this might be a competition. If they could pull off what the big factions couldn't, it would be a huge win, proving they weren't inferior. The current gap was just due to luck.
So, everyone in the small factions' alliance was pumped to prove themselves in the upcoming actions.
Especially after getting the Evolution Elixir immunity potion and the glowing weapons and gear, their confidence was through the roof.
Morale was sky-high, something even William hadn't expected.
"No," William shook his head. "We need to act first."
Everyone was puzzled. William was the center of attention. The leaders of these factions sat around him, surprised by his words. 'Isn't it best to watch in secret and then launch a surprise attack? Why draw attention by acting first?'
William knew he had to rely on these survivors, and they needed to adapt more to the apocalypse. The apocalypse seemed to emphasize combat ability, but in reality, judgment was more important.
William said, "These mutated life forms are only interested in the Blood of Evolution at the edge of the Accurately exchange roulette wheel. They can't get it themselves, so they rely on humans."
A lot of heads nodded in agreement. It was a known fact. The Major Power Alliance had tried something similar before, but it ended in disaster, with mutated life forms tearing them apart.
William went on, "These mutated creatures won't let anyone spinning the roulette off the hook, just like we won't give up on the roulette despite the danger. But that doesn't mean they'll stop anyone from spinning it."
William hit the nail on the head, "In other words, the real danger isn't spinning the roulette, but when the Blood of Evolution appears and it's time to get out of there."
Everyone realized they had missed this point. Seeing the beast hordes, they instinctively thought getting close was dangerous, forgetting that these mutated life forms were controlled by their respective kings. Their ultimate goal was to get the Blood of Evolution, and they needed humans to spin the roulette. The real challenge was how humans could safely leave after getting the Blood of Evolution.
Those monsters wouldn't mind snacking on humans after getting the Blood of Evolution.
After all, without the Blood of Evolution, humans were their best source of evolutionary energy.
Mutated life forms at this level were pretty smart. They knew humans' extreme desire for the roulette, so they waited confidently, rather than stopping them from coming.
"But Captain Wright..." A small faction leader hesitated, then asked, "Even if we get in, how do we get out? We can't handle so many mutated life forms."
William grinned, "Not just us, even if we teamed up with the major factions' alliance, all the survivors in Accraville City combined wouldn't stand a chance against these mutated life forms. But a lot depends on human effort. I wouldn't risk my life for nothing. After all, I'm the one spinning the roulette, the most dangerous job. Do I look like someone with a death wish?"
Everyone chuckled, knowing that only William had the skills and resources to spin the roulette. He was indeed in the most dangerous spot.
William added, "If everything goes smoothly, it might be easier than we think."
Meanwhile, Ernesto, Stella, Arthur, Raymond, Lawrence, and other leaders of major factions in Accraville City were gathered in a mall. Their numbers had grown to over three thousand Evolving persons in the past few days.
As for the regular folks in each faction, they stayed back. Firstly, a huge crowd might attract the attention of the three monster factions. Secondly, this wasn't a time when sheer numbers could win; it was smarter to keep these reserves in the rear.
"The plan is set. Anyone got any objections?" Ernesto looked around, sighing a bit. These days, everyone had argued without coming up with a solid plan. There had even been bloody clashes between Star Beauty Company and Accraville City Prison. They had reluctantly teamed up for the roulette, but no one was really on board, each thinking they were right.
After days of discussion, they hadn't made any progress as the plan was pretty much the same as the first one. Ernesto didn't think it had a high chance of success.
But the lure of the goodies on the roulette was strong. Ernesto didn't want to miss the chance to try his luck. If they succeeded, their strength would get a big boost.
As for how to split the loot afterward, that would probably be another bloody fight.
For the first time, Ernesto missed Chester. If he were here, with Mercy Vanguard warband leading, there might be a high-authority figure to balance the factions, making things better.
Unfortunately, Chester was severely injured, his life hanging by a thread. It was said that Mercy Vanguard warband was dealing with internal strife.
"Captain Ellis!" A subordinate suddenly rushed in, aghast.
"What is it? Calm down." This guy was Raymond's subordinate. He scolded him with a frown.
"A group of people, is heading to spin the roulette!" The subordinate blurted out.
Raymond jumped up immediately.
