Chapter 106: Level Five Underground Fortress (4500 Words! Humbly Seeking First Reservation!)

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Without any preamble, diving straight to the point, Russell found it a bit hard to adjust. Fortunately, that terrifying feeling of being watched did not appear. This made him breathe a sigh of relief. Compared to others, Russell knew very well that once that gaze appeared, he would die within a short time—no judgment, no reason—at most, just a little time to straighten his clothes...

He glanced around the dreadful area and said, “It’s inconvenient to talk here. Let’s go to where I’m staying.”

“Alright.” Colin nodded. “But first, open your backpack. Let me take a look…”

He couldn’t just let the other carry a bunch of “dangerous items,” giving him a chance to strike back at any moment.

“I don’t have much left…” Russell sighed, reluctantly opening his backpack, letting Colin rummage through it. Besides some mysterious items, there was nothing important.

However, Colin couldn’t help but mutter in surprise as he checked the contents…

So rich?

“Four red potions, each restoring thirty percent of health…”

“Blue potions, medium enhancement potions, five recovery cards, dark chocolate bars, compressed biscuits, canned meat, an engineer’s shovel…”

Russell interrupted with a strange expression, “Aren’t these just the usual things the system gives? Every day a set of red and blue potions, plus food. What’s so strange about that…”

[You realize this man doesn’t seem to be lying…]

Colin twitched his mouth, unsure how to react. “…We don’t have these…”

If the system gave out these items daily, why would so many die? Why would people have to risk their lives leaving the wooden huts just for some food?

Many still wandered through the gray mist, battered and bruised, all for a bite of black bread…

If it weren’t for their fast physical recovery, many would never have made it this far.

Some couldn’t bear the excruciating pain and chose to give up facing it altogether…

Colin didn’t want to think about it anymore and decided to take all these items for himself—they were all valuable…

He was growing increasingly curious about what the “previous batch” had faced.

They didn’t seem so miserable, did they?

Compared to these people, he felt like his group was treated like stepchildren…

At this moment, Russell wasn’t attached to the items; they were ordinary for them, and still issued daily…

He even drank them like beverages when bored.

“By the way, friend, can you save me a red potion?”

His face was still swollen.

Colin stuffed the last red potion back into the backpack, without looking back, continuing to rummage.

“You’ll heal just fine if you eat some food…”

Really? It’s not like it’s precious, and Russell didn’t know what to say for a moment.

But soon, he began to feel a pang of affection when Colin pulled out a coin from his backpack.

An old brass coin, heavily worn, the patterns were barely visible.

Colin examined it in his hand.

This little thing made them human target dummies, missing every shot fired.

[“Fate Coin”: Stores everyday luck and releases it at critical moments, storing up to ten minutes of luck.]

[Note: The rate of luck consumption is proportional to the danger you face.]

[Special active skill: “Lone Throw.” Using this skill successfully will cause the coin to disappear.]

[Remark: My luck is your misfortune.]

[Hint: You realize luck is conserved; while storing luck, you become unlucky.]

“No matter what you encounter, you’d better not try using ‘Lone Throw,’ or you might end up badly,” Russell warned, holding back his concern.

“What happens?” Colin asked curiously.

“Unknown. But I can tell you this coin has passed through dozens of owners before me. Some even used slaves for experiments. None succeeded…”

They all died… Colin caught the implication.

After packing it away, he took a blood-stained white cloth from Russell’s pocket.

[“Blood-stained White Cloth”: Can suppress or weaken the effects of mysterious items. Prolonged carry may erase bodily vitality.]

Such a plain name, such a plain effect, not even a remark… Colin muttered.

[Hint: You realize this is not something to be in contact with long-term.]

After putting it away, he took out a blue dagger.

The dagger was about half a meter long, with a blue gem blade, wavy patterns, a short handle, and a very good feel in hand.

[“Deep Blue Soul Blade”: Summons and tames the “Bone White Steed” within. When riding the summoned “Bone White Steed,” the distance enemies must travel to chase you triples.]

[“Bone White Steed” can traverse unknown realms, pass through all ordinary physical obstacles, and can briefly reach speeds over 100 km/h.]

[Remark: Almost there, almost there, don’t rush me, I’m on the way, just a few more minutes… The horse will arrive in thirty minutes.]

[Hint: You realize taming a “Bone White Steed” is not easy.]

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The horse disappeared right after the duel ended, but Colin was deeply impressed by it.

At that moment, Russell smiled brightly and said:

“Keep this item for me. Taming a ‘Bone White Steed’ isn’t easy—it requires building trust and is quite complicated…

“I’ve already built a good relationship with it. Even if you summon it, it won’t acknowledge you…

“Our bond is very strong, like family, unbreakable.”

Alright, Colin was persistent, “Summon it again so I can see.”

Russell stepped a few paces away, and no one stopped him.

They watched as he stood still for several minutes, then with a long neigh, a Bone White Steed galloped from the void into reality.

Tall and mighty, fully equipped, bones as white as jade, blue cold flames flickering in its eye sockets…

Russell held the “Deep Blue Soul Blade,” reaching out to stroke the horse’s head with a smile:

“This friend wants to take you away from me? See, that’s impossible…”

The Bone White Steed rubbed against him, lowering its head to let him pet it.

…Sure enough, in front of others, you still side with me… Russell was both surprised and deeply relieved, feeling all the hardships endured to tame this warhorse were worthwhile…

At this moment, Colin saw this and thought better of it.

He didn’t have the energy to tame such a creature now.

But suddenly, something strange happened. The Bone White Steed quietly approached the dagger, then suddenly bit the “Deep Blue Soul Blade” from Russell’s hand, shaking its head and snatching the blade away…

Then, to everyone’s astonishment, it trotted over to Colin, holding the dagger in its mouth.

Shana and the others immediately stopped it.

“Let it come over,” Colin said with a strange expression.

Clopping happily, it approached Colin and lowered its head, offering the dagger with a low whinny.

The scene suddenly fell silent. No one expected this.

Until Colin took the dagger, the Bone White Steed gave a hoarse yet cheerful whinny and half-knelt, seeming to wait for him to mount.

But Colin did not.

He had no idea what was going on.

“Friend, seems your horse doesn’t want you anymore,” Li Chou teased.

Russell’s mouth twitched as he looked at the proud Bone White Steed kneeling in submission—the one he had painstakingly bonded with…

How come I didn’t know it could make that move?

[You faintly sense this undead creature likes you very much…]

Why? Colin was puzzled.

[You guess it might desire something you possess.]

“What do I have that it desires?”

Colin pondered, then suddenly realized and patted its head.

“You also long to bring a baptism of fire to this land, to sweep away all shadows and horror?”

???

The Bone White Steed tilted its head.

[You realize that when the Bone White Steed activates its ability, it can briefly ignore physical damage.]

Seeing this hint, Colin’s mind raced. He patted the horse’s head—Russell’s eyes twitched, thinking if he did that, the horse would probably respond with a spinning kick…

Weren’t they supposed to be each other’s angels? How did it come to this? His feelings were complicated beyond words.

Suddenly, a flash of insight hit Russell.

Usually, this horse can reach 100 km/h in three seconds. Even a level-one war vehicle can’t keep up.

But just now, it ran for over ten seconds and hadn’t covered thirty meters, which led to his capture…

Usually, it takes at least thirty minutes to “rush” out, as if running a long distance, but just now it appeared in less than three minutes…

At this moment, Russell fell into deep thought, noticing many details he hadn’t before.

Recalling his earlier words, a strong awkwardness welled up, his toes twitching uncontrollably.

He felt like a clown.

…

Elsewhere, Colin’s mind turned after seeing the hint.

So powerful…

Carrying several cannons should be no problem.

This would solve the artillery’s mobility issue immediately…

A natural artillery platform.

He’d have to prepare a matching vehicle for it.

And it can briefly ignore physical damage…

Doesn’t that mean I can have it charge enemies carrying explosives for “precision strikes”?

Just don’t know its load capacity…

If it could carry a ton of black powder…

Tsk…

Colin thought unconsciously.

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Suddenly, he didn’t know why, he asked the Bone White Steed:

“Do you have brothers and sisters like us?”

If there were a few hundred more, they could immediately form a weakened version of an iron flood…

The Bone White Steed, ready to follow Colin because of “shared ideals,” tilted its head. Flames flickered in its eyes as it tried to understand Colin’s words.

Looks like a “Twisted Soul,” Colin smiled as he looked at his comrade.

Though the flames were blue, it had a crimson heart, yearning for nuclear cleansing just like Colin.

Of course, this was Colin’s playful thought. Seeing the hint, he knew not to expect to understand why it served so eagerly anytime soon.

But he’d make use of it however he could. Getting something for free was never a loss.

A few seconds later, the Bone White Steed nodded, then shook its head.

[You guess it seems to say there are horses like it, but only it is here…]

“That’s a pity.”

Colin patted its head again, then gathered his scattered thoughts. Under the creature’s reluctant gaze, he put away the dagger.

He’d retrofit it into a light biological tank when he had time.

“Let’s go to your territory and talk about the system,” Colin said, looking at Russell.

Russell nodded with a complicated expression, as if accepting the reality, and began to lead the way.

As they twisted and turned through this fallen family graveyard, approaching a hidden corner in a room, they saw Russell pull back a carpet to reveal a manhole.

The manhole cover was lifted, revealing utter darkness inside, blurred like a mosaic.

Colin couldn’t help but say:

“Why is your territory in a place like this?”

Russell shook his head. “Not really. We escaped here to hide. You know that when your level is high enough, you can pay to relocate your territory?”

“I didn’t know… but I do now. I just want to know what your territory is like.”

“A level-five underground fortress.”

As soon as he said this, silence fell, only the sound of sharp inhales remained…

“Level-five underground fortress?”

Li Chou’s eyes nearly popped out as he stared into the darkness beneath the manhole. “A level-five underground fortress looks like this?”

“The entrance to a level-five underground fortress can be modified for a fee. Essentially, it’s an independent space…”

“Independent space…” Colin was at a loss for words. “What’s it like down there?”

“Just so-so. The underground fortress space is generally small, just over ten thousand square meters, with a few hundred rooms. The facilities are fairly complete—you can even take a shower… Of course, I guess you won’t let this territory go. I’m bored living here; if you want it, I can give it to you, but I’ll keep a few subordinates for myself…” Russell said casually.

He seemed to have opened up, chatting non-stop.

Now he felt this place was worse than his old steam apartment. Such a large underground fortress housing only a few people, surrounded by graves, monsters outside—it just felt more and more uncomfortable.

As for handing over the territory…

The horse had run off with someone else. He was mentally exhausted and didn’t care anymore.

Now he had nothing; life might as well start over.

Just over ten thousand square meters…

Colin and the others silently exhaled.

For some reason, seeing Russell’s indifferent attitude, Colin felt he had been too gentle.

He clenched his fist tightly.

“Don’t look at me like that. Usually, after about thirty days, you can get a level-five territory. Then if people in the area cooperate, level-three war vehicles and such should appear. We used all means to exchange for this level-five underground fortress, then spent over thirty thousand mist points to make it portable, found it through a treasure map, and finally, discovering this area was not ‘watched,’ we hid here…”

“Thirty days…”

Colin’s eyes lit up. Ignoring the rest of Russell’s words, he asked, “You passed the countdown?”

This was the sword hanging over every survivor’s head right now. If they could get information on it, taking a risk would be worthwhile.

“Countdown? The forty-five-day countdown you mentioned at the start? We didn’t pass it, or do you think there’d be more than just a few lords here? Oh, just me now. The others—I don’t know if they’re dead or alive…”

“We found this place by coincidence. Not sure why it’s not watched. Well, not completely unknown—the underground seal, you know? It’s probably related. What’s sealed inside is unknown but terrifying…”

“But you’re just starting out, and you’re probably the lucky type… the ‘chosen one’… But why dwell on things so far ahead? That thing is at least a month away from you. Anyway, I’ll tell you what might happen later, so you can be prepared…”

More than a month…

At once, as he finished speaking, the place fell deathly silent.

Colin’s heart seemed to sink to the bottom of a valley.

The forty-five-day countdown—only less than four days left for them, and it’s hidden.

What exactly happened?

Why do they have just four days left?

...

P.S.: Continuing to write.