Chapter 65: Ambush (Thanks to the alliance leader, Zoushou)

Among the many common bits of knowledge passed down between Chosen, although everyone admits that the Ember lineage is truly incapable of fighting, it must simultaneously be acknowledged that a Craftsman’s dominance within their own workshop is absolute.

Never mind those of the same rank or standing; sometimes, even Celestials might find themselves biting the dust beneath some of the ghostly things stored within certain workshops.

It is just like facing a heavily fortified fortress with bare hands—leaving aside ballistae, arrow-carts, falling rocks, and rolling logs, there are even more disgusting types who would simply boil excrement on the ramparts, waiting to pour it onto the faces of intruders.

Ji Jue is deeply convinced that even if the world were to collapse outside, and the entire Haizhou were to vanish in an earthquake or be flooded, as long as Professor Ye remained in her workshop, she could still live as if nothing had happened.

Its defensive power and suppression capability are just that terrifying and overpowered.

Unfortunately, a qualified workshop cannot just be a room with a furnace in it. Just as installing electric curtains doesn't mean the whole house is "smart," a workshop is not some pathetic thing like a smart home system.

A qualified workshop requires three generations of Craftsmen and over a hundred years of time to complete.

It needs a full set of tools covering every aspect of alchemical application, and even specialized modifications based on the techniques inherited from one's own school—and that is just the foundation of the foundation.

It requires a power source capable of providing all the spiritual quality consumption—in the official channels of the Taiyi Ring, the cheapest mobile, small-scale "Sun of Spiritual Quality" costs 242,009,411 credits. Don't ask why it’s such a specific number; Ji Jue used every coupon he had, and he was still short by that much.

At the same time, the laying of full-space spiritual quality circuits and the pre-embedding of rune containers involve secret rites and blessings from various Supreme Virtues. Transformation grants a higher yield of premium products, Heavenly Origin bestows the Craftsman with stronger control, and Vortex allows the Craftsman to remain unscathed even if their furnace explodes head-on.

Not to mention the external defensive parts, the risk control system that monitors the overall situation at all times, and the necessary alchemical auxiliaries—each one is a bottomless pit, and each one is a part that could exhaust a Craftsman’s heart and blood for over a decade without being completed.

And the fact that this entire set can be lightweighted and compressed until it can be shoved into a pocket to wander around shows the gold content of the Ghostwork Sphere as a mobile workshop.

It contains all the simple processing tools for temporary emergencies, and the underlying instructions inscribed within its core are as vast as the sea, sufficient to respond to all unexpected situations in a timely manner. It can even, given its own scale, go head-to-head with Mercury’s workshop defense system!

Unfortunately, a simplified version is ultimately a simplified version, and the operator is still Ji Jue, an apprentice who knows nothing but how to press buttons. Just defending against it was already enough to make it crash.

And now, what they have to face is a Grandmaster who has encompassed the entire Rift Realm within their own workshop domain!

A god who is omnipotent within their workshop!

The tragedy of this situation is like Ji Jue, this little male brat, entering Mercury’s amusement park, leaving him with no choice but to be at the mercy of others. They can flatten him if they want, or roll him into a ball... Who knows, he might even be thrown into a furnace and refined into a literal thermal weapon.

The good news is, Mercury is dead.

Very dead!

The bad news is also... Mercury is dead. There is no longer any administrator permission to control the workshop to let them out; they must go head-to-head with a workshop filled with various defensive instructions and sterilization programs.

No, what if they didn't die completely...

At the thought of an old ghost from who knows how many years ago staring at him from the shadows, Ji Jue’s hair stood on end.

Fortunately, at least Brother Sphere is tough enough.

After taking a hit of spiritual quality invasion and an EMP, it could still reboot and self-start, even managing to shake off the workshop’s search and help Ji Jue with signal shielding, so he wouldn't be treated as a pest the moment he entered and have to face the workshop’s sterilization measures.

At least for now, he is safe.

After the Ghostwork Sphere unfolds, it can form a safe space with the nature of a primary workshop, and it even comes with a shower room and restroom, maximizing the avoidance of the troubles of field survival for the user.

Under the protection of Brother Sphere, Ji Jue and Xiao An managed to get a good night’s sleep.

Five hours later, after both had recovered their states, they set off again, carefully approaching the church in the center of the city along the clues provided by Brother Sphere.

To be precise, it was the towering bell tower that remained intact, standing out like a crane among chickens in the Rift Realm filled with ruins and wreckage.

Based on the brief clash when they entered, Brother Sphere had already precisely captured the flow of spiritual quality within the entire Rift Realm and marked many key locations.

Among them, the place most likely to be the workshop hub was that bell tower.

Regrettably, the bell tower was just too conspicuous.

It wasn't just them who could notice it; anyone with eyes, after searching around, would likely perceive the abnormality of the bell tower. Whether there were clues or evidence didn't matter; anyway, you beat the grass to scare the snake—Rift Realm exploration requires patience and thoroughness.

And some people had already very wisely set their sights on other Chosen.

I can’t handle the bell tower, but can’t I handle you?

Who doesn't drop gold coins when they die?

Twenty minutes after setting off, Ji Jue had already dismantled a second tripwire mine from a ruin on the only path... He was truly slightly worried about the mental state of contemporary Chosen.

How can you turn every game into a battle royale?

Where did love and peace go?

But since everyone had stopped being decent people, Ji Jue... was sorry too.

He directly reinstalled the tripwire mine in the opposite direction, then installed a new one in the most conspicuous spot on the other side, and issued an instruction with his ability—if anyone tried to dismantle the wire, it would detonate immediately!

"Truly unscrupulous."

He angrily denounced the despicableness and baseness of other black-hearted explorers, while helplessly and indignantly joining their ranks.

"Brother Ji Jue, upright!"

Xiao An, who had witnessed all of Ji Jue’s actions, picked up a pen and recorded in his notebook: He didn't even deliberately use a maiming amount of gunpowder to set an ambush after attracting others to approach, but instead gave his opponent a clean and thorough death—truly noble and kind!

Such a firm character shines even in the dark Rift Realm.

And just as he was observing and learning seriously, the young man’s expression changed slightly.

White Deer Blessing, Killing Intent Premonition—Cicada Knowledge!

"Brother Ji Jue, someone is coming."

The disabled youth propped his body up from the little ox-horse, the sound of iron plates rubbing beneath his sleeves ringing out, gradually realizing: "Probably coming for me. Sorry, I’ve caused you trouble again."

He took out his folding crutch and was about to get off the little ox-horse, but was pressed down by Ji Jue.

"Stay on the vehicle obediently."

Ji Jue shook his head, "I don't have the habit of selling out my teammates."

Leaving aside his relationship with Sister Wen, just since entering the Rift Realm, Xiao An had saved him more times than he could count. If he were to just run away at the first sign of trouble now, Ji Jue would look down on himself.

Anyway, it wasn't his first time doing PvP.

He reached out, pulled the shotgun from the little ox-horse’s gun rack, and racked the slide.

The moment the drone took flight, a loud noise and roar erupted!

Overhead!

The shattered skylight collapsed in an instant!

A massive figure descended from the sky!

At the same time, a sharp killing intent came from behind his head!

"Found you!"

Two minutes ago, in a dilapidated building, the Chosen holding a water basin was overjoyed: "Right in front of us, less than five hundred meters."

"Can you be sure it’s him?"

The burly leader asked vigilantly: "Don't make a mistake."

"Definitely, the Path of the White Deer, looks like a woman—it can only be the An family. And he has short hair and a limp, it’s the target for sure. He’s done who knows how many heaven-resenting jobs in the Security Bureau, and the crowdfunded bounty on the Wild Market is a full seventy million plus!"

"Don't let the one next to him get away either; he has a lot of money on him too." The woman sharpening her blade grinned: "I’ve kept an eye on him, especially before the Rift Realm opened, when it increased by a large amount."

"Very good, everyone stay sharp."

The leader raised his hand, pressed a pneumatic injection gun against his neck, and pulled the trigger. A full tube of potion was injected into his artery. Visibly, his face turned crimson, and even his physique expanded further.

Thick armor grew from beneath his skin, and in an instant, he transformed into a giant monster over three meters tall. His five fingers were as sharp as knives, yet his movements were incredibly light. In an instant, he had nimbly climbed the ruins, lurking forward under the navigation of the Aether Chosen.

The moment everyone was in position, they grinned silently.

The giant beast clenched its fist and slammed it onto the floor, which could no longer bear the weight.

Thus, descending from the sky!!!!

At the same instant, Ji Jue saw Xiao An, who was sitting on the little ox-horse, suddenly turn around, the iron light from his sleeves whistling toward Ji Jue!

In a flash, Ji Jue didn't even move, still maintaining his aiming posture.

Aiming at the Chosen falling from mid-air.

Pull the trigger!

Bang!!!

Two loud noises overlapped, ringing out without distinction of order.

The slug, inscribed with the Great Group emblem, hit the giant monster Chosen who was swooping down, causing him to fly backward in mid-air. On the arm he was shielding his face with, cracks had already appeared in the armor and bones, and he was sweating profusely.

And just behind Ji Jue, a shadow that had appeared out of nowhere had its dagger knocked away and broken by the iron plate thrown by Xiao An. But the counterattack of the two did not stop the attacker’s movements.

The giant monster’s wounds contracted in an instant, forcibly closing. Amidst the loud noise of the earth shaking, it slammed into the two of them.

At the same time, the attacker lurking in the illusion lunged forward again, aiming for Ji Jue, dealing a ruthless blow. Halfway there, the woman’s other hand swept out.

In an instant, five colors emerged from the void, flashing violently and erupting. The scene before them actually began to spin crazily, as if they had been thrown into a tumble dryer.

The world was spinning!

They couldn't see anything at all!

Ji Jue only had time to follow Old Zhang’s teaching, strengthening his legs with the White Deer emblem, springing forward in a sprint, diving, and lying prone.

Marveling and shivering at this skilled and deadly ambush.

To be fair, having a Vortex-line blood-tank Chosen as a tank and main attacker, with a Mirror-line Chosen hiding behind as support, then casting control skills, and then assisting others lurking in the dark to attack in coordination... and they even got the first move.

The location was also in these ruins where there were very few mechanical creations.

Time, place, and people—they had it all.

If it were just Ji Jue, he would definitely have died beyond death in this first wave.

Fortunately, there was still Xiao An.

And even more fortunately...

The woman who was following closely behind, the tactical belt on her waist.

You say you’re ambushing, fine... but why do you have to carry a grenade on you?

Ji Jue, who was falling from mid-air, lay prone on the ground, skillfully assuming an anti-impact prone position, and clenched his right hand.

——【Explode】!