Chapter 342: The Contract of Overstepping Authority, Come Back to Me (Requesting Monthly Votes)

Emperor Tomb Mountain Range, Abyssal Node.

The embers of the great battle scattered in the wind.

The wreckage of the Civilization Legion carpeted the battlefield; players who had thoroughly crushed the Civilization Legion were now snatching up weapons and armor left behind by the slain Civilization Warriors, and even the corpses on the ground were their targets.

As long as something possessed a shred of spirituality, it held value in the players' eyes.

Even if they didn't need it themselves, they could sacrifice it to Brother Di Zhao.

Since the Civilization Legion was annihilated, the alliance no longer existed.

The insect race would continue slaughtering without hesitation.

As for the body of the Temple Guardian, it had long since turned to ash, perishing along with its Civilization Legion in the fury of the players and the insect race.

At this moment, on the Evil Eye Tower platform, the Earth Chant Evil Spirit finally could not hold on and fell into unconsciousness.

The dark red patterns on its surface gradually extinguished, like burnt-out charcoal, leaving only a few wisps of black smoke energy lingering around the wounds, still eroding its body.

The projections of the Four Bullies, having already lost control of the tower, stood dumbfounded on the platform.

They had witnessed this incredible battle with their own eyes, bearing witness to the most impossible defense.

What made them find it even more unbelievable was this:

The members of the Player Race, who had just been killing in a red-eyed frenzy, after a brief clash with the insect race to seize resources, actually began to withdraw in an orderly fashion.

During this process, some Player Race members even threw glass bottles imbued with an aura of rules onto the tower.

On the other side, the vast insect army also departed like a receding Black Tide.

The Earth-Bursting Insect swarm burrowed underground, the Thunder Beasts retracted their claws and turned to sprint wildly, the Winged Insects spread their wings and soared into the sky... and the fungal carpet that had been spreading madly across the land also began to retract northward immediately after.

When the last player squad disappeared from sight, the Four Bullies still could not figure out the issue.

Why would the insect race and the Player Race, these two beastly factions, act this way?

"Is there a possibility that Boss Di Nian is their archenemy in their eyes, so they are unwilling to let him die at the hands of another faction?" Ghost Tooth sank into deep thought, offering a potential possibility.

"That is quite possible." Blood Pattern nodded, then added with confusion:

"But thinking from the other perspective, viewing the insect race and the Player Race through Boss Di Nian's mindset, suppose there was an opportunity to slaughter either of those factions; what would he do?"

"Based on my understanding of Boss Di Nian, if it were him, he would definitely root them out and kill them all," Iron Spine affirmed.

Hearing Iron Spine's speculation, Rotten Heart expressed deep agreement:

"Correct. Whether it is the Player Race or the insect race, they have always been a poisonous thorn in Boss Di Nian's heart that cannot be removed... If not for the pincer attack by these two beastly factions, how could Boss Di Nian's growth have been hindered to this extent?"

"Especially during every Waning Moon phase, it is difficult for Boss Di Nian to expand outward; he can only huddle near the tower to defend."

"If I were Boss Di Nian, upon encountering such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break free, I would certainly leverage the situation; even if I could only erase one of the parties, it would clear an obstacle for the future and gain more room for development."

"Strike while the enemy is ill to take their life; whether such an opportunity will appear again in the future is unpredictable, so it must be firmly grasped in the present."

Speaking to this point, the gazes of the Four Bullies unanimously turned toward the unconscious Earth Chant Evil Spirit.

Then they looked at each other.

No matter how they speculated, they could not conceive a logical explanation for the actions of the Player Race and the insect race.

"Let's return to the node first," Ghost Tooth shook his head, giving up on thinking:

"The Evil Eye is dead; without Boss Di Nian opening the permissions, staying here is futile."

Blood Pattern nodded in agreement:

"The Black Black Tide Core of the tower is still operating; once self-repair is complete, it will mobilize the remaining Black Black Tide energy to heal Boss Di Nian's injuries. Let's go back."

As the words fell, the projections of the Four Bullies faded simultaneously.

Ghost Tooth's figure was the first to dissipate into a wisp of black smoke, followed by Blood Pattern's projection scattering like sand grains, Iron Spine's projection peeling away like rust, and finally Rotten Heart's projection dissolving into the air like weathered stone.

At that moment, they all returned to their respective tower nodes to stand guard.

The war thus came to a close.

The damaged tower continued to emit a low hum; the remaining Black Black Tide energy, thick like viscous ink, crept slowly along the cracks in the tower body.

It rapidly repaired the damaged tower along its path.

By the time the Black Black Tide energy climbed up to the platform, it had become as thin as morning mist.

They hovered above the broken body of the Earth Chant Evil Spirit, attempting several times to condense into form, only to be shattered by the rule energy dissipating from the wounds.

Some Black Black Tide energy attempted to repair the Earth Chant Evil Spirit's fractured spine, but the instant it made contact, it was scorched into green smoke.

Just as the repair reached a stalemate and the Black Black Tide energy was about to be exhausted:

The Black Black Tide energy manifested tentacles and violently stabbed into the surface of the platform.

Immediately, the platform above the tower began to decay and disintegrate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This was one of the Black Black Tide Core's mechanisms.

When energy neared exhaustion, it would devour all convertible matter, prioritizing the survival of the Evil Spirit Warriors.

At this moment, every brick and stone composing the tower hummed; the runes branded upon them extinguished one after another, and the Evil Crystals embedded in the walls burst in succession.

For every inch of the tower the Black Black Tide energy devoured, new Black Black Tide energy surged forth from within.

During the devouring process, the Black Black Tide energy came into contact with the recovery potions the players had thrown onto the tower.

The violent Black Black Tide energy suddenly greedily sucked them up as if finding a treasure, devouring potions of all different qualities.

Instantly, the recovery speed of the Black Black Tide energy increased dramatically.

In fact, the priority of healing potions was higher than the level of Black Black Tide energy under the Earth Chant Evil Spirit's control.

The most correct method at this time would have been to use the potion energy directly to heal the Earth Chant Evil Spirit.

But the Black Black Tide energy possessed no self-awareness; it could not think, nor could it distinguish between good and bad energy quality.

It would only operate according to its set program.

With the boost of potion energy obtained through devouring, the Black Black Tide rushed at the Earth Chant Evil Spirit once more, and this time the repair efficiency skyrocketed.

The residual aura of the Divine Eye and the Black Black Tide energy wore each other down through constant conflict.

During this period, the Black Black Tide energy also diverted a portion of its power to continue devouring the tower.

Relying on a ceaseless supply of energy, the Black Black Tide energy gradually gained the upper hand and began repairing the Earth Chant Evil Spirit's damaged body.

First was the deep, bone-exposing wound on the Earth Chant Evil Spirit's chest; the Black Black Tide energy pulled together, stitched, and filled the tissue surrounding the wound.

Subsequently, the fractured bones, wrapped in Black Black Tide energy, emitted crisp snapping sounds; the twisted bones were shattered and then reshaped.

Even the shattered companion battle armor on the Earth Chant Evil Spirit's surface gradually restored to its original state under the effect of the Black Black Tide energy.

The most difficult parts to repair were the internal organs and nerves.

Especially the internal organs.

The Earth Chant Evil Spirit's shattered heart (core) beat with abnormal weakness; as tower materials were continuously converted, more and more energy rushed forward successively to join the repair effort.

Finally, after multiple attempts, this energy core, covered in dark red veins, began to beat autonomously, pumping the mixed energy throughout the body with every contraction.

At this moment, the Earth Chant Evil Spirit completely broke free from the state of near-death.

After completing the repair, the Black Black Tide energy did not disperse.

Instead, it plated a layer of barrier over its surface, continuing to provide it with power and protecting the Earth Chant Evil Spirit, who was still unconscious.

Sixteen hours later.

The consciousness of the Earth Chant Evil Spirit slowly floated up from the depths of darkness.

The first sense to return was pain.

It felt as though every inch of bone had been crushed and reassembled, and as if countless tiny blades were churning within its muscle fibers.

This pain made it instinctively want to curl up, yet it discovered that even its fingertips felt as heavy as lead.

But after only a brief adaptation, the Earth Chant Evil Spirit endured this agony that would be unimaginable to ordinary beings.

It slowly opened its eyes, and its blurry vision gradually cleared.

Forcing its heavy body to sit up.

What came into view was the tower platform riddled with a thousand holes and a hundred wounds; the light cast by the Evil Moon spilled upon the platform, creating a ground covered in shattered spots of light.

Its nostrils were filled with the distinctive scent of the Black Black Tide, yet mixed with a trace of an unfamiliar aura.

It seemed the residual aura of the Divine Eye had not yet completely dissipated.

Memories surged like a Black Tide.

The surprise attack by the Civilization Legion, the sacrifice of the Evil Eye, the bone lantern of the Temple Guardian, the stubborn resistance of the four allies... and finally, that absurd scene.

The defensive line built for it by two archenemies, and the scene of them charging fearlessly into the Civilization Legion.

It knew it had survived.

But the question from that time remained unanswered.

Why would the Player Race and the insect race come to its rescue?

If it were in their place, it would undoubtedly have slaughtered the Player Race and the insect race, who had fallen into crisis, without the slightest hesitation, leaving no possibility for them to turn the tables.

Just as the Earth Chant Evil Spirit sank into deep thought, a fluctuation came from the tower.

Realizing there was external information, the Earth Chant Evil Spirit slowly raised its arm, spreading its five fingers.

Immediately, countless streams of black light seeped out from the cracks in the tower, converging toward its palm like a flock of crows returning to their nest.

These jet-black energy streams coiled around its palm, gradually condensing into an irregular polyhedral crystal.

The surface of the core was covered in cracks, while turbid dark red energy surged within, resembling a heart violently stitched together.

This was one of the tower's cores.

Without the Evil Eye's assistance, it had to personally connect to the tower node itself.

When the Earth Chant Evil Spirit pressed its palm against the surface of the core, a violent stream of information crashed directly into its consciousness, completely bypassing the Evil Eye's filtration.

"Boss Di Nian, you're finally awake! You've worried me to death!"

"Boss Di Nian, welcome back. How are you feeling now...?"

The voices of the four allies exploded simultaneously within its consciousness layer, causing it to instinctively frown.

It slowly withdrew its hand pressed against the core, using its consciousness to maintain the connection to the Spirit Net, then stated with a calm expression:

"I am fine."

These three simple words made all four Bullies breathe a sigh of relief.

Ghost Tooth asked impatiently:

"Boss Di Nian, my Auxiliary Eye detected that the energy intensity of the tower you are in has downgraded."

Facing the inquiry, the Di Nian Evil Spirit appeared very composed, explaining the process of the tower decomposing to feed energy back to the Black Black Tide.

It stated that to repair its injuries, the Black Black Tide had actively decomposed part of the tower, resulting in reduced tower strength.

The positioning of the tower and Black Black Tide energy was like the positioning of a player's comprehensive Soul Soul level versus their Qi and blood or mental strength.

For every portion of Black Black Tide energy gained from war, the Di Nian Evil Spirit would use part of it to upgrade the tower.

The stronger the tower, the stronger the Black Black Tide energy it could release.

A weakening of the tower's strength was like a player's Soul Soul level being weakened, directly affecting attribute values such as Qi and blood or mental strength.

But regarding this, the Di Nian Evil Spirit did not care.

This ordeal had been a brush with death; it had nearly perished because of it.

Just as Ghost Eye had said when it first arrived in the Monster World.

Accidents could happen at any time; perhaps in the next second, they would turn to dust.

This was the cruelest truth of the Monster World: one might be planning a grand blueprint for the future yesterday, only to become a stepping stone for another race to reach their peak today.

The shadow of death was omnipresent.

A weak monster might be suddenly swallowed whole by a powerful predator while foraging, and a powerful hegemon might be erased by forces wielded by someone even stronger.

There was no place of eternal safety here.

Every breath could be the last, and every war that seemed certain to be won might, due to an accident, evolve into a life-or-death battle.

Even if one survived by sheer luck, no one knew when the next crisis would descend.

The cruelty of the Monster World lay in the fact that it never gave life any room to catch its breath.

Sweet dreams woven from endless resources and wealth trapped countless races in this ceaseless cage of war, where beauty and death coexisted.

Every day alive was a struggle against the four words: "Fate is Impermanent."

He suddenly thought of the Purple-Skin Legion he had seen in the Winter Snowfield region, a force that confronted the Player Race and clumsily imitated the systems of the Black Black Tide and the Insect Black Tide.

When he had arrived.

Despite possessing an overwhelming advantage, the other party had unhesitatingly chosen to retreat, unwilling to engage him even in a probing skirmish.

This scene greatly resembled his own contact with civilized forces.

It seemed an absolute advantage, but who could know whether an even stronger power lurked behind that force?

The clouds of doubt that had lingered in his heart at the time were cleared after personally experiencing this life-or-death tribulation.

There was never any true absolute advantage in this world; it was merely chips temporarily lent by fate amidst its impermanent flow.

Any arrogance bold enough to bet on advantage, even if it could win great victories many times, would eventually be crushed into powder beneath unknown fangs.

Yet even knowing the truth, it would not change its Cultivation Mode of warfare.

The Black Black Tide system was born to be a torrent of destruction that swept away everything.

And as an Evil Spirit Warrior within that Black Black Tide torrent, from the moment of its birth, a devouring command had been carved into its body, leaving no path of retreat.

The tower beneath its feet was proof; this was the established fact of "Non-Migratory."

This core node, which could not be moved, was proof that all Evil Spirit Warriors could not turn back.

From the day it entered the Monster World, it had become a war piece on a chessboard.

Even though it was now the strongest force in the Emperor Tomb Mountain Range region, when viewed from the macroscopic perspective of the Monster World, it was merely an insignificant pawn within the Black Black Tide Legion's sequence.

Precisely because they were insignificant, they would never detour out of fear.

Just then, Blood Pattern's voice sounded in its mind:

"Boss Di Nian, your Ghost Eye has been sacrificed; you urgently need to apply to the Monarch for a new Auxiliary Eye. As for issues like repairing the tower and restoring strength, consider those only after the new Auxiliary Eye is in place," Blood Pattern's voice echoed in its mind.

Hearing these words, the Di Nian Evil Spirit's eyes turned gloomy.

Apply for a new Auxiliary Eye.

These words were like a thorn pricking into a wound that had not yet healed.

Blood Pattern spoke so lightly, as if the Ghost Eye were merely a tool that could be replaced at will.

Perhaps in the eyes of the vast majority of Evil Spirit Warriors, the Auxiliary Eye was indeed just a tool.

This included itself when it had first arrived in the Monster World.

But after more than two years of contact, it had long come to regard the Ghost Eye as a comrade-in-arms, an existence of mutual trust forged in countless battles.

The Ghost Eye's death could have been prevented.

But the Monarch's indifference had made the Ghost Eye's sacrifice cheap.

It also caused a slight crack to appear in its long-held faith in the Black Black Tide system.

Once, it had revered the Monarchs as gods, believing them to be figures standing atop the clouds of the Black Black Tide system.

They were the most perfect embodiment of the will of destruction nurtured through countless wars.

They were both the vanguard tearing through dimensions for the Black Black Tide Legion and the core of the Kuangchao that had devoured countless worlds; they were the ultimate form that all low-level Evil Spirits looked up to in the darkness.

It had once kowtowed before the Monarch's projection, viewing it as the goal to pursue and climb toward for its entire life.

The Ghost Eye had once asked it what its ultimate goal was.

In its heart, the highest point it could reach was the Monarch; this had once been its dream.

If it were its former self, it would have treated every command from the Monarch as supreme glory, even if ordered to fill the Evil Surge with its own life, regarding it merely as a growth trial for a piece like itself.