Chapter 1848: Chapter 1846: Alive? (What If a Young Cat Doesn’t Have Enough Experience Points to Upgrade?)
After ensuring the players’ progress was going smoothly, Fang Zheng also relaxed. Now his goal was to deliver Lei to that courtyard, then he could temporarily withdraw from this world. As for the data on the Order Coordinates in this world, Fang Zheng left it to his adorable players to collect.
As for Fang Zheng himself, he continued on the northern journey with the others.
On one hand, they relied on Lei’s intuition, and on the other hand, everyone was very interested in the "City of the Undead" mentioned by Minister Johannes. Even Kuroko Shirai and Misaka Mikoto felt the same way. Although Kuroko Shirai dismissed the idea that the undead could exist, considering things like time travel already occurred, what if the undead really did exist?
However, Fang Zheng felt a bit uneasy about this. After all, whenever "undead" was mentioned... he reflexively thought of running away.
But... this should be a different matter from his own home, right?
Along the way, they also visited several gathering points for investigation. It turned out that the City of the Undead was indeed real, described in detailed accounts. It was said that the land was blessed by a Deity, and anyone who entered would never die. Even the Wild Gods never approached that land.
However, these gathering points viewed the rumors as a mixed bag, with most people disbelieving them. Even those who believed the rumors had no intention of going. The rumor was too vague, stating only to head north. But where would it end if you kept heading north, to the North Pole?
Moreover, although the rumors said that land had no Wild Gods, they were everywhere along the way. People might not even make it there and could be devoured by Wild Gods on the way.
The remaining thirty percent were naturally stubborn and determined, feeling it was better to take a chance than wait to die. But those who left never returned. With this in mind, many considered it merely a rumor.
But Fang Zheng saw it differently. If it was just a simple rumor, Minister Johannes wouldn’t be so concerned. Facts supported Fang Zheng’s suspicions: although opinions varied in the refugee gathering points around Fenrir, the further north they went, the more deserted gathering points they found. Some even had no people at all!
"It’s the same here."
Walking out of a gathering point, Alisa shook her head at Fang Zheng.
"They only said those people were fine the day before, but then they were gone the next morning, leaving only notes saying they headed to the City of the Undead to the north..."
"This seems a bit strange to me..."
Hearing this, Saten Reiko scratched her head.
"Normally, with such a big decision, you’d discuss it with everyone, right? Now some people left, and others stayed, yet those who stayed know nothing? I can’t help but feel there’s some sinister plot at work here."
Saten Reiko curiously turned to Fang Zheng.
"Mr. Fang Zheng, what do you think?"
"It’s hard to say right now. I’m not sure what’s going on either."
Fang Zheng shook his head in response to Saten Reiko’s inquiry, but deep down, his suspicion about the City of the Undead grew. If it were merely people seeking adventure after hearing rumors, that would be one thing. But for people to disappear overnight with no warning, once or twice might be coincidence, but it happening at every gathering point along the way... that’s not something explained by coincidence.
"However, it seems that place is indeed a bit strange. Maybe we should be cautious..."
At this point, Fang Zheng looked at Alisa and noticed she seemed a bit uneasy.
"What’s wrong? Is there something else?"
"Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng, the people at the gathering point told me there’s a high-level Wild God appearing at a nearby abandoned factory. I’d like to go subjugate it."
"A Wild God..."
Hearing Alisa’s response, Fang Zheng took a good look at the Russian girl in front of him, particularly the massive weapon she held. This weapon was called a Divine Machine, standard equipment for all God Eaters. Although called standard, these Divine Machine weapons were not small. Alisa’s Divine Machine sword was practically taller than her, enormous and bulky, like a colossal greatsword.
Normally, such a heavy weapon would be nearly impossible for an average person to even wield, yet Alisa could hold it with one hand and swing it with ease.
According to Alisa, all God Eaters had been injected with something called "Oracle Cell." It was through injecting these "Oracle Cells" that they could connect with Divine Machines and effortlessly control them.
To Fang Zheng, this wasn’t a bad thing. If I must say... young lady, do you want to learn the Wolf Sword’s form of greeting?
Such a great sword, it’d be a pity if you don’t join the Undead Squad!
Moreover, Fang Zheng realized that Alisa’s tagging along wasn’t just about training, as Amamiya Ryōtan had said. Fang Zheng sensed she was looking for something. Almost every time they reached a gathering point, Alisa would inquire about local conditions and whether there were any Wild Gods... though her luck hadn’t been great previously.
And now...
"I want to go! I want to go!"
At this moment, Saten Reiko excitedly grabbed Lei’s hand and raised it high, shouting continuously. After Fang Zheng taught her the new skills, Saten Reiko was like a fresh martial hero in novels, eager to encounter bandits or brigands to show her prowess.
"A Wild God, I’ll show it my power this time!"
Meanwhile, Misaka Mikoto was ready and raring to go. The reason?... You could tell from the hammer hanging at her waist.
During this period without fights, the little ones must be itching for action.
"Alright, let’s go together."
Thinking of this, Fang Zheng nodded, agreeing to Alisa’s request, and then the group immediately headed to the abandoned factory not far from the gathering place.
However, upon arriving at the abandoned factory and seeing those Wild Gods, almost everyone was startled.
"Miss Alisa, why do these Wild Gods look different from the ones we saw before?"
Staring at the Wild Gods roaming around ahead, Misaka Mikoto widened her eyes in surprise, and it’s not surprising she would have this question. Prior to this, Misaka Mikoto had only fought two types of Wild Gods, one being the creature that resembled a velociraptor called Ghost Face Wild God, and the other looked like a gorilla named King Kong Wild God.
These two creatures look strange, but they were just monsters after all.
But the creatures here are not the same!
Looking from afar, one could see on top of the factory ruins stood a Wild God approximately two or three meters tall, its entire body looked completely human-like, having two legs and two arms. The only difference was that beneath its arms grew a pair of wing-like appendages, but that was tolerable, as there were many two-legged walking dogs, weren’t there?
But the other creature was quite terrifying—it walked on all fours but had an unmistakably human face!
Yes, a human face!
And it was clearly recognizable as a female’s face, only there was a gaping mouth beneath the chin!
What on earth is this thing!
At this point, Misaka Mikoto and Saten Reiko felt their hair standing on end.
Normal monsters didn’t scare them, but a monster with a human-like face... what if it could speak like a human?
"Are these... really not humans?"
Even Kuroko Shirai couldn’t help but touch her own arm, and facing the girls’ inquiry, Alisa shook her head.
"Actually, this is why they’re called Wild Gods. We don’t know why quite a few Wild Gods have human-like appearances, this mystery hasn’t been solved yet."
"Let’s draw one over and fight it."
Fang Zheng didn’t mind such issues, whether they have human faces, they’re still creatures. Even Goblins could beg for mercy, yet when the Priestess of the Goddess smashed Goblin infants into meat pulp with her staff, she didn’t hesitate.
Such concerns are only bothersome to Young Ladies like Misaka Mikoto and Kuroko Shirai.
Well, if not for fearing the psychological trauma, I would really want to send them to that world to fight Goblins and experience life.
Though after the experience, their worldview might be completely shattered.
Better to forget it.
"Then let me go first!"
Hearing this, Misaka Mikoto pulled a hammer from her waist, and then currents swirled around her. In an instant, what initially appeared as a small hammer started shapeshifting, and within a blink transformed into a gigantic two-handed war hammer. Misaka Mikoto leaped into the air, with electromagnetic force swiftly propelling her to the top of the abandoned factory, she raised the war hammer aimed at the creature before her. The next moment, the war hammer suddenly reshaped into a massive cannon!
Subsequently, dazzling blue currents burst forth from it, directly hitting the creature.
The creature, in front of Misaka at that time, unaware of what it was doing, was struck such that it immediately toppled off the roof. At this moment, Kuroko Shirai raised and released her hand, quickly teleporting Saten Reiko and Alisa to appear behind the creature.
"Ha!!"
Saten Reiko, clearly accustomed to Kuroko Shirai’s teleportation, immediately swung her Blade of Wind upon arrival, slicing the creature’s wings with one strike. The creature then came to its senses, roaring furiously, its wings flaring, a gust dispersing in all directions, forcing Saten Reiko to retreat.
This was when Alisa finally took action.
However, her fighting style shocked both Saten Reiko and Misaka Mikoto. Facing the creature before her, Alisa firmly grasped her Divine Machine and swung forward, and with her movement, what seemed to be a completely metallic weapon suddenly extended a large mouth, biting down tightly on the creature’s wing, wrenching it off alive!
The group then watched as Alisa swung the Divine Machine back, the torn flesh returned to the large mouth, where it was chewed up silently.
Seeing this, they were stunned.
This thing... is alive?!
