Chapter 1194: The Truth of the Puzzle
Zhang Lie continued, "To have spent so long collecting these pieces for a map, a map that we can't use at the moment..."
Zhang Lie knew that this was a treasure map, but he hadn't expected it to be an inaccessible one.
"We'll be able to get at the treasure eventually... but not now."
The 100,000-piece puzzle revealed a treasure map, as Zhang Lie had anticipated, but the treasure wasn't located in the third realm.
This was a map of the fourth realm.
Only Zhang Lie, who had been in the fourth realm before, could recognize this as a map of the fourth realm.
If the king of chaos had the ability to collect all the map fragments, could he be unaware of the completed puzzle?
Why had the map fragments lain scattered in the third realm for so long, without anyone bothering to collect them?
Perhaps the king of chaos really did think it troublesome to do so, but it was more likely, in Zhang Lie's opinion, that he had seen the map and not recognized that it was a map of the fourth realm.
Perhaps there were others in the third realm who had collected the map like Zhang Lie, only to find it inscrutable. It was no land they had known;
no lifeform of the third realm would recognize the map as one for the fourth realm. Even hunters from the Milky Way would be perplexed.
Indeed, neither Sun Mengmeng nor Li Qianlin had any inkling of what the map represented.
Sun Mengmeng was a hunter from the Milky Way, whereas Li Qianlin was an indigenous member of the third realm. Sun Mengmeng was one of the most powerful hunters, while Li Qianlin boasted incredible status relative to most of the aliens. If both of them reacted in this fashion, it was clear that others would react the same way.
Only those who had entered the fourth realm would know the secret behind this map.
To obtain a treasure map for the fourth realm in the third... Zhang Lie had to laugh.
To have arduously collected these fragments and not be able to transform them into treasure immediately... Zhang Lie had to laugh.
"Captain, what if we sent the map to the Milky Way and used the best supercomputers to identify it?
Sun Mengmeng didn't know the reason for Zhang Lie's strange behavior.
Zhang Lie kept the map. "No, there's no need. This isn't too bad an outcome."
No one in the third realm would understand the map, but those who had gone to the fourth realm surely could.
Zhang Lie told his two helpers, "You must both be tired from helping me. Let's have a good meal."
Sun Mengmeng's eyes lit up. "Really? What?"
Zhang Lie replied, "We'll go find two post-peak-grade lifeforms from the farm and roast them."
Sun Mengmeng sighed. "Ah, that's it? I thought there would be something good!"
Zhang Lie rolled his eyes. "Do you know how many people would want those peak gene fragments? Now that you've gotten some monarch gene fragments, you're starting to look down on post-peak-grade lifeforms... Sun Mengmeng, you're really starting to get snobbish," he joked.
Li Qianlin tutted at him. "You should rest instead—you've worked for so long!"
Zhang Lie waved a hand. "It's alright. My constitution can handle it."
Sun Mengmeng agreed with Li Qianlin. "Right, Captain, you can treat us to a meal at any time. You should rest after your exertion."
Zhang Lie flexed an arm, revealing corded muscle. "I'm perfectly fine. I could even defeat a superior king now as is."
Li Qianlin tugged on Sun Mengmeng's hand as they made to leave.
"We'll come find you about our compensation once you've rested."
Zhang Lie scratched his head. "Alright, then. Have Li Feng and the others join us, too. It'll be more fun with more people."
After Li Qianlin and Sun Mengmeng left, Zhang Lie had a good night's sleep. The next morning, as he walked out of his room, he saw Li Qianlin heading over with breakfast.
Li Qianlin smiled. "I didn't know whether or not I should wake you up. Have some breakfast."
Zhang Lie had a bite of the meal that Li Qianlin brought over and gave her a thumbs up. "It's excellent. You could be a royal chef—I want to eat your cooking forever."
Li Qianlin blushed and smiled as she rapped Zhang Lie's head with her hand. "Don't speak nonsense while eating!"
Just then, Sun Mengmeng headed over to see that Zhang Lie had already woken up. "Ah, you're awake, Captain!"
Zhang Lie smiled. "Have you had breakfast? Why don't you join us? Qianlin's cooking is delicious."
Sun Mengmeng glanced at the meal and said, "I've already eaten. I won't disturb the two of you, then."
Zhang Lie rolled his eyes at her. "No, no, it's just a meal. I told you, Qianlin's cooking is delicious. You have to try it."
Sun Mengmeng continued shaking her head. "No thank you, I'm already full."
Zhang Lie nodded. "Will you let the others know to join me at the farm after breakfast?"
Sun Mengmeng nodded, then ran away as though she were fleeing.
Zhang Lie and Li Qianlin headed to the farm. When Zhu saw him, she happily pounced on him. Zhang Lie asked, "Zhu, how's the farm doing?"
Zhu scowled. "Zhang Lie, are you here to see me or your precious genetic lifeforms?"
"Ha! Didn't I just see you?"
Zhu pursed her lips. "Well, whatever. I'm just a machine here to tend the genetic lifeforms, and I'm not skilled at anything else. I don't suppose I deserve any recognition."
Zhang Lie patted Zhu on the head. "No, of course not. I've never treated you like a machine, Zhu, and you're very important to me."
Zhu nodded. "Thank you, Zhang Lie. The farm's developing well under my care. Hanxiang brought back a huge supply of superior world's energy a day or so ago, and a new monarch-grade lifeform was birthed yesterday."
Zhang Lie clapped his hands. "Excellent! Since we're all here, we'll slaughter that lifeform and have a feast."
The members of Team Zenith all looked at each other in excitement. They would be able to acquire more monarch gene fragments!"
Zhang Lie continued, "How's that special monarch-grade lifeform doing?"
Zhang Lie was rather invested in its growth.
"It's reached a bottleneck," Zhu replied. "It hasn't grown much recently."
"Were there any special changes?"
"No." Zhu shook her head. "Its growth has slowed down almost to the point of stalling, and I think its potential may have run its course."
Zhang Lie was a little disappointed. He had been hoping that monarch-grade lifeform would advance to post-monarch-grade, and even to the next level entirely, but it seemed as though the realm might not be able to support such a lifeform.
Even so, just in case, Zhang Lie planned to have a look at the lifeform himself.
"Let me inspect the lifeform."
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶