This time, even the Roman Empire has been mobilized.
The eight Shura horses were tall and strong, with ferocious faces and jet-black bodies, resembling demons.
The piercing screech of the wind was harsh and unpleasant, striking straight to the soul. Then, it leaped high, raising a cloud of dust, and charged towards the Sandworm King.
"Thump! Thump thump!"
"Thump! Thump thump!"
The drumbeats seemed to come from the ancient wilderness, rising from beyond the heavens, and one could faintly hear the soft, ethereal sounds of ancient sacrificial prayers.
Layer upon layer, gathered together, creating waves of sound that were indistinguishable from one another.
Immediately afterwards, a profound power descended.
Shuro's body suddenly grew twice as large, and his figure, submerged in the red mist, looked from afar like a war god riding a winged horse from mythology.
The Earth Beast Mother Beast also received the blessing of spiritual power.
After consuming one-star pasture, the Cave Beast can summon nearly 50 Facehuggers, and now the number has doubled, with each Cave Beast now capable of summoning another 100 minions.
As elite units, smaller units are more capable.
It can summon up to 180 creatures, and has a higher probability of summoning Cave Beast Warriors and Cave Beast Guardians.
Combat power has more than doubled!
Mu Zhong's abilities, combined with Wei Huan's, are terrifying.
While other challengers might have to worry about weakness, Wei Huan doesn't need to worry about that at all.
Their combination is so perfect.
If Wei Huan is the King of the Underworld standing atop the Tower of Bones, then Mu Zhong must be the most precious and beautiful jewel in his crown!
The battle ended as quickly as expected.
The heavily injured Sandworm King was no match for the eight Shuro, who had eaten one-star pasture grass and had been given a full set of buffs.
The four legs of the Shura were four claws, which made them extremely adept at grasping and climbing.
Not to mention that the length of the sandworm king that it can lift into the sky is less than 100 meters, even if it were a stick that could pierce the sky, they could easily climb up it.
Three heads and six arms are even more terrifying. Their sharp nails can cut through any hard object, and their immense strength makes them love to scratch and tear.
After the battle, Wei Huan approached the battlefield and saw a scene of dismemberment.
The sandworm king was torn into countless pieces of flesh, covered in a transparent, viscous liquid, and scattered all over the ground.
Still not satisfied, the Roman Empire strutted proudly through the minced meat, as if it had obsessive-compulsive disorder, tearing apart any slightly larger piece with its four legs.
Like some soft-bodied insects, the sandworm king is neatly split in two. Not only does it not die, it will split into two, demonstrating its extremely tenacious vitality.
But clearly, now that it's been torn to pieces like this, it's beyond dead.
After all, the tough sandworm skin and sandworm mucus have become resources, appearing on the screen of the car's windshield.
The former refers to supplies used on the vehicle.
The latter is a necessary material for upgrading potions for a certain profession.
Wei Huan drove over, and within two minutes, before the red sandstorm could even settle, the Challenge World had already swallowed up the corpses, leaving not a trace of slime on the ground.
All that remains is this truly desolate ruin, a chaotic mess left after the bombing.
"Sigh, they made such a big entrance, how come they're so easily killed?"
Mu Zhong sighed with a Versailles-like reverence.
Then, excitedly, he exclaimed, "Look at the golden treasure chest! It contains an advanced water collector! It's an advanced water collector! We can take a bath now!!"
This time, the Golden Treasure Chest contained a Level 5 Engine Upgrade Blueprint and a Gold-grade Power Glove.
One is useless now, and the other will never be useful in the future. It's rather tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away. Apart from selling it for money to exchange for points, there doesn't seem to be much to make people happy.
On the contrary, when the list of supplies was finally completed, the appearance of the advanced water collector almost made Mu Zhong jump up.
I finally got the water collector I've been dreaming of! I got a high-end one, so I can use whatever water I need from the car now!
Besides that, Wei Huan was also pleased.
A pair of xenon headlights fell out of the golden treasure chest, which is the key material for upgrading to level 4 headlights.
As soon as the xenon headlights arrived in the warehouse, the button for making the fourth-level headlights lit up.
upgrade!!
[yes]
[Upgrade to Level 4 headlights, countdown 00:59:59]
After Wei Huan finished this task, he then recalled all the undead creatures, leaving only the ghost crows outside.
He overestimated the Sandworm King's strength, or perhaps underestimated the explosive power of the Netherfire; this time, it seems he's mobilized almost his entire force.
Besides the zombies, he summoned all the skeletons in one go.
Mu Zhong also went on a rampage of buffing.
As a result, some undead with buffs couldn't even get into a position, wasting their chance.
We now have to wait for the weakened CD penalty.
This means that Wei Huan's combat power has been reduced by almost half.
Next time, I'll have to be more careful with my spending.
"What a waste," Mu Zhong said, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing. "I was so happy that I used up all my spiritual energy. I feel dizzy."
Without turning his head, Wei Huan said, "Are you dizzy? I'll carry you up later."
Mu Chong sat up in shock as he was about to die: "No, it's nothing, I'll go upstairs by myself."
Wei Huan's attention was on the screen; he was reviewing the missing materials and did not notice Mu Zhong's oversensitivity.
After a long silence, when he came to his senses and looked back, there was no one behind him.
Wei Huan called out, "Butler."
"I'm here, conductor."
"Let's go, call me if there are ruins."
"Yes, Commander."
The car drove out of the ruins and continued towards its destination at a speed of 500 miles per hour.
Wei Huan looked out the car window for a while, seeing the same old sights, and his eyelids began to droop.
He habitually leaned back, put his feet on the steering wheel, wrapped his arms around it, closed his eyes, and fell asleep within two seconds.
When I opened my eyes again, three hours had passed.
It was already dark.
The level 4 headlights can illuminate a great distance, allowing visibility to be over ten meters even in a raging sandstorm.
The AI's scanning device is somewhat limited in a sandstorm, but maintaining a speed of 500 miles per hour is no problem.
However, the speed of the ghost crows was limited in this climate, and Wei Huan could sense that they were struggling to keep up, their soul fire extremely weak.
Stop
That's all for today.
Wei Huan gave the order, and at the same time recalled the Ghost Crow.
The car slowly came to a stop, and the smart assistant said gently, "Okay, driver, I have stopped the car as you commanded."
During the autonomous driving period, we drove a total of 2032.58 kilometers and opened a total of 8 treasure chests, including 5 black iron treasure chests and 3 bronze treasure chests.
Would you like me to provide you with a detailed list of supplies?
"No."
Wei Huan raised his eyebrows. Two thousand kilometers had passed, and he hadn't opened a single silver treasure chest.
Could it be that he used up his good luck by encountering that golden treasure chest?
I suddenly felt sad.
He wants both quality and quantity; he must excel in both areas.
Wei Huan frowned. He felt that the fundamental problem was not luck, but his class level, which limited the distance his summoned creatures could explore.
So, how long will it take to advance to the third level of Tomb Raider?
Wei Huan left the driver's seat and returned to the room.
The lights were bright, but there was no one there.
The spare parts Mu Zhong brought back were piled up on the floor, leaving no room to walk, and he was nowhere to be found. Wei Huan went upstairs and saw the door was closed; he must be asleep.
I've been busy all day since dawn.
Wei Huan explored three ruins, while Mu Zhong continued to train in various aspects, almost exhausting his physical strength and energy.
Having autonomous driving technology doesn't make driving any easier than driving a car.
In particular, they are all extremely self-disciplined people.
Mu Zhong rested, so naturally no one cooked dinner.
Wei Huan checked his empty stomach and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Wei Huan never defined Mu Zhong's identity as a "chef" or a "nanny." Mu Zhong was simply demonstrating his value, and doing so in a very appropriate way.
This is the initiative that a good partner should have.
Now that there's self-driving technology, the two of them have their own things to do, and cooking has become a hassle.
Wei Huan wandered around the kitchen, not really wanting to cook, so he turned on the system screen in the kitchen and searched for food in the auction house.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the challengers in this area were almost still at the stage of eating hot dogs and bread.
A few vendors sell flatbread and rice, and there's a dish called pickled vegetables and minced meat that's sold by someone; a large jar costs 1 point and sells quite well.
Wei Huan bought two bowls of ready-made rice and a side of pickled vegetables and minced meat.
I continued to swipe the screen and saw a menu that popped up called "[Grilled Meat (Large Skewers)]", so I bought a serving, which contained five skewers.
After making the purchase, I saw the seller's name: Liu Chengzhi.
Wei Huan was stunned for a moment, then recalled Liu Chengzhi's absurd and shameless behavior at noon today.
This is the only known account of his life.
Suddenly, even barbecue didn't seem so appealing anymore.
After buying dinner, Wei Huan only took out a bowl of rice, leaving the rest in his space to keep it warm. He ate it with pickled vegetables, minced meat, and roasted meat.
He didn't wake Mu Zhong, but before leaving, he left a note on the table reminding him that there was hot food ready.
Then I went upstairs.
The water collector has been replaced with a larger one, and the shower water is plentiful and powerful, gushing from head to toe.
Besides the deep-seated fatigue.
Halfway through his bath, Wei Huan's gaze fell on the round bathtub not far away. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning his head back.
After taking a shower, he found neatly folded pajamas under the bathroom cabinet. Mu Zhong had put them in there at some point. They were all his size, and there were several sets.
The pure cotton pajamas are simple and clean, made of soft and absorbent cotton, with a faint lavender scent.
Wei Huan picked up his clothes and put them on. They were a bit tight around his shoulders and arms. Since his strength had increased recently, he decided to just wear his pants and walk out shirtless.
The massage bed was actually not very useful; Wei Huan never used it again after the first use.
Too lazy to care about his still-wet hair, he simply lay down on the pillow and said, "Butler, turn off the light."
The last glimmer of light disappeared, and darkness fell.
The wind and sand outside the vehicle couldn't penetrate the protective shield, and all was quiet.
Wei Huan's consciousness entered the Temple of Professions to continue his training for the day.
He could sense that he was close to breaking through.
In the chat room of Zone 1006.
Liu Chengzhi wailed: [Boss, look at me! You bought meat from me again! Add me as a friend, and I'll grill meat for you every day! Waaah~~]
Additionally, seven vehicles were parked in front of a secluded ruin, seemingly waiting for daylight to explore the site.
These vehicles were arranged in a circle, which effectively protected them from the wind and sand, and they could even establish private communication channels via walkie-talkies.
Shi Hengjun's voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Tomorrow, it'll be the same as always. Imai will continue to create conflicting topics in the chat room to attract their attention and try to slow everyone down."
Iijima, I gave you two agility-type silver equipment pieces today. You'd better guard the door well. Anyone who breaks into the ruins must be killed without mercy. Don't let today's situation happen again.
Mingmei, keep an eye on the auction house sellers. If Wei Huan lists any more items, buy them immediately. That idiot thinks he's selfless and noble, but he's just giving us free points..."
Mingmei is a woman who speaks in a high-pitched and coquettish tone: "Yes, it's so stupid. Support class equipment at 50% off, I can resell it at 10% off and people will still be willing to buy it~ By reselling this equipment, our team has already accumulated more than 3,000 points."
Shi Hengjun: "And I also reminded you to keep the resources. You must preserve them well, as these are resources that the mulberry trees need."
Mingmei: "Don't worry, I remember. Speaking of which, these materials are very cheap. Wei Huan is really stupid."
...
One night passed.
At six o'clock sharp, the sky brightened up.
The temperature that could freeze a person into an ice cube one second can suddenly rise to 50°C, giving people no time to adapt.
Liu Chengzhi had already finished breakfast and dinner, and at 5:55 he sat in the driver's seat on time, made all the preparations, and as soon as it was light, he stepped on the gas and drove off.
His car is already at level two.
He was lucky yesterday; he not only found a black iron treasure chest but also obtained high-level core materials, allowing him to upgrade his car to level two.
He even got to see Boss Wei Huan in person and hear him speak!
Although he didn't get to get in the car, he was in a very good mood today, driving his beloved little car and humming all the way.
Singing a song is very pleasant.
But soon, after he climbed over a hill, he discovered ruins.
Moreover, there were seven vehicles waiting outside the ruins.
Liu Chengzhi hurriedly stopped the car, craned his neck, and peered inside.
Having learned from yesterday's experience, he dared not approach those places again.
However, not going is one thing...
Liu Chengzhi's eyes darted around as he recalled the imposing appearance of Boss Wei when he stormed over yesterday.
So, if I reveal my coordinates, will I be able to see Boss Wei again?
Moreover, Boss Wei is a man of principle and is willing to split the profits 50/50, which he sees as practically freeloading.
so...
[Liu Chengzhi: Boss Wei, I've found another ruin! Add me as a friend! I'll tell you the coordinates!]
[Liu Chengzhi: Boss Wei, come quick!]
For a full ten minutes, Liu Chengzhi shouted, rejecting all those who privately messaged him wanting to buy information.
Finally, the scene he had been waiting for happened.
[Mu Zhong requests to add you as a friend]
Aaaaaah!
Mu Zhong knew! Wei Laoda's partner!!
Did my sincerity finally move the heavens? *sobs*
Liu Chengzhi hurriedly accepted Mu Zhong's friend request.
He only said one sentence when he opened his mouth.
[Boss Mu! The coordinates are 13242.232! Bring the boss here, I'll keep an eye on it for you.]
The moment the sentence was sent, Liu Chengzhi heard a loud "boom," followed by an earthquake, and he and his car were sent flying.
The windshield shattered, and he was thrown from the hilltop to the valley floor. Even a second-class vehicle couldn't protect the blood gushing from his chest.
With a "whoosh," a mouthful of blood spurted onto the windshield.
The cracked lines were stained with blood, and three cars could be vaguely seen driving down the sand dunes.
It's been discovered.
But... why would they attack directly?
A warning would have been enough for him to leave. Why did these people attack without even seeing him?
As the vehicle drew closer, the Vajra Arrows were fired from the enemy's arrow towers.
"Whoosh!"
It was aimed straight at the driver's seat; it was meant to kill him!
Liu Chengzhi was so frightened that his scalp tingled. He rolled off the driver's seat and, at the same time, used his talent as a con artist to blur his body and quickly disappear.
He hid inside the car, its exterior riddled with holes from the diamond arrows, and he was also violently shaken from side to side by the impact.
Swallowing the blood in his mouth, he looked around, trying to find a place where he could survive, only to find in despair that he had nowhere to escape.
Immediately afterwards.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Two more loud bangs!!
The other party actually used a bomb to blow him up!
It's a fight to the death!!
Liu Chengzhi was thrown high into the air and then fell onto the edge of the table, feeling dizzy and disoriented. His back was licked by the flames, leaving large areas of his skin burned.
A sharp pain shot through one foot, followed by a loss of sensation.
He let out a hoarse "ah ah" sound, barely able to maintain his concealed form.
Fear and pain made tears flow uncontrollably.
It flowed down.
For the first time, I felt the cruelty of challenging the world in such a realistic way.
No.
It's not about challenging the cruelty of the world, but about human beings.
They are their compatriots who should have stood together and helped each other.
It's just a few boxes, is it really that big of a deal?
Is it really necessary?!
Is it really necessary?!
Liu Chengzhi turned around and looked at his blown-off leg, large tears streaming down his face from the pain...
He vaguely heard laughter outside the car, and someone shouting, "Is he dead yet? Fire a few more shots! It looks like a level 2 vehicle, don't let him live, kill him!!"
...
Mu Zhong saw the coordinates sent by Liu Chengzhi and said to Wei Huan, "This guy is pretty nice. He specifically contacted you to tell you the coordinates. You mean you split the profits with someone 50/50 yesterday, and that's what he meant too? That makes sense. It's more likely to succeed and more profitable than trying your luck on your own."
Wei Huan recalled Liu Chengzhi and was certain that the other party did not want to share the profits with him.
But getting on the bus wasn't that simple. He gave the right to get on the bus to Mu Zhong, and his bus was ultimately going to the front line. His teammates weren't necessarily incredibly strong, but they should at least complement each other and improve upon each other.
I just feel that Liu Chengzhi is... not a suitable person.
Mu Zhong was still saying, "It seems that our journey last night was somewhat effective. The coordinates are pointing backwards. Could it be that we've returned to first place?"
Wei Huan said, "Exploring the ruins does slow things down."
There was another point Wei Huan didn't mention: he always felt that the chat room was filled with a strange, hostile atmosphere, and people were arguing all the time.
As a seasoned challenger, he was certain that something was off about the atmosphere, as if it were being deliberately pushed around.
It's like... if everyone's busy arguing, gossiping, and eating melons, how can they concentrate on driving or opening treasure chests?
The long and arduous road ahead is filled with loneliness, with only one person and one vehicle. Given that most players currently only have Tier 1 vehicles, the only way for challengers to pass the time is through the lively chat room.
It's obvious that someone is using underhanded tactics in the public eye.
So, is it all for winning the speed championship?
Wei Huan was lost in thought when Mu Zhong suddenly said, "We have too many supplies in our warehouse, and many people have contacted me hoping to buy them at higher prices."
Wei Huan wanted to say, "If you're not angry anymore, then just sell it."
Mu Zhong sneered, "Based on my seasoned trading instincts, I've run into a fellow trader."
I've been keeping an eye on the auction house these past couple of days. The supplies we put out have been relisted with inflated prices, and some have even changed hands several times.
Small items are fine, but silver-related items, each costing two or three hundred points, can still be sold quickly.
If this wasn't done by a team, I'd rip my head off and play with it like a ball.
Wei Huan lowered his eyes, his gaze turning cold.
In fact, how to ensure that acts of kindness reach those who truly need them has been a difficult problem from ancient times to the present.
There are always those who are good at throwing the ball, able to seize the opportunity at the first moment and make a fortune from it.
Mu Zhong: "It's not impossible to bypass this group, but it's very troublesome. Implementing purchase limits would have a significant effect, but the auction house doesn't have a purchase limit function, so we would need to do it manually."
It takes a lot of effort; spending the whole day here is not worthwhile. I can only manage resources at the silver level or higher at most.
"Perhaps I can help you out," the smart assistant suddenly said. "I can compare data and complete the auction with purchase limits."
The smart assistant also said: "I retrieved all your transaction records during this challenge. One challenger named Mingmei purchased a total of 8 pieces of silver equipment, 21 pieces of black iron equipment, and 56 sets of supplies from you. From yesterday to today, challenger Mingmei sold 54 of these equipment and supplies in the auction house. She perfectly fits your definition of a defeated person."
Also, Mei is in your friends list, Vice Commander.
Upon hearing this, Mu Zhong's brows furrowed deeply.
I opened my account's friend list and sure enough, I saw Mingmei's name there.
Prior to this, he had also communicated with Mingmei.
[Mingmei: I'm a prayer, and I haven't dared to get out of the car to open the crates yet. I've relied on healing potions to get here. Could you sell me some support gear at a lower price?]
[Mingmei: Look at my profile, I'm not lying to you. I'm satisfied as long as I can open bronze chests and upgrade to Sequence 2.]
[Mingmei: Thank you so much! It's already 50% off, and you even gave me a Black Iron Spirit Gauntlets. I just opened a Bronze Treasure Chest, and having equipment really makes a difference. I killed my first treasure chest monster ever!]
[Mingmei: Boss Mu Zhong, I just opened another chest, and they're all bronze chests, so why are the monsters in these chests so much stronger? I almost didn't make it back, I'm covered in injuries, my spiritual energy is almost depleted, it hurts so much...]
When Mu Zhong saw this, he almost vomited.
When he saw this sentence, he even gave the beautiful woman three bronze items that increased her strength. He believed that the main reason why the prayer couldn't kill the treasure chest monster was not because his healing was insufficient, but mainly because his strength was lacking.
But now, knowing that she was the biggest loser... although the three bronze equipment pieces weren't worth much, being tricked into giving them away for free still made him feel disgusted, like he'd swallowed a fly.
The crucial point is that the moment Mu Zhong looked up and met Wei Huan's gaze, his "male virtues," which he never dreamed of, instantly awakened. He hurriedly explained, his face flushed, "Don't overthink it. I have no other intentions towards her. You see, many of my friends are support classes; I send them my bronze-level equipment directly. Giving it to this woman is only because she's a Prayer."...
But Wei Huan was clearly not concerned with these things.
Wei Huan asked, "What's the connection between the names Nami and Imai?"
With that explanation, Mu Zhong understood everything: "These are all surnames from the Mulberry Tree Kingdom."
Wei Huan: "Let's add Shi Hengjun as well."
Mu Zhong's forehead twitched, and he whispered, "You mean...we've aided the enemy?"
Even if the meat rots in the pot, I don't want to give it to those parasites in Sangshu Kingdom!
So after saying that, Mu Zhong's face turned extremely ugly. If it weren't for the reminder from the smart butler, he would have been completely unaware of being sucked of blood.
"From now on, this Mingmei should never appear in my trading list again, no…" Mu Zhong learned his lesson, "and refuse all those with whom I have traded."
"Yes, Deputy Commander," the intelligent assistant replied gently, without any emotion.
Then it prompted: "One kilometer from the destination. The scan detected signs of combat. The vehicle speed has been reduced. Would you like to switch to manual driving?"
"No need, just keep driving at low speed." Wei Huan had already stood up, walked to the windshield, and leaned on the control panel to look out. "What battle marks? Describe them in detail."
A photo, resembling a satellite image taken from above, appeared before Wei Huan's eyes on a projection screen on his windshield.