Chapter 125: The Fractured Four Seas Base

What kind of monster is this?

With the combined strength of so many gifted individuals, they could barely hold off the attacks of the King of Great West. Just what kind of monster is he?

Boom!

Yu Yuangui was sent flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He had sustained internal injuries.

"Very strong, very delicious!" The King of Great West loosened his shoulders and wrists. "I advise you to surrender; I can spare your life."

Yu Yuangui spat, "You animals! In a post-apocalyptic world like this, instead of helping each other, you think only of eating people."

The King of Great West laughed. "Heh, heh, heh. You hide in your base all day, eating and drinking to your heart's content, but have you ever considered the miserable lives of those outside? They are either starving to death, freezing to death, being eaten by mutated animals, killed by mutated plants, or murdered by others, living on the edge every single day."

"I kill them to release them from their suffering, and I eat them to carry their share of life forward in this apocalypse."

"It is you people who truly deserve to die!"

Yu Yuangui retorted, "I thought I was shameless enough, but it seems the King of Great West’s sophistry is even more advanced."

The King of Great West smiled thinly. "Finished resting after all that talking?"

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Yu Yuangui and struck with a fierce blow.

Yu Yuangui, who had been gathering his strength during their conversation, unleashed it all at once, only to be sent flying again. "I definitely haven't rested enough, but I can call for backup! Old Lin, if you don't come out now, I'm going to collapse!"

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, though he couldn't help but cough up another mouthful, his aura appearing extremely weak.

The King of Great West chuckled. "Interesting. You’re still acting at a time like this? Do you look down on me that much?!"

Yu Yuangui replied, "I wouldn't dare act in front of the King of Great West; I value my life too much."

Boom!

The two clashed again, and Yu Yuangui was sent flying once more. Unlike before, the King of Great West pursued him, raining down violent blows. In an instant, explosions erupted one after another; anyone caught in the shockwaves of their battle was torn apart, a gruesome sight.

"This Yu Yuangui is strong!" Standing in the distance, Sha Mo was once again amazed by Yu Yuangui’s combat prowess. An average gifted person wouldn't have survived even three hits from the King of Great West, and even if they had, they wouldn't have lasted long. Yet, Yu Yuangui had not only taken the hits, he had endured the continuous assault. The only oddity was that while Yu Yuangui looked near death every time, he never actually died.

"He still hasn't used his full strength," noted He Chao, the bespectacled young man.

"What? He’s not even using his full strength?" Sha Mo was baffled. They were facing their King of Great West, after all.

He Chao explained, "Yes. Based on my deduction, Yu Yuangui is doing this to avoid exposing his trump cards entirely."

Ning Hongmei, standing with them, chuckled. "Look at that girl who was with Yu Yuangui earlier—she’s also a real fox."

Their eyes turned to Mi Li, who was leading the Four Seas Base defense team in a breakout. While everyone else was mostly out of ammunition, she still had rounds left, and she specifically targeted the strongest among the cannibals. This was how they managed to witness the absurd scene of Mi Li leading the defense team in a rapid breakout.

"I’ll go intercept her," Ning Hongmei said, preparing to move.

Just then, a white-haired old man charged into the battlefield, assisting Yu Yuangui in blocking the King of Great West. Simultaneously, a large number of Four Seas Base defenders appeared from the rear, wielding submachine guns to carve a massive gap in the cannibals' encirclement, allowing Mi Li’s team to escape.

"Go!"

The old man, Lin Henian, dressed in a traditional Zhongshan suit, launched a surprise attack that caught the King of Great West off guard, making his arms go numb from the impact. Taking this opportunity, Lin Henian dropped a cluster of explosives and quickly retreated, carrying the blood-soaked Yu Yuangui.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions instantly engulfed the King of Great West.

"That old monster, he doesn't die even from that?" Lin Henian glanced back at the explosion while running with Yu Yuangui.

To their horror, the King of Great West walked out of the smoke completely unscathed—so much so that even his red hat hadn't been blown off.

"This King of Great West is a monster, hurry!" Yu Yuangui, terrified he might be pursued, threw more explosives behind him.

However, the King of Great West seemed to have no intention of chasing them.

"King of Great West, are we just letting them go?" Sha Mo, He Chao, and the others hurried over, confused.

The King of Great West watched the fleeing Four Seas Base defenders and smiled. "Yu Yuangui was beaten to that state and still hid his strength, and this old man from the Four Seas Base clearly arrived long ago but waited until the last moment to act. Don't you find that interesting?"

He Chao realized, "You mean the Four Seas Base isn't monolithic? There are deep conflicts within their ranks. This is an opportunity we can exploit."

"Yes, it must be so."

"The Four Seas Base has nearly 50,000 people; it’s a genuine major base. It would be difficult to gain anything from a frontal assault, even if most of the people we brought are just 'emergency rations'."

"We only need to let these rations heavily exhaust the strength of the Four Seas Base, cause internal division, and as soon as one person surrenders to you, the collapse of the Four Seas Base will be imminent."

"The King of Great West is wise!"

The King of Great West looked at He Chao with appreciation; although he hadn't thought that far ahead, it was a brilliant idea. Furthermore, there was another reason he didn't pursue: Yu Yuangui was truly not simple. If the man went all-out and managed to injure him, it would affect future operations. After all, the temperature outside was hovering around -70 degrees Celsius; no matter how strong a gifted person was, even a minor wound could easily become fatal. They were attacking the Four Seas Base for food, not to get injured.

"Clean up the battlefield," the King of Great West ordered. "Proceed according to plan."

He glanced toward the southeast. The myna bird that had been perched on a tree there had already flown away. Compared to Yu Yuangui, that pitch-black myna was even more mysterious. Not only had it managed to rescue the Golden-Winged Eagle right under his nose, but it had dared to spy on the battlefield today. Was this a provocation?

He would not allow any variables to interfere with the conquest of the Four Seas Base.

"Fu Junxiang, Liu Long, take 3,000 men toward the Fire God Base tomorrow. You don't have to start a war, but if you see anyone trying to cross the line, kill them."

"Also, none of the corpses found near the Fire God Base are to be eaten—they are highly toxic. Ask Sha Mo for details."

The King of Great West added, "If you encounter a myna that likes to curse, ignore it. That bird is vile; let it be."

"Yes, King of Great West!" the two replied, though they looked toward the Four Seas Base with lingering desire—there were so many gifted people there, and they wanted to eat them.

"Don't worry," the King of Great West said. "With nearly 50,000 people in the Four Seas Base, there will be plenty for you."

This was a foolproof plan.

...

Su Miao continued planting trees. To save effort, she tried soaking the seeds in growth potion and scattering them directly on the snow. The seeds would sprout and grow slightly, but they would eventually freeze to death, unable to absorb nutrients or heat from the soil. She still had to use Fireball spells to melt the snow.

"Your Highness!"

Sun Rong, Chu Zekai, Yu Feng, and Guo Yixing arrived with firewood. They greeted Su Miao, who was busy working. It seemed to be the first time they had seen the Witch in the wilderness.

"Hmm." Su Miao glanced at them and placed a seed into the soil she had just cleared.

"Your Highness, do you need help?" Sun Rong asked.

Su Miao kept her cold face and looked at them. "No need." With them around, it might be slightly faster, but their efficiency was nowhere near her magic, and she didn't want others watching her cast spells.

"I’ve planted some mutated trees recently. Don't go near them if you encounter them," Su Miao warned. "You may leave now."

Mutated trees? Sun Rong, Chu Zekai, Yu Feng, and Guo Yixing recalled the fifty-centimeter-tall saplings they had seen when leaving the villa, and they felt a strange sense of dread. If they were already like this, how terrifying would they be once they grew tall?

Sun Rong hesitated and asked, "Your Highness, if we get close to these mutated trees once they grow up, will we be in danger?"

Su Miao pondered for a few seconds. "I don't know. You could try making powder from the vegetables harvested and wearing it on your person; perhaps they will mistake you for one of their own."

This was merely a hypothesis based on *Alchemy*. Since both the mutated trees and the vegetables were accelerated by the same growth potion, it was possible they would recognize each other's scent. But it would require experimentation to be certain.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Sun Rong felt relieved and left with the others.

Chu Zekai wondered, "Why do you think Her Highness is planting so many mutated trees? Will they grow fruit?"

Sun Rong replied, "I don't know, but there must be a reason for Her Highness to come out and plant them herself. Also, even if they do bear fruit, I wouldn't suggest you eat it, as Her Highness never said so."

Chu Zekai laughed. "I was just asking."

Guo Yixing asked, "Could this be related to the people who appeared around here a couple of days ago?"

Yu Feng added, "It's possible. Many people appeared nearby, but they all disappeared shortly after..." Mentioning the disappearance of the cannibals made Yu Feng tighten his coat instinctively. How could so many people just vanish? This reminded them of the Fire God Base, which had also disappeared without a sound. Coincidentally, they had seen the rarely-seen Witch out planting mutated trees at that exact time.

"Let's just keep watching," Sun Rong said. The others nodded.

Su Miao continued planting. The myna flew back from the direction of the Four Seas Base, landed on a snowdrift, and flapped its wings. "Your Highness, Your Highness, I'm back! The cannibals and the Four Seas Base are fighting! That King of Great West is terrifying; he almost crushed Yu Yuangui. Oh, Yu Yuangui is the former deputy base leader of the Fire God Base. The day you destroyed the Fire God Base, he led people to join the Four Seas Base."

"The battle was so spectacular! The Four Seas Base people were ambushed by the cannibals. The cannibals lost over a thousand men, and the Four Seas Base lost over fifty."

Whether it was because there was too much information or some other reason, the myna’s report was a bit chaotic. Su Miao blinked, clearing up the details: The King of Great West had attacked the Four Seas Base, they had been ambushed, Yu Yuangui was severely wounded, and the King of Great West was terrifyingly strong.

Why was it Yu Yuangui who faced the King of Great West first? Could the Four Seas Base win against him? She hoped the Four Seas Base would hold out a while longer—at least until the saplings she planted were fully grown.

...

Four Seas Base.

In the familiar meeting room, the leaders were gathered again. Lin Henian, the old man in the traditional Zhongshan suit, drank his tea in silence. Xu Ting, with her beautiful red hair, filed her nails with a standard smile on her face. Pei Fu, in a suit, looked solemn, as if waiting for something. Finally, there was Lan Shaokong, the highest authority of the Four Seas Base, who rarely spoke from the head of the table.

He had become the leader because, before the apocalypse, he had read a post on a forum asking how to prepare for the end of the world. Lan Shaokong had joked, suggesting the poster max out all their loans. Shortly after, he felt a strange, heavy anxiety, as if the apocalypse were truly coming. He decided to gamble, using his company's funds to build a survival-themed project at the site of the Four Seas Base. If the apocalypse didn't come, the company would make a profit; if it did, he would have won the bet.

He had won. Later, when the torrential rains and floods came, the military arrived and requisitioned his supplies. For reasons unknown, the military suddenly pulled out, leaving the half-built shelter to him, and that was how Lan Shaokong became the leader. As base leader, he had hoped to coast through the apocalypse, but crises came one after another without pause. The worst was when he was nearly killed—and it was in that moment that he awakened his ability.

Since then, Lan Shaokong had used iron-fisted tactics to unify the Four Seas Base, turning it into a fortress comparable to the official shelters. Currently, his main focus was studying the mechanism behind how people awakened their abilities, but the research had to be interrupted.

Lan Shaokong scanned the room. "Report the situation."

Lin Henian said, "Boss Lan, Yu Yuangui went out to sweep the cannibals today but was ambushed. The cannibal leader, the King of Great West, wounded Yu Yuangui severely. I arrived in time to rescue him."

Lan Shaokong glanced at Lin Henian, who shivered under the pressure. Lan tapped the table. "You arrived in time, yet he was still severely wounded. If you were to face the King of Great West alone, Old Lin, are you confident?"

Lin Henian looked terrified. "Boss Lan, I... I dare not..."

Lan Shaokong continued, "Old Lin, why wouldn't you dare? Do you know why I had you accompany Yu Yuangui?"

"I know, I know—to prevent the base from losing Yu Yuangui."

"As long as you understand. I don't want a repeat of what happened during the last consolidation of the base. I don't like killing; I really don't."

Lin Henian quickly said, "Please give me another chance, Boss Lan. I will make up for my failure."

"Sit down," Lan Shaokong ordered.

Lan then turned his gaze to Xu Ting and Pei Fu, who stiffened. There was a rumor among the high-ranking members: when Lan spoke at length, something big was about to happen.

Xu Ting said, "Boss Lan, I checked. Yu Yuangui is severely wounded but not in life-threatening danger. He should recover in about a month." She paused. "It’s a pity about Mi Li, the girl who was with him. She was an excellent battlefield commander, but she exhausted her mental energy in the fight; it will likely be at least six days before she wakes up."

Lan Shaokong curled his lip, unimpressed. Lin, Xu, and Pei were all dissatisfied that Yu Yuangui had gained a high status so quickly, and they had wanted to use this opportunity to weaken him. But none of them had expected Yu Yuangui to be even more ruthless, choosing to get himself severely injured to avoid the decisive battle against the King of Great West. Lan had seen through the ploy instantly, but since it had already happened, there was no way to hold him accountable.

Pei Fu said, "Boss Lan, the King of Great West ambushed us once; he will do it again. I suggest we take the initiative. If we wait until the cannibals reach the gates, the base will face an unimaginable crisis."

Lan Shaokong replied, "Fine. Tomorrow, the three of you will launch a joint strike."

Pei Fu’s expression changed. "Boss Lan, based on today’s battle, the three of us may not be able to hold off the King of Great West."

"Bring more rockets to provide covering fire," Lan said. "Meeting adjourned."

Lin, Xu, and Pei left the room with complex thoughts. They had only wanted to set a trap for Yu Yuangui, never dreaming they would trap themselves. *Damn it!* Thinking about facing the King of Great West tomorrow, none of them had any confidence. The King of Great West was truly terrifying!

...

"All finished, work's done!" Su Miao looked at the row of mutated trees she had planted and let out a sigh of relief. This was the fruit of her day's labor.

"You'd better grow quickly," she whispered to herself.

To plant these trees, she had used up more than half of the toxic growth potion in her magical space. She planned to go back, pick more 'pretty mushrooms,' and brew another batch of potion to give these trees a boost tomorrow. Maybe that would make them grow faster.

*Huh?*

Suddenly, Su Miao saw the Golden-Winged Eagle fly across the horizon, followed by six large grey eagles. They all looked incredibly fierce. Do these eagles travel in packs?