Chapter 484

Chapter 484: No Winners

How to properly utilize the nearly infinite biomass beneath the earth?

Direct absorption was undoubtedly the most primitive method; indirect manipulation or continuous refinement was the correct approach.

As the architect of the mines, Lachesis aimed to create a site in the outer city akin to a relay station, but his own tall grass couldn’t extend directly there. Thus, he naturally turned his attention to Clotho, who could foster large plants to resist erosion.

This extraordinary beast, entirely consumed by him, traversed the high walls, heading towards the Misty Forest to locate a small sapling.

It uprooted the sapling from the soil, embedded it within its own body, nourishing the plant with its flesh and blood, and then began to move towards the area excavated by Lachesis’s puppets.

By the time it arrived at its destination, the night had fully descended.

Several humans with eerie expressions lifted the limping extraordinary beast and together plunged into the depths of the mine.

—

At this moment, the high walls of Hope City’s inner city were ablaze with light.

The battle did not cease with the onset of night; instead, it grew fiercer.

The entry of the Extinction Legion into the fray significantly reduced casualties among the regular soldiers, but this did not mean humans could halt the extraordinary beasts without any cost.

Soldiers incapacitated by severe injuries were transported to military camps near the city walls, where they underwent surgery and received the so-called "special medicine."

Their wounds were healing rapidly, which thrilled the soldiers and reignited their fighting spirit.

However, what awaited them was not the battlefield on the walls, but a training camp—the Extinction Legion’s training camp.

With Yan Ming leading the defense against the extraordinary beasts atop the walls, the instructors for these soldiers became a renowned warrior—

Speaker Arthur (his avatar).

At this moment, the training camp seemed to transform into a production line for Extinction Legion fighters, with the Speaker himself wielding weapons, imparting combat techniques to these individuals; within three days, they would ascend the walls to fill the vacancies left by the fallen soldiers.

—

September 6, morning.

On the ninety-sixth hour of the battle, observers in Hope City beheld a terrifying spectacle—

Eight Fifth Level Large Extraordinary Beasts.

Eight Fifth Level beasts that Wang Xiao could scarcely defeat even with eight self-detonations, let alone the fact that these creatures possessed the intelligence to learn from experience; even if decapitation operations remained effective, it was impossible to continue employing the previous tactics.

Though Wang Xiao’s earlier actions appeared smooth and straightforward, they were actually predicated on his extraordinary resilience and the seamless coordination of his comrades.

Now, watching those variously shaped Fifth Level extraordinary beasts, each towering over ten meters, trampling their companions as they advanced, everyone felt a sense of absurdity—

Could humans truly prevail?

At this moment, even Lin Qingliu, as composed as he was in Arthur’s guise, couldn’t help but gulp.

These creatures were, in fact, not a significant concern for him, but the problem was that if they were allowed to rampage unchecked, the defense line would swiftly collapse.

But if one spoke of opportunities… there might still be a glimmer of hope.

If humanity had a slim chance of survival, it might be thanks to the extraordinary beast that confessed everything after being captured.

Or rather, it was thanks to the mycelium itself.

It was because their nature and habits mirrored those of humans that they could analyze Clotho to a certain extent using human-like analysis.

The research institutes were well-stocked with analytical talent. Over the past few days, they had meticulously dissected every word spoken by the extraordinary beasts, striving to unearth any concealed messages.

Indeed, their efforts bore fruit…

As the target appeared on the horizon, Lin Qingliu, lost in thought, inquired,

"Infinite Scroll."

"I am here."

"What is the current core energy level of the spaceship?"

"35%. What are your orders?"

"Have you ever seen fireworks?"

"I understand the concept of fireworks."

"The warriors are about to witness a spectacular fireworks display."

—

While Lin Qingliu was resolute in his decision for a significant operation, another strategist was also grappling with a dilemma, pondering the long-term consequences.

"No, no, no!"

In a dense forest far removed from Hope City, all flora and fauna began to twist and contort.

Extraordinary beasts merged with trees, creating swirling layers of flesh. Insects, moments away from bursting, were suddenly impaled by mysterious branches, their lives snuffed out instantly.

The "humans," assembled from plants, shredded meat, and original brains, now stood motionless, as if their lifeline had been severed. The mastermind behind this chaos was none other than Atropos.

As the sovereign of this domain, Atropos could instigate such transformations in an instant, should he desire.

The current turmoil was a manifestation of his wrath.

His research had progressed, but not as he had anticipated.

If… If this were truly the case, how could the mycelium persist?

Was their very existence a mistake from the start?

This was unthinkable; Atropos could not accept such a notion. It contradicted his very essence—learning and evolution—threatening his very survival!

He longed to call for aid, to communicate with his comrades, but the link between the three consciousnesses had been completely severed. As distinct entities, they could not share their thoughts openly.

This feeling was akin to clutching a ticking time bomb; Atropos was unsure whether his call for help would bring assistance or drive them further away.

The questions multiplied— the origin of the mycelium, the southern black tide, the increasingly formidable humans…

The two sides in this conflict were like dancers on a tightrope, striving to outmaneuver their opponents while maintaining their own precarious balance and survival; it was an exceedingly difficult task.

At that moment, the strange forest fell into a profound silence, as if a mute button had been pressed.

With Atropos deep in contemplation, everything within his realm slipped into a deep slumber.

Until he found a solution, he would permit no changes here.

Yet, one area continued to rumble—the colossal column extending from the biomass pit that Lachesis had delivered to Atropos.

This biomass reserve, towering hundreds of meters high, had reached an astonishing level, aiding Atropos in his experiments while also supplying biomass to Clotho.

After purification, these materials existed as part of the mycelium life forms that had lost their consciousness.

At this moment, the biomass seemed to coalesce into a single entity, beginning the murmurs of the newly born.