LWGP - Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Order

The team channel fell dead silent. After a long while, Xie Jiang remarked faintly, "This isn't a level 7 four-mastery barrier, is it."

A level 7 barrier couldn't withstand such terrifying damage.

If it wasn't level 7, then there was only one other possibility.

Wen Shan: "Level 9?"

What the fuck! A level 9 four-mastery?

Everyone was in an uproar. How much money would that cost? What a massive investment!

But was a level 9 four-mastery barrier this terrifying? Who could possibly break through that?

People like Lin Xiaoniang and Tan Yingzhou, who followed the four-active-skill route, had been eagerly anticipating their level 9 four-active fusion skill. Most of their funds were invested in active skills. But compared to an absolute life-saving level 9 grand barrier, she suddenly felt that her anticipation wasn't so great after all.

This Lao Wang looked so aggressive, who would have thought she was such a turtle?

Wielding such an absolute life-saving measure, no wonder she wasn't flustered at all.

Not only was she not flustered, and not only was she in an invincible position, but in a sense—she was guaranteed to win.

Because of that missile.

They absolutely refused to believe it was a coincidence.

Someone in the team channel asked Wang Jiu, but she ignored them. She just methodically collected all the loot they had dropped, finally saying in the condescending tone of a senior medical department head demanding payment, "This is my remuneration."

Luo Sheng: "…"

I was just saying that casually, why did you have to take it seriously?

Everyone: "…"

Speaking of which, if Wang Jiu was confident in her complete survival and in her ability to finish off this final BOSS, why did she bring them along? Wouldn't that split the participation score?

"It's got to be one of these three reasons. 1. The missile's launch time was fixed. She needed us to stall for time and tie down that old Taoist. 2. She knew the old Taoist would use us to evolve. Compared to killing a rare Gold BOSS, killing a Purple Gold BOSS is obviously much better. 3. She just wanted to screw us over once to earn some loot."

Whether it was one of the three, two of them, or all three, no one knew.

Just as she never explained to them how she had managed to get that missile. It definitely wasn't her own ability, and the armory wouldn't have had such a resource—it was off the charts.

Speaking of which, Wang Shu and the others, who had been searching Wei Yuan's lair back at the crematorium and had found quite a few good things, also died the instant the missile landed.

???

Master, you didn't say we'd get one-shotted from this far away!

Fortunately, they were far enough away that the post-bombardment environment wasn't as terrifying.

After dying, Wang Shu and the others, amidst the building ruins, simply pushed aside the rocks and got back up. The first thing they did was pick up their dropped items, then they asked anxiously in their small group chat, still shaken with lingering fear.

Of course, they knew Wang Jiu's habits; she would definitely not explain. But Xie Lu and Lin Guiwan would, right?

Xie Lu: "I don't know, but she should have contacted the country outside of Mist Town. This was an order from the military."

A missile was involved. If it wasn't the country and the military, who else could it be?

Xie Lu also knew this statement didn't hold much weight, but beyond that… he felt Qiao Xuejing might know more.

Qiao Xuejing was more involved in the planning behind the scenes.

Qiao Xuejing did indeed know.

"When we were exploring Mist Town, we also explored its network. At first glance, Mist Town's network seemed to be connected to the outside world, but it wasn't. Its network was an intranet disguised by a system under Wei Yuan's control. In fact, Xie Lu, you should have noticed this."

Xie Lu: "Yes, the other teams probably know too."

Qiao Xuejing: "So they thought it was a game setting and gave up on communicating with the outside world. To avoid leaking their own information, they rarely used the village's network to send messages out. And back when the captain killed Wei Yuan, what he probably wanted to say was that he had intercepted the distress signal the captain sent out. He was certain the captain would die in Fanlin Village. Because according to his logic, the captain would definitely go to Fanlin Village next and would surely hope to use external forces to eliminate this final enemy."

Xie Lu: "So he failed to stop it?"

Qiao Xuejing: "No, he did stop it. But the captain said this is a world dominated by the game. A single Wei Yuan isn't enough to control all of Mist Town, because its world background isn't limited to just a small town. Therefore, the intranet Wei Yuan controlled wasn't absolute—the game wouldn't allow it to be. It actually gave us some clues."

Lin Guiwan, who was listening intently, suddenly remembered something and had a moment of realization. "Speaking of which, the instant noodles that researcher in the secret room was eating had a recent production date. But all the production lines in Mist Town were destroyed long ago, and even the shops are gone. So those instant noodles came from outside, which means the outside world is normal and maintains a stable transport route with Mist Town. This is the larger world Wei Yuan planned to scheme against with the butterfly train. I think this route must be related to the subway tracks."

Qiao Xuejing agreed with this assessment. After packing up her dropped items with Dao Dao, she found a rock to sit on and glanced in the direction of the distant subway.

"Nowhere else can connect to the external network, but this route can. It's necessary for the subway's operation. That's the logic of the world's background."

Wang Shu: "But for something this big, the country has to believe it. The evidence is all inside Mist Town. Wouldn't the country have to send people to investigate? Even if there's a way in, they'd have to investigate clearly and confirm it before taking action. How could they believe Master so quickly and just launch a missile?"

The timing was crucial. If they didn't make it in time, everything would be over.

Although his Master was awesome, it didn't quite follow logic. Destroying a town with a missile was too terrifying. By the logic of world civilizations, it couldn't be done so easily.

Qiao Xuejing said faintly, "So we couldn't wait for the country to send people. We had to seize the initiative. After sending a message to Wei Yuan's intranet, we deliberately let him intercept it to divert his attention—a feint. Then, another method was arranged."

What method? Could it be… she had other people under her command?

"First, she has a camera item herself. She filmed all the relevant evidence from these dungeons, like the mutated monsters and the research institute. Then, she picked a player from the current dungeon, made a deal with them, and had them drive a car out following Mist Town's secret freight route. Once outside, they would hand over these videos to the country and act as an intermediary to maintain contact between Wang Jiu and the government. At that point, the country would naturally want to investigate, but Wang Jiu would also inform them of the urgency. The country would hesitate, doubt the authenticity of the videos, and couldn't possibly launch a missile directly, unless…"

Xie Lu had already figured it out, as he was familiar with this kind of system and mechanism.

"Unless the country could confirm the facts for itself. Then there would be no need to waste time sending people to investigate—they could just lock onto Mist Town using their satellite system. The technological level of this research institute isn't low, which means the national power outside is even higher. Although the mist is thick and covers the whole town, there are times when it thins. I think the country probably started monitoring this town yesterday, confirmed the crisis, and if they were fast enough, a neighboring city might have already dispatched a mobile unit to investigate the subway—remember, the exploded butterfly train had already left Mist Town. After the explosion, Wei Yuan lost his surveillance of it. I was actually wondering before why Wang Jiu would mention putting the puppet on the subway, even if it was to stall for time, and why it exploded only after she mentioned it. Now I understand. The puppet was on board long before, but she wanted it to explode after it left the misty area of Mist Town, to make it easier for the country to investigate. With satellite surveillance plus the train investigation, they could pretty much determine the situation."

The determination of a national crisis depends on its danger level and urgency. Whether it was the harm the mist toxin caused to living beings or its contagiousness through the ubiquitous plants, the country could not hesitate. They had to make a decisive call.

So, Wang Jiu also exploited the security response mechanism of the outside world. All she had to do was provide the location of Fanlin Village… and perhaps the satellite radar even saw the old Taoist's power.

Would the country then send a missile?

A normal person would find it hard to believe, but Xie Lu was convinced. What he didn't say was—he suspected Wang Jiu must have informed the country that the survivors in Mist Town were almost completely wiped out, and that even those who survived had toxins and mist butterfly seeds in their bodies. This was a huge hidden danger, just like the zombies in a biochemical crisis.

Given the country's national defense and security mechanisms, and for the greater good of human survival, the lives of a few… a few hidden dangers would ultimately have to be sacrificed.

Was it selfish?

It was like one of those problems that endlessly challenge human civilization, law, and public reason.

If a malfunctioning train with no brakes is approaching, and there are two diverging tracks ahead—one with a single child playing on it, the other with dozens of children playing—which track does the conductor choose?

It was a question where any choice would go against one's conscience. It seemed that no matter which you chose, it was wrong, yet no matter which you chose, it wasn't wrong either.

Lin Guiwan sighed, "If adults play a game of weighing pros and cons, then a large collective like a country must ultimately have a mindset that accepts losses and does not shy away from sacrifice. This is the foundation of a species' continuation."

There was no right or wrong.

This was the real world, and Wang Jiu… was well-versed in its ways.

Everything became clear. Certain details could eventually be deduced through logical thinking. The experts here would sooner or later figure out the sequence of Wang Jiu's operations.

But there were things others couldn't guess. For instance, now that Xie Jiang and the others finally dared to get up, they did so in silence. Only the socialite, maintaining her C-list celebrity poise like someone selling high-speed rail tickets on her social media feed, had the powerful diplomatic skills to privately message Wang Jiu: "Sister Ah Jiu, let me secretly ask you a little question. Did you know that old Taoist was going to use us to evolve?"

She was really just trying her luck, because she had noticed that Lao Wang, once focused on clearing a dungeon, became very cold, taciturn, and didn't like to chat. But to her surprise, Wang Jiu responded.

"I didn't know. I'm not a god." Her voice didn't sound that cold, just a bit tired, with a hint of hoarseness.

Luo Sheng guessed her expenditure must have been immense. "So the other two reasons were true?"

"Yes."

"Did you level up your level 9 barrier entirely with skills? Was it especially difficult?" Luo Sheng felt that Wang Jiu didn't seem so cold now, so she decided to ask everything. After all, she was too curious, and this was a game; it was all about constantly studying techniques. She didn't want to be just a spectator shouting "666" from the sidelines.

Truly meaningful social interaction meant making friends with people you liked or admired.

Her only regret now was not going for four-mastery and four-active skills from the start. It was too late to change now.

"It wasn't that hard."

"Hmm?"

"You just have to spend money."

"…"

For the first time in her life, the number one socialite of a prestigious Hong Kong family had been flexed on. Luo Sheng was speechless. Only after Wang Jiu went over to look at the old Taoist's corpse did she ask with renewed interest, "You seem to be in a pretty good mood now, even answering my questions. Does this mean…"

Does this mean you think I'm a decent person, worth poaching?

I'll let you poach me.

Wang Jiu's reply was: "You dropped a lot of stuff when you died."

Luo Sheng fell silent at once and sent no more private messages. She just shot Wang Jiu an annoyed glance from where she was. She was still quite irritated, but then she happened to see Wang Jiu look over in her direction, her gaze passing over many people, and it seemed she gave her a slight smile.

Luo Sheng: "…"

I'm doomed. I suddenly understand why this woman can string people along.

The old Taoist's corpse was still there, not yet unlocked. No one else dared to touch it. After a short while, Wang Jiu used a scroll to pull Wang Shu and the others over. The main purpose was to get Wang Shu, of course.

Without any instruction from Wang Jiu, Wang Shu expertly approached the old Taoist's corpse and started looting it.

Everyone watched and had an epiphany. They finally understood why Wang Jiu had taken on a disciple.

At that moment, Wang Jiu received a private message from Bai Bai. "Great-Grandma, I found a treasure down here."

"Don't come out yet."

After Wang Jiu gave the order, Bai Bai obediently hid underground. A moment later, Wang Shu finished unlocking the old Taoist's corpse.

The old man didn't actually have many resources, because there were no basic materials at all. Everything was mid- to high-tier. A vast expanse of golden light formed the base, with several Purple Gold items among them.

Everyone was stunned. They quickly saw the names of the items on the system's summary list, but they couldn't see the specific stats. Only Wang Jiu, who was ranked first, could see them…

1. Cloud Travel Book (Evil Order doctrinal calendar fragment, currently no grade, incomplete).

2. Black Skull Bell (Precious Purple Gold grade, permanent Spirit Power storage item).

3. Controller Badge (Purple Gold growth-type badge).

4. Armor of Law (Purple Gold grade armament, part of an armament system, increases spell damage).

5. Fallen Heart (Purple Gold grade growth-type ring).

6. "Mistfall" (Special advanced AoE arcane skill).

7. Corpse Swarm Seal (Purple Gold grade, can summon small corpse monsters, permanent use item).

8. Cryptic Brand (Black Witchcraft)

9. Grand Radiance (Special Priest skill, can dispel three negative statuses simultaneously. If dispelling a single negative status, its intensity is doubled.)

These were the Purple Gold grade resources.

And there were many Gold grade ones.

1. Mist Armor (Gold grade, poison resistance armament).

2. Mist Toxin (Gold growth-type badge, releases poison-type skills).

3. Light of Survival (Gold growth-type badge, increases Spirit Power and Stamina recovery speed).

4. Teleportation Array Disk (Permanent, can be used with Spirit Power for two-person teleportation.)

5. Warrior's Armament Scepter.

6. Mage's Armament Scepter.

7. Spirit of the Mist (Intermediate arcane/mage spirit)

8. Mutated Spirit (Intermediate melee spirit)

9. Mist Guardian (Special large combat puppet, can inherit 70% of the owner's combat power and all skills, lasts for 15 days after use)

10. Twinbound Token (Special necromancy item, can summon the souls of the dead)

11. Mist Treant Pet Egg. (Gold growth-type pet BOSS.)

Following these were many other treasures of similar value, items that restored Spirit Power, or rare furniture, plus many various upgrade scrolls, several sets of Gold armaments, and all sorts of special items. There were even a dozen or so small spirits and mutated pet eggs. For the 30 experts here, these were all top-tier resources, but for Wang Jiu, they weren't strictly necessary anymore. After all, she already had too many good things.

However, she looked at these items and thought for a moment. Actually, it didn't require much thought. She placed the Cloud Travel Book on her selection, and it showed that it took up 40% of the participation value.

Wang Jiu: "???"

This fragmented thing is that powerful? The description wasn't very long, and it seemed like more would be revealed after binding it.

System: "But with your sensitivity, you still sensed its value, didn't you?"

Wang Jiu: "If you're not going to tell me its use, then there's no need for us to talk, is there?"

The weakling you once looked down upon is ignoring your @mention and has rejected your voice call.

System: "…"

She really did have a clear understanding of the value of people and non-people. Besides the Old Lady, everyone else to her was just a ¥ symbol.

Wang Jiu was as decisive as ever, and she was always swift when picking items. For killing this old Taoist, her participation score was 58%. After taking the Cloud Travel Book, she used the remaining 18% to take four items.

The Black Skull Bell, the Controller Badge, the "Cryptic Brand," and finally, a Twinbound Token. It was exactly 18%, not a bit more, not a bit less.

This was the fewest items she had ever taken.

When she killed Wei Yuan, her participation was also very high, and she obtained nearly a hundred treasures. The four most precious were:

"Mist Research Institute Experiment Notes," "Surgical Control Room," and "Witch Bolt." The latter two were advanced skills, and there was also a small weapon embryo.

Weapon Embryo (Purple Gold grade, weapon evolution item, can be used to mutate a weapon's attributes and tier)

Attributes: Unknown.

Use: Fuses with original attributes to evolve. There is a chance of failure, but success guarantees a massive improvement.

The most interesting was this Weapon Embryo. Wang Jiu had checked its participation value at the time; it was ranked second, and overall, its value was higher than half of the Purple Gold treasures.

Ranked first, however, was that experiment notebook.

There were actually many treasures, and naturally, many she could use. After all, she could save them to trade for other things. But no matter how high her participation was, the others weren't useless; they had made significant contributions. This was a rule of the system.

Fortunately, Wang Jiu was a person who was ruthless about gains and losses. She took what she wanted most and didn't care about what she couldn't get.

She paid no attention to how the others were distributing and selecting their loot. While they were discussing/bickering, she offered a reminder: "The dust from the explosion will soon spread across the sky. Let's leave this place, or our tracks will be spotted from above."

Everyone thought that made sense and followed Wang Jiu, leaving the area at top speed and entering a devastated but still usable forest for cover.

After they sat down, the others continued to bicker over their interests, while Wang Jiu began to study the Cloud Travel Book.

She chose to bind it, and a system prompt appeared.

"Do you choose the Dark Order?"

Wang Jiu raised an eyebrow. "Is it exclusive? What other orders are there?"

System: "There are also the Light and Chaos Orders, but they are not exclusive."

Wang Jiu: "Then what's the point of you asking that?"

System: "Just looking for a chance to talk to you."

Wang Jiu's hand, which was toying with the Cloud Travel Book, paused for a moment. Who would have thought this system was a masochist?

After confirming, the interface of the Cloud Travel Book changed, and Wang Jiu discovered that a new system had been activated.

The Order System.

Its first page had a half-book fragment embedded in it. The left side was lit, while the right side was dark.

Cloud Travel Book (Evil Order doctrinal calendar fragment, can be completed by combining with one more piece)

Current Attribute: Increases the abilities of professions under the Evil Order's power system.

Currently Awakened Ability: Profession Guidance.

Profession Guidance: Can explore and analyze evil and dark skills under the order.

Just reading the text didn't provide a full understanding. Wang Jiu took the "Cryptic Brand" she had just acquired and placed it into the Profession Guidance of the Cloud Travel Book to check it.

The function of the Cryptic Brand was to track. At first, Wang Jiu thought it was just a more advanced tracking method than her previous Brand skill. Although it was a higher grade, its function was still very singular. She didn't know what the Profession Guidance would reveal.

First, it confirmed that this Black Witch skill belonged to the Evil Order system. Then, a stream of blood-red light flowed, and it quickly analyzed the result.

Cryptic Brand: A curse-type brand. Can be used for tracking, and its potential skill ceiling can be activated. Do you wish to try?

Was there any reason not to?

Just as Wang Jiu had this thought, she clicked confirm, and another prompt popped up.

One activation of Profession Guidance requires 1000 Spirit Power.

Wang Jiu: "…"

As expected of a system product, spending money was the only way.

Wang Jiu had very little Spirit Power left, not nearly enough to gather 1000 points. Helpless, she could only continue to use her few remaining Spirit Power recovery items—bananas.

Eat, recover, use!

Guidance failed. 1000 Spirit Power deducted. Continue?

Wang Jiu: "???"

Probably to save its own skin, the system immediately came online to explain: "There's always a chance of failure with any attempt. You have to be optimistic, don't be discouraged, and have the courage to try again. That's how you…"

Wang Jiu: "Shut up."

System: "Okay."

The system shut up. Wang Jiu didn't hesitate to try a second time. Spirit Power was recoverable, unlike permanent Spirit.

She used another banana, and this time, it succeeded.

Cryptic Brand: A curse-type brand. Can be used for tracking. Skill ceiling has been activated—can serve as a foundation for Black Witchcraft sacrifices/curses. Under the brand, sacrifices/curses are 100% accurate and effective, and have an evil burning effect, with a 20% damage boost against Light Order players.

Huh?

This was pretty good. Wang Jiu quickly realized that the gameplay of the Order System represented by the Cloud Travel Book was a further enhancement of one's profession path.

It was a level above burst damage because it could connect to the entire profession path.

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