Chapter 132 – Speculations

Chapter 132 – Speculations

Just as the leaders of the main cities thought everything had settled down, they suddenly discovered something astonishing – someone was auctioning off Return Stones at the Treasure Pavilion in the tavern.

Previously, people had speculated that since this world had become completely gamified, the return-to-city function must exist. But how to achieve this function remained a mystery. Now, seeing the Return Stones, everything became clear.

The function of the Return Stones was immediately apparent from their property descriptions. Without a doubt, having such a stone would make expeditions much safer. Moreover, it being the twentieth day of the apocalypse and only now the first Return Stone appearing made it exceptionally precious.

They initially thought this was the only Return Stone. After the first bidder succeeded, others were filled with regret for not bidding higher. Although it was a one-time consumable, it was a life-saving treasure!

However, their regret didn’t last long as another Return Stone was put up for auction. This time, someone couldn’t hold back and quickly drove the price to its peak, securing the stone.

Just when people thought it was over, more Return Stones appeared. Everyone knew these stones must have come from a single source. The question on everyone’s mind was: how many stones did this person have? Knowing this would help them bid more strategically.

As expected, they couldn’t know the exact number. In this state of uncertainty, many couldn’t resist bidding. However, after the wealthiest tycoons got what they wanted, prices began to drop. Even so, the accumulated spiritual energy value from these stones was astronomical.

This amount made some people uneasy, as Return Stones kept appearing and being sold, seemingly without end.

“This is seven to eight hundred thousand points of spiritual energy! Even the wealthiest combat profession leader in the world would struggle to amass such an amount,” thought many. With the recent rule adjustments, leaders dared not hoard spiritual energy. Thus, this amount was enough to make anyone envious.

In Xiangcheng City’s main city, within a similar pavilion, Yuan Jianze sat deep in thought. Suddenly, someone entered – it was Situ Fa.

“How many Return Stones did we secure?” Yuan Jianze immediately asked.

“Commander, I only managed to get one,” Situ Fa replied. “You set the maximum bid at 6000, but the competition was fierce. Someone always outbid us at the last moment.”

Yuan Jianze understood the difficulty, given the price limit. “One is enough for now. We’ll try for more if opportunities arise. After all, they’re consumables; investing too much isn’t wise.”

Situ Fa nodded. “Understood.”

Yuan Jianze then asked, “Any news on the forums about the source of these Return Stones?”

“There are discussions, but nothing valuable,” Situ Fa answered. “Most are speculating about the seller’s identity. So far, no one has claimed responsibility.”

“That’s expected,” Yuan Jianze said. “The seller must be from one of the main cities. If they’re not a top leader, revealing their identity would be dangerous.”

Situ Fa agreed. “With over six hundred thousand spiritual energy points accumulated, they’d be in grave danger without sufficient power.”

“Let’s not dwell on that,” Yuan Jianze said. “They’re likely hiding deep. What about the other matter I asked you to investigate?”

Situ Fa knew exactly what he meant. During Yuan Jianze’s encounter with Cheng Yang at the Death Valley portal, he had speculated that there might be another place for job transfers besides the main city’s statues. At that time, there was no evidence to support this theory.

But recently, the Treasure Pavilion had been releasing items that made his speculation increasingly plausible. Blueprints, special job transfer items, and even skill inheritance orbs – all unusable in the main city. Users only received a “usage failed” message.

Why did they fail? No one knew. But Yuan Jianze was different. He knew of Cheng Yang’s existence and his group of combatants who had never transferred jobs in the main city.

Clearly, there were many things in this world he didn’t understand. Even just around Xiangcheng City, there were too many unknowns. Yuan Jianze speculated that there must be a place similar to a main city nearby, what the gods called a “stronghold.”

Cheng Yang likely possessed such a stronghold from the beginning of the apocalypse, gaining unimaginable benefits from it. Otherwise, he couldn’t have become so powerful.

Thus, Yuan Jianze ordered Situ Fa to search for related information on the forums while secretly monitoring some of Cheng Yang’s people for clues.

“Commander,” Situ Fa reported, “there’s no useful information on the forums. However, through our surveillance at the north and south city exits, we’ve noticed large groups of combatants entering and exiting through the southern gate daily. They always return in the evening, bringing refugees from the city ruins.”

Yuan Jianze’s eyes lit up. “So their stronghold is south of Xiangcheng City? Can you estimate their numbers based on the traffic?”

“We can make an estimate, but it’s not precise,” Situ Fa replied. “If some never use this route, we can’t know the exact number. But currently, they likely have at least fifteen hundred combatants.”

Yuan Jianze frowned. “Fifteen hundred? That’s not too many. What about their strength?”

“Average,” Situ Fa said. “Not much different from us. Their only advantage might be a higher proportion of mid-level apprentices. This is based on their battles with demonic beasts, so it’s not entirely accurate.”

An idea began to grow in Yuan Jianze’s mind, becoming increasingly irresistible. He knew it was risky, but if things continued this way, he would always be at a disadvantage.

After a long silence, Yuan Jianze asked, “How’s the artillery modification progressing?”

Situ Fa’s expression turned serious. The artillery modification was a top-secret military project. Before the apocalypse, all artillery used electronic ignition for enhanced combat effectiveness. But after the apocalypse, anything electrical became useless. Missiles and tanks were now mere decorations, but artillery still had potential if converted to manual ignition.

“Commander,” Situ Fa said, “we have few weapons experts. The modification relies on those with some relevant knowledge experimenting on their own. Progress is slow. It’ll take at least another month before they’re operational.”

Yuan Jianze knew this couldn’t be rushed. Their army was combat-oriented, not research-based. Successfully modifying the ignition system was already an achievement.

In truth, Yuan Jianze wondered about the modified artillery’s effectiveness. Since the world became data-based, all damage was quantified. Ordinary pistols typically dealt 3-5 points of damage, rifles slightly more, and armor-piercing sniper rifles could reach nearly 10 points. But no one knew how much damage artillery could inflict.

“Speed up the modifications, but don’t neglect improving the army’s strength,” Yuan Jianze said gravely. “We can no longer control job transfers. More civilians will become combatants. Without sufficient strength, we can’t even maintain control of Xiangcheng City, let alone expand.”

Situ Fa frowned. “Commander, after today’s demonic beast evolution, there are many more mid-level beasts outside. If we continue our current tactics, our losses will be severe.”

“Any suggestions?” Yuan Jianze asked.

“Previously, we distributed mid-level combatants across all teams to lead them against demonic hordes,” Situ Fa explained. “But now, such teams can’t handle the hordes. I suggest concentrating our experts into elite units to tackle larger hordes, leaving scattered beasts to regular combatants. However, this would significantly reduce our daily spiritual energy earnings.”

Yuan Jianze sighed. “Do as you suggest. We can’t afford to lose combatants; they’re too valuable to train.”

PS: Seeking subscriptions and monthly tickets… (To be continued)