Moreover, returning to rescue Yake had another advantage: they had enough time to explore some ruins. They could also eliminate some foolish Dark Beast Lords who hadn't evacuated and were still developing their territories.
On the journey back, they followed a route relatively closer to the center, noticing that they rarely saw any Dark Beast Lords on the way. These Dark Beast Lords entered through the "Random Challenge." They were not required to undergo any assessment in this world, and with two of the Royalty dead and one having fled, their mission was also concluded. As long as they were not currently engaged in combat, they could leave this world at any time.
The Vehicle had to travel very far before it might encounter a single Dark Beast territory. Even though they could have easily gone around, Wei Huan deliberately charged straight in and slaughtered everything. After consecutively wiping out two Dark Beast territories, they did not see any more Dark Beast Lords further down the path.
The vast sea was now left with only the naturally existing islands. These islands usually contained chests, and some of the larger islands featured ruins. The chests inside beginner ruins typically consisted of large quantities of Bronze and Black Iron Chests, with a single Silver Chest anchoring the bottom. The Silver Chests typically contained General-level Sea Beasts, which were easy to kill. At least, for Wei Huan, they were merely practice targets.
It was a pity that they did not encounter any Gold-level ruins, so they did not meet a second member of the Elder Race. Wei Huan felt a slight regret, knowing what the Elder Race members of the Tier 5 world represented, and he had hoped to continuously encounter them to make the people in the carriage understand that the Elder Race was absolutely not to be trusted. In the previous life, humanity suffered a huge loss precisely because they had too little contact with the Elder Race and failed to detect their obvious anomalies, which further slowed down the already lagging development progress compared to the Dark Beasts.
Of course, with Wei Huan this time, the same situation would certainly not occur. Just as he treated the War Race, he would proactively eliminate these malignant tumors that blocked humanity's progress.
Time passed quickly, and soon the evening of the ninth day arrived. Tomorrow would be the tenth day, and all Challengers who reached the 80-line would be teleported out at noon. The Challenger World would then remain open for an additional 30 hours, giving the human Challengers a final chance to desperately fight, until six o'clock in the evening of the eleventh day. At the moment of nightfall, this world would also plunge into eternal darkness.
In the boundless darkness of the night, on a solitary island in the vast ocean, Wei Huan awaited the frantically approaching Vehicle. Simultaneous scanning by the vehicle's radar clearly showed Wei Huan the massive swarm of Sea Beasts trailing behind the carriage. The numbers were roughly equivalent to what they had accumulated over three days. However, there was only one Royal-level Sea Beast.
Upon appearing, Yake flashed his headlights three times as a greeting, then charged into the midst of the undead army that was already standing by in full readiness. Looking down from the sky, the entire island was densely packed with Undead. Their numbers seemed to be dozens of times greater than the pursuing Sea Beasts. Yake marveled at Wei Huan's capability, yet at the same time, he felt that this was exactly how it should be.
Wei Huan's combat power had already soared to third place on the world rankings. In terms of actual military achievements, he even surpassed Captain Fang William, who had been fighting on the front lines for many years, by a few points. If individually killing 100,000 Dark Beasts in the Challenger World was not impressive enough, his subsequent feat of killing three Dark Beast Royals in such a short time was an achievement no human had accomplished to date. A powerhouse who already stood on humanity's foremost front line should naturally display this kind of overwhelming power, completely crushing the Sea Beasts.
The swarm of Sea Beasts, which seemed terrifyingly powerful and unkillable in Yake's eyes, and which he did not even dare to pause fighting, died too easily when faced with Wei Huan's Undead army. The battle lasted less than fifteen minutes, and only the Royal-level giant octopus remained on the battlefield. But even it did not hold out for long under the siege of the Undead army and the high-ranking crew members before collapsing powerlessly, contributing yet another core material to Wei Huan and his team.
Mu Zirui let out a cheer from the auxiliary carriage upon seeing the dropped material. He was about to advance to Tier 5 and become a true Arch-Mage of Forbidden Spells.
"Your team is incredible. You're not only strong but also so united. It's truly enviable."
To show his sincerity, after the battle, Yake and his crew members left their vehicle and boarded Wei Huan's carriage to express their gratitude. "Teammates" was a deep wound in Yake's heart. He had treated everyone who boarded his vehicle with utmost sincerity, but all he received in return was their betrayal. Aosam had incited every important person in his carriage, solely to divide his strength and facilitate their complete control over him. Now, seeing the embodiment of the "dream carriage" he envisioned, he felt genuine envy and personal sadness.
Wei Huan did not know how to comfort him. Looking at the four people he had brought onto the carriage, he said, "Let's leave the Assessment World first. Once we're out, gather all your people and relax with a celebration. Our chef is excellent, but he's not on the carriage right now."
Yake gave a bitter smile. "These are all the people left. After I was designated a fugitive, they stayed with me loyally, even risking entering the Tier 5 Assessment World. I thought I could solve these problems, but I overestimated myself. They were just one step away from being swallowed by the darkness with me. Thank you again for saving us."
Wei Huan was about to say something when Mu Zhong exclaimed in surprise, "So, there are only five of you in total?"
The tone was so surprised that Wei Huan looked at him.
Mu Zhong said, "But the chat room shows there are still 226 people in the world. Subtracting everyone here, does that mean there are still 122 people in this world?"
Wei Huan thought for a moment and did not realize there was a problem. He was about to say that he could not save everyone and that they must be responsible for their own choices.
But Mu Zhong said, "I recall someone in the chat room having tallied the vehicles, and there were only six carriages in total. That means these 122 people are on at least two carriages. And they are operating together."
Wei Huan frowned. "You think they're problematic?"
Mu Zhong said, "A force of not insignificant size that possesses the power to challenge the Tier 5 world, yet they seem to have made no attempt to contact us from beginning to end. People who deliberately lower their presence like this give me a bad feeling."
Wei Huan gradually started to see the point because of Mu Zhong's explanation. "So, these people want to use our power to enter the Tier 5 world, but they are also avoiding us."
Mu Zhong nodded. "If my guess is correct, they might be members of the War Race..."
Wei Huan sat up straight. Analyzing it this way, it was indeed possible. A group of the War Race had fled, numbering about a thousand people. Although the current number did not quite match, that was not the important detail. What mattered was that they had definitely not left until now, and they were keeping such a low profile that it was as if they did not exist at all.
Reviewing the chat room logs, the last message was three days ago. One person stated they were leaving, complaining that the world was too dangerous and blaming Wei Huan for not protecting them. They said that each of them using a Return Talisman would be enough to bankrupt their carriage instantly. People who entered this world naturally had high expectations for Wei Huan, making them more susceptible to being hurt by his decisions. Complaining was normal. Even a powerhouse like Yake had to ask for help at a crucial moment.
But today was the ninth day, and those 122 people remained completely silent. Mu Zhong's analysis was absolutely correct: they were deliberately avoiding Wei Huan.
"We definitely won't be able to find them; it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. For now, we can only wait until we leave the Assessment World and arrange for people to guard the exit. Once we stop them, we'll know if they are the escaped fugitives."
After deliberation, a decision was reached. Then, they added, "Time is running out. We should get on the road as soon as possible. The environment will only get worse, so we should reach the finish line quickly."
"Agreed."
Yake nodded, stood up, and once again shook Wei Huan's hand, saying gratefully, "I am eternally grateful for your help this time. Although you may not need it, I owe you a favor. As long as it does not violate my conscience or morals, you may ask me to do anything."
Wei Huan said, "You've paid a sufficient price. 200,000 points is not a small sum. I profited from this."
"Points cannot save lives at a critical moment. Becoming friends with you is the most valuable transaction."
Then, Yake shook Mu Zhong's hand to say goodbye. After a brief exchange of greetings, Mu Zhong asked, "What are your plans once you reach the Tier 5 world?"
"Agnes asked me to find her in the Tier 5 world. We'll see what happens after that."
Mu Zhong nodded. "If there's anything you need help with, you can contact us."
"I'm already very grateful."
Yake left the vehicle and returned to his own. The two vehicles set off again, one following the other, speeding across the dark ocean towards the finish line.
With nothing happening during the journey, Wei Huan planned to go upstairs to rest. Mu Zhong walked with him, and when they reached a private area upstairs, he asked Wei Huan, "I thought you were going to invite Yake to join the carriage."
Wei Huan nodded. "I intended to, but now is not the right time."
Mu Zhong considered it and agreed. "He still holds hope for Aosam. Aglis is helping him, and perhaps they want to achieve something. If he were to join our carriage at this moment, it would solidify the charge of treason against him."
Wei Huan said, "Talent can shine anywhere. I am simply angry at the fate of a hero. This is not the treatment a person who has shed blood for their country should receive."
"The collapse of a corrupt kingdom is bound to be accompanied by a final upheaval. We cannot stop it. But if he and Aglis can rise from the ruins, we will have the most reliable ally."
"Let's hope so," Wei Huan murmured, not holding too much expectation for it. At least in the previous life, in the ten years that followed, there was no successful revolution in Aosam. Instead, the family youths groomed by the old guard smoothly ascended the political stage after gaining Challenger strength, solidifying their control over the country even further. Even Yake seemed to have found a comfortable position for himself in that country, remaining an Aosam citizen from start to finish.
Returning to his room, Wei Huan went into the bathroom to wash up. Mu Zhong prepared a change of clothes and handed them into the bathroom, saying, "You rest well. I'm going downstairs." A damp hand pulled his wrist, and with a gentle tug, Mu Zhong was pulled into the bathroom. They did not emerge for a long time.
Later, it was Wei Huan's turn for guard duty. Mu Han, who had been waiting to be relieved, was momentarily stunned when he saw Wei Huan arrive, before adopting a knowing expression. He said, "I haven't finished what I was busy with. I need to pull an all-nighter."
Wei Huan said, "Go back. You don't have anything to do. I can handle it here."
"I..." He thought for a moment and decided to get up. "Since Liu Chengzhi returned, the kitchen has been overwhelmed recently. I'll go check on things there."
"Go ahead."
The cockpit became quiet again, leaving only his co-guard, the twin brother Teng Xiyang. However, Teng Xiyang was concentrating on his cultivation. Wei Huan could feel a noticeable fluctuation in his aura, suggesting he was not far from advancing to Sequence 4.
The older members of the carriage were gradually falling behind. Sequence 3 strength was not even enough to safely leave the carriage without suffering the pressure of the world's power. Furthermore, the people joining the carriage were becoming stronger and stronger. The weakest main combat members were at Tier 4, and many were only a few materials away from advancing to Tier 5. This put pressure on the older members, making them train even more seriously than before.
As things stood, there were no shortcuts to advancing in the Challenger World's Sequence. The higher the tier, the longer the required cultivation time, and the value of the advancement potions also soared. Wei Huan yearned to achieve "Enlightenment" again, but it was something that could not be sought after.
After entrusting the driving duties to the Steward AI, he reclined his seat and entered the Occupational Sanctuary.
Upon entering, a quick glance showed the most conspicuous sight was the languishing Dot Mom. Dot Mom had received the Bloodlust Blessing and would remain in a weakened state for nearly a month. Simultaneously, her entire lineage would enter a passive weakened state and could not be summoned again. This made the pros and cons of cultivating only one Burrow Beast Mother very clear.
The advantage was that she had her own "Summoning Tree." The consumption for normal production, recruitment, evolution, and even battlefield resurrection did not fall on Wei Huan. Wei Huan only needed to summon more Burrow Beast Mothers for her to "eat" at necessary moments, and she would grow stronger. The disadvantage was that if she collapsed, the entire force of nearly 100,000 troops became unusable.
Excluding the Burrow Beast Mothers lineage, Wei Huan's actual summon count was 95,000. The largest number belonged to the Swift Wolf Legion, totaling 41,000, with a loss of about 26,000 due to the Bloodlust usage in this battle. Next was the Great Bear Legion, with 28,000 and a loss of 21,000. This was also why Wei Huan had recently recruited and expanded this lineage less frequently. Great Bears were limited to serving as siege battle meat shields, which was restrictive, and their flexibility was insufficient. In the Tier 5 world, they could not withstand wall attacks without Bloodlust, but using Bloodlust meant a month-long period of weakness.
Wei Huan's perennial favorite to recruit was the Roman Horse Legion. Recruiting a four-star Roman Horse required 80 Mana. Even with such a high consumption, Wei Huan had diligently increased their numbers to 17,000 over the past two months. The loss count was about 6,000, which was relatively restrained in their usage. He was mainly concerned about having no trump cards left and having a hard time in the Tier 5 world.
Additionally, he had 6,000 Eye Demon Lords, 1,000 Flying Monkeys, 600 Kobolds, and 150 Green Light Clusters. The Nether Flame Bomb inventory still had 360 units remaining. A force of less than 50,000 was definitely insufficient considering the intensity of the Tier 5 world.
But Wei Huan had no regrets. He had killed two Dark Beast Royals by only expending 140,000 troops. Crucially, these troops could be summoned again in a month, which was a bargain by any measure.
The immediate priority was to figure out a set of troop combinations that would be more advantageous for operation in the Tier 5 world, considering its intensity and environment. Since quickly forming a "summoning stream" that could completely overwhelm the enemy in terms of numbers was currently difficult, he would have to pursue an alternative strategy. Ultimately, black cat or white cat, the one that catches mice is the good cat.
Wei Huan stayed in the Great Tomb until sufficient time had passed. During this period, he also depleted all the energy in two "Energy Canisters." When he opened his eyes again, Mu Zhong had come down and was slowly drinking coffee in his own driver's seat. His posture was very relaxed, legs crossed and leaning against the backrest. Whether it was a moment of telepathy or hearing the movement, the moment Wei Huan sat up, Mu Zhong turned his seat to face him, smiling brilliantly.
Wei Huan's eyes softened accordingly, and a smile appeared on his face. The sky brightened in this shared gaze. When the external light shimmered off the reflection of the seawater and shone into the carriage, the smiles on both their faces deepened.
"Have you had breakfast?" Wei Huan asked.
"No, I was waiting for you."
"Then let's go."
"Mhm."
The two left the cockpit. The other people in the driver's seat kept their eyes straight ahead. Only Xu Qingqiang sauntered over, one hand in his pocket. Seeing the two of them, he tapped his teeth with a toothpick. "When is that fat thief coming back? If he doesn't return soon, I'm going to starve thin."
Mu Zhong laughed. "It's only been two days."
"Two days is enough to starve me to death. Do you think everyone can survive on the air of love like you two? And is it two days? It's clearly two days and twenty hours, nearly three days. Hurry up and leave this god-forsaken place. If I don't eat properly, I'll get hypoglycemia."
"Alright, alright, alright. We should be arriving this afternoon." What could Mu Zhong say but to placate him?
The breakfast in the dining area looked like a normal breakfast, prepared by several people who were skilled at cooking, working diligently with the mechanical arms for several hours. It looked fine, but the taste was lacking. When he saw that the group who had worked hard were not nearby, Mu Zhong put down his spoon and whispered, "Does Liu Chengzhi have some kind of cooking talent? I mean a Challenger World talent. We actually have a five-star chef on the carriage. Although he's switched to swinging a sledgehammer now, logically speaking, it shouldn't be..."
Wei Huan was genuinely surprised. "Who?" He had a five-star chef on his carriage and didn't know about it?
"Brother Hammer."
When Mu Zhong said this, Wei Huan made the connection. "Brother Hammer" was the first Martial King on the carriage, who advanced to Sequence 5 even earlier than Captain Xue. Because he was particularly low-key and did not approach Wei Huan often, although Brother Hammer could be seen swinging his sledgehammer in every major operation, Wei Huan had genuinely no interest in learning about him. Some people just have that talent for being overlooked.
Even now, though he was clearly busy moving in and out of the kitchen, Wei Huan had seen him but had not thought much of it, which was a bit abnormal.
Wei Huan voiced his observation about Brother Hammer, and Mu Zhong nodded. "That's about right. He's indeed as low-key as you've observed. He was the first Martial King on the carriage, but he refused to enter the cockpit and mostly stayed with his squad. He was assigned by the Black Tortoise Legion and has some interaction with Ding Qi. He's very skilled at making Northwest regional cuisine. It's likely just a matter of regional taste, and we're not quite used to it."
Wei Huan was thinking about something else. "Actually, there's some unofficial research that suggests the Challenger World not only cultivates people into superhumans but also activates certain special abilities, such as being able to drink a barrel of water without your belly bloating."
Mu Zhong was perplexed. "What kind of strange ability is that? What's the purpose of drinking that much water? How much is a barrel?"
"That person was an Ice-elemental Sage. In the Tier 2 world's great desert, he could cast spells."
Mu Zhong then realized Wei Huan was not joking. "So you're saying talent is related to combat?"
Wei Huan shook his head. "No. It would be fortunate if talent were related to combat. In fact, most people's talents are completely unrelated to combat."
"Like Liu Chengzhi cooking well? Or Brother Qiang's innate self-healing blades? Your naturally stronger Mana, and my dual talent—these are all types of special talents. It's just that some are useful, and some might be so ordinary that they'll never be discovered in a lifetime?"
"Yes."
"Then..."
"It would be very difficult to screen for them. It's just idle talk." After saying this, Wei Huan pushed a steamed bun forward. "The bun is cold. Eat it."
Mu Zhong picked it up, took a bite, and laughed. "Clearly, Brother Hammer's talent is not making steamed buns."
After breakfast, three more hours passed. Just before lunch, another Royal-level Sea Beast descended over their heads. It was a jellyfish-type Sea Beast that could float even after leaving the water. It resembled Dot Mom so much that Wei Huan could not resist the urge to summon Dot Mom to confront it.
In the end, Wei Huan sent the Undead and the combat squad to fight. Perhaps because they had discussed Brother Hammer that morning, Wei Huan made a point of observing Brother Hammer's fighting style this time. Brother Hammer was a Martial King, 37 years old. He was plain-looking, neither tall nor short, fat nor thin. He never appeared before Wei Huan unless absolutely necessary. Wei Huan only remembered that he now had two Martial Kings in his carriage, one of whom was Captain Xue, but he had never thought to learn any information about Brother Hammer.
This was not the behavior of a qualified leader. What startled Wei Huan the most was that he had been completely unaware of this fact. Brother Hammer was one of the strongest and most essential combat personnel on his carriage, yet after two months on board, he did not even know his full name. With this thought, Wei Huan forced his attention to focus on Brother Hammer.