Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1138 - 555_2

"It can really be described as Hell; no matter the former splendor of civilization, only wreckage lingers now."

"Anyone entering there encounters nothing except crumbled structures and radiation-warped beasts, without any intelligent beings to interact with."

"Frankly, the people in our world have endured an apocalyptic catastrophe too, but we endured, multiplied, and reconstructed society, which feels like hitting the jackpot in the universe's lottery."

"How come you know all this?"

Fei Ying toyed with his Butterfly Knife, crouched low, and dangled the blade's point right before the Masked Guest’s nose:

"Are you just spinning tales to trick us?"

"I'm not fabricating anything! I escaped from that place with my life!"

The Masked Guest’s tone abruptly sharpened, and he abruptly raised his hand to yank off the mask covering his face, exposing a grotesquely deformed visage.

That countenance was marred by deep purple blotches, resembling marks chewed by fungus, appallingly repulsive.

"One year back, Big Bear and I got conscripted into the reckless team by the army to probe that site labeled 03."

"Prior to entry, specialists drilled us with targeted preparation; this is the intel they directly imparted."

"The conditions in there are lethal toxins to regular folks; you need astronaut-like hazmat gear and breathing apparatuses just to stay afloat."

"Yet despite that... over half our group perished within, while the majority of survivors lost their minds or morphed into bloodthirsty fiends."

"These marks on my face stem from extended radiation contact!"

Here, he cast a look at Big Bear’s massive body nearby, a mix of sorrow flickering in his gaze:

"Naturally, Big Bear and I counted ourselves fortunate to avoid death inside; we turned our bad luck into a gain through mutation. I gained Telekinesis, and Big Bear became a formidable beast."

Hearing the Masked Guest’s account, Old Chen found himself compelled to inquire:

"Were you venturing in there purely for thrills and loot?"

"No, that's just a side benefit."

The Masked Guest shook his head, his voice lowering:

"Our primary mission was to set up a permanent forward base and carry out 'live assimilation'."

"Live assimilation?"

Fang Cheng, struck by this oddly menacing phrase, froze for a moment.

"To put it plainly, it's live offerings."

The Masked Guest managed a wry grin, his words laced with bitter irony:

"The area teems with contaminants that naturally reject us intruders; even the old viruses lurking there prove fatal on their own."

"Thus, the researchers came up with a plan to transplant vast quantities of our world's flora and fauna there, using them to counteract the toxins."

"During this, those lifeforms experience fierce alterations and advancements, spawning novel variants more suited to the site's harshness."

"At first, the forces even dumped hordes of condemned inmates and enemy prisoners in, forcing them to labor and serve as 'human purifiers' to secure a protected area."

"Only afterward did those boffins invent advanced shielding outfits, granting us extra layers of protection."

Upon absorbing this, Fang Cheng's brow creased faintly, his voice turning icy:

"So you're snatching orphans too for this so-called live sacrifice?"

"No, those qualify as superior 'active substances'."

The Masked Guest shook his head once more, clenching his jaw:

"The deranged boffins in the armed forces' labs uncovered a shocking finding: the blood from mutants possessing unique powers holds innate defenses against the corruption, permitting extended endurance in the Otherworld."

"Especially youthful mutants, whose blood stays relatively untainted and whose genetics adapt easily due to minimal exposure, make ideal live reservoirs."

"They isolate key genetic strands from the blood to create a counteragent, which gets administered to explorers, letting normal individuals function in the ruins as if in everyday settings."

"For bulk production of this serum, the Xiao Family acts like rabid hounds, rounding up stray mutant cultivators all over. Our Bloodthorn Mercenary Corps accepted their commission, dragged into these heinous operations!"

By now, the Masked Guest forced out tears, starting to beg pathetically:

"Chairman Fang, everyone, I truly had no option..."

"Though Big Bear and I acquired extraordinary powers, we also contracted mutant ailments, suffering excruciating psychological torment every day, only kept in check by that type of serum."

"I never wished to harm anyone; I used to be an upright citizen who assisted elderly ladies in crossing streets."

"It's the Xiao Family and those military scoundrels compelling us into such despicable crimes! They shoved us into the ruins, made us slave for them, scrounging test subjects everywhere—I’m a victim just like you!"

"Bah!"

Fatty Hu rudely hawked up a glob of spit onto his face:

"You strutted around all high and mighty before, plotting to wipe out our entire clan, and now you're playing the innocent? Your hide is tougher than Big Bear’s pelt."

The Masked Guest refrained from cleaning it off, persisting in his pleas:

"I messed up, I truly did! We shared no past grudges and hold no current beef—it's all a mix-up."

"If that's so, I'll cover your treatment costs and hand over the full five hundred million from the Swiss account to you."

"Plus, about that site, I know a secret bypass path that evades the army's cordon."

"I'm well-versed in the layout on the other side and could guide you. Whatever treasures lie within, we'll divide them twenty-eighty... Wait, no—everything goes to you!"

Fang Cheng eyed the man groveling at his feet, mulling over it quietly, as if weighing the proposal in earnest.

The quiet stretched for several seconds.

To the Masked Guest, those seconds dragged on longer than ten years.

Then, Fang Cheng abruptly voiced an oddly out-of-place query:

"I just took out your partner—doesn't that fill you with resentment?"

"Resentment? Why would I resent you!"

The Masked Guest reacted as if he'd heard a hilarious quip, his head wagging vigorously like a bobblehead while he vowed repeatedly:

"He simply lacked the skill! In this cutthroat realm, weakness is the true crime—no one else to fault!"

As though that justification fell short, he quickly tacked on extra lines, saliva flying everywhere:

"Moreover, Big Bear's mind got fried by radiation ages ago, reducing him to a brute obsessed with devouring flesh and guzzling blood."

"Dragging him along was nothing but trouble; perishing under a supreme powerhouse like Chairman Fang is fortune earned across eight lifetimes!"

"Honestly, I ought to express gratitude for your immense favor, freeing him from that foul form!"

These remarks rendered the rooftop's mood rather strained.

Fatty Hu next to him gaped in astonishment, staring at the Masked Guest as if he were some extraterrestrial, ultimately suppressing a scoff and looking aside in contempt:

"Hell, I always figured I was ruthless enough in the gangs, but next to you, I'm like a naive youngster."

Even Fei Ying, the icy killer, found himself arching a brow, his Butterfly Knife-wielding hand halting briefly.

As for Fire Dragon huddled far off, he quaked while listening, as if encountering his typically boastful superior anew.

To cling to life, the renowned head of the Bloodthorn Mercenary Corps had utterly discarded his dignity.

Fang Cheng squinted, gently stroking his chin.

Spineless as this fellow might be, the assets he offers do carry real worth.

The five hundred million in funds matters less; the vital part is that concealed route into the ruins.

The Illuminati aims to grow, which means—

Securing lost tech or cultivation resources from ancient sites would propel the whole group's strength to new heights.

Furthermore...

Fang Cheng reflected on the "monster-infested, radiation-soaked death realm" outlined by the Masked Guest.

A typical individual might shrink in terror.

Yet what bubbled up inside him right then wasn't fear, but an excitement absent for ages.

Fiercer adversaries, more brutal surroundings.

Doesn't that promise greater experience gains and chances to shatter bodily boundaries?

"That does sound appealing..."

Fang Cheng mentally tallied it up.

Right as he prepared to respond.

Thud thud thud thud—

A low rotor hum echoed from the distance, shattering the rooftop's hush.

"What's that noise?"

Old Chen warily lifted his head, straining to hear.

The others then traced the sound with their gazes.

In the inky night sky off in the distance, several red indicator lights pulsed rapidly.

Amid the cluster of towering skyscrapers, neon displays glowed enigmatically.

A stealthy dark gray armored chopper, resembling a massive Black Hawk ripping through darkness, swiftly descended toward Silver Wing Building's summit.

Beneath its fuselage, the wide-open cannon barrels shone with a chilling steel glint under the spotlights.

Hunkered in a nook, Fire Dragon caught sight of it and his dour expression instantly lit up with delight.

He leaped to his feet, flailing his arms, yelling as though spotting his savior:

"They've come! It's our allies! The army's backup is here!!"

Witnessing this, the Masked Guest's face also lit up at once.