Chapter 1173
Chapter 1173: Arrival
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Once the killing starts, it doesn’t stop.
If one cannot completely eliminate the other, then the spiral of war and hatred only traps both sides in an endless cycle of pain...
"I understand all this, but if given the choice, who would want to be born into war, die in war, and have their entire life be nothing but a minor episode in the midst of conflict..."
The awakening, or perhaps desperation, of a middle-aged Long Hand left a deep impression on Lu Ping’an.
Especially when they joyfully dragged those charred corpses up, gleefully cooperating in dissecting them... Maybe if Lu Ping’an weren’t still there, even those who were vegetarian would have tried to indulge in a meal.
When hatred has lasted for years and can no longer be dissipated, when an ancient grudge is compounded with the struggle for living space, combined with the fear for one’s own life, it has become the instinct to fight upon sight.
"Loyalty, if not absolute, is absolutely not loyalty..."
Lu Ping’an didn’t try to play both sides because he knew, as a "member of humanity," he and those three ethnic groups also had subtle but irreconcilable differences.
He had a vague sense of the fundamental differences in development strategies between his group and the three ethnic groups.
"We have no intention of occupying this world, no plans to turn it into a colony, no intention of completely clearing out the native inhabitants. Perhaps, this is the root of our recognition by the world..."
Lu Ping’an vaguely sensed that the deities above were consistently supporting his group.
He had inquired, and the other three ethnic groups did not enjoy such favorable treatment. The divine power support for the Octopus came from a different dimension, the Dwarves basically had no divine power resources (indigenous, remote), and the Abyssal Insect Race was an ethnic group without gods (though they possessed god-like entities).
What Lu Ping’an referred to were deities that were linked with this world in some sense and had become part of the rules, not just existences at the level of deities – they all had those.
The precondition for becoming part of the rules was to link with this world, and this world was not like the Silent Mountain Range World, unable to resist decline. This means that the link itself was sanctioned by the world.
"In a way, we have become the world’s mercenaries, or rather, the cleaners who tidy up the house..."
𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
This may only be a conjecture, but to Lu Ping’an, it seemed mostly a fact. If not for the deities’ Three-piece set of adapting environment, Earthlings would probably suffer greatly here, and might even opt to give up directly.
He also felt that his group was particularly successful here... If it were someone else, they might dismiss it as a stroke of luck, but as people who had played the role of the world’s favored son in the Silent Mountain Range World, Lu Ping’an and his group knew that this was quite abnormal.
Another indirect piece of evidence might be the advancement speed of his own Javelineers far exceeding expectations, as if by divine assistance, and the progress speed of his other team members was also above normal.
"Perhaps, this is the advantage of choosing another path..."
Compared to the path of "everything is mine," the path chosen by the Eastern Country, of elite troops venturing out to hunt, may result in a completely different outcome.
Lu Ping’an shook his head and returned to the battlefield; he had been lost in thought again.
Looking at the blood-red battlefield before him, Lu Ping’an was calm.
The closer he got to his destination, the more frequently he encountered enemies. This solitary ship was already on the safest "logistics transport" route. In principle, there should be regular cleaning operations, but there were still countless hunters.
Some vessels lay buried in the deep sea, where nothing would happen as you passed by, but once you entered the encirclement, the calm sea surface would immediately become a hell of encirclement from all sides.
Some Fish Monsters swam in groups, devouring everything they saw, and it was only when they passed by that Lu Ping’an saw a gigantic Sea Beast several times larger than the Redemption chasing behind them.
Combat, always combat, battle and more battle round the clock.
The recruits who used to get dizzy at the sight of blood and faint on the battlefield, now can throw their javelins with an unfazed expression, pinning Fishmen and even their kin to the decks of the enemy ships while betting with their comrades on how many seconds they’ll last.
The new soldiers, adapting to the environment, began to evolve as a whole; under the influence of some "unknown force," the Long Hand Clan rapidly evolved into qualified warriors.
And the Redemption... constantly absorbing fresh blood and tormented souls, had lost its former color.
Now, when that giant blood-red ship appears above the sea’s surface, witnesses feel as though they are seeing an undying Ghost.
Legends began to circulate on the battlefield that the blood-red warship couldn’t be blocked or sunk, that it was covered in a golden yet deadly blaze, and that no life could withstand the flames of hell...
"That ship is alive! The Blood Ship is alive, it has countless Tentacles writhing on it, no matter how you attack it, it can heal itself automatically, and then reach out and beat you!"
The truth of the legends varied, but the Fishmen’s nature of being adept at fleeing and spreading news indeed allowed many wanderers to witness the unsinkable Ghost Ship.
Combat, always continuing—the reputation of the "Blood Ship," rather than warding off challengers, drew more of them towards it.
The result? The growing piles of bones from the Skull Battle Chess and the increasingly vibrant red of the Blood Ship’s deckboards were the answer.
Killing by one’s own hands was a shortcut for an ordinary person to transform into a warrior. As Lu Ping’an and his group tried to minimize their interventions, the warriors in the courtyard began to resemble warriors even more.
Facing the charges of Fishmen and Sea Beasts, they threw their javelins with steady and swift precision, pinning them atop the sea’s surface.
Facing the warships of the Gray Dwarves, the Holy Flame Equipment, akin to a "flammable head design" for matches, brought swift and equal demise to everyone.
It’s just that the process of combat still seems slightly lacking, as if something is missing...
"How come I only see Octopus and Dwarfs, but not a trace of the Bug Clan?"
"Insects only show up where they’re supposed to..." It sounded like an empty remark, but it accurately described the natural trait of the Abyssal Worm Swarm’s meticulous organization.
They would not act blindly; each appearance was for a simple and direct purpose.
If you encounter one, there’s likely at least a swarm acting nearby, and if you really don’t encounter any at all—aside from the possibility that you’re already surrounded—the more likely reason is that you’re not their target.
This might be the only piece of good news.
Another piece of good news...
"Bad news, your Skull Battle Chess spoils are working quite well. It’s said that their ’provocation’ can be felt from three kilometers away... Can you stop it?"
Lu Ping’an shook his head; the only weakness of the thing was probably that it couldn’t be stopped at all.
To nourish war with war was its advantage as well as its instinct, but from another perspective, didn’t that also mean the user was bound with a "Curse of Death Upon Defeat," only able to move forward and unable to retreat (as retreating would mean collapse)?
Yet from another angle, this made up for another shortcoming of the Black Knight... a severe lack of endurance.
The killing always went on, and just when those steering the course thought it would last forever, they finally arrived at their destination, the legendary "Flesh City."
— End of Chapter 1173 —