Chapter 762
Chapter 762 - 748: Fugitive
1,523 words
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8 min read
"Do we have more information on that Koya person? Such as the taboo items she possesses, and her professional pairing."
After the battle, once the overall situation was determined, Lu Ping’an’s team noticeably shifted towards a conservative stance.
On one hand, the Rebirth Commerce had actually made a fortune and suffered no losses. They had no deadly feuds or grudges. On the other hand, Lu Ping’an truly understood how troublesome a high-level professional, who had vaguely stepped into the Rule level, could be.
"She tried to slip away in the night and was caught red-handed, triggering a decisive battle directly. Most of her subordinates died, and she escaped."
Being able to fight her way out in such an environment already spoke volumes about her personal abilities.
That night, Lu Ping’an sought formidable enemies to kill, but after the battle, he himself hardly had any interest in the strongmen.
This wasn’t just a shift in strategy, but mainly because he knew "strongmen on a chaotic battlefield" and "prepared lone strongmen" were entirely different concepts.
Continuous combat, a chaotic battlefield, and endless opponents all significantly drain a professional’s energy. Moreover, the use of power by a professional comes at a "cost". Protracted warfare is not undoable, but its limit would arrive quickly.
In such a chaotic battlefield, even if facing ruthless fifth-sixth tier figures, Lu Ping’an was confident that he could hold them off, waiting for the general trend and reinforcements to chip away at them.
At that time, the minister-level strongmen lacked the will and desperation to fight to death.
Nobody on the battlefield was willing to face death, and everyone resolutely kept enough power for escape. In a chaotic and unstable battlefield, if he could put forward thirty to forty percent of his power, that would already be quite amazing.
Plus, the chaotic environment of the battlefield made it a survival of the fittest. Many times, it wasn’t a matter of ’you die or I live’.
If you blocked the way, you’d be brought down even if it meant risking lives. Most of the time, it was a crushing advance, and the strengths and weaknesses of the opponents weren’t often clearly seen... Many strongmen died like ordinary soldiers, only their identities becoming clear after the fact.
Actually, those ministers knew about these matters too. They didn’t want to lie valuelessly on the battlefield, which is why they directly abandoned their teammates and fled.
If we hunt them down now, it would be a head-on collision. The Chasers would really fight to their limits, and they still have powerful weapons for the hunt...
"...If we plan to hunt the ministers, we must be prepared for casualties."
This was not merely about individual strength, but the fact that those ministers and hunting teams had experience hunting divine beasts (all failures). The resources and equipment in their hands were all beyond standard in this world.
Of course, the most valuable things in their possession were those "out-of-print weapons".
Research isn’t done in a moment, but if there are finished products as guidelines, that would be a different matter.
"Currently no ministers have been killed, each one of them a potential threat... that Koya, having lost most of her subordinates, her stealth skills aren’t that great. She’s been discovered several times but managed to fight her way out."
The comprehensive ability of a team isn’t merely determined by the strongest combat member. Minister-level figures had small teams around them, whose existence could help in terms of intelligence, stealth, and logistics.
Small minister teams that controlled their own territories had certain advantages in stealth. Only Koya was unlucky, having lost most of her subordinates and connections, she had to struggle alone.
But as the head of the Research Department, she is obviously the most valuable prey...
"A four-member team at Decree-level tried to stop her, two members were killed and one was severely injured while she managed to escape alone."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ping’an seemed to show some interest.
He wasn’t afraid of Koya being strong because it would be strange if a minister-level figure wasn’t strong. But since two members of the four-man team survived and leaked Koya’s whereabouts, it was clear that she no longer possessed the absolute power to calmly kill them all before leaving."
"Was she injured?"
"For certain, there were bloodstains on the scene, and bloody footprints as she left."
An injured beast that also carries valuable treasure seems interesting.
"...She can’t escape it anymore."
"Yes, it’s just a matter of time."
In a setting where you’re surrounded by wolves... No, in a scenario where the whole world is against you, you either show off your power and dignity without any harm, or you make sure no one finds out about you.
It’s evident that that unlucky guy achieved neither of these.
Thus, despite her outstanding individual strength, it’s an inevitable resolution for her to slowly drain of blood and die.
Even if it was Lu Ping’an, being in such an environment, death is merely a question of sooner or later.
The only chance of survival would probably be to abandon this already developed area completely and venture into the boundless unknown... That, though, is essentially signing your own death warrant.
Apart from the dangerous mythical beasts and the malevolence of an entirely unknown environment to an individual, the path of the professional has its advantages, but also a fatal flaw.
"... She won’t choose to go to the wilderness. Once she leaves the world of humanity, it’ll be challenging for her to progress any further."
Being strong or not, and whether you can take another step forward is one thing, the key actually lies in the inherent weakness of professionals where not progressing equals a slow death.
Professionals have restrained their mutations with "Order" and "rules," and have not fully embraced the natural mutations of the "source". Thus, if you are unable to progress for a long time, the "Talent Abilities" from the source will naturally overpower your professional system and turn you into a monster.
For the same reason, once stuck at a certain level, professionals would continuously develop multiple skills as a means to not only enhance themselves but also to strengthen the "Order’s" power against the "source".
Even professionals who don’t have deities or other people can still progress; they can search for their own path... but honestly, that’s very hard, extremely hard.
Society creates Order, while the wilderness is full of natural Chaos. The professional’s path was born from "intelligent beings building a society". Exchange and trade lead to progress, while solitary exploration is too difficult.
This is also why most Aus people/Eastern Country people, even when hunted down, are reluctant to leave this area, without the Divine Boat and human society, in a sense, they are slowly dying.
But in this situation... is it better to die immediately or to struggle in the wilderness for a few years, or even over a decade? To explore the opportunities of the future?
Another advantage of high-level professionals advancing slowly is that they are often stuck for a long time, having ample time to attempt to break through obstacles.
So, that Koya seems to be quite powerful, her "time" is much longer than others.
Though it probably means that she won’t be able to progress an inch for decades, which is equivalent to pushing herself one step further into losing control... but at least she’s still alive.
If she really ends up as a commander alone, then even if she doesn’t want to give up everything, she has to do so, and it’s possible that she might plunge into the deep mountains.
"... Then, we need to hurry."
Having thought it over, Lu Ping’an led his people on their way.
The silver knight glides in the sky, and Lu Ping’an is getting more and more used to the sensation of soaring through the heavens.
He didn’t choose the "leisurely" Sky Knights, and along the way, he has already passed by more than a dozen Sky Knights... It seems many teams have invested heavily, planning to directly devour this "moving treasure".
"... This feeling is amazing, only second to drag racing on the ground, but there’s no wind pressure and loss of control... cough, it’s a pity, I won’t get to play for too much longer."
The "Dancing Shoes" can easily fly, thanks to the locally produced energy conversion rates that break the laws of physics. Once back on Earth, even if it successfully becomes a "Taboo item," the conversion rate will inevitably drop significantly, probably with some "cost," and it will not be so easy to get into the air anymore.
Currently, Lu Ping’an is rapidly advancing high in the sky, and those eyes probably surpass most observation equipment.
But strangely enough, he has made six rounds in the combat area but still hasn’t found a single trace.
— End of Chapter 762 —