Chapter Forty-Nine: The Hilltop Water Tower

The Death Song squad of five, the Thunder squad of four, and the Fish Scale Arm squad of three—twelve players in total—succumbed in rapid succession within just two minutes. Death Song capped off the carnage with a powerful pentakill, dominating the screen and leaving the surviving players wide-eyed and speechless. No one could have imagined such a fierce battle erupting in the final moments. Yet what stunned them even more was that, despite only nine survivors remaining, no Guardian Knight had been selected.

Wasn’t the plan to choose ten Guardian Knights?

Why was there still no result?

The bewilderment wasn’t limited to the players who had fought so hard in this closed beta; the live broadcast audience before them was equally confused. Then the screen abruptly shifted into a CG sequence.

...

“Headmaster, there are fewer than ten life signals left on the island. Can we announce the results now?”

“No rush.”

“But the Dark Curtain Storm shows no sign of abating. If we don’t rescue them soon, these newcomers may be wiped out completely!”

“No matter. Even if they all die, it’s all right.”

“Ah?”

“I’ve said it before: these people are different, unlike any others. They can’t be judged by ordinary standards. They are experimental products of the ‘Ember Project,’ a joint operation between the Paradise World and the Fairy Tale World. Their data is stored in the Foundation’s Central Computer, while their physical bodies are kept under strict surveillance by the Scavengers. Each mission is executed with the aid of four Guardians who combine their arcane powers to transform parts of their souls—imbued with Ember energy—into tangible forms. Thus, even fatal injuries don’t endanger their lives; at worst, they lose data that can’t be saved.”

“I see…”

Upon hearing the headmaster’s explanation, Flute, Sentinel, and Sabre—the three joint commanders of the Slaughter Operations—suddenly understood everything. Such a classified operation had left even them utterly unaware.

“However, considering the Apostles of Chaos may be after the Ember, rescue is essential. After all, those Ember seeds who manage to infiltrate the Slaughter Island are exceptional talents worth nurturing. Those who meet the point requirements are even more critical targets and must not be destroyed for nothing. That said, the rescue need not be done personally by us.”

“You mean…”

“Watch and see.”

With a grand flourish, the headmaster conjured a spatial projection before them, displaying a massive ship sailing through the dark and stormy seas near the island.

Crackling sounds of breaking glass came from the bow. Zooming in revealed spatial fractures—the island’s perimeter was sealed by a double spatial blockade. Even with the headmaster manipulating a Space Gate to create a rift, the ship had to break through the spatial suppression of the Chaos Lighthouse to approach the island.

Each meter the ship advanced, the surrounding Paradise space fractured and reformed. Steering the vessel was an elegant man wearing a captain’s hat. Despite the torrential rain, he gripped the rapidly vibrating helm firmly, his expression one of deep enjoyment as he commanded the ship through the tempest.

“Thanks to the Sun’s eldest daughter arriving aboard my Black Pearl, it would have taken another year before I could take the helm of my beloved baby again!”

The man, recently promoted from first mate, had now assumed the role of “Blackbeard” captain. The Sun’s eldest daughter—who had just come aboard—had freed him from the brig in the ship’s hold.

As for the former captain, Blackbeard, he now languished in the hold’s lockup, silently enduring Captain Jones’s mocking gaze.

Watching the ship sail alone toward the island, Associate Professor Flute asked anxiously, “Will this ensure the safety of the Sun’s eldest daughter?”

“Absolutely!”

The reply came not from the headmaster, but from Sentinel, deputy director of the Foundation’s Dark Curtain Detection Department, who said confidently, “This ship is the Foundation’s training base for new recruits, with overall strength rivaling any large facility. It’s a special anomaly project, embodying the Foundation’s technological essence. Though it cannot confront the Chaos Lighthouse head-on, breaking through the spatial suppression is no problem.”

“I know breaking spatial suppression is trivial!” Flute argued. “But the Apostles of Chaos are attacking fiercely—even bringing out their base. The instructors at the training base alone won’t be enough to fend off such a massive assault.”

“Don’t worry. Boarding the island was initiated by the Sun’s eldest daughter herself. The other two and I agreed that since we’re cooperating, we must show confidence and sincerity, allowing her reasonable freedom of action.”

The university headmaster smiled faintly and glanced toward the Sun’s eldest daughter seated within the cabin.

“After all, we are the hosts here. The Sun’s eldest daughter is a guest, and naturally uneasy. She wishes to personally select the Guardian Knights who stand out in the Ember Project. We agreed, even though her purpose this trip is not solely to preside over the Guardian Knights’ investiture.”

At this, Sabre—the legendary demon hunter from the Scavengers—narrowed his eyes and asked gravely, “Headmaster, do you mean the Sun’s eldest daughter’s intentions are impure? With the Chaos Lighthouse interfering in this operation, could it be… she plans to ally with the Apostles of Chaos?”

“Haha, revealing the truth now would be dull. Just watch and wait.”

The headmaster’s eyes flashed, seeming to hold the vast depths of the universe within their pupils. The discoveries made earlier by Ember and the others had long since come under his gaze.

“I always thought this family had retreated long ago, but in reality, they have retreated only to advance. Paradise World is unlikely to see peace for some time…”

...

“What’s going on? Haven’t most of the people died already? Why isn’t this over yet?”

The talkative White Flag voiced his confusion again.

Along the way, the incessant triple-question barrage from Drunken Cup had grown too much to bear.

“If you don’t stop babbling, do you believe I’ll make you die about the same way?”

Feeling the fierce killing intent radiating at him, White Flag clamped his mouth shut. Though his defense was remarkable, he wasn’t a match for Drunken Cup in a duel, so he quietly whispered to Ember, “She’s always had a bad temper—heard she’s beaten up half the people around here. You teaming up with her to breach the life-forbidden zones is impressive!”

Swish!

An arrow struck White Flag’s forehead. His eyes darted toward the trembling black bolt’s feathered end, and he silently dropped to the ground, no longer daring to speak. His gaze shifted to Ember, revealing an expression of ‘I thought so.’

Ember shrugged. He was equally curious about what had gone wrong to cause the outcome to diverge so greatly from expectations. Death Song’s final pentakill had also caught his attention. If Death Song turned its attacks toward them next, things would hardly improve.

“Looks like everyone has quite a few trump cards!”

Just as he sighed, Ember received a prompt from Lu Renjia: “Someone’s coming over there!”

At this time on Slaughter Island, besides the five of them, only the joint squads of Not Jianghu and Old Withered Tree remained. There was no conflict between these two groups, so Ember and company advanced confidently.

“Ah! Finally a victorious reunion!”

Not Sword Immortal, upon seeing Ember and Not Master, nearly cried tears of joy. “You have no idea how hard this journey was... Wow! A big thigh is still a big thigh—you actually raised your contract pet to juvenile stage. Speaking of which, I have nothing but bitter tears! Hey... Death Taoist, why are you hitting me?”

“If you keep talking nonsense, the old Taoist will hit you too!”

Holding a lightning-imbued wooden sword, Not Taoist solemnly addressed Ember and the others.

“The situation is grave, so we need to clarify things early. Due to negligence by Old Taoist and Sword Immortal, the Dark Curtain Storm has spiraled out of control. If we fail to gather the crucial clues of the assessment in these final minutes, we will surely perish in the storm!”

“Ahem… I must add something!” Not Sword Immortal interjected.

“The main quest’s failure has objective reasons. Who would have guessed this island hides a fourth form of Shadow Devouring Worm?”

“What? The Shadow Devouring Worm has more than three forms?” Ember and the others expressed surprise.

Not Taoist’s expression turned grave.

“Yes. The fourth form is the leech. When we completed the third main quest, we were unprepared and failed to kill it, even losing Sword Immortal’s mantis pet in the process…”

“Wahhh… my pet…”

“The leech form seems to have special protection. Its detection abilities are suppressed, so our perception techniques didn’t work. According to Old Taoist’s estimation, we’re likely to encounter this worm, so we must not underestimate it!” Not Taoist shared his combat insights. “Although we can’t see detailed info, the leech leader likely has formidable bloodsucking or regenerative powers. Old Taoist and Sword Immortal inflicted a total of a thousand points of damage but failed to kill it. Even with a vast health pool, it shouldn’t be this resilient.”

“This is troubling…”

Hearing Not Taoist’s explanation, everyone realized they might face a traditional boss requiring significant time and effort to wear down, unlike the newer, more fragile bosses encountered so far. Without the right countermeasures, whether nine people combined could slay it was uncertain—especially after such a long lapse of time. By now, they likely wouldn’t be facing the leech “leader” alone.

“In the end, it still comes down to racing against time! The game didn’t open exchanges early, so it might really be impossible!” White Flag lamented.

“Our goal is all to become Guardian Knights. At this critical point, there’s no need to fight to the death. The key is how to tackle the Hill Water Tower,” Not Taoist proposed.

“Personally, I think in necessary cases, everyone should spend their Slaughter Points to exchange items and work together to overcome obstacles. Of course, ten points should be the minimum reserve. In case of emergencies, we shouldn’t lose everything.”

“I agree, but I only have twelve points,” White Flag replied.

“No matter how much spent, it’s the thought that counts. I can contribute eleven points,” said one university-level player from Not Taoist’s squad without hesitation.

“Fifteen points!”

“Wow, you’re impressive. I can only put up ten points,” Not Sword Immortal exclaimed.

“Haha, I actually had more, but I exchanged one Evolution Potion along the way.”

“I exchanged one too, so now I have only seventeen points,” Drunken Cup said, glancing at Ember. “What about you?”

“Twenty total. I invested seventeen points in total but got some returns.”

“Wow!”

Not Sword Immortal and White Flag exclaimed in unison. Others then declared their additional points as well. Everyone weighed their options carefully. Items exchanged with Slaughter Points could be obtained through other means, but the Guardian Knight title was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even if the benefits were unknown, such a unique honor held special significance.

When it came to Lu Renjia, he revealed the highest total: “I can contribute twenty-four points. Thanks to the care of Master and Ember, I haven’t spent much myself.”

“Very strong. By my count, the nine of us can pool over a hundred points. Even if we throw everything at it, we should be able to defeat the final boss!” Not Taoist remarked, eyes fixed on the looming Hill Water Tower before them.

“Of course, it’s better if we can avoid fighting altogether—both safer and easier.”

Once the ancient fortress of Maple Island, the Hill Water Tower still retained some castle features. Yet its heavy, blood-red aura was gone. The tower was pure white, and despite a year of ravaging by the Dark Curtain, it seemed almost pristine—likely an added effect of the Curtain’s sealing.

Lu Renjia and Old Withered Tree, both with keen perception, scouted the tower’s perimeter but found no anomalies. White Flag, with a power level of fourteen, strode forward and forcefully pushed open the massive iron door.

Creak…

The door swung open, but inside the tower was pitch black. Neither Lu Renjia nor Old Withered Tree could see through it.

“What now?”

“What else? The Dark Curtain Storm is almost here. Even if it’s a den of dragons and tigers, we have to push through!”

The group entered in single file, forming a front, middle, and rear battle formation. The nine working together was a novel experience, but even more unusual was the eerie scene inside the tower.

The air was thick with humidity, each breath threatening to choke the nostrils. The puddles on the floor were shallow but unusually viscous. Ember observed that the substance they stepped in was colorless and odorless—not blood, but some unknown mucous. A few steps inside revealed a spiral staircase leading upward. Finding no other passages, the wary group ascended.

The higher they climbed, the heavier the humid air felt, as if a thick watery cloak draped over them, sapping their strength with every step. Along the stairwell wall wriggled leeches of various sizes, clinging to the tower’s surface. They contracted suddenly when disturbed by the players’ body heat.

Soon they reached the top of the stairs, where White Flag bravely opened the final door.

Inside, the nine players saw a gigantic leech whose full form could not be discerned. This was because the stairwell opened into the upper entrance of the tower’s reservoir, where the giant leech dwelled in the tens-of-meters-deep water, with only its head protruding above the surface.

Though the sight was visually overwhelming, the players had prepared themselves mentally and mostly kept their composure. However, the giant leech’s response upon detecting their presence caught them off guard.

The head at the water’s surface suddenly undulated sideways, blossoming like a flower to reveal its brain layers. From within emerged the upper body of a humanoid figure, drenched in white brain fluid. No one could ascertain this figure’s gender; its small body had fused with the leech’s massive brain, forming a network of convoluted cerebral ridges. Its face had lost human features, with only faint depressions where eyes and mouth should be.

[Notification: Successfully slay the legendary boss “Juvenile Shadow Devouring Worm Mother” or rescue “Anna,” and you will become the Sun’s eldest daughter’s Guardian Knight.]