Chapter Thirty: Striking with Full Force

Ash was truly unfazed by the possibility that the Chaos Apostle might not take the bait, for the lure was simply too enticing.

Before the six members of the Giant Tree Institute fled in disarray, some had glimpsed Ash and A Toast to the Deep’s presence, and would surely report the details. Ash’s bloodvine arm shield and the excessive damage dealt by his explosive fireball would inevitably draw special attention from the Giant Tree Institute. After all, even they possessed few fully-formed bloodvine artifacts, and both Arbor and Thorn would likely deduce that the lost bloodvine necklace had ended up in Little Bob’s hands. Moreover, after the battle, A Toast to the Deep’s advancement was all but assured.

Thus, Ash and his companions, now holding three precious bloodvine artifacts, were destined to exert a deadly allure upon the Giant Tree Institute. Had it not been for the need to launch a full-scale assault, perhaps they would have sought to corner Ash and his group as they once did with Old Bob’s party.

Furthermore, focusing their target on Thorn, whom Ash had locked onto, even if her objective wasn’t the bloodvine artifacts, it must have something to do with Matches. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to entice Little Bob into leading him and A Toast to the Deep into a trap.

Having confirmed that the fish would bite, Ash no longer worried about how many would come. With the Six-Eyed Preacher’s vision range being absurdly vast, even if Thorn gathered a band of Chaos Apostles, Ash felt confident in his ability to escape. Besides, at this decisive moment, Thorn’s manpower was extremely limited, and to avoid arousing Arbor’s suspicion, she could only select a few trusted elites.

Even if Thorn and Arbor—belonging to two major factions—ceased their pretense of cooperation and abandoned their objectives to launch a ferocious assault, Ash was undaunted. The solution was always simple: run. The Forbidden Zone of Life was vast, full of hiding places.

As events unfolded, the worst-case scenario never materialized. Within mere seconds, the Six-Eyed Preacher spotted a group moving against the flow of the battle lines, quietly edging along the perimeter toward Ash and his companions.

“They’re coming! Prepare for battle!”

Seeing that the number of attackers matched his expectations, Ash quickly alerted his team, retreating from the chaos and heading to their predetermined ambush site, awaiting the arrival of the seven hooked fish.

...

“Miss Thorn, may I ask why you’ve summoned us? The Director gave strict orders—we must complete our mission before his return—”

“Silence. Follow me and you’ll understand.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

The Chaos Lighthouse’s infiltration of the Giant Tree Institute was not as severe as Little Bob had described. As a core plutocrat of the Wasteland Syndicate, the Institute possessed a robust counter-espionage system. Even with the Chaos Lighthouse’s reach, they could not embed many agents in critical positions.

Had the previous owner of the bloodvine necklace not been eliminated by the Gardener, Thorn would not even have qualified to enter the Forbidden Zone of Life, let alone receive the Chaos Lighthouse’s death order: intercept the visitors from Paradise by any means necessary, even at the risk of exposing her identity.

This Apostle, whose forehead bore a crown-like half-ring of thorns, was now deeply agitated. Both the Chaos Lighthouse and the Giant Tree Institute pressed upon her like twin mountains, leaving her gasping for breath in the narrow crevice between them. Upon learning that the Paradise visitors had appeared at the ruins, she nearly abandoned her orders from the Lighthouse. Others might not know who wielded the explosive fireball, but she was clear: she had once pressured Little Bob into following her plan.

As the decisive battle began without any special signal, Thorn became certain that Little Bob had chosen new partners. When he suddenly reached out, she was convinced he had secret motives.

Was it the idea of those two Paradise visitors?

How bold!

Two newcomers, daring to challenge her?

Thorn not only knew the approximate landing site of the two players, but was also intimately familiar with their equipment and strength. If not for Arbor’s demands, she would have acted herself long ago. Now, seeing the possibility of fulfilling the Lighthouse’s command, Thorn mobilized six elite confidants within her limits, ready to shatter Little Bob’s fantasies with a thunderous strike.

Whoever gave you courage—

Don’t dream of testing my temper!

Thorn’s personality was as fiery as her figure, intimidating her six clueless comrades from the Institute into silence. They followed her without a word, halting before a courtyard beyond the battlefield.

Sensing the aura of a communication device lingering inside, Thorn’s gaze darkened. She casually tossed the bag slung across her back to the ground.

Clatter!

As the bag hit, its mouth gaped open, spilling several grenades. The six aides went weak at the knees, faces pale, and silently marveled at Thorn’s legendary audacity and explosive temperament.

Such critical strategic resources, simply thrown into a bag without even basic safety measures! They began to doubt her true intentions; even though the Giant Tree Institute was a top plutocrat in the Wasteland Syndicate, capable of mobilizing immense resources, they now faced broken funding chains and severe shortages.

The total expenditure for manpower and materials was astronomical, and bloodvine research was a bottomless pit. Science and technology may be the first productive force, but only if you pour money in!

The high-explosive grenades once freely used were now strictly controlled, reserved for dire moments. Seeing such a bagful tossed so carelessly prompted suspicion—what was Thorn planning?

“Blow it up!”

Thorn’s expression flickered coldly as she pointed at the courtyard. “Your task is to level it to the ground.”

Blow it up?

Very well, if that's your command! After weeks of wrestling with the living dead, they were itching to use explosives. The six exchanged glances, then scrambled to divide the grenades and hurled them inside.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A cascade of explosions erupted, smoke billowing, flames flickering incessantly, casting Thorn’s icy face and indifferent eyes in shifting light.

She no longer cared about Little Bob’s true purpose, only intent on swiftly acquiring what she wanted. Whether cooperation continued or not, she intended to leave no survivors anyway. Little Bob had brought the Paradise visitors to her—he had served his purpose. Though things had not gone as planned, Thorn only cared that the outcome remained unchanged.

Watching the courtyard walls collapse under the relentless blasts, Thorn was elated. The small courtyard offered no hiding place. So many grenades thrown inside—no complete bodies could possibly remain. She only hoped the items she sought survived the explosions.

Wait...

What if they weren’t inside?

“Cease fire!”

Suddenly aware she might have acted out of blind fury, Thorn saw the last grenades nearly spent and ordered her subordinates to halt. She focused on the ruined walls, searching for any sign of corpses or blood. At that moment, a delicate sound, like a phoenix’s cry, echoed behind her.

A melodic chime!

Not good!

Instantly alert, Thorn’s face changed. She activated her dodging skill and forcibly moved from her spot. Barely half a second after she vanished, six diamond-shaped light cones tore through the air, missing their primary target but striking another Giant Tree gunman. He had no time to react and was instantly slain, unable to even toss the primed grenade in his hand.

[Notification: You assisted in killing the elite human “Giant Tree Gunman.” You have received a substantial contribution reward!]

Huh?

The sudden kill notification surprised Ash. He hadn’t expected to gain experience from the followers, and the share was generous. A few more kills among the Institute’s members would quickly level him up!

Boom!

The dropped grenade detonated among the group, shattering their formation. The ranged firepower, which should have been protected, was now exposed to the sights of A Toast to the Deep and Little Bob.

The critical strike crossbow bolt shot first; as Little Bob finished casting his explosive fireball, A Toast to the Deep launched her overdraft skill, releasing a second critical bolt almost simultaneously. Before Little Bob’s second fireball had even accumulated energy, A Toast to the Deep struck a third time, finishing her target with impressive ordinary damage.

Her fully-formed bloodvine ring significantly enhanced her output. Even though her chosen target was a shotgun-wielding tank, she dispatched him swiftly, relying on her own strength.

“Indeed, output is king!”

Watching her contribution bar surge, A Toast to the Deep was delighted. She felt sure she would soon surpass Ash in level, unaware that Ash had already leveled up ahead of her.

This was because Little Bob’s target was the only melee fighter in the enemy ranks wielding a fully-formed resilient bloodvine artifact. When the melee fighter recovered from the grenade blast, he was struck directly by the explosive fireball, losing over twenty percent of his health in an instant. To be fair, his remaining life was still within a safe range, so noticing the tank’s impending defeat, he summoned his bloodvine arm shield, attempting to block the fatal blow.

Unbeknownst to him, this act sealed his fate.

Without the bloodvine’s protection, the melee fighter’s health dropped dramatically, falling below the Six-Eyed Preacher’s execution threshold.

Ash immediately ordered his follower to activate the skill [Six-Eyed Judgment]. The Preacher pointed from above, and the melee fighter’s head was shrouded in a six-eyed light curtain. Thorn reacted quickly but could not break the effect, warning her trusted aide of the danger. Yet the sudden ferocity of battle left the melee fighter overwhelmed. As the light curtain descended in a flash of judgment, he realized too late—the reaper’s scythe fell from above.

[Notification: You assisted in killing the boss-level human “Giant Tree Warrior.” You have received a massive contribution reward.]

[Notification: Your character level has increased to eight. You have gained one core attribute point and one major attribute point. You may enhance the relevant attributes in your character interface.]