The Eye of Calamity

The RV raced across the wasteland.

There was no denying it: Guardian Demon Skin worked like a charm.

Its S-class Fear Aura struck terror into the hearts of low-level monsters.

The whole way, nothing dared attack them. Even the mutated rats steered clear of the vehicle.

But when they reached the entrance to a valley surrounded by mountains, things changed.

Behind them, it was three in the afternoon, with brilliant sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.

Ahead, the valley was shrouded in thick gray storm clouds.

Rain poured down in sheets, the wind howled, and distant thunder rumbled ominously.

It was as though an invisible boundary had cleaved the world in two.

"Skrrt!"

Wang Meng slammed on the brakes, his expression grave.

In the passenger seat, Guo Shuai was munching on a dry compression biscuit, crumbs scattered all over him.

He stared at the starkly different skies outside and swallowed.

"Brother Wang, this valley... something's wrong with it."

"The Yin Energy is too strong. My senses haven't sounded the alarm yet, but I've got a bad feeling."

Wang Meng nodded and glanced at the scroll Liu Yuqing had left behind.

The red dot was blinking, and they were already right on top of it.

"It's just ahead."

Wang Meng spoke gravely. "Let's inform the Big Boss first."

Inside the RV.

On the big bed, Jiangnan supported Chen Tong's long, beautiful legs, helping her through some gentle rehabilitation exercises.

"Ah... easy..."

Chen Tong bit her lip, her cheeks flushed. A hint of shyness and dependence showed in her eyes.

Jiangnan gestured for her to bear with it. As the leader, he had to pamper his own woman.

Especially since it was the first time for both of them; he had to provide at least a little aftercare.

On the sofa nearby, Liu Yuqing was hugging a pillow and catching up on sleep.

In the open kitchen, Yu Shishi was deep in thought as she stared at the rice cooker.

She was pondering an ultimate philosophical question that had troubled humanity for thousands of years.

When steaming rice, should you add water or not?

"Hmm..."

Yu Shishi chewed on her finger, brows knitted tight.

"I think... you don't add water, right?"

"I remember the rice I usually eat is dry. If you add water, wouldn't it turn into congee?"

"Right! Exactly!"

Yu Shishi slapped her forehead, convinced she was a genius!

She'd managed to unravel such a complicated line of reasoning!

"Hehe, this time I'll definitely make perfect rice and amaze everyone!"

Just as she was congratulating herself, the Soundproof Door to the driver's cabin opened, and Wang Meng called in with a message.

Yu Shishi hurriedly put down the rice cooker and ran to the bed to report.

"Boss! Brother Wang says the weather outside has changed. Looks like we're there!"

Jiangnan nodded, tucked the blanket around Chen Tong, then got out of bed and walked over to the Monitor Screen.

Watching the eerie, rain-lashed valley on the screen, Jiangnan stood with his arms crossed.

It was certainly strange.

But he didn't feel the slightest fear.

With his Word Spirit at his side, he could go anywhere in the world.

He typed an order directly into the Main Control Panel.

"Guo Shuai, get out of the vehicle."

"Investigate the location of the red dot."

After receiving the order, Guo Shuai didn't hesitate.

He wolfed down the rest of his biscuit, grabbed the jacket hanging over the back of his chair, and steeled his gaze.

This was the first battle since he'd obtained the [Eye of Calamity]—and his chance to prove his worth to the boss!

"Be careful."

Wang Meng opened the door and pointed southeast. "Follow this road. The red dot is that way."

As he spoke, he rummaged through the toolbox in the back, pulled out a rusty cleaver, and tossed it to Guo Shuai.

It was a Torture Device they'd picked up in the cellar earlier. A little rusty, but it had plenty of heft.

"Don't worry, Brother Wang. I'll come back."

Guo Shuai caught the cleaver, took a deep breath, and stepped into the rain.

He pulled a compass from his pocket and clutched it tightly in his palm.

"Watch over me... Old Yang."

Guo Shuai shut his eyes and prayed for a second. Then he snapped them open and headed southeast along the muddy mountain path.

Wang Meng watched his silhouette fade into the rain and mist, then sighed.

"I hope you make it back alive, Guo Shuai."

The rain fell harder and harder.

Guo Shuai trudged along the muddy mountain road, one foot sinking deeper than the other.

He'd been walking for about twenty minutes.

Suddenly, he stopped and crouched down.

Two tire tracks remained on the muddy ground, not yet completely washed away by the rain.

"Wide tires, off-road tread... Has someone been here?"

Guo Shuai's heart tightened.

The Terminal Signal Tower was probably just ahead—and someone had already beaten them to it.

He stood up again, gazed at the winding slope climbing ahead, and tightened his grip on the cleaver.

Next came the climb.

But just as he was about to take a step, he spotted what looked like someone waving to him from the shadows of the trees not far away.

The movement was stiff, but the rain made it hard to see clearly.

A newbie who hadn't yet been beaten down by reality might have thought a fellow survivor was waving hello.

But Guo Shuai had just faced the Scarecrow BOSS and nearly been tricked into his grave. The alarm bells in his head rang instantly!

"Monster!!"

"It's gotta be a monster!!"

Guo Shuai immediately raised the cleaver across his chest, his whole body tensed and on high alert!

The Scarecrow had plunged him into despair and left him with severe PTSD.

In this hellhole, every sudden, friendly, bizarre sight was bound to be a monster's doing!

Sure enough.

When the figure saw that Guo Shuai wasn't falling for it, it dropped the act.

"GRAH!!"

The figure abruptly lowered its arm and let out a hoarse roar, then charged at him!

Two more equally bizarre figures followed behind it!

Guo Shuai's Danger Sense flashed red like crazy!

"So it really is a monster!!"

"Perfect! Time for your debut, Eye of Calamity!!"

Guo Shuai wasn't scared in the slightest.

As he'd said before, he'd already died once. A man with nothing left to lose had nothing to fear!

Vrrm!

His left eye activated instantly, and streams of dark-golden data burst through his mind.

[Analyzing targets...]

[Target: Wandering Corpses (x3)]

[Race]: Weird Monster

[Abilities]: None

[Health]: 78%

[Paper Combat Power]: E

[Weaknesses]: Neck, spine

[Comprehensive Evaluation]: Low-level Weird Monsters with poor intelligence and stiff movements.

They pose little threat to you while you are armed.

[System Recommendation]: Your estimated odds of victory are seven to three. Would you like to formulate an Auto Combat plan now and eliminate them?

"Formulate it now!!"

Guo Shuai roared in his mind without hesitation.

If he waited any longer, their claws would be in his face!

With his own pathetic skills, he was dead meat!

[Understood. Plan generated.]

[Taking control of the body's nervous system... Control established!]

[Auto Combat sequence initiated!]

The instant the announcement ended,

Guo Shuai's left eye began to tremble violently.

Then his limbs seemed to be tugged by countless invisible strings, and control slipped away from him.

"GRAH!!"

The Three Wandering Corpses broke through the curtain of rain, revealing their dark-gray, mangled, rotting faces!

They opened their mouths, full of black teeth, and lunged for Guo Shuai's neck!

They were right on top of him!

Guo Shuai watched helplessly as those stinking mouths drew closer, shouting frantically in his mind.

"Hurry up! Come on, man! Do something! Chop them!!"

Just as a Wandering Corpse was about to bite the tip of his nose,

Guo Shuai moved.

But... the move was nothing like he'd imagined.

Thump!

His legs went limp, and he dropped neatly to his knees!

Guo Shuai: "???"

"Huh? What the hell, man?"

"Are you sure this is combat and not begging for mercy?!!"

"That's one hell of a perfect kneel! This piece of junk really is broken, isn't it?!"

Just as Guo Shuai was filled with regret, sure he was about to be bitten to death on the spot,

something incredible happened.

The leading Wandering Corpse hadn't expected its prey to suddenly drop half a foot.

It missed, slipped, and planted its foot right on a slick rock covered in moss.

"Huh?"

The Wandering Corpse lost its balance and flew right over Guo Shuai, brushing the top of his head!

At that very moment,

Guo Shuai's right hand, still kneeling on the ground, seemed to have a mind of its own. It raised the cleaver upright, blade pointing up.

Shhk!

Using the Wandering Corpse's momentum, the rusty cleaver sliced open its belly in an instant.

It even severed its already-rotted spine!

Plop.

The Wandering Corpse landed in the muddy water behind Guo Shuai, twitched twice, and lay still.

"Holy crap..."

Guo Shuai's expression changed at once. "Ahem. Sorry, Eye of Calamity. I shouldn't have been a hater."

But before he could finish grumbling,

the other two Wandering Corpses pounced.

This time, they'd learned their lesson. Instead of running, they leaped at him from either side, cutting off every route of escape.

"You're not going to make me keep kneeling this time, are you?"

Guo Shuai thought.

But things went just as he'd expected.

The Eye of Calamity didn't make him kneel. Instead...

It threw him backward!

And lay him flat!

Flat on his back, in the literal sense!

Guo Shuai lay sprawled in the mud, staring up at the gloomy sky as cold rain poured down. His heart sank into despair.

"I'm tired. Just destroy the world already."

But the next moment—

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Once again, two Wandering Corpses misjudged their pounces. They sailed right over him and slammed into each other.

As Guo Shuai lay on the ground, the cleaver in his hand inexplicably swept through a half-circle in the air.

Squelch!

Half the head of the one on the left was sliced clean off.

The one on the right had hit too hard. When it fell, its neck landed squarely on a rock.

Crack!

A sharp snap of bone rang out. It died on the spot.

Triple Kill.

[Battle over.]

[All targets have been killed. Auto Combat mode disengaged.]

[Host evaluation: Your physical fitness is far too poor, severely limiting this eye's performance.]

[Improve it as soon as possible, or you'll bring down my standards.]

Feeling returned to his body.

Lying in the mud, Guo Shuai read the contemptuous notification, and a thousand mud horses stampeded through his heart.

"I haven't even complained about you making me win in such a pathetic, worm-like fashion! And now you're the one looking down on me?!"

"Is this even a fight? It's a damn insurance scam!"

Guo Shuai sighed, pushed himself up, and shook the Black Blood off his cleaver.

"Whatever. Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat."

"I won, anyway."

He wiped the rain from his face and looked ahead.

"The Terminal Signal Tower should be up on the mountain. I'd better go check it out."

Another twenty minutes passed.

Following the two deep tire tracks, Guo Shuai finally puffed his way to the mountaintop.

"Finally... here... I'm exhausted."

Guo Shuai braced his hands on his knees and panted.

He suddenly thought the Eye of Calamity might be right. His physical fitness really was pathetic. He'd have to find a way to train in the future.

But—

When he raised his head and took in the scene before him, his pupils instantly shrank to pinpricks!

At the gloomy school gates ahead,

a dark green Humvee Off-road Vehicle stood parked.

And beside it, scattered across the ground...

lay three bleached skeletons dressed in yellow-green Special Operations Uniforms!

There was more.

Several Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and machine guns lay scattered in the muddy water!