Misunderstanding

Lu Heng pushed open the stone door of the Shelter.

The moment my fingertips touched the cold stone surface, a vast and ancient consciousness suddenly surged into my mind—

It is the Forest Will.

Normally silent and never interfering with his existence, it now locked onto his consciousness with a clear question.

Where did you go before?

Lu Heng paused, stunned for half a second.

He hadn't expected the Forest Will to contact him, and he certainly hadn't expected it to start with a questioning.

But he didn't hide anything and replied directly:

" Went to a World Fragment, went on an adventure."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line of consciousness.

Immediately afterwards, a hint of realization crept into that vast and desolate aura, along with a subtle sense of "I see, so that's how it is."

"I thought you took the borrowed abilities and ran off with new artifacts."

The Forest Will's tone was devoid of emotion, but its meaning was clear—it had indeed assumed that Lu Heng intended to renege on the payment for damaging the artifact and simply disappear with it.

Lu Heng didn't respond to that.

The misunderstanding was cleared up; he didn't want to explain any further.

The doubts of the Forest Will dissipated, and a new thought followed, heading straight for the point:

"Have you established a foothold and base at that fragment?"

Lu Heng gave an affirmative answer.

The next instant, a faint green mark fell into the Sea of Consciousness and lay dormant silently.

Following the mark came the message of the Forest Will:

"Each World Fragment will spontaneously give birth to a monster from its last remaining power. It is the guardian of the fragment, bearing the lifeblood of the entire fragment and vying for a sliver of hope for survival. If you slay that supreme monster and sever the fragment's lifeblood, I can pull the entire fragment into the present world, increasing the forest's foundation. This will offset the cost of the artifact you destroyed."

Lu Heng immediately thought of the Blood Taisui on his body.

"The Blood Taisui within me is the apex monster of that fragment."

The Forest Will's consciousness paused for a moment, then returned with a hint of surprise:

"You resolved it too quickly. Its essence wasn't destroyed; it merely detached from its vessel, and its fortune has been relocated. You're a bit unlucky."

Lu Heng's mind suddenly went blank.

A detail he had buried deep in his memory suddenly resurfaced.

The fragments lost their guardians, and the fortune bound to the apex monster became ownerless, scattering and searching for new hosts.

All the clues connected instantly.

In this area, the only one capable of receiving this fortune is the Silver Tier Zombie that has been lurking on the outskirts of the Military District.

Lu Heng relayed this deduction.

The Forest Will was immediately confirmed:

"That's right. That Silver- Mutant has already absorbed the fortune emanating from the fragment. It's frantically devouring all the remaining life forms within the fragment, plundering every bit of vitality to replenish itself and advance its level."

A hint of coldness flickered in Lu Heng's eyes.

No wonder.

No wonder it has remained patient and refrained from taking advantage of the chaos to break through the enemy lines.

The warnings of the Forest Will continue to sound:

"Once it completes its advancement, this World Fragment will actively collide with other fragments. If it can devour other fragments, it will have the opportunity to merge all the fragments and condense into a truly complete world."

The consequences far exceeded Lu Heng's expectations.

He could ignore the fate of the Military District camp. But his Shelter was on this very land. Once the fragments collided and merged, everything around would be engulfed in this catastrophe, and no one could escape it.

Lu Heng lowered his head, sensing the Blood Taisui Mycelium under his skin gently wriggling within his body. He heard a slight restlessness coming from the fact that the fortune that should have belonged to him had fallen into the body of another monster.

The green mark in his consciousness remained dormant, waiting for his action.

The aura of the Forest Will in his mind slowly faded, and that vast and ancient fluctuation of consciousness completely dissipated. Only that pale green mark remained quietly dormant in his Sea of Consciousness, like a silent contract, hanging deep within Lu Heng's consciousness.

The impact of that conversation did not diminish with the loss of consciousness; a heavy sense of crisis still weighed on Lu Heng's heart.

The Silver Zombie lurked on the outskirts of the Military District camp. It did not launch an attack rashly, but waited quietly in the shadows for the most opportune moment. In its eyes, the remaining survivors in the camp were not enemies to be fought, but merely nourishment to complete its advancement.

Once it devours all the remaining people in the camp, absorbs enough life force, breaks through the existing constraints, and enters the Gold Tier —the situation will be completely out of control.

Gold Tier.

The mere thought of this rank filled Lu Heng with an indescribable unease.

Silver Tier can already control hordes of corpses and lie in wait, so what kind of monsters would Gold Tier monsters be? He had never seen one before and had no idea what kind of bizarre abilities it would possess.

More importantly, the Forest Will stated that once this monster successfully advances, the World Fragment will actively collide with and devour other fragments. At that time, the monster will depart along with the fragments, heading to another world.

In that case, Lu Heng would have no chance to kill it.

The agreement made by the Forest Will —to sever the fragments of destiny in exchange for compensation for the damaged artifacts—is now impossible to repay.

The outstanding payment is looming over their heads, and it will only become a hidden danger that could explode at any time.

Lu Heng could have simply ignored the fate of the Military District. Song Yunzhong's insistence on protecting the survivors was his own choice, and he should bear the consequences himself.

He had no intention of becoming a savior. What he wanted to prevent was not the death of the survivors, but rather to prevent the birth of a terrifying monster that he could not handle, and even more so, to prevent this monster from going far away, thus making the promise he owed impossible to fulfill.

Lu Heng didn't linger any longer, nor did he hesitate any longer.

With a slight shift in his mind, dark light and shadow slowly surged across the open ground of the Shelter. The Bone Demon's pale skeletal body gradually appeared, its massive joints meshing together with a dull cracking sound. The entire body had no independent will; every movement was controlled by Lu Heng's consciousness. It was deathly still and ferocious, ready for battle.

Lu Heng raised his hand and opened Portal, teleporting him and the Bone Demon together. They landed steadily on the Lakeside Base.

The moment he landed, Lu Heng looked up and gazed in the direction of the Military District's Fortress.

Across the vast wilderness, the exact outline of the camp was invisible, yet the sounds emanating from it could still be faintly sensed. The wind howled incessantly, even more chaotic than the day before. The Silver Zombie was still lurking, patiently accumulating power, waiting for its chance to devour.

Lu Heng's eyes turned cold.

Lu Heng suppressed the subtle change within his body and stopped being distracted.

The green mark in his Sea of Consciousness remained quietly, representing the agreement left by the Forest Will. Now, he had to quickly intercept the Zombie before it advanced, nipping it in the bud.

"Let's go."

Lu Heng uttered two words in a low voice and stepped out of the Lakeside Base.

The Bone Demon followed closely behind him, its heavy bone feet grinding against the scattered pebbles on the ground, producing a crisp cracking sound. Its movements were entirely controlled by Lu Heng's will, without any unnecessary actions, sticking tightly to Lu Heng's side.

The road ahead leads to the outer perimeter of the Military District.

The Silver Zombie carrying the fragments of destiny lurked in that area.

Lu Heng knew very well that this trip would not be easy. His opponent possessed the luck bestowed by the World Fragment, making him far stronger than an ordinary Silver Mutant. But he had no way out.

The figures of one man and one Bone Demon sped off toward the direction where the Zombie lurked.

Just then, the distant howls of corpses suddenly intensified, as if they had sensed the hunters' approach, or perhaps it was some kind of silent provocation.