Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After finding a phone booth in the Arctic region, Gao Peng called his grandfather’s number.
The phone’s automated voice stated that the number he was trying to call was out of range. His grandfather must have been overseeing the construction of the trade route in the Black Fog World. Gao Peng put down the receiver with a frown. Seems like Grandpa is out of reach at the moment… However, he wasn’t completely out of options. Since his grandfather was unavailable, he would have to figure out something himself.
“Young Master Gao,” said Huang Ya, who was entrusted with capturing monsters in the wild. Siding with Gao Peng was the best decision he had ever made. He was now at the height of his career, with three Lord-tier familiars at his disposal.
His reputation was also at an all-time high in the Southern Sky Group. However, the group’s staff was currently split into two factions. One of them was comprised of Ji Hanwu’s loyalists, with Xu Heti at the helm, while the other included those who were loyal to Gao Peng. This didn’t mean that they had stopped being loyal to Ji Hanwu; they simply thought that once Gao Peng succeeded his grandfather as director of the Southern Sky Group, by proving their loyalty towards him now, they would be able to secure better positions and privileges in the group.
Division among the staff was unavoidable. Short of wiping everyone’s mind and turning all of them into mindless robots. there was nothing Gao Peng and his grandfather could do to reconcile both sides.
Their only option was to go with the flow. Under the guidance of Gao Peng and his grandfather, the conflict between both factions soon turned into a healthy competition among the group’s staff.
“Young Master Gao, were you looking for me?” asked Huang Ya. He was overseeing his subordinates shove the monsters they had captured into their cages when Gao Peng rang him up.
“Yes, I understand… I’ll bring a couple of men and familiars over to the Arctic region,” said Huang Ya.
…
On the other side of the Black Fog World, where the Lusaka Spacial Rift was located.
The room containing the black anaconda had been sealed shut, with layers of cautionary tape surrounding it completely. A number of heavily armed soldiers were posted outside the room with their familiars, nervously looking around at their surroundings.
A couple of white-uniformed researchers were coming in and out of the room like busy bees.
“So what did you find? What grade is this monster?” asked a general in a Kokang military uniform.
“We’ve designated the anaconda as Black Jormungandr. Judging by the skin we’ve collected from it, we have determined that it may be above King-tier,” said one of the researchers nervously.
Above King-tier?! Dembili narrowed his eyes. An uneasy feeling had crept into his heart. His chest was now rising and falling rapidly.
“Are you sure it’s dead?” He was more than aware of what made a King-tier monster so terrifying. In terms of power level, a gaping chasm existed between a King-tier monster and a Lord-tier monster.
This anaconda was above King-tier, which meant that it was probably much more powerful than any King-tier monster that existed today while it had still been alive.
What a horrifying thought! This might have been the greatest discovery to have been made since the Cataclysm!
The core crystal of a monster above King-tier would probably be able to promote any other monster to King-tier. Its organs, flesh, and even bones would also serve as valuable ingredients.
With a King-tier monster at his disposal, Kokang’s authority in the entire African region would grow exponentially. The general would also go down in history as the greatest trainer in the Kokang region. Such a discovery would automatically propel the Kokang region to greater heights of glory.
A smile surfaced on Dembili’s face. He was a man proud of his own race and nation. His biggest wish was to see his own country become more powerful.
Even though this new world had united under the front of an Alliance government, in truth, discrimination still existed against smaller regions like Kokang.
He hoped that his country would one day become a more powerful version of itself. This was the reason why he had joined the military in the first place.
“It’s definitely dead. We’ve checked for any signs of life in its body using various instruments, and we found none,” said the researcher. This giant anaconda had attracted the attention of many scholars, professors, and researchers worldwide.
Those who were allowed to study the anaconda’s corpse were the best of the best in their respective fields of research. After conducting various procedures to checkthe anaconda’s vitals, they were now certain that it was bereft of all life.
“Keep up the good work,” said Dembili. He was unable to suppress the grin on his face. He wanted to deliver this good news to the region’s council as soon as possible.
Suddenly, he felt a tremor beneath his feet. Dembili staggered and nearly fell. On the other hand, the researcher who was standing before him fell flat on his face.
“Sir, look out!”
Suddenly, the window exploded into a million pieces. A yellow-maned lion burst through the window and picked Dembili up by the collar before leaping back out.
Dembili, who was now dangling from the lion’s mouth, had no idea what was going on. When he turned around, he saw that the giant anaconda had burst through the roof of the building. Its head was raised high up in the air. Black fumes issued from its black scales. The walls instantly aged and crumbled as soon as they came into contact with the black mist.
A couple of winged monsters tried to flee from the area. Unfortunately, the black fumes had already gotten to them. Their bodies withered into dried-out sacks of meat and bone, their feathers hanging loosely from their skin. Their trainers, who were sitting on their backs, were also reduced to skeletons almost instantly.
The black mist gradually spread out from the snake, causing everything in the area to wither at a frightening speed.
The snake hissed menacingly at the sky.
Dembili’s face darkened as his body shook uncontrollably. “We’re doomed. The whole city is doomed…”
Half a day later, an announcement was made by the Lusaka base city: the Lusaka Spacial Rift would be closed indefinitely until further notice.
In the Tomsk base city of the Arctic region, Gao Peng had rented a villa to use. It would take some time for Huang Ya’s team to get there. He had also asked Huang Ya to bring Da Zi, Goldie, and the others with him. Gao Peng wasn’t used to being away from Da Zi for such a long period of time.
Despite all of Da Zi’s shortcomings, Gao Peng still found it adorable.
He planned on training his familiars here and maybe taking them out on a hunting trip. He also wanted to take this opportunity to get to know some of the locals in the Arctic region.
“Mr. Gao, we’ve just received news that the Lusaka base city has closed off their Spacial Rift,” shouted a blonde Russian man wearing a camouflage singlet outside the villa.
“Keep your voice down,” hissed Gao Peng. After fiddling with the bottle of reagent in his hand, he stuffed it inside a box in a corner.
After being promoted to King-tier, the Desolate Frost Lion’s grade had dropped to Excellent-grade. This was an after-effect of it making such a huge leap in tier in such a short span of time. Fortunately, Gao Peng was now in the Arctic region, which wasn’t lacking in Ice-type ingredients.
He handed the reagent bottle to the Desolate Frost Lion, who expertly opened the bottle with its claws. It then began taking careful sips of the reagent from the bottle.
“The Lusaka Spacial Rift is closed off?” said Gao Peng, frowning. “Why?”
“Word is they found a monster supposedly above King-tier in deep hibernation in the Black Fog World. Thinking it was dead, some idiot thought that it would be a good idea to open up its brain and take out its core crystal. This woke the monster up, and now the area on the other side of the Spacial Rift has gone under lockdown… What a shame. I still haven’t visited the Spacial Rift there.”
