Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Eye of Calamity
The RV raced across the wasteland.
It had to be said—the effect of the Watcher's Cursed Hide was nothing short of immediate.
That Aura Of Fear radiating from Grade S caused low-level monsters to scatter in terror.
The entire journey, not a single attack came their way. Even Mutated Rats detoured around the vehicle the moment they saw it.
However, when the vehicle reached the entrance of a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides, things changed.
Behind the vehicle, the afternoon sun blazed brilliantly at 3 o'clock, not a cloud in the sky.
But ahead, the valley was smothered beneath a dense blanket of grey storm clouds.
Rain poured in torrents. Wind howled and shrieked. Even the low rumble of distant thunder rolled through the air.
It was as though an invisible boundary line divided the world in two.
Screech.
Wang Meng pressed down hard on the brakes, his expression grave.
In the passenger seat, Guo Shuai was gnawing on a dry Compressed Cracker, crumbs scattered all over himself.
He stared at the starkly different sky outside the window and swallowed.
"Wang-bro, this valley... something's wrong."
"The yin energy is way too heavy. My Danger Perception hasn't triggered yet, but my gut is crawling."
Wang Meng nodded and glanced at the scroll Liu Yuqing had left behind.
The red dot on it was blinking—close, almost right in front of them.
"It's just ahead."
Wang Meng said in a low voice, "Let's notify the boss first."
……
Inside the vehicle.
On the large bed, Jiang Nan was supporting Chen Tong's slender, beautiful legs, helping her through gentle rehabilitation movements.
"Hiss... easier..."
Chen Tong bit her lip. Her cheeks were flushed, her gaze carrying a trace of shyness and dependence.
Jiang Nan's eyes told her to endure it. As the leader, it was his duty to pamper his own woman.
Especially since it was the first time for both of them—this much aftercare was only right.
On the sofa on the other side, Liu Yuqing was hugging a pillow, catching up on sleep.
And in the open-plan kitchen, Yu Shishi stood in front of the rice cooker, sunk in deep contemplation.
She was pondering an ultimate philosophical question that had tormented humanity for thousands of years.
‘When steaming rice—do you add water or not?’
"Hmm..."
Yu Shishi chewed on her finger, brow furrowed deeply.
"I think... you don't add water, right?"
"The rice I usually eat is dry. If you add water, wouldn't it just turn into congee?"
"Yes! Exactly! That's it!"
Yu Shishi slapped her forehead, convinced she was an absolute genius.
Such complicated logic, and she'd worked it all out!
'Hmph, I'll definitely make perfect rice this time and blow everyone away!'
Just as she was basking in her own smugness, the soundproof door to the cab slid open and Wang Meng passed word through.
Yu Shishi immediately set down the rice cooker and ran over to the bed to report.
"Boss! Wang Meng-bro says the weather outside has changed—looks like we've arrived!"
Jiang Nan nodded, helped tuck the blanket back over Chen Tong, then got out of bed and walked over to the surveillance screen.
Gazing at the gloomy, rain-curtained valley on the monitor, Jiang Nan stood with his arms folded.
It was genuinely strange.
But he felt no fear whatsoever.
With Word Spirit at his side, there was nowhere in this world he could not go.
He typed his orders directly on the Main Control Panel.
"Guo Shuai, get off the vehicle."
"Go to the red dot and investigate."
……
Receiving the order, Guo Shuai didn't drag his feet.
He shoved the remaining crackers into his mouth in 2 bites, grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair, and his eyes hardened with resolve.
This was his first battle since acquiring the Eye Of Calamity—and the moment to prove his worth to the boss!
"Be careful."
Wang Meng opened the vehicle door and pointed to the southeast. "Take this road. The red dot is that way."
As he spoke, he rummaged through the toolbox in the back and pulled out a rusty cleaver, tossing it to Guo Shuai.
It was a punishment implement they'd grabbed from the cellar on the way out. A bit rusted, but weighty enough.
"Don't worry, Wang-bro. I'll come back."
Guo Shuai caught the cleaver, drew a deep breath, and stepped into the curtain of rain.
He pulled the compass from his pocket and gripped it tightly in his palm.
'Watch over me... Old Yang.'
Guo Shuai closed his eyes and prayed for a second, then snapped them open and set off down the muddy mountain road toward the southeast.
Wang Meng watched his silhouette gradually disappear into the rain and mist, and let out a quiet sigh.
"Hope you can make it back alive, Guo Shuai."
……
The rain fell harder and harder.
Guo Shuai trudged along the mud-soaked mountain path, each step uncertain.
After roughly 20 minutes.
He suddenly stopped and crouched down.
On the muddy ground were 2 tire tracks that hadn't yet been completely washed away by the rain.
"Wide tires, off-road tread... someone's been through here?"
Guo Shuai's heart tightened.
It seemed likely that the Terminal Signal Tower was just ahead—and someone had already beaten them to it.
He straightened back up, fixed his eyes on the winding uphill path ahead, and tightened his grip on the cleaver.
Time to climb.
However.
Just as he was about to take a step, he suddenly spotted a figure in the shadowy treeline not far ahead—seemingly waving at him.
The movement was stiff, hard to make out clearly through the rain.
A newcomer who hadn't yet been beaten down by this world might have thought it was a survivor waving hello.
But Guo Shuai—who had only just survived the Scarecrow Boss and nearly gotten himself killed—had every alarm bell in his head ringing instantly!
'Monster!!'
'It has to be a monster!!'
Guo Shuai immediately raised the cleaver across his chest, every muscle in his body coiled tight, on maximum alert!
The Scarecrow had crushed him with despair—and left him with severe trauma.
In a place like this, any abrupt, unnaturally friendly, and bizarre behaviour was definitely a monster's doing!
Sure enough.
Seeing that Guo Shuai wasn't taking the bait, the "waving" figure dropped the act entirely.
"GRAAAH!!"
The figure suddenly dropped its hand, let out a hoarse, guttural roar, and came charging straight at him!
Behind it, 2 more eerie shapes followed in pursuit!
Guo Shuai's Danger Perception exploded into a blaze of red!
'They really are monsters!!'
'Perfect! Time for your debut, Eye Of Calamity!!'
Guo Shuai wasn't afraid in the slightest.
He'd already died once before—a man with nothing left to lose fears nothing!
Buzz!
His left eye activated in an instant, and a torrent of dark golden data burst open inside his mind.
【Analysing target...】
【Target: Wandering Corpse (×3)】
【Race】: Cursed Creature
【Ability】: None
【HP】: 78%
【Combat Rating】: E
【Weakness】: Neck, Spine
【Overall Assessment】: Low-intelligence, low-tier Cursed Creature. Movement is rigid and sluggish.
For someone armed with a weapon, they pose little significant threat.
【System Recommendation】: Projected win rate is 70/30 in your favour. Would you like to immediately generate an Automated Combat Sequence to eliminate them?
"Generate it right now!!"
Guo Shuai roared back without a moment's hesitation.
Because if he didn't act now, their claws were going to be right in his face!
With his own half-baked fighting skills, he was dead for sure!
【Understood. Sequence has been generated.】
【Assuming control of host's nervous system... takeover successful!】
【Automated Combat Sequence now executing!】
The instant those words fell.
Guo Shuai felt a violent shudder tear through his left eye.
Then, as if invisible strings had been threaded through his every limb, he completely lost control of his own body.
"GRAAAH!!"
The 3 Wandering Corpses had already burst through the curtain of rain, exposing their dark-grey, rotting, half-eaten faces!
They spread wide their black-toothed mouths and lunged for Guo Shuai's throat!
Right there. Right in his face.
Guo Shuai watched helplessly as those foul, gaping mouths closed in, screaming inside his head.
'Move it already! Come on! Do something! Slash it!!'
The very instant a Wandering Corpse was about to sink its teeth into his nose.
Guo Shuai moved.
But the movement was nothing like what he'd imagined.
Thud!
His legs gave out beneath him—and he dropped cleanly, crisply, straight to his knees!
“??”
'Huh? What the—??'
'Are you sure this is combat and not surrendering and begging for mercy?!'
'That kneel was way too textbook!! Is this broken piece of garbage actually useless after all?!'
Just as Guo Shuai was drowning in regret, certain he was about to be bitten to death on the spot.
Something miraculous happened.
The lead Wandering Corpse clearly hadn't anticipated that its prey would suddenly drop half a body-length.
It lunged—and missed completely—its foot skidding right onto a smooth, moss-covered stone.
"Augh?!"
The Wandering Corpse lost its balance. Its entire rotting body flew forward, skimming right over Guo Shuai's scalp!
And in that exact instant.
Guo Shuai, still on his knees, felt his right hand take on a will of its own—raising the cleaver upright, blade edge up.
Rip!
Riding the momentum of the Wandering Corpse's lunge, the rusty cleaver tore open its belly in a single stroke.
And severed what remained of its long-since rotted spine along the way!
Thwap.
The Wandering Corpse crashed into the mud puddle behind Guo Shuai, convulsed twice, and went still.
"Holy sh—"
Guo Shuai's expression flipped instantly. "Ahem, my apologies, Eye Of Calamity. I shouldn't have doubted you."
But before he'd even finished his compliment.
The other 2 Wandering Corpses came lunging in.
This time, they'd wised up. Instead of charging in a straight line, they split apart—1 from the left, 1 from the right—pouncing simultaneously to cut off every escape route.
'There's no way it's going to keep me kneeling this time, right?'
Guo Shuai thought.
And just as he'd guessed.
The Eye Of Calamity did not choose to keep him kneeling. Instead...
It toppled him flat on his back!
Lying down!
Literal, textbook lying down!
Guo Shuai lay spread-eagle in the mud, staring up at the grey sky and the cold pelting rain, his heart a hollow void of ash.
‘I'm done. Just end everything.’
But the next instant.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Both Wandering Corpses, having misjudged again, flew clean over him and collided hard into each other.
And the cleaver in Guo Shuai's hand—still lying flat in the mud—traced an inexplicable half-circle through the air.
Squelch!
The one on the left had half its head sheared clean off.
The one on the right had come in with too much force—when it hit the ground, its neck snapped straight against a jutting rock.
Crack!
A clean, sharp bone-break rang out. Dead on impact.
Triple kill.
【Combat concluded.】
【All targets eliminated. Automated Combat Sequence disengaged.】
【Host Evaluation: Your physical condition is appalling. It severely limited this eye's performance.】
【Please improve at your earliest convenience. Otherwise you will drag down my grade.】
Control of his body returned.
Guo Shuai lay in the mud and stared at that line of text dripping with contempt, a thousand curses stampeding through his mind.
"I haven't even started roasting you for making me win in the most pathetic, maggot-level way possible—and now you're the one looking down on ME?!"
"Is this even fighting?! This is insurance fraud!!"
Guo Shuai let out a sigh, hauled himself up off the ground, and flicked the black blood off the blade.
"Fine. It doesn't matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse."
"We won. That's what counts."
He wiped a hand across his rain-soaked face and looked ahead.
"The Terminal Signal Tower should be up on the mountain. Better go check it out."
……
Another 20 minutes passed.
Following those 2 deep tire tracks, Guo Shuai finally hauled himself, gasping for breath, to the top of the mountain.
"Finally... here... I'm exhausted."
Guo Shuai braced his hands on his knees, heaving for air.
It suddenly hit him that the Eye Of Calamity had been right—his constitution really was garbage. He'd have to find some way to train it up going forward.
However.
When he raised his head and took in the scene before him, his pupils contracted instantly to pinpricks!
There, at the entrance of the gloomy school gate ahead.
A dark-green Humvee sat parked.
And beside the vehicle, and scattered across the ground...
Were 3 sets of bleached-white skeletons clad in yellow-green Special Operations uniforms!
And beyond that.
Several assault rifles, sniper rifles, and a machine gun lay strewn across the mud-soaked ground!