Chapter 77: 68 Contradictions
"What the hell is that!"
"Does it bite?"
"That's terrifying..."
"It really doesn't bite?"
"..."
When Tao Yu brought the alien Little Black to the hotel's top floor gathering place, it also brought a wave of panic.
At the moment, Little Black just stood in the middle of the crowd, leaving a distance around it as it was scrutinized like a statue.
Its fearsome mouthparts, sharp tail spike, and sharp claws, along with its exoskeleton with a metallic sheen, all exerted tremendous pressure on the onlookers.
Even though zombies roamed everywhere and the survivors were accustomed to life and death, Zhang Wei and the others had already briefly explained the situation when they came over.
But the alien's repulsive appearance, coupled with its war machine-like build, still made people unavoidably terrified.
Even Zhang Wei, Lin Xue, and Tom were equally astonished at this time.
To think it had tamed an alien in such a short time?
What kind of method was this!
That aliens could be tamed was evident from the missions posted in the mission hall, but they had not expected it to be this simple.
"If it can be tamed, is there a way to tame more of them? When the aliens come, have them fight each other."
Tommy, Jack's subordinate with a head of tattoos, spoke with a heavy tone.
Tao Yu had previously explained in detail various parameters of the aliens and even pointed out some shooting weaknesses, but the more they understood, the more they felt the power of these creatures!
Carbon-based lifeform Temor could withstand half a clip; that was just outrageous.
"This is a Yuan Force skill that I've only learned in the past few days. My proficiency isn't high enough, and ordinary taming isn't this easy. Besides, if I command it to attack its fellows right now, it might rebel."
Tao Yu simply put it.
Jack and the people from the military base probably wouldn't all be silenced or anything, so many things weren't exactly secrets, and Tao Yu didn't need to deliberately conceal them.
Being forthright was actually better.
A zombie and a meteorite could potentially yield skills.
On the surface, Tao Yu only had a Grade A "Dynamic Vision," at most he could also claim to be MAX level.
Therefore, he needed to demonstrate his genius and his willingness to take risks, so that when he occasionally displayed some powerful skills in the future, it would be more consistent and save him some unnecessary trouble.
Of course, showcasing oneself didn't mean revealing all one's cards. It was only necessary to demonstrate enough value to exchange for significant benefits and conveniences.
No matter what, keeping one's true capabilities obscure was quite crucial. As examples of being targeted due to information leaks and winning against the odds were plentiful.
One must hide one's clumsiness when necessary but also reveal one's edge when appropriate. The balance between the two depended on the different situations encountered.
Not everyone's information network and intelligence circles were mutually accessible. You use what matches your level.
But no matter what, the secret of "Divinity" had to rot in his stomach.
Aside from Divinity, other things were negotiable, provided they could bring more benefits. If the cost-to-benefit ratio was high enough, even if they brought some trouble, it was worth a try.
What powerful person didn't have a few adventures?
Even exposing the fact that he had gained a 'new talent' from activating the Shattered World's Heart was not out of the question if the benefits were sufficient!
It was already consumed, and seeking revenge against him was not a cost-effective move.
The will of the world prevented Pioneers from killing each other or third parties from profiting too much through arbitrage. Once you consume the Heart of the World, that's that.
If the benefits outweighed the risks, it could be shown at an appropriate time!
Of course, he had to ensure the benefits were significant enough and after weighing the risks. Tao Yu hadn't forgotten how Wino had targeted him purely out of jealousy.
If the Suns siblings were petty, then this secret had to stay buried in his stomach.
And for the time being, he hadn't seen any opportunities to trade advantages, so it wasn't a bad compromise to attribute the meteorite as the source of the 'taming' skill.
At least for now, the partner status, the mission watch in hand, and some of the sponsorships and goodwill he had received were all conveniences obtained after demonstrating a certain level of talent.
If your abilities are too poor, you can't even borrow money, and you might get slapped in return.
"So what do we do now?"
The usually taciturn black man Senke also raised this soul-searching question.
Yeah, what do we do!
Faced with zombies, they already knew the habits and, given the zombies had limited physical destructive ability and moved relatively slowly, so as long as they found some suitable vehicles, they could take everyone through the zombie crowds and bypass the Gobi Desert.
But now with these monsters emerging, if they were attacked while crossing through the zombies, it would be a total annihilation!
"I didn't expect it would turn out like this, tsk~"
Jack sucked his teeth, looking solemn, and felt the heavy burden on his shoulders.
Originally, they were comfortably eating hotpot and singing, about to prepare to move to a place with ample food, with the possibility of Pioneers coming later to build a settlement.
Then suddenly, this happened!
Afterwards, he looked at Tao Yu with hopeful eyes, but before he could speak, Tao Yu glanced at him and said,
"I have things to do here for the next few days. Helping you find supplies and a vehicle is one thing, but tagging along all the way is out of the question."
"Alright."
Jack sighed, knowing he couldn't say much more.
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Carrying a group of burdens, indeed the journey was fraught with risks!
"We had no other choice; there were just too many old, weak, sick, and disabled among you."
Zhang Wei also proactively spoke up in advance, though it pained him; his Yuan Force was not abundant, and despite the low consumption, every little bit counted.
However, he did not want Lin Chao to be the one to speak up, lest he impulsively agree to something, which would have been real trouble.
After saying this, he turned back to whisper to Lin Chao, who was frowning,
"Brother Chao, we have to consider the circumstances, right? Look, there are just too many burdens."
Lin Chao was full of passion but was not blind to the situation; if they really forced themselves to help, they would all be dragged down with them!
After all, he had grown up in the harsh environment of the outer city.
He had a clear understanding that there were simply too many people to save!
After looking back at his sister, he nevertheless expressed his intentions to Jack,
"If it were only healthy adults, perhaps we could offer some help."
As soon as he said this, many faces at the scene drastically changed, and two old ladies immediately came out leaning on their canes, seemingly ready to strike Lin Chao with them,
"You band of devils forsaking God, you will go to hell!"
"Are you even men at all? To be able to say such things!"
However, a few adult males from the settlement loosened up and spoke hesitantly,
"Hey, there's no other way, otherwise, we'll all die."
"Yeah, that we can help this much is already not bad given the times."
"Where are there survivors with mobility issues in other settlements? There's even cannibalism happening."
The scene then descended into chaos, and those who thought they might be left behind immediately attacked the few men who had spoken up,
"Oh, so you've been like this all along!"
"Jack, you tell us, do you think the same?"
"..."
In the midst of this messy situation, with scolding ringing in his ears and the pressure he already felt, Jack's head pounded, then he suddenly yelled,
"Quiet!"
It must be said that his authority had always stood firm, and after he lashed out, the scene quieted down.
But there was still a black auntie with tears and snot streaming down her face, who came over and grabbed Jack's hand to plead,
"Jack, we're already in dire straits, you can't abandon us, can you?"
Tao Yu watched Jack's troubled expression and directly provoked with a comment,
"In times like these, make a clean break, dragging it out will only lead to more trouble, and people will die."
After speaking, Tao Yu waved his hand and then took out a can of beef, showing it off with glee before descending the stairs.
"Call me if you need anything, I'm heading down."
The alien Little Black also hurriedly followed Tao Yu.
Contrary to how they would hurl abuse at others, everyone at the settlement did not even dare to give Tao Yu a look when he turned around,
As Tao Yu turned, they immediately cleared a path in front of him, with the old ladies waving canes moving out of the way as if they could fly.
Witnessing the alien following behind Tao Yu, the people of the settlement saw only fear in each other's eyes...
...
As for what specific plans were discussed afterwards, Tao Yu did not know.
But Lin Chao and his team members made a special trip down to bid farewell to Tao Yu, and they hurriedly left the place.
Tao Yu also declined yet another offer from Lin Chao to join their society,
"You should get going early if you're leaving, the aliens' dexterity and ambushes, plus the omnipresent zombies—it's indeed a headache when you put them all together."
"Alright, I hope there is a day when we meet again, until next time."
Lin Chao didn't dwell; he immediately led his team away.
Their purpose for coming this time had been achieved; at the very least, Jack and his people would no longer attack the three Pioneers who had returned.
But...
Landing might bring an ambush by the aliens, for all one knew.
But that was as far as they could help at the moment; otherwise, they might have doomed themselves too...
Watching them depart, Tao Yu sighed softly.
He had a preliminary impression of Lin Chao's character and was tagged for the moment.
Since Lin Chao had made a promise earlier, as long as Jack satisfied the condition, it was quite likely that he would not go back on his word.
So it seemed that Jack might have also made his choice...
"Such a fool, I've already told you about the environment of the Abyss, you're going to die..."
Tao Yu turned to look at Little Black with its clueless face and ugliest of mugs, and couldn't help but kick it again, making it curl up in the corner of the lobby, but not daring to make any further move.
"Fools die young, tsk~, but being the 'Chosen One,' you can't let me down now, can you..."
Tao Yu went to the hotel's burial garden, sliced open his wrist with a dagger, and sprinkled the blood on the soil that covered Cao Shaolin's grave, drip-dropping with a sound...
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