RBCT Chapter 75 Telephone Booth
Chapter 75 Telephone Booth
Chapter 75 Telephone Booth
Nan'an scooped some of the broth from the bottom of the cat food pot and gave it to Old Victor in a bowl.
"May I?"
Old Victor carefully observed the cat's reaction to the food and, seeing that he was chewing silently without intending to stop him, he then ate it with peace of mind.
Having worked at Ellu for 25 years and known about the existence of cat food for 24 years, I finally managed to get a bowl with the help of a newcomer.
"This is an unparalleled delicacy, comparable to the dinner Lord Raven treated me to when I was down on my luck."
His tone was restrained, but the little gesture of licking his lips betrayed his desire for another bowl.
With Nan'an away at Shuangmian and old Victor temporarily acting as regional supervisor, the situation in Kren remained generally calm.
Perhaps it was because Nan'an's killing methods were efficient and cruel, or perhaps it was because the Yaoxiao had temporarily replaced the Erlu, who had no chance to split into two, and was stationed at Lianshui.
In short, despite numerous signs of active erosion around Keren, no one dared to venture into the area influenced by the ruling power.
Suiyue asked, "Why are you gathered near Kren?"
"Beyond the borders of Rostarek, this is the only city-state that can be considered prosperous," old Victor said. "Even a lone wolf, detached from its pack, occasionally needs to feel the warmth of human presence."
It is difficult for living Eclipses to completely trust each other. Groups formed over a long period of time often maintain their structure through interests and violence. In order to maintain their own authority, the group leader will organize hunts for lone living Eclipses.
The high cost of trust means that even when groups try to stick together, they often find themselves on the verge of conflict.
During this time, old Victor helped collect several dismembered corpses.
Dead without a complete body, left to rot in the wilderness—this is the norm.
There is no safety net; it's purely a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.
Ironically, these creatures, who believe in the law of the jungle in the erosion community, are surprisingly polite to black market dealers who sneakily "accidentally" pass through their active areas.
Even rival erosion groups, knowing that black marketeers were selling items detrimental to their rivals, could only grit their teeth and politely send them out of the country.
"Does the senior reside permanently in the Kren Deep Cave?"
"I'm hardly a senior in front of you," old Victor waved his hands repeatedly. "I'll be temporarily taking over from Nilar as a fog sentry for a while."
Nan'an asked in surprise, "He's still in quarantine and resting?"
"Being absorbed by gods and demons is such a bizarre experience that the Wind Velvet Grass undergoes the most stringent testing."
Old Victor took out a few salted potatoes that were simmering in the pot and started chewing them with the skin on.
"Niral was already very lucky. When you and Suiyue first encountered the Kuroki of the Scythe Water, you rescued a group of children, do you remember?"
Nan'an was taken aback: "They're still in the quarantine zone?"
"A supernatural reaction was detected on the bodies of the children's parents."
"Is it related to the power of the Age-Defying Eye?"
The more Nan'an learned about gods and demons, the more he feared the possessor of the Demon Eye.
There was absolutely no sign of the side effects of gods and demons on her.
Assuming that the engulfment of the world by the black mist is inevitable, then she is undoubtedly a beneficiary of the black mist era.
Old Victor shook his head, ate a potato in two bites, and mumbled something.
"Special veins of divine and demonic crystals have appeared. Senior, you should have seen the strange patterns on the Living Devourer corpses, right? It can be confirmed that they had already begun to mutate into Living Devourers at that time."
In the moment of awakening and alienation into the living erosion, most people will experience a period of confused and disoriented consciousness.
The record of the deer contains a description of a young living creature.
"I am behind you, watching you," as it slowly walks into the boundless black mist.
When he came to his senses, the furnishings in the house had been severely damaged by the divine and demonic power he had unleashed.
Cases of alienation awakening being smooth and without any unusual phenomena are rare; most are accompanied by a brief period of loss of control.
Just like the body is adapting to a newly added mod, freezing and crashing are normal phenomena.
"I'm preparing to re-enter the black fog; it seems no one can accompany me."
Old Victor smiled helplessly.
"Erlu has heard about Nilar's plight. With your abilities, aside from Lord Bewitching Raven, the others should only be a hindrance to your progress."
The inability to coordinate effectively is the latest consensus among Eru regarding the Nan'an-Suiyue pairing.
Most of the Evil Deer can only serve as bait to incite hatred between the gods and demons of South Allah.
Nan'an does indeed prefer solo combat. After the advanced magic-enhancing device he commissioned Clara to make is completed, his combat power will be enhanced once again.
However, before that, he had to temporarily assume the duties of the pilot person in Lianshui Town.
Southeast of Lianshui Canyon, on the edge of the forest.
The Elk carriage came to a stop on a temporarily leveled open space.
A straight wooden pole was planted at the edge of the open space, with a large triangular flag tied to the top. The flag was stretched flat by the wind, revealing the long sword and short sword insignia embedded in the dragon scales.
Some people had already arrived before Nan'an.
The goblins, who were resting in the open, spotted the carriage and assembled at the command of their leader, the goblin captain.
When the two disembarked from the carriage, the group of short, green-skinned men, who barely reached Nan'an's thigh, lined both sides of the carriage to welcome them.
The lead goblin stopped a few steps in front of Nan'an and awkwardly and clumsily knelt on one knee, imitating the ancient oath of allegiance of the Zanti Empire from the Gray Star era.
According to the complete procedure, the next step should be for him to draw the long sword from his waist, cut his forearm with the blade, let the blood seep out and drip onto the soil at his feet, and then use his fingertips to mix the mud and smear it onto the sword.
Blood is witnessed by Mother Earth, mud seals the oath, and the sword will henceforth be wielded only for this lord.
What does that mean?
We're only in a temporary working relationship, so is it a bit too fast to expect blood oaths of loyalty right away?
Before the goblin captain could proceed with the procedure, Nan'an stepped forward and helped him up.
"Your Excellency Nan'an"
His voice was low and hoarse, but his pronunciation was exceptionally clear, as if he had practiced repeatedly.
"Oka, Oka, greetings to you—our ancestors, through your protection, have ensured the continuation of our bloodline to this day. We are fortunate to have gained the favor of Lord Tata. Oka, Oka, and the clansmen who have come here today are willing to become your most loyal protectors, ensuring your and the safety of the Scythe River until death. We will spare no effort to carry out every command you issue, swearing in the name of our ancestors to serve you!"
Feed?
Are you there?
Tata, you sent a guard to watch over the Living Erosion, not some kind of assassins, right?
Why is it that after bowing deeply upon meeting, the next line is "I will risk everything to protect you, Master"?
Nanan realized he might have underestimated Lagrag's standing among the goblins.
As a crucial "gateway" for the goblin race to change outside perceptions, Lagrag's historical status has evolved into a belief system over time.
Being the first college student to emerge from the village is not enough to describe his legendary status.
Lagrag is more like a pioneer who ascended from the lower realm to the upper realm, fought against all kinds of geniuses, and fought hard to win an ascension spot for his people in the lower realm.
Because of his fame, the naming habits of the goblin race have undergone subtle changes.
Names with reduplicated pronunciations, such as Oka Oka, Garu Garu, and Taka Taka, have sprung up like mushrooms after rain.
Every generation of goblins hopes that their children can inherit the glory of their ancestor.
Nan'an quickly digested the current situation and made suggestions as he moved forward.
Would you mind introducing yourself further?
Oka, like a child who is called on by the teacher in class, speaks with confidence, a mix of trepidation and pride.
"Oka is currently at level five and is attempting to reach a higher level."
"His physical skills primarily focus on swordsmanship, following the 'Lagrag Style' passed down from his ancestors."
"Minor study of healing magic, and supplementary blessing spells."
The goblins that Lagrag brought out all seem to be gluttonous.
The most difficult thing for a magic warrior to balance is study time.
Sword skills require diligent practice every day, swinging hundreds or even thousands of times until muscle memory is etched into the bone marrow.
Magic requires meditation and contemplation to understand those invisible traces.
It is not easy to integrate the two and form a unique fighting rhythm.
He wanted to master both magic and physical skills, but he got caught in a vicious cycle of trying to do too much at once.
Wanting to learn everything but being unable to learn anything is the predicament faced by most self-proclaimed magic warriors.
If it goes any further, it will evolve into a situation where you can't go up or down, you're stuck there.
Oka drew out the camp for his people, cut down trees, and decorated the earth-elemental magic-infused walls with wood.
With a wide view at the edge of the woodland, Nan'an's gaze quickly fell upon the pile of timber that resembled a small mountain not far away.
It looked like it had just been felled, as the cut surfaces still showed traces of being moistened by the morning dew.
The branches and leaves have been cleared away, leaving only the bare, yellowish-white trunk.
An elderly man with gray hair was carrying the timber by himself.
He was wearing a black robe with slightly frayed edges on the cuffs and collar, and a small patch could be seen on the back.
The old man slowly bent down, wrapped his arms around a piece of wood as thick as an adult's thigh, steadied himself, and walked step by step toward the neatly stacked pile of wood on the other side.
The footsteps were heavy.
The piece of wood pressed down on his thin shoulders, bending his back.
Nanan guessed that he was Father Rusca and quickened his pace.
"Please wait a moment."
Oka Oka was quick-witted; he hurriedly waved his hand, and the goblins still lined up behind him immediately sprang into action, ready to help.
The old man remained silent upon arrival, so the two sides simply nodded to each other without further communication.
Damn it—it can't be someone Lord Nan'an knows!
Nan'an had already stepped over the scattered branches and debris, and was holding the middle section of the wood in his hand.
"I'll help—"
He paused.
The wood was much heavier than he had expected.
Father Rusca smiled and turned his head to look at Nan'an, his eyes filled with a gentle and soothing power.
"Let's use magic, it might be a bit heavy."
He offered his advice and then released his grip.
The burden of procuring the timber fell entirely on Nan'an's shoulders.
Nan'an lowered his arms and used his waist and abdomen to stabilize himself.
The moment Ruska was relieved of his burden, his back, which had been bent under the weight, straightened up little by little, like the pages of an old book turned by the wind.
In the dim light, Nan'an could see the outline of his muscles, soaked with sweat and clinging to his chest and abdomen.
Smooth yet solid, brimming with a sense of surging power.
Nan'an suddenly felt relieved.
As expected of someone approved by the Crow, this seventy-year-old priest was fully capable of killing his pre-transmigration self with a single punch.
Does the old man preach through scriptures and texts, or by persuading people with reason?
"Ruska," the old man straightened his slightly dusty robes and introduced himself politely, "thank you, Lord Nan'an, for allowing me to have a place in Lianshui."
Nan'an put down the timber and got straight to the point: "What brings you here?"
"Move the materials to build the church," Rusca said. "It doesn't need to be too big, just a basic shape will do."
"I can arrange for someone to build it for you."
Ruska smiled and shook her head: "It should be done by me, not by someone else."
Nan'an stopped insisting and instead tried to ask a pointed question.
"The issue of the Living Eclipse's stance is quite delicate. Has Father Rusca's sect made a decision?"
"The living erosions need comfort, so I have come. Sect affairs are none of my concern."
This time it was Nan'an's turn to laugh. He introduced Oka to Ruska.
At this moment, Oka realized that they would all be living together in the future, so he respected the old man very much and once again offered to help build the church, but Ruska still firmly shook his head.
There was still one day before the live erosion was transported, and Nan'an did not intend to wait. The original plan was to leave them out for a while.
He simply handed over the resettlement matters to Oka Oka and went into the isolation zone of the Sickle Water Black Mist.
Yaoxiao had dealt with Nan'an more than once. After the routine check, he entered the camp directly in front of the Black Mist Entry Point without any hindrance.
Captain Grave of the Radiant Owls had just finished a routine meeting when he learned of Nan'an's arrival and immediately welcomed him into the temporary base.
"Senior Nan'an, are you preparing to enter the black mist again?"
"Is it true that the uncertainty surrounding gods and demons is disappearing?"
This is the most pressing issue that Nan'an needs to know right now.
Direct reports from the Kroro Mine and the Black Mist of the Scythe Water were delivered to Twin Crown City daily, constantly reinforcing the understanding of the "disappearance of the characteristic".
Grave nodded slowly: "At present, it seems that the Fogbreaker team is basically unable to encounter the Nightmare that exhibited completely different characteristics in the two sightings, for reasons unknown."
"However, as we said, experience is effective, and death has been given new meaning, which has led us to find some gods and demons that appear frequently in our recent explorations—this is what we have drawn so far."
A scroll was laid out in front of Nan'an.
He frowned after just one glance.
Deep within the vast black fog, the world was empty, as if there was nothing else there.
In the center of the image, a telephone booth stands tall with its door open.
"More than one fogbreaker has reported that they have strayed into a fog during their exploration and heard a rapid 'ringing' sound."
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