Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

"Alright, I've presented my token of sincerity. Are you satisfied with my gift?"

"Of course, if you're not, I can always exchange it for another one."

Chen Pingchuan's deep, magnetic voice echoed continuously throughout the silent hall. He then slowly raised his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

Anyone his gaze touched felt as if they had plunged into an ice cave. They all lowered their heads in fear, not daring to meet his eyes, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Even Li Laoqi, who was usually so vicious and arrogant, now wore an embarrassed expression, too timid to speak.

The person who appeared most composed was the leader of the mysterious group, Special Envoy Xue. Even as Chen Pingchuan spoke, offering the head of one of his own men as a gift, Special Envoy Xue maintained an expression as placid as still water.

Inside, however, he was in turmoil.

After all, he had sworn a military oath to headquarters that he would return from this mission with a sufficient amount of Energy Crystals. The crystals were vital to the development of the main base and could not, under any circumstances, be lost.

However, the situation had spiraled completely out of his control, and his plan to abscond with the Energy Crystals in secret was in ruins. First, Special Envoy Xue had received an urgent message from Li Laoqi about a major incident at the mine. Then came a forced march to the location, followed by a bloody battle with heavy casualties. Only after paying a steep price did he finally manage to regain control.

But then, a mysterious person had suddenly appeared. No, "monster" was a more fitting term. With a single move, he had obliterated an elite, level-five warrior.

A level-five, one had to remember, was considered a mid-tier elite even in the big cities. In smaller, ordinary cities, they were top-tier figures who could make the ground tremble with a stomp of their foot. Who could have possibly imagined that such a semi-mechanized warrior would die so bizarrely in this godforsaken mine?

Special Envoy Xue had no idea how he would even begin to report the cause of death to headquarters. Even if he told the truth, they would probably assume he was just fabricating a wild story to shirk responsibility.

He pondered, Who exactly is this boy? He's definitely not a real high school student. If I remember correctly, there was news a while back about a group of Evil God cultists who broke into the mainland from some unknown island across the sea. Their abilities were said to be exceptionally bizarre. Could he be one of them? A cultist of the Evil God? But he doesn't seem like one. There's no fanaticism in his eyes, only... a deep loneliness and confusion.

Special Envoy Xue felt he must be going insane. To see loneliness and confusion in the eyes of a monster... he was the one who should be confused.

His thoughts raced, so when Chen Pingchuan's gaze finally settled on him, though terrified to death, Special Envoy Xue managed to stop his lip from twitching and said in a hoarse voice, "The gift is unnecessary. What instructions do you have for us, sir?"

Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes—even his classmates'—Chen Pingchuan felt a flicker of disappointment. He said softly, "I wouldn't dare presume to give instructions. But if I told you I was here to save your lives... would you believe me?"

「The next day, in a high tower near the mine's main gate.」

Chen Pingchuan sat leisurely in a wicker chair, staring into the distance with a detached air, his eyes vacant.

He couldn't shake the feeling that things were progressing too smoothly. The future was probably not going to be as simple as he imagined. Is this really just a tower defense game?

Just yesterday, Chen Pingchuan had used his bizarre methods to intimidate the mine's king, Li Laoqi, and the mysterious cyborg, Special Envoy Xue. Just when they were expecting him to make some outrageous demands, Chen Pingchuan's next words caught them completely off guard. He had claimed to be a Divine Envoy, sent to save the life of every single person in the mine.

Chen Pingchuan's words naturally caused quite a stir. No one could have imagined that the bloodthirsty monster before them would portray himself as a savior. The contrast was so stark that no one could easily believe him. Yet, faced with Chen Pingchuan, not a single person present dared to openly refute him.

They each harbored their own ulterior motives. Exchanging glances, they silently came to an understanding: forced by the situation, they would play along with Chen Pingchuan for now. Since Chen Pingchuan neither coveted the mine's Energy Crystals nor seemed intent on avenging the Nightingale Squad, everyone grudgingly accepted the bizarre state of affairs.

In this subtle and tense atmosphere, the fragile beginnings of a temporary alliance between the three factions began to take shape. Under the immense pressure of Chen Pingchuan's bloody tactics, everyone was forced to bury their true feelings deep down, maintaining a calm facade. They had no choice. After all, when it came to killing, Chen Pingchuan practiced a policy of absolute equality.

"Why do you think the Black Demon Army is coming here?" Chen Pingchuan asked softly, without turning his head.

The person standing beside him was dressed in a clean, tidy combat uniform. If not for his somewhat boyish face, he could have been mistaken for a young, seasoned general. This was the ever-cautious and meticulous Liu Haofeng.

From the moment Chen Pingchuan had shown his hand yesterday, Liu Haofeng knew the mine was probably doomed.

When a terrifying Demon King moves from the shadows into the open, it means that simply hiding behind the scenes and playing games is no longer enough to satisfy his twisted desires. And why compare Chen Pingchuan to a terrifying Demon King? Was he not terrifying? He was horrifyingly so. What plunged Liu Haofeng into even greater despair was that some people in the mine actually believed this terrifying Demon King was a Divine Envoy sent to save them. With his bloody methods, how could he possibly resemble a Divine Envoy? If he was a divine being of any sort, it was a Demon God!

Of course, Liu Haofeng would never dare voice these thoughts.

He first glanced cautiously at Chen Pingchuan, who sat in the wicker chair with those same vacant eyes. Liu Haofeng knew his own value; if he couldn't provide an answer that satisfied Chen Pingchuan, he could be dead at any moment.

So, Liu Haofeng ventured cautiously, "As I see it, the Black Demon Army is coming here for one of two reasons."

"Oh?"

Chen Pingchuan's gaze refocused. He looked at Liu Haofeng, waiting for an answer.

Feeling that intense gaze upon him, Liu Haofeng inwardly cursed himself for speaking up, but he didn't dare let any of his unease show. "Yes. I know a fair bit about these Black Demon creatures. It's common knowledge that they crave fresh blood and usually hide in the darkness, rarely showing themselves in the daytime. For them to march in broad daylight means there must be something in this mine that holds an irresistible attraction for them."

Chen Pingchuan stood up and gazed into the distance. The horizon was still clear, but according to yesterday's report from the reconnaissance team, today was the day the Black Demon Army was expected to arrive.

His hand came to rest on Liu Haofeng's shoulder.