Chapter 855 - 725: Midnight

Splat, splat.

A rhythmic one-legged step echoed in the corridor. Hansel lagged half a step behind, leaning against the wall and walking slowly, silently observing.

As the saying goes, a person’s name and a tree’s shadow. She had heard a lot about Pifu’s reputation from forums and Blood Lion Roar, but this was her first time meeting him in person.

Sure enough, the strong are indeed different. Pifu walked at the forefront, calmly assessing and analyzing the environment of Demon City, while Gray Rain was filming with a sports camera.

"...The destroyed terrain in Demon City will gradually restore within 2-6 minutes. The energy source is unknown, and missing materials are supplemented from elsewhere..."

"The building material strength roughly equals C40-C60 concrete. The Suicide Notebook images show scenes of building destruction, so it’s best not to impulsively use Light Speed Elbow Strike without understanding the terrain..."

Hansel nodded quietly. The sports camera wasn’t just for recording; it also assisted in post-analysis, making it easier to find clues that were missed at the time—the Devil hides in the details.

"It’s worth noting that the candlestick on the wall is made from wrought iron, with riveting and iron ring craftsmanship. The dragon-foot and beast-head shape are clearly influenced by the fusion of Islamic and Western art styles from the Aragon Autonomous Community, Spain..."

Unexpectedly, Li Cheng’s style shifted. He seriously started introducing the candlesticks hanging on the wall.

??

This isn’t right, is it? Why introduce the candlesticks?

And why the lecturing tone? Are you a tour guide?

Hansel looked perplexed, instinctively glanced at White Horse Tombstone, and whispered, "Who is Pifu talking to?"

"Probably the audience watching the strategy video later," White Horse Tombstone uncertainly scratched his chin. "Flynet’s strategy video channel offers a VIP monthly subscription and individual video purchase. The longer the duration, the higher the price.

Quite a few guilds, companies, and individuals follow Pifu’s account. Even the smallest fly legs are meat,

He’s probably reciting an encyclopedia, intentionally lengthening the content?"

"This..."

Hansel almost choked, "Isn’t this using AI to pad the duration? What a rip-off... cough, cough, what commercial savvy!"

"What AI, show some respect. We old artists insist on handcrafting." Gray Rain turned and glared at Hansel, holding the sports camera in her right hand while her left had a handwritten prompt card.

The card showed signs of scribbles and correction fluid.

"The spirit of craftsmanship is the spirit of ’Cow Come’. In ancient times, ’Cow Come’ used industrial software to handcraft animated films; today, the Star-casting Anvil studio writes prompt cards by hand. Even Nolan admits he’s just a novice compared to ’Cow Come’. Do you understand what craftsmanship means? If not, don’t interrupt."

"Sorry, my bad."

Hansel dared not argue with this seemingly human-machine hybrid Gray Rain, apologized decisively, and almost tripped.

"Are you okay?"

White Horse Tombstone helped Hansel up, only to see the latter’s pallid face and cracked, dry lips.

Ever since entering the Six Desires Heaven and Earth Hell, Hansel hadn’t had a drop of water. Facing a crowd of deranged players, going stealth and escaping, she was exhausted and close to dehydration shock.

"Here, drink some water."

Opening the item inventory, White Horse Tombstone took out an electrolyte drink and was about to give water to Hansel, who shook her head and refused, "No, I can’t. It’s too dangerous."

Demon City being on the edge of Six Desires Heaven and Earth Hell, any unchecked desire could lead to complete Out of Control.

Hansel had undergone genetic modification surgery a long time ago, and wouldn’t feel desire, but if she rashly drank water or ate, it would be hard to suppress the physiological production of endorphins and dopamine.

"Dehydration shock is definitely not okay," White Horse Tombstone frowned and waved at Li Cheng, asking if he had any ideas.

"This is easy." Li Cheng took out a syringe thicker than a thigh from the Three-dimensional Warehouse, "Blend food and water into a paste and inject it directly into the stomach with a syringe."

The thumb-thick needle reflected a chilling shine, and Hansel showed fear, hesitating to speak.

"Or this..."

Li Cheng put away the syringe and took out a two-liter mineral water bottle filled with some kind of crystalline viscous liquid.

After hesitating, Hansel took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down.

The liquid was cold, with a sticky and strange texture; it couldn’t be chewed with teeth and provided no refreshing satisfaction, only physiological discomfort.

Hansel drank more than half and gagged, putting down the bottle and nodding in gratitude to Li Cheng, "Is this medical thick water for patients with swallowing disorders? Didn’t expect it to have this use, thanks."

Always having backup plans for any situation, truly living up to the reputation in Blood Lion Roar’s words (positive).

"Uh... no problem."

Li Cheng took the bottle back, knowing this wasn’t medical thick water but rather Demon Beast’s cerebrospinal fluid. Pouring it on the skin, it permeates the pores to hydrate cells.

However, Hansel had already drunk it, so it didn’t matter.

"Sniff, sniff."

Gray Rain sniffed the air and frowned, asking, "Do you smell something strange, like rotten veggies and leaves?"

"I smelled it."

White Horse Tombstone nodded honestly, "I thought it was one of you who farted."

Splat!

The charred one-legged entity belonging to Midnight Dad hopped and turned the corner, passing through the door.

Ahead, the scene opened up. It was an open garden where a mountain of trash, almost forty football fields in size and twenty stories high, was piled.

Rotten fruits, rags, old mattresses, plastic bottles, car parts...

A massive accumulation of human-made garbage formed continuous hills,

emitting a stench almost visible to the naked eye, with flies and mosquitoes swarming the air. Dozens of half-human-tall vultures rummaged through the trash pile, finding hamburgers and other human food, and feasting.

"Garbage Mountain..."

Green-headed flies bigger than a thumb caught Li Cheng’s eye. Holding his breath, he glanced at the one-leg hopping up the mountain, his voice muffled, "Apparently, Midnight Dad hid here after being severely injured."

"No wonder no one could find him!"

White Horse Tombstone realized, indeed, diving into this mountain of trash amounting to thousands of tons, who could tell where Midnight Dad was hiding?

Fortunately, Midnight Dad’s Strength integrates Voodoo witchcraft, possessing Resurrected Corpse refinement and Corpse Manipulation, including the ability of the severed leg to have similar abilities to Resurrected Corpse,

enabling near-normal locomotion, climbing the steep slopes of Garbage Mountain and standing still. Clearly, Midnight Dad was below.

"Leave it to me."

White Horse Tombstone exhaled turbid air, stomped the ground, and his whole body darted like an arrow, soaring into the air.

The visible crimson Qi formed Gang Wind around his fist, and with a punch, a corner of the Garbage Mountain exploded, revealing the filthy Midnight Dad.