80: Free labor
Su Chen had seen this barrier in his past life.
Many people died or were injured because of this light screen during the Championship Tournament after the new year.
It was a shield with very strong defense, but defense was secondary; its main feature was that it could reflect damage.
Once the light screen was attacked, the resulting shockwave was very powerful; the higher the damage you dealt to the light screen, the more damage it would reflect, both from the inside and the outside.
This meant those who wanted to forcibly shatter the shield needed to be prepared.
It was manageable outside the light screen, but if one kept attacking from the inside, they could very likely be shaken to death by the reflection effect due to the limited space.
It could be called a Sharp Weapon for trapping enemies.
Boom!
While he was thinking, several loud bangs echoed from the sky; it seemed someone was already attacking the light screen.
It would undoubtedly end in failure; he just hoped the person hadn't been shaken to death by the reflected damage.
He hoped they would be more rational, otherwise, if they kept attacking like that, the power generated might slowly destroy everything inside the light screen.
There were only two ways to get out now.
Either find the caster or go to the Otherworld and find another spatial fissure to return through.
Comparatively, the former was a bit simpler.
Going to the Otherworld was out of the question; it would be fine if he were alone, but it would be difficult to move with three others.
Besides, if they went to the Otherworld, they wouldn't even know where the other exit was... On the way, they bumped into An Xueshi's group of four again.
Ding Haoze stepped forward and questioned, "A woman in red was flying around in the air just now. Which of you has that ability?"
Su Chen knew what the other party wanted to ask; they wanted to gather information.
Given the special circumstances, he didn't hide much:
"The entire surrounding area is blocked by this light screen. The outer stationing area happens to be outside the screen, so we need to head to the stationing area near the Cloud Pillar to take refuge."
Seeing that Su Chen had a goal, An Xueshi also had an idea; Su Chen's judgment was very strong.
Instead of wandering around like headless flies, it was better to follow him closely:
"Su Chen, why don't we go together? It's very dangerous near the Cloud Pillar. It would be better if we look out for each other."
"Your group is weak. If we go together, we can help each other if we encounter strong Exotic Beasts."
Ding Haoze also spoke up:
"That's right! For Xueshi's sake, we can take you there. Otherwise, with your amateur skills, you might die on the way."
"Who are you looking down on? Our boss can crush Fourth-tier Exotic Beasts!"
"Hahaha, friend, your bragging should at least be somewhat believable, shouldn't it?"
"A First Rank dealing with a Fourth-tier Exotic Beast? You must have defeated it in your dreams."
Su Chen interrupted the argument and agreed to the proposal:
"I have no objection to looking out for each other. But you must protect us well; we're weak, and it takes us ages just to deal with a First-tier Exotic Beast."
Hearing that it took Su Chen a long time even to deal with a First-tier Exotic Beast, he looked down on them even more, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.
"No problem!"
"I, Ding Haoze, love helping others. Helping the weak is the duty of the strong."
"When the time comes, just hide behind me peacefully. You won't even need to lift a finger, hahaha..."
Su Chen was puzzled. Was he planning to be his muscle and escort him there?
Although he didn't know what the other party was thinking, if they really did that, it would indeed be good for him and save him some effort.
"Really?"
"Of course. I, Ding Haoze, always keep my word. You won't need to do anything; just follow behind us."
Ding Haoze felt a surge of pride. He had learned a bit about what happened to An Xueshi at Poxiao; she was often bullied by the two young men in front of him who relied on their strength.
"Do you really think I'm helping you for free? When I get the chance, I'll definitely give you a good lesson..." They were far from the stationing area, and crossing the mountains made their progress even slower.
During the journey, they were occasionally ambushed by Exotic Beasts.
This time, the focus was on traveling, so everyone prioritized efficiency and didn't linger in battle.
They avoided the Exotic Beasts they encountered along the way if possible; if not, they would finish the fight quickly and continue moving.
The situation had indeed turned for the worse; they were already encountering Second-tier Ear Rats near the outskirts.
Although it wasn't much of a threat to Su Chen, it proved that the stationing area near the spatial fissure was also in trouble. Otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed these Second-tier and Third-tier Exotic Beasts to roam here.
With three First Ranks and one Second Rank among Ding Haoze's group of four, their strength was still guaranteed.
Working together, they had no pressure dealing with Second-tier and Third-tier Exotic Beasts; all the beasts they encountered along the way were handled by them.
Su Chen's group of four just watched from behind, with no intention of getting involved.
Another Exotic Beast was dealt with. Hearing An Xueshi's veiled insults, Yang Junlong couldn't hold back any longer.
"Boss, are we just going to leave them all to them? If you and I team up, we can handle these beasts too."
"Handle them?"
Su Chen asked back, "And after handling them? Haven't you noticed a problem?"
"What?"
"The Exotic Beasts we've encountered on this stretch are all Second-tier and Third-tier Ear Rats, and their bodies disappear after they die, leaving no Materials behind."
"Tell me, what do you gain from all that hard work? Do you feel like you have nowhere else to use your energy?"
"If they want to fight, let them."
"So what if they show off? They're clearing the way and protecting you; are they not even allowed to say a few words?"
Wang Xiaoting, who was munching on melon seeds nearby, also spoke up:
"It's great. We don't have to get our hands dirty while watching them fight. Walking along leisurely like this is quite nice."
"Su Chen just said it: things are different now, and we don't know the situation. Keeping our stamina up is just another way to stay alive."
[Ding! Gained Favorability from Yang Junlong. lottery ticket +1.]
Yang Junlong had an epiphany. "That makes sense. Give me some melon seeds."
"Want some shredded squid? Here's half a bag for you."
Given the special circumstances, what's wrong with having someone clear the way for us?
It's like having four bodyguards, and they're free.
The current situation is still unknown. If we fought our way through just for the sake of Face, it would be too late for regrets if we ran into real trouble.
Naturally, it's best to save energy whenever possible.
Besides, I didn't force them. They're doing it voluntarily, so there's nothing I can do. Say no more.
Let them mock us. When they're exhausted and collapsed, I'll see who mocks whom.
Su Chen took out another snack pack of crispy noodles from his storage space:
"Weiyu, do you want some crispy noodles? What flavor do you want?"
"I won't eat anymore. If I eat more, I won't even need dinner."
"These are just snacks; you'll digest them after walking a bit. Look how thin you are; eat more and put on some weight."
"Master, give me another pack of dried small fish, meow."
"Eat less. All you know is eating day in and day out."
"It's only been a few days since I met you, and you've already gained two pounds. You need to lose some weight."
"Master is biased, meow."
"I'm only 17 pounds. How am I fat?"
While Su Chen and the others were snacking, Ding Haoze's group of four finished off another Exotic Beast.
The eight of them continued forward.
Four people cleared the way in front, and any Exotic Beasts that tried to target them were all killed.
Su Chen's group of four followed behind, snacking from time to time while watching the other four work hard to deal with the Exotic Beasts.
Occasionally, Su Chen would praise them a few times, earning a few lottery tickets that he didn't really want but couldn't return.