Chapter 28: The Ultimatum

Yang Zicang took a handbook of intelligence that Luo Bin handed him, which documented various details of C-level and B-level intersecting zones and extradimensional spaces.
“Now that you have become a quadrilateral, what level has your ability been elevated to?”
“Let me give it a try.” Luo Bin took a few deep breaths and then closed his eyes; the quadrilateral model on his chest expanded slightly.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes.
“I have gathered some information about this time acceleration.”
“What?” Yang Zicang’s hand twitched.
The difference between a quadrilateral and a triangle became evident instantly.
“That was… terribly fast.”
“Don’t be surprised. I’m just like you—I slightly upgraded my position and expanded my intelligence utilization rate.”
“Oh, I see—that’s really impressive too. What is it?”
“According to the model’s feedback, the core figure behind this time acceleration is hidden within this city. After the model synthesized the intelligence derived from my existing knowledge, it filled in some gaps for me, granting me insight into certain pieces of information I otherwise wouldn’t have had.”
What a formidable ability. Yang Zicang thought for a moment and then asked,
“Are you going to tell the people at headquarters about this information?”
“Tell them? Do you think that wouldn’t be a terribly good thing under these circumstances?”
“Good thing? In these two hours, I’ve already lost over ten days of my lifespan.”
“My little brother, why not take this opportunity to train your gun skills? Lifespan? Merely drifting clouds.”
Yang Zicang sighed. This statement wasn’t wrong.
Liang Xi also tagged along and came in. He downed an entire half box of bottled water, drinking until he vomited without feeling quenched, and showering almost left him collapsed on the ground unable to get up.
So comfortable. In this entire month, he had never seen this much water cumulatively.
Following Yang Zicang, Luo Bin also became the idol of this half-grown boy, who had never seen another person collect so much food and drink.
But when he entered the alternate dimension, the silver long spear in his hand attracted many glances. However, under his control, it would no longer be recognized as a Chrono Weapon.
……
Before the den of the rat-men monsters, several squads in this area had gathered here, discussing countermeasures to defend the entrance.
“He’s just a newcomer; we can’t let him keep messing around.”
Dozens of people cursed Yang Zicang, who had caused this unprovoked disaster, and envied the hundred-year-old Chrono Weapon in his hands.
“No matter his abilities, it’s time to teach that kid a lesson, get him to learn some rules.”
Several people discussed that the clueless Yang Zicang should be taken to register at headquarters early, so he could be made to hand over this weapon that countless people coveted—maybe they could even apply to use it for their own squad.
……
The light was dim, the atmosphere secretive, with faint murmurs echoing from outside.
After sleeping soundly, Yang Zicang put on the old jacket Luo Bin gave him and planned to go out for some fresh air.
The elderly, weak, and disabled people in the hall were all in the corners, some chatting softly, using the light from oil lamps or magic stones to read collected magazines, novels, and other books—most of which, including those used as toilet paper, could be found not only in their hands but also in the restroom.
Crude people like Luo Bin would occasionally spout a couple of literary-sounding phrases, probably picked up while squatting on the toilet.
“Hello, I just heard you’re quadrilateral? How should I address you?”
A spirited boy of about seventeen or eighteen walked out from a corner; he was the same one who managed to shut Wang Yu’an up earlier.
“My name is Yang Zicang. ‘Zicang’ means ‘to hide things.’ What’s yours?”
“You can call me Wang Chijian. It’s not my real name—just a nickname.”
This boy looked like a jock; apparently, he exercised here regularly, always keeping fit.
“So you all like using aliases. Is ‘Boss Wang’ also a nickname?”
“No, he really is a boss.”
Wang Chijian chuckled, probably amused by the connotations of that title.
“Want to go check out a Grade B Intersection with me?”
“For now…”
Yang Zicang didn’t fully trust this person.
“I’d really like to see your quadrilateral ability. Before that mission, pick whatever time you want; anyway, Boss Wang hasn’t shown up for now, so I wouldn’t be able to go anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because everyone’s lifespan rests in his hands.”
……
So that’s the reason? The lifespans of these people lie in that man’s grasp.
“And you all go along with this willingly?”
“Exactly. Because he is a professional investor. Those who cannot acquire time-sequences through their own ability hand their lifespans over to him for management, and use the earned time-sequences as their expenses. That’s how it works.”
“Heh, haha.” Yang Zicang shook his head. “I should have known such people would exist.”
He looked at the young man before him:
“So you managed to secure a substantial investment from him, didn’t you? You’re a combatant in this team.”
Those elderly people are not actually old; rather, they have entrusted their entire lifespan to Mr. Wang for him to manage and allocate. As for the main combat personnel, it is the person before me!
The boy nodded.
“Anyway, if you’re really taking on this job, we need to see your skills—hope you understand that.”
“We’ll see about that when the time comes.”
Yang Zicang couldn’t be bothered to continue this conversation. He was only doing this to pay off debts, forced into it against his will.
……
He walked out all the way to the top floor of the Technology Museum.
The young man, now wearing a dark green shirt of middle-aged and elderly style along with gray-brown casual trousers, rolled up his sleeves and stood with hands on his hips on the spacious curved balcony.
The setting sun had already sunk halfway below the city’s distant edge.
“How many hours has it been?”
In the gentle breeze, Yang Zicang asked the similarly refreshed boy beside him. Liang Xi, his face tinged orange by the glow of the sunset, yawned.
“Slept about six hours.”
“So that means, by our usual schedule, it should be midnight right now. Can it really be this slow?”
Yang Zicang’s thoughts strayed back to the key figure mentioned in the intelligence Luo Bin had gathered.
Surely, that monster camp member who happens to be nearby—just like him—must have been selected by something akin to an ‘Alderman’ in their own camp, investing in abilities or items to accelerate time in this area.
He wondered if the pace inside might get even faster.
Yang Zicang unexpectedly thought of Director Huang, who had wandered off somewhere. Those hairy legs in flip-flops, posed with a bow stance, flashed before his eyes again.
Yang Zicang quickly shook his head to banish these images.
Liang Xi spoke with a hint of lightness: “Brother Yang, it’s actually fine if things speed up here. At least for us, the days deducted from the three-hundred-year span are stretched out longer.”
……
Hearing this, Yang Zicang smiled slightly, then continued his silent thoughts. The main fighters of the monster camp should still be on their way here.
He looked into the distance, hoping those seasoned veterans in the city could hold down the leaky entrance to the monster nest.
If some random person got in and killed a rat, everyone would be in for quite the laugh.
“Now is actually the best time to deal with them. But Luo Bin clearly doesn’t want any part of this mess.”
Yang Zicang muttered to himself and shook his head. He picked up the silver spear leaning at his side and made a few careless swings.
Without using any acceleration ability, the movements were utterly chaotic and without form.
“Brother Yang, are you practicing with the spear? Want to use that thing I found to stimulate your body?”
“I still feel like this is last-minute cramming.”
“Hehe, who isn’t?”
As they were talking, the sound of fluttering wings echoed from the sky.
Looking up, a fat carrier pigeon, silhouetted against the sunset, was laboriously flapping its wings, struggling to climb high into the sky from afar.
At the first sight of it, Yang Zicang felt something was off about this creature. When it got close overhead, he finally made out that the pigeon was not real.
After the cold-ice cartoon figure, this was the second simulated life form he had encountered that was constructed by modeling abilities.
Pop! The fat pigeon’s form dissipated, and a rolled piece of paper fell from inside.
[Dispatching ability activated.]
The trajectory of the falling paper curving shifted several meters away. Yang Zicang stood ready with his spear, watching it land on the ground. Its curled surface was scribbled vertically in crooked Chinese characters: “For Yang Zicang.”
“Brother, this fat bird actually managed to find you.”
Liang Xi, with no hesitation, ran over to pick it up and held it out. “Shall I open it?”
“Give it to me. I’ll open it myself.” Yang Zicang activated the Amplified Chrono and tore off the fine thread.
“Ha, fine. I admit the headquarters here has some use after all.”
—We will not forcibly claim the weapon of a camp member, but if you do not register at headquarters within twenty-four hours of receiving this letter, we will consider you no longer a member of the Monster Hunter Camp.
This was part of the contents of the note.
Register, then hand over the century-level Chrono Weapon according to the rules. Or refuse, and be hunted down.
This is their goal—their final ultimatum.
“A-Liang, can you activate your force field?”
“Of course I can.”
The boy nodded excitedly. This ability was his favorite; it made him feel like a superhero.
Just stretch out his hand, and with a radiant force field, he could block anything heading his way. How cool was that?