The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 575 On the Verge of Collapse

"Captain Qiao, what do you think of what those guards said?"

As Qin Lang entered the city under the watchful eyes of the guards, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"The anomaly they mentioned seems to be a very crucial piece of information." After a moment of contemplation, Qiao Hong slowly spoke, "We previously thought there were no living beings outside the city, but it's not hard to deduce this from their words."

"It's not that there are no living beings in the area outside the city, but that those living beings have all disappeared due to the mutation."

"Now, only the people of the ideal country have not disappeared."

"But they are already very close to that step."

"When all the natives of the ideal country have disappeared..." Qiao Hong stopped in his tracks, looking at the street not far ahead.

There were pedestrians and vendors hawking their wares on the street, but like the guards at the city gate, their bodies had begun to become semi-transparent.

Although they still maintain normal communication and life, there are no longer any positive emotions such as smiles on their faces.

Sadness and numbness are the main themes here.

An atmosphere of despair is spreading across this land.

"...Perhaps, this land will also fall into complete silence." Qiao Hong sighed deeply. "However, I don't think this has anything to do with our goal."

“I am the captain of the Public Security Management Office. My purpose in coming here is to find and try to bring back the missing people.”

"As for the indigenous people here..."

Qiao Hong shook his head.

He knows far too little about this land, so how can he possibly save these desperate indigenous people?

"My thoughts may differ from Captain Qiao's," Qin Lang said slowly, frowning slightly.

"Oh?" Qiao Hong turned to Qin Lang. "Do you think I should respond to the guards' request and save the people of the ideal country who are about to disappear?"

"But if the ideal country does not exist in this world, but is located in another dimension, then the people here are also not under the jurisdiction of the association."

"Therefore, bringing back missing residents should be a higher priority."

“I understand what you mean,” Qin Lang said softly, “but I believe these two things are not contradictory, or perhaps…”

"It is possible that the only way to bring all the missing people back is to rescue the people of the ideal country and end this anomaly."

“This…” Qiao Hong was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke.

What's the basis for your idea?

"The basis for this is the reason we came here," Qin Lang said softly. "All the missing people disappeared because of the Qili Bay Monster."

"Then why did the Qili Bay Monster bring us here?"

"Is it just to trap us here?"

Qiao Hong remained silent.

How could he not have these doubts in his heart?
Based on current information, the Qili Bay Monster is likely a legendary creature. If that's the case, given his understanding of legendary creatures, it shouldn't harbor much malice towards humans under normal circumstances.

Moreover, he sees no point in trapping innocent people here.

“All the missing people initially arrive at the Island of Wishes,” Qin Lang said softly. “Only those who are persistent and determined enough in their ideals have the opportunity to come from the Island of Wishes to the Land of Ideals; those who are obsessed with making wishes will remain on the Island of Wishes.”

"These rules are very much like a selection process."

“Let’s conduct a screening of those who come here, based on their ideals.” “Screening…” Qiao Hong murmured softly, a strange light appearing in his eyes. “The guard said that their king said that the only hope to resolve this anomaly is to find a hero with ideals.”

"If the Island of Wishes is a selection process, then the purpose of this selection is to find the ideal hero to resolve this anomaly?"

“Yes.” Qin Lang nodded. “If the real purpose of the Qili Bay monster in making people disappear is to save this ideal country that is about to perish.”

"If we resolve this anomaly, we can not only bring all the missing people back, but we might also be able to completely solve the problem of the Qili Bay monster causing people to disappear!"

"After all, if the Ideal Country doesn't experience any more anomalies, the Qili Bay Monster won't need to find someone to save it!"

Looking at Qin Lang's increasingly bright eyes, Qiao Hong was silent for a moment, then shook his head self-deprecatingly, "My thinking was a bit narrow-minded."

"From this perspective, it seems we have no choice but to become 'ideal heroes'."

“Yes.” Qin Lang smiled. “The first thing we need to do is find other people who have entered the city; they should know more about this place.”

"You actually meant your friend named Zuo Ge, right?" Qiao Hong saw through Qin Lang's thoughts.

"If we can find Zuo Ge, that would be best." Qin Lang nodded, then looked around at the local inhabitants.

As they walked and talked, they passed by many indigenous people, who looked at them with strange expressions.

There was expectation in his eyes, but also some other emotions.

“The local inhabitants might know something,” Qiao Hong said softly, then strode towards one of the inhabitants.

It was a middle-aged man whose body was almost transparent, and he was in a very dangerous situation.

Clearly, Qiao Hong's choice was not arbitrary; an indigenous person in such a dangerous situation would do everything in their power to provide the information they needed.

"Hello, I'd like to know about the other 'ideal heroes' who have entered here," Qiao Hong said softly with a gentle smile.

Do you have any information about their whereabouts?

"I..." The middle-aged man opened his mouth, his eyes filled with complex emotions. After a moment, he suddenly took a step back, his eyes filled with inexplicable anger as he looked at Qiao Hong and Qin Lang.

"They've already escaped!"

"They didn't want to save us, they left long ago!"

"What 'ideal hero'? That's nothing but a lie by His Majesty the King!"

"It's hopeless. This world has been hopeless for a long time!"

"Hehe... Hahaha—"

The emotionally distraught man laughed wildly and ran away.

Seemingly influenced by his words, the other indigenous people around them looked at Qiao Hong and Qin Lang with more disappointment and anger, and they all turned and left.

"This..." Qiao Hong's face showed a look of astonishment.

"It seems that many of the native inhabitants here are on the verge of collapse," Qin Lang sighed and spoke softly.

Imagine the despair and fear of seeing your own body gradually become transparent. It's unimaginable. And the fact that even the "ideal heroes" of the past failed to save the ideal country, with each dashed hope being an even heavier blow to them.

but…

Qin Lang's gaze fell on the only local boy who hadn't left the street not far away.

Ultimately, there are still some indigenous people who are able to try to communicate.

(End of this chapter)