Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 152 Leaving the Shelter
Intelligence regarding the elite soldiers' battle against the monsters was quickly placed on the conference table of the countermeasures research office.

The fact that firearms could kill the monsters thrilled everyone in the room.

"Great! Now it's finally our human weapons' turn to shine!"

"That's right. This time, we humans finally have the ability to launch a full-scale counterattack. With the armed forces of all cities mobilized, it's not impossible for us to repel or even completely eliminate the monsters in the fog!"

Compared to the excitement of the crowd, Gao Liangwei, the person in charge, remained relatively calm. He said, "Don't be too happy. Don't forget that our soldiers have also suffered casualties."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became more serious.

Gao Liangwei looked at the analyst: "Tell me the analysis results of the intelligence that has been compiled."

“Yes,” the analyst said. “Based on the reports, while firearms can kill the monsters, different monsters, with their different characteristics, also pose a great threat to humans.”

"One of the arthropod-like monsters, resembling a giant centipede, is extremely powerful and capable of overturning tanks. However, these monsters seem to lack digestive organs, and their purpose in attacking humans appears to be simply to expose them to the fog."

"Exposure to the fog... The fog is corrosive and contains neurotoxins; human exposure to it is tantamount to a slow death," an expert said. "What other characteristics do the monsters possess?"

The analyst said, "Yes. When a monster is killed, it explodes like a balloon, and its fragments disappear into the mist, leaving no corpse behind, making it impossible to recover and study."

"Did you try to capture him alive?"

"We tried, but it ended in failure after costing the lives of several soldiers. However, we have come to the conclusion that the monsters cannot survive outside the fog. If they are attacked and leave the fog area in time, they can escape."

Another expert stroked his chin and speculated: "It seems that these monsters and the fog have a symbiotic relationship... Could we use equipment such as blowers to disperse the fog and thus eliminate the monsters inside?"

“Good idea,” someone agreed. “If it works, we can solve the monster threat by simply placing more high-powered fans in the city.”

"Someone tried this rule as soon as it was released, but it doesn't seem to work. This fog is very special; it looks thin but is actually very heavy, and even strong winds can't disperse it."

Gao Liangwei said, "After the meeting, the intelligence will be made public. People in various shelters and gathering points will be notified not to worry, and the authorities will deploy armed forces as soon as possible to eliminate the monsters in the city fog."

Everyone nodded, and Gao Liangwei continued, "Then, we need to prepare to begin our exploration of the dense fog."

This statement surprised many people.

"explore?"

"If there are only monsters in the fog, is it worth exploring?"

“I understand what the person in charge means,” someone said knowingly. “It’s because the rules’ notes mention ‘if you decide to explore the depths of the fog,’ right?”

“That’s right.” Gao Liangwei nodded. “I don’t believe the Fire Thieves would act without reason. Since the notes mention being careful during the exploration, it means there must be something worth exploring deep within the fog. We must not ignore this.”

"That makes sense..."

"Since conventional firearms can kill the monsters, and exploration missions can be left to elite soldiers, is it really necessary to deploy the Ascended Squad?"

Dr. Zhang disagreed, saying, "No, I think it's still necessary to send out the Ascended Squad. Because we don't know what the Firebringers' exploration is all about. If we encounter a problem that requires elite Ascended to solve, then soldiers alone won't be enough."

"Dr. Zhang is right. You can decide which team to send."

"I understand. This time I plan to send the most elite First Squad to participate in the operation... plus one backup."

"Add backup personnel?" Gao Liangwei asked. "Do they have any special abilities?"

"Yes. It's the little girl named 'Chen Na' who was brought from the Yongzhou base of the support organization last time, according to the rules. Her perception ability might be very useful in the fog, so I plan to temporarily assign her to the first squad to act together."

"Then let's do it."

Immediately after the meeting, the official team released information about the Nightmare Beast.

People cheered when they learned that conventional weapons could kill the monster.

This was especially true for ordinary people whose terminal panels were closed. Because each rule required the Ascendant to exert their power, they increasingly felt excluded... but the ninth rule made them feel useful again.

Although they cannot use mental powers, as long as they join the army and undergo certain training, they will be able to use guns and cannons, and will still be able to contribute to eliminating monsters in the future.

Guan Tong, who was still in the shelter at that moment, was also genuinely surprised to see the latest official news.

"Guns and cannons can destroy the monsters? Then... what use are the Ascended Ones?"

At its current level, the Ascended Ones are simply no match for the destructive power of modern weapons that have been developed over hundreds of years.

If guns and cannons work under these new rules, then the human army certainly won't be afraid of any mere monsters. But then...

Guan Tong initially held onto the conventional thinking that only those who had transcended could eliminate the monsters in this set of rules, which was why she had previously chosen not to sell information to avoid creating too many competitors.

But now that guns and cannons are effective, and while Guan Tong doesn't know about other countries, given the consistent style of the Northern Star Kingdom's government, they definitely won't just defend without attacking. The government will certainly send out a large number of soldiers to both sweep away the monsters in the fog and attempt to explore. Because the official rules mention "exploring the depths of the fog," and given the level of the Countermeasures Research Office, they wouldn't overlook this information.

In this way, the competition shifted from among the ascendants to among the official elite troops... Guan Tong did not believe that his efficiency could surpass that of hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of soldiers.

"...Never mind, I'll just do things my own way."

Guan Tong's initial plan was to use shadow detection to try and find the source of the fog.

But just now, from the moment Yu Hong knocked on the door until she suddenly went silent, he used his shadow to try to check the situation, but then he remembered a troublesome problem.

That is, he couldn't materialize the ethereal shadows inside the shelter—unless he opened the door.

This is related to the characteristics of the shelter; it is a special form of existence that is completely closed and driven by psychic power.

Guan Tong is inside the shelter, and outside, seemingly separated only by a door, but in reality, they are in two different spaces.

Only when the door is open is the shelter and the outside world in the same space, which is why the shadow surveillance eyes deployed outside will become ineffective once he closes the door.

But now there's a thick fog outside, and if the door is opened, the two places will connect, and the fog will seep out. Then this safe place will become unsafe.

"Looks like we have no choice but to go out, but we need to buy some equipment first."

Guan Tong opened up the end-user market by searching for keywords such as "corrosion prevention" and "full-body protection".

He can't get his hands on officially produced protective equipment right now, so he can only see if he can buy it on the market. If he can, he can save the trouble of covering his body with shadow armor.

The search results appeared quickly, spanning several pages. They contained various items, equipment, and medicines.

Guan Tong first looked at the medicine.

[Anti-corrosion solvent]: It will not be subject to any type of corrosion within 12 hours after ingestion.

Price: 6000 Ascension Coins

The effect is okay, but the duration is too short, so it's not something I'd consider for Guan Tong.

He continued reading, flipping through several pages, until he finally found something he wanted.

[Class A Biochemical Full-Body Protective Suit]: When equipped, it effectively protects against various types of damage from invasion, corrosion, and toxic chemical gases. It includes a breathing and circulation helmet that provides over 72 hours of continuous harmless oxygen, after which it needs to be recharged in an area with clean air. This item is tradable.

Price: 80000 Ascension Coins

Such a protective suit sells for 80,000 Ascension Coins, which is very expensive for ordinary Ascension users. It is estimated that the seller wanted to take advantage of the current rules and raise the price to sell to large groups.

The reason the equipment wasn't taken by the group is probably because others didn't consider it very useful. Because of the current rules, not many people would choose to risk exploring the depths of the fog without knowing the hidden rules.

Most ordinary people are hiding in enclosed spaces, and the government has been able to deploy the army to clear out the monsters... All these factors have made it impossible to sell at this price. Since Guan Tong needs it now, he doesn't think too much about it and just buys it directly.

After purchasing it, I immediately put it on, and a dark protective suit from head to toe appeared on my body, making me look very professional.

Furthermore, the helmet on the head continuously displays the remaining oxygen level, currently showing: 72 hours (recharging).
"It seems that the interior of my shelter is a 'harmless air zone,' and the helmet can be charged here... That's not bad."

Guan Tong had originally planned to take refuge when she left, and now that the oxygen was almost depleted, she could simply summon the refuge to recharge it without having to look for a place outside the fog, which was very convenient.

He then searched for the keyword "attack warning" in the store to see if there were any similar items, but the search results showed "no results".

"...It seems that these kinds of things are in high demand."

Guan Tong wanted to buy it to prevent attacks from the Nightmare Beasts and save on Shadow consumption. However, many key figures in various groups probably had a fear of being attacked, so they all wanted similar items. As a result, as soon as such items appeared on the market, the group's bargain hunters snapped them up.

He recalled the battle he had fought against Jiang Ming at the Yongzhou base. Jiang Ming undoubtedly possessed items that could warn of attacks, as well as valuable teleportation items, both of which would cost a lot of Ascension Coins to acquire... but the effects were indeed evident. Without these two types of items, Jiang Ming would definitely have died at his hands.

Since it wasn't available on the market, Guan Tong didn't insist. He checked himself over to make sure he was in good condition, then walked to the door and opened it.

The moment Guan Tong stepped outside and into the fog, she felt a series of danger signals rising in her heart.

Although he knew this was a psychological effect of being away from the environment, just to be on the safe side, he immediately summoned his shadow, which split into several monitoring eyes after activating his vision: one hanging on his back, one on his chest, and one on his head.

This way, no matter which direction the monster attacks from, it will be detected.

Guan Tong held his Silver Hunter in both hands, the multi-functional firearm that had accompanied him on his campaigns, and it was naturally present this time as well.

Now that the official documentation has confirmed that guns and cannons are effective against monsters, his Silver Hunter weapon will definitely have a place in this rule.

"According to the information provided by the hidden rules, to find the source of the fog, we need to trace the tracks of the nightmare beasts... These tracks should refer to the traces they left when they arrived, right? How do we track them?"

(End of this chapter)