Man on the ark, forced to become king

"Hey, Xiao Mo, say something! You haven't said a word since we came out. Aren't you bored?"

With one hand on the steering wheel, Lin Lu turned her head slightly to look at the blue-haired angel sitting in the passenger seat, hoping she would say something to relieve the boredom of the journey.

It's certainly exhilarating to roam freely in the wilderness, but it's still at least an eight-hour drive to the first supply point on the route map. If you're just driving with your head down for that long, it can get quite boring.

"What do you want to hear from me?"

Mostima, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them upon hearing this, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

Since that incident, she rarely showed obvious emotional fluctuations in front of others, but Lin Lu was an exception. This person seemed to be completely unaffected by the distance she deliberately created, and always shamelessly came up to her and said whatever came to mind. It was fine for a day or two, but it had been like this for several months in a row, and even she felt a little overwhelmed.

After all, no matter how cold and aloof she appears, she is still a person, not a machine without emotions. She just hides all her emotions, but she is not without feelings. Anyone would be unable to remain completely unmoved by someone like Lin Lu who is willing to spend time and effort to coax and cling to her all day long.

Mostima felt extremely helpless. She didn't want to pay attention, but considering that if she pretended not to hear, Lin Lu would definitely not let it go and would continue to make conversation, she couldn't help but react.

“Aren’t you a messenger? You must have traveled to many places. Tell me about the situation in Kazdel. I know nothing about that place. Hearing your story will help me prepare.”

"Kazdel..."

Mentioning this place caused Mostima's expression to change slightly, but only for a moment, before she returned to her usual formulaic smile, making one wonder if it was just an illusion.

"Kazdel is currently at war, and this war has been going on for many years. If nothing unexpected happens, it will probably continue until someone falls completely. Thanks to that war, Kazdel is now the most chaotic place in the world, bar none."

"It's teeming with mercenaries, a paradise for arms dealers. Those Sarkaz people have no concept of civilians. Everyone you meet on the road could be a dangerous raider who will covet everything you have, including your life. Compared to Lungmen, it's like hell, where life is the cheapest thing."

It was a rare treat to hear Mostima's long speech, so Lin Lu didn't dare interrupt and listened attentively while driving.

He asked this question partly to chat with Miss Angel and relieve his boredom, and partly because he genuinely wanted to know about Kazdel's current situation so he could be prepared when he arrived and not be completely clueless.

"If you're going to Kazdel, my advice is not to communicate with any Sarkaz or accept any invitations. Find your target, complete the mission as quickly as possible, and then return to Lungmen immediately. Don't linger there. Nothing can happen there, and because the war situation is becoming increasingly tense, you may encounter small groups of troops or mercenary teams even in the wild. They are all very dangerous for lone travelers. Try to avoid them and don't get involved with them."

"Has Kazdel gotten this bad? It sounds like the whole country has become a battlefield."

Lin Lu frowned slightly, feeling that this mission might not go too smoothly. This chaotic place was almost a replica of the border area. When he was in the border area, he basically fought wherever he went, and most of the people he encountered were enemies who would attack on sight.

"It's not just what it sounds like."

Mostima turned his head, his smile fading slightly, and said decisively, "Every inch of Kazdel is a battlefield."

Chapter Thirty: Arrival at the World's Most Chaotic Battlefield—Kazdel

What would a country be like if its entire territory became a battlefield?

Thousands of miles of bare ground, filled with white bones!

Endless war turns people into monsters!

A distorted environment breeds even more distorted human nature. Good people find it difficult to survive. Whether old, weak, women, or children, if they want to live, they must learn to be ruthless!

Lin Lu had already witnessed that scene firsthand when they were at the border.

That devastating war that engulfed the entire border region shattered the former order. The war between demigods left the world riddled with holes, heroes fell into depravity, and demons roamed the land. Monsters now filled the once prosperous land, and slaughter was the dominant theme there.

To survive, the only option is to fight, to fight without stopping!

Perhaps Kazdel's situation isn't as bad as the borderlands, but it's certainly not much better. Mostima's warning is valid; on such land, no one can be trusted, and even a moment of weakness could lead to destruction.

Lin Lu was naturally not afraid of fighting. He was a king who had traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and he was fearless.

But he is not the same person he used to be. He no longer has the same strength, so he must be cautious.

A thousand-mile dike can be breached by an ant hole; even wild dogs, if there are enough of them, can kill a skilled fighter.

Thinking of this, his vigilance towards Kazdel immediately rose to another level, and then a question came to mind.

"Xiao Mo, if Kazdel is really like you say, with mercenaries running rampant and bandits roaming freely, wouldn't it be a bad idea for us to just drive this car straight in?"

His concerns were not unfounded. A product of Raytheon Industries would be coveted anywhere, not to mention that this Raider was no ordinary vehicle. Even a fool could tell it was something special just by looking at its appearance. In addition, the bright Raytheon Industries logo on the outside made it extremely eye-catching. It might be fine in other places, but in a place like that, it would probably attract the covetous eyes of many people.

Some people might be hesitant because of the car's value, but the world is never short of reckless madmen and desperados. They don't have many concerns; if they're tempted, they'll rob it.

Being unafraid of trouble is one thing, but actively seeking trouble is another.

"It's really not good."

Mostima nodded slightly, agreeing with Lin Lu's idea.

"Ordinary bandits, mercenaries, and scavengers are nothing to fear. They will be afraid of the strength and status of the person who owns this car and will not dare to take the risk."

“Those large mercenary groups are different. They are powerful and have enough manpower. They won’t easily give up the fat meat they have in their mouths. Kazdel’s mercenaries are a bunch of lunatics. They don’t have many concerns. If you encounter them, you will most likely be in trouble.”

"What should we do then? Are we going to abandon this car?"

Lin Lu frowned, but after a brief moment's thought, she dismissed the option from her mind.

Give up? Are you kidding me? How could I? This is a luxury car worth 320 million Lungmen Dollars!

He was hoping that he could use this thing to buy a house after returning to Lungmen; he couldn't just leave it in the wilderness.

While driving might attract the attention of large mercenary groups, you can't avoid small teams and scavengers in any other way. It's just that the troublemakers are different. And if you were to give up a well-protected off-road vehicle for this reason, wouldn't that be like cutting off your own arm?

"That's your own business. I'm just offering suggestions. How you actually do it is up to you."

Mostima glanced discreetly at the small doll placed on the back seat in the rearview mirror. She was certain that Lin Lu would not give up the car, but she did not intend to interfere with Lin Lu's decision. In any case, she had already explained the specific situation, and it was up to Lin Lu to decide what to do.

puff~

The Marauder's vehicle trembled slightly as its large tires rolled over an Originium Bug, leaving behind a trail of scattered debris.

The splash of juice, like the sensation of puncturing a water-filled balloon, jolted Lin Lu and solidified her resolve.

The car can't be abandoned!

Such a good tool, and so many supplies on board, how could he just give it up? Now the entire vehicle, including all the supplies and equipment on it, belongs to him. The value of the vehicle itself far exceeds the reward for this transport mission. Even if he has to tow it, he will tow this vehicle back to Lungmen!

"It seems you've already made up your mind."

Mostima spoke indifferently, her face, which was always smiling, revealing no emotion. Her gaze followed the car's movement, looking into the distance through the glass, her words seemingly implying something: "From here on, we will be entering the interior of Kazdel. Perhaps you will soon be able to experience the hospitality of the Sarkaz people firsthand."

"Front?"

The desolate landscape flashed past the car window, with seemingly uninhabited wastelands everywhere. Occasionally, a few winding dirt roads could be seen flashing by, and it was no different from before. There were no conspicuous signs to demarcate the borders, and Lin Lu couldn't figure out what Mostima was using to determine that they were about to leave Yan Kingdom and enter Kazdel.

Is this what a seasoned messenger's control over routes and distances is like?

And... was Lungmen really that close to the border between Yan Kingdom and Kazdel?

It's only a little over two hours' drive from the border to the city. With such a short distance, the mercenaries and scavengers wandering in Kazdel never even considered crossing the line.

“The Sarkaz are notorious among all countries and races. Nowhere outside of Kazdel is willing to accept them, so it is very difficult to see Sarkaz in cities outside of Kazdel. They have their own rules, and the border cannot stop them, but they are also unwilling to enter the city.”

Faced with Lin Lu's question, Mostima answered almost without hesitation, showing that she was indeed a highly qualified messenger, at least in terms of her in-depth understanding of Kazdel and the Sarkaz.

This may also be related to her race. As is well known, the Sarkaz are contemptuously referred to as "demons" internationally, while the Sarkaz from Laterano are "angels." It is said that the two have a long-standing feud and a very bad relationship.

Hmm... perhaps that's not the case for Mostima...

Lin Lu's gaze swept over Mostima's horn without leaving a trace, and suddenly she saw a group of figures wearing tattered cloaks walking towards her in the wilderness not far away, seemingly about to cross the border.

Chapter Thirty-One: Damn it, the Sarkaz dared to hit my car!

Mostima was right; this was indeed the first time Lin Lu had ever seen the Sarkaz race.

As the commercial center of the civilized world, Lungmen is a gathering place for merchants and laborers from all over the world. Lupo, Volpo, Zalak, Felin, Ghost, Liboli, and most other races of the entire Terra continent can be found in Lungmen—except for the Sarkaz.

Lin Lu had spent several months in Lungmen, venturing into both the bustling upper city and the slums of the lower city, but she had never seen a single Sarkaz person, only receiving brief descriptions from the information in the book.

Perhaps Mostima could be considered half?

Through the car window, one could see that the group of people were wearing tattered cloaks, with only two horns sticking out from the specially left holes. Some of the horns were similar to Mostima's, while others grew upwards. Several of them were noticeably taller and stronger than their companions, and carried giant swords on their backs that were almost as tall as them.

"They are Sarkaz greatswordsmen. I don't know whose unit they belong to. Let's avoid them."

"Row."

Mostima was knowledgeable and experienced, so since she said to avoid it, Lin Lu naturally wouldn't object. She immediately turned the steering wheel and changed the car's direction of travel by an angle.

However, due to the high speed of the vehicle, the distance between the two sides was not very far at this point, only about 100 meters. The group of Sarkaz people also noticed the armored vehicle speeding towards them. After all, the sound of a high-powered engine could be heard from hundreds of meters away, so it was hard not to see it.

The marching crowd suddenly stopped, seemingly exchanging a very brief conversation. Several shorter Sarkaz reached out from their cloaks and took down the staffs they had been carrying on their backs.

Dark purple energy gathered and coiled at the top of the staff, condensing into a sphere the size of a human head that flew towards the car.

"They've already made their move?"

Upon seeing the incoming magical sphere, Lin Lu suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the current situation of Kazdel and the Sarkaz.

Even the soldiers at the border had a process of preparation and probing when they encountered the enemy, but these Sarkaz attacked without saying a word, without even trying to confirm the identities of the people in the car. This was far too vicious.

squeak~

With a screeching sound, the armored vehicle, under Lin Lu's control, left deep tracks on the dirt road and changed angles in an instant. Unexpectedly, the incoming magic orbs also changed direction; these things were actually homing missiles!

Boom!Boom!Boom!Boom!

Four muffled thuds followed, and the entire armored vehicle shook violently. It was obvious without even looking that a spell had struck the outer armor.

Fortunately, the special vehicles produced by Thor Industries were indeed worth their high price of 320 million LMD, and they were not greatly affected after withstanding the magical impact.

But the car is fine; the person can't take it.

This is my brand new car, which I just got! And you just smashed it like that?!

Enraged, Lin Lu turned the car around and accelerated, charging straight at the group of people.