Man on the ark, forced to become king

W clenched his fist and sneered, "Heh, I'd like to hear what money can't buy. You probably haven't been to the Scar Market, have you? There, as long as you have money, you can buy anything, whether it's Originium spells or high-quality weapons."

"So, you're really short-sighted."

Lin Lu sighed and shook his head, feeling that he couldn't intimidate this guy unless he showed off his skills on the spot. Coincidentally, he was also planning to find an opportunity to attract Fiameta and Mostima and keep the two of them by his side for as long as possible.

Through the town incident and last night's mercenary battle, he has roughly figured out their strength. There aren't many experts like them anywhere, so how can one month be enough?

He needs to figure out a way to attract them and build his first wave of crew in this world.

So what if it's Lateran? As long as you swing your hoe well, there's no corner in this world that you can't dig up!

"Xiao Mo, stop the car. What I'm about to demonstrate is very dangerous. We need to find a spacious place."

"What are you going to do again?"

Mostima slowly applied the brakes, bringing the car to a smooth stop on a relatively flat spot in the wasteland. He cautioned, "It's best not to make too much noise. Too much noise can easily attract uninvited guests and cause unnecessary trouble. You don't want us to be bothered by random people again, do you?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing big. The requirement for spacious terrain is just to make it easier for you to hide."

Lin Lu placed the petite Lani in her arms on the seat, opened the door and got out of the car, beckoning W with her finger to follow.

"..."

W hesitated for a moment, but then she thought that the man's behavior so far didn't seem like that of a real villain, and he hadn't done anything too outrageous to her. She felt a little more at ease and got out of the car as well, but she didn't get too close and stood still right next to the car.

Compared to her, Fiameta and Mostima were much more interested. After they got out of the car, they flanked W on either side, their curiosity almost impossible to contain.

"Be careful."

Lin Lu took a few steps back to a distance, his expression becoming solemn. His black pupils suddenly turned orange-yellow in an instant, as if flames were moving within them, and a tiny spark of light bloomed from his fingertips.

The flame wasn't very big, only about the size of a fingernail, and it was a blend of gold and orange-red, flickering in an irregular shape.

However, its impact is far greater than its actual volume.

The moment the flame appeared, the three people who stared at it almost simultaneously felt an indescribable madness wash over them, and the agitation in their hearts intensified, as if some kind of frenzied babbling was ringing in their ears, trying to drive their conscious evil will into madness.

Just looking at it is enough to make one feel unable to control oneself.

A jumble of chaotic thoughts surged through Mostima's mind. She raised her hand to her chest, clenching it into a fist. A madness and burning sensation, indistinguishable between illusion and reality, welled up within her, causing her to tremble slightly.

That tiny flame only lasted for a mere ten seconds; otherwise, even she couldn't be sure if she could withstand the onslaught of that mad, eroding will.

"what is that?!"

Fiameta gripped the pistol at her waist tightly, her voice trembling as if she were forcibly suppressing something.

Flames...were those really flames?

Or is it some kind of invisible thing disguised as a flame?

They almost lost control of their emotions after just one glance. How did Lin Lu manage to master such power?

Once again, Fiameta realized that what was hidden behind this man was far beyond their imagination. His will was as profound as his skills. Without a truly unyielding and unshakable will, it would be impossible to control that kind of power!

"Its name is Mad Fire, the fire of madness."

After extinguishing the flames that had been mixing two colors at her fingertips, Lin Lu's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and she felt a little regretful.

The power of the mad fire still exceeded his expectations. His current physique was still too weak to control its power, but fortunately it did not go out of control.

"Dizzy Fire...truly deserving of its name."

Mostima took a deep breath to calm his agitated thoughts and spoke with difficulty.

Just when she felt she was getting a feel for Lin Lu's true strength, this man would always unleash even more terrifying power. The terror displayed by this flame far exceeded her imagination, even giving her the illusion of returning to the chaotic battlefield.

Only those who have personally faced that flame can understand its incredible nature. It seems to be born for destruction, and its very existence represents chaos, madness, and disorder. Once you come into contact with it, you will never forget it. Even looking directly at its appearance can make you lose control.

The mad fire truly lived up to its name.

No one has ever seen such a raging fire in the last decade or even decades.

Chapter 57 Map of Yan: Crimson Corruption

The off-road vehicle continued to speed across the wilderness, but this time Lin Lu was the driver again.

After witnessing the madness firsthand, both Mostima and Fiameta were affected to varying degrees. W's reaction was more intense; she almost lost control after Lin Lu put away the madness and was only calmed down by a spell called Calm. After returning to the car, she remained in a withdrawn state.

The power of the Mad Fire was truly terrifying; even a fleeting glimpse was unbearable. Lin Lu had not anticipated this outcome before using it.

It can only be said that the people in the Terra world, at least those he encountered, all had flaws to varying degrees deep down. The emotions that were suppressed in their hearts were amplified infinitely after encountering the Mad Flame, and their resistance to this power was much lower than expected.

Lin Lu originally wanted to try teaching W some prayers related to the Mad Fire, but for some reason, he felt that this power was a perfect match for this seemingly capricious mercenary girl.

However, after trying, he had to give up the idea. As it stands, W has absolutely no ability to access the Mad Fire, not even after being weakened and praying. Forcing him to learn it would only lead to madness and destruction in his frenzy.

But that doesn't matter. Trying is all about verifying the results. Since this path is temporarily blocked, we can try another one. He has hundreds of different kinds of magic, prayer, and combat skills at his disposal. Even if some of them cannot be taught to others temporarily due to external conditions, he can always find a feasible route.

"Lin Lu, do you want to spread that...that kind of flame?"

After a long silence, Mostima opened her eyes from the passenger seat, her expression serious. This was the first time Lin Lu had ever seen such an expression on her face since she met her.

"I did have the idea of ​​having W learn the Mad Fire, but I've given up on it now. She's not strong enough to handle the power of Mad Fire at this stage. This was just a small experiment."

"...Although I may not have the right to say this, I still hope you will not easily pass on that power. It... is too terrifying. The flames that can drive people mad just by looking at them, if they fall into the hands of someone who should not possess them, may cause a horrific disaster no less than a natural catastrophe. It should not exist in this world."

“You can trust me completely, Mostima.”

This time, Lin Lu didn't use the nickname 'Xiao Mo', but called Mostima by her full name, to show that he was indeed taking her admonition seriously.

"The power of the Mad Fire is not something that just anyone can control, and I have no intention of spreading it on a large scale. In fact, if I really wanted to cause a disaster, I wouldn't need to use such methods."

With one hand gripping the steering wheel, Lin Lu turned her head and stared intently into Mostima's eyes, her gaze inexplicably profound.

Do you think Oripathy is scary?

"...It's terrifying. It's a calamity that most ordinary people on this land fear like a tiger. They can't buy the specially made suppressant drugs from big companies. Once they are infected with Oripathy, it means they are stripped of their 'human' identity. No city will accept them, no one is willing to come into contact with them, and in the end they can only die in pain and despair."

"What if I told you that I possess something even more terrifying than that?"

Lin Lu's lips curled into a smile, but the feeling it gave off was terrifying.

His voice was low and deep, as if he were telling some secret that represented disaster and despair.

"Oripathy, in the end, is just a chronic disease. As far as I know, its transmission method is not as terrible as rumored. Wealthy people can still maintain the spread of the disease with the help of drugs after infection, and may never develop symptoms in their lifetime. Even ordinary people can live a long time as long as they pay attention to moderation."

"What I know is far more terrifying than so-called Oripathy. Have you ever thought about what it feels like to die as your body decays?"

"There is a disease that can be transmitted through contact. The host's flesh and body will gradually rot and decay under the influence of the disease. The mind will become extreme and crazy under the influence of the disease. It is rooted in the flesh and blood, devouring every inch of the body. It can take only a few hours from infection to death. Moreover, the corpse of the infected person after death will also become a new source of infection, allowing the disease to spread in the air and infect everyone who comes into contact with it."

"Furthermore, it's not just people; soil, plants, and tools can all become sources of infection that harbor it. In that case, the earth will rot, plants will mutate and become twisted, and animals will turn into terrifying monsters under its influence. Can you imagine what that would look like?"

"What you're saying reminds me of regions after a natural disaster. Anyone who enters such a place will contract Oripathy, and plants and animals will mutate due to the erosion caused by Originium dust."

Mostima had never heard of such a thing, but she had seen something similar—the earth after a natural disaster, and it felt almost the same.

"If that disease is really as you say, then it is indeed more terrifying than Oripathy. Have you seen it with your own eyes?"

“That’s right, I’ve seen it, not just the infected, but also the land it has eroded.”

“I have traversed lands ravaged by calamities, confronted the gods who dwell within them, defeated and slain them, and thus gained their control.”

"..."

If anyone else had said this, she would have thought they were crazy, but if it was Lin Lu... the power of the Mad Fire was still deeply imprinted in her mind, adding a lot of realism to this seemingly made-up story.

Lin Lu was clearly not joking. With the terrifying power of the Mad Fire, he had no reason to fabricate a disease to highlight himself. In other words... there was a high probability that it was true. It was a real disease in the world, with more terrible consequences, faster contagiousness, and stronger corrosiveness than Oripathy.

"Why are you telling me this? If you have it, you should keep it hidden deep inside. If people find out, countless people might want to kill you just to eliminate a possibility."

Will you tell anyone?

Lin Lu smiled slightly, not taking it to heart.

"...No, but I will keep an eye on you, verify the authenticity of this diagnosis, and stop you if necessary."

"That's settled then? I'll prove it to you, and then you'd better keep a close eye on me."

The true colors were revealed, and Lin Lu smiled brightly. Mostima's reaction was exactly what he expected. This 'fallen' Sakorta was much softer inside than her cold exterior suggested. She seemed indifferent to everything, but in reality, she had a deeper and more profound obsession.

The reason he revealed some information about the Crimson Corruption was to add fuel to the fire and, ideally, to bring Mostima under his control in one fell swoop.

Of course, it would be even better if a Liboli were included as a bonus.

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Isn't this just a coincidence?

Mostima, who heard two major revelations in a short period of time, temporarily went into a state of depression, lying in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought.

Halfway there, the driver changed to Fiameta. She didn't seem to care much about what she heard, probably because it wasn't her focus. However, she didn't disturb Mostima's thoughts.

As for W, having already expended a lot of energy in the battle and been frightened by the mad fire, the mercenary girl couldn't resist the double exhaustion of her body and mind halfway through the journey and fell asleep leaning against the car door. She seemed to be sleeping quite soundly.

Lin Lu was still full of energy. In fact, his body no longer needed to recover through sleep. The reason he slept every day was just out of habit. Even if he didn't sleep, it wouldn't have much of an impact.

But since there was no one to talk to, and out of boredom, he could only close his eyes and lean back in his seat to wait for time to pass.

The journey that followed was smooth, without any further attacks or accidents. As the sun rose from the edge of the earth to the highest point in the sky, the shadow of the destination finally appeared in the distance.

Wei Yanwu did not provide detailed information about this mission. Lin Lu only knew that she had to deliver the iron box to a free village called 'Ramtu' in the southern part of Kazdel, which borders Rembiton, and hand it over to a merchant in the village. She knew nothing else.

That's not important. He's just a deliveryman who gets paid to do his job. As long as he delivers the goods to the right person, the task is finished. The rest is none of his business as a courier, and he can't be bothered to care about it.

However, as they drew closer and the free village of Ramtu came into full view, Lin Lu realized that something seemed amiss.