Chapter 4642: The Desperados of Granfel
Chapter 4642: The Desperados of Granfel
Rean quickly intervened. ’Alright, let’s focus on the present. You said we might not survive today. Why?’
Howard turned toward Rean, looking rather displeased. ’You are quite disrespectful to interrupt our conversation like that.’
’Believe me, disrespectful is nowhere near enough when talking about the idiot over there,’ Roan added.
’Fine! I’ll stay quiet,’ Rean replied reluctantly.
Howard seemed to decide that explaining their location could wait. After all, the dangers surrounding them were far more pressing, and Rean had asked a reasonable question, even if his timing had been less than polite. ’The reason is that the heat is the least of your problems. Take a look around. You should already be able to notice something... assuming you have enough strength left to look around, that is.’
The twins had gradually become more accustomed to the oppressive environment. Although even the simplest movements still required considerable effort, they could now lift their heads and observe their surroundings without immediately feeling as though the Godly Pressure would crush them back against the floor.
They followed Howard’s advice and examined the cultivators inside the shop. At first, nothing seemed particularly unusual. Everyone was struggling to maintain their Godly Energy barriers against the heat, and most were too exhausted to do anything beyond conserving their strength. However, the longer Rean and Roan watched, the more they noticed something peculiar.
The cultivators were nervous, and it wasn’t due to the heat.
Some repeatedly glanced toward the entrance, while others kept a wary eye on their surroundings. A few had even shifted their positions, seemingly trying to secure a better spot before something happened. Whatever they were expecting, it was clearly not something they wanted to face unprepared.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
Rean, Roan, and the others immediately noticed the temperature dropping. It happened rapidly, the intense heat gradually easing until maintaining their Godly Energy barriers became considerably less demanding. However, the temperature didn’t fall far enough for the environment to become cold. It was simply becoming bearable enough for cultivators to move around outside again.
’And here we go...’ Howard said. His previously relaxed demeanor vanished as he tensed up and turned toward the entrance.
’Luxa, go take a look outside. It seems the daylight has disappeared,’ Rean said. ’Just be careful.’
Luxa nodded and made her way toward the entrance. The moment she reached it, she understood why the light had vanished. Something enormous was passing over the city, blocking the light from reaching the streets below.
At first glance, it resembled a gigantic dome suspended above Granfel. However, as Luxa watched for a few moments, she realized that the object was moving. Whatever it was, it was so enormous that its passage temporarily covered the entire city in shadow.
She quickly returned to Rean and the others. ’Rean, there’s something flying above the city! It’s huge! That’s why the daylight disappeared!’
’Forget about that for now,’ Howard interrupted. ’You’ll soon have to fight for your space. Focus on that instead. The desperados are here.’
’Fight for our space?’ Rean and the others exchanged puzzled looks. None of them particularly liked the sound of that. They could barely crawl at the moment, let alone fight anyone.
Before they could ask for an explanation, a strange sound reached their ears.
*Zuf, zuf, zuf, zuf, zuf...*
The noise came from outside, accompanied by a growing commotion. Luxa immediately returned to the entrance to investigate. Only then did she notice something the group had overlooked when they first arrived: several other portals were connected to this part of Granfel. They had been too preoccupied with escaping the scorching streets and reaching the shop to pay much attention to their surroundings.
Now, those portals were becoming extremely active.
Thousands upon thousands of cultivators were emerging from them, one after another. The newcomers immediately collapsed onto the streets under the oppressive Godly Pressure, joining the countless cultivators already struggling to move. More and more continued to appear, quickly filling the available space until the streets became an almost solid mass of crawling bodies.
It was nothing like the twins’ own arrival. They had encountered a few other newcomers when they emerged from their portal, but the number had been relatively small. This time, however, the arrivals seemed practically endless.
’So many cultivators!’ Luxa exclaimed as she hurried back to the group. ’They just don’t stop appearing!’
Howard nodded grimly. ’She’s right. Those are the desperados.’
’Desperados?’ Rean and Roan exchanged confused looks. ’What exactly do you mean by that?’
Howard took a moment to explain, although he continued watching the entrance while he spoke.
’Every day, when the daylight reaches its peak, that enormous object covers the entire city. I think it’s an airship, although it might be some kind of enormous array. I’ve never managed to figure out exactly what it is. Regardless, its shadow lasts for approximately one hour. During that time, the temperature drops enough for cultivators to crawl around outside without being immediately burned alive.’
He paused, his expression growing increasingly serious. ’However, don’t think that makes it a good time to venture outside. Those who are already inside the buildings won’t leave their spots. They know what’s coming next.’
’That’s because the desperados will soon force their way inside, and there isn’t enough space for everyone. One hour. That’s how long the cover lasts before the light returns. Anyone left outside when that happens will be fried alive.’
Howard gave a bitter laugh. ’Well, I was one of them in the past, so I can’t exactly complain. Back then, I pushed plenty of cultivators out of buildings to secure a place for myself. That’s how things work here. If you want to survive, you have to secure a spot before someone else takes it from you.’
Roan narrowed his eyes. ’Where do they even come from? And why are they all appearing at the same time, precisely during this one-hour cover instead of the nighttime?’
’Influence,’ Howard answered bluntly. ’Do you have any idea how many cultivators want the opportunity to enter one of these hub cities? Unfortunately, there simply isn’t enough space to accommodate everyone. Count yourselves lucky that you arrived during nighttime. You might have pissed someone off, but at least they had enough influence to send you during nighttime.’
He gestured toward the crowded entrance. ’Those with sufficient influence are allowed to arrive during the night. That gives them time to prepare, learn about the environment, and secure a place before the daytime heat becomes unbearable. They can familiarize themselves with the rules without having to fight thousands of desperate cultivators just to find shelter.’
Howard then glanced around the shop. ’Take a good look at everyone inside. Do you notice how they’re watching one another? Nobody wants to be thrown out. Every single cultivator here knows that if they lose their spot, they might not get another chance to find shelter before the light returns.’
His expression turned slightly mocking. ’As for the vast majority of cultivators who want to enter these hub cities, they don’t have enough influence to arrange a nighttime arrival. They can only afford to come during the daily cover period. So, for the next hour, they’ll crawl into every available building and fight for whatever space they can find. This shop included.’
Howard looked directly at Rean and the others. ’I suppose I don’t need to explain why your group will definitely become a target, do I?’
His reasoning was straightforward. The twins’ group included Zone Gods and Law Gods, while the newcomers were all Region God Realm experts. Even if the difference in cultivation wasn’t enough to guarantee an easy victory, the desperados would naturally prefer to target those who appeared weaker. Why risk fighting another Region God when they could first eliminate a group of supposedly weaker cultivators?
Roan, however, would have shown a cold smile if he could. ’Is that so? Then it won’t be a problem.’
Howard stared at him in confusion. The sudden confidence seemed completely out of place, considering that Roan could barely move. However, before he could ask what Roan meant, the first wave of desperados reached the entrance.
*Huf, huf, huf, huf, huf, huf, huf...*
Cultivators began crawling into the shop in droves, pushing and shoving their way inside. There were so many of them that some were practically crawling over one another, desperate to reach a safe position before anyone else could claim it.
"Get out of my way!"
"Fuck you! Do you think I’m just going to step aside?!"
"Stop arguing and get inside already! You can fight once we are there!"
"There they are! The holders!"
The last shout was directed at the cultivators who had already secured places inside the buildings. Holders was the term used for those who had arrived earlier or had managed to survive the previous chaos from other days and keep their spots. They were the ones the desperados needed to displace if they wanted to secure shelter for themselves.
If not for the stakes involved, the scene might have been comical. Cultivators who would ordinarily command respect in their respective regions were crawling like worms, pushing one another aside and hurling insults while struggling to advance a few meters.
Some tried to squeeze through gaps that were far too narrow, while others attempted to climb over those blocking their way, only to be dragged back down by equally desperate rivals.
Within moments, the shop descended into chaos.
Surprisingly, none of the items displayed on the shelves were knocked over. Rean soon realized why. Some kind of protective array had activated when the daylight arrived, and it remained in operation even now. The shelves and merchandise were protected by an invisible barrier, ensuring that the desperate struggle for shelter wouldn’t damage anything inside the shop.
Apparently, Granfel’s buildings were designed to withstand precisely this kind of chaos. The cultivators could fight, shove, and crawl over one another as much as they wanted, but everything else would remain untouched.
Howard was fighting for his own space as well. Despite his earlier complaints, he seemed quite experienced at defending his position without getting too close to the entrance. He shoved away anyone who tried to crawl into his spot, occasionally using the surrounding cultivators as obstacles to prevent others from advancing. His movements were slow and awkward under the Godly Pressure, but his experience made up for the lack of speed.
He had undoubtedly been here for a while.
Yet, amid all the chaos, one peculiar detail soon caught his attention.
No one seemed interested in pushing a ’certain bunch’ of the shop.
Not a single desperado had even attempted to approach them. While the other holders were being challenged from every direction, the twins’ group remained untouched, as though the newcomers had collectively decided to pretend they didn’t exist. In fact, the cultivators were keep a meter or so of distance from them.
They were being completely ignored!