Chapter 76: The Mystery Beyond the Wall

The three of them prepared their equipment and then set out to enter the first layer outside the Wall, the Exile Forest. "Exile" wasn’t a name chosen at random. Back when humans had just occupied the Fourth Ring and resources were still insufficient, there was no death penalty, only exile for crimes. This forest was the only fixed area outside the Wall, the only one that didn’t change with the rotation of the Circular. Every exile had to pass through here to truly reach beyond the Wall, hence it was named the Exile Forest. If an exile could return alive and bring back useful information from beyond the Wall, their sentence could be reduced or even annulled. There were many criminals in the Wasteland Alliance, so this served as an incentive policy, which was only stopped by the Alliance Constitution over fifty years ago. But the name Exile Forest has been passed down ever since. Lu Luo led the way, Qi Xinzhu at the rear, with a marksman like Gu Fangyi in the middle. Lu Luo didn’t use the Wraith Blade to clear the path. The repair cost for such a finely-made weapon was too high, and he couldn’t afford it. Fortunately, he had prepared a sturdy machete. Although cheap, it was quite robust, and he didn’t care about equipment wear and tear at all because he possessed the Fusioner ability. "Sharpen." [1 point of energy has been consumed to alter the machete: Machete - Sharpened.] Lu Luo kept advancing into the forest, chopping down the dense vegetation in front of him. The process was monotonous and tedious. Moreover, the world outside the Wall was nothing like the exciting tales of treasure found everywhere in various adventure stories from within the Wall. Lu Luo hadn’t encountered a situation with a Spirit Herb every three steps or a Dark Spirit Stone every five steps. As the only fixed area, the Exile Forest had been explored by countless people. It was extremely difficult to find anything overlooked here. Lu Luo’s Constitution had reached 10 points, which, combined with the damage reduction effect of his tenacity, provided astonishing defense. Even so, the fuzzy leaves, thorny branches, and insect bites constantly bothered Lu Luo. They made his skin itch and ache intermittently. Of course, this was also related to Lu Luo’s pace. Despite being a small team of three, he moved very quickly—at least twice the speed of a normal team. With his incredibly high Constitution, he made no attempt to conserve stamina, cutting down as much vegetation as he could to clear enough space for Gu Fangyi. After all, Gu Fangyi’s physical fitness was much lower than his own. Thus, the three of them continued through this seemingly directionless forest for almost an hour, relying solely on the Observer for accurate directions. It was then that the Observer finally sent out a reminder. [The largest fruit tree ahead bears fruit of an unknown kind, but there is a 98% chance that the fresh mushrooms on that tree are Flash Mushrooms. According to the Pharmacist’s Manual, this type of herb is worth about 2,900 per pound, making it a rather valuable herb.] There really were herbs? And quite expensive ones, at that. This stroke of luck was a bit surprising. "There are some Flash Mushrooms over there. I’m going to pick them." Lu Luo’s sudden announcement made Qi Xinzhu even more puzzled. In such a complex environment, as the one opening the path, Lu Luo not only had to remain vigilant and clear vegetation but also scout ahead. Their marching speed was already more than double that of a normal team. And yet, Lu Luo still had time to observe his surroundings and gather herbs? How did he manage that? "Then be careful." "Got it." Lu Luo packed the Flash Mushrooms into a plastic bag and put them in his backpack. There were three mushrooms in total, weighing about a pound. Such a small packet was worth 4,000 dollars, instantly energizing Lu Luo, whose journey had become somewhat tedious. The phrase ’picking up money in sacks outside the Wall’ really wasn’t wrong. Lu Luo was starting to believe it. Just as he was about to turn away, the Observer gave an urgent warning. [There is a snake on the tree, a First Tier animal species, the Green Phosphor Snake. It’s not very powerful, but it’s highly venomous. Quick, dodge!] Two streams of venom sprayed from the Green Phosphor Snake’s mouth like water jets, SIZZLING as the poison fell on the leaves. Fortunately, Lu Luo dodged. Such a close-range poison spray was truly dangerous. BANG! BANG! BANG! Lu Luo raised his gun and fired, but the Green Phosphor Snake had already taken advantage of the dense underbrush to slip deep into the forest. Lu Luo put away his gun, showing no intention of pursuit, as the environment here was not suited for chasing. This forest has been explored so many times, yet it still harbors dangers. Lu Luo understood why the Exile Forest, despite countless explorations, remained so densely overgrown and seemingly without paths. The Dark Energy here was simply too dense. Plants grew too quickly and, with no natural enemies, could recover in a matter of days even after extensive damage. This thick layer of the Exile Forest probably served as the first true barrier outside the Wall. "Lu Luo, are you alright?" "I’m fine, let’s keep moving." Their advance was not halted by this incident, as the trio once again set out on the jungle path. After pushing aside the last of the trees, a cluster of buildings appeared before the three. Their architectural style was clearly incongruous with anything found within the Wall. Aside from descriptions in books, Gu Fangyi and Qi Xinzhu had no recollection of buildings in such a style. Only Lu Luo stared fixedly at this area, somewhat lost in thought, as it greatly resembled something from his past life. "This place really has an ancient charm!" It resembled a district from a third- or fourth-tier city, with high-rises, though not too many, and other densely packed buildings mostly six to seven stories tall. There were roads, with the green belts beside them now hosting some mutated flora, some sprawling on the ground, others clambering up the tall buildings. Some buildings were in ruins, some entangled in vines, while others remained perfectly intact. Signs like "Fifi Supermarket" and "Radiance Bank" appeared on these buildings, exuding a sense of a past era. "This cluster of buildings isn’t marked in the Hunter’s Manual either. Has the Circular shifted to a new zone again?!" Gu Fangyi held the Hunter’s Manual, carefully comparing the area with those shown in the guide. It was well known that the world beyond the Wasteland was constantly shifting. It rotated at least once a year, but sometimes it shifted suddenly without any warning. Although described as "shifting," these areas didn’t arrange themselves in a regular pattern like a kaleidoscope or a rotating disk. Each time, random areas would appear. Each of the four sectors of the Fourth Ring corresponded to three regions beyond the Wall. In other words, twelve regions beyond the Wall would appear each year. Humans had occupied the Fourth Ring for 140 years. To date, 97 regions beyond the Wall had been discovered there, classified into five grades. Of these, there were four Grade S regions, nineteen Grade A regions, twenty-five Grade B regions, thirty-seven Grade C regions, and twelve Grade D regions. The grade classification was straightforward: Grade D areas were safe zones where no Lords of Fifth Tier or above had been discovered—though this was only because none had been found *yet*. Grade C areas had no Exotic Species beyond the Sixth Tier; Grade B, none beyond the Seventh Tier; Grade A, none beyond the Eighth Order; and Grade S regions were confirmed to possess Eighth Order Exotic Species. This represented all of humanity’s exploration of the world beyond the Wall over the past 140 years. This was unlike the Church and the Council, which had managed to conquer the Fourth Ring in the short span of just sixty years. Exploration beyond the Fourth Ring’s Wall was hampered. Because the Fifth High Wall had not been discovered, it couldn’t be confirmed if these areas were part of the Fifth Ring Zone. This uncertainty had virtually dragged humanity into a quagmire. With each Outburst of Exotic Species, scores of ordinary people from the Fourth Ring died. In 140 years, humans hadn’t even completely explored all the regions beyond the Wall. Moreover, they were still unable to deal with powerful beings like Eighth Order Exotic Species, which remained beyond their current capabilities. Hearing Gu Fangyi’s words, Qi Xinzhu’s expression also turned grave; the unknown very likely meant danger. "If it’s a new area, that is indeed rather concerning." Lu Luo did not jump to conclusions. After carefully scanning the surroundings, the Observer provided him with accurate intelligence. [After investigation, a previous adventurer’s manual recorded this cluster of buildings, so the area is known. Preliminary judgment suggests this is Area C-13. The highest-grade Exotic Species previously recorded here were the Fifth Tier Child-Mother Aqualemon and the Toxicult Raven. Although this isn’t deep into the regions beyond the Wall, there’s still a small chance that dangerous Exotic Species may appear. Please, Host, remain on alert.]