Chapter 162 - 162: Battle Harvest, Heading to the Ancient Ruins (2)
Upon hearing this, I_Love_Black_Stockings couldn’t contain her joy and felt relieved. The pressure that had been building up inside her dissipated in an instant. With the disappearance of those territories, the biggest obstacle to her own territory’s development was eliminated. She not only regained her original resource points but also gained control over the resource points of the other players. Given time, she could convert those resources into combat power, and her strength would undoubtedly be several times stronger than before. This was not only a profitable venture but also a significant expansion opportunity. With these resources and population, she could potentially secure dominance over King Kong Island in the future.
However, as excitement surged within her, I_Love_Black_Stockings noticed Ji Chen’s scrutinizing gaze and immediately felt a chill run down her spine. In an instant, she pushed away the dangerously tempting thoughts from her mind. What was she thinking? Was she willing to risk everything? In this world, the law of the jungle prevailed, and those with strength could do as they pleased. The man before her had effortlessly destroyed those four players, and if she were to provoke him, he could just as easily take everything from her.
“These resources and population belong to you. I have no objections,” l_Love_ Black_Stockings quickly replied, her head lowered, unable to meet his gaze. She knew she had gone too far with her thoughts, and she didn’t want to lose everything by making a foolish move.
Ji Chen looked at her deeply, then nodded without saying anything further. He turned around and waved his hand, instructing his troops to start transporting the resources and population onto the ship. The harvest was quite substantial, with a rough estimate of thousands of various basic resources. After all, it was the combined resources of four territories, so rhe quantity was considerable. What pleased him the most was the population they had acquired, with over two thousand people. This number was nearly equivalent to the current population of the Crown of the Ocean. Such a large population would greatly supplement the labor force in the territories.
However, amidst his excitement, Ji Chen also had concerns about the rate of food consumption in the territories. They had only just achieved self-sufficiency, and bringing in two thousand more people would double the rate of food consumption. It was a mixed feeling.
Transporting such a large quantity of resources and population would take some time, so Ji Chen suggested to I_Love_Black_Stockings that they temporarily stay in her territory and leave with the troops once everything was transported. 1_Love_Black_Stockings didn’t refuse and readily agreed, promising to provide the best food and accommodation. Faced with such a powerful ally, she naturally wanted to please and hold onto him. Missing this opportunity would be a regret she couldn’t bear.
In the evening, 1_Love_Black_Stockings held a celebration party. The atmosphere was lively, and everyone enjoyed themselves. The next day, all the resources and population had been transported onto the ship. Ji Chen wasted no time and set off again with his troops. This time, their destination was the ancient ruins deep within the island.
“Big Boss Islander, the areas explored on King Kong Island so far are only the coastal regions and the outskirts of the central forest. The interior and core regions of the forest haven’t been explored yet. But one thing we know is that the deeper we go into the island, the more dangerous it becomes. There was a team of over ten players who ventured into the central area of the island, but only less than a tenth of them managed to escape. They said there are numerous high-level monster units in the depths of the forest, ranging from Tier 3 to Tier 4. Some even claimed to have seen Tier 5 advanced monster units… Although your strength is extraordinary, I still hope you’ll be careful.”
Before setting off, l_Love_Black_Stockings expressed her concerns with great sincerity. Ji Chen nodded, not refusing her goodwill.
“I understand. If I encounter unbeatable enemies, I will retreat,” Ji Chen assured her. “You can wait here. If you encounter any danger, you can call my fleet. It can provide long-range fire support.”
I_Love_Black_Stockings happily agreed. Seeing her joyful expression, Ji Chen didn’t linger any longer. He led his troops into the forest once again. They quickly arrived at the territory near the lake from the previous day. The grass by the lake emitted a foul odor from the decaying chunks of flesh. A large pack of hyenas was feasting on it, enjoying the unexpected food that had fallen from the sky. Crows perched on branches, their black pupils fixated on the rotting meat, hoping to get a share.
Ji Chen took out one of the ruins keys and activated it with a touch. A map projection appeared—a detailed map of King Kong Island. In the center of the island, a symbol of a towering tower was displayed.
Well, it seemed that the tower represented the ancient ruins. As long as they continued walking towards the center of the island, they would eventually reach it. Ji Chen nodded in approval and wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he led his troops forward, venturing into the quiet forest.
The morning sun was not too intense, as it was partially blocked by the dense foliage, allowing only a small portion to penetrate the canopy and cast dappled light on the forest floor. The serene atmosphere, coupled with the sound of their footsteps crunching on dried twigs and leaves, created a pleasant ambiance.
However, their peaceful journey didn’t last long as they began encountering groups of wild monsters along the way. The deeper they ventured into the forest, the more frequent and stronger these encounters became. The tier of the monsters gradually increased from Tier 1 to Tier 2, and soon Tier 3 monsters started appearing.
The escalating strength of the monsters didn’t hinder their progress. The roars of Naga warriors, the piercing sound of tridents slicing through the air, and the explosive bursts of water arrows resounded throughout the forest. Countless birds took flight, disturbed by the commotion. Along the way, they left behind numerous monster corpses.
This became another bloodbath, rivaling the previous day’s carnage. The beasts and crows of the forest would feast heartily once again. Killing so many wild monsters resulted in a substantial increase in their experience points. Within half a day, Ji Chen’s level rose from 15 to 16, bringing him closer to the milestone of level 20.
The levels of his heroes and units also steadily rose as they absorbed the experience gained from the battles. After a while, they arrived at the entrance of a narrow canyon. Looking up, they saw a towering rock wall that stretched for hundreds of meters. The wall emerged abruptly, encircling the central region of King Kong Island.
Monkeys couldn’t scale it, and even birds found it challenging to fly across. Ji Chen examined the projection of the map, which revealed only a few pathways that could pass through the rock wall. The canyon before them was one of those paths.
Their current position was not far from the ancient ruins, and they would reach their destination after passing through the canyon and traveling for another hour or two.
Observing the winding and treacherous canyon before him, Ji Chen had a hunch that the ancient ruins beyond held the answers he sought. Rather than a natural formation, it felt like a man-made construct. What kind of power could reshape such a large island?
Ji Chen gazed at the serpentine path through the canyon, flanked by towering cliffs on both sides. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that the ancient ruins behind the canyon might provide him with some answers..