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墨書 Inktalez
Jia Jia had no idea how many alleyways and bustling streets he had passed through; he simply kept running towards the magnificent lighthouse that shone like the sun.
When he finally arrived, panting and drenched in sweat, at the foot of the splendid and sacred lighthouse, he found it surrounded by military barricades, with protective barbed wire strung up and several armored vehicles stationed outside. A few watchtowers loomed ominously, making it clear that this was not a place to approach lightly.
A sign hung on the main gate, declaring: Military Restricted Area, No Entry Allowed.
This lighthouse served as a fortress guarding Turtle Island and the surrounding civilian areas, as well as a barrier for the Free Federation's territory.
Compared to other lighthouses within the Free Federation, this one appeared quite young, having only a history of several decades. It had only reached a height of two hundred meters.
The lighthouse bore a special name: 'Neon.'
Its most glorious achievement was withstanding a major Tide storm. The General-level guard unit known as the Neon Squad became famous for their defense of this lighthouse, but the fierce battle cost three-quarters of their members their lives. Thus, the lighthouse was renamed 'Neon' in honor of those heroes who sacrificed themselves to protect the Free Federation's homeland.
The current overseer of this lighthouse was naturally the Lighthouse Council of the Free Federation. Both the Lighthouse Council and the Fate Alliance of the Free Federation emerged as products of this era. However, members of the Lighthouse Association were composed of guards from each lighthouse. While nominally under the management of the Free Federation, they held significant autonomy in operating their lighthouses.
For instance, lighthouses would periodically open their doors to certain Fusers who had made special contributions or exhibited exceptional abilities for training purposes. They could also facilitate exchanges for rare materials, but these required sufficient sacrificial offerings. Such offerings typically included rare materials like the Swallowing Star Eye from Giant Star Beasts, Ravishing Hearts from Lava Flying Beasts, or Ice Silk Spirit Silkworms—any sufficiently rare species could serve as sacrificial items for exchange at the lighthouse.
To make a sacrifice, one had to have their offerings certified by an administrator from the Lighthouse Association before being allowed entry.
Thus, it was incredibly difficult for ordinary people to approach the lighthouse. After all, fully armed soldiers were stationed at the entrance to check those permitted to enter. Jia Jia looked up at the towering structure that reached nearly a hundred meters high and clutched tightly to his Metal Box, lowering his head as he followed behind a group entering.
A sentry was inspecting individuals as they approached. Among those in line was a hunched man who suddenly shouted out.
"What are you doing? I want to go in and make a sacrifice!"
"Get down on your knees!" The soldier immediately raised his weapon at him.
"Hahaha..." The disheveled man appeared quite unkempt and erratic; he had been acting strangely since joining the queue. Now, confronted by the guard pointing a weapon at him, he became wild-eyed and menacingly stared back at his accuser.
"You are all the scum of this society! You all deserve to die!" He cursed the people before him with venomous rage, "If it weren't for you, my wife wouldn't have died! Damn the Lighthouse Association! I will take you all down with me!" The man roared, tearing off his clothes, causing those in line behind him to recoil in shock. His emaciated body was wrapped in two layers of homemade explosives.
Without hesitation, he pulled the fuse and lunged toward the guards surrounding the lighthouse.
"Die!"
He spread his arms, ready to charge at the soldiers, but a powerful force suddenly lifted him off the ground.
"Acrylic Ball! Bind!"
In an instant, a translucent sphere made of energy encapsulated the crazed man. He thrashed and pounded against the solid, fortress-like Acrylic sphere, even attempting to remove the explosives from his body.
Yet the impenetrable sphere held him firmly inside, isolating his venomous curses and the burning fuse of his homemade bomb…
In the next moment, flames erupted within the translucent Acrylic energy ball, engulfing him and tearing him apart in the confined space. Scarlet mist and chunks of flesh mixed with fire and smoke churned violently inside.
Silently, only the gruesome scene remained.
Many onlookers turned away in disgust, unable to contain their nausea. Jia Jia watched in silence as the horrific spectacle unfolded.
The Acrylic energy ball soared into the sky, disappearing from sight. However, the crowd waiting for their turn to be sacrificed quickly regained their composure. The soldiers resumed their strict inspections of every visitor or potential sacrifice.
At the end of the line, on a platform beneath the lighthouse, a man stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Dressed in black armor, his tall figure exuded a cold indifference as he surveyed those waiting below. If anyone dared to act out of line or make any excessive moves, he would undoubtedly deal with them just as swiftly as he had moments ago.
"Do you see that man? He is Vice Captain Qin Zhan of the Neon Lighthouse," two people in front of Jia Jia whispered among themselves.
"Yeah, I’ve seen that guy before. I heard his wife fell gravely ill. He couldn't come up with any decent offerings and tried to force his way in several times before being thrown out."
"It seems to be a case of psychological imbalance, seeking revenge," many shook their heads, unable to suppress their regret. For ordinary people to oppose the Fuser was akin to striking a stone with an egg.
"Those in front, open your sacrificial items!" a sergeant shouted loudly, while a scholarly-looking appraiser stood nearby taking notes.
A shifty-eyed man in front opened a box and placed its contents on a platform. Immediately, two Metal Balls behind the Registrar separated and emitted beams of purple and green infrared light to scan the items inside the box.
"A Great Electric Mouse head! A primary sacrificial item, proceed inside, remember the left passage!" the Registrar recorded loudly, then retrieved a disposable Intermediate Hunting Area Pass from a ticket machine and handed him a pass.
The man happily ran toward the left door. After registering, he stepped onto the platform that led into the lighthouse, which had three doors: those identified as primary sacrificial items went through the left passage, intermediate sacrificial items took the middle one, and advanced sacrificial items went through the right.
As for top-tier sacrificial items, they would be guided through a special passage by a Lighthouse Priest from the Lighthouse Association.
Of course, those whose items were deemed unqualified were rejected. The person responsible for both appraising and registering was merciless; he showed no signs of leniency. When an elderly man trembled and even knelt down begging for mercy, he merely waved his hand indifferently, signaling soldiers to escort the kneeling old man away. It was clear he had witnessed such scenes far too often.
"Your turn," the Registrar said as he looked at Jia Jia. Jia Jia approached the appraisal table and opened her Metal Box.
The Metal Ball flew down, scanned around before swiftly ascending again. The Registrar looked at Jia Jia, who felt somewhat anxious as she gazed back at him.
After hesitating for a moment, the appraiser finally wrote down nonchalantly in his notebook: "Pain-Relieving Herb... primary sacrificial item, proceed inside, left passage."
He handed Jia Jia a sacrificial Intermediate Hunting Area Pass.
Jia Jia took the Intermediate Hunting Area Pass with a sense of relief and walked forward. However, halfway there, Qin Zhan suddenly appeared in front of her and reached out to stop her from proceeding with her sacrifice.
"Wait," Qin Zhan said expressionlessly. "'Pain-Relieving Herb' has been removed from the list of primary sacrificial items; the lighthouse no longer accepts it."
This news struck Jia Jia like a bolt from the blue as she stood there staring at Qin Zhan. This General had crushed all her hopes with just one sentence.
"Alright." The Registrar offered no rebuttal and waved his hand for the soldiers to escort Jia Jia off the platform.
However, when the soldier pushed him, Jia Jia stood firm, glaring angrily at Qin Zhan.
"Hmm?" Qin Zhan noticed the short young man staring at him with evident displeasure.
"On what grounds?" Jia Jia demanded, fixing his gaze on Qin Zhan.
"Because it’s no longer appropriate," Qin Zhan explained dismissively.
"No! I obtained the ticket first; you must allow me to make my sacrifice! This is the rule you set for the Lighthouse!" Jia Jia argued passionately. Those who passed the qualification assessment naturally had the right to enter the Lighthouse for their sacrifices.
Qin Zhan frowned as he regarded the young man. While the rules were indeed stated, the quality of sacrifices had to be controlled; otherwise, it would adversely affect the Lighthouse's energy progression. He glanced at the crowd below, all waiting for an explanation.
His expression darkened. This young man was putting him in a difficult position, and he felt a surge of anger rising within him. Coldly, he stated, "The Pain-Relieving Herb has been removed from the list of primary sacrificial items; the Lighthouse is not accepting it anymore."
"I don’t care! You didn’t inform us of this change before the assessment; that’s your own fault, not ours!" Jia Jia remained steadfast, showing no signs of backing down.
"You..." In front of so many people, Qin Zhan couldn’t afford to teach him a lesson. The young man had a valid point that made it difficult for him to suppress his anger without damaging the reputation of Neon Lighthouse.
"We don’t want it to be this way either; it’s just that the Lighthouse isn’t accepting it anymore. Do you understand?" Qin Zhan tried to explain while keeping his temper in check.
"That’s still your fault! On what basis can you cancel our eligibility for sacrifice with just one statement?" Jia Jia pressed on aggressively.
"You!" Qin Zhan glared at this unyielding young man and coldly warned him, "Don’t cause trouble here! If you come back next time, we can elevate your eligibility for sacrifice."
"I don’t need that! I want to make my sacrifice right now!" Jia Jia pushed past the guards without regard for Qin Zhan's authority and strode confidently toward the left entrance of the sacrificial Lighthouse.
Clack, clack—
Suddenly, all the guards aimed their weapons at him.
Jia Jia halted, drawing the dagger from his waist. The tense atmosphere made the people at the sacrificial site uneasy.
"I don't want to hurt you; it would be best if you walked out on your own," Qin Zhan's voice echoed from behind.
Jia Jia took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling erratically. The image of his mother’s face appeared before him. The low-grade sacrificial item he had painstakingly saved up for was easily dismissed by the other party. This was not just a slap in the face; it felt like a threat to his mother's life!
He only wanted to enter the lighthouse to make a sacrifice and obtain a purification potion. Such potions could only be acquired through sacrifices at the lighthouse, and the prices on the black market were exorbitantly high. Of course, this was merely a temporary solution, not a cure.
"Then let's see what you've got!" Jia Jia turned to face Qin Zhan, gripping two daggers in his hands. No matter what, he was not going to back down.
"Hmph." Qin Zhan scoffed coldly, looking at this ignorant mercenary who dared to provoke a General of the lighthouse. Was he seeking death?
Just as the tension in the standoff reached its peak, a voice broke through the atmosphere.
"Excuse me, excuse me!"
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