Skill Extraction: Exploring Dungeons

Chapter 986 - 856: Patrol Fortress

"This is the recruitment site for the patrol team."

Miraste said and queued up at the end with Kane and the others.

With so many explorers gathered here, mutual exchange was inevitable.

"Hawa was severely injured by the attackers a few days ago. It’s said it might take decades for him to recover."

"But I heard he managed to take down the one who attacked him. Is that true?"

"It’s true. When the rescue team arrived, they saw the body lying next to him. After identification, it was indeed one of those external spies."

Various messages were clearly relayed to their ears.

During this period, almost all the information was about those spies and attackers.

After listening for a while, it became clear that the number of attackers had not diminished at all.

Instead, they seemed to be intensifying.

Seeing the confusion on Kane’s face, Miraste, who always had an ear for news, said beside him.

"Although many people have joined the patrol team recently, I’ve heard those outside spies have formed a simple alliance.

This has made their attacks more organized, allowing many attackers to pass through the defense line and reach beyond the mist."

Hearing Miraste’s words, Longbei curiously asked, "Form an alliance? Weren’t those spies all in cahoots before?"

Miraste shook his head: "These spies come from all over the star realm, possibly individual evil gods, a race, or even large evil god forces.

They were all attracted here by the fluctuations of the mist and didn’t necessarily know each other beforehand, so, of course, they weren’t allies. It’s said they used to fight among themselves."

Understanding the explanation, Kane nodded.

This is equivalent to the mist being a store with invaluable treasures now.

Many thieves and robbers have set their sights on this shop.

Everyone’s idea is to snatch a bit; how could they get along with other robbers in such a situation?

You took more, didn’t I get less? If you take what’s easy to snatch, wouldn’t I have to go after the hard-to-get wealth?

Tripping each other up would be quite normal.

But perhaps due to the defense system and the increase in guards of this shop, these robbers and thieves found that independent actions were getting difficult to break through.

Some found it tough to breach the line formed by the defense system and guards, possibly backing down after realizing the difficulty, but they are the minority.

Under such circumstances, most spies had to form some loosely-knit alliances.

Though these are loose alliances, they at least make their attacks more organized.

Relying on their numbers, they actually have an advantage.

Bringing a world to its ruin should be what they’re aiming for.

Otherwise, where did all those world fragments come from? Isn’t it because there are countless deranged evil gods in the star realm?

"But the only comforting thing might be that those attackers who could get beyond the mist are at most at the tri-color level."

They can pass through various loopholes and strong concealment effects to reach beyond the mist.

But at the penta-color level, the fluctuations they emit alone are insufficient to conceal themselves perfectly, making it very hard to break through.

Unless the defense line in a particular area collapses, providing a chance for penta-color level beings to rush beyond the mist and cause havoc.

As they chatted casually, it was finally their turn.

"Haha, you’re here."

Orochi’s voice rang out, and they looked up.

At that moment, Orochi was fully armored, looking much more serious than during the secret council meeting.

They instinctively wanted to exchange pleasantries a bit, but remembering the situation, they held back.

After all, there were others waiting behind them.

Orochi understood the situation too, so he simply greeted them and said.

"Just stamp your mark on this document."

The so-called mark is that which appears once someone ascends to godhood, representing them.

In terms of other worlds, it’s akin to their divine emblem.

If someone built a church for them, this mark might very well appear in its writings.

Kane pointed a bit of magic power, stamping it on the document.

He had already glanced through it, a simple statement of rewards, contributions, and obligations.

All within reasonable bounds, and there’s no hindrance to opting out.

On the document appeared an emblem of a lantern.

Miraste had a simple mark of an elf singing.

Kreya’s mark was a centaur’s forebody rearing, wrapped in black and white flames.

Longbei’s was lightning around a hammer and shield.

Meizike’s was a hand holding a dropper.

Lily’s was exceedingly complex, directly sketching a dreamlike castle.

Seeing this castle, Orochi gave Lily a curious glance.

After all, marks can roughly but clearly indicate someone’s power.

Like Longbei’s, it’s easy to understand it involves electricity.

As for the shield hammer, it symbolizes too much — could be weapons, could be a family crest, etc.

Some might be like Kane’s, something completely inexplicable, similar to Lily’s.

Once everyone had stamped their marks, Orochi said, "Wait for me inside, and I’ll take you personally once all these people are done."

Upon hearing Orochi’s words, the few people nodded.

Then they sat up in the chairs in the room, occasionally chatting with each other, while the people who came in afterwards did not wait in the room but instead rushed directly out of the room.

Miraste watched this scene and said, "This might be the exit leading to the outer defense line."

Not long after, Orochi walked in.

And he was replaced by another unknown person.

"You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you? I’ve assigned you to my patrol team; Lilith is in the team as well."

As he spoke, he glanced at Kreya beside Kane.

"So you’re Kane’s teammates, truly an exceptional group of young people."

"Not at all, you flatter us."

After a brief introduction, Orochi led them towards the back of the house.

At the very back of the house, there was not a wall but a spiral, vortex-like white mist.

Beside the white mist were two guards; just a glance could reveal their strength, roughly two-tiered skills and rainbow level.

This entrance seems very important.

Because Kane faintly sensed there was a five-tiered powerhouse on the second floor of this building.

Orochi began to introduce everyone: "Through this gate, you’ll reach the outer perimeter defense line."

Saying that, he took the lead inside, and everyone followed immediately.

Entering the vortex white mist, there were no other sensations.

But when they stepped out, the entire scene changed dramatically.

Afterwards, everyone looked at the so-called outer defense line.

Where they were, the surroundings were still white mist, but visibility was high; although the white mist pervaded the area, it didn’t affect their vision at all.

However, the white mist didn’t extend all the way out.

About one or two kilometers away, one could clearly see outside as a starlit place.

There was no splendid Star River, just darkness, with twinkling stars dotted throughout.

Able to see not far ahead, large luminous objects hanging in the starry sky.

Some were spherical, some conical, or other strange shapes.

Orochi stood beside them without disturbing.

After waiting for a while, he began to introduce.

"Here is the very outer edge of the world, still belonging to outside the mist. You will feel that to move within the white mist, you still need to use synesthesia."

This point they indeed felt, still stepping on the Path of the Formless.

But the consumption of synesthesia was noticeably reduced.

Simply calculating, they could maintain synesthesia here for possibly 2~3 months.

Orochi’s voice sounded again: "The degree of synesthesia consumption here is weakened, still chaotic but not severely, with a certain degree of control."

"Here, if those peeping trash dare to come over, they’ll face the consequences of spatial chaos, tantamount to stepping into our main battlefield, so fighting within the white mist gives us a great advantage."

He looked ahead into the distance: "Beyond there lies outside the world; stepping out is the starry sky."

At this time, he led Kane and the others away from continuing forward, instead heading to the side.

Soon, he led them to a cluster of buildings.

The building cluster was constructed like a fortress, layered together.

Appearing somewhat abstract and strange.

Due to slight spatial chaos, these stone fortresses layered together did not conform to the rules of the normal world.

There were evidently a lot more people here.

All kinds of Explorers, equipped, coming and going.

Many had fresh blood on them.

At this time, an Explorer could be seen being carried on a stretcher, quickly transported from somewhere.

Though the building cluster spanned a limited area, visually, about several hundred colorful Explorers gathered here.

These Explorers grouped in threes and fives, each doing their own things.

"This is the patrol fortress in the East District; the outer patrol area is divided into four directions: southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest, and this is the East District where I’m in charge."

"Captain Orochi."

Some Explorers passing by politely greeted Orochi.

Orochi nodded in response.

Leading them further forward, through a section, Orochi introduced: "See those three Teleportation Gates? They’re the gates respectively to the other three areas."

Everyone looked; there were three massive gates approximately six to seven meters high, three to four meters wide, in the middle of which was still the spiral white mist.

Traversing the path in this manner, they arrived inside a stone building.

Upon entering, a short figure like a child was seen.

"Kane, Elf!"

This was Archie’s voice.

Hearing Archie’s call, Miraste helplessly rubbed his forehead: "It’s Miraste. Why can’t you ever remember my name? Am I that unimportant?"

Miraste’s tone was filled with helplessness.

Seeing Archie, it seemed quite a few from the Secret Council had already arrived.

It’s possible they were the last batch.