Chapter 269: Imperial Ranking War: Horrible Stench

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The world outside the rock had turned terrible and completely inhabitable...again.

There’s no need to go that far away from the rock to really see that; just going near the shores of the river was enough.

It was only thanks to the formations that Ren installed to the rock and the river, by extension, that the waters were still clean. If he hadn’t done that, this whole river might as well be a septic tank at this point, and having something like that surround the base would’ve been a disgusting nightmare.

But beyond the range of his formations, though? The world was fucked in more ways than one.

The nearby forest has turned into a pile of hot garbage. The trees, flowers, grass, and the very soil itself had turned into something else entirely, something disgusting, vile, and hostile to living beings.

The pollution didn’t just make everything smell bad and disgusting; it also twisted them, filling them with rot and decay. Monsters, specifically, had it the worst, because they couldn’t stop it; they could only change in a way that would allow them to continue surviving.

Whatever magic this secret realm has that made monsters evolve and adapt to the changes in this place must be working overtime.

It only got worse near the end, because as calamities in the realm go, of course it will...

Once again, the whole team stayed inside the rock, not going out for any reason at all. Whatever happens outside stays there; none of it could touch them inside the rock.

But just as everybody was waiting for the pollution to go away once the event ended, with them being prepared to put it all behind them permanently and never think about it again, the system threw them a curveball that none of them were expecting...

[Alert! Nuclear Fallout Calamity will begin in less than twelve hours.]

[Everyone, please make your preparations.]

At first, nobody thought much of it. If anything, they just thought it was strange since the message was different from the last time.

Thankfully, Ren was with them, and he’s constantly vigilant. He didn’t allow them to simply ignore the system’s message.

"Something’s wrong. The system message is unusual."

"It didn’t congratulate us for surviving this calamity. It also didn’t give us the usual reminder that we will be exempted from the weekly crisis."

"More importantly, the pollution outside is still there. The realm hasn’t been restored at all!"

Those who heard that felt their hearts sinking to their stomachs.

Some bravely went outside of the rock to take a look, and to their horror, they discovered that he was right.

Not that they doubted him in the first place. They knew that this man sees farther than all of them combined and had no reason to lie to them, but still, seeing it for themselves brought a different kind of impact.

It made them feel worse.

"Everybody, return inside; we need to make preparations now!"

Ren didn’t waste time; they only had 12 hours before shit hits the fan. This is where things get more brutal in this secret realm.

"I feel like I don’t need to explain it, but I still would just like to paint the picture of what we should be expecting if my assumptions are correct."

"There was no reset. The world outside is still heavily polluted. That, along with the incoming nuclear fallout, will make our survival battle more complicated and difficult."

"Some of you might not understand what a nuclear fallout or radioactivity is. Some of you might’ve remembered it from history lessons back in prep schools but have already forgotten most of it because it’s been so long."

"Long story short, radioactivity is harmful to us humans. Yes, even to us martial artists. Exposure to such harmful elements will not only cause you to become physically ill, it will also affect your chakra."

"Unlike other harmful elements, resisting raw radioactivity in hopes that your martial physique and chakra will eventually adapt is a bad idea."

"The GMU had been studying this element for a long time now, and even after so long, they’ve yet to release any concrete solution. They remain in theory and experiments."

"Furthermore, let me remind you that we wouldn’t just be dealing with the nuclear fallout. The pollution is still there, and I think it will stay around until the end of the next month, possibly even longer."

Ren’s words brought no comfort to them. From his tone, even he wasn’t assured that they would continue to coast through this mess.

"The good news is that the filtering formation is still around," he declared. "It’s intact and working as intended. Radioactivity is a harmful substance; thus, the formation filters that off too, just like it does with pollution."

"Unknowingly, we have managed to set up and be slightly prepared for this calamity, too. Even though we couldn’t predict it."

It wasn’t much, at least in Ren’s opinion, but it’s certainly a relief. He did install these formations in preparation for these, and he knew that they were more sufficient.

In truth, it was more than just a tiny relief. It’s a massive relief for everybody in the team. Knowing that the formations will stop the harmful radiation that will soon devastate these lands was truly a blessing.

Once again, they were thankful for Ren’s paranoia.

"That said, we still have troubles. Mainly, hunting for food."

"We do have de-contamination rooms and procedures and places. It’s mutations of the monsters that I’m worried about."

"The pollution this month already made them terrible. Without being reset to their original forms before the radiation takes effect, too, we might have some problems at hand."

"Yes, our stockpile is still large. We’ve got more than enough to last us for the next month, but again, we’re playing for the long run here."

"I’m afraid that our hunting sessions must continue. I’ll think of a way to solve the problem of radioactive ingredients. Just make sure that everything you return from this day forward must go straight to the secured rooms first, not to our stockpile. We don’t want our old ones to be contaminated, either."

"Another thing. I learned something new recently that will help us for the following month, maybe more. I learned how to tattoo runic formations on people."

"Not permanently, mind you. Temporarily. Lasting for no less than 12 hours, and no more than 24. I’ve been working on it during the past couple of days, and now I’m confident that they will work as intended."

"They can be imprinted directly on your skin and in your clothes."

"The store sadly doesn’t have new items that are resistant to radioactivity, not even iodine pills or meds that could cure it."

"We’ll have to make do with what we have."

"I’ll only apply the runic formations to those who will go out hunting. But remember, just because you have these tattoos, it doesn’t mean that you’re invincible and that you can walk sideways in this realm."

"Remember, we might be dealing with both the pollution here and the nuclear fallout at the same time. Although I can make and use formations, I am not an expert. I have no certification, and I’m not a professional. I can’t guarantee your safety even with these."

"So don’t be too confident or too bold. Too much of that will kill you, and I can’t be held responsible for that."

"We have less than twelve hours left before we discover if the pollution will truly stay or not. I suggest you all get some rest and be prepared for the worst."

"That’s all, dismissed."

**

While the Heavenly Bronze Team awaits the incoming calamity, their competitors are still suffering.

Describing how they lived during these past couple of weeks could only be summarized in one word: miserable.

The pollution crept up on them.

At first, they scoffed at it. They didn’t think much of the event itself. They thought that, at worst, the sky will darken because of thick black smoke, and some areas will start smelling nasty.

They thought that so long as they stay away from those areas, they’ll be fine. They were even excited because this might be their chance to catch up with the Heavenly Bronze Team. They didn’t think that the realm would be so hostile that they’d be unable to hunt, like what happened during the two previous calamities.

They thought wrong.

They were so wrong.

By the time they realized it, it was already too late.

They had no choice but to swallow down food that smelled like shit and water that tasted like piss. Even their own saliva smelled and tasted bad.

And the smell...god, the smell that covered the entire realm...

It was all simply too much, so much so that some people decided to just die to wait out the end of it all. They were sick and tired of feeling and smelling disgusting.

Most of them returned by now, and they had no idea of what’s coming.

Most of them still think that the realm will reset again before the next calamity begins. Maybe it’s just a little late, but it will definitely happen.

Alas, they were being too hopeful.

This was a game about survival, after all. Survival first, war second.

They were unprepared for how bad the next month was going to be.