Chapter 59

After Zhao Junyu finished speaking, Wu Xiaode and Xiao Baihong were silent for a moment.

"What did you just read?" Wu Xiaode asked.

"Every midnight at twelve, you all will go to another world. This is the legend of the Heavenly Ladder in that world," Zhao Junyu said.

"But why does our world have the Heavenly Ladder?" Wu Xiaode asked, spreading his hands.

"That's unknown, as the information is very limited," Zhao Junyu replied.

"Can it really summon so-called gods?" Xiao Baihong asked.

"There are no related historical records in the other world, but I think it's unlikely. After all, just to accumulate power for the Heavenly Ladder, countless lives are needed as sacrifices, let alone to awaken it," Zhao Junyu said.

He continued, "According to the latest intelligence, it is said that the requirements for using the Heavenly Ladder are very high. If it is fully charged, it would require at least a million lives."

"What's going on? I feel like things are getting worse and worse in this era," Wu Xiaode sighed.

Xiao Baihong finished his noodles, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and handed one to Wu Xiaode.

"Wu, I have a lead. Let's go and investigate another place," he said seriously.

Wu Xiaode had just finished eating and was stunned for a moment before reacting.

"Ah... Okay! Let's go!"

He took the napkin, wiped his mouth, patted Zhao Junyu on the shoulder, and said, "We'll leave first, talk later."

"Alright, go ahead if you have something to do," Zhao Junyu said.

Wu Xiaode nodded and quickly left with Xiao Baihong.

Zhao Junyu finished his noodles, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Sir, that's 58 yuan!"

The waitress called out from behind him.

Zhao Junyu stopped, a knowing smile on his face.

Here it comes!

Sure enough, it came!

He had noticed that the waitress had been frequently looking at him, as if observing when he would finish his noodles.

She must have something to say to him.

Ah, this is the charm of a man—

There's no way around it!

Zhao Junyu smiled and said, "Miss, the price of this bowl of noodles on the menu is not high, only 12 yuan. Asking for 58 yuan is not a good way to start a conversation."

The waitress replied coldly, "Sir, this is the cost of three bowls of noodles and three drinks. If you really have difficulty, I can call the police. What do you think?"

Zhao Junyu was taken aback.

He turned his head and glanced at the two empty bowls on the table next to him.

...I see.

"Being Awakened, and still caring about a bowl of noodles... you guys are really immature," he muttered helplessly.

...

10 PM.

It was already dark.

Wu Xiaode arrived at the Fifth High School in the southern part of the city and was surprised to find that it was the abandoned school where he first met Ya.

This area was reportedly scheduled for demolition.

The original high school had moved to a newly constructed campus, and these old buildings had not yet been demolished, so they were temporarily abandoned.

People arrived one after another.

Wu Xiaode looked around and noticed that several people were missing compared to the last video.

There were only six people in total.

A woman wearing a white mask stood on the balcony, carrying a long white bow and a quiver of red-feathered arrows, looking up at the moon in the sky.

The others seemed to regard her as the leader.

—She must be the club owner, her codename is Captain.

Xiao Baihong still held a black umbrella and wore a wide-brimmed hat, standing with a smile next to Captain.

His nickname was Bartender.

A tall, thin young man wearing a baseball cap was called Gunman.

There were two identical twin brothers, both muscular and wearing gold chains around their necks. One was nicknamed Eagle, and the other was Falcon.

"Let's start with a small matter," Captain said, and everyone fell silent, listening intently.

"The Imperial Royal Family... hopes that we all debut, using the identity of artists from the 'Wude Entertainment Company' as a cover to handle abnormal events across the country."

"Please watch a video."

Captain opened her phone and played it.

Wu Xiaode immediately recognized a familiar person.

Qian Mingkui.

He had just awakened his soul power and become an Awakened.

Several men in black suits placed a contract on the table and said respectfully, "Mr. Qian, please sign this artist contract."

"Really, 20,000 yuan a month?" Qian Mingkui asked nervously.

"Of course. You said you only have 1 point of soul power, so according to the corresponding standard, you get 20,000 yuan a month for doing nothing," the man in black explained patiently. "But if any abnormal events occur, please handle them as an artist. We will assist on-site to ensure that everyone believes it's a film shoot, maintaining stability in the ordinary world."

"Actually, our sect has another protector, Wu Xiaode," Qian Mingkui said.

Wu Xiaode silently praised him in his heart.

Old Qian is still good, he remembers his roots, and he's reliable!

"He is the company's first artist, personally signed by the Emperor," the man in black said.

"He has already signed? Alright, I'll sign!"

Qian Mingkui signed his name on the document without hesitation.

The video ended.

Captain put away her phone and said calmly,

"Everyone can share their thoughts."

After Captain spoke, everyone's faces showed a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Wu Xiaode became the focus.

He smiled at everyone and said, "Sorry, sorry. If it causes any inconvenience, you can refuse."

"20,000 yuan a month?" Xiao Baihong waved his umbrella impatiently and asked sharply, "Are we also doing live streams? I'm an assassin, a killer in the shadows, and I can't easily show my face."

"That's right. We are tough, with weapons for killing. How can we let others see us?" Gunman adjusted his sunglasses and said.

Before anyone else could speak, Captain said, "We S-class club members are all experts with over 10 points of soul power, so our treatment is different."

"Each person gets a guaranteed annual salary of 100 million yuan, a choice of one item from the imperial treasury, free meals nationwide, and additional compensation for each live stream, with all tips going to us."

Xiao Baihong's face showed serious contemplation.

Gunman's expression also became solemn.

"Life needs a stage," Xiao Baihong swung his umbrella in a graceful arc.

"Right, without a stage, how can we showcase our talents?" Gunman drew his pistols and twirled them.

Everyone rolled their eyes at them.

"Alright, let's discuss this when we return. Now, let's talk about the main issue."

"Last night, we lost nearly half of our members," Captain said.

Her voice was a bit hoarse and low, but it had a strange effect, making people quickly calm down.

"How could this happen? I was lucky to be on an island last night, where I safely passed the time," Xiao Baihong said.

Captain extended her left hand, pressing her thumb against her middle finger, forming a seal.

Buzz—

In the void behind her, a cluster of star-like shadows gradually appeared.

Wu Xiaode noticed that the others were all focused, seemingly very impressed by Captain's move.

The stars rose, fell, and roamed in the void, with some gradually dimming and eventually vanishing.

"Six stars, representing six lives that have been lost," Captain said.

Everyone was somber.

"Given the increasingly dangerous situation, I will briefly summarize the information about the other world. Listen carefully."

"Actually, we have only been awakened and in contact with that world for a few months."

"Every time we go there, we must quickly kill monsters to return safely."

"But this time, I discovered a secret."

Everyone looked at her, and Captain paused before continuing,

"Last night at midnight, I received a message in the other world."

"A 'god' has descended to the human world."

"The direct consequence of this is that the other world has begun to move towards complete destruction."

"What does this 'god' look like?" Xiao Baihong asked.

"Don't be curious—legend says that the 'god' can sense human longing and directly descend into the human spiritual world," Captain said calmly.

Wu Xiaode's heart skipped a beat, recalling what he had seen in the church.

"So many professionals died last night," Eagle deduced.

"Yes," Captain nodded, "not just us, but other major teams have also suffered heavy losses."

Everyone exchanged glances, feeling a sense of shared sorrow.

Captain looked around and said solemnly, "Actually, tonight is even more dangerous."

"Captain, what will happen tonight?" Xiao Baihong asked.

"Tonight, many humans will surrender and voluntarily transform into monsters, making the remaining humans even more endangered—this is just the beginning. As for what comes next, I can't predict it."

As she spoke, she looked at everyone, her tone becoming increasingly serious,

"Members, this is a critical moment."

"Now, I ask you, do you want to gather together for a group battle tonight, or continue to fight individually?"