Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 480 - 478 Long Time No See

Uh!

Although it was just a simple greeting, Lu Yang felt as if he were suffocating at that moment.

That voice... Was it Lu Luo?

He subconsciously looked around. The changing room was spacious and bright, with no place to hide. Even the lockers they used for their clothes were small, not nearly big enough for someone to hide inside.

So...was that just an illusion?

"Maybe I’m just too tired from staying up late. I should go home and rest," Lu Yang thought. He didn’t know if this counted as comforting himself, but as he biked home, he constantly felt like someone was following him.

But he never spotted anyone.

"This feeling... it’s not right!"

After getting home, Lu Yang glanced behind him, then quickly entered his house. He slammed the door shut, secured it with three locks, and then pulled out his customized warblade.

He stared intently at the front door, his body equally taut and on alert.

This was the intuition of a Transcendent.

Someone was tailing him; he was sure of it.

He just didn’t know if this person following him would break down the door.

Your big brother is quite vigilant; it must not have been easy for him to cultivate back to the Fourth Tier.

Lu Luo was sitting on Lu Yang’s sofa, just watching his big brother remain on guard.

He wasn’t quite sure how to break the silence.

Looking around, he suddenly noticed a few unopened cans of beer on the coffee table.

Lu Luo casually picked up one of them.

POP!

The sound of the can opening reached Lu Yang’s ears.

Lu Yang turned around stiffly. Seeing Lu Luo drinking a beer, he wasn’t sure if he felt shocked or some other strange emotion.

"Lu Luo... did you really come to the Inner Ring?"

"Yeah, I really did. Came to see you. It’s been a few years, how have you been, Big Brother?"

Lu Luo raised the beer in his hand, then casually grabbed another can and tossed it to Lu Yang.

Caught off guard, Lu Yang fumbled with the beer for a moment before tossing his warblade aside.

GULP, GULP, GULP!

After they both chugged some beer, Lu Yang finally started to open up.

"You sneaky guy, following me secretly, huh? How on earth did you slip in?"

"Slip in? I walked in fair and square. What are you talking about?"

"Fair and square?"

"Didn’t I call out to you just now? I’ve been following you ever since. You just never noticed me. I didn’t even hide my presence. Can you really blame me for that?" Lu Luo said, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

But seeing Lu Luo’s expression, Lu Yang felt his anger rise.

"You seem pretty put out, huh?"

"Yeah, of course I feel put out when I’ve been wronged."

"Alright, we can’t continue this conversation until you clearly tell me how you got in."

A slight smile touched Lu Luo’s lips. Lu Yang was still plenty vigilant! Even in this reunion, he hadn’t lost his head. When faced with a situation he couldn’t explain or understand, he still knew to ask questions.

"You seem to have done well for yourself these past few years, Big Brother."

"I’m asking you a question. Are you going to answer or not?"

"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. What’s the rush?"

Lu Luo cleared his throat and extended a palm.

"Human vision is limited. In fact, not just vision—all five human senses are limited.

"Therefore, in addition to relying on their five senses, Transcendents also trust their intuition.

"Intuition is often referred to as the sixth sense, and as one’s strength grows, their sixth sense will gradually become stronger.

"Every Transcendent believes in their intuition; this has been a famous saying since ancient times.

"I personally agree with it very much.

"But when one’s strength is insufficient, their intuition can also be deceived.

"Just like now, Big Brother, don’t you think there’s nothing in my hand?"

Lu Yang looked at Lu Luo’s raised palm. Indeed, it appeared empty.

"There is indeed nothing. So, what’s your point?"

Then, Lu Luo pointed to the mirror in Lu Yang’s house.

Lu Yang followed Lu Luo’s finger and was shocked to see, in the mirror, Lu Luo engulfed by a dark purple flame. Especially the ball of fire in his hand, burning fiercely, as if it would consume the entire space within the mirror.

"This... How is this possible!"

"This is the deception of perception. I deceived your senses, making them believe that the world in the mirror is a terrifying one. So, you see a terrifying world. But in reality, nothing happened."

Lu Yang’s expression grew slightly complex as he listened. The theories Lu Luo was discussing were clearly not simple knowledge.

What kind of realm had he reached to understand so much?

Sixth Tier?

If Lu Luo had reached the Sixth Tier, he would be almost the youngest Sixth Tier in the history of the Wasteland Alliance. Only Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang might be comparable.

"Nothing happened in reality... Then the flame in your hand, is it fake?"

"Real or fake, who knows."

Lu Luo didn’t elaborate; there were too many intricacies involved. Lu Yang hadn’t yet reached the Fifth Tier and didn’t even quite understand the concept of a Domain. Telling him too much now would only affect his future cultivation and development.

"Alright, you’ve said more things I don’t understand. You really got me there, damn it."

"Hahaha, Big Brother, you’ve become much more humorous. I heard you’ve even started dating. How about it, want your little brother to give you some advice?"

"Cut it out. I don’t need your help with that kind of thing. But what about you? Why have you come to the Inner Ring?"

After chatting for a while, Lu Yang finally steered the conversation back on track.

He knew a little about Lu Luo’s situation; Lu Luo had apparently gone to the legendary world "outside." Though he didn’t know what this "outside" world was like, he imagined it must be a far more expansive place than the Wasteland Alliance. Only such a place could allow a young talent like Lu Luo to fully unleash his abilities, instead of being suppressed as in the Wasteland Alliance, where internal conflict could erupt at any moment.

"I told you, I came to see you. Aren’t you happy to see me?"

"If that were truly the case, I’d be very happy to see you. But I’m afraid it’s not."

Lu Yang’s words plunged the two brothers into a momentary silence.

Lu Luo didn’t argue, because his visit to the Inner Ring was indeed to gather intelligence for an upcoming assassination mission. Stopping by to see Lu Yang was just incidental.

"Big Brother, you’ve become much more perceptive."

"If I weren’t perceptive, I would have died long ago. I was originally a man of the Church. After joining the Council system, I’ve had to tread very carefully. You should understand that, right?"

"Don’t worry, Big Brother. My relationship with the Council is better than you think. Me and that... uh, that woman, what’s her name again? Uh..."

Lu Luo wanted to call out the woman’s name, but his mind was blank except for the image of her long legs and firm breasts; nothing else came to mind... Her name, especially, was completely gone...

"Has my memory gotten this bad?"

Actually, your memory isn’t bad. You can even roughly recall the length of her legs and the dimensions of her firm breasts. But not remembering her name? That’s quite outrageous.

"Quick, tell me!" Lu Luo was growing flustered.

Shi Tingyu.

"Right, right, right! I’m quite familiar with Shi Tingyu from your Council; she even had a thing for me. Unfortunately, as you know, I’m rather aloof and not one to simply go with the flow, so I didn’t stoop to relying on her generosity."

Lu Luo began to spout nonsense, making Lu Yang’s lips twitch.

However, Lu Yang was aware that there had been some connection between Shi Tingyu and Lu Luo. Lu Luo was a Peacemaker for the Council, a title they had bestowed upon him later. They held Lu Luo in high esteem, but unfortunately, Lu Luo was from the Fourth Ring. It was probably true that Shi Tingyu and Lu Luo knew each other.

"What does you knowing her have to do with me? Can you get her to help me get promoted and make a fortune?"

"Big Brother, you’ve become so pragmatic. The old you would never talk about promotions and wealth."

Lu Yang paused for a moment and then cautiously asked, "Is it that obvious? What was the old me like?"

"The old you was very idealistic. People who struggle for their ideals are always admirable."

"What’s the use of ideals? Ideals can’t buy a house."

"It seems Big Brother has ultimately been beaten down by reality."

"Heh!" Lu Yang chuckled bitterly. If he hadn’t truly fallen in love, why would he have abandoned his ideals?

"As for promotions and wealth, actually, I really could lend a hand."

Lu Luo hadn’t originally planned on contacting the Council because the Council itself was one of the Nightmare Demon’s targets.

To put it another way, Lu Xiaotian wanted to subvert the entire Doomsday Halo, create a new power structure, a new nation, a new government. That was her goal.

Therefore, under her objectives, both the Council and the Church were forces to be eradicated. Lu Xiaotian would never allow such powers to exist in the new order she intended to establish.

Lu Xiaotian was very capable and very determined.

With Judgment Chief Bai Qingshuang absent, the old Pope dead, and the Dawn Disc missing, the Church’s overall strength was severely diminished. It could be said that in terms of top-tier combat power, the Inner Ring was completely unable to contend with Lu Xiaotian anymore.

Lu Luo was almost certain that as long as Lu Xiaotian didn’t make some foolish mistake, her destruction of the Inner Ring was only a matter of time.

Now, letting Lu Yang try to advance through the Council’s system was like enlisting in the Nationalist army in 1949—a path leading to a dead end.

However, Lu Luo had another idea. An indirect approach, like becoming an infiltrator or something similar, didn’t seem out of the question...

What kind of spy is never discovered?

Naturally, it’s the one who doesn’t even know they’re a spy.

Lu Luo decided that Lu Yang, with his somewhat clueless demeanor, could be cultivated in that direction.

"After all, he’s my big brother. I can’t bear to see him jump into a pit of fire."

So you’re stuffing a time bomb into his bed?

Hearing Lu Luo say he could help with his job, ideas suddenly sparked in Lu Yang’s mind...

"Lu Luo, are you serious about the job promotion?"

Lu Luo was taken aback. He had just been wondering how to lure Lu Yang into his plan, and now Lu Yang had walked right into it.

Looking at his big brother, who wasn’t much older than him, Lu Luo remembered how Lu Yang used to work hard to support both him and Lu Yu. Lu Yang was truly irreproachable, at least as a big brother.

So, this favor, I’m definitely helping him with.

"Big Brother, you really seem to be in need of money!"

"Hey, hey, don’t just give me money directly. I can’t accept that. What I mean is, if you could help me out with my job..."

"Looks like Big Brother has really found someone he likes, otherwise he wouldn’t be so desperate."

"Yeah, I really like her a lot," Lu Yang said, his head bowed, lost in thought.

"Alright then, I’ll go talk to them for you tomorrow. I believe that long-legged... uh, I mean, Miss Shi Tingyu, will definitely listen to my suggestion."

Lu Yang fiddled with his fingers awkwardly.

"Lu Luo, if I could get promoted, could I reach the position of Battalion Chief?

"I’ve been a Squad Leader for over two years now, and many people who joined after me have already surpassed me!

"Even though I say it’s fine, I can’t help feeling a bit resentful inside.

"After all, I don’t think I’m inferior to them in terms of strength or ability.

"Sometimes, I even dream of being promoted to Battalion Chief, but when I wake up, it’s all back to square one.

"Sigh, let’s not talk about it."

Seeing Lu Yang’s nervous demeanor, Lu Luo was somewhat speechless.

Even his dreams are so constrained. This big brother of yours is in a sorry state.

"Don’t worry, Big Brother. Leave the job situation to me."

"Okay, I believe you!"

The two then reminisced for a long time, drinking until noon before Lu Yang finally lay down to rest.

Lu Luo closed the door for him and then looked towards the location of the Wasteland Alliance Council.

"The Council, huh? It’s really been a long time."

In her office, Shi Tingyu was processing a document.

Years had passed, and their younger generation had begun to steadily rise through the ranks. Some, like Shi Tingyu, had even reached high positions. She was now the Council’s Secretary-General. The title might sound ordinary, but it wielded immense actual power. Many important documents had to pass through her hands. It was a busy life, but Shi Tingyu greatly enjoyed the taste of power.

"Miss, what would you like for lunch?"

It was already 12 o’clock, and her assistant began to inquire about Shi Tingyu’s lunch preference.

Although the Inner Ring and Outer Ring were currently rife with conflict and opposition, trade continued as usual thanks to the coordination between Lu Luo and the Inner Ring Council. The reasoning was simple: everyone needed to eat. If the food supply and other necessities were completely cut off, a direct battle between the Inner Ring and Outer Ring would be inevitable.

Although Lu Xiaotian wished to unify the Wasteland Alliance, the time hadn’t been right before. The Inner Ring needed time to recover, and so did she; a few years ago, the Fourth Ring had been too weak, with hardly any capable fighters. In such circumstances, opting for temporary peace and engaging in private trade was naturally the best choice.

Therefore, even though prices in the Inner Ring had skyrocketed, the living conditions for those in power, like Shi Tingyu, hadn’t changed drastically.

"For lunch... let’s have hot pot. It’s been a long time."

"Hot pot?" The assistant recalled that this was something introduced by someone from the Outer Ring.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem."

Shi Tingyu stretched languidly. In this relatively private environment, she could freely display her figure, which also allowed someone hiding nearby to get a clear view.