Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 508 - 506: Showdown

It struggled in terror, trying to break free from Lu Luo’s grip. But Lu Luo’s strength was immense; even Exotic Species of the same level were unlikely to be able to compete with him.

CRACK!

The Eighth Order Exotic Species’s calf was forcibly twisted and broken by Lu Luo.

The Unicorn made a split-second decision, abandoning its own limb and escaping from Lu Luo’s hands. It glared at Lu Luo, full of hatred, as blood continually dripped from its severed leg. Such an injury, even for an Eighth Order Exotic Species, would require a tremendous cost to heal. There was no way it could not hate Lu Luo.

ROAR!

It let out another roar but didn’t notice the smile already forming on Lu Luo’s face.

The Unicorn sensed something was wrong. It looked at its wound and saw purple flames growing larger. The flames had ignited on its leg when Lu Luo had seized it previously. It had thought its own energy could easily snuff out the flames, but it hadn’t anticipated the insidious nature of these purple flames. Its energy was utterly unable to suppress them, and there was even a risk of being devoured by them.

"Today, you’re going to die!"

Lu Luo’s figure was like a phantom. By the time the Unicorn’s attention was diverted to its leg injury, he had already appeared once again by the Unicorn’s side. His speed was so fast that the injured Unicorn couldn’t react in time.

It tried to flee in panic, but Lu Luo would not give it another chance.

"Ashes!"

BOOM!

The power of magma burst midair like a massive volcanic eruption. Even Zhang Zhe and the others far away could feel the energy vibration. Some team members were shocked by the wave of battle and the sensation of the energy shock.

One of the team members looked uncertainly at Zhang Zhe and asked, "Captain, do you think Lu Luo could possibly capture, or even kill, the Unicorn?"

"How could that be possible? The Unicorn runs so fast. As long as it wants to escape, no one can stop it," replied the captain.

"I see, the captain makes sense."

Although the team member said this, many harbored a question in their hearts: Could Lu Luo really not capture the Unicorn? From the previous chase, Lu Luo’s speed seemed capable of catching up to the Unicorn. The trouble with the Unicorn lay in its use of fog to teleport. If Lu Luo could truly corner the Unicorn into a dangerous situation, one where it could not release enough pink fog... then perhaps Lu Luo truly could...

"Forget it, that’s not for us to worry about. What we need to consider is how to explain to Her Highness the Princess when she arrives." Even though Lu Luo was helping them, there would certainly be a need to explain to Wu Yi. Otherwise, even if Wu Yi was willing to let them go, the Imperial Inspection Department might hold them accountable later. Yes, even in a situation of emergency evacuation, there was still a possibility of being held accountable. The Imperial Inspection Department was inflexible, or rather, the entire Imperial was just as rigid.

"Captain... we won’t talk nonsense," said one of the team members.

"Yeah, Captain, we are in this together," added another.

The team members expressed their stance one after another. But Zhang Zhe didn’t take it seriously; betrayal could be bought with just a little benefit. At a time like this, promises were utterly meaningless. He had experienced many betrayals—dangerous ones, terrifying ones, and callous ones. Betrayal had long since numbed him, but he still wanted to save these people’s lives, because this matter itself had nothing to do with them.

"Alright, stop letting your imaginations run wild. These issues are for me to handle. Even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with you."

Zhang Zhe quietly watched the direction in which Lu Luo was fighting. If Lu Luo could kill the Unicorn, then the merit he would bring back could make up for the losses due to the violation. They would not only avoid being questioned but might even be rewarded. After all, the Imperial had been troubled by the Unicorn problem for some time, even considering sending out an Eighth Order expert. If Lu Luo managed to solve the Unicorn issue, that would indeed be a great achievement.

「...」

On the other side, the Unicorn was continuously struggling. It desperately wanted to extinguish the nether fire on its leg. But no matter how it thrashed about, the nether fire clung to it like a curse, impossible to shake off. The Unicorn kept roaring and screaming, but the burning of the nether fire would not cease because of its cries.

Lacking mobility, the Unicorn no longer had the means to confront Lu Luo. It attempted to flee through the pink mist, but Lu Luo, well-prepared, would not let it succeed. The same technique certainly wouldn’t work twice on him.

"Poison Mist! BURST!"

As soon as the pink mist appeared, Lu Luo immediately entered Dust Devil mode. He instantly infused a massive amount of poison mist into the pink fog with the power of the Dust Devil, then detonated it in a flash. The extensive poison mist began to spread through the air, completely suppressing the mist before him and thoroughly shattering the Unicorn’s teleportation strategy.

"Today, you’re undoubtedly going to die!"

Lu Luo charged with his sword, and the cornered Unicorn could only confront him head-on. The battle once again reached a stalemate.

SPLAT!

Blood splattered as Lu Luo’s long sword finally decapitated the Unicorn.

The entire battle, though it lasted for some time, wasn’t particularly intense. The Unicorn’s mobility was strong, but its combat prowess was actually very weak. Lu Luo’s several attacks were mainly evaded by the Unicorn through dodging or teleporting; it simply didn’t have the ability to face Lu Luo in direct combat. Its ability to hold out for so long was only because its skills were too suited for escape.

"Isn’t it better to live? I had already spared your life, but you insisted on provoking me here." Lu Luo felt that its grudge-holding was rather peculiar. Perhaps it was the pride of an Eighth Order Exotic Species. It hadn’t experienced the full extent of his power when he had repelled and pursued it the day before. Thus, it thought that by relying on its mobility, it could harass him. However, the wisdom of Exotic Species was ultimately limited; it was still too naive.

The restraints on humanity are diverse. But once humans are no longer bound, such Exotic Species can be annihilated in minutes. Just as humans could send an Eighth Order expert to instantly kill the Unicorn, the price for doing so was too great, which was why no one had been dispatched until now. And in the Unicorn’s eyes, that appeared as if humans had no way to deal with it. But was that really the case? Of course not!

Standing in front of the Unicorn’s corpse, Lu Luo’s tentacles began to entwine. Eventually, his tentacles came to rest upon the horn of the Unicorn.

Lord’s pride, huh? A very obvious trait.

Lu Luo promptly tore off the horn, then his tentacles pierced into the Unicorn’s body. He started to absorb it in an instant.

The corpse of an Eighth Order Exotic Species could bring him a great deal of energy. In his upcoming activities within the Imperial, there might not be many opportunities to absorb energy, so naturally, he needed to replenish some now. If only he could stay in the wilderness a bit longer. Although he was under the surveillance of Zhang Zhe and his team, as long as he had enough time, he would have a complete opportunity to gain more energy.

「...」

After absorbing the Unicorn, Lu Luo returned to the camp empty-handed.

Despite the value of the Unicorn’s corpse, Lu Luo had no intention of bringing it back for credit. Firstly, his position wasn’t exactly that of a soldier. He couldn’t even be considered a regular citizen of the Imperial. To some, killing the Unicorn might be a good thing, but to others, it might be seen as an uncontrollable threat. Lu Luo knew the importance of being discreet and unassuming, so he wouldn’t bring the corpse back.

Seeing Lu Luo return, Zhang Zhe and the others breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing Lu Luo return empty-handed made them somewhat disappointed. The commotion just now suggested a fierce battle had taken place. Could it be that even with such intensity, the Unicorn wasn’t killed?

While Zhang Zhe was puzzled, Lu Luo had already noticed two new guests. One was Wu Yi, who at that moment was wearing a military uniform that made her appear much more confident than before, displaying some of the air of a higher-up. The other was his long-term partner and the Princess who had earned his recognition, Wu Liji.

"Wu Liji?"

"Lu Luo!"

Seeing Lu Luo call out her name, Wu Liji was also somewhat moved. Her recent house arrest had left her feeling emotionally unstable. Seeing Lu Luo now naturally filled her with excitement. She wanted to step forward and give Lu Luo a hug, to release some of her emotions, but she feared being rejected by Lu Luo, so she froze on the spot.

Lu Luo seemed to notice Wu Liji’s awkwardness and smiled casually. "Why such a face? There’s no need for us to be so distant."

Lu Luo’s words were like a shot in the arm for Wu Liji. It lifted her spirits considerably. She walked up to Lu Luo boldly and gave him a friendly hug.

"It’s been so long, I’ve missed you a bit."

"Is that so!"

Lu Luo smiled and hugged Wu Liji back. He felt no romantic sentiment, only the simplicity of friendship. Whether Wu Liji herself thought the same or not, that was no concern of his.

Wu Yi, standing to the side, took in the scene and gained further understanding of the relationship between the two. They were indeed partners and friends, but the leader seemed to be Lu Luo. So, was Lu Luo the primary beneficiary of their mutual interests? This was indeed very different from many people’s speculations. Especially considering that Lu Luo’s Circle Company produced a large number of Spirit Stones, if he was the main person involved, then his wealth must have accumulated to a staggering extent.

"Lu Luo, you really do have quite a few things hidden away!" Wu Yi suddenly spoke up, interrupting the emotional moment between Lu Luo and Wu Liji.

"Oh, how so?"

With Wu Liji present and Wu Yi being so forthright, Lu Luo felt there was no more need for hiding. This improved his mood significantly, so Wu Yi’s remark didn’t make him uncomfortable.

"If your cooperation is a kind of reliance, then it should be Wu Liji who is relying on you, right? Your Spirit Stone business has expanded nationwide, and now, the Circle Company should have quite a lot of money, shouldn’t it? Lu Luo, are you perhaps an invisible tycoon?"

"Your Highness Wu Yi, you must be joking. Selling Spirit Stones really isn’t profitable. Our labor, transportation, and greasing the palms of various channels all consume a vast amount of capital. This business genuinely doesn’t make much money, really."

"Do you take me for an idiot? I am an Imperial Princess, not some naive simpleton."

"Of course, I know you’re not a naive simpleton, and I’ve never taken Her Highness the Princess for one either. After all, I acknowledge your acting skills. At the beginning, I didn’t even realize it."

Upon Lu Luo mentioning her acting skills, Wu Yi lifted her head proudly and said no more. She neither denied nor admitted it.

"It seems you’re not angry anymore. In that case, very well, let’s talk about what you want, shall we?"

"What I want? What can an outsider like me possibly want? It’s nothing more than some titles and positions, am I right?"

Wu Yi’s expression became somewhat unnatural. What Lu Luo had said was exactly what some Imperial Ministers would suggest. An outsider, one without even a detailed background—what demands could he possibly have? Dismissing Lu Luo with empty titles, allowing him to wander within the Imperial Capital’s territory, and then assimilating his power was a common course of action. But could she, Wu Yi, truly do that? Of course not. If she had intended to do that, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to get close to Lu Luo.

"Lu Luo, such sarcastic conversations are pointless. My coming here is with sincerity."

"Of course, I also know such talk is meaningless. My not calling out your act is also a sign of my sincerity, isn’t it?"

"It seems we are able to reach a consensus."

"Whether we can reach a consensus still depends on the sincerity between us."

Lu Luo and Wu Yi faced off, neither willing to concede much in their verbal sparring. Since the overall strategy had yet to be determined, it was certainly unreasonable for either to give ground at this point.

"Lu Luo, join my side. I will give you the best support: resources, status—I will satisfy your needs. As long as you are willing to help me, I will handle matters concerning the upper echelons of the Imperial Inspection Department for you."

"A very sincere proposal, but your identity and status don’t allow me to trust you. Twelfth Princess, you may have some military power and a certain position, but I fear your standing isn’t sufficient to ensure my safety. You wouldn’t deny this, would you?"

As Lu Luo spoke, Wu Yi could only nod in agreement. "I will try my best to secure these for you."

"That’s meaningless. I can tell you clearly now: I need a higher-level conversation. Your capabilities may be formidable, but they still aren’t enough to bind me."

"Why? If you wish to meet with those at a higher level, you would also be giving up your freedom. Those in high places within the Imperial hierarchy won’t compromise with you."

Lu Luo pondered for a while. Should he reveal at this point that he possesses an Artificial Intelligence Heart and can create an AI crisis? That would be foolish, and it would also fail to achieve the deterrent effect he had envisioned.

After some thought, Lu Luo finally nodded. "You make a good point. However, I still want to know why the important figures in the Imperial Capital wanted to see me before, but now they’ve backed off. What exactly is going on with my situation?"

This was a question Lu Luo had never managed to figure out.

After musing for a while, Wu Yi finally decided to reveal to Lu Luo the root cause of the problem. "The one who originally wanted you to come was my father, who is also the Emperor of the New Imperial—571."

"571? The Emperor..."