Yama Reborn-Chapter 566 - 563: Cannon Fodder

Chapter 563: [Cannon Fodder]

During the National Day holiday, the weather in Jinling was quite nice, attracting many tourists.

Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi took their daughter to the zoo, and on the way back home, Chen Nuo expressed that he was starting to understand Thanos’ philosophy a bit.

Of course, Lu Xixi didn’t know who Thanos was.

Chen Nuo thought for a moment and told Lu Xixi that he was an extreme environmentalist in a movie that would come out ten years later.

After returning home with their daughter, the couple made a joint decision.

During the long holiday, they wouldn’t go out no matter what!

Anyone who goes out is a fool.

Then the next day, Chen Nuo received a call from the Octopus Monster.

"We’ve found that guy; we’re ready to depart," Kamisou Ichiro’s voice was very calm on the phone.

Chen Nuo grinned: "So?"

"Prepare for a business trip, Mr. Chen Nuo. As per our agreement, please bring the Empress along with you."

-

The business trip arranged by the Octopus Monster could be summed up in two words: lavish!

At the airport in Jinling, Chen Nuo boarded a luxurious private jet, then flew to a small country in Southeast Asia, made a short stop to refuel, then made short stops and refueled on the way through the Middle East and Europe.

When the plane landed at Madrid Airport, the capital of Spain, the entire flight crew was replaced.

There, Kamisou Ichiro appeared in person, accompanied by Nolan, and a few old friends they hadn’t seen in a while.

The Son of the Sun had gained a bit of weight, presumably living a too extravagant lifestyle recently, he seemed unkempt, with a scruffy beard.

The Wizard looked thinner, with pale skin that seemed somewhat unhealthy, and his whole demeanor appeared gloomier.

The last person to board the plane was Lu Xixi’s arch-nemesis, the Diamond Queen Lillian.

Or rather, she considered herself the arch-nemesis of the Star Sky Empress.

When Lillian got on the plane, she looked at Lu Xixi with a gaze full of jealousy and malice.

Lu Xixi merely glanced at her and nodded briefly: "I thought you were dead."

Lillian gritted her teeth: "Mr. Octopus Monster saved me, you’re very disappointed, aren’t you?!"

Lu Xixi shook her head: "Not really disappointed. If I wanted to kill you, I could do it anytime."

Upon hearing this, Lillian’s forehead veins bulged, and she gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly.

Lu Xixi couldn’t be bothered to look at the Controller she almost beat to death; instead, she turned to talk to Chen Nuo—they even took the time to call home and check on their daughter, Chen Yiyi.

Before leaving, after consulting with each other, they called Little Candy, who was having a crisis of spiritual path, back home to act as a temporary babysitter.

Although Little Candy was quite resistant to this—after all, as a self-proclaimed genius, being crushed by the even more talented and eccentric Chen Yiyi made her very resistant to appearing in front of Chen Yiyi again.

But apart from her, Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi couldn’t find anyone suitable to look after their daughter.

After all, Chen Yiyi had already awakened her special abilities, and although a genius, she was still just a child mentally and character-wise.

In such a situation, leaving the responsibility to Ou Xiuhua wouldn’t be suitable.

What if Chen Yiyi accidentally performed a transformation into a Paper Man in front of Ou Xiuhua and scared the old lady into a heart attack, who would be to blame?

-

Watching Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi talking to their daughter over the phone, speaking about everyday matters, Lillian’s gaze grew increasingly venomous.

But soon, Kamisou Ichiro walked up smilingly in front of Lillian.

"Diamond Queen, please stop with this childish hatred and glances."

"...What?" Lillian asked with gritted teeth.

"Being less skilled is just being less skilled. In the face of a vast gap in strength, this kind of impotent rage is both pointless and laughable, utterly worthless. It only makes people see you as a complete waste."

Although Kamisou Ichiro’s tone was gentle, it must be said—his words were indeed harsh.

Lillian’s face turned first pale then red, her eyeballs almost popping out from her sockets.

Kamisou Ichiro continued in his gentle tone: "Please stop behaving and feeling like a waste. I saved your life and brought you on this journey, hoping you could demonstrate your worth for my use—to contribute to this mission.

If your waste-like emotions and uncontrollable hatred cause even the slightest negative impact on my journey, that would be a loss for me.

I hate losses, understand?"

Lillian halted her breathing.

"Now, withdraw those glances, and it would be best to show a friendly smile on your face," Kamisou Ichiro smiled, "You must understand one thing on this mission, Mr. Chen Nuo and the Star Sky Empress are a hundred times more valuable than you.

If within our temporary team, there appears to be such impotent rage, an internal factor that affects unity and collaboration,

I would not hesitate to choose the more valuable Mr. Chen Nuo and Ms. Lu Xixi.

When killing you, I wouldn’t even blink an eye.

Did I make myself clear?"

Lillian held her breath, finally nodding with difficulty: "...Understood, Mr. Octopus Monster."

"Good, now, please smile."

Lillian’s face changed several times before finally squeezing out a smile that was slightly better than a dead person’s.

Lillian sat in the back row seat, hung her head, and remained silent, no longer looking at anyone.

Kamisou Ichiro sat politely in front of Chen Nuo.

"I’m curious, if the Diamond Queen continues to show hatred towards me, would you really kill her?" Chen Nuo asked.

"Of course." Kamisou Ichiro nodded, "I would immediately kill her, without even needing you to lift a finger."

"Am I that valuable?" Chen Nuo frowned.

"To be precise, you and Ms. Lu Xixi, as a pair, hold more value than everyone else on this plane, except myself." Kamisou Ichiro’s tone was unabashed: "When dealing with The Fourth Seed, they are merely insignificant bait."

Chen Nuo frowned: "And me?"

Kamisou Ichiro put away his smile, seriously saying: "You are a very valuable piece of cannon fodder."

Chen Nuo nodded: "You certainly have a knack for insults."

-

Around seven o’clock in the evening, the plane landed in a rather desolate place.

Chen Nuo jumped off the plane, stretched on the runway, and then turned back to hold Lu Xixi’s hand, smiling: "Didn’t expect to be back in Africa so soon."

A few months ago, the two of them had visited Africa while traveling the world.

Hearing this, Lu Xixi gave Chen Nuo a sweet smile, also holding his fingers tightly.

Once the other companions had disembarked the plane, several modified off-road vehicles slowly drove over.

This was a private airport—clearly another one of the Octopus Monster’s private properties.

In the barren land of Africa, looking at the surroundings, it was all wasteland. Evidently, building and maintaining such a private airport here was practically a money-draining move.

But, of course, for the Octopus Monster, such acts didn’t really matter.

However, Chen Nuo squinted his eyes as he looked around and noticed something off.

The perimeter of the airfield clearly had some walls that were damaged—evidently caused by explosions.

And on the walls of the distant control tower and terminal building, vague bullet holes could be seen.

Even the runway had several spots that had been recently repaired.

-

The convoy of off-road vehicles pulled up alongside the runway, and a few armed personnel in tactical vests jumped off the vehicles.

Nolan walked over, exchanged a few words with the leader, and then turned back.

He looked at Kamisou Ichiro and said: "We’ve had three field teams rotate guarding this place. But lately, things haven’t been peaceful here. The nearby tribes are opposing the local government; some skirmishes have already occurred, and just a few days ago, a group of unidentified people tried to raid this airport amid the chaos but were repelled."

Kamisou Ichiro listened, his expression unchanged, only giving a casual nod.

Nolan quickly said: "I’ll dispatch a team of C-class field officers over here to clear the area. There won’t be any more disturbances at the airport."

Kamisou Ichiro nodded: "I’m not concerned with these issues. I only demand that there are no problems at the airport until this mission is completed, as this is the evacuation point for our return."

Nolan nodded: "I guarantee there won’t be any issues. I’ll order the C-class field team to be here by tomorrow morning to take care of it. As for those unidentified armed men who attacked the airport, we’ll find them. If we can’t find them, we’ll deal with the surrounding anti-government factions and the local government army."

-

Each person boarded an off-road vehicle, with Chen Nuo, of course, sitting with Lu Xixi.

Unsurprisingly, Kamisou Ichiro also got into this car, and proactively sat in the front passenger seat. The driver was clearly armed personnel from the Octopus Monster Company, probably a mercenary or similar.

As the convoy started moving, Kamisou Ichiro opened the window and looked at the nighttime scenery outside.

"I actually quite like this place, it has a vibrant life force," Kamisou Ichiro said with a smile. "The air here is better than in New York."

"There are also many mosquitoes," Chen Nuo shook his head. "Better to keep the windows closed."

Kamisou Ichiro laughed heartily.

"Octopus Monster, what’s the plan for the next step?" Lu Xixi slowly asked.

Kamisou Ichiro laughed, "We will arrive at a secure encampment, where there are excellent bedrooms and abundant food. Everyone can rest for a night.

Of course, our vanguard personnel are already waiting there, along with some recruited ability users who will accompany us.

I believe everyone will be thrilled about this gathering, after all... bringing together so many Controllers in one place is rare."

Chen Nuo raised an eyebrow, "Other ability users? With just us few, why gather more ability users?"

"They’re all bait," Kamisou Ichiro said casually. "You don’t need to worry, they still have their uses."

Kamisou Ichiro eventually closed the window, then took out a bottle of water, unscrewed it, and drank a few sips. "The only thing I dislike about Africa is that it’s too dry."

"I hope the vanguard’s encampment allows us to take a hot shower."

"Rest assured, that place will certainly meet your expectations."

·

The vanguard’s encampment was roughly three hours drive from the airport.

Close to ten o’clock at night, the convoy entered an area.

On the perimeter were barriers of barbed wire and metal fencing.

Inside, there were wooden house structures, with an architectural style leaning towards European, accurately a style belonging to the Colonial Era.

Chen Nuo took a careful look and could roughly determine that this was probably a tourist resort or hotel.

Currently, however, the entry and exit points were guarded by mercenaries from the Octopus Monster Company.

"Is this also your property?" Chen Nuo asked with a smile.

Octopus Monster replied casually, "Since last week, it is my property."

After getting out of the vehicle, Chen Nuo looked at the other companions.

The Wizard remained silent, while Lillian dared not act up and avoided looking at Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi.

As for the Son of the Sun, he surprisingly seemed to be hitting it off with Nolan.

The main building of the resort hotel was a two-story house. The buildings here were not very large—after all, constructing expansive structures in the wilderness is costly.

Inside, personnel from Octopus Monster Company had already come out to greet Nolan.

It was evident that this person leading them was from some special operations team of the Octopus Monster Company—similar to Vanel’s role during the South American rainforest mission.

Chen Nuo glanced at this person, who also appeared to be an ability user specializing in body techniques, tall, burly, imposing, and muscled under his shirt.

Yet, his attitude was very courteous, with a hint of reverence and flattery in his gaze towards Chen Nuo and the others.

"Let’s go, meet our fellow travelers." Nolan said with a smile. "Everyone is waiting for us."

Entering the main hall, it was slightly crowded, being less than one hundred square meters.

Tables on both sides of the room were laid out with various self-serve foods and beverages.

Following Kamisou Ichiro into the room, Chen Nuo saw that there were already a dozen people standing inside.

A dozen ability users... Chen Nuo quickly scanned them using spiritual power.

Lu Xixi quietly said next to him, "Their strengths are average. The strongest are in the left corner and the woman in the front; both are Destroyers. The others... not worth noting."

After entering the hall, everyone inside remained silent, but it was obvious each gaze directed at these entering "big shots" was full of reverence and caution.

Nolan knew there was no need to expose Kamisou Ichiro’s identity on such an occasion, so he stood at the front, smiling as he made the opening speech: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Nolan, the commanding officer of this operation and full representative of the company. I represent the company in thanking you all for your dedication to this commissioned mission, and I sincerely hope to see your contributions in the upcoming actions. I can assure each of you, anyone who contributes and achieves results in this mission will be generously rewarded by the company. This is a longtime reputation of ours, and I trust none of you doubt that."

There was no major reaction from the audience upon hearing Nolan’s words; they remained focused on Chen Nuo and others behind Nolan.

Nolan understood everyone’s mood and smiled, "Next, let me have the honor to introduce several heavyweight figures joining this mission. I believe each of you here is well-acquainted with their renowned names!"

Everyone’s expressions tensed!

Then, Nolan, with a smile, began the introduction.

The Wizard!

Diamond Queen Lillian!

The Son of the Sun!

...

When it came to Lu Xixi’s introduction.

When the title "Star Sky Empress" was announced, some faces showed not only reverence and tension typical for industry titans, but also admiration and excitement.

Well, the Star Sky Empress has always held high popularity in the Underground World, after all... who doesn’t love a beautiful woman?

Nevertheless, some were curious... it was rumored the Star Sky Empress and Lord Wizard had major battles two years ago, with the Empress creating chaos in Europe and toppling several Cultivator Association bases of the Wizards’ faction.

The two clearly had significant grievances. Would they face off on this occasion?

Witnessing two Controllers clash? Imagining it is thrilling!

Moreover!

Rumor has it the Star Sky Empress and Diamond Queen aren’t on good terms either!

Nolan coughed once and continued, "Lastly, this is a newly ascended Controller of the Underground World, and even though you might not have seen him in person, no doubt you have heard his name.

This, of course, is Lord Yama, who, as everyone knows, is the husband of the Star Sky Empress."

Well, this gossip was widely seen on the Octopus Monster website.

When Chen Nuo disclosed his identity as a Controller on the website, Lu Xixi personally responded, acknowledging he was her husband.

That stirred quite a sensation at the time.

However, right now everyone’s gaze directed at Chen Nuo...

...

Just this?

·

Just this guy who looks like a two-hundred-pound fatty?

His ability ranks him as a Controller, there’s not much to comment.

But one thing is certain: Empress obviously isn’t shallow based on appearance.

Otherwise, why fall for this fat guy?

·

Certainly, those cliché scenes from third-rate novels, where someone provokes out of jealousy, won’t happen.

In the Underground World, strength commands respect. An ordinary Special Ability User challenging a Controller out of affection for the Empress?

With that mindset, one wouldn’t survive three days in the Underground World.

At most, it breeds some curious, hidden eyes.

·

Chen Nuo paid no mind to these looks.

Later, everyone entered the hall to rest and enjoyed some food.

But the scene clearly had a distinct separation.

The numerous ability users seemed apprehensive about approaching the big shots.

The Wizard and others were very aloof, ignoring the crowd, fetched their food, and found a place to sit down and eat.

Chen Nuo sensed numerous gazes following Lu Xixi but didn’t care, grabbed a plate, collected some food, and gave himself a large cup of iced cola.

Kamisou Ichiro came over and gave Chen Nuo a look, "Shall we talk?"

Chen Nuo thought about it, "Indeed, we should talk. We’re officially moving tomorrow, so you should inform me about the specific action plan."

Kamisou Ichiro smiled, "I’ll find you after dinner."

·