Yue Yun understood that this was the gap in temperament and talent, but he no longer minded. Nissen felt the same.
It's not that the two of them had given up; if they had, they couldn't have participated in this trial.
Rather, they both knew they were more talented than ninety-five percent of the people in the Slaughter Tower, so there was no point in being obsessed with competing against the remaining five percent.
Because Wen Xishu, the old principal, and Xun Hui were the most outstanding in the Bunker.
Some characters in comics are evidently strong, even ranking in the top five, yet their achievements are mediocre precisely because they focus on challenging the top four.
Nissen and Yue Yun would not be like this; they were the last to start the log-in device.
With their disappearance, everyone from the Celestial Essence District had entered the Slaughter Tower.
To the people in the Slaughter Tower's rest area, the moment just now seemed to hold nothing noteworthy.
But both the Three Towers and the Bunker would remember this day.
...
...
Slaughter Tower, Unknown Region.
For Wen Xishu, this was an unknown region.
But for Albert, this place was not unfamiliar at all.
The bonfire had yet to be lit.
Albert's footsteps were somewhat slow.
Because he had returned to a familiar city.
Isalo.
A city famous for its romance and scenic beauty, if you were to choose the top one hundred most beautiful hotel views in the world, Isalo would certainly occupy several places among the top hundred.
But now, this city was filled with black aura.
Many Black Houses were hidden in this city, and you could even see a lot of red fog lurking beneath the black mist...
Just entering this city required everyone to be on high alert.
Especially the three weak future Bunker members in front of Xun Hui and behind Albert.
Yes, Albert walked at the front.
This was an old man who should be striding confidently and briskly, but at this moment, everyone felt that his steps were noticeably slow.
"Old man, what's going on here? Something's not right," Xun Hui inquired.
Indeed, something was not right—the aura from the Black House and the Red House seemed overwhelmingly dense. Of course, the intensity at the seventy-odd level was barely rational.
But walking at the front was Albert.
Albert shook his head:
"Memories have weight, and this weight presses down on an old man like me, naturally slowing me down."
Wen Xishu was surprised at the coincidence:
"You know this city?"
Albert nodded:
"Don't forget, like Old Jin, I've lived through long years, witnessed the apocalypse, and am among the earliest to have seen the sky and the sea."
Nissen looked around:
"This place, though somewhat ruined now, must have been splendid before."
Indeed, if you overlook the ghastly ghost qi and crumbled walls, you can tell this was once a beautiful place.
But obviously, the aura from these Red Houses and Black Houses was hard to ignore.
Once flowing with the air of romance and history, now pressed heavily against Albert's chest, like a sponge soaked with putrid liquid.
The sky was permanently cloaked by a sticky, slowly roiling gray-green miasma. Whether it was crafted by monsters or influenced by some rule, daylight here would always resemble twilight.
Isalo, a city that had once produced a Pope.
This city that Wen Xishu initially didn't recognize, but quickly, through the nearby church, he guessed where it was.
In his homeland, there's an old saying, "All roads lead to Rome."
Isalo seemed to be Rome.
Among countless ruined buildings, surprisingly, there were still some relatively spectacular and well-preserved structures.
But, undeniably, there were monsters in the church—and large ones at that.
The formerly magnificent Pantheon-like dome had been burst from within by some massive chitinous shell growth.
The edges of the dome hung with fibrous materials dripping an unknown viscous liquid.
This sight made Nissen and the others somewhat nauseous, even though they had encountered many disgusting monsters in the Desire Tower.
Albert said:
"When I was a child, I often played in the church. Of course, church, little boys, that sounds like something evil might happen, but... there's no evil here."
Wen Xishu realized why the old principal's steps were slow.
He didn't know whether in a previous life in Italy there was a saying about returning to one's roots... but after living in the Bunker for decades, suddenly returning to a place he once lived and facing a destined confrontation.
This inevitably held some ominous meaning.
"This church... needs a little cleaning."
Albert flexed his arms.
Wen Xishu, Nissen, Yue Yun, all felt somewhat excited at this moment.
Even Xun Hui seriously watched the old principal.
They didn't know how strong the Sagittarius's arrow was, but soon, they would see the old principal's fist.
Albert indeed was about to punch.
This punch wouldn't consume much strength, he only needed to blow away… the dust of ages.
On the front of the Baroque-style church, the intricate scrolls and angel statues were now enveloped and fused with 'fleshy vines.'
The faces of the statues melted and twisted, the angels' wings transformed into bat-like membranes covered with muscle filaments.
It seemed the monsters inside the church were strong enough to turn their surroundings into 'living things.'
The angels had already turned into demons.
This place was more like the palace of the Demon King.
But in the next instant, the palace began to wail.