Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 178 - 173: Fateful Encounter
Time flowed by like a quiet stream. In just two short minutes, Sly Face and Erzhuang arrived at the road where they were to intercept Chen Pingchuan.As they set foot on the scene, the hellish sight that greeted them made both men gasp.

The ground was ravaged, with bodies sprawled everywhere. Some still had their eyes wide open, their faces etched with a lingering desire for life—a chilling expression that silently recounted the terror of what had just happened here.

”Something’s not right. Let’s go,” Erzhuang whispered, alert to the strange aura in the air as he discreetly tugged on Sly Face’s arm.

He keenly sensed that the entire area was off. The metallic war machine that had just sped past them was now parked eerily near the road. It sat there like a slumbering behemoth, exuding a dangerous aura.

Hearing this, Sly Face immediately understood the strangeness of the situation. As a veteran of the streets, he feigned composure, acting as if he’d noticed nothing. He chuckled and said, ”Hey, I think Brother Gou needs us for something. We should hurry back.”

However, just as Sly Face was about to turn and leave, before he could even finish his sentence, a voice as cold as a blade of ice suddenly boomed like thunder in their ears.

”I don’t know who this Brother Gou is, but by the looks of it, he’s either dead or has already fled. If you don’t believe me, feel free to search for him among this pile of corpses.”

As the voice faded, Chen Pingchuan’s figure slowly emerged from the shadow of an abandoned vehicle.

At the sight of Chen Pingchuan, the expressions of both Sly Face and Erzhuang changed instantly.

Sly Face was so startled by the sudden voice that his lips began to tremble, while Erzhuang only pretended to be flustered. He had already anticipated this confrontation.

”L-little brother, what are you trying to say?”

A hint of suspicion crept into Sly Face’s voice. He looked Chen Pingchuan up and down, taking in his young and almost offensively handsome face. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the tight string of vigilance in his heart loosened slightly.

In his view, this was just a wet-behind-the-ears punk. At this age, how capable could he possibly be? Even if he was skilled, there had to be a limit. Did he think he could overturn the heavens?

Chen Pingchuan seemed to pay him no mind. A chilling light swirled in his deep eyes, like a bottomless, frozen pool. He spoke coldly, ”Tell me the name of your faction, its location, its strength, your defensive layouts, the name of your leader, and everything else you know. Spill it all.”

”Who the hell do you think you are?”

Hearing this, Sly Face’s expression twisted. The timidity in his eyes vanished, replaced by sheer arrogance. ”You dare speak to me like that? I was going to let you off easy because of your age, but you had to go and push your luck, didn’t you?”

That was the way people like him were. The moment they thought you were an easy target, their tone lost all traces of courtesy.

”Hah. I guess asking nicely really is pointless.” Chen Pingchuan shook his head in resignation, a glint of cold steel flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, he abruptly raised his gun, its dark muzzle aimed precisely at Sly Face’s head.

BANG!

A deafening gunshot shattered the still air.

”Agh! My ear!”

Sly Face let out a piercing scream and crumpled to the ground. He clutched his blood-drenched right ear, his body trembling uncontrollably. It was a pathetic sight.

”Who are you?”

Erzhuang, who had been silent until now, wore an incredibly grave expression. He stared intently at Chen Pingchuan, his gaze analytical.

”I am God.”

Adhering to his principle of not casually revealing his identity while out and about, Chen Pingchuan gave an answer that seemed both comical and absurd.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, Erzhuang’s expression shifted dramatically. His gaze grew distant, and his thoughts involuntarily drifted back in time.

「Seven months ago.」

The Grand Elder stood before the statue in the great hall, looking fondly at the grown-up Gorzo before him.

”Gorzo, you have done splendidly. That Deep Sea Giant Beast possessed the power of a fifth-tier peak entity, at the very least. Your ability to successfully hunt it proves that you have perfectly inherited God’s gift.”

”It is thanks to your guidance, Grand Elder.”

”Do not thank me. You must thank God, for this is all a gift from God. Without God, our Ha Race would still be living in dire straits, unable to find enough food or clothing, unable to even control our own destinies.”

”But that person...”

”There are no ’buts.’ That person is God. I hope I do not have to say this a second time.”

”Yes, sir.”

”As the mightiest warrior of your generation in the Ha Race, I have a difficult mission for you.”

”Please give me my orders, Grand Elder. Is it the Cannibal Demon Fish dozens of kilometers away, or the Bloodthirsty Demon Shark hundreds of kilometers away? Those monsters will all die by my gun.”

”No, no. This mission is not so dangerous, but it will not be easy either. Take this map. Go to this location and find a boy who calls himself God.”

”What? Grand Elder, you want me to leave the island? I don’t want to go to the outside world.”

”Hahaha, little Gorzo. Haven’t you gotten over the trauma of being trafficked as a child?”

”That’s not it. I’ve already killed all those people. I simply do not wish to...”

”That’s enough, child. Do not lie in the presence of God.”

”I’m sorry, Grand Elder!”

”Good. God will forgive you. Now, take this map and go find that boy.”

”But...”

”What is it, my child?”

”But... I don’t know his name, what he looks like, or how old he is. How am I supposed to find someone based on nothing more than ’a boy who calls himself God’?”

”Go. When he appears, you will know.”

”And after I find him?”

”Find him, follow him, protect him... and in the end, you will need to...”

...

And so, Gorzo embarked on a journey to find this unknown boy. The mission’s location was a wasteland outside Baihao City, which was later converted into the Demon Cave of the Black Skull Camp.

He waited there for half a year.

Just now, the moment Chen Pingchuan had appeared, Gorzo had a gut feeling that this boy was the one he had been waiting so patiently for.

Even so, Gorzo had spoken out to test his theory.

When Chen Pingchuan spoke the words ”I am God,” Gorzo’s mind went blank. He was now certain. The mysterious boy he had waited half a year for... had finally appeared!

”Erzhuang, what are you waiting for? Shoot him!” Sly Face’s shriek snapped Gorzo out of his reverie.

Chen Pingchuan did not act rashly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the burly man opposite him was looking at him strangely.

Just then, Gorzo made a move that stunned everyone present.