Death… And Me

Chapter 4361: The Backdoor Ghost

The last stretch required to complete the corridor proceeded without any major incidents. If anything, there were far fewer Godly Creature attacks than expected, even taking into account that a massive horde had been defeated not long ago. Whatever the reason, the army of forty thousand cultivators successfully cleared the remaining distance to the new settlement in only three months.

With the path secured, the outposts were erected one after another, defensive arrays were established, experts were stationed across the route, and, most importantly, the settlement finally gained a direct connection to the mainland. From that point onward, anyone in the area could access the Besgol Region Network despite being so far away from the Sacred Relic’s influence.

The completion of the corridor immediately accelerated the settlement’s development. Airplane after airplane arrived from every corner of the Besgol Region, using the chain of outposts as safe points during the journey.

Sects, clans, organizations, merchant groups, and countless other powers all rushed to establish a presence within the enormous crater. The lingering power left behind by the explosion continued to keep the Godly Creatures away, making the location far too valuable to ignore, even if everyone knew that advantage would only last for a few decades.

By the time two years had passed since the end of the defensive war, the transformation was astonishing. What had once been little more than a gigantic crater had become a bustling settlement filled with cultivators from every major power in Besgol. The population had grown so much that it would not have been unreasonable to call it a country in its own right. If necessary, the settlement could operate independently from the mainland for long periods of time.

Of course, other hordes appeared in the last two years. One on the southwest side of Besgol and the other from the east. It’s just that those two were your simple hordes that didn’t cause much trouble. Those ones were pretty common, as mentioned several times in the past.

In any case, the settlement still answered to the Godly Subjugation Guild and, by extension, the Besgol Region itself. Resources gathered in the area were taxed just like anywhere else, and those taxes flowed back into Besgol. However, there was one particular project underway near the northern edge of the crater that received far more attention than anything else.

To be more precise, it was located a few kilometers beyond the reach of the lingering energy. Thousands of Array Masters, Blacksmiths, Talisman Masters, Alchemists, and various other specialists had gathered there. Because the area lay outside the crater’s influence, Godly Creatures could still approach it. Even so, they tended to keep their distance, instinctively fearing the lingering power nearby.

Standing at the center of the project was Tobao. His expression remained serious as he monitored every aspect of the operation. Experts continuously arrived to report progress, while others sought his approval regarding various installations. Few people knew it, but Tobao had personally pushed for this project to receive the highest priority.

”Senior Tobao, the holder is ready for testing.”

Hearing the report, Tobao turned toward an enormous pedestal positioned in the middle of the open-air facility. Countless protective, surveillance, support, and emergency arrays had been integrated into the structure. Three independent emergency teleportation arrays had even been placed beneath it. The amount of Godly Crystals and Celestial Stones invested in the entire installation was staggering, yet nobody considered it excessive.

”What about the support, concealment, and slaughtering arrays?” Tobao asked.

The expert immediately nodded.

”They are all operational. Unless a Godly Horror appears, reaching the holder should be nearly impossible. Of course, if too many godly creatures arrive simultaneously, holding the position could become difficult.”

”That is to be expected,” Tobao replied. ”Which is exactly why I’m here.”

As he spoke, his consciousness entered his RC and established a connection with another person. ’Flugel, I hope your array works as intended.’

The Arrays Guild Master answered immediately. -It will. The lingering power inside the crater consists of pure energy. If necessary, my array can redirect a tiny portion of that power to your location. It should be more than enough to scare any threat that appears.-

Tobao nodded but immediately voiced his concern. ’That same lingering power is also what protects the settlement. Are you absolutely certain your array won’t consume too much of it?’

-I’m certain,- Flugel replied. -First, the formation will only activate if the situation spirals out of control. Ideally, it will never be used at all. Second, the amount of energy required is negligible compared to the total lingering power still present in the crater. Even if activated, it would likely only operate for a few hours until the threat is removed. There is no reason to worry.-

That answer eased Tobao’s concerns considerably.

’Good.’

Unfortunately, Flugel wasn’t finished. -Don’t relax too much. We still have no idea what caused this lingering power to exist in the first place. Nobody can accurately predict how it might react in the future. For all we know, touching it could cause it to disappear instantly, although I admit that seems unlikely.-

Tobao understood the risk perfectly well. The entire settlement project was built upon the assumption that the lingering power would remain for decades, yet no one could guarantee that assumption was correct.

’The benefits outweigh the risks. Just make sure your formation doesn’t consume enough energy to shorten its lifespan significantly.’

-In that case, there won’t be any problems,- Flugel assured him.

After ending the call, Tobao immediately contacted someone else.

’Arcis, bring it over.’

At that moment, Arcis was standing at the very center of the crater. Two years earlier, he had personally buried the crystal there and forbidden anyone from approaching the area. As a result, the settlement had been constructed around a strangely empty section several hundred meters wide. Most cultivators found the sight odd, yet few dared question the arrangement.

Ignoring the curious gazes around him, Arcis opened the ground with his energy and removed the concealment protecting the crystal. Moments later, the Godly Colossus Crystal emerged once more. It remained just as brilliant and powerful as the day it had been discovered, containing an amount of energy so vast that it would likely remain unchanged for an unimaginable length of time.

Without wasting any time, Arcis took flight and carried the crystal toward the northern facility. The defensive arrays immediately recognized him, allowing him to pass through unhindered. Soon afterward, the crystal was placed atop the enormous pedestal.

The moment it settled into position, every protective formation activated simultaneously. Layer after layer of defensive arrays surrounded the crystal, while surveillance formations and emergency teleportation systems entered standby mode.

The intention was simple: The crystal would remain visible to everyone at all times. Any thief would not only have to bypass countless protective formations but also prevent the crystal from being teleported away the instant an intrusion was detected. While all of that happened, the perpetrator would be out in the open for anyone to see.

Tobao observed the completed installation and nodded in satisfaction. ”Not even Arcis and I could take it without everyone noticing.”

”Too bad there’s a backdoor in those arrays.” Said someone else out of nowhere.

Tobao and Arcis replied absentmindedly. ”Yes, that’s too bad...”

”...”

”...”

”........”

”AH!” The two Law Gods jumped backward simultaneously before spotting Rean standing beside them.

”Seriously!” Arcis shouted. ”Just how the hell do you keep appearing like that? Are you some kind of ghost?”

”BooooOOooOoooo...” Rean immediately played along. ”How was that? I can go get a white sheet too. I’m actually a very talented actor. Hahaha!”

The mouths of both Law Gods twitched.

Was there another Anchor God in the entire Besgol Region who would dare speak to them this way?

If there was, neither of them knew about it.

”No, wait!” Tobao suddenly remembered something important. ”What backdoor are you talking about?”

”Oh, that?” Rean casually walked toward the pedestal. Stopping beside the outermost protective formation, he pointed at a specific location before lightly kicking it.

*Bang!*

A faint cracking sound immediately echoed through the area.

*Crack... crack... crack... crack...*

The first layer shattered.

Then the second.

Then the third.

Then every remaining layer followed.

Within moments, the entire defensive system began collapsing like a chain reaction.

*Plang! Glang! Crack!*

The protective formations shattered one after another until even the emergency teleportation arrays failed.

The Godly Colossus Crystal stood completely exposed.

It all happened in a matter of seconds, and had they not been here, anyone could have taken this chance to acquire the crystal and fled straightaway.

Rean turned around and smiled. ”That’s the backdoor I was talking about. Pretty useful, don’t you think?”

Then he placed a finger on his chin as if deep in thought. ”Actually, I should’ve kept quiet. Then I could’ve broken everything later and stolen the crystal for myself. What a pity, what a pity...”

Tobao and Arcis had their eyes open wide.

Suddenly, Rean’s eyes lit up. ”Oh! I know!” He pointed dramatically at himself. ”From now on, call me the Backdoor Ghost! BooooOOoooOOoooo...”