Otherworldly Desert Dust-Chapter 411 366: Swamp Evil Spirit Town

"I'm sorry, I can't help you," Levi sighed deeply.

Town residents and prison inmates.

Being both the Mayor and the Prison Director, he had made accomplishments but could only choose one side.

Either rebuild the town to give the residents a stable life or rebuild the prison to let the inmates return.

The higher chambers gave Levi only one choice, and naturally, Levi chose to rebuild the town to bring the good citizens back to stable lives.

The murderer's eyes were hollow as he suddenly stared at Wu Hen, emitting a strange laugh.

Wu Hen, on the other hand, was puzzled and looked at the murderer who was suffering.

"Do you have any last wishes? Tell me, and I will fulfill them for you," Wu Hen also sighed.

"You are luckier than me, luckier than me!" the murderer kept repeating these words, making Wu Hen even more confused.

"Alas, you should not have recklessly killed law enforcement officers just because you have extraordinary abilities. Although I understand you were rebelling and unfamiliar with Da Xuan's law, you have killed quite a few people, including some innocents. You end up like this, and one can't say you are blameless..." Levi said.

I had heard Levi mention this before.

This principled murderer had experiences similar to Wu Hen's, having traveled from another Otherworldly place.

He had a conflict with an Ammunition Town and was subdued by them. During the fight, he killed several of the town's law enforcement, and as per Da Xuan Law, naturally, he wasn't spared easily. Then he was transferred to Prison Town and sent to a superior city for judgment.

When Wu Hen first set foot on this land, he naturally had conflicts with Prison Town as well.

But the ruler of Prison Town had given him a comparatively fair trial, unlike Ammunition Town, which had taken a hard approach, forcing the murderer to resist.

Therefore, the murderer thought Wu Hen was lucky to have encountered a more just Prison Director, or else his fate would be the same as his.

"Perhaps, it's our town that is fortunate."

"You should know that many towns of Da Xuan also disappeared overnight due to their oppressive enforcement on this land."

"You are not strong enough, and you don't proceed with enough prudence."

Levi somewhat disagreed with the murderer's words, speaking meaningfully.

Wu Hen was also surprised, not expecting Prison Director Levi to have such insight.

Indeed, if the Prison Director was harshly enforcing law, then the whole Prison Town would surely disappear.

"Save me, and I can offer you unexpected benefits," the murderer suddenly said.

"What benefits?" Wu Hen's eyes lit up, immediately showing interest.

"We are trying to find a way. Don't say such things; it will only hasten your death," Levi, however, shook his head.

"I don't trust others, but I trust you. I can only hold on for a week at most. After a week, I can't guarantee the accuracy of what's in my mind. By then, I will have been tormented like a Sang Demon, and even if you take me out of this tank, I will not be myself anymore," the murderer said.

"I have already secured a position at the energy institution, and we will both solve the energy issues quickly so that I can propose to the Mayor to stop biological power generation. If possible, hang in there... I will try to get you a fair trial," Levi said.

"A fair trial? Your Da Xuan's arrogance is a consensus throughout Cang Chu, it's just that I did not heed my peers' advice," the murderer said.

Levi had nothing good to say.

Strength inevitably leads to bullying, and Levi could not expect all of Da Xuan's rulers to remain just, especially under special circumstances, where even the just might resort to extreme measures.

"In any case, hang in there; you wouldn't want to become a lost monster," Levi said.

Having spoken, Levi no longer lingered and headed towards other areas.

All the inmates in his prison had been thrown into these biological tanks; the Spiritual Factors they had drawn from this Otherworldly Desert Dust were extracted by the horrific Dark Spirit Machine and transformed into Dark Energy to operate the entire city. This process would not only cause already evolved beings to devolve but would also destroy their lifespans and souls, an agony surpassing all tortures.

Each time the prisoners saw the Prison Director, they all had one request—to be executed.

This pain, lasting even a minute, felt like an eternity. Back in the prison days, these inmates' hostility was not diminished, but here, they were no different from a group of children suffering their last breaths.

Wu Hen glanced over these prisoners and vaguely sensed threads of evil soul light, like poisonous insects crawling out of the biological tanks.

"They could easily become Evil Spirits," Wu Hen instantly realized what the soul light was, his eyes clearly perceiving the birth and accumulation of evil elements.

"But we can't openly defy the entire law of Steel Eagle City right now," Levi said. "Let's resolve the energy issue as soon as possible. Whether they can still live like humans depends on you. Moreover, if this place becomes a breeding factory for Evil Spirits, Steel Eagle City will completely fall."

"There is a Dark Energy wetland to the west of this swamp, which should be quite large," Wu Hen said.

"Okay, then let's prepare and depart immediately," Levi still hoped to save these prisoners.

It wasn't about redemption for them, but since they were his prisoners, even if the final decision was execution, that decision should be his to make.

...

Having taken up the position of energy department head, Levi needed to find a Dark Energy Spring Eye for the entire Steel City as soon as possible.

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The injured Eagle City couldn't hunt for a short time.

And actually, Eagle City was very weak in energy gathering; they mainly relied on raiding other towns and villages to supplement their own energy needs.

With the maintenance of Eagle City, daily consumption, and attacks from swamp creatures, the energy problem increasingly threatened the survival of Steel Eagle City.

Having lost the capability for combat and hunting, most of the fighting citizens were idle, and with the blockage of issues concerning food, heating, drinking water, and salaries, a large number of citizens began gathering on the streets and started to revile their reckless, foolish, and glory-seeking Mayor Chi Luo.

Some people had already raised banners, demanding that the defeated mayor step down.

The citizens weren't brainless; they realized if the city could not continue to dominate the skies and stayed in this swamp, cities specialized in swamp habitats would come here and devour this injured eagle.

Being swallowed by other cities would spell a tragic fate for all citizens; if lucky, they would all end up as lower district laborers, working day and night, and if unlucky, they would become slaves without any dignity, perhaps even their lives wouldn't be guaranteed.

The people of Steel Eagle City were very realistic; defeat meant they could no longer support him.

Mayor Chi Luo clearly rarely faced such adverse situations; he couldn't coordinate the post-defeat scenario or calm the people's emotions. Aside from cursing the incompetence of department heads in meetings every day, all he could do was seek help from his backers in hopes of their protection.

"The mayor is just an unfledged chick."

"Right, his illustrious background has brought our city many conveniences, but when facing brutal city-level warfare, he is essentially useless. After this battle, Grand Canyon City will take over all the Dark Energy Spring Eyes on that land, all the villages and towns, and become a giant hellish city, and we will be like stray dogs scavenging for trash on the edges of cracks."

"The city is so big; it needs too much energy. Wouldn't it be better if each district split off and fended for itself?"

"That's one solution."

Many commanders gathered together in the hall area to discuss the subsequent survival strategies.

"Whoever dares to split, I will certainly extinguish them first!" Chi Luo, upon hearing these voices, burst out angrily.

Splitting the town, fending for ourselves?

That would mean nearly every mayor, every district head would opt for independence and never again return to Steel Eagle City.

A Living City, its rate of absorbing and growing was swift, as was the speed of governance fracturing into fiefdoms. Once Steel Eagle City disintegrated, his role as Mayor Chi Luo, would become untenable to his own clan, as every town would take away dozens of massive engines!

"Even if we start the Biological Battery factory, our energy is still lacking. We don't have much time left, surrounded by numerous Prey Cities waiting for us to breathe our last!" the chief of life command said.

"Issue the order, whoever can solve the energy problem will be the deputy mayor, in charge of the Double Wing District!" Chi Luo, driven to desperation, offered such an important position.

This remark did indeed work; after all, the authority of Steel Eagle City's deputy mayor was extremely high and phenomenal for climbing into the ranks of Da Xuan nobility and leaders—an opportunity for a significant leap for every area mayor, every district commander.

Mayor Chi Luo's method temporarily suppressed the split, making all towns start finding ways to obtain energy, and technologies from a previous era were also unearthed and collected in this swamp.

While other commanders vied for positions, Levi and Wu Hen had already led their colleagues, previously from the prison system, exploring the Falling Flower Swamp.

The former public officials of Prison Town, responsible both for prison management and ensuring town energy, as well as managing the town, were actually quite comprehensive in skills, though they didn't excel in manual agriculture. Now, following Levi to the energy department, they felt more relaxed and quickly formed a professional surveying troop.

All being their own, Levi and Wu Hen were more at ease as they rode a Floating Boat, rushing deep into the swamp.

"Most of the swamp predators are ancient crocodiles."

"There might also be numerous Swamp Ghosts."

"And probably quite a few Evil Spirits..."

On the Floating Boat, the crowd murmured quietly.

Levi and Wu Hen, however, didn't join the idle chat. They furrowed their brows—clearly, with their strong Perception, they had sensed something in the bloody swamp ahead!

"It might be a Living Town of the swamp," Levi said.

Wu Hen, however, shook his head, speaking very seriously, "It's an Evil Spirit Living Town!"