The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 267. Mission in Crustle City

A few days later, in the early morning, Rabbit Kyla made her way toward the boys’ camp. Brolin, walked beside her, chatting animatedly.

A giant man and a small rabbit, the combination itself little unusual. But the People in the camp are used to it.

Tyler stepped out of his house, stretching his arms after a good night’s rest. Rabbit Kyla’s sharp eyes locked onto him, and she quickly approached.

"Where is she?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Before Tyler could answer, the door behind him creaked open. Human Kyla peeked out, her face flushed red. Without saying a word, she hurried over to Rabbit Kyla, who immediately began inspecting her from head to toe, checking if anything was missing.

According to Human Kyle, she lost something when she spent her first night with Tyler Alone.

"You were in his house all night! What were you two doing?" Rabbit Kyla asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Human Kyla’s blush deepened, and she quickly grabbed Rabbit Kyla by the arm, dragging her away from the scene. The boys in the camp watched the spectacle, shooting Tyler knowing looks filled with envy and admiration.

Brolin, standing nearby, scratched his head before walking over to Tyler.

"Huh... Anyway, I’ve taken a mission," Brolin began. "I need three Array Masters to help set up some arrays in Crustle City."

"Crustle City? Isn’t that place destroyed?" Tyler asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it was," Brolin admitted, "but this is a small mission. We’ve got to investigate a strange flower blooming near the ’Good Boy’ statue. The mission needs to be quick, and arrays will help with the research."

Tyler considered it for a moment. "Well, I’m in. I don’t have much else to do today."

"Great! Kyla said she’d bring another Array Master," Brolin said with a grin. "With the three of you and me escorting, we should wrap this up in no time."

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Crustle City, once a bustling neighbor to Luka City, was famous for its rich culinary culture and thriving economy. Now, it stood eerily empty, consumed by Abyss unrelenting grasp. Vines enveloped the buildings, roads, and every visible surface, turning the city into a shadow of its former self.

Huge vines and many different Abyss species are roaming in the Area.

In the heart of the desolate city, near the Mayor’s statue, sat five figures cloaked in black. The statue, a tribute to the Dog Beastman mayor who had once led Crustle City with wisdom and compassion, depicted his humanoid body with a proud dog’s head. Beneath it, the inscription read: "Good Boy", a nickname given to him by the townsfolk. The monument, like the rest of the city, was overrun with thorns and vines.

One of the cloaked figures spoke, his voice grave.

"Justice itself is crueler than evil. Those who pursue justice must be able to make crueler decisions than those who are evil."

The others echoed the sentiment, shouting, "Justice Will Prevail!"

If Tyler White had been present, he would have recognized them immediately as the infamous Justice Bandits. Tyler had once encountered this group when they tried to assassinate the Young Master of the Crimson Blood Sect.

"Why don’t we venture deeper into the city, Leader?" one of the figures asked cautiously.

The leader shook his head. "The Abyss forces further in are too dangerous, even for us. It would be reckless to go deeper. Our mission is simple: test the effects of this flower on experimental subjects. The nearby factions will send someone to investigate soon enough. We’ll use them as test subjects and observe from here."

The others nodded in agreement. Placing a hand over their chests, they chanted in unison, "Justice Prevails."

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Meanwhile, outside the city, Brolin’s team gathered. The group now included four members: Brolin, Tyler, and the two Kylas—Rabbit Kyla and Human Kyla.

"Are we going on a double date or something?" Tyler muttered, half-joking.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Right, right? I thought the same thing!" Rabbit Kyla said enthusiastically, moving closer to Tyler without realizing it.

"Cough!" Brolin cleared his throat loudly and stepped between the two, giving Tyler a playful glare.

Human Kyla chuckled softly at the exchange, clearly amused by the dynamic.

With their preparations complete, the team set off toward Crustle City.

As they approached the city’s outskirts, Tyler looked up at the thick, gray fog hovering ominously overhead. "Why don’t we just fly in and get this over with?" he asked.

Brolin shook his head. "Better not. That fog is crawling with creatures. Flying even at low altitudes could attract unwanted attention."

The group proceeded on foot, stepping cautiously through the vine-choked streets. Rabbit Kyla carried a small scanning device, its screen flickering with readings of their surroundings. The device, more advanced than using divine sense, allowed them to cover a larger area without exhausting mental energy.

"There are some Lizart Rats near the bridge to the left," Rabbit Kyla reported, her eyes fixed on the scanner.

Brolin hefted his massive battle axe and peeked around the corner. Sure enough, three Lizart Rats skulked in the shadows.

The creatures were grotesque, four-legged monstrosities with slick black skin that shimmered with an unnatural purple hue. Tentacle-like appendages sprouted from their eyebrows, writhing menacingly as they sniffed the air.

Without hesitation, Brolin charged. The Lizart Rats noticed him immediately and let out guttural growls, their tentacles snapping toward him like whips.

Brolin swung his axe in a wide arc, severing the tentacles with a single powerful strike. The creatures screeched in pain, but Brolin didn’t let up. He brought his axe down again, cleaving through their thick hides and putting an end to their struggle.

As the group moved further into the city, the atmosphere grew heavier. The vines seemed almost alive, pulsating faintly as if feeding on the residual energy in the air.

Rabbit Kyla’s scanner emitted a soft beep, drawing everyone’s attention. "There’s something ahead—three humanoid figures," she said, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the device.

"Humanoid?" Tyler asked, his tone sharp with caution. "Abyss creatures or practitioners?"

"Hard to say," Rabbit Kyla replied, her voice steady but wary.

The team advanced cautiously, their weapons at the ready. The oppressive silence of the city seemed to amplify every step they took. When they finally reached the central plaza, the figures came into view, standing unnaturally still near the Good Boy statue.

At first glance, the figures resembled humans wrapped tightly in leaves and vines, their forms blending with the overgrown surroundings.

"Is that a plant?" Rabbit Kyla asked, tilting her head in curiosity. Without waiting for a response, she walked closer, her fingers lightly brushing against the scanner for additional readings.

"Hello?" she called out softly, tapping one of the figures on its vine-covered shoulder.

The creature turned slowly, revealing a grotesque face with hollow eyes and a gaping mouth. It let out a piercing screech, releasing a wave of sonic energy that rattled the surrounding area.

Reacting instinctively, Rabbit Kyla executed a graceful backflip, her foot connecting with the creature’s chin mid-air. The force of her kick slammed its mouth shut, cutting off the screech. However, the creature’s body trembled violently before it exploded into a shower of greenish fluid, as if it were a balloon bursting under pressure.

The commotion caught the attention of the other two creatures, which immediately broke into a sprint toward the group.

Brolin stepped forward, gripping his axe tightly. With a swift and powerful swing, he cleaved one of the creatures cleanly in half. For a moment, it seemed like a decisive victory. But to his horror, the two halves twitched and began to regenerate, each forming into a new, fully intact creature.

"What the—" Brolin cursed, stumbling back.

Before the creatures could launch an attack, An invisible force slammed down on the creatures, pinning them to the ground. Even the air seemed heavier, making it difficult for anyone to move.

"Chop them into pieces," Tyler commanded, his tone calm but firm. He already activated a pressure-releasing array which caught the creatures off-guard.

Brolin, realizing the array didn’t affect him, charged into the field. The pressure seemed to part around him, indicating Tyler’s precise control. Wielding his axe with relentless determination, Brolin hacked at the creatures, reducing them to a mess of shredded plant matter.

When the last piece stopped twitching, Tyler deactivated the array. The oppressive weight lifted, and everyone exhaled in relief.

As they continued walking past the Good Boy statue, Behind them, the pieces were moving. Tiny shreds of plant matter began to quiver and grow, stretching and twisting into new forms.

Oblivious to the regrowth behind them, the group turned a corner and froze.

"What the—" Tyler muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Standing before them was the Good Boy statue again, identical to the one they had just passed.

"That’s... impossible," Brolin said, gripping his axe tightly.

Rabbit Kyla checked her scanner, which seemed to malfunction, displaying a series of erratic readings. "We didn’t loop back. We should be heading away from the plaza, not back to it."

"It’s not the same statue," Human Kyla whispered, pointing at the base. The inscription, which previously read "Good Boy," now read "Bad Boy."

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

"Looks like we got ourselves into a bad situation." Tyler said with a sigh. "Stay sharp."