Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 75 Keeping an Appointment
Zhuang Fan did not return to the base immediately.

He stood outside the destroyed stronghold, letting the evening wind whip up ashes that brushed against his cheeks.

He was rapidly mentally rehearsing the dangerous situation.

Tataji's rat-like face, and the shadowy demon general looming behind it, were two shadows that lingered in my mind.

To avoid it or to confront it directly?

Avoiding the issue is tantamount to admitting defeat, which is equivalent to handing over the initiative.

Tataji will become even more ruthless, and the Jetta team and the recycling center will be at his mercy. The "demon general" prestige he has painstakingly built will also be completely destroyed.

Facing it head-on carries equally enormous risks.

He knew nothing about the demon general he had never met, and the consequences would be unimaginable if his disguise were exposed.

Although he is called "Lord Demon General", he is not a real demon general and can only scare Tataji.

But not necessarily.
Zhuang Fan recalled the newly born demon general he encountered in the XR-662 shelter.

At that time, I only inhaled a wisp of its eerie mist, and that thing was so frightened that it fled in panic.

Perhaps, even demon generals are not invincible; they too experience fear and have weaknesses.

Then take a gamble.

Rather than waiting passively, it is better to take the initiative.

A resolute glint flashed in Zhuang Fan's eyes.

He turned and got into the truck, the engine roaring through the wilderness, heading towards the base.

……

When he returned to base, Watson and Gage were dismantling the wreckage of the "Iron Bull".

The cutting machine emitted a piercing hum, and sparks flew everywhere.

It seems that the Hua siblings truly embodied the spirit of scavenging when they were raiding the old peddler's hideout, even managing to bring back Tie Niu.

The massive armor plates were being dismantled piece by piece. Watson used a cutting machine to remove the burrs on the edges, while Gage stood by, studying the internal hydraulic structure.

"This thing is too bulky."

Watson swung his iron arm and forcefully broke a piece of armor plate off the iron bull. "But the material is good stuff. We can melt it down and make a lot of parts."

Gage also looked up, his eyes burning with fervor: "Boss, the core power unit of this thing is still usable. With some modifications, it can power the generator."

Making the most of everything and not wasting a single thing is ingrained in the very bones of every wastelander.

Zhuang Fan nodded without saying much, but said to Hua Sheng, "Come with me for a moment."

Watson followed him into a separate storage room, and Zhuang Fan closed the door.

Watson sensed something was wrong. "What happened?"

"The old peddler has someone behind him. I'm going to an appointment later and I need a complete set of nano-skin."

"Okay, I understand."

As Zhuang Fan spoke, he opened the briefcase and activated the nanobot recycling program.

Soon, the silver liquid metal peeled off Watson's body and slowly flowed back into the box, revealing his original face.

Watson subconsciously touched his face and found it somewhat unfamiliar.

Then, Zhuang Fan pressed his fingers on the groove, and the nano-skin quickly spread, covering his entire body.

A reliable layer of nano-skin is his only defense tonight.

Zhuang Fan had considered borrowing a set of power armor from Mao Shanwang, but that would seem too cowardly. The black robe image made him appear more unfathomable.

He tossed Watson a mask and whispered a message:

"Put on your mask and don't show your face. You're still an escaped prisoner."

Watson nodded quickly.

Zhuang Fan and the other person walked out of the storage room, just as Hua Xin came down the stairs.

"Brother Ya?"

Zhuang Fan handed him a sniper rifle. "Take this. Come out with me again. This isn't over yet."

Hua Xin took the gun without hesitation: "Great, we can go out again!"

"You must be careful."

Watson, standing to the side, watched the two figures leave, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Zhuang Fan and his companion left the base and drove their truck to a broken bridge in the wilderness, where they turned off the engine.

He put on the large black cloak, pulled the hood down low, and then conjured up a dark mist that enveloped his entire body.

A distorted humanoid figure made of shadows silently walked toward Tataji's stronghold.

When Hua Xin first saw him dressed like this, her emerald cat-like eyes were filled with surprise. Ya Ge has this kind of quirk?
She quickly suppressed her surprise and didn't ask any further questions.

Zhuang Fan led her to the familiar broken bridge and pointed to a sniper position on the edge, hidden by rubble.

"You stay here, keep your gun pointed at the rat hole over there, and don't fire randomly."

His voice deepened: "Wait for my command."

"understandable."

Hua Xin took the gun and moved with the agility of a cat, silently sneaking up on the enemy.

Tataji’s stronghold was a hollowed-out bridge pier.

Four ratman guards, armed with rifles, kept a close watch on the surroundings, keeping an eye out for any movement.

At this time of day, they would be fast asleep, but the leader repeatedly warned that a big shot would be coming tonight, and anyone who dared to slack off would be devoured.

When they saw the figure shrouded in dark mist in the distance, they immediately perked up.

"It's the Demon General!"

"I'll go report it!"

A guard scrambled into the depths of the cave to quickly report to the leader.

Led by the guards, Zhuang Fan went inside.

Soon, Tataji came towards them.

Its three-meter-tall body was slightly hunched, its face respectful, but its eyes gleamed with an undisguised sense of triumph.

"Sir, you are here."

Zhuang Fan didn't speak, he just watched it quietly.

Tataji felt a little uneasy under the gaze, but forced a smile and said, "You've come at the right time, sir. There is a distinguished guest inside who has been waiting for you for quite some time."

It turned to the side, made a "please" gesture, and personally led the way.

Zhuang Fan chuckled inwardly; this was a trap.

He strode in and followed them inside, arriving at a spacious central area.

The flickering firelight cast long, dark shadows on the rat-man totem on the wall.

In the center of the arena stood a burly human man possessed by a demon general.

He was tall with bulging muscles, and the dark mist emanating from his body was exactly the same as the aura emanating from Zhuang Fan.

"Humph!"

The burly man slowly stood up and glared at Zhuang Fan: "Which demon envoy sent you to cause trouble?"

Aside from Tiros, Zhuang Fan didn't know the names of the other demon envoys, but that didn't stop him from continuing to pretend.

He calmly countered, "So you work for Tirose?"

The burly man paused for a moment, then admitted:

“That’s right, I am the seventh general under the Lord, Iron Tower.”

After introducing himself, the Iron Tower subconsciously straightened his chest, believing that his name was enough to intimidate the other party.

"Have not heard."

Zhuang Fan shook his head, a hint of coldness in his voice: "Was it you who sent people to do this?"

"I did it because you crossed the line!"

Iron Tower's face darkened:
"Lord Tiros values ​​this campaign highly and forbids any demon envoys from interfering. You have repeatedly created chaos within the Ratmen's ranks, severely delaying the project. What is your explanation for that?"

You believe what the rat people say?

Zhuang Fan glanced at Tataji beside him, "Given their sluggish nature, delays in the construction period are inevitable. You actually believed such nonsense? You're really brainless."

"Wow, you can't make false accusations!"

Tataji panicked and hurriedly tried to explain to the tower:

"Lord Iron Tower, this guy is sowing discord! And he even stole a Baron from us! Please, Lord Iron Tower, intervene and uphold justice for us!"

"That's really outrageous."

Iron Tower stared intently at Zhuang Fan, his voice chilling: "You cowardly coward, you're nothing but a wild, wandering demon, yet you dare to impersonate a general under the Demon Envoy!"

Before he finished speaking, two more figures appeared out of thin air.

They had no physical form, wore black cloaks, had indistinct features, and exuded a stench of decay.

Two more demon generals.

(End of this chapter)