Chapter 42: The Woman in the Black Veil

Each person could obtain six hundred and sixty crystal cores.

Luffy distributed six bottles of third-tier Body Tempering Liquid to each of them.

Luffy was still at the second tier, and had reached three hundred times human strength, beyond which he could not advance further unless he attained third-tier power. However, Luffy could improve his dragon blood aspect; consuming dragon blood pills could increase his blood concentration, though only slightly. Currently, the first level of Dragon Emperor’s Overbearing Art was only cultivated to fifteen percent, still a long way to go, but already undeniably powerful.

Naturally, Luffy instructed them to rest and enhance their strength. They took the third-tier Body Tempering Liquid to strengthen themselves.

Zeng Hongsen managed to reach two hundred times human strength, at the early stage of the third tier.

Zeng Hongsen was the strongest among them.

Luffy, meanwhile, held onto thirty thousand crystal cores without consuming them, instead taking out the fire crystal core to examine it.

“System, how do I use this crystal core?”

Luffy studied it for a while but couldn’t figure out its use.

“Ding. It’s simple. Activate the Dragon Emperor’s Overbearing Art and use the fire within the crystal core for your own purposes.”

Upon hearing the system’s prompt, Luffy immediately activated the art. Dragon energy enveloped the red crystal core, and flames were drawn in, merging into his hundred meridians.

Luffy felt the dragon energy absorb the fire element from the red crystal core, imbuing it with fire—an unusual fusion.

He was delighted. Soon, the fire within the crystal core was entirely absorbed, increasing his dragon energy by one percent, which surprised him.

With the dragon energy now infused with fire, his offensive power became even greater.

He couldn’t help but feel pleased. He released a burst of dragon energy at the small wooden table before him—“whoosh”—the table ignited, scorching hot.

Luffy chuckled, stood up, and walked outside. Since he couldn’t advance his strength further, he refrained from taking more pills; otherwise, future progress would become more difficult, despite the existence of reinforced pills.

His thirty thousand crystal cores would be used to purchase third-tier pills when the time came, so he could indulge.

Two days had passed.

It had now been a month since the apocalypse began.

Luffy wondered if other terrifying monsters would appear. Many insects and plants had mutated.

Deep within the mountains, there were millennia-old trees and animals.

If they mutated, it would be truly horrifying—not merely third or fourth tier.

Their starting point was so high that they might evolve directly to fifth, sixth, or seventh tier—frightening entities.

At that point, humanity would be in danger.

Humans only had a hundred years of lifespan; even with evolution, they still relied on external forces, unlike plants and animals.

Earth’s humans once reigned supreme, but after the evolution of these plants and animals, the outcome might change.

Humans might become the weakest among hundreds of species.

This thought filled Luffy with dread.

Luffy walked to his room and saw the morning sun streaming through the woods, casting a reddish light on the wall.

The sun still rose, the apocalypse persisted, and humanity had dwindled drastically under the rampage of zombies.

Zeng Hongsen followed him out, looking energetic; he now had two hundred and thirty times human strength.

He was the strongest, aside from Luffy.

“Let’s continue,” Luffy said, distributing meat for them to eat as they pressed forward. Everyone ate as they walked, soon arriving at a mountain waterfall, the rumbling sound echoing nearby.

They moved ahead.

Everyone kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings, fearing a monster might suddenly burst forth.

It was a habit born of necessity; otherwise, death could come unnoticed.

Arriving at the waterfall, Luffy stopped. The water was clear, and fish could be seen within. “Don’t play in the water. Everyone jump across.”

“Yes!” Zeng Hongsen nodded and was the first to jump. Luffy stood aside, feeling a sense of ominous foreboding from the waterfall.

It was as if a powerful threat was approaching.

“Everyone, hurry across,” Luffy urged.

A thunderous crash sounded as a massive black creature burst from the waterfall, its fierce maw snapping toward Luffy and his companions.

A guttural roar echoed.

It was a giant serpent, its body as thick as a barrel, its head broad and flat, with sharp fangs—terrifying.

Everyone was startled.

Fortunately, their strength allowed them to leap quickly, avoiding the serpent’s attack.

“Everyone, draw your weapons and attack!” Luffy ordered instantly. This serpent was fourth-tier, enormous, with three hundred times human strength.

All around, countless black snakes crawled forth, varying in size, densely packed—hair-raising to behold.

The subordinates drew steel crossbows and guns, firing wildly at the giant serpent, but failed to notice the snakes behind them.

“Everyone, dodge! Snakes behind!” Zeng Hongsen was the second to notice, shouting as he leaped onto a nearby tree.

The others, startled, had not expected so many snakes and scrambled onto trees with Zeng Hongsen.

The fourth-tier serpent let out an angry roar, its body writhing from steel arrows and bullets, then lunged at the unmoving Luffy—who, in the serpent’s eyes, seemed frozen in fear.

It opened its bloody maw, snapping at Luffy.

One could imagine the human about to be devoured.

Humans in this apocalypse became food for the myriad species.

A fierce blaze slashed the serpent, sending it flying.

With a thunderous crash, the fourth-tier serpent was hurled into the river, splashing water everywhere.

The serpent was utterly shocked; it never expected humans to possess such power. It had thought Luffy was only second-tier, easy prey—never imagining such strength.

This serpent was not the source of Luffy’s unease.

What else made Luffy uneasy?

A peak fourth-tier serpent with five or six hundred times human strength.

Or perhaps a fifth-tier serpent with five or six hundred times human strength—such a being could truly unsettle Luffy.

Arrows and bullets rained down from Zeng Hongsen and his companions in the trees, leaving the ground littered with snake corpses, but their numbers only increased.

“Die!” Luffy unleashed a crescent-shaped flame toward the fourth-tier serpent in the river.

One could imagine the serpent’s seven-inch vital point severed, its life ended.

Suddenly,

A dark shadow flashed from behind the waterfall, appearing before the fourth-tier serpent.

With a swift wave of her hand, Luffy’s attack vanished as though a small flame had been blown out by a gentle breeze.

A woman in a black dress appeared before Luffy and the serpent. Her face was veiled in black, her figure tall and curvaceous, legs long and slender, her whole body radiating a delicate aura. This was the presence that filled Luffy with unease.

Expressionless, she looked at Luffy. “You managed to injure my subordinate. Your human strength isn’t bad, but before me, you’re nothing more than a chicken or cur. Survive three moves from me and I’ll spare your lives. Fail, and you will all become my slaves.”

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Author’s note:

Vote, vote! It’s raining everywhere; everyone, be careful on slippery roads, and give some rewards. Keep following and checking in.

(End of chapter)