Chapter 55: Tales of Spark City

Chapter 55: Bits and Pieces of Spark City (Seeking Read-throughs and Votes)

Late at night.

A figure soared up from Sun Valley into the clouds, taking in the lifeless, desolate Gobi Desert at a single glance.

Luo Ke had just shared a small meal with Xia Dou, Bai Yuekui, and the others, personally cooking a few dishes to reward them for their hard work over the past few days.

Naturally, Luo Ke was not a stingy person; he had also taken out a portion of those projectile and energy weapons and handed them over. Even though they might not have much immediate use for them now, who could say what the future held? These weapons would still be somewhat effective when dealing with aberrant-type Markgamm monsters.

Besides, weapons did not necessarily have to be targeted solely at Markgamm. The wasteland world was vast, and if other unfriendly survivor factions were to appear, having them provided sufficient capital to fight back.

His current target was the nearby Markgamm; it was time for a routine extermination sweep. Snake-dogs, in particular, were not only numerous to a fault but also overwhelmingly thick-skinned, frequently stirring up trouble.

Following the map Luo Ke had drawn, Ran Bing and the others had marked out an activity radius centered around Spark City, serving as a quasi-safe zone where the probability of encountering large numbers of Markgamm was low.

However, once one ventured beyond this circle, colliding with various types of Markgamm became quite easy.

One had to admit that Sun Valley, recommended by Bai Yuekui, was truly a treasured sanctuary amidst this wasteland.

"Where should I start?" Luo Ke swept his gaze across, looking toward a valley beneath a towering cliff.

Then, he accelerated and plunged downward.

Hearing the ferocious, howling wind, a dozen sleeping snake-dogs lifted their heads in sudden terror.

Before they could even manage to straighten their legs, they witnessed a magnificent sea of fire descending upon the clouds.

Spitting scorching flames during the descent was a move Luo Ke never tired of trying; after all, who could possibly expect that he could breathe fire?

When the raging flames collided with the air currents, the coverage area expanded exponentially, creating an instantaneous explosion.

There was no one who could escape!

No, correction—there was no *dog* that could escape!

At the very first encounter, even if those dozen snake-dogs weren't instantly killed, they were reduced to a pile of charred remains, awaiting their destined fate of being consumed.

+92
Evolution Value [830/2000]

"A familiar taste." Luo Ke stretched lazily.

However, during the time that followed, he didn't find many Markgamm in the vicinity. After all, a few hours earlier, Xu Tong had fired off a decoy projectile, and the vast majority of ambitious and pursuing Markgamm had gone chasing after it.

Only a small number of snake-dogs—and more snake-dogs—were left behind.

Until the sun began to rise and the horizon turned pale, Luo Ke flew back to Spark City.

+110
Evolution Value [940/2000]

***

Hunter Training Base, Lounge.

"I've already cleared out those marked abandoned cities; at least on the surface, there are no traces of Markgamm left. If you guys are going out to scavenge for supplies, try not to go too deep underground," Luo Ke instructed Ran Bing upon his return.

Ran Bing nodded, taking notes earnestly. "Mm-hmm, understood. Feixue, Mo Cheng, and the others' Guiyuan states far surpass the others; their cultivation of spiritual essence is extremely rapid, and it's always been the few of them personally heading out for the hunt."

Speak of the devil, Feixue—just finished with training and clad in a tight-fitting physical conditioning suit—walked in, handing Luo Ke a cup of iced black coffee.

A few droplets of sweat slowly trickled down the outer side of Feixue's fair thigh, falling onto the floor. She said indifferently, "There's more outside if that's not enough."

With that, she turned and left, presumably to wash up.

"Thanks," Luo Ke waved and replied.

As a black coffee enthusiast, he had never been able to accept the subpar coffee of the apocalyptic era, which was why the Hunters drank the beans he had bought last time from the seaside town in the Free State.

Ran Bing suddenly smiled sweetly, a warm light flashing in her eyes. "Mark seems like he'll be able to recover his human form in another three or four days. Hehe, Jing Nan is complaining again; she mutters every day for Mark to turn back quickly so he can help share some of her workload."

"Your wish is about to come true," Luo Ke said softly.

Ran Bing nodded. "Thank you. If not for you, we might still be lingering on in the sky, gasping for breath."

Luo Ke drained the coffee. "By the way, how is Morgan lately?"

"He has no unusual behavior; he must have accepted the current state of things. Victor has been taking care of him personally ever since he was relieved of his duties," Ran Bing said.

Luo Ke stood up, estimating the time for Mark's recovery, realizing he could squeeze in one more traversal through the myriad realms.

Only in those other worlds could he completely let go of his restraints without any worries, and with the protection of the black hole, he basically didn't have to fear losing his life.

"The Spark Academy officially began operations yesterday..." Ran Bing continued to report various major and minor affairs to Luo Ke.

Though he seemingly wasn't the ruler in the open, he actually held the supreme authority of Spark City. Revered as a leader and pioneer, a single word from him could alter everyone's decisions.

Some matters could be left unmanaged, but they could not be left unknown.

Bidding farewell to Ran Bing and the others, Luo Ke walked outward, preparing to initiate his third journey.

"Huh?"

From afar, he spotted three familiar figures: 4068, the girl with the braided pigtails 4277, and another young man, 4079.

The three of them were chatting, laughing, and working diligently. The eyes of 4068 no longer harbored that reluctant resentment; whenever he locked eyes with 4277, a touch of tenderness would leap onto his cheeks.

"Lord Luo Ke!" 4277 called out happily, waving her hand.

Luo Ke waved back in acknowledgment. "There's food and water over there; balance work with rest."

4068 watched Luo Ke leave, unable to help feeling fortunate that back on the Lighthouse, Lord Luo Ke had stopped them when they were impulsively driven to drink; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Ever since then, he felt immensely grateful to Luo Ke and transformed that debt of gratitude into motivation. Only by working together with everyone to build Spark City better could he give the best possible reply to Luo Ke.

Luo Ke had never expected that a casual gesture of his back then would be remembered so deeply by 4068.

***

In the animation, this kid wasn't actually bad; he was simply forced time and again down a path different from Mark's. When the truth was told, he was just deliberately targeted by the Yihua Pigeon Animation production team for a scripted death, forcibly stoking the hatred of the audience.

"Brother Luo Ke!" Just as he was about to step past the checkpoint, a crisp, youthful cry sounded from behind him.

It was the leukemic little girl, 9033.

Supported by two little boys, she flashed an innocent, childlike smile at Luo Ke. "Come back safely, Brother Luo Ke! I'll be waiting for you to tell us the story of *Spirited Away*!"

9033 was also practicing spiritual essence, receiving focused care from Star Fragment, coupled with Bai Yuekui's treatments, medication control, and improved dietary quality. Her condition had been greatly alleviated, and at least she would be able to hold on for several more years.

On the patchwork Lighthouse, those three tiny figures could once again be seen playfully darting back and forth.

This ending could now be described as happy for everyone—a true echo of the fantasy harbored by shattered ice in the animation: living happily, freely, and safely on the ground surface.

"After a while, once everyone can properly master Guiyuan, let's restore the Lunar New Year's Eve and Spring Festival, shall we?" Luo Ke looked back, a trace of nostalgia washing over him.

With myriad households lit by lamp-light, Spark City was Luo Ke's own lighthouse—traversing the myriad realms, illuminating his path through the vast unknown, and guiding his way back home.

He took a step forward, and a black hole emerged.

...

"How come I'm lying on the ground again?"

Luo Ke regained consciousness, discovering once more that he had collapsed into an alleyway like a vagrant.

In broad daylight, people bustled back and forth along the avenue outside the alley, with the Stars and Stripes fluttering in the distance.

Good grief, was he at war with the Free State?

He dusted himself off, stepped out onto the avenue, and had barely stood his ground when he heard the startled cries of a few boys.

" Wow, that motorcade looks so cool!"

"Look, quick, aren't those from Umbrella Corporation?"

"As expected of the most powerful commercial empire, how imposing!"

Luo Ke looked in the direction of their gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A line of sleek black SUVs was speeding down the avenue, each bearing a distinct emblem where the license plate should be.

Red and white intertwined!

Umbrella!

*(Author's note: This chapter briefly touches upon those neglected characters, otherwise it feels like something was left unaddressed... Also, recommending little Ah Bai's new book, a sweet urban romance novel.)*
*(End of Chapter)*