The professionists and mutant beasts around instinctively cleared a path for Wen Yu, looking at him with expressions that suggested he was their savior.
Of course, Wen Yu was no longer the cannon fodder he had been in his past life. In this life, having experienced countless major events, he felt nothing particular about their current regard.
It didnât matter whether they saw him as a benefactor or an enemy, whether they felt gratitude or hatred. The attitudes of others were unimportant to Wen Yu. He lived, killed, and foughtânot for others, but for himself.
Walking straight to the entrance of the Red Stone Hotel, Wen Yu whispered to Claus, "Let them rest. For now, all areas near the Red Stone Hotel that still have visibility are safe zones Iâve designated. They donât need to worry about the Demon Fiends outside for the time being..."
Here, Wen Yu paused, then continued in an even softer tone to Claus, "Later, you and Victor go to the conference room on the fourth floor. Call Arthur and Qin Tian. Weâll discuss how to get out of here."
Claus nodded, indicating he understood.
Then, Wen Yu walked directly into the Red Stone Hotel.
...
There was no one along the way.
This was to be expected.
Hiding in the rooms of the Red Stone Hotel wasnât safe, as the windows and walls could all become breach points for attacking Demon Fiends.
The basement, although it might face a threat from Demon Fiends capable of burrowing underground, was still more secure than the rooms above.
Confined, stuffy environments might naturally induce fear in humans. However, when a greater terror lurked outside, such sealed spaces paradoxically offered a false sense of securityâthis is human nature.
While heading to the fourth-floor meeting room, Wen Yu attempted to contact Cyclops and Star, who were outside. However, the Purple Light Spawn and Grow Barrier perfectly severed all forms of communication, naturally including Wen Yuâs mental link.
After a momentâs thought, Wen Yu abandoned the mental link. Instead, he directly activated his 4th Soul Realm and pulled Faceless, who was somewhere within the Red Stone Hotel, back to him.
By the time Wen Yu had done all this, he had arrived at the fourth-floor meeting room.
...
The meeting room wasnât large, but it was just right for such a small-scale meeting.
Wen Yu sat in the main seat, waiting quietly.
It wasnât long before Arthur arrived first.
Soon after, Qin Tian walked in, looking pale. He then ushered the tearful Qin Shiyuan, who was behind him, out of the small meeting room.
Wen Yu looked Qin Tian up and down. His injuries were no longer a problem, and he had changed into clean clothes.
His pallor is likely due to the psychological trauma of two near-death experiences in as many days,
Wen Yu mused with a touch of dark humor.
Before long, Claus arrived in the small meeting room, with Victor perched on his shoulder.
...
CLICK.
Claus flipped the switch on the wall, and the entire room instantly brightened.
The Purple Light Spawn and Grow Barrier had completely sealed off all external light sources in Las Vegas. The only illumination now came from the purple light emitted by the Barrier itselfâeerie and faintly blood-tinged, yet remarkably gentle, with decent brightness.
Seeing Claus and Victor take their seats, Wen Yu cleared his throat slightly. He first looked at Claus, then said solemnly, "The three of us owe an apology to you, to Victor, and to all the professionists and mutant beasts in Las Vegas who have already died in battle, or who are about to die."
Ignoring everyoneâs surprised expressions, Wen Yu continued, "Strictly speaking, the current situation in Las Vegas is connected to me, Qin Tian, Arthur, and also to Wang Fucai and Yang Hong, who are outside. However, the primary responsibility lies with Qin Tian and me."
Wen Yu paused briefly.
"The number of Demon Fiends assaulting Las Vegas this time far exceeds our original projections. Furthermore, they possess too many diverse armaments and stratagems. The core issue stems from us."
"Because Qin Tian and I confronted the Demon Hunting Group in the Red Stone Grand Canyon, which is very close to Las Vegas, and because of the high concentration of powerful experts in the Las Vegas area, we inadvertently led the Demon Tribe to a false conclusion: that this is the strongest bastion in the entire North American Continent. According to intelligence I obtained from outside, the forerider troops for the Demon Fiend invasion of the American Continentâyes, the entire American Continent!âhave concentrated nearly thirty percent of their forces here. Therefore, it seems we are the ones who have brought this upon you."
After speaking, Wen Yu said no more, quietly observing Clausâs face.
Qin Tian and Arthur beside him also remained silent...
This information Wen Yu had just shared was something he had tortured out of a Demon Fiend. The situation in Las Vegas was unsettling. Wen Yu had experienced the demon plague in his previous life. Although Mudanjiang City couldnât compare to Las Vegas in scale, the sheer number of Demon Fiends in Las Vegas was overwhelmingâso many that humans and mutant beasts combined had barely managed to hold them off. This was highly unusual. In his previous life, under Simbaâs leadership in Mudanjiang City, the mutant beast army alone had completely controlled the situation!
Through the dual torment of the Soul Battlefield and Soul Strike, Wen Yu had finally understood why so many Demon Fiends were currently gathered in Las Vegas: they had critically misjudged the cityâs actual strength!
While Las Vegas did possess a number of powerful experts, its count of ordinary professionists was pitifully low compared to major settlements. Furthermore, its defensive infrastructure was woefully incomplete. This was the fundamental reason for the current dire state of affairs.
...
After listening to Wen Yuâs explanation, Clausâs expression darkened slightly, but he showed no sign of blame.
After a long pause, Claus heaved a heavy sigh. "Itâs not your fault," he said. "It was Victorâs and my decision to ask you to come. Ultimately, we all bear some responsibility for this."
Hearing Clausâs response, Wen Yu nodded. "Fundamentally, this is still our mistake," he stated. "I originally promised Victor Iâd help defend Las Vegas. However, due to my actions, this current situation has arisen. I will do everything in my power to help you escape this predicament. For now, letâs consider this particular point addressed."
Wen Yuâs main reason for bringing this up was to preempt any suspicion from Victor. After all, once they escaped, Victor would easily deduce that the quantity and quality of the Demon Fiends assaulting Las Vegas were abnormal. It was better for Wen Yu to address it proactively. Victor possessed high intelligence and keen social awareness; this cat was not easily deceived, especially since his bond with Wen Yu wasnât particularly deep.
With this in mind,
Wen Yu deliberately glanced at Victorâs expression.
The black cat kept its head down, its small face furrowed. It looked somewhat dejected but showed no signs of holding a grudge.