I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 488: A Massive Tide of Beasts Approaches

Chapter 488: Chapter 488: A Massive Tide of Beasts Approaches

Upon arriving at the General Headquarters Command Office, Wang Lan met with Shen Xiaowu, the supreme commander of the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space, along with two Titled Strongmen stationed in the Cloud Sea space: White Dragon and Black Fox.

"Youth truly is formidable!" After exchanging salutes with Wang Lan, Shen Xiaowu looked at him and sighed with admiration. "The second genius Star Martial Warrior to break through to the Star Sea realm before the age of twenty and receive a title at the same time. Looking at you, I am filled with confidence in Jade Country’s future."

"Huh? Have I been granted a title?" Wang Lan asked curiously.

"Correct. The higher-ups have already decided you will be given a title, and now there are several for you to choose from. The first, and most widely suggested, is ’Wolf God.’ Your name, Wang Lan, contains ’Lan,’ which is a homophone for ’wolf’ in Chinese, so ’wolf’ must be included in your title. Moreover, the first time you appeared before the public, you used the name ’Wolf.’ Later, you were called the ’Wolf King.’ Therefore, there are three titles for you to choose from: ’Wolf God,’ ’Wolf King,’ and ’Greedy Wolf.’ Pick one."

"Uh... isn’t ’Wolf God’ a bit arrogant? ’Wolf King’ doesn’t seem to carry quite enough impact either. Let’s go with ’Greedy Wolf’."

"Okay, I will relay that to the higher-ups. Congratulations, Greedy Wolf. You are now Jade Country’s ninety-fifth active Titled Strongman, codenamed Greedy Wolf."

"Supreme Commander, Seniors," Wang Lan said, looking at the three people present, "the reason you called me here isn’t just to inform me about the title, is it?"

"How did you know?" Shen Xiaowu looked at Wang Lan expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"Because of the beast tides. The beast tides occurred during the major engagement in the southwest region. At first, I thought the beast tides were triggered by the significant movements there. Although it was sudden and I didn’t receive any warning, I sensed that these beast tides weren’t simple. Later, I learned that all five directions of the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space experienced beast tides, which is rather peculiar. Three days have passed. I imagine headquarters must have some investigation results by now, right?"

"As expected of Greedy Wolf, the self-proclaimed Nemesis of Demon Clan Spies. He’s truly very perceptive," Black Fox grinned, praising him with satisfaction.

"Indeed. This time, the beast tides were too sudden and too strange. It’s not just us; neighboring countries have also been significantly impacted. The Pioneer Spaces of nations like Titanium Kingdom and Vine Country have all encountered beast tides. Our four nations dispatched elite squads to investigate the depths of the Chaos Mist and ultimately determined that the El Nino phenomenon is about to erupt in the Cloud Sea region."

"The El Nino phenomenon? What is that?"

"A region-wide super beast tide. The continental plates of the Different Dimensional Spaces will randomly overlap and merge, and all Exotic Beasts will go berserk. Do you realize there are tens of millions of Exotic Beasts in this region? Can you imagine the impact on the Pioneer Space once they all run rampant?"

"So, what do we do? Do we have any countermeasures?" Wang Lan asked, his brows slightly furrowed.

"We’ll try to resist first. If that fails, we’ll have to contract the defense line and concentrate the entire Cloud Sea Pioneer Space’s power to withstand the beast tides. The problem is, we don’t know the potential scale of these beast tides or the extent of the losses we might suffer. The last El Nino phenomenon occurred thirty years ago. You definitely wouldn’t know how severe it was, but the three of us still remember it. Over a third of the Pioneers in the entire Cloud Sea Pioneer Space perished, with more than one hundred thousand killed in action. That battle, aside from a few during the Demon Clan invasions, had the highest number of casualties."

Hearing this figure, Wang Lan’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression became exceedingly grave. The deaths of over one hundred thousand Star Martial Warriors—such a concept was staggering. It was incredibly difficult for the country to cultivate that many Star Martial Warriors. And the last beast tide wasn’t even the strongest recorded in history. The El Nino phenomenon began appearing in the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space three thousand years ago. Nobody knows why it happens, but without a doubt, each occurrence has been a disaster of monumental proportions.

"Originally, the three of us were worried. If it really happened, we could only defend the south, west, and north directions. But now we have you, which is a real boon. Moreover, as soon as I received the news, I immediately requested support from the Ministry of Defense. If reinforcements can arrive before the El Nino phenomenon, we might be able to minimize the losses."

"So, during this time, you will stay at the command office, ready to provide support at any moment."

"Alright. But can I make a trip to the southwest first? I need to bring someone out."

"No problem. Is it your little girlfriend?"

"Yes."

After leaving the General Headquarters Command Office, Wang Lan returned to Ice Cliff. He simply told Jiang Xinyu that headquarters had ordered their transfer to the command office, without elaborating further. He couldn’t discuss the details of the El Nino phenomenon with them, as it could easily demoralize the troops.

"So, does this mean I’ll have to call you ’Greedy Wolf Crown’ from now on?" Jiang Xinyu asked teasingly on the way, after hearing Wang Lan’s account.

"Who are we kidding? Forget ’Crown.’ From now on, you can call me Lord Greedy Wolf, or Lord Wang Lan, or Lord Husband... HISS—OUCH, OUCH, OUCH!"

Hearing Wang Lan’s cries of pain, Jiang Xinyu finally released the soft flesh at his waist, satisfied.

"Is the El Nino phenomenon really that scary? Will a lot of people die?"

"This is the first time I’ve heard of this version. I’ve heard of the El Nino phenomenon before, but that referred to a natural climate event—extreme heat and drought, scorching when it’s hot, freezing when it’s cold. I had no idea there was a beast tide version."

"There are over a hundred of our classmates in the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space... I wonder how many will survive this."

"Don’t worry too much. Headquarters will send support, and it might even arrive tonight."

「Meanwhile, at the command center, nerves were suddenly on edge.」

Four of the twelve elite reconnaissance squads dispatched had lost contact. Each of these twelve squads was equipped with a communication bee, capable of instantly reporting intelligence back to headquarters. But these four squads had transmitted nothing when they lost contact, as if they had vanished in an instant, without even a chance to react. Squads dispatched by headquarters into the Chaos Mist for reconnaissance were all elite Star Sea realm units. For them to lose contact without even time to react indicated the terrifying nature of the trouble they had encountered.

The intelligence from the remaining eight squads sent shivers down everyone’s spines. Exotic Beasts were gathering frantically within the Chaos Mist, with no fewer than two hundred thousand approaching from just one direction. This horde was twice as ferocious as the last beast tide. The problem was that these Exotic Beasts were still amassing, making it impossible to estimate their numbers when they finally launched their attack. Collectively, the number of Exotic Beasts had already surpassed one million, and this figure was still climbing.

A stampede of a million Exotic Beasts—that was already the breaking point for the Cloud Sea Pioneer Space. It must be understood that this is a Pioneer Space, not a mere training ground. With such a high proportion of powerful Exotic Beasts, a million-strong horde meant at least ten thousand of them were at the Star Sea realm.

"Hummingbird, have them estimate when the next wave of the beast tide will start."

"It can’t be estimated... The Exotic Beasts are extremely agitated; they’re rubbing against each other."

Exotic Beasts possess a terrifying trait similar to locusts. When alone or in small numbers, their temperament is very stable. However, once their numbers reach a certain scale and density, they collectively enter a frenzied mode. In this state, they are fearless and numb to pain, transforming into a horde of killing machines. Moreover, in this frenzied state, their collective combat strength increases by ten percent—a terrifyingly despairing statistic.

"Not good!" A cry of alarm suddenly came from the Hummingbird communications: "The Exotic Beasts in the northwest have gone berserk—!"

"Damn it! Black Fox, hurry to the northwest area! If the situation is irreversible, ensure the main forces can evacuate safely!"

"Has the situation already reached this point?" a voice sounded as the command room door was pushed open, and three middle-aged men entered. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Well, I’ll be! It’s you three?"

"Old Shen, long time no see! You’re still kicking, huh?"

"Get lost! Who talks like that?"

"Supreme Commander, the beast tide on the southern front has erupted! We estimate it will hit our checkpoint in half an hour."

"Your timing couldn’t be better!" Shen Xiaowu said with a smile, looking at the three newcomers. "Dongfang He, Sun Chang’an, how about you two hold down the southern region for me?"

"Old Shen, you’re not very accommodating. I rush all this way to provide support, and you put me to work without even offering a glass of water? Is that how you treat people? Forget it. Old Sun, let’s go see what’s so fierce about these rampaging Exotic Beasts. We’ll each suppress a beast tide ourselves."

"Dongfang, don’t get ahead of yourself. While it sounds impressive, it’s not something an ordinary person can pull off. Wang Lan only managed it because he had no other choice."

"I know. You think I lack that much sense?"

As Wang Lan and Jiang Xinyu entered the headquarters main gate, they saw two Titled Strongmen soaring into the sky, heading straight for the southern region. Wang Lan looked puzzled at the two figures; their emitted Star Energy Fluctuations clearly indicated they were experts. Still, he hadn’t seen them around headquarters before. Had the reinforcements already arrived?

After taking Jiang Xinyu to the personnel management section for them to arrange her entry permit and other matters, Wang Lan hurried back to the General Headquarters Command Office.

"The northern front has the Aralian Mountain Range as a natural defensive barrier, and the terrain there is also suitable for your combat style. So, White Dragon, the northern front is yours."

"No problem, leave it to me."

"That leaves the western front. The west lacks natural defensive barriers, and the defense line is relatively long. If the Exotic Beasts break through there, the west will be at a significant disadvantage. Earth Walker! Greedy Wolf!"

"Present!"

"You two head to the West area immediately. Earth Walker, your Earth Attribute Star Martial Skills are unparalleled. Team up with Wang Lan and use your abilities to alter the terrain, constructing sufficiently strong defensive fortifications before the beast tide arrives. That should ease the pressure when it hits."

"Supreme Commander, if Earth Walker and I both go to the West area, what about the southwestern defense line?"

"Isn’t Ice Cliff in the southwest? That natural defensive position is even more suitable for holding the line than the Aralian Mountain Range on the northern front. I will personally oversee it. If you youngsters can do it, then an old hand like me should have no problem."

Earth Walker was a middle-aged man, a little under 1.6 meters tall, with a stocky build and a bald, shining pate that suggested great intellect. Were it not for the powerful aura he exuded, Wang Lan would never have connected him with the esteemed rank of Titled Strongman. His appearance, however, reminded Wang Lan more of a creep one might encounter in a subway station.

Wang Lan didn’t know much about Titled Strongmen, unlike some of his classmates who could list all ninety-three of them from one to ninety-three. Although Earth Walker’s title was ’Earth Walker,’ he traveled by air, using the same Weight Exchange Star Martial Skill as Wang Lan.