C7 The Internet Was in an Uproar.

In the chaotic office of Setruarhiel,

"What's the deal? We still haven't gotten any intel on the crystal nucleus?" Green demanded, his face dark with anger.

"Boss, we've lost contact with Yu!" a subordinate reported nervously.

"Damn it! We just wired the payment yesterday, and now he's ghosting us?" In a fit of rage, Green hurled his coffee cup to the floor.

The underling stood by silently, not daring to utter another word, as Green continued to spew a stream of expletives.

After blowing off some steam, Green commanded, "Keep trying to reach him. If he thinks he can just vanish, we'll expose him and make sure he can't last a day longer in Osmistan!"

"Yes, sir!" the subordinate scurried away, visibly shaken.

But Yu had already been taken away, forced to assist with an investigation, stripped of any means to communicate with the outside world.

Now, even if he wanted to reach out to Setruarhiel for help, he was cut off.

Meanwhile, in an Osmistan live broadcast room, trolls were stirring up trouble.

"Pfft, it's just an announcement. I could issue one claiming that Ox Nation has recovered all items from the Chaotic Space!"

"Yeah, for all we know, Osmistan might just be throwing us off the scent!"

"It's likely. They finally make some progress, and if it's lost, Osmistan's morale will hit rock bottom!"

The Osmistan viewers felt a collective pang of anxiety at these comments.

Surely the authorities hadn't spun a massive lie just to placate the masses?

Just then, Osmistan's chaotic office dropped another bombshell—a brief video, no explanation.

Curiosity piqued, viewers watched as the crystal nucleus was securely transported to a lab, the video concluding only once it was safely inside.

"Holy shit, it's legit! We actually found the crystal nucleus, identical to the one Urlan extracted from a zombie's skull!"

"Where are those loudmouths from the live stream now? Take a good look!"

"They're probably questioning the video's authenticity now! Typical, always ready to twist the truth!"

While some nations remained skeptical, most had to face the undeniable truth.

"How did they find it so fast? It's impossible. Our country's less than a square kilometer, and we're still missing items!"

"Exactly, we demand Osmistan reveal their method for finding chaotic items!"

"Absolutely, this could benefit the whole world. They can't just keep it to themselves!"

Upon reading these comments, Ollie scoffed, "Issue a statement that our method is simply mobilizing the entire nation! Let's see if they can pull that off!"

At that moment, Urlan was nearly back on the ground floor.

Descending the stairs, he had scoured the building for any valuable finds.

Regrettably, after more than three years post-apocalypse, the place had been picked clean—only the walls remained.

Reaching the first floor, Urlan's only new possession was a half-meter steel pipe, likely discarded for being too short.

But the pipe was sturdy and lightweight, making it a suitable weapon for him.

Urlan examined the steel pipe.

[Information: New material steel pipe, surpassing all known materials in Osmistan for hardness, yet lightweight. Replicas can be found deep within the Kunlun Mountains, a place seldom visited. Coordinates are...]

Urlan decided to hold off on visiting the remote location. Since it was rarely visited, he'd inform Chair Walsh after finding the next hidden spot.

Otherwise, he'd face another grueling climb up eighteen floors—far too exhausting.

"Whew! It's easy to climb up, but coming down is the hard part. The ancients sure knew what they were talking about," Urlan panted.

"Ha, as if the climb was easy for you. Who was it again that was nearly out of breath earlier?"

Urlan shot a glance at the chat and shot back, "Don't kick a man when he's down!"

"Ha, go easy on him, guys. Urlan's had it rough."

"Make sure to rest up, Urlan. Another zombie encounter could spell trouble!"

"Don't worry, Feather God is no ordinary man. I believe: From Feather God begins Osmistan's rise!"

"From Feather God begins Osmistan's rise! +1."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The apocalypse is fraught with danger. Let's all pray for Urlan's safety and good fortune."

"I just did a reading for Urlan—'Dragon lying in wait.' The current is murky, but be ready for when the moment comes to soar to new heights!"

As the discussion heated up, a shadow flickered across the screen. Instinctively, Urlan stepped back, positioning the steel pipe defensively in front of him.

Clang!

Urlan even caught a glimpse of a spark.

"Information: Mutated black cat, First Level Mutated, highly agile, incredibly fast. No advantageous terrain nearby. Follow system prompts to counterattack."

Urlan leveled his steel pipe at the black cat, beads of sweat covering his forehead. It was unclear whether the perspiration was from the exertion of descending the stairs or from sheer nerves.

The black cat, with a look of scorn, tiptoed around Urlan, circling him a few times.

Tension gripped the live broadcast room at that moment.

"Poor Urlan, he's just taken care of zombies, and now he's up against a mutated animal."

"Indeed, these agility-type mutants are the toughest. I remember watching a trial challenger in another country's stream get taken down by a leopard without even a chance to react! They're incredibly fast!"

"It feels like it's all over. Zombies are one thing—they move slow—but these agile creatures are a whole other level of challenge!"

"I can't even catch my regular cat at home, much less one that's mutated!"

"Man, Urlan's a goner this time!" The voice from Moskieso chimed in the chat once more.

"Do you really see him as a savior just because he took down a zombie?"

"Is Osmistan's sixty-first trial challenger prepared?"

Urlan paid no attention to the chat. He had already switched off the comments to fully concentrate on the mutated black cat before him.

"Intel: Target one meter to your left!"

Upon the system's prompt, Urlan swung the steel pipe to a spot one meter to his left with precision.

Thud!

He connected with the black cat!

"Meow!" The cat yowled in pain, tumbling twice before rising to its feet, now eyeing Urlan with caution.

Urlan inwardly cursed. The cat's previous misstep had given him the upper hand, but now it was on high alert, likely to move even faster.

"Intel: Given the agility comparison between you and the mutated black cat, you're likely to sustain injuries, which may give you the opportunity to defeat it."

"Determined, Urlan asked fiercely, "How can I take it down?"