Chapter 689: 167. Epic Encounter
Duke of Peach’s petite body danced gracefully among the countless crevice bubbles flying in the sky, her bloodstained robe clinging tightly to her small figure, yet still feeling somewhat constrained.
These crevice bubbles were manifestations of Dalasgon’s authority, projections of many beings’ subconscious in reality, but they did not represent the connection of Dalasgon’s authority and consciousness. More specifically, Dalasgon’s authority was actually related to “projection.”
So, the “ring head” that Fisher initially carved using Dalasgon’s avatar was not the “soul,” but rather the “crevice.” Under the influence of the crevice’s power, things that could typically not be seen were projected out.
At this moment, the subconscious bubbles that Fisher thought were “soul out-of-body” were actually symbols of Dalasgon’s power.
As Fisher below awakened Dalasgon’s authority, the entire ecology of the crevice became exceptionally lively.
The people’s panic on the battlefield in Saint Nali, their admiration for Elizabeth, and their hatred for the Parasol Tree invaders all transformed into emotional bubbles surging towards the sky, covering Duke of Peach’s pursuit of the chaotic being.
The appearance of the chaotic being was almost identical to hers; both were exceedingly petite. Once it jumped into the multitude of bubbles, it became exceedingly difficult for Duke of Peach to trace its whereabouts, making her furious.
“You little fish! Get back here!”
She roared, raising her chubby little hand. The power of “going back” was instantly activated, and in an instant, both the bubbles and the ascending chaotic being began to uncontrollably rewind time.
Although Duke of Peach’s rank was currently insufficient, her comprehension of power was virtually unparalleled in the world, and in an instant, she grasped the chaotic being whose rank had originally declined.
Watching the blood-red figure begin to descend, Duke of Peach finally sneered and leaped up, grabbing it fiercely to prevent it from getting closer to Dalasgon’s core.
“Chaotic being! My mother died because of you! You wretched beast! You left me alive until today to awaken; do you think I will give you another chance?!”
Duke of Peach gritted her teeth, dragging the blood-colored elf with the same appearance as hers downward. As they descended, every punch she threw landed on the chaotic being’s formless facial features, as if she wanted to grind it to dust.
A millennium ago, the World Tree perished because of the chaotic being. She exhausted herself to eliminate the owner of the Life Completion Manual who had grown, only to see that the Life Completion Manual on him was about to randomly transfer to some place in the world after its host’s death.
By a twist of fate, to stop the Life Completion Manual from spreading further, she picked it up and ultimately fell into chaos herself, becoming insane.
Duke of Peach blamed herself for not holding on longer in the chaos of the chaotic being, for not protecting her siblings, and for not keeping her homeland from falling beneath the sea.
Now, she finally had the chance to soberly reckon with the poison that infected this world.
“Bang! Bang!”
The peach blossoms in Duke of Peach’s hands kept blooming and exploding, each attack containing her full force of fury, smashing the avatar that was originally composed of flesh and blood into a head that continuously burst, producing crisp sounds.
“Buzz!”
But the next moment, a pale, pieced-together palm suddenly emerged from the chaotic being’s face, steadying itself and catching Duke of Peach’s descending fist, causing her to pause slightly.
Simultaneously, a hoarse and unpleasant distorted voice emanated from the chaotic being’s body. The tone was similar to what Duke of Peach heard from the World Tree but felt eerie and sinister.
“Duke, do you know why you are so easily deceived?”
Yes,
Duke of Peach remembered.
Every time her will was firm, the chaos would always collapse her soul with the illusion of the World Tree mother, causing her to be silently tainted by chaos.
The chaotic being understood very well that as the first daughter of the elf, Duke of Peach’s will was so steadfast. However, whenever it simulated the voice of the World Tree or the voices of her deceased siblings, her resolve would waver.
What a wondrous and useful method!
“That’s because you are susceptible.”
“You little fish!!!”
Duke of Peach’s face turned purple with rage; the peach blossoms all over her body turned blood-red, and her once lively pupils swelled and turned bloodshot. She raised her powdered fist again, but the chaotic being’s avatar no longer offered no resistance.
Suddenly, countless elf flowers bloomed wildly on its form, and images of Duke of Peach’s deceased elf friends appeared, their faces blue and purple as if they were corpses but opened their eyes the next moment, screaming at her.
“Aaaah!!!”
Duke of Peach covered her ears in pain, retreating violently, while the size of the chaotic being’s avatar gradually swelled. Countless severed elf limbs extended from its body, as if stitched together, grasping her limbs and face, trying to swallow her.
“Come, come. I’ll reunite you with your kin.”
“Hurry, Sister Peach!”
“Ah, sister!!”
“Little fish!!”
Duke of Peach grit her teeth and struggled, her face twisted to the extreme. In the next moment, she bit her tongue, and blood gushed out.
The chaotic being’s avatar paused slightly, but then that mouthful of blood sprouted into peach blossoms like soil, multiplying until it formed an infinite stream of peach blossoms.
The peach blossoms rushed into the chaotic being’s body, causing it to twist and struggle, continuously shifting towards the “past.”
The arms that had just grown bent backward forcefully, but its body kept moving forward, torn between the two directions of future and past, making the chaotic being suffer unbearably as it emitted severe cracking sounds.
But as its gaze slightly rose, the juvenile-like yet monstrous Duke of Peach, accompanied by a gust of wind, arrived, blood-filled mouth landing a punch on its body, piercing straight through it and exploding countless blood clots.
“Die!!”
“Boom!!!”
In contrast to the life-and-death struggle on Duke of Peach’s side, Ashley appeared exceedingly calm. The reason was simple: the avatar in front of her was too lackluster.
Ashley initially thought it rushed towards the sky so quickly to assassinate Dalasgon, intending to intervene, but unexpectedly, the guy seemed to swim leisurely, slow and off course, as if searching for a good place to slack off.
“What the heck?”
What is this chaotic direction? Are they not fighting?
The golden ball of threads ahead moved randomly, and Ashley followed, repeatedly striking it with the power of fate. However, it barely dodged; even the threads on its body were burned without retaliation, as if waiting for the clock-out.
This chase was exhausting, both sides panting heavily while being obstructed by countless crevice bubbles.
Ashley grit her teeth, watching the chaotic golden thread flying madly ahead, and then glanced down at Fisher, who was battling the specters of Pandora and Heow, contemplating whether to turn back and assist Fisher.
He was under the most pressure, fighting two at once. However, he was the only one who could mobilize Dalasgon’s authority, along with Asuka’s magic, preventing Heow and Pandora’s specters from counterattacking. Moreover, if she turned back, the chaotic direction in front could quickly reach Dalasgon and lead to severe trouble.
“Damn it!”
Ashley could only continue to chase the chaotic direction but couldn’t help throwing out a curse.
“Other deities’ avatars are already out of commission, and you’re still running? Until when?!”
Under Ashley’s provocation, the chaotic direction became furious and, upon shivering slightly, took off faster.
It seemed to have no fixed direction, rather distancing itself from Dalasgon as much as possible. It looked like it hadn’t reached the clock-out yet.
“You bastard!”
Ashley’s face turned pale with rage, feeling provoked as if she was the one being baited, and thus continued to chase after it.
Simultaneously, in Saint Nali, after Elizabeth issued the strategy to expel and relocate the battlefield, the street fighting between the Nali Army and Parasol Tree fell into a stalemate. Overall, Valentina felt the pressure was not too great.
One, she received Elizabeth’s orders to avoid combat in the residential area to prevent harming the Nali people, which Valentina and the others were also mindful of. Thus, their exchanges were tentative, with no real confrontation.
Two, Alagina’s flagship mechanisms were indeed too powerful. Not only was their firepower fierce, but they could also control the skies. While Valentina might have no way to deal with them, they were all too easy against human armies, capable of single-handedly suppressing an entire military.
Valentina led hundreds of soldiers through the open street, constantly vigilant for possible attacks, but due to the presence of the mechanism in the sky, the Nali forces kept a safe distance from them.
At this moment, they had completely left the residential area and entered the church district, with the Golden Palace’s outskirts just a few miles ahead.
“Everyone, move while accounting for personnel. If I’m not mistaken, the Nali must want to resolve things with us at the Golden Palace’s outskirts.”
“Yes!”
“Alagina, how’s the energy for the mechanisms? Is it sufficient?”
Alagina checked the instrument in her hand, her eyes flickered as she replied:
“Rotating operations range from a minimum of forty percent to a maximum of seventy.”
There’s nothing to be done since the energy demand for flagship mechanisms is immense. The previous suppression of the Nali army wasn’t based on ammunition but rather on the mechanisms’ particle weapons. According to David, these had been modified by his parents. Although energy consumption had been reduced, it was still higher than usual operational requirements.
“That should be enough. They are no longer pursuing us; it seems we’ve frightened them.”
Alagina surveyed the quiet streets around her but felt a sense of foreboding in her heart.
“These particle beam weapons were discovered alongside the Black Chieftain back at the Stormy Sea. The Nali should have them as well, yet I haven’t seen a single one just now. That’s quite strange.”
“Is that strange?”
“Not at all. The flagship’s ability to carry this level of particle beam weapons is due to the new structure designed by angels. If the Nali had the same technology, they wouldn’t keep it hidden. They require a much larger host to carry such weapons.”
“A larger one?”
Upon hearing this, Valentina suddenly halted her steps, a chill ran down her spine as she realized why the surrounding army had stopped following them.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz…”
At this moment, an ethereal sound of mechanisms operating emanated from the sea, stirring waves upon waves.
“No, no, no! The Nali have installed such things on their ships! And now that we have run out of the residential area, they can act recklessly!”
“Rumble!!!”
The next second, the entire sky suddenly lit up brilliantly. From afar over the sea, countless gigantic beams shot upward like arrows towards Valentina and her group below.
“Run!!”
Valentina quickly realized what was happening. At the moment her companions had yet to react, her wings exploded outwards with a resounding boom. She darted past, propelling all surrounding troops away from their standing ground.
Sure enough, moments later, that beam crossed through several streets, melting everything in that area.
*Cough! Cough!!*
Amidst the murky dust, the members of the Parasol Tree coughed and moaned in despair. Alagina, covered in dust, managed to stand up, having summoned the Ice Prince’s sword to shield them all with a layer of ice armor, preventing casualties during Valentina’s desperate maneuver.
She stared blankly over there, solemnly stating to Valentina:
“The Nali have improved upon the mechanisms’ technology, but unlike our intelligent mechanisms, they utilize these as war weapons.”
Even if Alagina had inherited a proper angelic mechanism technique from David, the humans who obtained damaged mechanism technology over the years weren’t fools. They established schools to recruit talents and developed a technological tree for the mechanisms, advancing even further based on existing technology.
Alagina spread her fingers and quickly calculated.
“Any particle output would require at least the standard displacement of 4000 tons for a Nali warship—equivalent to a heavy cruiser to accommodate. There are seven heavy cruisers in the Nali Royal Guard, which means…”
Valentina didn’t understand all these specifics but grasped the implication.
“Does that mean there are still six more attacks like this?”
“Not just six. It’s a cycle. According to the system’s time, six launches complete one cycle, not considering energy—the first launch’s particle cannon would cool down just in time.”
“.Then I’ll go deal with those ships in the near sea.”
“I’ll send the flagship to assist you. They are already connected, capable of remote control.”
“No, they stay here to protect you. I’ll just…”
As Valentina and Alagina plotted the next actions, several foul-smelling entities suddenly descended from the ethereal crevices above, resembling something born from excretion. Looking up, they were dark, oil-smeared, ball-shaped entities with an overwhelming aura of chaotic death.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Next, the chaotic oil balls crashed into the city of Saint Nali, and one or two even landed in the residential area. However, most fell near the group of uninvited guests.
“Roar! Roar!”
The rotting meatballs shook violently as they hit the ground, causing the entire Saint Nali to tremble. Valentina and Alagina covered their mouths and noses against the stench, realizing it was futile; they could smell the filth regardless.
Those giant, oil-covered spheres were more like eggs, quickly birthing horrifying presences as lifeless, decayed corpses crawled out, their ranks far surpassing ordinary humans, struggling to stand and move toward the Parasol Tree members.
“Are those chaotic beings sent to assist Elizabeth?”
Alagina, somewhat incredulous, while Valentina raised her hand; the Moon Princess sword manifested at once, and a pure arc of moonlight instantly sliced halfway through the block, decapitating a nearby corpse before it could stand.
“Roar! Roar!”
What was terrifying was that Valentina’s attack seemed entirely ineffective. Instead, the body that had been severed grew into two completely identical, formidable entities.
“Are they immortal?”
“Bam! Bam! Bam!”
Meanwhile, a power-charging sound of the particle cannon came again from the distant sea, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts.
This is bad, caught between a wolf in the front and a tiger in the back, stuck in a dilemma.
Valentina bit her teeth, hesitating for a moment but ultimately decided to execute the original plan.
“Alagina, I’ll leave this place to you. Avoid direct confrontation and await my return. I’ll go handle those ships at sea.”
“Okay, understood.”
“Roar! Roar!”
The corpses ahead could hardly contain themselves as they charged wildly toward this side. Isabel and Aoxi immediately confronted them with their weapons, but even Aoxi’s Phoenix Feather Armor was of no help, let alone Isabel.
With a single slap, Aoxi was knocked unsteadily into the air, while other Cangniao types were directly dragged down by those corpses. This made Valentina, who was about to leave, abruptly come to a halt.
No, we can’t leave. They can’t handle these things.
But what about those ships at sea?
“Boom!!”
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!!”
At that moment, a deafening explosion rang out from the distant sea. Valentina paused to look up at the sky, where amidst the swirling dust, a light wrapped in steam and fire shot out like a gyroscope meteor, lifting numerous scattered remnants of a ship.
That light had just punctured through a ship?
What in the world is that?
“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!”
The meteor hovering in mid-air spun continuously, as if discovering the situation below, before it stood still, a steaming long spear shooting down like a sundering sunbeam. The explosive flames crashed down with overwhelming strength, instantly piercing and propelling all the corpses on one street, creating a wave of reverberation.
“Rumble!!!”
Amidst Valentina’s shock, that long spear returned to a distance far away, while the red meteor in the sky suddenly plummeted, landing on the roof of a nearby building, raising a cloud of dust.
“Don’t worry. Reinforcements from the Dragon Court have arrived!”
The voice came from a high, fiery female tone.
Valentina and Alagina were instantly stirred, simultaneously looking up to see a crimson cloak billowing in the wind, adorned in vibrant Southern Continent colors, with bright red hair like flames cascading down, while a long tail behind her swayed up defiantly.
That was a very powerful Dragon Race.
Valentina and Alagina thought in unison.
“You are the Dragon Queen Raphael, rumored from the Dragon Court?”
Earlier, when Valentina learned that Fisher could summon the Dragon Court for reinforcements, she had her doubts. Although the Dragon Court had long been suffering in the Western Continent and the Nali, could a mere letter really summon such strong assistance?
But now, upon seeing the fiery and radiant Dragon Queen, her doubts vanished into thin air.
This woman before her was certainly formidable.
“Ah, yes, it’s me. Hello, friends from the Northern Region.”
Raphael smiled slightly, her grand and zestful demeanor starkly contrasting with the flustered Valentina and Alagina below, as if a divine soldier had descended from the heavens.
Valentina casually glanced at Alagina beside her, only to find she was expressionless, looking back at her, unsure of what it meant.
Never mind.
The urgent matter was at hand.
Yes, the urgent matter was at hand.
“Thank you, Dragon Queen, for lending aid in crisis. If it weren’t for you, we might have faced dire consequences.”
Valentina pressed her lips together and instinctively rubbed her ring; the glimmering reflection in the sunlight instantly caught Raphael’s eye.
“…”
She raised an eyebrow, a spear planted beside her, as if just now realizing that this Phoenix seemed to have an undeniable connection to the father of her child.
“Not at all.”
Clearing her throat, she casually stroked her abdomen while making a polite remark.
“Queen Raphael, my husband is still up there fighting against chaos. We are here to divert Elizabeth’s attention, and as for the enemy at sea, we genuinely are at a loss. Can we…”
Your husband?
This time, not only Raphael but even Alagina beside her turned to look at her expressionlessly.
Raphael’s hand stopped stroking her abdomen, and her swaying tail behind her ceased all motion.
Alright, alright. Husband, huh? Fisher, just you wait.
Let’s deal with Elizabeth first, then I’ll settle accounts with you.
Since you even have a ring, adding up to what you said about not marrying Elizabeth, it turns out you have someone else, right?
Raphael mockingly noted Fisher’s actions, but she of course knew this wasn’t the time for such discussions. She drew her spear, turning to face the Nali navy already engaged in combat with the Dragon Court fleet over the sea.
The Dragon Court’s ships were too primitive and had zero combat strength against the Nali navy’s ironclad heavy and light cruisers. She had to go over.
“Roar! Roar!”
But on the street, the corpses that had been pierced by her spear oddly stood up again. She sighed, needing to prepare to move out again.
“Alright, I’ll handle it over there at sea. As for your side, Miss Phoenix, we also have another helper coming to assist you, so you need not worry.”
“Hey, another helper?”
Raphael nodded but offered no further response. Steam erupted from her again, “Boom!” With that, she soared into the air, heading towards the ocean.
As Valentina watched the dragon leave, she remained curious about which helper the Dragon Court had sent over and how they would coordinate.
But not far behind on the street, a soft, breathless voice suddenly rang out.
“Um, wait! Everyone! I’ve been looking for you for so long!”
“Huff, puff. Huff, puff.”
Valentina and Alagina turned around to see a girl with a massive whale tail awkwardly running toward them. Her outfit seemed to be that of a priestess from the Dragon Court.
“Um, are you…”
“Huff! Ah, let me introduce myself. I am Jasmine, a priestess from the Dragon Court, and actually, I’ve been here before the Dragon Court’s ships arrived; I just came from the water. Once I reached the shore, I had been trying to find you all. But when I finally got here, you hadn’t teleported yet. Once I arrived, we were engaged in movement battles, so I took a little longer.”
Valentina and Alagina watched the breathless Jasmine. They could tell her rank was quite high, but she was clearly being lenient with the Nali soldiers. Additionally, she wasn’t just looking for Valentina and them; she was also searching for her sole nemesis, Elizabeth.
As Jasmine panted, her overly broad chest made Valentina and Alagina feel a bit stunned compared to their relatively flat figures.
Valentina and Alagina stared wide-eyed at the enchanting whalefolk before them, and almost in an instant, they seemed to understand everything, descending into a silent contemplation.
“…”
“Um, Miss Phoenix? Miss Captain?”
But the naive Jasmine still hadn’t fully grasped what was happening, and she sought to introduce herself again. Valentina hesitated for a moment before suddenly asking:
“Um, Priestess Jasmine, may I ask what relationship you have with Fisher?”
Alagina, who was nearby, also looked on with concern, but did not expect this question would make Jasmine blush.
“Uh, um, I am Fisher’s old teacher, so that…”
“Alright, no need to explain further. I understand.”
The battle above the ocean continued, while the corpses and Nali reinforcements were closing in. Valentina already knew, so there was no need to press for more details.
She simply smiled kindly, reaching out her hand towards Jasmine.
“Hello, Priestess Jasmine. I am Valentina, the leader of the Parasol Tree and the wife of Fisher Benavides, of the Phoenix Race.”
“Hello, um, you?”
Jasmine, bewildered, reached out to shake Valentina’s hand. However, upon grasping, she realized something felt off and looked up at her blankly.
Don’t think about it—this one skill can conquer all.
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(End of Chapter)
