The Creators: From Night City

Page 282

But the most eye-catching feature was a small bonfire in the center of the venue, where a seemingly ordinary flame was burning quietly.

A tall figure, with his back to the group and sitting quietly by the fire with his head bowed, immediately caught the attention of the three.

Everyone knows that.

He is the founder of the Age of Fire; the First King of Cinder; the ruler of the gods; the founder of all things and the realm of Lordran and the royal city of Anor Londo; possessing the greatest and most numerous souls of kings, the First King, the original god who created the world, the Sun King Gwyn.

His legends were still told in the world even in later generations when the First Flame was about to be extinguished.

But even such a great god was now scorched beyond recognition by the primordial fire.

Chapter 553 The Fierce Battle of the Initial Furnace

After being imprisoned here and burned by the primordial fire for countless years to ensure the survival of the world, his body was charred beyond recognition. His once glorious golden armor was severely carbonized, making it impossible to discern its original color. His once towering divine body had shrunk considerably, causing the armor that had once fit him to become somewhat loose. However, when he slowly stood up from the fire, he was still several sizes larger than Jiang Bing and the other two.

The soul of this once great god-king has been burned away over the long years, and his body has become a mindless, instinct-driven zombie, or worse than a zombie.

From the 'craftsman's' perspective, the other party's body is now just a powerless slag shell. The fact that it can still move is due to its former strength.

Even though he gave most of his soul and power to the gods before entering the Initial Furnace, and his armor was burned to a shell by the flames, he was still an extremely powerful warrior.

Although his consciousness had long been burned away, his body, which had gone through the battle, still remembered all the key points of the battle. Although his power had been almost completely lost, the little bit of residual power still exerted great pressure on the three of them.

Without any communication, without any words, and without even eye contact, the three were greeted by the sudden burst of flames from the longsword in the other's hand.

Amidst the towering crimson waves, Gwyn, wielding his greatsword, delivered a simple, unadorned leaping slash that forced the three back.

Even though his moves are wide and powerful, full of flaws, the flames surrounding the blade are enough to make up for all the shortcomings.

There are no tricks, it's all about numbers.

Before Hawkwood could decide whether to advance or retreat, a size 60 foot landed squarely on his heels. Gwyn, the Sun King, was all about one thing in his fighting style: recklessness.

He is fast, has a wide attack range, and appears to have excellent defense. His attacks are wide and powerful, creating a strong sense of pressure.

This was exactly what Jiang Bing had in mind.

Hawkwood only had time to raise his shield to his chest before being kicked away by his opponent.

The immense force caused the shield to groan painfully, and the remaining impact slammed into Hawkwood's chest, breaking two of his ribs in the process.

He fell heavily onto the ground covered in white ash, struggling to get up, but quickly lowered his head again.

On the battlefield.

Thousands of lightning snakes danced wildly, condensing from the void into streaks of lightning, which were then held in the hand of the 'Sun King' Gwyn, coalescing into a dazzling giant lightning spear.

Faced with Jiang Bing's [Negotiation] slash, he neither dodged nor avoided, but instead threw the lightning spear in his hand, which accurately struck the sword that Jiang Bing had raised to block, shattering into thousands of scattered golden lightning snakes that spread across half of the Initial Furnace.

Hawkwood was like a startled ostrich, almost burying his head in the thick ashes, but the scattered lightning bolts still made his hair stand on end.

Kakarus, however, was not so lucky. Three or five small lightning snakes crawled onto her body, shocking her so badly that she almost fell to her knees. When she struggled to her feet, a loud clang of metal clashing almost shattered her eardrums.

[Negotiation] Jiang Bing clashed with Gwyn's greatsword, which was twisted and scorched by flames. Sparks flew everywhere. Before Jiang Bing could change his move, a large ball of flame exploded from his opponent's body, engulfing the space around them.

Jiang Bing dodged the opponent's sword strike to the side, but before he could retaliate, his arm tightened as the opponent used the flames to obscure his vision and seize his limbs.

Ge Wen raised his hand to lift Jiang Bing up, but unexpectedly, he felt a weight on his chest and was pulled into his arms.

He wanted to continue lifting the enemy, but unexpectedly, his feet lost their footing. His massive weight was lifted by Jiang Bing's back, and his heavy body felt as light as a feather as he was slammed to the ground by Jiang Bing.

Jiang Bing then launched a violent stampede in pursuit.

However, his heavy attack was easily pushed aside by Gwyn, who was lying on the ground. The ground was cracked by his footsteps, but Gwyn had no intention of getting up. Instead, his whole body began to turn red.

boom!

Like a human bomb, Gwyn used a massive explosion of flames to repel Jiang Bing, evade his pursuit, and successfully drive away the two fodder characters, Kakaros and Hawkwood, from the scene.

There's nothing we can do; it's a battle between gods, and two mortals don't even have the right to stay here.

The battle escalated to a fever pitch in an instant.

Having just unleashed his power, Gwyn was like a cannonball, kicked directly into the wall at the end by Jiang Bing. But the next moment, boundless lightning was summoned by the opponent, transforming into a lightning dragon that directly engulfed the entire space.

The hissing sound of electricity resounded throughout the First Furnace. Gwyn, the 'Sun King,' arrived in a flash, riding lightning and instantly knocking Jiang Bing back, taking his place.

When Jiang Bing regained his footing, he had already been thrown dozens of meters away. The broad and thick blade of the sword had even shown some signs of melting during the brief exchange.

The soft ground instantly cracked open without pause. [Mighty - Taotie] leveled [Negotiation] and slashed away Gwyn's flaming greatsword, which he had used to parry, plunging it deep into the opponent's chest and pushing him forward until he crashed into the charred walls of the First Furnace once again.

Jiang Bing had no intention of drawing his sword. He bent his left elbow to deflect Gwyn's counterattack with his sword. In the next moment, his hands, elbows, shoulders, head, knees, and feet all transformed into savage weapons, striking his opponent.

Gwyn was instantly stunned.

After all, anyone would be subjected to the same result if they were pressed against the face continuously by a stamping press with an output power of nearly 100 tons.

Jiang Bing's limbs moved so fast they were almost blurry, and the air currents he created with each move swirled up the dust on the ground to a height of two or three zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), spreading outwards like waves.

Jiang Bing's rain of punches slammed Gwyn's bearded old face into the stone furnace wall, creating a deep dent. This forced Jiang Bing to grab Gwyn's armor, slam him off the wall, and continue attacking him.

To be honest, Gwyn, the king of the gods, was completely bewildered by Jiang Bing's street-smart fighting style. He could only sway left and right and struggle violently, but due to Jiang Bing's powerful strength, he could not break free for a while and could only endure the onslaught of attacks in vain.

In the end, in order to break the deadlock, he had no choice but to unleash his last bit of power and reignite his primordial flame.

The ferocious flames soared into the sky once more, and Gwyn instantly transformed into a blazing fireman, radiating terrifying heat outwards. But the greatest destructive power of this flame, originating from the First Flame, came from the level of the soul.

Chapter 554 The Debate on Numbers

However, Jiang Bing's entire body was also engulfed in pale golden flames. The flames, which were inherited from the daughter of Chaos, Klara, and fused with his own inner essence, also manifested from Jiang Bing's body, protecting him from the invasion of the Primordial Flame.

At the same time, Gwyn abandoned his attempt to block with his hands covering his face and instead raised both hands high, summoning lightning from the void to strike his own position, attempting to attack from both sides and force Jiang Bing, who was riding on his back and attacking him continuously, back down.

A bolt of yellow lightning, as thick as a bucket, crashed down from the sky after a brief build-up. Jiang Bing, however, showed no intention of dodging, letting the lightning strike his shoulders and back, cracking the armor of [Power-Taotie] and allowing it to seep into his body and wrap around his flesh. His fists continued to strike Gwyn's head.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Almost every punch could cause a minor earthquake.

Gwyn struggled to his feet, wanting to unleash the miracle of his lightning spear ingrained in his very being, to wield his honed combat skills, and to unleash his powerful primal flames, but all of this was in vain.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him.

Jiang Bing had no intention of maneuvering or using fancy martial arts techniques, nor did he want to reveal his hand to each other. He had only one thought: seize the opportunity, engage in close combat, and fight to the death.

At this distance, all techniques and skills become meaningless; only the most primal, pure power and the strongest body are the fundamental foundation.

In an instant, thunder roared like rain, and combined with Jiang Bing's hammer blows, it carved a large crater in the ground where the two were fighting, causing their positions to sink deeper into the ground.

Meanwhile, from within the pit, a continuous torrent of scorching flames surged upwards—Gwyn's desperate attempt to reignite himself, forcing Jiang Bing back and escape his predicament.

But it was all in vain.

As time passed, the lightning falling from the sky began to thin out, and the surging flames gradually weakened, leaving only the relentless, earth-shaking pounding that continued unabated.

Boom~ Boom~ Boom~

As Hawkwood and Kakarous stared in disbelief, the roar of lightning and the explosions of flames finally fell silent. Only the continuous tremors in the crater reminded the two that the battle was still ongoing.

Finally, after dozens more tremors, the ground returned to a stable state.

As the two were wondering whether to go forward to check the situation, a tattered gauntlet suddenly emerged from the pit and precisely gripped the edge of the pit.

The next moment, the battle-damaged version of [Power - Taotie] appeared in front of the two.

The armor looked as if it had been reforged, with varying degrees of melting marks on the front and back. The once majestic horns had been softened by the high temperature, and the ever-flowing energy circulation throughout the body had dimmed considerably. Combined with the blackened outer armor from the flames, it looked utterly dilapidated.

The armor's rapid regeneration function was overloaded due to excessive damage in a short period of time. In addition, the excessive energy output power also caused the drained power supply device to need time to recover.

However, the gauntlet of [Power - Taotie] was damaged for the first time ever, revealing Jiang Bing's bloodied hands.

That was the backlash he suffered when he used both hands to drive the pile.

However, while he suffered, 'Sun King' Gwyn suffered even more.

Jiang Bing climbed out of the pit with some difficulty, and casually tossed Ge Wen's body onto the ground in front of him.

He used facts to prove to the other party that his numbers were higher than theirs.

Gwyn's face had been smashed to pieces, and his once thick beard was now almost gone. Behind the shattered face was not flesh and blood, but dry, cracked white ash.

The opponent's flesh and soul had long since burned away. In the battle just now, the opponent rekindled the last bit of fuel, and his own body had turned into pure, fireless ashes.

Jiang Bing struggled to pull the "Negotiation" sword from the other's chest, only to find that the broad, thick blade had been engraved with fiery red patterns and had been burned with dense metallic marks.

When Gwyn reignited himself, [Negotiation] was deeply embedded in the other's body, experiencing the entire process of the First Flame's scorching and tempering along with the other, and naturally, some traces of the flame were left behind as well.

Strictly speaking, Gwyn wasn't killed by Jiang Bing, but rather he reached the pinnacle of power in the battle, burning everything away and turning to ashes.

By the time Hawkwood and the two clowns staggered to Jiang Bing, who was sitting on the ground resting, the remains of 'Sun King' Gwyn had already turned into crisp white ash, becoming indistinguishable from the thick layer of ashes on the ground.

"Lord Sabur, you have defeated King Gwyn?" Kacherus bent down to examine the state of this renowned god-king, but before his hand could touch the crown, the king's head, which had turned to charcoal, collapsed with a crash, turning into dust that mingled with the white ash on the ground, indistinguishable from the rest.

A king has passed away without a trace, leaving behind only a tattered golden armor and a crown twisted and deformed by flames.

“He’s long dead. His humanity, strength, and soul have all been burned away. What we’re facing is just a shell made of ashes.” Jiang Bing breathed heavily, a rare occurrence for him, trying to relieve his physical exhaustion.

He stood up with some difficulty, as the initial fire and lightning not only affected his body but also oppressed his soul.

Fortunately, compared to warriors who emphasize physical training, he can be considered to be 'proficient in both physical and magical techniques'. His powerful presence and structural strength allowed him to withstand the opponent's counterattacks with both physical and magical attributes.

Silence returned to the initial furnace, with only the creaking sound of Jiang Bing's tattered boots crunching on the soft ashes.

He came to the center of the original hearth, to a small campfire that was burning.

The First Flame, the one that determines the rise and fall of this world, exists quietly here.

The gates of 'Heimul' opened from the void, and Krana, summoned by 'the Craftsman', slowly walked to the campfire.

Carcharus helped Hawkwood, the unfortunate fellow with several broken ribs, to the campfire, gazing at the weak but ever-pulsating flame with an enigmatic expression.

A strange attraction drew them in, a desire to throw themselves into it, an instinctive yearning of the ashes without fire for the flame of creation.

Kakarus, a sorcerer, performed the worst. As a sorcerer who pursued fire throughout her life, she was almost completely consumed by the flickering flames and couldn't help but reach out her arm.

Then Hawkwood slammed his hand hard on the back of his hand with the hilt of his sword.

Chapter 555 Finally Promoted

"What are you reaching for? Haven't you been hurt badly enough by it? What, do you want to experience the pain of having your soul burned away by the flames again? Besides, have you even mastered your Chaos Flame before reaching for it? Don't bite off more than you can chew, understand?" Disheartened Brother glanced at the flickering flames in the campfire, his eyes no longer showing any desire, only longing for a relaxing vacation.

"Ah~, I never imagined the flames had weakened to such an extent." Krana slowly crouched down, gazing at the dimming Primordial Flame with mixed emotions.

As Izalith's daughter, she had witnessed the grandeur of the First Flame's birth and was naturally deeply moved.

"Lord Sabur, are you really sure? Even if this flame is weakening, it still contains the power to destroy the world. If you are not careful, you will end up playing with fire and getting burned."

Jiang Bing answered her with his outstretched palm.

Jiang Bing looked at the two people beside him. Hawkwood and Kakarus wisely returned to 'Heimul' through the spatial rift from which Krana had come. Only one half-god remained in the Initial Furnace.

"In that case, please embrace this initial flame." Seeing that Jiang Bing had made a decision, Klara stopped trying to persuade him and turned to begin fulfilling her duties.

As the daughter of Chaos, she is among the most skilled in controlling flames in this world. Her main purpose here is to separate a wisp of fire from the primordial furnace and, while maintaining her own flame, help Jiang Bing steal the fire.

The witch's long, slender, white hand slowly reached towards the campfire. The blazing flames seemed illusory, causing no damage to Klara's hand. Instead, she gently scooped out a small, ethereal flame from the campfire.

The flame danced continuously between her hands, burning in the void, appearing extremely fragile.

Klara glanced at Jiang Bing one last time, and seeing that he did not hesitate at all, she placed her palm on Jiang Bing's outstretched right hand.

"May you, Lord Sabur, find the path I have yet to explore." Krana, the progenitor of sorcery, offered her heartfelt blessing, her hands gently parting, and the wisp of flame drifted softly into Jiang Bing's palm, merging into it without any hindrance.

The next instant, flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire initial furnace.

Burning, the internal organs are burning.

All the concepts and information related to 'craftsman' that Jiang Bing had previously contained were ignited the moment the flames were lit.

His blood and flesh, spirit and bones, all the elements of his existence and composition were burned and melted by the flames of creation.

Jiang Bing's consciousness was elevated without limit. He saw himself transform into a raging fire, saw the birth and death of all things, saw everything that the human body could not see, saw the spectrum of colors, saw gravity, electromagnetic fields, saw the traces of time, and the foundational structure that makes up the world.

Everything about him was burning fiercely, ignited by the First Flame and merging with it.

Flames shot into the sky, turning the entire sky of Lordland red, and under the watchful eyes of all sorts of beings, were soaked into gold at the speed of wildfire.

The flames that were intertwined with his life burned away all the impurities in his body, scorching away countless complicated and useless pieces of information.

The residual information of the power of wind, the positioning technique of the Mirror Master, the high-dimensional information entangled by the divine seal, Himiko's resentment, the infiltration of a large amount of death information, the blessing of underwater breathing, the gaze of Melitelli, the contract of the ghost train, the chain of faith in the worship of the 'Black King', the informational ties between the Black King's apostles, the connection of the magical fire inheritance with Krana, and even the symbiotic contract with Heimul... all the good and the bad were burned away the moment the flames ignited, completing the purification of the original information of Jiang Bing as an individual.

At this point, Jiang Bing's physical existence had completely disappeared from the material layer, transforming into a ball of golden flame, rapidly expanding to higher dimensions.