The Creators: From Night City

Page 354

It's normal to be startled.

A colossal tower, a mixture of boiling crimson and pitch-black, suddenly rose up at the edge of the field of vision. Its base was a surging mass of flames and dust, while its top was a radiating canopy 15 kilometers wide that had been kicked open by the thick clouds.

The blue-purple arcs of electricity still flickering within the cloud pillar are ionized air, appearing as if the destroyed souls of demons have been drawn into it.

Two minutes after the explosion, the gale finally stopped, and the world fell into an eerie silence.

The camp began to come alive. The clever leaders who had ignored the 'medical orders' finally received timely treatment from the [Anti-Entropy] medical personnel, while the 'Apostles' who had been crouching in an anti-impact posture straightened up from behind their cover, shook the dirt off their armor, and began to join a large number of heavy combat armor, [Heavenly Punishment] tanks, heavy firepower projection platforms, and other combat armor units as they set off.

The first to leave the camp were the 'Swift' team, riding hoverbikes.

These Edosians served as scouts, but their primary task was to determine the amount of residual radiation in the area affected by a nuclear explosion.

Although this nuclear bomb uses a fusion reaction, which in principle produces dozens of times less radiation than nuclear fission, and the bomb's structure is specially designed to greatly reduce the amount of radiation generated after the explosion, the [Anti-Entropy] army is still rushing to the fresh nuclear explosion site immediately after the explosion, so it's best to confirm the radiation index of the area in advance.

Although the project's director, Nathaniel Brooks, confidently assured that the radiation was so weak as to be negligible, no real-world testing had been conducted, and caution was paramount.

The bodies of the apostles can easily withstand radiation levels that would be fatal to ordinary people, and the armor equipped by the apostles and auxiliary forces also has radiation protection capabilities, theoretically able to withstand the radiation turbulence generated after a nuclear explosion.

However, they are certainly no match for the Edosians, who were specifically designed to survive in space and on a post-nuclear Earth.

Fortunately, Nathaniel Brooks, the nuclear physicist from 2076, was no ordinary man. As he said, by the time Xunchi drove the motorcycle into the inner circle of the nuclear blast point, the radiation level in the air was only around 200 μSv/h.

Even ordinary people can survive for a short period of time with this level of radiation, let alone the 'Apostles' and Rogues who are all superhumans.

By the time everyone had marched with the Anti-Entropy army to the original site of the Blind Monastic Order, the massive dust cloud that had been thrown up in the sky had only just begun to settle.

Radioactive dust snow fell from the sky.

The mountains on both sides of the monastery have been leveled for several kilometers, and the pass that was originally a dead end has been widened several times over.

The monastery had long since vanished, replaced by an irregularly shaped, vitrified crater tens of meters deep and about 600 meters in diameter, along with the exposed remains of an underground catacombs.

Jiang Bing arrived ahead of time and stood silently by the pit.

"Andariel is not dead yet." This was the first thing the heroes heard when they met Jiang Bing.

'Five rounds in quick succession, target 920 meters in front, rapid fire!'

This is Eagle's response to the boss's instructions.

The artillery barrage erupted instantly, and countless shells were fired into the deep crater in front of them.

The explosion nearly filled the trench, but a black, spherical magical shield that expanded outwards barely blocked the remaining artillery fire.

Andariel seized the opportunity to escape the predicament.

The monastery's unique structural design saved His life; by the time the atomic bomb's power penetrated to the fourth level of the catacombs that served as Andariel's throne room, its force had weakened to the point of being unable to take the life of this demon god.

In fact, protected by the defensive barrier erected by the ancient ritual demon, her injuries were not fatal.

"Despicable person~"

Before the disheveled demon king could finish his opening remarks, Jiang Bing arrived with the force of wind and thunder.

The long-unused [Negotiation] weapon, burning with thick golden flames, was swung around by Jiang Bing and hammered onto the limb that Andariel was using to parry.

The metal collided with the shell, producing a metallic clang.

The immense force struck, instantly pinning Andariel to the ground, while the surrounding glass floor shattered from the force.

"Despicable!" the Demon King of Pain shrieked.

Her response was Jiang Bing's clenched iron fist, wreathed in endless rage, which sent her flying over a hundred meters away.

Golden flames swirled around his body. Under the suppression of the world barrier, the etheric flames, like volcanic lava about to erupt, surged outward from the 'etheric furnace' in his chest, but were repeatedly suppressed. They could only expand and undulate like a heart, creating golden flame cracks on Jiang Bing's body.

But Andariel, as one of the Seven Demon Gods of Hell, was not just a name without substance. The moment she was struck, she immediately launched a counterattack.

As the saying goes, two fists can't beat four hands. Andariel has six hands, including his arthropods. Even if he uses two hands to parry and two hands to maintain his balance, he still has two hands left to counterattack.

So the instant she flew out, she reached out and grabbed Jiang Bing's arm, and they flew away together. As they landed, she planted her hoof-shaped left foot firmly on Jiang Bing's chest, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

The solid glazed floor was now as soft as putty, and Jiang Bing dragged it into a long trench.

"Everyone, retreat immediately."

Battles between the strong are not something ordinary people can interfere with. Under Flying Eagle's command, the main force of [Anti-Entropy] began to withdraw in an orderly manner, away from the battlefield, and redeploy.

Then came a barrage of firepower suppression.

Andariel was a towering figure, three or four meters tall, but the smoke and dust kicked up by the artillery fire within a radius of a hundred meters completely obscured her body.

Explosions, endless explosions.

Tank-breaking cannons, rockets, micro-missiles, and explosives became completely expendable at this moment. Regardless of cost, wear and tear, and even the theoretical lifespan of the weapons, all troops were firing frantically and desperately.

This approach is extremely effective.

Before Andariel could even launch his planned counter-offensive, he was blasted back by dozens of explosive shells at point-blank range.

After a round of shelling, when the dust settled, her entire body was riddled with craters, and blood seeping from the tiny wounds stained her fair skin red.

However, the Demon King's vitality is so terrifying that it cannot be measured by common sense.

Chapter 727 Liberating the Origin

Stimulated by the pain, Andariel, the Lord of Pain, became even more active in his magical power.

The already battered Demon Lord raised his hand and fired several thick green energy orbs, hitting several tanks in front of the [Anti-Entropy] line from a distance. The corrosive power of these highly toxic elements was hundreds of times more terrifying than sulfuric acid. The metal bodies were instantly corroded and pitted, while the spreading poison gas splashed onto the surrounding combat personnel, causing several Rogues to fall to the ground unconscious through the air.

"Poison gas attack, everyone activate air circulation mode," Flying Eagle continued to issue commands methodically.

"Basic firepower has limited damage to the target. Requesting backend heavy firepower support." As the commander, after briefly assessing the damage the bombing had inflicted on the target, Flying Eagle wisely chose to request support.

However, Jiang Bing rejected the request remotely. The prepared Andariel was unlikely to be hit by heavy, cumbersome firepower. Moreover, the native heroes of this world had already swarmed in and launched a righteous brawl, which could easily cause friendly fire.

Directly eliminating Andariel would also contradict his subsequent goals.

The fact that humans in the dark world can grow and thrive despite the demons' incursions naturally means they have something to rely on.

Demons are indeed powerful, but the upper limit of human combat power is equally limitless.

The barbarian, now in combat mode, leaped without a word, covering dozens of meters, and swung his axe at Andariel's head, knocking him off balance.

The barbarian dared to jump straight at the demon king because he was confident in his strength. He skillfully dodged and parried the demon king's counterattacks, and when he couldn't avoid them, he simply met them head-on and dissolved them.

He clearly used some special technique when wielding his weapon. As their limbs and weapons intersected, invisible magic gathered and compressed within the barbarian, making his movements seem to be fast-forwarded, faster and faster, until finally he even created afterimages with his giant axe, causing Andariel great suffering.

The Demon King of Pain had no choice but to stomp his foot and unleash a cloud of spreading poisonous mist, forcing the barbarian back. However, a deadly curse was cast by the necromancer, interrupting the Demon King's pursuit. With a wave of the necromancer's hand, two corpses crawled out of the realm of the dead, ignoring the poisonous cloud that was deadly to the living, and exploded as they rushed to Andariel's side.

More skeleton mages and skeleton archers were summoned from the realm of the dead by the necromancers who were firing at full power, and they launched a frenzied barrage of fire at Andariel.

However, the Demon King simply threw out a few balls of poison, which wiped out most of the undead.

No matter, the necromancer continued to summon skeletons from the realm of the dead. Although this would consume many times more mana, it was more than enough to deal with the awkward situation of having no corpses to use after the nuclear bombing.

Moreover, he wasn't the real main attacker.

Isendra, like a ramen chef, pulled a long bolt of lightning from her wand and swung it directly at Andariel's face, giving him a spectacular slap.

The Demon King, having been proven wrong, adhered to the principle of prioritizing the healer and damage dealers in team battles, spared the Barbarian, and then turned and charged towards the female mage.

But as soon as she took a step, two seemingly ordinary arrows pierced her thighs with pinpoint accuracy, disappearing completely.

The paladin, who had been looking for an opportunity, didn't ride a horse; instead, he ran at full speed and joined the battle.

He merged his shield with the opponent's and rammed straight into Andariel. After interrupting Andariel's charge with a shield bash, he raised his shield to block the opponent's limb slash, skillfully retreated to deflect the force, and left as soon as he made contact.

The torrent of arrows, seamlessly filling the gaps, along with projectiles composed of ice, fire, and lightning elements, once again overwhelmed the enemy.

Although there was no prior rehearsal, the heroes coordinated perfectly, suppressing Andariel's offensive.

Until the opponent was caught off guard, howling as a large amount of dark magic burst forth from his body, using extreme power to block everyone's attacks.

The seductive music continued to play, and the hellish realm of the Demon King of Pain unfolded in the mortal world. Although the vessel used to house the Demon King's soul began to crumble, the true power belonging to the Great Demon King was also constantly being awakened by the opponent.

Dark magic enveloped the sky like a fog, and the paladin Dolorin held up a pure white holy light for everyone, barely managing to keep it afloat.

The barbarians, on the other hand, chose to charge into the fog and fight their enemies to the point of madness.

He was consumed by boundless rage, his muscles bulging, his already robust physique growing even larger, and his every move exuding a restrained magical power that made each attack seem unstoppable.

How could the bloodline of the first Nephalem, Bul-Kathos, be ordinary?

However, the power of the Painful Demon Queen, who had unleashed her power, instantly increased several times over. With every move she made, she could unleash a large amount of highly poisonous magic, corroding any enemy who dared to get close.

The necromancer Zul had abandoned his attack and instead took out a dried-up head from his spatial bag, focusing intently on casting a curse on Andariel to weaken his opponent.

Fragility, aging, sluggishness, withering... all sorts of things are piled on the other person at once.

The female mage stood still, neither dodging nor avoiding, with ice, fire, and lightning elements intertwining and reflecting around her, relentlessly bombarding the demon king.

The battle reached its climax.

Taking advantage of her size, Andariel charged across the battlefield like a half-hanger, spraying large amounts of spider silk from the holes in her rear end, which stuck to the ground and formed giant nets, restricting the barbarians' fierce attacks.

Protected by dark magic, she charged and pulled her way through, though the process was not very dignified and lacked any magical dignity, but the effect was remarkable.

Barbarians and paladins were like sticky mouse traps, their feet stuck to the soles of their feet, making it difficult for them to move.

The Demon Lord seized this opportunity, braving the attacks and swirling with billowing black mist, rushing to the female mage's side, determined to eliminate the enemy's spellcaster first.

There's no other reason than that the female mage's firepower was simply too fierce.

Despite being approached by the Demon Lord, Isendra, a spellcaster, remained completely calm. Even with Andariel's limbs raised high, she calmly guided the elements and even smiled at him.

This set off alarm bells in Andariel's mind.

In the darkness, two golden lights suddenly appeared, like the angry eyes of gods. Jiang Bing, who had been hiding in the shadows, finally emerged from the water.

Having also liberated part of his original nature, he is now completely different.

First is body shape.

His height had now surged to over 3 meters, and the two-handed greatsword [Negotiation] in his hands looked as tiny as a short sword.

It was this very short sword that Jiang Bing thrust directly into Andariel's chest from behind. With a forceful swing of his arms, he lifted her up and flung her away from the mage.

"You! What are you?!" Accompanied by a wail, Andariel not only did not cover the wound on his chest, but instead reached into it and forcibly tore off a large piece of flesh stained with golden flames, which he then casually threw on the ground.

Jiang Bing responded with a sprint and a tackle.

Chapter 728 Sword Pointing at the Demon King's Soul

The deformed limbs scratched incessantly on Jiang Bing's back, drawing out streaks of golden blood, but they were completely unable to stop the opponent's deadly offensive.

There was no holy light, no other elemental bursts of light, and even the golden flames were contained.

Under the barbarian's admiring gaze, the man and the demon rolled around on the ground like street thugs.

The limb stabbed straight at Jiang Bing's chest, but was caught under his armpit by the other party. Jiang Bing knelt down on Andariel's two bulges, used his waist and abdomen to forcefully tear off the other party's limb.

Amidst the splattering of blood, Jiang Bing finally spoke.

"You will bleed too, Andariel, you will perish too."

Dark magic suddenly erupted, clashing and annihilating with the golden flames on Jiang Bing's body, hissing and crackling.

However, once the 'craftsman' entered his operational state, he returned to his silent state, enduring the corrosive poison spewed from Andariel's mouth, twisting off her forearm, pulling off the chain connecting the two points on her chest, and finally kicking her head into the ground.

At this point in the battle, there was no longer any sense of epic scale; it was just the feel of a street brawl.

Humiliation caused the Queen of Pain to unleash all the magic she could muster in an attempt to corrupt Jiang Bing, but the 'Craftsman' defied the onslaught of magic and seized the opportunity to break off one of his 'lamb legs'.

The retaliatory limbs pierced deep into his chest, and specks of golden blood flowed onto the Demon Lord's naked body, rising like wisps of blue smoke from lava.

But Jiang Bing ignored it all and continued to hold the other person tightly, tearing at their body wildly.

Andariel then pierced the arthropods even deeper, attempting to puncture Jiang Bing's heart first.

However, the "caster" who always insists that he is a human being no longer has a heart in the conventional sense; his heart has long been replaced by some 'magnificent creation'.

The Ether Furnace!

Andariel's action was essentially no different from actively pushing his hand under the stove.

Sure enough, accompanied by a terrifying scream, Andariel struggled frantically. His broken limbs tore through the 'flesh and blood' on Jiang Bing's chest, but no heart was seen. Only a swirling vortex was exposed to the air.

The temperature across the entire battlefield began to soar rapidly.

"What are you?!" the Demon King screamed.

But the 'craftsman,' whose body had been ripped open, continued to tear at the Demon King's limbs without uttering a word, until his bloodstained hands pried open the Demon King's chest, and finally, his greedy golden eyes fixed with satisfaction on Andariel's still-beating, corrupt heart.