The Creators: From Night City

Page 368

The bruised and battered barbarian vanguard suddenly withdrew from Worldstone Fortress. After a heated discussion with the elders left outside, the entire barbarian force began a rapid retreat.

Anya was very puzzled, so she kept looking back as she walked through the retreating group.

Finally, she witnessed a scene she would never forget.

A crack appeared in the sky.

The sky, dyed golden, resembled a smooth mirror, but something on the back of the mirror seemed to be violently striking it, causing cracks to appear in the sky.

The demons are relentlessly assaulting the world's barrier.

But before them was an archangel who was already in the Land of Sanctuary.

Tyrael streaked across the sky like a shooting star in broad daylight.

In his haste, He didn't bother to conceal His form or even slow down, and crashed headfirst into the Worldstone's fortress.

Endless light burst forth from the summit of Mount Arreat, and dozens of totem poles in the plaza collapsed instantly in the explosive impact.

Tyrael held a simple, single-handed sword, gleaming with a refined light, against the magical shield erected by Rathma.

The holy light at the tip of the sword clashed with the magic of the shield, sparking dazzling flashes, like a needle against a wheat awn.

But in the end, the Archangel of Justice prevailed slightly.

'Holy Feather Radiance' pierced through the magic shield and aimed straight for Rasma's vital chest.

However, this fatal blow was deflected by a heavy battle blade that appeared out of nowhere, and only severed one of the supporting stone pillars of the Hall of Destiny.

“Archangel Tyrael, it really is you.” Rasmar was not at all surprised by the angel’s early arrival.

"Linarian (Rasmar's real name), it seems that thousands of years have not been able to erase your evil heart."

The voice of the archangel echoed layer upon layer in the Worldstone Temple, sounding sacred and noble.

"And you, Burkaso, have you forgotten your vows and promises?"

Bul-Kathos shrugged. "I am dead, Lord Tyrael. I am now just a ghost summoned by necromancy."

All three present knew that, if Bul-Kathos did not want to, his will, as firm as the rock atop Mount Arreat, was enough to resist the dominion of all magic.

This excuse is utterly lame, but it's still better than him admitting he's biased and doesn't care about reason.

Countless curses almost turned into pitch-black mist, but they could only be continuously dissolved in front of the archangel's light wings, which were like a bug in the system.

It's important to know that Tyrael is a formidable figure capable of going head-to-head with the three Prime Evils of Hell. His combat prowess alone ranks among the top three in the High Heavens. Moreover, as the Worldstone is gradually assimilated by the 'Craftsmen,' the World Barrier's suppression of him is also gradually weakening.

"Archangel of Justice, your character is admirable, but your beliefs are not exactly just, at least not from the perspective of humanity."

Rasmar had no intention of defeating his opponent. His main task today was to stall and guard the entrance to the World Stone Chamber, which would be victory.

But the archangel is clearly not stupid.

Feeling the Worldstone beneath him gradually being 'corrupted,' he had no intention of engaging in verbal sparring or even fighting. He simply and decisively held his sword to his chest, a massive amount of holy light swirling around it. As he reversed the sword and thrust it downwards, all of it was poured into the thick rocky ground.

The Radiance of the Holy Feather, also known as Elduin, the Sword of Justice.

As the accompanying divine weapon of the Archangel of Justice, it can cut through anything; apart from those who are righteous, nothing of any tangible form can stop its blade.

The rock, tens of meters thick, was sliced ​​open, and the archangel fell straight down through the hole, crashing heavily in front of the Worldstone, kicking up clouds of dust.

The light wings, tens of meters long, danced continuously. Even a light sweep across the mountain wall with these highly condensed holy lights could leave scorch marks on the rock surface.

"Stop your injustice, human, you have no idea what you're doing."

Jiang Bing now resembles a shattered porcelain doll, his entire body covered with countless cracks, from which endless light and heat shine through, illuminating the darkness.

"Justice, what is justice, Archangel? Is the absolute justice you pursue only for humanity, or only for you?"

Distorted words echoed within Mount Arreat. Jiang Bing turned around from the Worldstone, one eye fixed on the Archangel Tyrael, who was nearing his peak, a radiant being consumed by rage.

In His other eye, however, was reflected the crumbling barrier of Sanctuary and the countless demon armies lurking outside it.

The penetration of the World Stone temporarily elevated Jiang Bing to a level of status that He did not yet possess. While He was reading and understanding the creation authority from His predecessor, it also greatly burdened His energy.

This is what happens when a small horse pulls a large cart.

'Demon!' The slash of Holy Feather's Radiance could even sever the rules that spread from the Worldstone in space, and the overflowing light silently proclaimed the archangel's wrath.

Even someone as powerful as Tyrael could be blinded by pride and prejudice.

Or rather, no one can escape the theorem that one's perspective is determined by one's position.

The angels entered as light, wielding their fury in a slash.

The 'Negotiation' greatsword, which the 'Craftsman' pulled from the void, didn't even last a second before it was split in two by the Holy Feather Radiance, a half-step conceptual weapon, along with the 'Craftsman's' right arm that was holding the sword.

There was no bloodshed, only light emanating from the wound.

The archangel's attack was blocked by a spinning giant blade, and the weapon that Bul-Kathos threw from the gap in anger was so sharp that even angels had to temporarily avoid its edge.

"Demons? What is justice in your eyes?"

Jiang Bing continued to speak, but his voice was vast and seemed to descend from the heavens.

"Is justice delayed still justice? Is justice craved by the unjust still justice? And from whose perspective is absolute justice served, Tyrael?"

Under the archangel's watchful gaze, a massive amount of ether emanated from Jiang Bing's severed arm, frantically mending his flesh and blood.

An arm was 'forged' in the blink of an eye.

“Those petty villains dare to tamper with Anu’s eyes, little do they know that this will only bring utter destruction to the land of refuge.”

Why are you so certain that my thoughts and actions are not just?

Tyrael looked at Jiang Bing's right arm, the Holy Feather Radiance held horizontally across his chest. In the Archangel of Justice's mind, the fact that Jiang Bing could be cut by the Holy Feather Radiance's blade was beyond question.

“Your actions are unjust.”

Chapter 757 Heaven and Hell Gather

The archangel's rebuke carried an invisible deterrent effect; ordinary demons would likely fail even to pass this invisible test of their souls and would fall into a state of lethargy.

However, Jiang Bing's status had long since made him beyond the stage where he could be influenced by words, and even the holy words from the highest heaven could not shake His will in the slightest.

Tyrael did not expect to sway his enemy with words alone; the longsword in his hand had long since transformed from ordinary iron into a form of pure light.

Verbal rebukes cannot replace the critique of weapons, and the Archangel of Justice has long been aware of this.

But Jiang Bing was not fighting alone; in this unprecedented battle, Jiang Bing's side was outnumbered.

Rasmar condensed his energy directly beside Jiang Bing, his staff slamming heavily in front of him. Countless mysterious runes intertwined, outlining a solid barrier that sealed off Jiang Bing and all the spaces within reach of the World Stone.

Bulkaso, on the other hand, reached out and recalled his former weapon, standing outside the barrier and raising his blade forward.

"Archangel, I have long desired to fight you."

This ancestor of the barbarians truly lived up to the name of 'Immortal King,' and the courage to wield his sword against the strong remained ingrained in his will.

The blood-red World Stone closely resembles the crystallized blood of the creator god 'Anu', but this colossal object has already been mostly transformed into a golden luster.

The concept of 'craftsman' has permeated the interior of this crystal of laws. Those world laws hidden in the present world, residing in higher dimensions, mysterious and profound, which are difficult for any living being to touch in their entire life, the creation code, are thus laid out openly before Jiang Bing.

Without the [Key], without such a 'heaven-sent opportunity', if Jiang Bing, the [Founder], had simply focused on steady development, he probably wouldn't have reached this level within half an era.

The Eye of Anu is almost equivalent to half of the blueprint for creation. Even in the Cartography Room, the information content of such a blueprint could fill several orbium bookshelves.

Such a magnificent thing, such great knowledge, was placed before Jiang Bing, undisguised and readily available, yet Jiang Bing was like a mouse trying to pull a tortoise—completely at a loss.

After all, this is the blueprint for creation, a record of the information that constitutes the entire world, the world code that writes everything.

Despite mastering 'quantum speed reading' and transforming into a higher-dimensional being, a deity encompassing all things, Jiang Bing still couldn't memorize Anu's 'work log' in a short time.

Even devouring three star rings encircling the Earth would be a bit overwhelming for Him, let alone the blueprint that constitutes the entire Dark World.

Having mistakenly entered a treasure trove, he could only return empty-handed; of the vast ocean of opportunities, he could only take a sip, causing Jiang Bing great heartache.

More importantly, even though He tried His best to absorb information, the information recorded in the Worldstone was still several levels higher than Him.

He desires it, yet cannot even read it, let alone comprehend or absorb it.

Ultimately, He could only obediently delve into the surface structure of the Worldstone, becoming a 'simple user of the computer,' without trying to understand 'the manufacturing processes of the components that support the computer's normal operation and the principles of system programming.'

This significantly reduces the difficulty level.

But this is still a very difficult task, even for Jiang Bing, who possesses the rank of [Forger].

After all, this is the application of the laws that govern a world.

Between the Worldstones, the battle between angels and Nephalem had reached its climax. Rasmar had almost transformed into a pure magical being, radiating a chilling green light.

At this moment, he was relentlessly squeezing out the potential of his bloodline, a combination of angel and demon, while simultaneously providing magical support to maintain Bul-Kathos's form and focusing on unleashing terrifying curses to weaken the holy light emanating from the archangel's body.

The two were evenly matched in Tyrael's fight, and the situation seemed to be going very well.

But is that really the case?

Until the sound of something breaking resonated in everyone's hearts, causing everyone present to be greatly shocked.

The barrier that had protected the sanctuary for millennia had finally crumbled.

A terrifying black hole shattered in the sky above Mount Arreat, from which the scorching heat of the burning hell poured out, even melting the snow that had accumulated on the summit for millennia.

"That's a demon?!" a sharp-eyed barbarian exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

Countless demons poured out of the hole, their numbers so great that the hole, which was about half the size of Mount Arreat, became a scene of demons crowding together.

Thousands of demons appeared, their surging dark magic like a massive wave, originating from the Arreat Plateau and sweeping across Sanctuary.

Quarkek's dark circles widened, his face filled with solemnity.

He took a deep breath and shouted in the booming voice characteristic of barbarians: "Sons of Bul-Kathos, prepare for battle! It is time to fulfill our glorious mission!"

The barbarians all agreed.

Just as everyone was lining up to defend, Anya was called to her side by her father.

"Go back quickly, to Harrogath and Sescheron as fast as you can, and inform everyone that demons have launched a massive invasion of the mortal realm. Tell them to prepare."

Under her father's stern gaze, the girl had no choice but to accept this responsibility.

Just as all the barbarians were on high alert, preparing to meet the first wave of demonic onslaught, a holy light suddenly shone down from the already shattered sky. Countless angels with pure white wings appeared from the heavenly light, forming a neat formation in the sky and creating a merging tide of holy light, resisting the corruption of hell from afar.

The Archangel of Courage, Imperius, leaped out of the light and instantly vaporized any demons that came too close with his spear.

Instead of pressing his advantage, he looked up at the summit of Mount Arreat through his helmet, which was shrouded in darkness.

"Diavolo, is Hell preparing to break the peace pact again and reignite the eternal war?"

Atop the mountain peak, a great demon gazed upon the Worldstone fortress; he was none other than Diablo, the Lord of Terror and the god of destruction.

The demons of hell originally had no fixed form; they were composed of pure darkness that split off from Anu.

Diablo's body at this moment was a manifestation of Aidan's body, which was used to seal Him.

It was enormous, its overall shape resembling a mutated mantis, with scarlet keratin and lava-cracked skin, huge forked demonic horns on its head, massive scythe-like claws that complemented the iconic sharp vertebrae on its back, and a thick, spiky tail that lashed the ground, making even hard rocks as soft as tofu.

Reflecting His deep-set eyes, burning with hellfire, is the dark red aura of fear that constantly emanates from His side.

It is a tangible fear, and the creatures shrouded in it will instinctively feel an indescribable, deep-seated terror.

"Imperia, when did angels learn to lie? Look deep into the fortress, who broke the covenant first?"

Diablo's voice was deep and crackling like the flames of hell, sending a chill of fear through one's very bones.

Chapter 758 Heimul, who lifts the Worldstone

Imperius is the Archangel of Courage, which means he is also a brute.

At the slightest disagreement, He wanted to charge forward with his spear and fight Diablo for three hundred rounds.

But the explosion from Worldstone Fortress caught His attention and defused the impending confrontation.

Tyrael was like a cannonball, blasted directly out of the collapsed ruins.

He flew swiftly and rapidly, embedding himself directly into the massive rocky cliffs atop Mount Arreat.

The earth trembled, and the entire Arreat Plateau rippled slightly, making it difficult for all non-flying units, including barbarians, to stand firm.

Imperius landed in front of the crater Tyrael had created, swept away some rubble with his spear, and coldly stared at the disheveled angel of justice.

What did you see inside?

Tyrael stood up, his dancing wings appearing somewhat listless.