The Creators: From Night City

Page 369

"Another Udihyun!"

The tremors intensified, becoming so violent that even the rubble on the ground was jumping up and down.

boom!

The rubble on the ruins of Worldstone Fortress suddenly exploded in all directions, and a towering tree burst through the mountainside with incredible ferocity, stretching its branches toward the shattered sky.

"The World Stone!"

I hope Archangel Oriel will cry out in surprise.

Four tendrils encircle the base, which resembles a blooming flower bud, lifting the World Stone, now stained gold, high into the sky.

Before the World Stone stands a magnificent platform formed by countless verdant branches and leaves. The intertwined tree trunks form tiers, while the slender and thick branches become pillars. Tender twigs coil around them, creating solemn and majestic patterns.

Golden flames flowed along every vein and branch of the tree, covering every leaf, every bud, and every flower bud, turning the once verdant giant tree into a golden hue.

On the high platform, before the Worldstone, a vast mithril throne sits in the center.

Seated atop the throne was a humanoid figure that appeared to be forged from golden flames.

Mount Arreat is the highest peak in the entire Sanctuary, and this giant tree, with its branches reaching thousands of meters into the sky and penetrating the clouds, makes it visible to anyone in Sanctuary with good eyesight.

However, if someone were to look down from the sky into the belly of Mount Arreat, they would find that the tree has no roots; there is only a huge spatial rift inside the mountain, from which the tree trunk protrudes directly.

This is not a tree, but a branch that Hemur extended directly into Sanctuary from the dimensional void, a branch of a real tree trunk.

An enormous amount of energy surged from the Worldstone, flowing along the wooden base into the tree trunk. The sheer volume of energy distorted the space around the tree, causing the entire giant tree to pulsate slightly, like blood vessels.

Heiml was thoroughly enjoying his meal.

Of course, He wouldn't exhaust the resources, because such a level of energy is just a drop in the ocean for the World Stone; it's merely normal energy intake and output.

"It looks lively here." A solemn and dignified voice seemed to descend from the heavens. Thanks to the shattering of the world barrier, the hole in the sky was like a loophole connecting higher and lower dimensions, allowing the [Forger] to remain in the world for a long time with only a small cost.

This world is already incredibly high in level. If it weren't for the World Stone forming a barrier that kept all the high-ranking beings out, Jiang Bing could have directly descended in his true form from the very beginning.

The blinding golden flames receded and eventually disappeared into the body of a giant nearly four meters tall.

This is Jiang Bing's most authentic self after ascending to a higher dimension; it is a perfect combination of information and matter.

Golden flames burned eternally on his chest, and a magnificent golden robe made him look like a god-ruler.

Countless pieces of knowledge manifested in the world, transforming into proverbs and runes that would make ordinary people dizzy at a glance. They surrounded his body, forming continuous ribbons that gathered into the books in his hands and then endlessly floated out from them.

Heiml sends out several branches as golden and emerald as they grow and weave into a dazzling crown, crowning him.

Jiang Bing moved his hands and feet, feeling incredibly refreshed. After ascending to a higher dimension, he had been living in a higher-dimensional space because the previous worlds were not enough to support his full manifestation in the world. But now, he was finally free.

"Hand over the Worldstone!" Diablo shouted, ignoring Jiang Bing's boastful behavior.

"You know, demon," the voice of the [Forger] echoed throughout the land with just a few words.

"That's impossible."

"Heaven and hell have ruled this world for so long that you have forgotten humility and caution, and only hypocrisy and arrogance remain."

"Original Sin War, what a great name you came up with."

“But daring to resist is not a sin.” Jiang Bing leaned against the Mithril Throne, and the source of information from that high position enveloped this high and fearful land of Arreat almost instantly through the Mithril.

A barrier appeared from the void, blocking Diablo's probing fireball.

"If you ask me, the only real original sin is weakness."

Tens of thousands of angels surrounded the entire summit of Mount Arreat, while countless demons covered every inch of the mountain.

They all turned their gazes toward Jiang Bing in the center, as if he were the final boss waiting to be overthrown by gods and demons.

“Words are useless, heretic. If you do not hand over the Worldstone, I will show no mercy this time, until I reduce Sanctuary to nothingness.” Imperius pointed his spear at Jiang Bing and swore an oath.

"That won't do." As Jiang Bing teased, the World Stone behind him suddenly shone brightly, and golden light shot into the sky, converging in the void to form a huge vortex.

"This place is now under my control," Jiang Bing declared to both Heaven and Hell.

A sense of rejection suddenly arose in the hearts of all the angels and demons, and this feeling was growing stronger and stronger.

Although the time was short, Jiang Bing still managed to figure out some ways to operate the World Stone. Using this core of creation, he tested his skills and promulgated the first new world rule for the Sanctuary.

Those who are not native to the sanctuary suffer endless rejection from the plane.

These creatures, which did not originally belong to the sanctuary, were spontaneously and gradually rejected by the world rules modified by Jiang Bing.

He wanted to issue more new rules, but he was powerless to do so. After all, even this rule was just a patchwork of the existing rules of the Sanctuary Barrier.

Moreover, using the Worldstone is not without cost. After all, it is an artifact of creation. The Nephalem, as beings of the same origin, need to sacrifice their humanity and revert to their ancestral form, Anu, if they want to use it deeply. As an outsider, Jiang Bing needs to pay with ether, a massive amount of ether to exempt him from the overload penalty and to provide the advanced energy needed to change the rules of the world.

It's because he doesn't have a local household registration.

Chapter 759 [Forging] A Low-Level Use of Power

Heiml has begun to take root in this world, and His presence is slowly strengthening the world's defenses while using His roots to repair the world's broken barriers. As His roots grow deeper into this world, the influence He can exert on it also increases.

In other words, as long as Jiang Bing persists, the offensive of the angels and demons will soon be interrupted.

Time is running out for Heaven and Hell.

"Haha~" Diablo's laughter perfectly matched the image of the villain in Jiang Bing's mind. Unlike Imperius, he didn't argue with Jiang Bing at all. Instead, he stomped his leg and unleashed a ball of hellish flames, sounding the horn of attack.

Jiang Bing, seated on the throne, grinned. Driven by him, the Worldstone unleashed a terrifying golden light that swept across the entire summit of Mount Arreat before any demons could react.

If the Mithril Throne is a small tin megaphone to Jiang Bing right now, then the Worldstone is a giant twelve-seat speaker in Sanctuary and even the entire Dark Dimension.

He can't use those advanced built-in functions, but it's still quite simple for him to use them to amplify his power and influence.

Tens of thousands of weak demons were instantly incinerated into nothingness, with only powerful figures like Diablo and a few hellish leaders surviving the flames.

The demonic onslaught ceased instantly, but under the command of the God of Fear, it turned and spread in all directions of the Arreat Plateau.

When the sheer number of troops failed to defeat Jiang Bing, Diablo immediately changed his strategy, sending his demon minions to destroy the other creatures in the Sanctuary of Slaughter.

Archangel Tyrael had been observing coldly, but seeing the demons fleeing down the mountain, he turned to go down and stop them. However, before he could take off, a spear shining with golden holy light blocked his way.

“You can’t get involved anymore, Tyrael. They got what they deserved,” Imperius said coldly.

“I cannot stand idly by, Imperius. You are enough here. I will never tolerate injustice.”

The spear was reversed and held horizontally by Imperius, almost instantly thrusting towards Tyrael, the tip of the spear nearly piercing the darkness beneath Tyrael's hood.

This distance is undoubtedly dangerously close, exceeding the threshold required for a warning.

“I told you, Tyrael, they deserve it.”

Flames ignited from the Holy Feather's radiance, but the spear tip was deflected by the opponent's sword.

"Would you like to have a fight here, Imperius?" Regardless of anything else, the Archangel of Justice, as an existence that inherited one aspect of Anushan, definitely has something to be commended for.

The angels are fighting amongst themselves, the demons are advancing in the opposite direction, what is Jiang Bing doing at this moment?

The answer is that he was playing a coloring game.

Heimur's roots and tendrils are secretly spreading through the void, and with the help of a certain guiding star dragon, they are slowly and stealthily enveloping the entire Sanctuary. This process is incredibly fast.

Meanwhile, the well-prepared 'Black King Apostles' emerged from 'Heimul' through spatial rifts and took up positions at various passes, fortresses, and dangerous peaks on the Arreat Plateau.

The coloring game under Jiang Bing's fingers was his way of utilizing his professional abilities as a [Forger], creating solid defensive lines out of thin air in just a few breaths across the frozen tundra, the crystal passage, the blizzard highlands, and all the key passes leading down the mountain.

Despite the fierce attack of the demons, they were powerless against the metal wall that rose dozens of meters high in just a few seconds.

A large number of heavy explosive defensive turrets, pyrolysis cannons, plasma cannons, electromagnetic cannons, and rapid-fire machine guns, just like scenes from a war game, appeared out of nowhere and stood on the defensive line after a flame suddenly ignited.

Trenches, barricades, landmines, and tripwires appeared densely packed in the air.

Numerous drones, autonomous defense machines, self-destructing robots, and even biomimetic self-propelled artillery filled the entire battlefield, unleashing 360-degree all-around firepower.

He couldn't precisely target each demon with his attacks, but he could deploy autonomous machines with basic intelligence, capable of distinguishing friend from foe, in large numbers across open areas.

Wherever his spirit lingered, the authority of [Forging] descended. The 'Black King's Apostles' emerged from the various spacetime rifts, their bodies ablaze with golden ethereal flames. Their weapons continuously spewed explosive bullets, unleashing the 'Black King's' fury upon the demons, while the supply platform behind them was eerily and frantically replenishing ammunition.

If Jiang Bing's mental strength weren't insufficient and his control abilities weren't inadequate to support his full-scale micro-management, he would have even considered mass-producing bullets into the magazines of all the "Apostles".

While Jiang Bing couldn't perform such delicate work, he could apply a self-healing buff to all the warriors' armor, making all the armor seem to have a life of its own. The moment it was damaged, the steel would writhe like flesh and blood, repairing itself.

Heavy howitzers and rocket launchers roared incessantly from the very beginning. With an endless supply of ammunition, the only factors limiting their firepower output were the barrel's lifespan and the reloading speed.

In terms of quantity, Jiang Bing used a massive amount of ether to directly suppress thousands of demons on the Arreat Plateau, but in terms of quality, it was a bit more troublesome.

The methods mentioned above are basically ineffective against Diablo, whose elite forces, led by the Pain Lord Duriel, appear equally formidable.

Not to mention that Heaven also has the Archangel of Courage and the Archangel of Hope presiding over it.

Although not all the leaders of the angels and demons have arrived, even these few are enough to cause trouble.

Fortunately, Rasmar and Burkaso were also present on his side.

The necromancer, who had been keeping a low profile since the start of the war, has used this free time to recover much of his strength.

With him around, Jiang Bing would at least not find himself in a situation where he had to fight multiple opponents.

The 'Craftsman' rose from his throne, looked at Diablo who was closing in, and reached directly into the Worldstone behind him.

His primary weapon, Negotiation, had already been cleaved in two by Tyrael's Holy Feather in the previous battle. Moreover, even if the weapon hadn't been destroyed, it would be difficult for it to keep up with the intensity of the fight.

Therefore, Jiang Bing needs a new weapon to deal with the current situation.

Fortunately, he was a 'craftsman'.

Forging is his specialty.

A burst of ethereal flames erupted from Jiang Bing's chest, and the hard Worldstone was distorted under the heat of the flames, with a part of it being forcibly broken off by Jiang Bing.

Runes from this world were frantically inscribed onto the crystal, while the book representing knowledge beside Jiang Bing was turning its pages rapidly, incorporating a massive amount of knowledge and information into it.

The 'craftsman's' hands were hot from the touch, and he started kneading on the spot.

Chapter 760 Arreat's Great Melee

While it is true that the World Stone served as a blueprint for creation, this cannot obscure the fact that it was also an excellent casting material.

After all, the Soul Stone that sealed the three great demons was a fragment that Tyrael had chiseled from the Worldstone. This crystal, formed from the very essence of the world, was almost the best carrier of information and energy.

Jiang Bing couldn't deconstruct the World Stone, but he could still cut up a 'computer motherboard' and make it into an arrow.

Following its instincts, the Worldstone was bound to the shape of a two-handed greatsword.

"Heiml, help me out."

Upon hearing the call of the 'craftsman', Heiml, who was of one mind with him, immediately extended a branch and wrapped it around the freshly forged sword.

Countless tiny branches intertwine and grow together, closely integrated with the sword blade, becoming one with it.

Soon, the guard, hilt, and pommel grew into shape without any signs of forging, appearing as if they were naturally formed.

The branches of Heiml, which can draw energy from the void, are an excellent material for conducting energy. When combined with the Worldstone that forms the blade, they give the sword exceptional energy conductivity.

The moment Jiang Bing grasped the hilt, the longsword, a combination of crystal and wood, immediately burst into a raging ethereal fire.

It can be basically regarded as an extension of Jiang Bing's own concept, and the high quality of the material itself gives it many other wonderful uses.

But Jiang Bing had no time to explore. Diablo had already transformed into a black mist of flashing red lightning, surging toward Heimul, who was holding up the World Stone.

Then, a golden light suddenly appeared, and Jiang Bing was struck by flames, instantly crashing into the black mist.

At their level, the battles between them have long since transcended mere hand-to-hand combat.

This is not to say that physical attacks are unimportant, but rather that the attacks from both sides are no longer simply a contest of claws and weapons. Piercing the heart or severing the head can no longer kill them. Only when one's own information is completely annihilated and energy is completely eliminated can the other be truly destroyed.

So at the moment the longsword and the claws collided, the dark purple fear magic and the burning ethereal flames crashed together and annihilated each other.

However, actual confrontation still takes precedence in the battle, since when a weapon brimming with energy is deeply embedded in the enemy's body, the energy is annihilated within the opponent's body far more efficiently than through mutual erosion.

However, the fight between Diablo and Jiang Bing did not look very honorable.

Diablo, the dreadlord, fights with a brutal, animalistic approach, where the fight is all about exchanging blows for life.

Jiang Bing can be described as practical above all else. Since his official debut in the alley of Coronado in Night City, he has never received a day of formal combat training. All his skills are self-taught.

However, this does not mean that their battle was not intense.

Diablo swung his claws to deflect Jiang Bing's fiery slash, and opened his mouth to bite his shoulder. However, he did not expect that although the other party was holding a longsword, he did not know how to use a systematic sword technique, nor was he prepared to use this newly forged sword systematically.

Unable to strike, Jiang Bing did not attempt to draw his sword back to gather momentum and adjust his posture to strike again. Instead, he turned around and raised his elbow, delivering a 'Black Flash' elbow strike directly to Diablo's heart.

The explosive flames created a ring of fire, and the shockwave caused Diablo's bite to only reach half of Jiang Bing's collar. Jiang Bing then lifted his large feet, which were over 80 sizes, and stomped them heavily into the ground.