Apocalypse Forecast

In the end, with Huai Shi’s swift movement, the strange intelligent bracelet once again snapped shut around his wrist.

A crisp click.

In an instant, the Blood Sea rolled back.

The four living things twitched once, then began convulsing in pain, turning to stone at high speed and cracking apart.

They had never truly been alive, just false existences derived from the Element of Destructive. Once their life force was cut off, they could only wither and disperse like plants whose roots had been chopped off.

Huai Shi’s face was deathly pale. The Divine Nature of the Great Priestess struggled desperately against its shackles, the gravity of the Ruins once again climbing, drawing the flesh spawned from the Eternal Beast back into the Casting Furnace.

At last, steel closed.

The gate shut tight again.

The bone forest collapsed into dust, the Blood Sea steamed away without a trace, and the Corpse Mountain turned into Ashes.

Only a foul stench lingered in the air.

The smell of rot.

Huai Shi had no time to hold his breath. He panted with all his might, already drenched in sweat.

If he’d had a choice, he would never have used this self-destruct-type Skill—the erosion was far too terrifying, especially after it had drawn out the vast majority of Mahuraga’s life force.

If not for the big haul of Correction Value he’d gotten from the Tanbo Inner Circle in the last few months, which had strengthened his Divine Nature, Huai Shi wouldn’t have been able to keep it locked down.

If it really swallowed Mahuraga completely, he was afraid even he would be screwed when the time came.

He owed it entirely to the sealed nature of the Ruins that he didn’t end up playing with fire and burning himself.

But after swallowing such a huge wave of Source Substance, the countdown on Huai Shi’s wrist had increased by another five months. And on his steel right arm, there was now a bit more skin-like texture and softness.

The Activation level had increased.

Just to deal with this damn thing, he’d have to tough it out for nearly another half a year!

A massive loss!

Thinking of this, Huai Shi flew into a rage, ignored his shortness of breath, propped himself up, and strode toward the Skeleton still struggling on the ground.

Mahuraga was still struggling.

Clinging to life.

He kept reaching up, trying to pull out the Resentment Water nailed into his chest, only to be burned to a crisp by the scorching Thunder light again and again.

Seeing Huai Shi approach step by step, he grew more and more panicked, shouting something incoherently, but his shattered vocal cords could no longer form clear words.

Whether it was prayer, curses, or pleas for mercy.

In the end, in despair, that ruined face spasmed with difficulty, squeezing out a servile smile. His lips wriggled as he tried to speak.

"W-wait... I..."

Then there was a bang.

His entire head was hammered straight into the floor with one punch.

A booming roar of Thunder exploded.

Triple-fold Drum Thunder!

"The hell are you laughing at!"

Huai Shi roared, raised his fist again, and slammed down with all his strength, smashing that rapidly healing rotten face to pieces once more. Mahuraga endured the pain, forced his eyes open, trying to say something, but the only answer he got was another merciless punch: "Still laughing?!"

Not a shred of sympathy or pity.

Bullying kids, beating old men—Huai Shi didn’t feel even the slightest twinge of guilt. Especially with this kind of freak; beating him to death was basically doing a good deed.

How could he possibly spare his life out of pity?

In your dreams!

Seeing that even after leaving the Current Circumstances, he could still rapidly regenerate and heal despite being run through by Resentment Water, Huai Shi wasn’t going to give him even the slightest chance to stall for time.

Strike while he’s sick, take his life!

Die for me!

Not only fists and kicks, he also grabbed anything nearby that could be used as a weapon—the hammer and shovel hanging off the spacesuit, pots and pans, anything.

The more he hit, the angrier he got. If his Great Priestess account hadn’t been locked, this thing would’ve already been dead; no need for this half-assed scraping.

In his fury, he hit harder and harder.

His fists got tougher!

But it was useless. No matter how Huai Shi beat him to a pulp, the Crowned’s vitality was still terrifyingly tenacious, and he kept recovering at speed.

And as he saw Huai Shi unable to finish him off, Mahuraga grew more and more delighted. The smile on his face turned increasingly mocking.

"That all you’ve got..."

Before he could finish, a miserable scream suddenly burst out.

Because the arm that had just healed was ripped apart by one blow from Huai Shi’s weapon, collapsing into sludge and refusing to regenerate!

His smile froze.

He stared in disbelief at the weapon in Huai Shi’s hand, yanked out in a fit of rage!

On that bizarre club-shaped object, dozens of Nordic Alchemy Runes were carved all over, shining with unbelievable light, colors shifting in sevenfold hues.

And it was vibrating!

The pink shaft was shaking so fast it left Afterimages, making it impossible to glimpse its true outline.

Under its blows and penetrations, the Crowned’s proud regeneration was shattered like sand, erased inch by inch!

A fear and panic unlike anything before surged up in Mahuraga’s heart.

He screamed in terror.

"What the hell is that!"

"..."

Huai Shi froze for a moment, then replied loudly, "High-Frequency Power Cutting Sword, never seen one, huh!"

High-frequency what now!?

Mahuraga spat blood in grief and fury: You trying to fool a ghost? This is clearly...

"Good, keep not seeing it!"

Huai Shi’s sonorous voice cut off his thoughts as he glared and said, "This is high-tech that collapses your enemy from the particle and molecular level through vibrating the blade!"

Spouting nonsense about something he himself didn’t understand, Huai Shi gripped the handle tight and hacked down with all his strength: "To die under this Seat’s Sacred Sword is a blessing you earned over several lifetimes!"