True Apocalypse Game

The wreckage of the "Steel Glory" Holy Corpse towered nearly a hundred meters above the sea, like a colossal reef standing firm on the ocean’s surface.

From a distance, the silhouette of the Super Giant War Armor resembled a massive sculpture that had endured for centuries.

And surrounding the reef formed by this Super Giant War Armor was a floating city stretching for several kilometers, built from all sorts of flotsam and vessels—the legendary Glory Market.

The entire floating city was built completely reliant on the Steel Glory, taking who knows how many years to gradually take shape.

Atop the wreckage of the Steel Glory was the highest and safest place in the entire Glory Market, where only a select group of people—the most powerful and long-standing—were permitted to live.

This was the core of the Glory Market, known as the "Upper City." From here, one could overlook the entire market, much like a castle from ancient times.

Perhaps because these Super Giant War Armors, known as "Holy Corpses," had once slain countless World Beasts, they carried an aura of death and danger. As a result, the Holy Corpse Market was never attacked by large sea monsters, not even World Beasts, making it a sanctuary in the ocean—an island of safety.

This very fact attracted large numbers of Sea People, causing the Holy Corpse Market to grow ever larger until it was practically a kingdom on the sea. Leveraging its power, the Holy Corpse Market also effectively governed the numerous Floating Island Markets in the vicinity.

But today, the Glory Market was facing a massive upheaval!

THUD THUD THUD... With a series of dull thuds, dozens of Steel Arrowheads struck the hull of the Sail Warship, only to be deflected by its Iron Armor.

This was followed by another series of thuds as Incendiary Bullets filled with whale blubber were launched from small boats and the docks. They landed on the deck of the Hope-class Wind Sail Battleship, instantly erupting into raging fires.

From a dozen of the nearest boats, sailors had already flung out ropes with steel grappling hooks, which caught on the Sail Warship’s railings as they prepared to climb aboard.

Witch Tower drew her bow, instantly pinning the arms of several climbers and sending them falling into the sea. At the same time, she roared:

"Open fire! Destroy their ships, but try to avoid casualties!"

Old Bill and the others were already waiting. The Close Defense Cannons and Warship Secondary Guns immediately roared to life, their thunderous reports echoing as they blasted several surrounding boats to smithereens.

"It’s ancient weaponry! Guns and cannons!"

"Minstrel Witch Tower’s ship has guns and cannons!"

"Get into their firing blind spot! Hurry!"

The sailors from the destroyed boats tumbled into the water, their faces filled with horror as they swam desperately toward friendly vessels and the docks. The surrounding Guard Soldiers, who served the five Minstrels, were equally stunned, their resolve clearly wavering.

They had heard of Minstrel Witch Tower before; they knew she was an outstanding young poet. That was why they had been so puzzled when ordered to attack her warship.

After all, Ivanka and the others, Minstrels themselves, had offered no explanation for the command.

Now, seeing that their target possessed such powerful ancient weaponry, their doubts grew even stronger.

Seeing the warship’s powerful cannons and her subordinates’ hesitation to advance, Ivanka shouted, "Witch Tower has betrayed human civilization! She colludes with the Purification Church and refuses to hand over this steel warship, a vessel of great importance to humanity! Her crimes are punishable by death! The first person to board that ship will receive the legacy of a Minstrel and be granted dominion over a nearby Floating Island Market!"

Hearing this, the subordinates who had been terrified by the gunfire were instantly invigorated. Many even leaped directly from the docks and boats into the water, swimming frantically toward the Hope-class Wind Sail Battleship.

Dominion over a Floating Island Market was incredibly tempting, but what truly stirred their hearts was the promise of a Minstrel’s legacy!

To receive a Minstrel’s legacy was to become a Minstrel oneself—to possess knowledge in this drowned, benighted world, and to no longer be one of the ignorant masses!

Many were even willing to die for it!

"Fire the catapults!" Ivanka commanded with another shout.

As soon as the words left her mouth, a dozen burning balls of whale blubber launched from the catapult emplacements at the highest point of the Holy Corpse Market, sailing toward the deck of the Hope-class Wind Sail Battleship!

The fireballs burst on impact, splattering flaming grease in all directions and instantly setting several sailors ablaze.

These catapults were among the most powerful weapons in the Floating Island Market. By leveraging the gravitational potential energy of their high-ground position, they could dominate any ship in the vicinity.

At the same time, a BOOM echoed as a Mortar shell traced a high arc through the air, landing in the water near the Sail Warship and erupting in a massive splash.

This was the Holy Corpse Market’s ace in the hole: a single Mortar!

Although the shot missed the warship’s deck, it immediately elicited a wave of cheers from the surrounding sailors.

They had guns and cannons, too!

They weren’t exclusive to Witch Tower and her crew!

The sailors, who had been intimidated by their opponents’ advanced weaponry, now felt their confidence surge. After all, their side had such weapons too.

Ivanka seized the moment, pulling a long-barreled shotgun from her back. She fired a shot into the air and shouted again:

"Witch Tower! For the good of all humanity, surrender this warship! Don’t be a stubborn fool!"

Seeing that their side had cannons and guns of their own, and already tempted by Ivanka’s massive bounty, the sailors charged toward the Sail Warship in a frenzy. Each of them wanted to be the first to board!

Seeing this, Hezi and the others looked on with unease. She tugged on Ivanka’s sleeve and said:

"Ivanka, this... isn’t this too cruel? Witch Tower is a Minstrel, after all..."

Chris, who was standing nearby, sneered.

"Relax. These people have a deep-rooted respect for Minstrels. They won’t dare harm Witch Tower. At most, they’ll kill all her subordinates and seize the warship."

She then raised a finger, tracing it lightly across Hezi’s cheek with a smile.

"Don’t you worry, sweet little Hezi. You know we only have two cannonballs left and not many bullets. We can’t possibly waste them on Witch Tower."

Hezi’s face flushed. She exchanged a glance with Fuya and Alice behind her but said nothing more.

Their personalities were relatively passive, and they were used to going with the flow. Besides, their own power was far inferior to that of Ivanka and Chris, leaving them with little recourse.

Besides, they understood that capturing this massive warship would be a great boon for them as well. It might even allow them to replace the Western Minstrel Council and truly stand at the pinnacle of human civilization.

By now, the sailors of the Holy Corpse Market were swarming the Sail Warship. Many had realized that the people on the ship didn’t actually want to hurt them, and this, in turn, became their opportunity.

"They don’t want to kill! Quick, abandon your boats and swim for it!" a sailor shouted from the water.

Around him, a dozen other sailors swam swiftly, Long Sabers clenched between their teeth.

Once they got close enough to the great ship, they could throw their grappling hooks over the side and swarm it like ants!

Seeing this, Witch Tower’s expression turned grim. She said coldly:

"You really think I don’t dare to kill? Prepare to fire! Kill anyone who approaches the warship on sight!"

The Close Defense Cannons immediately spat tongues of fire, lashing into the surface of the sea.

The sailors approaching the warship had no time to react before they were torn to shreds by the powerful Kinetic Energy Bullets. Their bodies became chunks of meat in the water as blood instantly stained a large patch of the sea red, striking terror into the hearts of the other attackers.

Hearing Witch Tower give the kill order, her crew immediately opened fire on the enemies in the water. Muzzle flashes erupted, scything through the sailors’ lives, and even several small boats were blasted to pieces.

The immense power of the guns and cannons instantly cowed the attackers. The sailors who had been rushing forward in a frenzy now hesitated, their charge faltering.

A crimson ring of blood spread across the water for dozens of meters around the Sail Warship. The shredded corpses had already sunk to the seabed, chilling the soul of anyone who dared to challenge its might.

Ivanka and her group had been hiding in a blind spot from the warship’s cannons. She raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly.

"Showing your true colors, are you...? In that case, bring out the Saint Body. Let’s see who dares to resist then!"

"Bring forth the Saint Body!"