Chapter 412 Final Battle
“Love is the highest point.”
"Nothing is above love."
Chu Hengkong fell into a dark and bottomless abyss, listening indifferently to the voices from the past.
The reason it's called indifference is that there's no emotion in the abyss. Memories, feelings, personality, and other elements of the self are stripped away during the sinking, becoming floating bubbles.
He had experienced something similar before, when he fell into the Sea of Illusions. A life that fell into the Third Abyss would become a fantasy, while a life that fell into the First Abyss would sink into the past.
This is actually the rebirth process of every fallen being. Memories are purified, thoughts leave the body, and one sinks through times of both happiest and most painful, gradually stripping away the self. Until, at the very bottom of the abyss, something about the essence of life clicks and twists.
At that time, everything that had been stripped away would be recovered. Accommodating those personalities and memories that hadn't changed in the slightest, a new fallen being was thus created. Even the elements that made up the self remained the same; the only difference was that something within had changed, from a human being to something else.
The king changed the reincarnation ritual, throwing others into the abyss of self, thus turning the fall of self-transformation into the fall of imprisonment. In this process, the self is not separated, but simply suspended in an emotionless state, sinking infinitely in the memories of others.
Pulled by memories. Suppressed by pain. Torn by struggle.
Unable to open eyes.
It's hard to breathe.
--No.
If there's anything powerful and insurmountable, it's the suffering of others. And when that suffering becomes entangled with one's own past, the past becomes a vast quagmire. We know the situation, but we can't do anything about it. We understand the truth, but we can't reverse it.
I don't want to face the present, because looking at it won't change anything. I don't want to move forward, because the future only leads to destruction. Mistakes pile up into more mistakes, and there's no achievement in the spiral of self-denial. A sense of powerlessness drives me to think backward.
So the mind sinks endlessly into the past, grasping at the little light in the memory as the light and fire of nothingness.
--wrong.
However, perhaps it is because men are originally empty lives.
His indifference failed to affect his thoughts. Emotions swirled in his empty heart. With regret, contradiction, and...
anger.
If you make a mistake, you must make amends. Turning a blind eye won't change anything. What good will it do to avoid it in the end?
——After all, why didn’t you tell me these when there were so many opportunities!
Anger surged with his pounding heart, prompting him to clench his cold fists. His blood flowed faster, and somewhere in his heart burned. He struggled, trying to break free and swim against the current. He had experienced this many times before, and he knew exactly how to act in such moments.
Don't think about anything.
Drive yourself with pure emotion.
Crossing the sea of memories, swimming upstream. A body without thoughts, empty and unfettered, is not bound by gravity. Chu Hengkong's speed is getting faster and faster. As he approaches the surface of the sea, he sees Wang Quan's bewildered face on the other side.
The sea surface instantly froze with black blood, the viscous flesh and blood like a quagmire, burying any possibility of exerting force. Chu Hengkong bit his fingertips and swung his fist upwards. Again and again, he used his life force to shake the filthy seal. The black blood was incinerated by his burning blood, and a momentary gap appeared on the sea surface. A pale blue light took advantage of the opportunity to descend, bringing with it a familiar sound.
"——Akong!"
"I'm here!"
He grasped the light, grasped the staff of spiritual power. Then the foul gravity dissipated, the world instantly opened up, and he left the sea and flew into the sky!
His spirit returned to his body, a suffocating feeling mingled with agony. A murky sky, the demonic laughter, the pervasive foul air, the stench of flesh and blood carried by the howling wind, awakening memories from the recent past. He remembered the king's trump card, the army of the Fallen, the desperate frontier about to be swallowed up, and he was in the maw of the Black Moon!
Chu Hengkong sat up and met those deep blue eyes. Velvet knelt beside him, staring at him intently, the anxiety in her eyes barely fading.
"You made me worry," she said.
"Sorry, the enemy's tactics are too insidious. You know I'm not good at dealing with shady tactics." Chu Hengkong scratched his head. "What's the situation now?"
He'd thought he was doomed, after all, having landed in such a horrific place surrounded by a horde of high-quality monsters, even escaping with his body intact would be a good outcome. But it turned out that not only was he not dead, but he'd even been rescued by the boss. Judging from the surroundings, they were still in the abyss. Forget about surviving, the boss finding him at all was incredible enough.
Velvet pulled a small white flower from her shirt pocket, a faint glow emanating from it. He suddenly remembered and pulled out a similar flower. It was the medal they had been given when they first met Old Jingsha.
Chu Hengkong reacted and looked down. They were sitting on the steel deck, the sharp-shaped warship like a javelin, immersed in the protection of green light. A giant hand penetrated the tunnel, like a towering pillar piercing the deep sea, firmly grasping the steel ship.
That was the palm of the Tongxin sacred tree. The sacred tree spread its wings and flew high into the sky, carving out a path of hope for them!
"Our city-state will never forget its heroes." Old Jingsha's hearty laugh echoed. "So, children? Return to the city-state, or keep moving forward?"
Chu Hengkong and Velvet looked at each other and smiled.
"I'm sorry, this is a personal grudge between us."
"We don't have the habit of giving up halfway!"
Old Jingsha gathered his strength and launched himself like a ship into the abyss. His blessing echoed with the green light: "Let us set off! Towards the final battlefield!"
The warship accelerated with divine power, like a gleaming spear hurled at the black moon. Chu Hengkong moved his body vigorously, using his back muscles to stimulate his spine. They all felt the gaze from behind, the god about to enter the battlefield looking back.
"Self-righteous old men are always like this, doting on and allowing mistakes to happen." Yuyinnu said coldly, "Failure is not allowed in this operation. Karatifor, you go in person."
"Okay, Mom!"
The Abyssal Worm responded joyfully, moving its massive body to claw at the warship. It was a true god, an ancient being conceived by the Black Moon. The methods of the Second Abyss were meaningless to it. In an instant, a piercing chill ran down their spines. No matter what the future held, they now faced death before the god.
So they resorted to the last resort.
Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up red. Before the Abyssal Worm could move, the moment he stretched his back, a distress signal had already been transmitted through the breach created by the thorny robe. The signal drifted over the chaotic battlefield, and due to the similar disturbances between messages, it was captured by the pre-prepared machine. It easily identified the source of the signal: an Imperial soldier who should have died not long ago.
"Warmaster, we have received a distress signal from Immortal Unit S-987572. A large number of Fallen units have been detected. The exact coordinates of the Black Moon Warp Channel have been provided."
"Attack as planned," said the Warmaster.
Its orders were instantly transmitted to every unit under its command, and all real equipment was prepared as planned. Anti-pollution barriers were deployed, anti-gravity armor was equipped, and the entire mental coordinate system was integrated and transmitted upwards, and then handed over by the adjutant to the supreme leader of the Eastern Theater.
It left the celestial sphere, cleaving space apart. Disparate coordinates converged under the might of the gods. Then, pure white lightning burst forth from the abyss's maw, a warp channel opened, and a giant of steel descended amidst the lightning!
It was the crystallization of strength and rationality, a flawless and invincible perfect machine. Its body was a spotless pure white, its torso shaped by supreme armor, its shoulders sturdy with furnace-like perpetual motion mechanisms, its autonomous floaters arranged like wings behind its shoulder armor, and its hands centered on a cannon muzzle that shone brilliantly. Its face was completely covered by armor, with only the monitors emitting a deep ocean blue due to its psychic power.
It was the only strange color among the real weapons, and its appearance signified destruction and death.
The Abyss Worm's smile vanished immediately, its voice trembling with fear: "Mom, no... It's Eternal Sundering! It's the Eternal Sundering!!"
It is the mechanical deity that holds the principle of "eternal calamity", the highest authority under the Emperor, the perfect crystallization of the Empire's technology, and universally recognized as the most powerful god of the contemporary era.
The divine warlord, Eternal Doom!
The abyss's maw was illuminated by light. The True Mechanic army leaped out through the passage opened by the Eternal Doom, all weapons deployed at full power. They struck a direct blow from the rear, catching the unprepared Fallen host completely off guard. In a single second, the Fallen suffered a loss of over 35.6%. The Burning River Lord observed the results with satisfaction, a testament to the reward of his meticulously prepared battle plan.
"Special Singularity Z-3000-1 is detected to be maintaining the Abyssal Summoning. Singularities 2 and 3 will contact it in 38 seconds. Please give instructions."
The Eternal Robbery turned and locked eyes with the two men aboard the battleship. This was their first official meeting, and each had imprinted the other's presence on their minds. Chu Hengkong and Velvet remembered its power, and the Eternal Robbery remembered their gazes.
Weak and ignorant, but full of confidence in victory.
It withdrew its gaze and issued a request to the mainland: "To maintain the normal progress of the experiment and ensure the long-term survival of the Imperial Truth, an all-out war is now declared against all Fallen forces in the Eastern Theater."
The emperor of the distant imperial capital sent a reply: [Agreed]
"3001/08/08, 05:32:12. The Eastern Theater's Fallen Extermination Campaign Begins." The Eternal's command was issued. "Fight for the Imperial Truth!"
Its iron fist instantly smashed through the abyssal worm, carrying its massive body across the passage. Before Yuyinnu could recover from her panic, the perpetual motion mechanisms on its shoulders spun rapidly, summoning the eternal lightning of god-slaying devastation!
"Hahaha!" an old man in the distance laughed. "I thought we were the only ones willing to risk everything, but I didn't expect the Empire to lose its patience this time. It seems they really care about Earth."
He waved his cane and asked with a smile, "So, what are you doing this for?"
Not far away, a warrior in tattered armor was sharpening his sword. His face was completely wrapped in bandages, and he looked like a bandit who had strayed into the battlefield.
Chongming sneered, "Even the new recruits are on the field. How can I, as a commander, have the nerve to just stand by and watch?"
The benefactor's smile grew more eerie, and his form melted, revealing his terrifying, inhuman form. Unfathomable darkness eroded reality, and Chongming stepped into the darkness. He drew his sword, wielding it with a withered flame that pierced the night.
"Hurry up and make it right! Let's settle this grudge and don't look back!"
His scolding voice traveled across the vast distance and reached the killer's ears. Chu Hengkong laughed upon hearing this and stood at the front of the deck, facing the darkness and malice that was coming towards him.
The warship accelerated further, charging forward with unwavering determination. They were rapidly approaching the depths of the abyss. The surroundings were a chaotic mess, with no definable reference points, like the indistinguishable grayness of a person half asleep and half awake.
Velvet was busy controlling the Millennium Bug and asked casually, "Who is the Zanshin Master?"
"Yes, our old boss who led us in the Heavenly Prison."
"I see. I was wondering why you were so sure that Miss Guangshi's letter of request for help would bring reinforcements."
"Because he is a very loyal man."
Qingye's letter for help received a personal reply from the fate master. Since Zhongming had given his approval, there was no way he would just sit back and watch. The fate master, Canxin, was just that kind of man. Even if covered in wounds, he would fight to the bitter end on the battlefield, let alone now.
Chu Hengkong remained calm, knowing they had done their best. All that remained was a battle. He waited quietly for his boss to finish his work, observing the warship beneath him. It was a magnificent vessel. Its broad, heavy deck reminded him of the aircraft carriers of past military powers. Religious reliefs adorned its silver-white armor, and the gun barrels lined the sides of the hull in neat rows, like window panes between buildings.
The bridge at the rear of the battleship resembled a steel castle, crowned by three Gothic spires. If he had looked down from above, he would have thought his boss had installed a cathedral on the ship. Such a design didn't fit her utilitarian aesthetic; he figured it must have some other purpose.
"The battleship is nice." He made small talk. "Boss, I think your taste has improved."
Velvet smiled and said, "It's my World-Splitting Wheel. When I designed it, I thought you would like this style very much, so I made it a little exaggerated."
"You were planning on bringing this thing down to Earth to shock a country bumpkin like me, right?"
“No, I was originally planning to use this to annihilate any potential enemies, then disguise myself as a ghost and return to life to find you alone,” Velvet said. “After all, you’re too proud, and you wouldn’t be able to handle seeing me become stronger.”
"Am I such a narrow-minded man?"
"Who are you."
"Well, I might be." Chu Hengkong touched his nose, "Listen, Boss..."
"This is our fight," Velvet interrupted. She turned and stared into the killer's eyes.
"Akong, I understand that you have a special sense of duty to the throne, just as you firmly believe you must protect me. But I must point out that this battle isn't just a grudge between you two. It carries the vengeance of my father and my family, and I must settle this blood debt with it."
She touched the emblem on her chest, and the symbol of the caduceus gleamed.
"If fate truly exists, then this is the moment it concludes. I must give it my all. Even if it puts my life in danger, I will not allow myself to hide behind you. I was deeply moved when you said before that you would never let me get hurt—but this time, even if it means serious injury or even death, I must go to the battlefield. I ask you to focus all your energy on defeating our enemy, and not distract yourself from me."
Chu Hengkong looked at her serious expression, and vaguely recalled the young and stubborn girl from many years ago. He asked, "Why, Velvet? Why do you say I no longer need to protect you?"
“I still have many methods I haven’t yet explained to you, but the battle is imminent. Therefore, I can only ask you to trust me,” Velvet said. “Trust that I am now capable of standing by your side.”
Chu Hengkong smiled slightly and patted her shoulder.
"I will always trust you. After all, you are my boss."
Without further words, they already understood each other's resolve and how to face the upcoming battle. Ten seconds later, Velvet finally finished her work. She explained that she had used information and memory to visually translate the environment, allowing them to penetrate the battlefield and observe their surroundings.
That is a space with only two colors.
Pure white sky and dirty black sea.
The white-haired young man stood at the end of the horizon, looking up at the increasingly clear moon in the sky. He rubbed the back of his head in distress, without looking back.
"After all this time, you still don't seem to understand what 'giving up' means."
Chu Hengkong asked calmly, just like when he and his friends were discussing things long ago.
"Are you ready?"
"I'm OK anytime!"
It turned around, two daggers flashing in its hands, with a gentle smile on its face.
"Then come. This is the long-awaited final battle. Let us put an end to all that belongs to the Blood Alliance!"
(End of this chapter)
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