Chapter 92: Rebirth (Part One)
Boom!!!!!!
A deafening explosion erupted above the little town, and at the moment the scarlet radiance burst from the sphere, neither Carlos nor Apheir managed to react in time.
Then, a mix of scarlet flames and wafting dead smoke, along with shimmering frost like countless twinkling stars, gushed forth from the sphere’s radiant light, spreading in all directions and instantly engulfing the ruins and dirt around them.
The shockwave of the explosion surged forward like a monstrous hurricane. The old woman at the forefront was swept away as if made of paper, “Whoosh!”—followed closely by the swordsman Carlos, who had just managed to stand up from the rubble. Neither of the powerful Pope Knights stood a chance against such a terrifying shockwave, and in the blink of an eye, they were blasted high into the air, disappearing without a trace.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom…
The aftermath of the explosion was spreading rapidly, black winds and scorching waves from the town’s center reached hundreds of meters before finally dissipating.
Amidst the swirling smoke, a massive circular blank area emerged around the center of the town, stripped clean by the explosion. All that remained of the structures below were debris and ash, as if the earth had been plowed over, leaving soft granules with a barely noticeable scarlet sheen, releasing wisps of green smoke.
Buzz—
Above the sphere, a beam of light penetrated the dark clouds. After a strange noise, it suddenly thickened, its brilliance nearly blinding. But just two or three seconds later, it flickered and vanished, as sparks and smoke scattered into the air, while the falling embers looked like red snow.
As the last beam of light sank into the clouds, the surrounding black clouds began to roil and churn. The scarlet glow at the bottom of the clouds intensified, and with each deafening rumble of thunder, countless bolts of lightning raced through the cloud layers, striking the floating sphere. The black smoke enveloping the sphere suddenly dissipated, and green mist rose from the infernal fire, thickening until it wrapped around the sphere, which gleamed like a massive, red-hot iron forge, impossible to gaze upon.
“Cough cough… ugh…”
From the distant ruins that were untouched, Carlos emerged from the scorching yellow sand, his face pale, coughing up a bit of bl**d, unable to suppress his painful groans.
“What the heck… is going on…”
He struggled to get up but stumbled and nearly fell over again.
His last sword was still at his waist, but the weapon in his hand had flown who-knows-where. His light armor was torn and severely misshapen, and his shirt was riddled with fiery holes, giving off wisps of steam. His burned skin was visible underneath, showing patches of charred flesh on his exposed neck, arms, and face.
Fortunately…
Having been swept away first by the shockwave, he managed to escape most of the oncoming infernal fire and dead smoke.
Otherwise, he would have turned to ashes along with the ruins in the explosion.
Even so, Carlos was badly hurt.
Previously, he had already been burned on the face and arms while desperately rescuing someone, and now those injuries looked far worse. His entire face, along with his exposed neck and arms, radiated an unusual crimson hue, accompanied by patches of blackened burns, with bl**d oozing from his wounds. His once-flowing white hair was now a frizzy mess of yellow.
It’s been a long time.
Throughout the years, the man had faced the terrifying Abyss countless times, slaying monsters left and right. Aside from the cataclysm caused by the gluttonous Abyss three years ago, he had never experienced such a state of disarray.
And he had never seen an existence capable of creating a scene that seemed to bring destruction to the world, like what was unfolding now.
“Little Shay…”
Carlos trembled all over and lifted his head.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—
Scarlet lightning tangled in the distance, releasing a bone-chilling roar.
Under the dark and scarlet sky, as the remnants of the shockwave completely dissipated and everything settled into dust, the still-warm air was filled with glowing embers that slowly floated down.
The embers fell like fiery goose feathers in a winter storm, landing on the man’s head and body, curling his hair into unfortunate ques, setting his already tattered shirt sleeves ablaze with a “whoosh.”
The commotion jolted Carlos back to reality. He tore off the burning right sleeve along with the misshapen gauntlet, revealing his charred and bloody arm, with trembling fingers resolutely grasping the hilt of his last sword, drawing it out, and slashing at the sky above.
Clang—
The sword sang as it sliced through the air.
A sharp gust of wind cut through the drifting embers, creating a massive gap. The hot red snow fluttered away from the sides of the wind gap, keeping its distance from Carlos.
But the scorching airflow still burned through his every breath.
The man held back his pain.
He tried to take a step back but ended up moving two steps forward instead.
Then, the thunderous roars ceased.
He saw in the sky, the last streak of bl**d-red lightning shatter the dark, like a sword opening up the world, striking down in midair. It had grown more than twice its size, illuminating the previously bright sphere, which suddenly dimmed as the infernal flames seemed to be consumed. In their place came the dark smoke that enveloped the sphere, turning the sun into solid blackness.
The gloomy sky became even darker.
Carlos felt the air temperature drop suddenly.
The heat that had been scorching his face and lungs was abruptly snatched away by some unseen force, becoming cool, then chill. He saw the white mist from his breath, felt the burns itching painfully, and noticed that the embers drifting around him had turned into real goose-feather snow, reminiscent of the Winter City.
Snowflakes fluttered down in front of him.
He couldn’t help but raise his palm, catching one in his hand.
Thud, thud…
Thud, thud—
The heavy, powerful heartbeat echoed from afar, or perhaps it was right next to his ear.
Carlos shuddered.
He couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or something else.
“You…”
The frost melting in his palm, the man lifted his head again, gazing at the apocalyptic scene in the sky, staring at the hovering, seemingly restless black sun, mumbling to himself.
“What on earth is this turning into…?”
But that question went unanswered.
Moments later, thoughts of the stout old woman, blown away by the explosion and now nowhere to be seen, crossed his mind.
“…Apheir.”
Zing, zing—
With a flash of lightning, Carlos leaped onto a nearby half-collapsed wall, exhaling white mist as he scanned the chaos around him, trying to locate the old Pope Knight.
However, all he saw was ruin and destruction.
He couldn’t find any trace of the old woman.
But off to the west of the town, he spotted a surging tidal wave of golden armor approaching.
