Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 708: Chapter 581 Ambush_1

The inferno’s tempest spread out in all directions. After their specialization, each Squid-Type Synthetic Beast possessed the terrifying power to completely destroy the outer walls of an entire fortress.

Dozens of meters away, amidst bursting flames, heavy shockwaves rolled out. The entire truck was suddenly flung into the air like a dead leaf caught in a gale, then flipped over.

Countless armor plates instantly cracked, and even the windows shattered into large fragments.

As the truck spun violently, Raymond gritted his teeth, floored the gas pedal, and desperately tried to adjust its trajectory, attempting to take flight.

But then, several more Squid-Type Synthetic Beasts rapidly detonated, sealing off every possible escape route for the truck.

During this brief moment of stillness, the largest squid writhed its tentacles, unfurling them towards the truck.

In that hair’s breadth moment, Raymond gritted his teeth, slammed his palm onto a button beside him, and roared, ”Brace for impact!!!”

The entire truck shuddered violently. Amidst flying sparks, the cargo bay was ejected from the rear, while the cab tumbled through the air and crashed into nearby ruins.

He had narrowly dodged this wave of close-range explosions.

Following the explosions, the detached cargo bay flipped violently in mid-air, tore through the heavy curtain of rain, and came to a halt directly above the Eye of Nightmare.

At that exact moment, the twisted and cracked cargo bay burst apart.

A figure shot out from within, plummeting towards the ground.

”Eat my hammer!!!”

The heavy, wolf-headed Iron Hammer was raised, flames jetting from its back. Radiating ferocity, it tore through the blood rain and smashed down upon the enemies below.

Iron clashed against iron.

Then, the stronger utterly shattered the weaker.

The thick shield disintegrated under the heavy impact of the Iron Hammer descending from the sky, and the figures behind it were sent flying. Taking the brunt of the attack, a breach was opened.

Huai Shi swung his arm, tossing an Alchemy Bomb that forced the encircling enemies back, barely clearing a small, safe space. But he was then forced to retreat under the relentless pressure of their tightening encirclement.

The shattered cargo bay crashed to the ground and immediately erupted into roaring flames.

”Regroup! Regroup!” Drawing his Frost Axe, August yelled at the members of the Exploration Team, trying to rally them and reorganize their formation. However, it seemed unlikely they could break through the Eye of Nightmare’s suppression anytime soon.

Huai Shi tossed the Cards from his pocket, summoning the Crow Flock once again.

”Hallowed be!!!”

The Paradise Guard re-emerged: massive Rat-men clad in steel and Dynamic Power Armor, roaring as they plunged into the battlefield, securing Huai Shi’s flanks.

During this brief respite, Huai Shi targeted the Commander behind the Eye of Nightmare’s formation, raised the Sword of Virtue in his hand, and pointed forward.

The Guards on both flanks raised their huge shields, roaring as they stomped through the mud.

Breaking through the curtain of rain and the intercepting horde, Huai Shi charged toward the core of the Eye of Nightmare.

Whether he succeeded or not, this maneuver would draw most of the Eye of Nightmare’s attention, buying August time to safely protect the Scholars and then summon the Frost Giant Army.

As Huai Shi charged, the heavy shields of the Paradise Guard vibrated continuously, emitting the shrill sound of imminent collapse.

Like iron balls trying to force their way through solidified butter, they struggled to penetrate the Eye of Nightmare’s defenses. They nearly buckled under the counterattack, threatened with being cut off and consumed by the enemy.

The Buried Sacred Place unfolded. Huai Shi’s figure vanished abruptly, then reappeared outside the Eye of Nightmare’s formation, wreathed in rolling darkness, as he attempted a counterattack.

But the Commander, unmoved, drew the Axe Halberd planted in the ground and, under the protection of his subordinates, counterattacked Huai Shi.

The Eye of Nightmare’s Big Commander: the battle-hardened Gain!

Without any hint of impatience or recklessness, Gain commanded his subordinates, steadily maintaining a safe distance and gradually wearing down the Paradise Guard’s stamina.

The moment Huai Shi was slightly distracted, Gain roared. His Axe Halberd slashed out, piercing through a crack in a heavy shield and, in one stroke, impaling the Armored Ratman behind it. Blood splattered.

Having lost their shield-bearer’s cover, the right-wing Guard Team instantly crumbled under the Eye of Nightmare’s counterattack.

Huai Shi retreated in disarray, phasing repeatedly. After losing several Guard members, he finally broke free from the Eye of Nightmare’s encirclement. But when he looked back, rage seethed in his chest.

For in this brief period, August had already gathered at least half the members of the Exploration Team. Yet, despite having the capacity to counterattack, he remained in place, motionless.

He dispassionately dismissed his subordinates’ requests for support, allowing Huai Shi to struggle desperately among the enemy.

”August, what are you just standing there for?” Huai Shi bellowed furiously. ”Are you just watching the show?”

August didn’t answer. Silently, he glanced at his wristwatch. Through its rapidly rusting face, he could see the second hand ticking, silently counting down.

Five, four, three, two... one!

The countdown ended. Beside him, most of the men stiffened as if unable to breathe, painfully clutching their throats. But with their helmets in the way, they couldn’t reach their faces.

They quickly began to twitch and convulse, falling one after another, limp, to the ground...

Most of the Scholars and Alchemists realized something was wrong and tried to help or flee. But August raised his hand, and his arm-mounted crossbow fired repeatedly.

Arrows trailing sparks of electricity shot out.

And so, one twitching teammate after another collapsed.

August raised a hand and removed his helmet, revealing a pale, indifferent face. He finally answered Huai Shi’s question.

”Because I am the traitor.”

Betrayal always came so unexpectedly.

Huai Shi stood there, dumbfounded, unable to believe it. Was it really not him, the one who kept flip-flopping, who became the ’second fifth’? Was it August, who grew up on the Iron Crystal Throne, who had chosen betrayal?

Yet, the scene he had once witnessed beneath the oil refinery resurfaced in his mind.

From that moment on... August had no longer been a man of the Iron Crystal Throne, had he?

Amidst the blood rain, August raised his hand and lifted the Ring of Nibelungen again to summon the Frost Giant Army. But the gleam on the ring, having just brightened, quickly faded.

It became dull, devoid of all its mystical power.

It was as if a countermeasure had already been prepared for this very eventuality.

August raised his eyebrows with understanding. ”As expected, Simon was wary of me. That old man always seems to guess a bit of everything. A pity he always keeps his speculations to himself, endlessly doubting, yet seldom making a decisive move. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have reached this point.”

Simmons Jiang. That was the name of the Director of Affairs.

Perhaps he had long noticed August’s abnormalities, understanding how fanatical the child he had watched grow up could be. But he had never dared to believe August would act this way.

In that instant, Huai Shi glimpsed the Short Knife at August’s waist and finally understood. ”Is it because of Condra?”

August said nothing, nor did he refute Huai Shi’s guess.

”Have you gone mad!” Huai Shi roared in anger. ”Condra’s death wasn’t caused by the Great Grandmasters! Even if you harbor hatred, you should target the right—”

”Condra isn’t dead!!!” August suddenly shouted, interrupting Huai Shi. Across the thick blood rain, he stared into Huai Shi’s eyes and enunciated, word by word, ”He. Is. Still. Alive!”

Huai Shi was lost for words.

After being assimilated by Hell... who could say for certain whether one was alive or dead? Perhaps in that moment of assimilation, Condra had already ceased to be the person he once was?

What truly remained, no one knew.

”What did Ivy Vine give you?” Huai Shi’s expression grew icy as he drew his cold Axe Blade. ”Let me guess. They said they can bring Condra back to life? They just had to say that, and you believed it? Right? I’m starting to wonder if you even have a brain.”

”So, the Great Grandmaster didn’t tell you anything, did he?” August’s smile turned scornful. ”That man always likes to be mysterious. He clearly knows everything, yet says nothing. He keeps claiming the history of Hell is inconsequential, yet he’s been concealing the truth all along. Just like he wouldn’t tell you the Eternal Frozen Core is right here, nor would he tell you that besides creating the sun and moon and remaking all things, the Forgers truly did develop an Eternal Life Machine!”

Huai Shi was shocked, finding it utterly unbelievable.

It wasn’t that he didn’t dare believe it was true; rather, he couldn’t believe August would fall for such nonsense.

He wanted the Ivy League to use the captured Eternal Life Machine to resurrect Condra for him... The idea was simply laughable.

In this world, only one thing could truly be eternal: the Destructive Element · Eternal Beast.

Beyond that, not even gods are!

August had never understood how seriously the Astronomical Society regarded such taboos. Huai Shi didn’t even need to think about it.

If there were even the slightest possibility of the Eternal Life Machine being real, the Doomsday Clock would have sounded.

Then, right here, in this very place, the Purification Legion of the Existence Institute would descend from the heavens and burn everything to ashes—this place, and the entire world along with it.

They would leave not a single trace behind.

Even if it meant writing an entire White Paper and using up the purification quota for the next ten years, it would be deemed necessary.

Yet, nothing of the sort had happened.

Countless divinations, the vigilance of the Rainbow Bridge, innumerable prophetic tools, even the temporal readings from the Rainbow Bridge—none showed any sign.

The Existence Institute had not come.

That proved only one thing: the machine was fake.

He couldn’t even bring himself to laugh, finding it impossible to comprehend. ”Do you really believe such nonsense?”

”Do I have any other choice?” August countered. His expression might have been a scoff or a laugh, but his pupils burned with crimson rage. ”I don’t seek eternal life! I just want to see him one more time! As long as Condra can come back, I’m willing to do anything! The Great Grandmaster could have done it!”

”He could have saved Condra!” August roared. ”You know it, I know it, even he himself wouldn’t deny it! But no matter how I pleaded, how I prayed, he refused to even look my way! I’ve tried everything, Huai Shi! Everything! I have no other choice left!”

”Is that it?” Huai Shi murmured, a grim realization dawning.

”Yes, that’s it.” August raised the Frost Axe, aiming it at Huai Shi’s face. ”The time for sob stories is over, Mr. Huai Shi. Please surrender.”

Huai Shi sneered. ”And what if I say no?”

August waved his hand. The Eye of Nightmare’s formation suddenly parted, revealing the youth, a sword blade pressed against his neck—a prisoner.