Apocalypse Forecast

Huai Shi felt an indescribable tide.

It was as if the sky suddenly split open, a torrential flood gushed out, ready to engulf everything and completely dissolve it…

With just a blink, the world before him transformed from the original arena into the dazzling Luli Palace Gardens.

A bloody light descended from the sky, almost swallowing him whole.

The terrifying polluting force was overwhelmingly massive; even just looking at it, one could feel a rush of anxiety… and a dry mouth.

Instinctively, Huai Shi drew the Blade of Resent.

Countless raven feathers proliferated from his hands, and the spilling bloody light seemed to be pulled by an invisible gravity, forming a vortex, wrapping around the blade, continuously absorbed into the Dream Cage.

It was almost like a celestial nectar rain.

The crow flock screamed with excitement, bathing in the bloody light, and shaking their steel wings, they hopped around, opening their mouths to welcome the blood rain falling from the sky.

It’s meal time!

Feeling the admiration and joy from the crow flock, Huai Shi scratched his head, but instead of feeling proud, he showed a sullen expression under the changes in reality.

What the hell is this?

The entire Li Jian family seemed to be enveloped in a giant mystic ritual, faintly exuding a divine aura… Was it the Miracle Imprint flowing from the history of a god?

Though slightly mixed, it didn’t diminish its nobility and magnitude, and just the mere disturbance caused distortions in the Current Circumstances… forming ’miracles’ or ’disasters’ like ’wrinkles’.

Everyone seemed to disappear in an instant, only the distant sounds of wailing and screams could be heard echoing.

Only the opponent remained before him.

And his grill.

Behind the roaring flames, Vladimir was unhurriedly completing the final marinating process, preparing for the barbecue.

His expression didn’t show any fluctuations.

Unconcerned about the surrounding changes… No, rather it seemed he had expected it.

Recalling those strange self-mutterings from the opponent earlier, Huai Shi raised an eyebrow in realization.

”So, the plan has changed, is that what it means?”

”Sorry for not being able to tell you straight, after all, it’s supposed to be a secret.”

Vladimir shrugged slightly: ”But although it’s said the plan has changed, I didn’t expect the situation to be this dangerous either… So, feeling really sorry, I gave an extra thirty million for the service fee.”

Let me tell you, the boss is the kind of person who appears cold and ruthless on the surface but actually feels guilty easily. Hmm, saying it like this, it does feel particularly like the Yingzhou people, hahahaha…”

”No opinions on being left here to serve as a henchman?” Huai Shi marveled: ”You really are the perfect tool, Vladimir.”

”Actually, I don’t mind if you call me Valia, that’s my baptismal name… as for the rest, I’m indifferent.”

Vladimir said frankly: ”Once I’ve taken the money, I have to work. Since I’ve accepted the employer’s reward, be it smuggling or killing and arson, I should dutifully complete it. As long as it’s worthy of the reward, I honestly don’t mind what the task is.”

”Therefore, Miss Huaizhi…”

The burly Chef Demon, bare-chested, lifted his gaze, staring at the opponent before him, issuing a challenge: ”If possible, can you, as my foe, have a showdown with me here?”

”Sorry, but if there’s no 520 red envelope, I’m going to take a shower, hehe, chat next time, bye.”

Huai Shi shouldered the sword blade of the Blade of Resent, turned around, and walked straight towards the distant gate, completely ignoring Flamikir’s invitation and challenge.

He had a more important task to complete.

Even with the protection of a few ravens from the shadows, Zhenxi still had no resistance against this demon realm-like world, but there was simply no time to waste.

”It’s okay, I expected this long ago.”

As he passed the grill, he heard Vladimir’s voice: ”So, I’ll be using a super-fast method…”

His wrist twisted, stepping down on the valve.

In an instant, within the intoxicated rich aroma in the wind, a pungent smell rushed toward him. So spicy, just inhaling a breath made him almost choke.

The oil pump was opened.

Pouring oil on the fire.

But even with pouring oil, how could it become this violent?

A strange fire with iron as carbon suddenly rose up, boiling out from the small furnace core, transforming into a tornado, swirling and expanding, instantly spreading.

The silver bright color, as if molten iron, instantly engulfed the entire Vladimir.

Yet, that burly silhouette still prominently displayed its existence in the violent flames, bathing in the frenzied high temperatures in the air, Vladimir laughed maniacally.

And from the dancing flames and rolling thick smoke, Huai Shi was in disbelief to feel the presence of a huge amount of metallic particles.

Cobalt, lithium, beryllium, magnesium, aluminum, boron…

Even as an Alchemist, he could easily discern the presence of other chemical substances—ethylene, methane… and vast amounts of kerosene!

Numerous substances unified in one place, just a small barrel, yet it erupted with such sky-piercing firepower. Even his Metamorphosis of a demon realm was almost burnt through under this firelight.

If this were used as a weapon, it might unleash even more terrifying destructive power than what is before us, right?

”Hahahaha, scared you, didn’t I!”

Engulfed by firelight and furnace-like high temperature, Vladimir laughed proudly, undamaged. His skilled Chef Demon skills were steering this immense firepower, almost like driving a derailed train through a bustling city, constantly brushing past the grim fate of annihilation with ashes.

”This is the good stuff the boss specially got for me from the launch base in Siberia, isn’t it impressive!”

This madman…

Huai Shi finally understood, realizing the source of this terrifying firepower.

It was the fuel for space rockets! Rocket kerosene, powerful enough to propel colossal objects weighing thousands of tons away from Earth’s gravity, allowing man-made creations to soar above the vault of heaven!

From a certain perspective, this could be considered a precious crystallization of human history, right?

The shining brilliance sparked from wisdom.

It evolved from the ancient, sparse firelight of cave-dwelling humans, ever since Prometheus lifted the branch and took the first streak of fire from Helios’s wheel.

From temples, from stoves, from battlefields, from laboratories, from the magma of the earth’s caves, continuously metamorphosing, ceasing and rekindling from the ashes.

Becoming more vigorous, more massive, more resplendent.

Until finally, burning the vault of heaven to the last, propelling human miracles to break free from the constraints of the world, allowing steel palaces to peer at the heights of gods, soaring above the azure sky.

This arrogance, pride, and thirst is truly the embodiment of humanity’s endless desire for exploration!

And now, the ancient records of the dominator and the modern glory have melded together in the blaze. History of the past is being roasted on the grill, burned and baked with the fire of human brilliance...

A magnificent and solemn aura rises slowly from it.

With a sacred and enticing scent.

Just being present there, it exudes the desirability of a precious crystallized miracle.

In a brief moment, Vladimir’s work was completed!

”You may freely eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat…”

Amidst the slowly dissipating firelight, a burly Chef Demon, charred all over, stepped forward. Without a moment of hesitation, he skewered the crisp and yellow meat on the grill with a giant fork, raised it with utmost disregard for any miracle it might represent.

Examining his opponent and patron, he revealed a joyful smile:

”Come now, madam, the time of fall has arrived.”

”This is no longer just a Chef Demon duel, Vladimir.” Huai Shi replied indifferently, ”Do you think I would eat it?”

”Surely not? But it doesn’t matter.”

Vladimir, his face etched with char marks, shook his head. In that instant, his originally ordinary face swelled dramatically, with his mouth splitting open and extending beyond the neck, revealing rows of sharp teeth layered like a shark’s.

He said, ”This, is for me!”

At that moment, Stigma · Ogre activated!

A disaster miracle that survives by devouring life ran through that massive and robust shell. As the sharp teeth closed, along with the roasting fork, it swallowed the perfect outcome into its belly!

In Slavic legends, the monster wandering in seldom-trodden mountains and caves, consuming life, and swiftly absorbing knowledge and wisdom… transforming into a demon that consumes humans as food, Vladimir was now indulging in gluttony, swallowing the power combining The Fire of Human Wisdom and the Overseer of the Ice Field into his stomach!

Without the slightest concern for the massive power exploding within his lungs.

The power of human ingenuity and the wild power erupted with a roar.

The Ogre was feasting on history!

And ever since he opened his mouth, an indescribable thrill and unease surfaced in Huai Shi’s heart, and without hesitation, he launched an attack!

The Blade of Resent roared fiercely.

In an instant, it flashed and vanished.

Originally, it was supposed to sever his head.

Yet not a trace of blood or Source Substance was drawn.

What gushed forth from the split in the neck was not blood and crimson, but endless blanching and biting ice!

The storm raged!

The crystal formed from igniting by The Fire of Human Wisdom on the ancient ice field where mammoths have slept for millennia is catalyzing the metamorphosis of the Ogre, filling that shell with formidable power.

What sprouted from it... was unexpectedly a strand of precious divine nature.

The trace of gods reappeared here!

From the boundless storm of extreme cold came hoarse roaring.

It was Vladimir’s pained wailing, and his liberating roar and expulsion.

The body, originally burly enough to be shocking, swelled once again, reaching over three meters high, and from shattered flesh extended layer upon layer of sharp ice ridges.

All flames were extinguished.

In its place was a terrifying cold that froze the soul.

In the rumble of the earth, the trumpeting of the mammoth gradually turned into hoarse whispering, shaking the entirety of the self-sustaining Demon Realm, making the low voice echo in everyone’s ears.

”I am the ice and snow… I am the ruler of freeze and desolation…”

Vladimir’s eyes shot forth cold divine rays, opened his mouth, and spewed out extremely cold holy light. The movements of his lips produced sounds that overlapped with another old and deep voice.

Through the combination of human intelligence and the wild, relying on this cheat-like method, the Third Stage Ogre reached this realm temporarily.

Now he was no longer a monstrous demon but the immortal being of Slavic myth, the master of ice and snow inheriting divine blood and tradition!

”I am the King of Winter...”

Amidst the gradually dying blizzard, the majestic and solemn figure stepped forward, condescendingly declaring to his opponent:

”—I am Frost Father!”

In the dead silence, Huai Shi remained silent, unable to help but feel a headache and sighed helplessly:

”So, did we agree not to do transformations earlier…”