Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 498 - 468 Angel Envoy Attack 2

Chapter 498: 468 Angel Envoy Attack 2

"——What did you just say?"

Upon hearing my reply, the voice of the Great Success Rank Impermanence nearly faltered, and his gaze turned to one of terror. Having learned the answer, he finally seemed to capture a faint hint of abnormality in this confrontation.

At the same time, I perceived something else in his frightened gaze. It felt as if some unknown entity, from somewhere distant, was observing this scene through his eyes. This sensation of being stared at reminded me of the last time I faced the Taoyuan Village Master’s incarnation — like being directly gazed upon by the Village Master himself. It appeared that the Village Master’s attention had now shifted to here.

I had initially considered leaving a few survivors to spread the word, but now that hardly seemed necessary.

"Void Realm... Third Apostle?"

The Great Success Rank Impermanence muttered to himself, then, as if unable to accept reality, he roared in frustration, "Do you think I’ll believe that? Speak! Who the hell are you?!"

He suddenly activated the Green Light Hammer in his hand, creating a storm of chaotic smoke and debris.

Even now, he hadn’t transformed into a monstrous form. It seemed that upon reaching the Great Success Rank, one could fully utilize the power of a monster without the grotesque demonic transformations. Chen Long had never transformed into a monster in the past, so I considered this assumption to be accurate.

The weapon explosion caused by the Great Success Rank Impermanence didn’t affect the orange-red barrier resembling a force field shield in the slightest. He himself didn’t push forward with the attack but instead used the explosion’s recoil force to retreat at high speed. Despite claiming not to believe that I’m a Void Envoy, his body betrayed his words by reacting honestly. Realizing I was likely a Great Impermanence, he immediately moved to escape.

While fleeing, he loudly commanded the surrounding demon hunters to attack me simultaneously.

In an instant, a barrage of spells came blasting toward me. Fireballs, water jets, wind blades, rock spikes — easy-to-understand attacks — alongside invisible curses and space warping fluctuations. There were even some attacks whose nature remained unknown at first glance. Yet, none of these spells managed to overcome the orange-red barrier standing before me. Step by step, I walked forward, appearing completely unfazed as though the onslaught was nothing but insubstantial illusions.

Just like the flames I manipulate on ordinary days, this barrier, though merely a construct of light and heat, possessed an inexplicable solid impact.

I hadn’t deeply considered this phenomenon before. I simply thought that since I, in my Fire Element Form, could freely interact with objects, then the flames I produced ought to possess the same capability. Now, however, I began to suspect whether such an extraordinary phenomenon might actually be a residual influence of the Artifact Refining Power I couldn’t fully employ for some unknown reason.

After all, my abilities don’t involve manipulating light. This current application veers off its intended purpose. My mana output efficiency has also dropped significantly. That said, it’s still a power drawn from the Great Impermanence Domain. Neither the fleeing Great Success Rank nor the ordinary demon hunters present could possibly harm me. I could see that some among the enemies were also experiencing the urge to flee.

They were terrified — terrified of me, the Void Realm’s Third Apostle, and afraid of dying here without purpose.

Countless times before, I had fantasized about being someone like Xuanming or Xu Gou — a "strongman of a mysterious organization" facing off against the righteous factions. I thought such a role would be incredibly cool. As a child, I admired those enigmatic masters who made stunning appearances in fictional battle stories, and I believed such characters, whether morally ambiguous or outright villainous, were far more charismatic than righteous heroes.

Now, it seemed I had "realized that dream." While some degree of pride existed in my heart, it wasn’t as euphoric as I had originally imagined.

Reflecting on it, perhaps my current position didn’t quite suit this kind of theater.

Even though I didn’t view myself as someone lofty, objectively speaking, I had already become a major figure — a godlike entity worshipped by countless followers and holding supreme power and status in Luo Mountain. Playing the role of an undercover "employee" for the Master of Divine Seal, engaging in "terrorist strikes" while masking my true identity, was a blatant mismatch with my current position.

Simply put, this wasn’t the kind of thing someone at my stage should be doing anymore. It’s akin to leveling up to 100 in a virtual game and realizing you should focus on tasks intended for that level, not regress to missions designed for levels 50-60. My mindset no longer allowed me to fully enjoy the thrill of such role-playing.

The earlier deep contemplation of the Extraordinaryism world and seeking out Liu Shuying for discussions was, in fact, something the past me would never have done. Undoubtedly, my position and Lu Chan’s comments, such as "I only hope the gods can show mercy in the future, letting fewer lives be lost in humanity’s turmoil," had influenced me.

Still, I didn’t believe my personality had fundamentally changed. It’s merely a matter of different perspectives yielding new thoughts. Conversely, if I returned to my original stance, my viewpoints and emotions would revert as well. My essence remained the same — it was enough to confirm that.

Now, it was time to bring this entire situation to a decisive conclusion.

I raised my palm toward the retreating Great Success Rank.

He, drenched in sweat, shouted hysterically, "Why... Why can’t I run away? WHY?!"

Three to four seconds had passed since he started fleeing. At his maximum sprinting speed, he should have covered at least ten kilometers by now; furthermore, as a monster, he possessed the skill Shadow Transfer. Being unable to escape was entirely illogical.

Yet at this moment, logic itself bowed to my will. I had decided to keep him here, and given my strength, that decision sealed his fate. Time, space, and even destiny worked together to prevent his escape, like a maze trapping him within this area.

Even if he entered the Shadow Teleportation Gate, the exit would inexplicably emerge within this zone. Remaining in the Shadow World wasn’t an option either — the shadows expelled him autonomously.

The decision of a Great Impermanence couldn’t be overturned by such trifling tricks.

Under his despairing gaze, a flash erupted from my palm.

In the ensuing roar, the entire branch base was obliterated. Like brushing a speck of dust off a tabletop, a cascade of explosions turned this section of the building into a flat wasteland.

Most people within the blast radius perished; only a few survived. Among them were the Great Success Rank Impermanence, two or three demon hunters, and victims reduced to wretched, broken forms physically and mentally alike. Their survival wasn’t due to any resilient abilities — it was solely because I chose to spare them.

While my power inherently recognized allies from enemies, the physical phenomena it caused — shockwaves, flying debris — did not. During my time as a Great Success Rank warrior, I had to heed the potential collateral damage of my destructive force on surrounding innocents.

Now, such considerations had ceased. It wasn’t that the secondary physical effects of my power could now distinguish allies from enemies or that they’d disappeared altogether. Reason didn’t matter here: within my attack range, those I wished to survive would survive.

For convenience, I had my radiance severely wound the Great Success Rank Impermanence. His soul now lay battered, his consciousness barely clinging on — the man had fallen unconscious. The same applied to the remaining demon hunters. Additionally, I destroyed any potential link between them and the Taoyuan Village Master, making the latter entirely unable to observe this area.

High temperatures raged across the scorched terrain — a manifestation of my mana here to further sever the Village Master’s perceptions. Next, I would heal the Great Success Rank Impermanence slightly and begin interrogation.

I stepped toward my "spoils" that had been flung afar, only to be overwhelmed by a sudden wave of danger descending from above.

In a split second, I instinctively retreated to a distance. Almost simultaneously, as though a ground strike from a sci-fi orbital weapon had landed, the earth erupted into chaos. Like an iron rod hammering into a tranquil pond, the blast sent waves of dust and a mountainous shockwave barreling through the area, blocking my view.

Who was attacking?

The assailant was undoubtedly a Great Impermanence. I could sense such a level of mana fluctuation emanating from them. Could it be Liu Shuying? Was he finally unable to resist launching a surprise attack?

No, this mana fluctuation felt unfamiliar... Stranger still, it evoked a vague sense of familiarity, as though I’d encountered it somewhere before.

I focused my senses intently and saw a figure standing within the massive "crater." The figure, defying gravity, swiftly floated into the air. Despite the swirling dust obstructing visibility, I caught a clear glimpse of the enemy’s appearance.

A three-meter-tall armored giant encased entirely in black metal, his body shrouded in impenetrable plating, even his face concealed beneath a helmet. His form resembled sci-fi renderings of power armor fighters.

I immediately discerned the truth of this attacker’s identity.

Only one Great Impermanence has adopted this figure before.

That was none other than Xu Gou — who last year single-handedly and overwhelmingly annihilated Fufeng Base.

The identity of this sudden assailant was Xu Gou!