Chapter 973
Chapter 973 - 959: Closing the Net
1,502 words
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8 min read
"He betrayed me?"
"No, it might just be a misunderstanding."
"No, he definitely betrayed me... Maybe this is a test—those chaotic Churches love this sort of thing."
"...He’s cut off my retreat; after that, I can only follow him."
Too many thoughts and distractions fought in Zhao Yan’s head, leaving him a bit confused.
Sometimes he felt his "sudden impulse" was part of a conspiracy, but then again, it felt like something he could do, or was he just used to shifting the blame and had misunderstood the Great Mother Goddess?
Other times, he still saw it all as a conspiracy, just for the sake of forcing him to completely sever earthly ties... but if the outcome would be favorable, everything was acceptable.
He hesitated, he felt insecure, he was "naive."
Part of this was due to the accrual of "goodwill," and another part was that he was still "unwilling to give up hope"... to be precise, unwilling to give up on the grand vision that Big Cat had painted for him.
Subconsciously, he realized that if he denied Mr. An Nan and the Mother Goddess, then the seemingly flawless treasures he got from there must also have issues.
Zhao Yan was suffering from a split personality, and Lu Ping’an’s behavior along the way was actually intensifying this "split."
𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"... First, deal with the current trouble. If capturing Sun Yi doesn’t fulfill the promise, I’ll make them pay..."
He, in fact, had no way out.
He didn’t believe the words of Lu Ping’an, but by now, he could only have half-belief... but that was enough.
In Lu Ping’an’s scheme, the only chance to break the game would be for him to give up everything now, preferring to be torn apart by his enemies rather than fleeing far away... Even living like a street rat, he would still be alive.
However, the temptations of "becoming eighth-tier," "shoring up weaknesses," and "ending troubles once and for all," caused him to hesitate.
In such a battlefield, hesitation equals an impossibility to escape.
The fighting continued, but this time, a new faction joined in.
The uniformly armored War Beasts entered the battlefield; they were clad in iron and surrounded by the righteous light of "judgment" ... The military’s War Beasts had completely sealed off the area under someone’s command,
Once the law enforcement officers were forced back from the front line to take on support and logistics work, naturally it was the legions and the army that stepped up.
The garrison troops were professionally trained, their weaponry designed to confront dangers outside the city, by no means comparable to the law enforcement officers’ "internal police facilities."
Among law enforcement, senior heirloom "guardian puppets" could threaten Silver Battle-professions, and such level of combat power was common in the military.
The most fundamental difference is that the main force of this world’s army is the "Knights"... those Extraordinary beings Lu Ping’an had seen previously in an even more rural city.
Extraordinaries, coupled with weapons more suited to "judgment," when necessary, the legions’ combat power is extremely frightening.
All this was still just a regular city in a rural world...
Since the War Knights had entered the fray, they naturally did so with the determination and will to kill.
They attacked everyone present without hesitation; Javelins radiated with deadly light and heat, horrendous Hunting-dogs with even more terrifying "Invulnerability to all evil" forcibly entered, beginning the massacre and judgment.
"Judgment!"
"Evil must be sniped!"
The halo of "justice" was scattered; "Binding," "Gravitational Weight," "Imprisonment," and other supportive traits were all applied—turning even a saber-toothed tiger into a sick Cat.
And the law-enforcement officers, too, had locked on to these "wanted criminals."
One bounty after another had been issued, which was not only a pursuit in terms of society but also a supernatural "lockdown".
From that moment on, they were defined as "personae non gratae" in the world of the Feather Tribe, even if they were to change cities or worlds, as long as they were still within this multi-universe, they would still start as "fugitives".
This kind of "lockdown" was something not even the army or politicians could achieve, only the "Sheriff" had such authority.
Though the Feather Tribe was just an offshoot of the Firebird’s Family Clan... in any event, though this was just a minuscule part of a powerful civilization, once the two were deemed "extremely dangerous," they had lost all potential to live and thrive in this multi-universe.
Both cursed simultaneously; the desperate situation had given them a chance to regain their sanity.
The rule of "absolutely do not fight within the city" was almost universally respected as an ironclad law, but when it came down to a matter of life and death, both sides had completely forgotten it... When it’s a matter of life and death, no one thinks about the aftermath, no one thinks about the long run!
Zhao Yan’s "outburst" became the decisive blow, when both sides were intent on fighting, they broke free from the shackles of common sense and law... But now, having crossed the line, there was no turning back for them.
"Take them down first."
"Work together?"
The two exchanged opinions, but in the next moment, they were fighting each other even more fiercely.
This was not due to any Extraordinary abilities, but rather because there was still not a shred of trust between them... For those at the Blood Feast who were driven to a dead-end, only a "full belly" could offer future and hope.
The two had already become mortal enemies, their personal vendettas infinitely more dangerous than being wanted in the multi-universe... a private vendetta mixed with a hunger for violence.
And the law-enforcement could not just watch them fight to the death on their own turf... When Dao Zhong and his team did not even qualify as a third party, Lu produced a timely new "third party".
Mushroom clouds, the sounds of explosions, collisions of domains and Extraordinary powers, all eventually harmonized into a symphony of life and death.
The military was astonished to discover that the combat power of these outsiders far exceeded expectations, each displaying "Rule-level" combat power... a level of skill that could earn good treatment in even higher-level cities. Why cause destruction here?
The three sides kept escalating, continuously tearing at each other.
At this time, some began to think of retreat, while others realized they could not take a single step back...
"Help me, big machine... cough, complete your command, Peacekeeper."
When Lu Ping’an dropped another heavy chip, the city, which had already deployed its ultimate weapon, had shifted from a state of war to "Doomsday calamity".
Masses of citizens had already completed their evacuation and relocation, according to protocol, this place would become a battlefield.
And cities further away would send reinforcements... regardless, the two Rule-level Blood Feast individuals were doomed to live a life of fugitives.
Even at this moment, the multiple parties engaged in battle still had no clarity about the origins of this deadly fight.
"The most difficult boss to deal with is never the one with high stats and strong skills but the one who doesn’t show up at all, who doesn’t confront you head-on and also ’shows no health bar’..."
Perhaps the only one who might guess at Lu Ping’an’s schemes was Zhao Yan, whom he’d been in contact with more... but by now, Zhao Yan’s credibility had long since plummeted to zero.
Zhao Yan remained "hesitant" after all, having invested too much in the "Mother Goddess", he still saw her as his lifesaver, after all, without her support, even if he captured Sun Yi, he couldn’t perfectly assimilate and complete the super evolution promised by the Mother Goddess... Greed had blinded him for a moment, but missing the timing meant losing his only chance at a successful escape.
When the Legion and the Sheriff had blocked off all areas, when their "judgment traits" had you firmly in their sights, and when combat power, even compared to ordinary Rule-level politicians on the War colossus, began smashing, escape became a luxury... especially when Sun Yi had no intention of letting Zhao Yan go.
So, as long as Lu and his group weren’t foolish enough to jump into the fray, they would only be able to keep fighting confusedly to the very end... The new triangular relationship was composed of mortal enemies, public enemies, greed, and the right to survive, and its stability far exceeded that of the past.
Ten minutes, half an hour, one hour, three hours, ten hours...
In this process, the biggest cause of destruction to the city was actually the Guardian colossus... but Law Enforcers and Guardians could do no wrong, and more bounties and Hunters were eyeing these two chief culprits.
Lu Ping’an was still very patient, patiently waiting for their fight to collapse...
— End of Chapter 973 —