Chapter 825: Era of Destruction!

In the beginning, when first setting foot in this game, it was for many players a relatively peaceful world. There were no blood-soaked siege wars like in Legend, nor random field encounters between rival factions as in World of Warcraft; there was only the clash of wits and valor in the Dark Thunderland, and the crushing defeats suffered amidst the endless dialogue of the Shandra and the Ruins.

From that azure snowfield cloaked in pure white, they stumbled their way all the way to Empyrean, finally setting foot into the Otherverse.

A band of adventurers exploring far and wide—a rather simple, unremarkable tale.

Yet their tranquil life was destined to be utterly upended at this very moment.

On their journey to Empyrean and the Otherverse, as these warriors grew ever stronger, they gradually came into contact with the core mysteries of this world.

At the absolute dawn of all things, the universe was formless and void. One day, the Great Will manifested, creating all matter and forging the continent of Arad, his divine authority illuminating the vast earth.

He gradually took form and claimed a name—Carloso, the Light of the Beginning.

Where there is light, darkness must follow. The moment the world was born, shadow also fell into the boundless cosmos. By a twist of fate, the powerful entities of Planet Terra later shaped this darkness into twelve mighty deities.

They could be called gods, Teana, or Apostles—any title would suffice.

Light and dark were ultimately antithetical, and the war that finally erupted between them destroyed everything. Carloso was defeated, and of those twelve powerful beings, only their consciousnesses remained, drifting once more through the endless void of the universe.

This was the very opening chapter of the continent of Arad.

The origin of all things, the master of heaven and earth, had fallen, causing the collapse of tens of thousands of cosmic orders. This was the ultimate reason why the Arad continent was plagued by anomalies—the strange phenomenon of Metastasis, and the endless onslaught of cosmic demons striking from alien dimensions.

...

And at this moment, countless players in Hendon Myre and the West Coast looked up at the chaotic sky.

Deep within this void, in a place existing in an entirely different space-time.

The entire universe began to turn slowly, centering upon this very spot, as countless shattered fragments of time and space began to coalesce once more under the influence of this power.

Not just Hendon Myre, beautiful as an oasis, but the entire continent of Arad fell into a bleak and withered desolation. More and more people witnessed the staggering anomalies in the sky; they seemed to forget the tasks at hand, staring blankly upward as an ominous foreboding inexplicably gripped their hearts.

Within that unknown space-time, a bewildered warrior slowly drew near.

Perhaps many Female Slayer players would find him familiar—the mysterious warrior encountered a few times on the Saint Horn, the ship at their birthplace.

No one knew his origin. At this moment, a nebula swirled within his chest, as if a miniature universe were hidden inside him.

In the hazy reflection before his eyes, he seemed to behold once more the master of this heaven and earth, manifesting from the deepest recesses of the cosmos.

Amidst light and flame, the most majestic figure in the world gradually materialized before him.

A golden, sacred battle robe draped over his form, while the halo symbolizing the Beginning gradually gathered and took shape behind his head.

He extended his arm toward the warrior of mysterious identity.

The moment their hands touched, a strand of brilliant golden radiance dyed everything around them in a resplendent gold.

The countless phantoms and avatars that Carloso had once scattered into appeared one by one behind him, taking solid form, shining with golden light, holy and peerless.

And the warrior before him seemed just like those countless phantoms—he was the final piece, and now, he had returned.

Rings of golden light revolved one after another, illuminating this desolate, alien dimension.

What was perhaps the greatest reserve of energy in the entire world, power that had once been scattered across various lands, converged completely into one at this very moment.

As these energies gathered here, some of them leaked out during the process of fusion.

The escaping golden lightning and incandescent flows of energy might have been nothing more than an insignificant sliver of power to Carloso.

Yet to the world, they were like countless rampaging ancient dragons, surging out wildly from this pocket of space-time.

Then, space tore open.

Amidst the endless mountains, it was as if the light of countless stars in the cosmos had condensed into a single point.

And then, it erupted violently!

A pillar of lightning pierced straight through the cloud-laden sky!

The sky appeared to be punctured, even revealing the brilliant galaxy stretching across the endless starry night.

And the galaxy itself paled in comparison to this bright light.

The terrifying energy instantly displaced the surrounding air, lightning, fierce winds, trees... absolutely everything, in a single breath.

Driven by this horrific force, they were squeezed outside the energy wave, acting like a world-ending dome of light that came crashing down upon everything in the vicinity with the force of a mountain range collapsing into the sea!

The earth was ripped open, forming chasms ten thousand fathoms deep before being instantly pulverized, as the seemingly infinite energy erupted furiously in all directions...

"Look over there...!" In Hendon Myre, several players from the Western Region pointed in terror toward the other side of the world, speaking out.

Countless people followed the sound of their shouts and looked over.

What a sight met their eyes...

A bolt of thunder bridged heaven and earth, cutting through the entirety of the sky and the land.

Accompanied by a light that seemed to hail from endless chaos, it erupted in the distance, far beyond the horizon.

That incomparably terrifying energy expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye. In an instant, it seemed as high as the heavens, yet it continued to grow!

Even from such a vast distance, the sheer magnitude of that energy could still be felt.

"What is that—?!" Thea pointed into the distance in absolute horror, crying out.

Beside her, Gabriel and Luo Piaoling also looked over.

In fact, the countless players who were online at this moment all looked over as well.

"What is that?!"

"What happened over there?!"

"What's going on?!"

The entire city, and even the surrounding towns, threw everyone into a frenzy. They saw that the energy carried with it a turbid tempest of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning... even mountains and the earth itself, from the heavens to the ground, leaving no blind spots.

It turned into a terrifying, apocalyptic curtain of light. When they first saw it, it was still extremely far away; by the time they reacted, they could already hear the howling of the fierce wind and the roaring of thunder and the earth, as the distant sea waters came rushing backward.

Just as they instinctively tried to respond, the distant high mountains, and even the snow-white harbor of the West Coast right before their eyes—the miracle that was the Sky Tower leading straight to Empyrean—were instantly torn to shreds!

And the land beneath their feet would soon follow in its footsteps, annihilated in the catastrophe.

At this very moment, the grand declarations they had made when first stepping onto this continent seemed to flash through their ears.

The dreams of their youth surely held a place for this beautiful continent.

Ultimate Slayer Blade: Storm.

The Seventh Ghost: God of Fury Blache.

Hell Bringer.

...

The names of one skill after another... the voices that had roared amidst enemy lines in days gone by still swam before their eyes.

"The blade cuts the flesh, the heart cuts the soul..."

"The root of martial arts is to become one with nature..."

The pieces of earnest advice still echoed in their ears.

"Luo Piaoling..." Thea tugged at the hem of the martial artist's robe beside her.

She could vaguely remember that these fellows, known as barbarians who lived in the Great Snowy Mountains, had been completely captivated by this beautiful world at their very first glance.

Once they had spoken in jest, that if a day truly came when someone sought its ruin: "Even if it demands this very life, I shall not hesitate."

"No—! Ah—!"

"Storm—! Formula—!!" They witnessed a silhouette charge directly toward that world-ending shroud of light.

Within the abyss, countless gazes flashed as the surrounding fabric of space shattered entirely!

Yet in the following breath, all was devoured by this terrifying tempest of energy, consuming even the one who had unleashed the technique until nothing remained!

"Blood Boom—! Ah—!" Gabriel also roared, rushing forward like a man possessed by madness.

Then, his entire being, along with that once-invincible aura of swordsmanship, dissolved into mere dust, his blood scattering down like a misty rain.

"Time and Space— Break!"

"Fiend God... Blache!"

"Hah—!"

Figure after figure, teeth clenched in grim resolve, flung themselves forward like moths plunging into a flame.

And then, all were swallowed whole!

In the blink of an eye, the entire continent was utterly annihilated.

And that which had borne it all, the continent where these champions had once adventured and collectively defended, was destroyed.

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Let us leave the next chapter for the daylight hours... It is far too late, and I can no longer burn the midnight oil today... My apologies.

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