Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Finally! We’ve finally done it!”
Thousands of players gathered at the peak of the mountain and looked down at the depthless pit beneath their feet, each of them utterly thrilled at what they had achieved.
“Oh, there’s a system notification saying that I received the ten thousand dollars bounty, are you guys getting this too?”
“I got it too, I can finally buy the monster truck I’ve been eyeing!”
“I got it too, haha!”
“The main mission is finally out of the way. Speaking of which, what’s with this mission anyway, it’s so nonsensical! If the game is based in the end times, why do we have these futuristic gadgets?”
“What’s this device shaped like a hammer?”
“Haven’t you read the mission overview? This is the device used to block psionic channeling. The setting of this game is that psionicists only exist in the Holy Fusion Empire while regular players don’t have access to psionic abilities, so we need to use this device to suppress these psionicists!”
“It’s not just us, this is a server-wide mainline mission. I’ve logged into the private forum analyzing the in-game statistics and they’ve revealed that more than three hundred guilds are performing the same mission, only in different locations!”
“Our mission is considered easier compared to the rest. Some guilds need to install these reality anchors deep inside the territory of the Holy Fusion Empire. Those missions are usually composed of tens of thousands of participants at a time and they duke it out with the people of the Holy Fusion Empire for several days!”
“It’s that intense?”
“Bravo I say, bravo!”
“Hey look, something is glowing down there!”
“Is this the sign of the device working properly?”
“Let’s get out of here…”
It was evening. Chen Chen, with his arms folded in front of him, stood by the edge of a valley, overlooking a seemingly endless stretch of the Pacific Ocean.
The setting sun painted the sky with a blood-red texture while the ocean mirrored the sky above. Far off in the distance, one could make out bare silhouettes of lonely islands shrouded in dense mist. Perhaps at this moment, people were setting up camps on the beaches and gazing back at Chen Chen’s direction as well.
The sun sank to the west. The glow of the setting sun shone over Chen Chen and cast a deep shadow to his side. His shadow then became the middle point where the golden afterglow of the sun merged into the deep red of the ocean. It painted a picture otherwise only seen in stories…
Drawing the perspective closer, the salty sea breeze gently caressed Chen Chen’s skin and made his clothes flutter. His dark figure remained still like a statue, his eyes closed and resting.
Chen Chen breathed softly and felt the world around him move.
“Sir Commander, after months of battle, all guilds have deployed reality anchors to their corresponding positions.”
X-112’s voice came through the earpiece. The tone of her voice was bright and crisp with a subtle note of excitement. “Shall we start the mission now?”
“Do it.”
Chen Chen answered softly.
Immediately after the order was given, an invisible wave suddenly unleashed somewhere far away. It traveled near the speed of light and Chen Chen quickly sensed a numbing sensation running across his body. The feeling was similar to being trapped and surrounded by quicksand. He felt bound and restricted by a suppressing force.
This was the effect of the reality anchor in its surroundings, a unique energy oscillation that suppressed psionic power. Only psionicist could feel its oppression.
Unlike the psionic energy suppression in the past, Chen Chen sensed that this one was significantly stronger. This was because it was the combined effect of three hundred and sixty-five reality anchors set up globally!
This was quite unlike the setup used by the mysterious civilization Chen Chen encountered where there were twenty reality anchors, each supported by a steel pillar nearly a kilometer tall. The design incorporated by Chen Chen was only several hundred meters long, but the total quantity was more than fifteen times that of the mysterious civilization!
According to Little X’s calculations, the combined effect of these reality anchors could rival that of the one Chen Chen encountered in the DOOM dimension, perhaps even surpassing it. It was more than enough to completely suppress the Consciousness Stealer.
Months of work led to what was seen today.
The psionic presence in the surroundings was completely suppressed, Chen Chen tried to evoke his psionic power but failed to produce anything. It felt like the source of the power was bound by an enormous force. He could not sense even the slightest drop of power spilling out.
If it could have this level of effect of Chen Chen, surely the same could be said of the Consciousness Stealer, right?
Chen Chen wondered. Half a minute later, bubbles began bursting along the surface of the ocean. These were not any ordinary bubbles, but enormous formations more than ten meters large. They exploded upon reaching the surface and they kept coming again, and again, and again…
In an instant, it seemed as if the ocean was boiling as the stream of gigantic bubbles continued rising from the bottom!
Chen Chen turned his attention to the depths of the ocean below his feet. A behemoth almost the size of an island seemed to be breathing underneath. It threatened to break through the surface.
The Consciousness Stealer was surfacing…
“Rumble…”
More bubbles rushed to the surface. At the same time, there was a surge of powerful air current accompanied by violent gushes of cold air! As the wind roared, a colossal beast larger than an island slowly rose from the depths of the ocean. The moment it reached the surface, the ocean boiled!
“It’s here!”
Chen Chen looked on in fascination as the “island” slowly rose. It was a thousand meters tall, then two thousand, three thousand…
The mountain continued to expand unendingly and in the blink of an eye, the upper half of the Consciousness Stealer grazed the clouds above. This was only its upper half while its lower half remained basked inside the ocean that seemed more like a shallow pool in comparison to its humongous size…
“Hum-!”
When the Consciousness Stealer opened its mouth positioned at the center of its chest opened, it emitted a deep roar that made the air tremble. The air quaked to such an extent that it carried faint ripples of its destructive powers that collided into a layer of barrier Chen Chen set up around him before disappearing.
Chen Chen used Field to create a vacuum space around his body to remove all oxygen content around him.
“Alosorthoth, it’s been a while!”
Chen Chen greeted with a faint whisper. He let his arms down and beheld the sight of the otherworldly monstrosity larger than anything the world had ever seen. He could see his figure reflected in the millions of eyes grown on the Consciousness Stealer’s body…
The sheer appearance of the Consciousness Stealer was something that was beyond human comprehension. If anybody else that was not Chen Chen, be it an Alphlevel psionicist or a veteran general of a vast army saw this monster, their sanity would break instantly. They would be reduced to a madman forever haunted with the sheer horror induced by the cosmic monstrosity…
This was the true terror of the Consciousness Stealer. Having a number advantage over it was entirely meaningless. Even with psionic abilities which was the strongest weapon in mankind’s arsenal against it, it could only leave negligible scratches on it…
“Roar!”
The Consciousness Stealer seemed enraged when it realized its shockwave ripples did not affect Chen Chen. Enormous tentacles emerged from its body and launched themselves at Chen Chen at supersonic speed!
There were at least several kilometers between Chen Chen and the Consciousness Stealer. In just a split instant, gigantic tentacles shaped like great pillars seemed like they were about to smash Chen Chen and threaten to obliterate him with their sheer weight!
“So, you’re resorting to physical attacks now that you can’t use your psionic abilities?”
Chen Chen taunted with a quick flick of his eyebrows. “Too bad for you, physical attacks are useless against me!”
Just as the tentacles reached several hundred meters away from Chen Chen and it seemed there was no way out, they were ripped into innumerable shreds! They seemed like inferior substances composed of fragile sand and gravel when approaching Chen Chen and were torn into specks of dust instantly!
This was the destructive prowess of Chen Chen’s Field that imposed its effects on a molecular level. At its maximum range, everything that entered within hundred-and fifty-meters radius of his body would be completely broken down at the most basic molecular level. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed like they were broken into powder!
“All you have is raw strength but you don’t know how to use it properly, what a shame.”
Chen Chen remarked blankly. He stood on an invisible platform in the air and slowly approached it step by step. “Maybe I won’t be your match if we’re sparring with psionic energy, but things are different now. Your enormous body looks like a giant bullseye to me!”