Chapter 811 - 683: Kase

On the streets of Shibuya, tens of thousands of Half-Insect People climb in unison, along ladders, onto metal shelves over ten meters high, lying down one by one.

As the Mechanical Swarm sprays anesthetic gas, the Half-Insect People collectively fall into a coma, along with Zongsi, and are transferred by the Floating Engine to the Three-dimensional Warehouse.

The Mechanical Swarm holds the Barbatos Cannon System, serving as prison guards.

The barrel of the cannon is aimed directly at Zongsi’s forehead, which has been disassembled by the Assembly Puppet; any slight motion would result in being blasted to bits.

Zongsi’s true body is trapped under multiple curses, its self-awareness scattered and absent. The remaining external mind network is still somewhat lucid, recognizing defeat thoroughly.

Not only does it agree to hand over all the Insect Man puppets as hostages, but it also consents to transfer all genetic databases and information about the Insect Master.

"I said we could modify the Three-dimensional Warehouse into the Jiulong City; each person has more than enough living space of two square meters."

Gray Rain gleefully presses the remote control button, letting the industrial air conditioner blow cold air to prevent Zongsi’s puppets from heat shock.

She turns around and sees Li Cheng looking thoughtful, "What’s wrong?"

Li Cheng asks in return, "Do you know the definition of Divine Calamity?"

"I do."

Gray Rain responds, puzzled, "According to the forum encyclopedia, the basic definition of Divine Calamity is: possessing Rule Interference Ability, capable of causing infection and pollution on the outside world, lacking self-awareness among Extraordinary Creatures.

Usually, each Divine Calamity is unique and cannot reproduce."

Li Cheng nods slightly, "Zongsi entered the Broken Land through a one-way space rift at a killing field entity.

The reason she took such a risk was that she discovered traces of the Insect Lord Demon —she wants to replace it."

"What?"

Gray Rain jumps, "Can she do it? The Insect Master’s strength is at least equivalent to Level 40, right? What’s the benefit?"

"The reason the name ’Divine Calamity’ contains ’Calamity’ is because of blind stupidity, lack of self-awareness; most Divine Calamities act purely on instinct.

For example, the Invisible Conception we encountered in Dr. Noah’s miniature world."

Li Cheng says, "Though Divine Calamities are strong, without self-awareness, they can still be tricked into dying.

For instance, setting up mega-powerful targeted bombs on the path the Divine Calamity must pass while keeping oneself out of sight.

As for the benefits..."

He pauses, shrugs, "Among the Divine Abomination Followers that the Great Swarm has come into contact with, there’s a mysterious rumor —the Insect Master is not the first.

If you kill it and consume it, you automatically acquire everything from the Insect Master.

The throne of evolution, powers comparable to God, nearly infinite lifespan..."

"Huh?"

Gray Rain blinks, "For Followers at the level of the Great Swarm and Zongsi, they already have almost infinite lifespan without needing to kill the Insect Master, right?

Haven’t they already mastered something called telomerase?"

"Telomerase."

Li Cheng corrects, "Telomerase can repair DNA division defects and increase cell division times.

Theoretically, freely activating telomerase indeed allows you to stay youthful and attain immortality.

However, for Divine Abomination Followers like the Great Swarm and Zongsi, there’s a paradox.

On one hand, they can easily live for thousands of years, comparable to a Cultivator at Golden Core and Nascent Soul realm;

On the other hand, the limitations of flesh creatures mean that with increased longevity, they cannot store excess memories.

No matter if they periodically sleep or periodically delete unimportant memories, it’s akin to drinking poison to quench thirst, one would eventually lose oneself.

The only method of transcendence is to replace the Insect Master; ironically, if the Insect Master remains blind and foolish, it wouldn’t matter,

but once a follower attempts to ascend, other followers of the same kind must go all out to prevent it.

Otherwise, if a self-aware Insect Master comes into power, using its innate sense to call for followers, all followers would be doomed."

Li Cheng, with the help of the Liangyi Blade, has perfectly suppressed the Divine Calamity infection.

But the thing exists on the rules level; even if he uses biochemical technology with newly born cells containing 100% human genetic components as a base to create a clone body,

the clone body would gradually show infection traits without any contact.

If the Divine Calamity infection could speak, it would definitely say, "I cling, I just want to cling."

Therefore, regardless of whether Li Cheng wants to or not, he must join the competition among peers.

Even more troubling is that Will, aka Heavenly Enemy, mentioned that a significant portion of Divine Calamities is transformed from ancient Summoners who failed in competition.

Song of Kings, Level 40 Divine Country, Insect Master...

Various clues interwoven, shrouded in mist,

Li Cheng summons the Edge Fighter with furrowed brows, hurriedly passing through the space rift, reaching the pool layer and then flooring the gas pedal to reach the next stop, the Crimson Cinema.

"Huh, where is everyone?"

Feet stepping on the red carpet, Gray Rain looks around; the vast, splendid cinema lobby is empty without a shadow in sight.

According to what the Players agreed earlier, after arriving at the Crimson Cinema, wait for the Pifu to gather first.

If Gouchen, Maxwell, and others deem it necessary, they might explore further, leaving notes or videos on-site and contacting later via walkie-talkie.

In the dead-silent lobby, the red carpet extending towards the screening room bears scratches from fingernails and marks from bladed weapons.

Li Cheng activates the Information Integration Glasses to reconstruct the scene from the traces.

Dylan was first attacked by unknown forces, dragged along the floor into the screening room; Don Juan and Gouchen both took action but soon went silent.

"According to experiences summarized by the Execution Committee, there are no entities in the Crimson Cinema that actively attack humans, but it attracts long-term intruders to approach the screen.

Once they touch the screen, intruders are absorbed into illusions from horror, thriller, supernatural movies.

’The Curse’, ’The Ring’, ’The Shining’, ’Genetic Misfortune’, and even the nonsensical ’Shark Tornado’ series."

Li Cheng muses, "Dylan, Maxwell, and others all carried Amulets made by the Execution Committee, in theory, they should be able to resist temptation."

"Holy crap!"

Before the words were even out, Gray Rain exclaimed in shock. The nanometal on her body was drawn like iron filings to a magnet, disintegrating into dust and swiftly drifting towards the depths of the corridor.

This was all the body mass that Gray Rain had painstakingly accumulated. She was instantly flustered, deactivating the [Body Hidden Mustard Seed] skill, transforming into a three-meter-tall giant, and lunging forward to block the nanometal dust with her hands and feet.

Yet her body continued to disintegrate into dust, drifting towards the deep corridor, even as she activated [Subtle Spirit Raid], virtualizing her form, unable to halt the trend.

Bam!

Li Cheng was equally pulled by an unknown force, his feet firmly planted into the marble floor, carving two narrow tracks.

"Score!"

He took out an Electronic Pet Egg, absorbed Gray Rain into it, while he maneuvered around the wall, flying towards the rustling blank screen.

Li Cheng, gripping the Floating Engine, looked sharp, "MAN!"

A light-speed elbow strike slammed into the ceiling, the air compressed to its limits nearly forming a solid barrier, pushing flat the seats and walls on both sides.

Yet in the next instant, Li Cheng’s figure vanished without a trace, leaving behind a devastated screening room, with the carpet and soundproofing cotton blazing fiercely.

When his eyes opened again, the world had suddenly changed. He was in a place resembling a European castle complex, under blue skies and white clouds, with crimson cobblestone roads, pigeons fluttering atop chapel spires, and the air was fresh and clean.

The only flaw was the piercing air raid sirens, and as the alarms blared, a group of teenagers and young adults, donned in black and dark red combat attire, abruptly emerged from the expansive complex,

brandishing long and short guns, even rocket launchers, firing at sight, with deaths and injuries on both sides.

"Wait,"

Li Cheng felt an immediate sense of foreboding, turning his gaze towards the end of the architectural complex, and sure enough saw the colossal gilded lettering—

[Kassel College]

"Heh, hehe."

Li Cheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead vigorously,

and in the campus parking lot, two young men, one blond and the other with black hair, were facing off, wielding blades.

"Chu Zihang, you’ve made it to me, you’re stronger than I expected."

"To receive such praise from Caesar, it’s an honor..."

"But it ends here."

Before the words were finished, the blond youth shot out like an arrow, his hunting knife swiftly slashing forward, colliding with the opponent’s blade.

They fought with reckless abandon, every move lethal, their actions so fast they were like blurred shadows, the air filled with a murderous intent as thick as tangible substance.

What’s comical was, outside the parking lot there was a wounded bystander narrating the combat,

"Caesar Gattuso, heir to the famous dragon-slaying family Gattuso from Italy, president of the Kassel College student council. In his hand, he holds the sword named Dictator..."

"Chu Zihang, chairman of the Lion Heart Society, ace agent of the college, wielding the Murasame Long Sword, his strength matching Caesar’s..."

Li Cheng squinted at the dedicated narrator NPC, big brother, isn’t your thigh injury concerning?

At the heart of the battlefield, Caesar and Chu Zihang’s fighting figures grew faster, everywhere the buzzing of blade collisions,

just as the moment of decision neared, they both halted, faces changing dramatically, looking towards the periphery of the parking lot.

They were not looking at Li Cheng but at the figure slowly stepping behind him.

Dressed in a black hooded shirt, half his face masked, a longsword at his waist, his gaze cold as frost.

Damn.

Watching the familiar hooded man pass by, Li Cheng’s eyes widened, feeling an intense frustration,

and the astonished bystander NPC exclaimed, "Gouchen! The academy’s sole SSSS mixed-blood, even though he commands over a hundred word spirits, he refuses to use them, slaying dragons with nothing but his sword!"

Gouchen took steps into the parking lot, removed his hood and mask, ignoring the wary Caesar and Chu Zihang, gazing upwards, clutching his chest, inhaled deeply, muttering, "My chest, it hurts again."

"Supreme Bone, it’s the Supreme Bone!"

Before Li Cheng could be dumbfounded, the NPC enthusiastically explained, "Gouchen possessed the Supreme Bone since childhood, but was maliciously ripped out and transplanted by his kin, causing severe primordial energy damage, stuck at the third rank of combat power every year, even his fiancée broke off the engagement.

Fortunately, his brother Zhongtian Beiji reversed time with the Spring and Autumn Cicada, implanting two Fierce Ghosts/Little Green Bottle/Dragon Ring/Ten Thousand Years Soul Ring/Compound No. 5/Heart Essence/Fifth Level Gene Lock, restoring his foundation, regaining his talent."

Holy...

Li Cheng slapped his forehead, wanting to shout, dude, how many novels did you stitch together here,

and needing to implant so many plugins to restore the foundation, just how bad is your base!

Even ancient waste material novels weren’t like this!

Gouchen remained oblivious to the explanatory voice, still standing in place, head tilted upwards at a forty-five degree angle, staring dazedly at the clouds.

Outside the parking lot, a similarly gunshot wounded teenage girl NPC couldn’t help but say, "You see his eyes, so humble, so sorrowful, yet hiding a lion."

Miss, how can you tell from tens of meters away that there’s a lion hidden in his eyes. You need to get those glaucoma checked.

In the parking lot, Caesar gripped his sword hilt, furrowed his brow seriously, "Gouchen, are you here to compete for ’Norton Hall’ one-year usage rights?"

"Norton Hall? No, I don’t need that. Because I..."

Gouchen murmured, then suddenly waved his hand, tossing seven blood-soaked, giant dragon heads, eyes open in death, instantly filling the parking lot, smashing all vehicles into metal disks.

Bronze and Fire King,

Sky and Wind King,

Earth and Mountain King,

Sea and Water King,

King of Godzilla.

Li Cheng’s expression shifted repeatedly, unable to hold back any longer, loudly protesting, "Four monarch dragons I can understand, but isn’t Godzilla from the ’Godzilla’ set?

And you can even slay the Dragon King, yet you’re still squatting in a college playing around, come on!"