Chapter 318 - 313: The Seal of Dawn

Chapter 318: Chapter 313: The Seal of Dawn

At the front of the newest containment line, temporary wire fences were already in place, with makeshift sandbag fortifications set up as firing points every few dozen meters.

Upon receiving the order to withdraw, the defense forces showed no attachment to the fortifications they had worked so hard to build, retreating immediately along the predetermined routes.

Even professional soldiers were still human. On the inexplicably dangerous front lines of the Death Illusion Barrier, they had witnessed comrades go mad and commit suicide for no reason. Everyone’s nerves were stretched taut. Every few minutes, they had to exchange logical-sounding phrases with one another to confirm that they and their comrades hadn’t fallen victim to the mental Curse.

The several reinforced battalions, totaling over two thousand soldiers, didn’t retreat in a radial pattern from the circular encirclement. Instead, they withdrew along a few main roads.

The infantry, running alongside a convoy of armored vehicles and troop carriers, formed an imposing sight as they retreated together.

Some Soldiers, passing by the members of the Dawn Association, made sure to record the scene with their military-issued cameras.

Passing them face-to-face, the Soldiers could feel their incredibly powerful and oppressive aura.

It was like a ring of scorching air, slowly closing in on the center.

One Soldier in the column, a superhero fan since childhood, worked up his courage and tentatively offered a stick of gum.

"Excuse me, would you like some?"

The Silent Knight reservist who was asked looked surprised for a moment, then broke into a smile.

"Sure, thanks!"

He took the gum. It would help relieve the tension—after all, even Master Sage had said the thing inside was extremely dangerous.

His smile was infectious, warming the surrounding Soldiers to these legendary Guardians.

It was like a signal. One after another, passing Soldiers began offering them gum or water, or just trying to say hello.

This left the members of Dawn unsure whether to laugh or cry. Though they were a taciturn bunch, they didn’t dislike the attention and would offer small responses.

’And besides, being admired feels pretty good.’

Kodell was quite happy to see this interaction, but most of the people in the command center had their attention fixed on the aerial drone footage.

Once the military withdrawal was complete, Dawn’s encirclement became the new front line. They soon arrived at the wire fences the army had previously set up.

At almost the exact same moment, they all jumped.

In the aerial footage, it looked as if the three-hundred-plus people forming the containment line suddenly froze for a second. Then, they all leaped at least seven or eight meters into the air, effortlessly clearing over twenty meters to land inside the circle.

They advanced another two hundred meters before stopping, right at the border of the Death Illusion Barrier’s influence, just as France’s teams had measured.

Qin Xiaoxia and Su Su had already appeared at the center of the containment zone.

They were surrounded by vacant village houses. Strangely, these old buildings looked a lot like those in some rural parts of Hua Country.

An irritating, low hum echoed all around them.

Qin Xiaoxia and Su Su could "hear" it directly, but an ordinary person, even a typical Evolver, would likely be unknowingly overwhelmed by it.

"See that? The swirling resentment."

A massive, phantasmal shadow covered the entire area. Countless bizarre tones emanated from its body, affecting the physical world.

"It’s a bit like a Secret Realm, but it’s definitely not one."

Su Su frowned. She didn’t possess her Mentor’s powerful Magic Power and Soul Essence, so she couldn’t perceive it directly. However, she had seen the terrifying phantom through her Crystal Ball.

"Interesting. Fairies can create Secret Realms. Perhaps it’s like how humans invented Radar—they were inspired by a similar phenomenon."

The two descendants of Ancient Demons peeked out cautiously from Su Su’s sleeve, observing their surroundings.

They felt an incredible pressure, but they didn’t retreat back into hiding.

"Clever little things. You know how important this is for you, so I don’t need to remind you about the need for a little endurance, do I?"

The little creatures stood up in Su Su’s open palm. They looked at the great being before them—one who could command the submission of even "Ancient Species"—and nodded, their expressions resolute.

"Good. Let’s begin."

As he finished speaking, the two little creatures revealed their sharp little fangs and bit down on their own tiny wrists. Golden-red blood dripped out, but instead of falling, it floated into the air, coalescing into a small orb.

Next, as the two creatures watched with a hint of fear, Qin Xiaoxia took out the wooden box and opened it.

"GAAAAH..."

With a painful scream, the two Little Ancient Demons collapsed into Su Su’s palm. The orb of golden-red blood suddenly came alive, flying toward the wings inside the wooden box.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE...

A tremor, far stronger than the one from the previous night, emanated from the center. Waves of hazy light pulsed outward from the eight wings and the two collapsed Little Ancient Demons.

What began as a faint, firefly-like glow grew brighter as it spread, eventually transforming into a brilliant, flashing orange radiance.

The Soldiers and the international observers on the perimeter watched these events with rapt attention.

Some Soldiers and Officers clambered onto watchtowers, vehicle roofs, and earthen mounds—any high ground they could find—to get a better view through their binoculars.

The ground-shaking tremors were no longer the main concern. All eyes were on the rings of orange light, which expanded outward but stopped precisely at Dawn’s containment line.

"ROAR..." "OOH..." "WHIIIINE..."

All sorts of strange cries began to fill the air, causing the Soldiers to raise their weapons in alarm. The members of the Dawn Association tensed up as well.

BOOM! Like a psychic shockwave, many people’s vision went dark, and every video screen in the camp dissolved into static.

A great clamor erupted from outside.

"What’s happening?!"

"Get outside and look!"

Kodell and the international observers rushed out of the command center tent. Evolvers like Du Peipei unleashed their power to seize the high ground, snatching binoculars from nearby Officers and Soldiers.

"This... is Jilian?"

Kodell murmured, his face pale. His words echoed the thoughts of everyone who witnessed the scene, including every member of Dawn.

Even Great Sage Qin Xiaoxia felt the same.

As if spat out from some unknown fissure in reality, most of the village had vanished.

An immense, terrifying being lay prostrate on the ground.

She was over a kilometer long. Even lying flat, her body still rose more than a hundred meters high. Her skin was snow-white, and two pairs of enormous, transparent wings sprouted from her back. She had thick, long hair made of pure light, and with no concept of clothing, this radiant hair draped over much of her body.

She had four limbs and a somewhat humanoid form, but ferocious bone spurs jutted out in many places. Her fingers and toes were especially sharp. In addition to the radiance, an endless black miasma clung to her, creating an impression of both profound beauty and foreboding dread.

"Jilian... Jilian... Jilian... Jilian..."

An unsettling sound echoed through the air, though no one could tell where it was coming from.

Perhaps thanks to the intervention of the Dawn Guardians, the minds of the onlookers were not afflicted by the Curse.

But Jilian’s terrifying body wasn’t the most shocking part of the scene.

The truly awe-inspiring part—something that was both terrifying and exhilarating—was the power of Dawn.

On Jilian’s body, six massive silver pillars, each hundreds of meters tall, were driven deep into her flesh. They pierced her four limbs, the back of her head, and her spine between her wings, pinning the terrifying Otherworldly Ancient Demon to the ground.

’Is this the seal on Jilian? Is this the power of Dawn from millennia ago?’

’Could a nuclear bomb really do anything to a monster like this?’

...

At some point, Qin Xiaoxia and Su Su had appeared atop the massive pillar piercing Jilian’s left hand.

Purple Magic Power erupted, spreading like wildfire and instantly engulfing the entire pillar.

Then, with a SWISH—

The entire pillar vanished.

"WHEEE~~~" "AHAHAHA..."

All sorts of strange cries echoed from the massive hole in her arm.

BOOM! With a massive tremor, hordes of bizarrely shaped Demons spewed forth.

It was a scene of pure pandemonium. Some Demons scattered, trying to escape to the outside world; others began tearing each other apart; still others emerged with looks of agony on their faces.

"All members of Dawn, on my command! Unleash your Magic Power! Do not let a single Demon of Ancient Demon blood escape!"

Master Sage’s voice rang out from the center of the terrifying creature’s body.

"ROAR!" "HYAH!" ...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

The entire area within the encirclement seemed to ignite. Countless afterimages shattered the ground, leaving over three hundred craters where the ring of Guardians had stood, as they charged at incredible speeds toward the fleeing monsters.

Qin Xiaoxia stood atop the second pillar, watching as Su Su reaped the soul of a foolish Demon that tried to climb up, sending it plummeting to the ground.

He then glanced down at the two little creatures in his palm. They were still twitching, but their left arms were now still.

’Jilian’s body can only belong to Dawn!’

PS: First Chapter for Sunday.