Chapter 670: Capturing the Oil Giant, An Unknown Substance from the "New World"

ROOOAR!

A piercing, penetrating roar erupted.

The Oil Giant, which had been on the defensive, suddenly snapped its head up, staring at the crimson ray streaking toward it.

Its mouth gaped wide, legs bent slightly, and the black tumor on its chest emanated a dark, ominous glow.

A beam of black light shot forth from the Oil Giant's mouth.

It collided with the crimson ray.

In that instant.

It was a clash of titans, point for point.

A shockwave of intertwined black and red energy erupted from the point of impact, expanding in all directions in a circular ring.

"Zzzzt, zzzzt!"

The sound of energies canceling each other out and clashing echoed continuously.

This astonishing spectacle left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.

The world was split into two layers by these two attacks.

The upper layer was crimson, the lower layer was black.

Though the crimson ray appeared to surge with immense energy, the black beam fired by the Oil Giant was filled with a bizarre, eerie quality.

As it neutralized the crimson ray, the scattered black mist would automatically drift back into the black tumor on the Giant's chest, replenishing its energy.

As a result, the two beams actually fell into a deadlock.

"It... it can actually block the Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave... It was faking it all along!!!"

Ladiz's heart pounded violently.

He wasn't stupid. The pressure radiating from the Giant right now was so terrifying that even sheltered inside his 'Fortress-class' command vehicle, he felt pure dread.

The energy intensity was several times greater than before.

The Giant had known the Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave was coming. All its previous actions were merely a cover to gather energy.

Now, with the attack arriving, the Giant was beginning to reveal its true power.

"To think a creature this powerful exists here... Damn it."

Staring at the black Giant that was holding its own against the Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave, Ladiz felt fear for the first time.

The Mechanical Protection Protocol was his final trump card, yet it still couldn't take the enemy down. What they were about to face next would surely be a complete and utter catastrophe.

"No... I don't believe it..."

He looked at the nine-sided die before him, then glanced back at the Giant still clashing with the Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave.

A flicker of madness flashed through Ladiz's eyes.

"If one attack isn't enough, then I'll add another!"

[Confirm current selection?]

[Warning: Mechanical Protection Protocol usage count is (1). After activation, the Mechanical Protection Protocol will be permanently lost.]

— [Yes]

Ladiz was like a gambler going all in, his eyes turning bloodshot.

With his confirmation, the protocol officially took effect.

"Crack."

A faint sound of shattering rang out.

Cracks spread across all nine crystals on the Mechanical Nine-Sided Die.

But at the same time.

[Mechanical Protection Protocol, Emergency Protocol Activated!]

A much thicker purple beam shot forth from the nine-sided die, streaking toward the starry sky, flying parallel to the crimson ray into the depths of the heavens.

In that moment, Ladiz's gaze toward that beam was filled with anticipation.

Among the soldiers' gradually horrified and despairing eyes, there was more prayer and hope than anything else.

"Can... can it work?!"

This time, the wait was short. Just three seconds later, the brightness of the crimson ray, which had been locked in a stalemate with the Oil Giant, surged explosively.

With a deep hum, a surge of brand-new energy poured in from the depths of the starry sky.

The black beam was instantly shattered. The crimson ray slammed into the Oil Giant.

It melted everything in its path.

Black mist spread frantically.

It formed a protective shroud around the Giant to resist the ray, but its head was still slowly dissolving away.

The glow from the tumor on the Oil Giant's chest burned even brighter.

ROOOAR!

"It can still resist?!"

Ladiz panted heavily.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the Laser Tanks on his screen and immediately snapped into action.

He barked orders rapidly.

"Laser Tanks, what are you all staring at?! Concentrate your fire! Target that tumor with everything you've got!"

"I'll say it again, if you want to live, EVERYONE attacks that tumor!!!"

Ladiz's hoarse voice carried across the entire convoy.

The soldiers, who had been frozen in shock, snapped back to reality and began operating their equipment.

The Laser Tanks locked on and started charging.

Laser cannons and laser emitters began powering up.

With the first hum of fire, the tumor on the Oil Giant's chest took a heavy hit.

The absorption and conversion of black mist came to a screeching halt.

The enhanced Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave's destruction of the Oil Giant accelerated dramatically.

Ladiz saw a glimmer of hope.

"Quick, keep firing!"

The attacks continued without pause.

The Oil Giant dissolved faster and faster.

By the time the Alpha Particle Annihilation Wave finally faded.

The Oil Giant was nothing more than half a body, writhing and twisting grotesquely.

Then it began to reform.

Seeing this, greed surged within Ladiz once more, but reason quickly suppressed it.

He glanced at the shattered, dissipated Mechanical Nine-Sided Die.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and ordered:

"Everyone, retreat!"

The convoy immediately pulled away.

Only the still-twisting black Giant remained behind.

Watching the Ladiz convoy retreating into the distance.

Yu Yuan's voice sounded through the Pioneering Group's channel.

"Alpha, take them down."

"Roger!"

The Pioneering Group's Mechanical Armored Vehicles rolled out.

More than twenty cruise missiles also launched simultaneously, their targets locked onto the fleeing Ladiz convoy.

Mie Mie carried Yu Yuan, flying toward the Oil Giant.

The Oil Giant, which had reverted to its humanoid form, was now less than half its previous size.

Its aura had plummeted as well.

It was even weaker than when they first encountered it.

Yu Yuan watched the distant gunfire beginning to blaze.

"Mie Mie, let's begin."

"Mie Mie!"

Mie Mie's golden horns lit up.

In the dark world, a beam of dawn pierced through the blackness, completely enveloping the Oil Giant below.

The dawn light wasn't blinding or dazzling.

But the moment it touched the Oil Giant, it melted away like butter on a hot skillet.

Even the black mist that rose from the melting was instantly purified the second it appeared.

ROOOAR!

The Giant let out another roar, but this time, there was a strange note to its voice.

To completely eradicate the Oil Giant this time, Mie Mie was going all out, expending every last bit of the [Dawnbreak] spiritual light it had accumulated over this period.

All to deny it any chance of recovery.

And as it turned out, Yu Yuan's preparations were effective.

When [Dawnbreak] came to an end, the Oil Giant had no chance to resist. It was completely obliterated, and even the black mist was purified down to the last wisp.

Mie Mie landed, and Yu Yuan looked at the clump of black, jelly-like substance floating in the air, quivering slightly.

This was what remained after the Oil Giant had been purified by [Dawnbreak].

Even the [Dawnbreak] spiritual light couldn't erase it.

But no black mist appeared from it either.

Information appeared on the Virtual Light Screen.

[Unknown]

Quality: Unknown

Description: It seems to be connected to the "New World".

"Unknown!"

Yu Yuan stared at the two 'Unknowns' on the screen, murmuring softly.

He had heard more than enough about the New World's reputation.

It was a place where countless beings above Gold Rank had met their doom.

But now, in his own small world, an object connected to the "New World" had actually appeared.

Even the Virtual Light Screen couldn't obtain any information about it.

Yu Yuan's mind flashed back to what Mortarian had said earlier.

"A powerful force has taken control of the Civilization Star Track, digitizing and gamifying all matter and objects..."

"If the Virtual Light Screen can't display information about items related to the 'New World' now... does that mean the so-called 'New World' isn't within the Civilization Game's control..."

This thought flashed through Yu Yuan's mind, and he suddenly looked up.

"Perhaps... the New World is the true endpoint of this Civilization Game..."