Lord of Prayer

Black clouds hung heavy in the sky. The gloomy, chaotic fusion of time and space enveloped the entire city in an oppressive atmosphere.

On a skyscraper rooftop, Yang lay prone, overlooking the secret laboratory now exposed for all the world to see through his sniper scope.

He saw mysterious instruments humming to life. He saw seven members of the Blood Race encircling the equipment, performing some kind of ritual. He saw an Alchemy Matrix so solid it seemed tangible. Beyond the reinforced window, he saw the furious Blood Race representative, Steve, along with other high-ranking members of their race and the Omega mercenaries who had just rushed to the scene.

’A mole in the Blood Race?’

Seeing the scene in the lab, Yang instinctively assumed those seven members of the Blood Race had been brainwashed by the Crimson Sect, staging an inside job. Their bizarre behavior was no different from that of the fanatical Abyssal Cultists.

A moment later, a deafening BOOM echoed as the floor collapsed. Dust billowed everywhere as dozens of Crimson Sect followers leaped up from the level below and stormed the laboratory. They engaged the Blood Race and Omega mercenaries in a well-orchestrated attack. During the chaos, a few of them pulled out various Extraordinary Artifacts and tried to dismantle the Barrier Array within the lab.

The seven Blood Race members in the lab remained unfazed, their arms outstretched as they chanted and continued their strange ritual.

’They aren’t spies for the Crimson Sect…’

Yang’s eyes narrowed. ’That means there are three factions here: the Blood Race, Omega, and an unknown third party represented by those seven.’

Just as he was pondering this, a terrifying wave of Essence Fluctuation erupted. The Blood Royal Prince of Hong City had made his move, intending to swiftly eliminate the invading Crimson Cultists. But the Crimson Sect had come prepared. Their Grand Steward, who had been hiding in the shadows, decisively intervened, blocking the Prince.

“All we want is the Forbidden Ancient Book. We’ll leave as soon as we have it. You know how dangerous exposure is right now,” the Crimson Sect’s Grand Steward said grimly. Both the Blood Race and the Abyss Church were organizations that couldn’t afford to be seen in the light of day. Both sides were taking an immense risk by revealing themselves.

“That book vanished with Charles over sixty years ago! You’re looking in the wrong place!” the Blood Royal Prince replied coldly.

“Then hand over Howard!”

“In your dreams!”

After Charles’s death, Howard was the only person who knew the Eternal Life Formula. Even though the Immortality Experiment had encountered a setback, as long as the hope for eternal life remained, the Blood Race would never give up. And they certainly weren’t about to hand over Howard.

The Crimson Sect’s Grand Steward’s eyes turned ominous. Saying no more, he summoned a scarlet door entwined with thorns.

The great door creaked open, and from the deep darkness within, twisted scarlet thorns surged forth. They lunged toward the elderly Howard like a swarm of writhing snakes, attempting to drag him into the Thorn Door.

“Get the professor out of here.” The Blood Royal Prince swiped his sharp claws, and five vicious rays of blood-red light shot out, shredding the thorns to pieces. He then engaged the Crimson Sect’s Grand Steward in a fierce battle.

The Omega mercenaries and the Blood Race tried to escort Howard and the other researchers away, but the Crimson Sect blocked their path. The cultists summoned Abyssal Demons to aid their fight. Two unlucky souls weren’t fast enough to dodge and were brutally torn to shreds by the ferocious demons.

With the Abyssal Demons joining the fray, the Blood Race and Omega alliance was temporarily at a disadvantage. Christina, being the strongest of the Omega mercenaries, received “special attention” from the Crimson Sect and found herself besieged by both Crimson Cultists and Abyssal Demons.

Yang watched it all unfold through his scope, his expression impassive, his breathing long and steady. Once he entered his sniping posture, he became as still as a statue.

Besides, this was child’s play for Christina. He didn’t need to worry about her.

He had only one question in his mind. ’What is the Star Association doing?’

The Star Association had only sent one person to help him create the perfect sniping conditions. For an incident this big, he hadn’t seen a single sign of any other top-tier combatants… ’Does evacuating civilians really require that many personnel?’

Yang had every reason to believe his superiors were playing a much larger game.

But none of that had anything to do with him. Right now, he had only one mission: wait for the chance to destroy the Eternal Life Machine!

·

·

Stars Association Headquarters, in a tense command room.

Jiang Che casually scrolled through short-form videos, occasionally taking a sip of the special coffee provided at headquarters, completely unconcerned by the turmoil unfolding in Hong City.

“Hey, isn’t your Secretary still trapped in the past? How can you be so calm?” a man eating a sandwich nearby asked curiously.

“I’m not worried about his capabilities,” Jiang Che said calmly, glancing at him. “Terry, as the leader of the Hong City Star Gathering’s Special Operations Team, I’m surprised to see you so relaxed. Have you decided to just let it all burn?”

“That I have…” Terry, the Special Operations Team leader, sighed while chewing his sandwich. “After all, this huge mess happened on my watch… But I’m not worried about getting demoted or a pay cut. The most they’ll do is make me write a self-evaluation report, because everyone knows I, the leader of this Special Operations Team, have basically no real power.”

Unlike in other branches where the chairman and the team leader are on equal footing, the real power in the Hong City Star Gathering lies with the chairman. The upper echelons there have formed a tight-knit, exclusive clique, and they’re under the protection of a Grand Councilor. As an outsider, Terry naturally wouldn’t have much authority after being assigned to Hong City.

This whole incident only happened because the chairman of the Hong City Star Gathering gave his tacit approval. If anyone was going to be punished, it would be the chairman, which was why Terry could afford to be so relaxed.

It wasn’t his mess to clean up, so why should he look worried? He’d even be happy to see the Hong City Star Gathering’s chairman suffer; he’d disliked that old bastard for a long time.

“That old bastard is really in for it this time…” Terry said with a gloating smile.

Jiang Che nodded nonchalantly and said with deep meaning, “Indeed. It might even implicate that Grand Councilor of his.”

“…I doubt it,” Terry said.

The Hong City Star Gathering’s chairman was one of a certain Grand Councilor’s men at headquarters. He had done a lot for him and was deeply trusted, but with a disaster of this magnitude, the Grand Councilor would probably cut him loose in a heartbeat to protect himself.

Jiang Che didn’t answer, simply sipping his coffee at a leisurely pace.

·

·

「New Calendar, Year 174.」

Rivers of blood flowed through the streets, which were littered with the corpses of the Blood Race, each dead in a uniquely gruesome way.

The last member of the Blood Race leaned gasping against a wrecked car. His lower body was gone, his intestines trailing on the ground. He stared at the man and woman not far away, cursing through clenched teeth.

“You… dog… man… woman… you…”

BANG!

Without giving it a chance to finish, Zhou Chen detonated the Cyan Flame lingering inside its body. The last member of the Blood Race died, and the street fell silent.

The dog poked its head out of a car window, tilted its head, and let out a “WOOF.” It seemed to think someone had called it.

“Dog… man… woman… Heh, that’s pretty fitting.”

Li Xiye nudged Zhou Chen with her elbow and grinned at him. “From now on, we’re the ’Dog-Man-Woman’ team.”

“…” Zhou Chen was at a loss for words for a moment. “I suggest we pick a different name.”

“Sea Superman and Ocean Ranger?”

“…On second thought, let’s stick with Dog-Man-Woman.”

“Sister, this is our master.” The Gothic Puppet, Angela, brought her younger sister Alice before Zhou Chen. She lifted the hem of her skirt and performed a ladylike curtsy.

“Master,” Alice said, curtsying obediently, not daring to defy her sister.

Zhou Chen gave a slight nod, maintaining his cool and aloof demeanor in front of his subordinates.

“This is Miss Li Xiye, and this is Doggy… Sir,” Angela introduced. She suspected Alice’s pea-brain wouldn’t remember any of them, but proper etiquette still had to be observed.

“A pleasure to meet you,” Alice said, offering a curtsy.

Just then, a squad of Ascenders from the Star Association approached. The two Cursed Puppets, sensing it was best to stay out of sight, discreetly got back into the car to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

The Ascender squad leader stepped forward and got straight to the point. “We’ve received orders from our superiors. We’re to coordinate with you.”

’Orders from superiors? Lin Yun must have already coordinated with the Star Association…’ Zhou Chen nodded and looked toward the pure white tower in the distance. “What’s the situation?”

“The tower has only one entrance, and it’s surrounded by a powerful Barrier. We’ve tried thirty-one different methods and haven’t been able to inflict any significant damage.”

An Ascender wearing glasses spoke with grave concern, “The Star Association’s top combatants are all occupied holding back creatures from the Spirit Realm and the Abyss Monarch; they can’t be pulled away. If this situation deteriorates any further, the two spacetimes will completely merge in less than thirty minutes.”

“And who knows when reinforcements will arrive…”

’Only one entrance…’ Zhou Chen thought of the key the Spirit of the End had given him. “We’re going over.”

Li Xiye’s heart grew heavy, and she followed him in silence.

They reached the Barrier in front of the tower. A squad was already there, trying to breach it with everything they had: brute-force attacks, heavy explosives, corrosive acids, even attempts to dismantle it with Alchemy…

Zhou Chen stepped forward and reached out his hand. The Barrier felt like a solid wall of air.

“Zhou Chen,” Li Xiye said suddenly.

“Hm?”

Li Xiye met his gaze, her own deep and searching. After a long moment, her voice trembled as she pleaded, “Don’t go.”

She had a sinking premonition that this might be their last goodbye.

“Let the Star Association handle it, okay?”

Zhou Chen was silent for a long time before sighing. “Even if we wait for the Star Association to handle it, once this is all over…”

“At least you can stay with me a little longer.”

Li Xiye stepped forward and threw her arms around Zhou Chen, hugging him tightly. Ignoring the bloodstains on his clothes, she buried her face in his chest and murmured, “I want to stay with you a little longer. Just a little while is enough.”

“Miss, that’s against the rules,” the voice of the Spirit of the End rang out. His phantom appeared inside the Barrier, and the Ascenders instantly raised their weapons, on high alert.

“What the hell do you want?” Li Xiye snapped her head around, glaring at the Spirit of the End with unconcealed hostility. The killing intent rolling off her was immense.

“Destruction.” The Spirit of the End smiled, spreading his arms wide. “It’s as simple as that. Just destruction.”

“And by the way, you’re in my domain. Whether someone comes in or not isn’t up to you.”

The Spirit of the End closed his hand into a fist and smiled. “—It’s up to me.”

Li Xiye’s arms suddenly felt empty, and her heart emptied along with them, as if something precious had just been ripped away.

The scene shifted. Zhou Chen was now inside the Barrier. His eyes hardened as he slashed his blade at the Spirit of the End. The phantom merely smiled as it dissipated like smoke, its ethereal voice lingering in the air:

“I will be waiting for you on the highest floor.”