Chapter 636: Signs of the Apocalypse

Chapter 636: Chapter 634: Signs of the Apocalypse

Deep underground, the cornerstones of the array binding the pollution.

Ashugar stood with his back to the fragments of the divine format, facing You Jelieya and Ze Lishalin, emanating an air of seriousness.

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

Ashugar asked solemnly.

You Jelieya and Ze Lishalin exchanged a glance, and after a moment, both took a deep breath and nodded earnestly.

“Okay, since that’s the case, let me help you complete the final task.”

Saying this, he turned around to face the fragments of the divine format.

Strange runes began to spread from under his feet, extending outward.

“The pollution bound here has given rise to too many demons. Their presence will affect the awakening of the gods, so before the awakening, you need to drive out those magic puppets underground. I’ll ask one last time, are you sure you want to do this?”

Ze Lishalin hesitated, You Jelieya placed a hand on her shoulder and said lightly, “Absolutely sure, those demons without life and death were designed by that damned Evil God to bind Haroldias’s filth. We must not let this filth taint the ceremony of the gods’ descent.”

Saying this, he looked back at Ze Lishalin and spoke softly, “Ze, at this point, we have no room left. The massive pollution release will surely be sensed by Him, and if He discovers our ‘betrayal,’ He will not remain indifferent, letting us continue our actions.

“Your current thoughts are influenced by your own life faction, hence your lament for disaster and life, just like I’m influenced by the death faction, believing that death is life’s ultimate fate. Moreover, this large-scale pollution leak event, even if we do nothing, is bound to happen. This array has already been corroded and decayed by those demons, and we can’t watch as Lord Haroldias decays along with the array, eventually falling to become an Evil God.”

Ze Lishalin’s lips moved, she took a deep breath, “Too radical.”

Ashugar chuckled lightly, “It’s not radical at all, it’s just a rehearsal. The Evil God you mentioned altered the rules of the Abyss entrance after unleashing the Abyss in the Era of Calamity, preventing most pollution from entering the Abyss and allowing it to accumulate in this world… One day, when all the pollution finally erupts, the resulting disaster will be a hundred, a thousand times worse than now, no less than an apocalypse.”

“Agreed.” You Jelieya nodded, “Just like the secondary Netherworlds I’ve created across the globe, everything was prepared for this moment.”

Ze Lishalin looked at Ashugar and said calmly, “Although I don’t think you’re so kind to act to solve the world’s pollution, it might just be a side effect of your purpose, but as you said, the consequences of pollution eruption are indeed beyond what you and I can bear. Only by awakening the gods can redemption be achieved… Then let’s begin.”

“Certainly.” Ashugar nodded.

The light of the runes instantly blossomed.

In the shadows, Hilia quietly observed, trying to comprehend the runes, yet whenever she attempted to, she felt dizzy.

Rose’s voice arrived, “Don’t look, he’s added the power of rules to the runes, this is a capability that can be freely mastered by mages of seventh-level and above. Those lacking strength will be affected by the rules.”

“Okay.”

Hilia obeyed and ceased observing.

She watched Ashugar in silence, contemplating the information revealed in their conversation.

“Lord Rose… Is what they said about pollution eruption true?”

Rose nodded slightly, “It’s true. Even the strongest arrays have an expiration date. Without maintenance and updates, arrays will degrade until they slowly break apart. Whether in the Golden Apple Stone Forest, the Elf Forest, or the Star Spirit Forbidden Land, even the large seas outside Starfall Continent, arrays binding pollution will decay over time.

“This decay might fracture bit by bit, or it might result in a dam breach, destroying in an instant. The array beneath the Elf Forest belongs to the type of slow decay.”

Hilia asked, “Is it these three individuals deliberately destroying it?”

“Yes.”

Rose nodded, affirming Hilia’s question.

“They have done this…”

Hilia was momentarily at a loss for words.

You Jelieya and Ze Lishalin deliberately damaged the array, causing the pollution to leak, an act seemingly ongoing for five centuries. However, when encountering Lana earlier, Lana mentioned that it seemed as though the Elf Forest had only ‘fallen ill’ in recent years.

This seems a bit contradictory to what the two said…

She could only investigate the Elf Forest’s situation after leaving to find out more.

Their goal, besides awakening Haroldias, also seemed intended to prevent pollution from erupting suddenly like a dam breach.

Hilia knew that now the rampant pollution in the Elf Forest was actually only a tiny fraction of the pollution underground.

That area occupied merely about one percent of the entire Elf Forest’s capacity.

Just this amount, once released, could ravage half the Starfall Continent.

Of course, if it’s just pollution ravaging, this amount is not so bad, but this pollution can resist the Purification Skill, making it impossible to immediately target the pollution surge, leaving no defense against its impact.

“Besides here, do other hidden pollution areas have the same problem?”

Hilia murmured to herself.

Rose nodded, “Judging from the Elf Forest’s situation, it might be. Someday, explore the Star Spirit Forbidden Land and then investigate the ocean, and you’ll understand.”

Hilia said, “I will indeed go!”

Perhaps she hadn’t been particularly inclined to venture to the ocean before.

Because it was not only perilous but also dull, with nothing but endless ocean and polluted gray mist.

However, after learning from the three individuals about the potential pollution eruption, Hilia confirmed that once her strength advanced enough for self-protection on the ocean, she would go check out what’s there.

The conversation halted here, Hilia continued to secretly watch the three.

But as soon as Ashugar began, the three fell silent.

Hilia waited a long time, without hearing more news, she turned to ask Rose, “Lord Rose, what they’re doing now, is it perhaps to draw out the demons underground?”

“Yes, that is a rune to incite and drive away demons. He has integrated the rune into the Heart of the Life Faction Puppet used as a cornerstone, indirectly affecting all demons underground, stirring them up.”

“Then these demons…”

“Like you imagined, the demons will seek the nearest exit, and the ground’s pollution sources that have almost been cleared will be where the demons swarm.”

“In other words, the monster siege is coming.”