Unstoppable!

Tafman sensed a violent reversal in the emotions of the colossal beast beneath him, which he had only just managed to calm. Its massive head began thrashing wildly from side to side. Scorching breaths blasted from its nostrils and maw, sweeping upward toward the crown of its head. The surrounding blood mist retracted, and its barbels whipped upward, desperate to eradicate the threat perched atop its brow at any cost. "Is the array ready yet?!" Tafman shouted to Qimar. "Not yet!" Qimar yelled back. The foundation of the array was complete, but the amplifying materials had not been fully embedded. This would severely diminish the destructive force once the formation was activated. "There's no time! Do it now!" Tafman raised a barrier of light around himself, seized Elder Qimar by the shoulder, and dragged him off the top of Dorons' head. If they didn't leave immediately, it wouldn't just be a matter of the explosion falling short of expectations—the array itself would be destroyed. Alone, he stood no chance of holding back a Dorons that had been driven half-mad. As Tafman dragged him backward through the air, Elder Qimar activated the array without a moment's hesitation. In an instant, a brilliant beam of crimson light detonated atop Dorons' head! *Boom!* Having failed to open a safe distance in time, Tafman and Qimar were violently hurled backward by the blast wave. As they plummeted toward the ground, Tafman gritted his teeth and channeled the power of the Dark Moon. A crimson glow flared behind him, pulling Elder Qimar upward to bleed off their momentum, before Tafman deliberately took the brunt of the landing on his own back. *Bang!* Both men crashed hard against the terrain, tumbling over. Tafman was drenched in blood, an unknown number of his bones fractured. Qimar's injuries were lighter, but as he gasped for breath, he couldn't help looking at Tafman. "Tafman, you..." "Once this is over, you can report me." "No, you misunderstand, I won't..." Qimar hurried to explain. Right then, a roar tore through the air. Under the tremendous force of the explosion, Dorons' neck was blasted downward, its thrashing head slammed low. Its lumbering march finally ground to a halt. *** "Did it work?" Ophelia asked, hope shining in her eyes. "Probably," Karen echoed, though he didn't share her optimism. "Heh, as if that were possible." An unfamiliar voice sounded right above their heads. Ophelia and Karen snapped their heads upward. In the next breath, Ophelia blurred, leaping straight up into the air and bringing her greatsword down in a vicious cleave toward the figure. Karen, however, hesitated. Last time, he had genuinely believed the Captain had lost his mind, which was why he had struck without holding back, aiming his final thrust directly for the Captain's heart. This time, Karen no longer believed the Captain had lost himself, and the urge to fight vanished naturally. With Ophelia on one side and the Captain on the other, helping either felt wrong. The Captain dodged several of Ophelia's strikes in succession. Showing no interest in counterattacking, he chuckled. "If I were you, I wouldn't pick a fight right now." "Too bad I'm not you!" Ophelia slashed again. A Sword of Light condensed in the Captain's hand, parrying Ophelia's blade aside before he rapidly drew back. Just as Ophelia moved to pursue, the Captain's retreating form dispersed into thin air and reformed right behind her. Ophelia snapped her sword back, pivoting her body into a defensive posture. Yet the Captain did not attempt an ambush; he simply retreated once more. Seeing this, Karen had no choice but to flash into the Captain's retreat path, making a show of cutting him off. The Captain seemed to cater to Karen's position, quickly pulling his retreating figure forward and crashing into Ophelia again. Their swords clashed over a dozen times. Ophelia held her composure, enduring every blow. "Oh my, you've improved quite a lot since our last bout." Karen closed in again, beginning an incantation. "*Sigh.*" The Captain let out a sigh as blinding white light erupted from his body, forcing Ophelia's offensive back. His figure vanished into the distance, with Karen casting an Order Cage to see him off. In his place, the Captain had left behind a puppet doll. The two puppets he had previously obtained from Adjudicator Ruke had both been pierced and ruined by Ophelia during their clash on She Island. This puppet was noticeably crude, clearly crafted by the Captain himself. Though rather ugly, it now projected a phantasmal likeness of the Captain, while his true body had already retreated far into the distance, lost to sight. In truth, the Captain held an overwhelming advantage in strength over Ophelia. With Karen merely going through the motions without putting in real effort, the Captain could come and go with utter leisure. Ophelia raised her sword, preparing to skewer the puppet on the ground. "Wait," Karen intervened. "It seems he wants to say something." Ophelia checked her strike, holding the blade still. "You're far cleverer than this little girl. Heh, as expected of the new vessel I originally chose, even if you reek of the Bernard bloodline." The phantom projected from the puppet doll spoke, "If not for Miss Purr's imprint inside you protecting you at the critical moment, and if I hadn't hesitated out of respect for Miss Purr myself, I might have successfully taken over your body back then. *Sigh,* this current body really is somewhat decrepit—it doesn't even have a face anymore." Karen didn't know whether to laugh or cry; even now, the Captain hadn't forgotten to patch up his cover story. He understood why the Captain had shown up here. Watching the show all by himself had become boring; after indulging in solitude, he needed someone to share it with. That was where the Captain's amusement lay. Many things he had said before that sounded like jokes were not jokes at all, because he was actively carrying them out. "Can you control it?" Ophelia demanded. "Barely, to a slight degree," the Captain replied. "Philias, I know the hatred in your heart. But many people on Dark Moon Island are just ordinary folk; not everyone carries the Dark Moon bloodline. You can direct your vengeance at me, at the royal palace, at all of us who are Bernard's descendants. The vast majority of the people in the town are innocent!" The Captain's phantom looked at Ophelia. "My choices for revenge are far too narrow. Besides, have you ever seen vengeance accompanied by reason?" "The people in the town are innocent," Karen added, playing along with a pointless remark. "They're quite pitiful." "I know they're pitiful. But back then, was I not pitiful? Were my followers not pitiful? We gave so much to develop this island, and in the end, what was our reward? "Betrayal! "Slaughter! "Humiliation!" *Roar!* A furious bellow sounded from the distance. Dorons, whose head had been forced low by the explosion, raised its crown once more. Its colossal body began to move again. The desperate efforts of the Dark Moon elders had failed to achieve ultimate success. Seeing this, Ophelia said in desperation, "I am the successor to the Dark Moon clan. If you stop destroying the town right now, Mr. Philias, I will take my own life before your eyes!" The Captain laughed. "Go ahead and kill yourself, suit yourself. If only you die, it won't satisfy me." "Ophelia, don't do anything foolish," Karen consoled her. "That beast won't be allowed to enter the town." "Little girl, you truly are different from your ancestor Bernard, and I believe you meant what you just said. But unfortunately, I cannot accept your trade—it's far too much of a loss for me. As for you..." The Captain pointed at Karen, continuing, "Of course I know people from the Church of Order are on the island right now. But since I dared to summon Dorons, did you really think my revenge was just a meaningless vent? "Let me tell you, I don't like doing meaningless things." Karen felt a flash of doubt. He would never again believe the Captain had lost his mind, but he sensed the Captain was still somewhat influenced by Philias. Furthermore, what did the Captain mean by those words? Could it be that even an intervention by the Church of Order wouldn't be able to stop Dorons? Ophelia gripped her sword tighter. She knew Philias' true body had to be nearby, and even if she couldn't sense him, she had to do something. She couldn't afford to waste time talking nonsense with a puppet projection. Yet how could the Captain allow his audience to leave early? He could not bear to see his amusement cut short. He said, "You had best stay right where you are and not go anywhere. Remember the worms you ingested last time? I have planted dozens of nests across this island. Trust me, the moment you leave, I will detonate every single one." "You..." Ophelia had no choice but to remain rooted to the spot. Karen knew the Captain didn't possess those worms, yet he still couldn't comprehend how the Captain intended to carry out his claim of 'never doing meaningless things.' The Captain's phantom turned toward Karen. "Have you ever experienced the joy of revenge?" "I don't know." "Is that so? You don't know? Then observe me closely. Hopefully you can learn something—consider it a lesson taught out of respect for Miss Purr." With that, the Captain's phantom spread his arms wide, then clasped his hands together with a sharp snap, mimicking the gesture of firing a gun toward the direction of Dorons' advance. He even provided his own sound effect: "*Bang!*" By now, Dorons had reached the vanguard of the Dark Moon Legion. The legion began firing artillery, but the magical shells were entirely intercepted by the blood mist shrouding Dorons. Though the spectacle was dazzling, it accomplished nothing of substance. "Prepare to engage!" The warriors within the legion gripped their weapons tightly, bracing for the arrival of the colossal beast. Dorons craned its neck, its throat glowing a fiery crimson. Then, thrusting its head forward, it parted its jaws and unleashed a torrent of scorching, terrifying molten rock directly at the legion barring its path. A massive pillar of magma sliced straight through the center of the formation. The warriors caught in its path melted almost instantly along with their armor, while those nearby suffered horrific burns, writhing on the ground in agonizing screams. Though the battle line did not collapse outright, anyone with eyes could see it teetered on the brink of total ruin. The moment Dorons' colossal bulk bore down upon them, they would likely cast aside their weapons and flee. *** "They drew up a battle line, but lacked any layered three-dimensional defenses," Bishop Rodina remarked. She was one of the three representatives from the knight order. If the Church of Order were compared to a nation, she represented its military. Cardinal Kred opened his eyes slightly and beckoned to Viner, the clan chief of the Dark Moon clan who was kneeling nearby. Viner rose immediately, hurried over, and knelt before the Cardinal. "The quality of Dark Moon Island's military is truly lacking." In truth, Viner could have explained that the troops blocking Dorons had been hastily assembled from across the island, unpracticed and never intended for frontline warfare. But Viner offered no excuses, having already grasped the underlying meaning. He replied: "You are entirely correct. We recognized this shortcoming long ago and intended to personally petition you after the conference, begging the great Church of Order to dispatch personnel to help organize and drill our forces." Cardinal Kred remained silent, while Bishop Rodina spoke from his side. "Indeed. Dark Moon Island's navy also requires restructuring. Only then can it shoulder the responsibility of defending these waters." A matter concerning the land forces had suddenly been tied to the navy. And Dark Moon Island's true greatest strength lay in its outer-sea fleet. Yet Viner showed not a shred of hesitation. While he believed the Church of Order would not sit idly by and watch Dorons raze the town, he knew even better that Order was using this as a pretext to seize military authority over the island. He could refuse, but next time, the Church of Order might not even bother looking for an excuse. "Yes, you are completely right. Dark Moon Island's defenses are far too frail, in dire need of Order's assistance." "Mm." Kred finally spoke again. "Rodina, since Clan Chief Viner has made the request on behalf of Dark Moon Island, take on the trouble of staying behind to help them reorganize their defense." "Yes, my Lord." Bishop Rodina bowed respectfully. Turning to Clan Chief Viner, she added, "Order your legion to withdraw. They cannot hold that beast back, and standing their ground will only result in pointless casualties. I'd rather not waste time recruiting new soldiers later." "Understood, I will relay the order at once." *** As Dorons' gargantuan bulk surged forward, the Dark Moon Legion received the order to retreat and take cover. Every warrior scattered toward the flanks without a moment's delay. Dorons paid them no heed, driving straight toward the final slope. Beyond that ridge lay the town! Right then, a black throne materialized in the sky above. Immensely vast and radiating overwhelming majesty, it descended from the firmament, poised to bar Dorons' path. The Church of Order had finally made its move. *** Ophelia let out a long breath, her body swaying slightly. She believed that with Order intervening, even a creature as formidable as Dorons would not be able to advance another step. Karen's gaze, however, fell upon the Captain's phantom. Everyone had anticipated this intervention, but where did the Captain's confidence come from? "Tsk, tsk, tsk..." The Captain clicked his tongue, saying: "Dorons, show them what you truly look like." *** The appearance of the colossal Throne of Order in the sky should have marked the conclusion of this crisis. Beyond the Throne of Order, two large-scale arrays prepared by the Church of Order were fully primed. Meanwhile, a regional Chief Bishop had already selected a squad from the Whip of Order, prepared to replicate what Tafman and his companions had failed to finish. This was the final line of defense, yet also one designed to plunge the beast into utter despair. However, right at that moment, Dorons' body suddenly began to transform. Its head withered with age, its flesh turned decrepit and rotting, and widespread fissures splintered across the carapace on its back. As for the pool at the center of the shell, the once-azure waters turned pitch-black and foul-smelling. A thick miasma of death enveloped the beast from head to toe, and large patches of black rot spread across its body. Astride the shell, Tafman and Elder Qimar exchanged a glance, pure horror dawning in their eyes. Elder Qimar's hands trembled violently, the sheer terror leaving his mouth agape, unable to utter a single word. Tafman slumped onto the ground, clutching his forehead, and muttered: "So... was this why Philias sealed Dorons away?" *** "Because back then, Dorons' lifespan was already running dry. It was dying," the Captain's phantom explained. "Its racial talent granted it the ability to enter a long slumber. I helped it complete its self-seal and hibernation. It said it hoped to wake a century later to see how prosperous and beautiful the Dark Moon Island we built together had become. "Even if that glimpse was followed by death." Karen said, "So an immense, terrifying aura of death had accumulated inside it long ago." "Yes, precisely. And one more thing: I bred the curse worms from the fleas on Dorons' body. Guess how many worm eggs are resting inside Dorons right now?" Shock filled Karen's eyes. Though he had mentally prepared himself, he truly had not anticipated the situation taking such a turn. This meant that the colossal beast was now a massive, horrific source of contagion! Once it ruptured—or was blasted apart by an external force—that terrifying contamination would blanket more than half of Dark Moon Island in an instant. To say nothing of how many islanders would perish, the island itself would become completely uninhabitable after suffering pollution on such a scale. High above, the Throne of Order halted its descent. Clearly, the Church of Order had also realized what had changed. Dorons was now an enormous abscess, on the verge of bursting under its own pressure and spilling its foul pus. If they used the Throne of Order or other formations to suppress it now, it would be equivalent to violently popping the boil, unleashing far greater devastation. Bishop Rodina spoke up: "Cease the attack. Do everything possible to evacuate the populace." *** The Captain's phantom wept and laughed simultaneously. "This was my purpose in waking it. This was what I promised. Bernard's descendants and I were supposed to wake it more than a hundred years later, letting it look upon the island's scenery before it died, letting it see how beautiful the place where the Light bloomed anew would be. "Yet clearly, Bernard never dared to write that into his diary. Heh, heh..." The Captain raised his arms high and roared: "Dorons! Now, do you see it?! Do you see it now?!" *Roar!* Dorons unleashed a furious bellow. With the Throne of Order frozen above and the other formations left unactivated, Dorons broke clean through the slope before it, smashing through the final line of defense. Its massive foot finally stepped onto the outskirts of the town. A catastrophic scene was about to unfold. Yet at that exact moment, Dorons froze. It lifted its head toward the sky, letting out an extraordinarily desolate, sorrowful wail. Witnessing this, Ophelia asked subconsciously: "What... what's wrong with it?" The Captain lowered his arms, bowed his head, and answered: "It... cannot bear to."