Chapter 265

Chapter 265

"How is it?"

"Based on the live feed, the target has been successfully hit."

Upon hearing this response, the president, who was in the military shelter, did not relax but continued to watch the live broadcast with unease.

At present, nuclear weapons remained humanity's trump card. If even these failed to have any effect... then it would mean that humans truly had no choice but to submit to this deity.

Initially, the president never imagined that they would reach a point where they would need to resort to nuclear weapons. It was only when a senator from the new port kept making hand signals in a corner of the live stream, catching the military's attention, that things changed.

Afterward, God on Earth pretended to be communicating with the senator and businessman, but in reality, he was using them as mouthpieces to convey his intentions to the country's highest authority - the president who held the power to launch nuclear weapons.

A decoy on the surface, a secret move in the shadows.

This was God on Earth's plan. Ever since the locust disaster began and the two cities went live for the world to see, God on Earth anticipated that a greater calamity would follow. The false god wouldn't sit idly by; to harvest faith from around the world, he would use any means necessary to destroy these two cities.

On the other hand, if they managed to persevere, the rewards would surpass all expectations. Perhaps they could strike a decisive blow against Balder.

Thus, it was in this context that the gods on Earth conceived of nuclear weapons. Angels were manifestations of God, and Abaddon, though technically a devil king, was speculated in the Bible to have been one of God's avatars, the Dark Angel of Death.

If humans managed to defeat the angels, wouldn't that be a humiliating blow to God?

And so, the divine plan to "nuke the angels" unfolded on Earth. They utilized humanity's battle against the locusts and Abaddon to divert global attention. No one noticed the secret communication between the gods and the politicians, nor did anyone decipher the gestures made in a corner of the live broadcast or the true meaning behind their words.

Next, the gods on Earth contacted the Black Cat and used the player forums, an information channel unknown to NPCs, to further discuss their plans. The Black Cat, during its fight against Abaddon, observed the damage dealt, confirming that both physical and fire attacks could harm the enemy. This final concern was now fully dispelled.

The time had come to reap the fruits of their labor.

Including the president and military officers, all surviving humans around the world fixated their eyes on the live stream, eager to verify the outcome.

In a sense, this would determine the fate of humanity as a whole.

Then, the image on the screen gradually sharpened, revealing a massive crater before the eyes of the world.

Abaddon... had completely vanished, leaving behind only a dark silhouette.

"Huff... Huff!"

Upon seeing this outcome, countless people around the world heaved a collective sigh of relief, having been so tense that they almost forgot to breathe.

The president, in contrast, exhaled sharply, his previously taut features finally relaxing into a slight smile.

Initially, the president had been reluctant to take such action. The reason was simple: if this truly was God's final judgment, nuclear weapons wouldn't make much of a difference. But the presence of God on Earth reminded him that even if the being above was indeed God, with all the deeds he'd done to reach his position, could he really expect to ascend to heaven?

He had long since bound himself firmly to the human world, or rather, anyone who benefited from the current state of affairs – even Christians – would not wish for a rewrite of the world order.

Now, with the nuclear weapon actually destroying the devil, the spark of hope that had been extinguished in everyone's hearts was reignited, followed by the flames of ambition burning fiercely.

Disaster... might just turn into an opportunity.

The high-ranking officers around the president also breathed a sigh of relief. The effectiveness of human weapons was, to some extent, the most potent shot of adrenaline. Smiles spread across their faces.

"God bless... oh," the officer blurted out instinctively, then realized the inappropriateness of his words. However, the president was in a good mood and shot him a amused glance. "It's time for a change in that phrase."

"How about this?" the secretary beside him asked perceptively.

"Hmm... may humanity bless humanity. What do you think?" the president inquired.

A high-ranking officer nearby chuckled. "It would make a perfect slogan for your re-election campaign."

...

The human nuclear weapons had achieved their purpose. Most of the inhabitants in the sanctuary were cheering ecstatically, especially the men, who, in their excitement, even poured the water beside them on their heads as if it were strong liquor.

A small number of people were also excited, but as they gazed at the screen for longer, particularly at the massive crater and the vanished sanctuary, their smiles gradually faded.

Some fell silent, and the initially jovial laughter of others began to wane. As the people in the sanctuary stared at the huge crater and the desolate landscape on the screen, their laughter eventually died down altogether.

Indeed, while their human technology had triumphed, what had it cost them in return?

Those valiant fighters, those who held on until the bitter end, those fellow beings of theirs - all vanished under the might of nuclear weapons.

In one of the shelters, the blond woman finally broke down in tears. She hadn't cried during the locust invasion, nor when she witnessed humanity on the brink of defeat through the live broadcast. But now, seeing the emptied craters and vanished corpses, her tears could no longer be held back.

This was a victory for humanity, but it was a pyrrhic one.

Just as the weeping threatened to spread, the live broadcast suddenly shifted its focus.

From the new port and Arkham, they shifted to an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar city.

Is this... Orland? ??

The people in Orland's underground shelter were perplexed, unsure why the live broadcast suddenly switched to this location.

Divinity on Earth and Black Cat finally met, exchanging a glance and shaking hands with smiles on their faces.

"A perfect collaboration."

Alders had intended to retort, but seeing his injured students and the missing figures, his nose tingled with emotion.

"Come on, Professor," Black Cat and the Druid couldn't bear to see the elderly professor weep, so they quickly took his hand. "At least we made it, right?"

It was indeed a near-perfect victory.

Black Cat looked up at the sky. The locusts had vanished, seemingly symbolizing that they had successfully passed the trial of the Fifth Trumpet. They had done all they could; now, it was up to the deity's response.

In that moment, the doors of the Orland Shelter opened, and Justice by Appearance led the way, waving at Black Cat and the others.

Indeed, when they spotted the Black Cats, the people from the shelters rushed out eagerly, cheering and whistling in a crescendo that nearly drowned out their applause.

In this moment, they were genuine heroes of humanity.

This scene was transmitted live to every corner of the world.

People of all ages and skin tones couldn’t help but wear smiles on their faces. Their hands hovered mid-air, applauding their fellow humans in distant lands.

It was the first time since the Cataclysm that so many felt a sense of relief.

Not that the disaster had passed, but they saw a glimmer of hope.

A hope brought about by humanity themselves.

...

Baldur's expression was more terrible than ever before. For the first time, his gaze at Lane was filled with intense killing intent. His cheeks burned as if he had just been slapped hard.

He had initially dispatched Abaddon to swiftly destroy these two cities, a sort of "since you want a global broadcast, let me show the rest of humanity the consequences of defying us" mentality. Yet, humanity had fiercely counterattacked.

His faith was dwindling rapidly, and now Balder was genuinely panicked. He could sense his power waning, the inklings of the authority of 'Omniscience and Omnipotence' fading away.

He was drifting further and further from the position of the Supreme God.

"Damn it, damn it!" Balder's expression twisted into a ferocious scowl. The residual aura of his wrath sliced through the clouds, thunder rumbling, and the world losing its color under the onslaught of his killing intent.

Lane and Ogur's initial casual expressions vanished. They realized that they had thoroughly offended Balder, and his next attack would no longer hold back. Lane had truly crossed a line with him.

Balder struck. Before his faith completely dissipated, he summoned all his strength to manifest a colossal avatar. In an instant, the sky, which had been obscured by black smoke, was illuminated by a dazzling light. It was the form of a human, and the entire world bore witness to this sight.

Though Lane had outmaneuvered him earlier, Balder derived inspiration from it. To reclaim his lost faith, he decided to show these ants just how magnificent he was.

The fifth trumpet had sounded, followed by the sixth, and there were still seven golden bowls left.

He had plenty of ways to torment humanity and was not concerned about their refusal to submit.

But Lane... A deep sense of apprehension coursed through Balder's heart. His previous notion of recruiting him was finally discarded. He could recruit those inferior to himself, but the existence that could topple him from his divine throne instilled in him an unknown, profound fear.

With a thought, the sixth trumpet resounded in the ears of every human being.

In the Revelation, the sounding of the sixth trumpet would unleash three angels bound beneath the River Euphrates, who would slay a third of humanity.

Yet here, Bael didn't summon these three beforehand; instead, he once more divided himself into three avatars that emerged from his chest, taking on humanoid forms and wielding different weapons as they descended upon the world.

Without hesitation, Lane turned to intercept the angels. Ogier, watching Bael's movements intently, noticed that Bael wasn't looking at the world or even at him, but rather at Lane's retreating back.

...What was he planning?

At this moment, an intense, inexplicable fear and unease gripped Ogier's heart, and he instinctively cried out, "Lane!"

But sound travels slower than light.

Lane and Ogier believed Bael was still intent on forcing Armageddon, unaware that he had already made a decision. While his power was yet to fully wane, he transformed into a burst of light, passing by Ogier's side. Simultaneously, the three angels spun around, brandishing their weapons at the approaching Lane.

Lane's scalp tingled. He didn't turn around, knowing he didn't have time for such an action. He sensed a soul-chilling peril closing in from behind, while the three avatars before him sealed off his surroundings.

In this critical moment, he instinctively invoked the authority he knew best and had initially acquired.

A phantom dice hit the ground with a crisp sound.

By all logic, this instant should call for a roll to dodge. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a choice both familiar and foreign to Lane forcefully pushed aside the idea of evasion, presenting itself in his mind.

"??? Mythical Appraisal: Grand Success"

Lane: ?

Baldur's assault arrived. Among the three angelic avatars, the one imbued with the power of space containment trapped Lane, impaling him with three different weapons. Concurrently, the deadly light and heat within Baldur's grasp enveloped Lane entirely.

This strike was delivered without any restraint, as Baldur mercilessly tore apart his target's body and soul using the remnants of his divine power. The young Panthean was made to vanish from the skyline like snow under the sun's embrace.