Gerard's expression remained unchanged as he listened to his subordinates. He looked at them and said, “I don't plan on actually going either, but we still need to placate those moneybags.
“Turner, take a few people to wander around the perimeter later just to show we're doing something. When facing an unknown tier of danger, preserving our strength is the priority. Besides, this darkness hasn't fallen on our heads yet.”
The man called Turner was a middle-aged white man in his fifties. He looked like a slippery, cunning old fox.
Grinning slyly, he sneered, “Don't worry, President. I'll make sure those gentlemen feel they're getting their money's worth. I'll even make our performance look a bit tragic to secure more sponsorships for our Demon Hunting Association.”
Gerard nodded, increasingly pleased with the fellow. “Go on then. I'll reply to those guys' messages in the meantime. The rest of you, meeting adjourned.”
With that, Gerard stood up and walked toward the castle.
The others left the castle. Although it was called the headquarters, Gerard only allowed them inside during meetings.
Furthermore, they were only permitted to move about in the main hall; all other areas were strictly off-limits. Most of the time, they gathered in the tall building next door.
Inside the castle, after casually sending a message to the Coalition's higher-ups stating that they had dispatched forces, Gerard hurried toward the castle basement.
Just as he reached the basement entrance, a foul, fishy stench wafted out.
Standing at the doorway was a monster. It was 2.7 meters tall, covered in black wool, with black horns on its head that extended all the way down its back.
“Lost Sheep, a Specter has appeared in our territory. I was just about to inform you,” Gerard said quickly upon seeing the humanoid sheep monster.
Fulai narrowed its crimson eyes. In the outside world, it preferred to be called Lost Sheep; the name Fulai sounded too rustic.
“I've already sensed it. To dare snatch humans on my turf... I'd like to see what this thing is made of!” Lost Sheep snorted, a large cloud of white mist billowing from its nostrils.
More importantly, it sensed that the newly emerged entity carried fear. It was eager to see what kind of creature dared to wield the same ability as itself.
Lost Sheep pushed Gerard aside and strode out.
Since coming to the Coalition, it had evolved three times. According to the tier system, it barely qualified as a Tier 4 Calamity, making it quite a formidable figure on the global stage.
The Nanming Kingdom.
Inside the Imperial Palace conference room.
He Wenxi sat in the head seat, staring at the satellite imagery of the darkness blanketing the entire city.
“With such a vast coverage, those foreigners are in for some terrible luck,” Yu Renjia gloated, watching the video on the screen.
Looking at the footage, Li Xueming said, “Just looking at the scale, this thing is easily a Tier 4 Calamity. It's probably unrealistic to expect the Demon Hunting Association to deal with it.”
Chu Jizhen sat beside him, staring blankly into space, completely indifferent to the lives of foreigners.
Xu Mo sat on the other side, stealing glances at He Wenxi from time to time.
“Those white-skinned fellows in the Coalition are finally getting what's coming to them. When things went south in our Nanming Kingdom, they were either sending spies or causing trouble. Now it's finally their turn,” Liu Wangao sneered.
Listening to the discussion, He Wenxi turned and smiled at Xu Mo, who immediately broke into a foolish grin.
She then looked at Li Xueming. “Have we found its origin?”
Li Xueming nodded and tapped rapidly on his laptop. An image immediately appeared on the distant screen.
The image showed outer space, with a massive cloud of darkness emerging from the direction of the Moon.
“According to our undercover agents over there, the source has been identified. It most likely came from the Moon. All astronauts aboard the Coalition's Apollo Space Station have been confirmed lost; they were probably consumed by this monster,” Li Xueming spoke rapidly.
He had now essentially become the general manager of the Special Bureau. He Wenxi only handled critical matters, leaving him to manage all other administrative affairs.
He Wenxi's expression remained neutral upon hearing this. She already harbored intentions of intervening in the Western Continent.
Domestically, everything was stable except for the Church of the Earth Mother. The emergence of this darkness presented the perfect opportunity. Once they realized that neither the Demon Hunting Association nor even a nuclear strike could resolve the darkness, they would have no choice.
The only thing they could do would be to plead with the Special Bureau for help.
“Keep a constant eye on Hama City. They won't be able to handle this,” He Wenxi said, looking at Li Xueming.
With that, she stood up and walked out.
Li Xueming's eyes lit up as he instantly grasped her intention. When the situation became truly unmanageable, they would wait for them to beg the Special Bureau for aid.
At that point, they could kick the Demon Hunting Association aside and seize control of the Coalition's leadership.
At the thought of this, a smile crept onto his face.
Was the ultimate achievement of unifying the world about to be accomplished by the few of them?
“Hehehe, hehehehe... Unifying the world... My Li family will go down in history... Hehehe... I'll have a genealogy book dedicated entirely to my branch...”
Chu Jizhen's daydreaming was interrupted by the continuous chuckling next to him. He turned his vacant eyes toward Li Xueming.
The man was grinning like an idiot, muttering nonsense about unifying the world.
“Are you alright?” Chu Jizhen asked, seeing such a usually composed person suddenly act this way.
Goro Island.
Tang Yongyun stood in midair, gazing toward the Western Continent. Over there, doom surged to the heavens, with black energy nearly forming a pillar—a phenomenon that only manifested when millions of people were about to die.
It seems a lot more people are going to die, Tang Yongyun thought, his expression cold.
Choosing to develop on Goro Island had indeed been the correct decision. If he were on either the East or West Continent, he would have been dragged into their struggles sooner or later.
Faint wisps of black doom energy swirled around him. He had already bound hundreds of thousands of people to his Doom Contract.
The doom provided by these people was shortening the time required for his next evolution, and his own strength was steadily rising.
Half an hour later.
On the Western Continent, the members of the Demon Hunting Association had not yet arrived.
Lost Sheep had already appeared at the edge of the darkness. Its crimson eyes stared at the gloom ahead, its mouth slightly open as threads of foul saliva dripped down.
“Let me see what you've got to dare steal food from me!” Lost Sheep muttered, stepping halfway into the darkness.
The moment it stepped inside, it was greeted by an endless, absolute void.
It actually could not see its surroundings. One had to realize it was a Tier 4 Calamity, yet this thing could completely block its vision.
Thud!
Just as Lost Sheep was reeling in shock, heavy footsteps echoed from the darkness over a dozen meters away.
Lost Sheep looked toward the sound and saw a four-meter-tall monster emerge.
The monster wore a white mask, staring at it without a shred of emotion.
It stood four meters tall, with human skulls embedded in its shoulders and knees. Its hands and feet were thick, long white bones, and its face was covered by a mask.
The masked entity locked eyes with the 2.7-meter-tall, black-wooled, crimson-eyed monster.
The darkness surged. After a single second of eye contact...
“Baaah!” Lost Sheep let out a shrill, terrified shriek, spun around, and bolted.
Its legs felt weak. This very Lost Sheep, which was supposed to embody fear, now had a trace of genuine terror in its eyes.
Since it had only stepped halfway into the darkness and had not been completely swallowed, escaping was practically unimpeded.
Along the way, Lost Sheep's body alternated between illusory and solid states as it phased through various obstacles.
This feeling, this terrifying pressure... Damn it, what on earth is that monster? It's definitely not one of those Specters or Evil Spirits! Lost Sheep's eyes widened, its heart gripped by an overwhelming dread.
This fear felt more like a suppression from a higher-order being.
It could not resist at all.
Lost Sheep sprinted frantically back toward the Demon Hunting Association headquarters in sheer panic. It was simply too terrifying.
When did the Western Continent become so difficult to survive in?
Within the gloom, the embodiment of Darkness watched the departing Lost Sheep without taking action.
It turned and walked back into the depths of the darkness. Within this city, not many of the four million residents remained.
From its initial appearance to Lost Sheep's arrival, less than an hour had passed.
On the streets and inside the buildings of this city of over four million people, nothing remained but piles of empty clothes.
While Lost Sheep was fleeing, behind a tree that required two people to hug its trunk in the distance...
Yuan Zuozhi pushed up his glasses, a faint smile playing on his lips. “The Coalition's territory is indeed not simple. That monster that just fled is likely a Calamity.”
“Pontiff, should we continue to explore this darkness?” a respectful voice asked from behind him.
Yuan Zuozhi turned around. Behind him, a blond young man wearing a white T-shirt stood with his head slightly bowed.
This was the first Archbishop he had recruited during this period.
“There is no need. The thing inside is terrifying; we do not need to wade into these muddy waters,” Yuan Zuozhi said calmly.
With that, he turned and walked away.
The blond youth, Alan, hurriedly followed.
He stole occasional glances at the darkness behind him. If it could scare off a Calamity and make the Pontiff of the Church of the Earth Mother wary, then the Coalition's comfortable days were surely at an end.
Walking ahead, Yuan Zuozhi's face still carried that faint smile.
The more chaotic the world becomes, the faster religion will spread. When this incompetent Coalition can no longer protect its people, only the Church of the Earth Mother will be their savior.
Another half hour passed after their departure.
The members of the Demon Hunting Association, who had rushed over by fighter jet, finally arrived.
Turner only stole a distant glance at the darkness, fear creeping into his eyes. This feeling... if I go in, I'll definitely die!
“Mr. Turner, you're finally here!” a plump, middle-aged blond man said as he jogged over.
Turner glanced at him, putting on a solemn expression. “For the Coalition, no matter what lies within, we must go and see for ourselves!”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man looked deeply moved. “For the Coalition to have such responsible supernatural beings is truly a blessing of destiny!”
“Alright, let's move!” Turner said, leading four or five supernatural beings forward.
Upon reaching the edge of the darkness, Turner whispered, “Lucy, do it.”
A woman behind him nodded, crossing her hands as a wave of energy swept over them.
Their figures instantly vanished from sight.
“Let's go. We'll find a secluded spot to hide for an hour before heading back out,” Turner chuckled.
The others wore similar expressions. It was fine to hunt ordinary Specters, but they were absolutely unwilling to face whatever was inside this thing.
Rate on N.U.
