Chapter 128: "The Great Miracle"

"Could it be the 'Grand Miracle'? Do you remember the message Mr. Colin sent back? 'Resurrection' is the ability of the Seventh Miracle, the 'Undying.' I suspect that 'Resurrection' is the influence the 'Grand Miracle' is exerting on these ordinary aberrants."

"There is indeed some fragmented evidence suggesting that the 'Grand Miracle' can influence ordinary aberrants, imbuing them with its characteristics..."

"So, is this an unknown 'Grand Miracle'? No, don't limit ourselves to just one possibility..."

Li Hang followed his line of thought, adding, "Given the current 'arrival of the night,' this influence is likely global. There is a high probability that everyone is facing the same problem as we are..."

"Assuming, assuming that's the case, what should we do? How can we cut off the 'Grand Miracle's' influence on these ordinary aberrants?"

Numerous ideas were proposed, then whittled down, and temporary plans were put into place.

"Wait a moment, how much ammunition do we have left in reserve?" Li Hang asked, turning his head. After receiving a figure, he pondered for a moment. "Tell them to slow the rate of fire; let the small-scale aberrants get closer..."

"Clear out our stockpile of black powder. Looking ahead, I have a feeling the effectiveness of black powder will only diminish..."

"Also, ensure the supply of gunpowder to Mr. Colin and his team..."

Since the integration process was developed, the gunpowder they primarily use has been completely upgraded. Its stability and explosive power far exceed that of black powder. Aside from the slightly slower production speed, it currently has almost no shortcomings.

At this point, Number Two, who had been quiet, added, "Tell the Level 3 servants to keep a constant watch for the aura of a Lord-level aberrant..."

Lord-level aberrants had not yet appeared, but they knew it was only a matter of time.

From the most common, even bottom-tier aberrants, to the "average," to the "elite"... They could more or less guess that as the night wore on, the influence on the aberrants was deepening bit by bit. Once it reached a certain threshold, even those Lord-level aberrants that had remained dormant for eons would begin to move.

"Understood!"

The order was quickly relayed.

As it was executed—

*Rat-tat-tat...*

Amidst the bone-chilling sound of footsteps, hundreds of aberrants "broke through" the artillery barrage and closed in on the area.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

As they approached, they were immediately met with the devastating blasts of dozens of "no-conscience" cannons, which resolved the threat.

Under the dim, dusky world, thousands of artillery shots rang out incessantly. The flashes were constant, and the air was filled with deafening roars. Facing the artillery fire... was an endless sea of monsters.

The atmosphere of fighting in such a gloomy setting possessed an epic sense of impending apocalypse.

But...

Those in the thick of it did not think so.

Li Hang was calculating rapidly in his heart. In this situation, it didn't matter how many aberrants came; even a Lord-level one might not be impossible to fight off...

They had stored a massive amount of explosives over the past few days, so there was no need for immediate concern...

Li Hang took a deep breath, easing the panic in his heart... He knew that a Lord-level aberrant would definitely appear tonight!

However, at that very moment, an unsettling aura emanated from a certain direction.

Amidst a series of metallic grinding sounds, a dozen figures clad in armor, wielding longswords, and wearing hats wrapped in thorns charged forward!

It was that group from Silver Moon Bay—the "Aberrants—People of Suffering—Knights of Suffering!"

"Didn't we kill them? How are they still alive?"

Li Hang stared at the scene in disbelief. He remembered clearly that these monsters had been killed earlier. Could monsters killed days ago also resurrect?

There was no time to think, for they were charging like a pack of wolves!

"Increase the firepower! Destroy them instantly if possible!"

"Understood!"

Several "idle" vehicle-mounted cannons aimed at that spot. Under the dense explosions, these "Knights of Suffering" suffered constant attrition.

However, for every "Knight of Suffering" that fell, the aura radiated by the remaining ones grew a fraction stronger!

When only one "Knight of Suffering" remained on the field...

A terrifying aura that made the heart tremble suddenly erupted!

"Lord-level aberrant!"

Li Hang gritted his teeth. He had not expected these "Knights of Suffering" to possess such an ability... He slapped himself hard to force himself to "calm down."

"This must be the real deal—an 'Undying' influenced by the Seventh Miracle. No matter the damage, it recovers in an instant. Combined with their own characteristics... damn it, I miscalculated!"

At this moment, after coalescing, this "Lord-level aberrant" paused to gather its strength before charging at them with a sudden burst of speed.

It moved with a sound like the air itself was shattering!

It wouldn't be long before it broke into the defensive line and began a slaughter—it was unstoppable!

But just then, three vehicles suddenly surged forward... Each carried nearly tons of explosives...

They charged headlong into the "Lord-level aberrant" without hesitation. In the violent collision, the lead vehicle was nearly cleaved in two... The people inside died the instant they were exposed to the air and looked directly at it!

But at that exact moment, another vehicle pushed up, bracing against the back of the first...

The two sides reached a stalemate!

*Bang!* As the third vehicle slammed into them, the entity was finally pushed—pushed, inch by inch, into the tide of aberrants.

The next instant, a terrifying shockwave swept across the land. Amidst a deafening explosion, a mushroom cloud rose into the sky.

Within the surging crimson black mist, everything was melted away into nothingness...

It had been successfully blocked outside the "safety line"!

However, at that moment...

Everyone felt a powerful mental interference, their minds thrown into chaos...

A stumbling figure emerged from that area.

It wasn't dead?!

The hearts of everyone shook violently. An uncontrollable surge of complex "emotions" welled up, becoming increasingly extreme depending on the physical constitution of the individual!

Strong mental interference! The passive mental influence unique to Lord-level aberrants!

Any rational being entering its range of influence would instantly experience a flood of thoughts, followed by emotions becoming singular and extreme. Whether it was anger or fear, people would eventually lose their minds!

And this was only its basic ability... Just a passive trait!

But unexpectedly, the mental influence faded shortly after it appeared... Everyone was astonished to find that after taking a few steps, it suddenly collapsed to the ground, appearing to have died...

Before they could rejoice, everyone’s heart sank.

Because, from the body of that knight, dozens of hands suddenly reached out... Like worms bursting through the skin of a corpse...

A dozen "Knights of Suffering" crawled out from the remains. Exactly thirteen of them...

And the "Lord-level aberrant" host turned to ash after they had all crawled out...

"Find a way to contain these monsters!"

Li Hang realized that killing them would only cause them to coalesce into a new "Lord-level aberrant"... Kill, coalesce, kill again, split again...

At this moment, he finally understood why a few "Knights of Suffering" were enough to kill a powerful "Frost Witch"! It was because these "Knights of Suffering" simply could not be killed!

Thinking back to that "Witch's Skull"... His breathing grew heavy.

It hadn't appeared yet...

Because of their lack of information on Lord-level aberrants, they had just paid the price of three vehicles and three "Lamp-Bearer" squads...

"No wonder, no wonder every time we swept Silver Moon Bay, the aura of a Lord-level aberrant would suddenly appear..."

Li Hang finally understood the reason. They couldn't observe that area because every time they finished bombing it, they could sense the aura of a Lord-level aberrant. If they tried to observe from up close, they would find two Lord-level auras erupting simultaneously and come under attack by unknown means, leading to casualties...

Therefore, they only knew there were two Lord-level aberrants in Silver Moon Bay; one was the "Witch's Skull," and the other was unknown. Now it appeared to be these "Knights of Suffering"!

"I will carry out this mission," Number Two stepped forward.

Li Hang opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Number Two was indeed the most capable person for this task.

He patted the man on the shoulder. "Be careful. If you die, it'll be hard for me to answer for it."

"Don't worry, I'm still waiting to eat the porridge the Lord makes..." He grinned.

It was synthetic porridge... Li Hang didn't dwell on it, just nodded. After a few minutes of brief planning, everyone watched as he led a dozen "Lamp-Bearer" squads into the most dangerous battlefield ahead.

"Give him cover! Blast all those extra aberrants in the back!"

The plan was carried out effectively. Without too many casualties, they suppressed these "Pointy-Hats," which were merely "Elite Aberrants"...

But...

The night was still long.

And, just as they had imagined, every region in the world was encountering an infinite tide of aberrants. Not only were they numerous, but they all possessed the attribute of immortality!

This meant that the monsters tonight would only increase the more they were killed!

Many people had discovered the issues with the numbers of aberrants, but no one could solve the problem at its root. All survivors fought with everything they had, exhausting every resource just to stay alive, holding back wave after wave of attacks.

However, as everyone pushed through one trial after another, there were always new aberrants resurrecting, always new monsters appearing again...

Feelings of irritability, oppression, and fear enveloped everyone. A suffocating sense of despair pressed down on them like a physical weight.

System functions were completely disabled. The trading market existed in name only, utterly useless; no one was selling anything at a time like this...

They would no longer be able to obtain any additional supplies... Nor would there be any further aid...

At this moment...

Human civilization was severed and isolated into one lonely island after another.

On these islands, there was only despair...

One lamp after another was extinguished in the terror.

Accompanied by a deafening roar...

A Level 3 territory in a certain region was completely breached...

As this isolated war reached its seventh hour...

The figure of a Lord-level aberrant finally appeared formally on the battlefield.

At this moment, the entire Level 3 territory was dissolving, irradiated by an unknown force, constantly melting.

It was melting just like a heated candle.

"Someone help me, anyone..."

The last survivor prayed in despair... Pleading for anyone to offer help.

Half of his body had already melted into the ground, mixing into a "wax pool" formed by the melted tables, chairs, servants, and even other survivors...

But even so.

He still didn't want to die...

Within his melting eyes, there was a desperate yearning for life...

But, this night...

There were no miracles.