Chapter 1197 - 505: The Abyss's Ruin

Field, materials, rituals — unlike High-tier magic, which can be completed with just the consumption of Magic Power, Ritual Level magic must satisfy these three elements to be activated.

However, for true strongmen, these rules, revered as golden principles in the academy, sometimes do not apply.

By using one's own Magic Power to change the surrounding environment, using one's Jade Body, far superior to gold and gemstones, as materials, and replacing rituals with additional spellcasting actions like singing and dancing... solely relying on oneself to satisfy the three elements of Ritual Magic — this is a unique skill that only a Palace Strongman can achieve.

Yet, in the ancient times before the Kingdom was even established, there was another trick that could achieve this.

And that was the shamanesses who served the gods.

In that era of ignorance, many Fantasy Species and even Great Demons were revered as gods by humankind, and the shamanesses deeply bound to them also, to some extent, gained the Magic Creatures' ability to resonate with the world.

Therefore, when they prayed to their "gods," even with nothing in hand, they could wield power comparable to rituals.

The melodious singing echoed under the scorching Sun.

On this nearly thirty-story-high rooftop, no matter the shout, it was physically difficult to transmit to the ground.

However, when the girl spread her arms and began singing under the radiant Sun, the entire world suddenly became quiet.

Below, traffic slowed down, pedestrians stopped and gazed skyward.

The Shield Woman, who arrived at the rooftop right after her sister, also paused, staring blankly at everything happening before her.

The Shield Woman, who followed her sister to the rooftop, also stopped, staring blankly at what was happening before her.

In short —

The Sun is disappearing.

An eclipse — a celestial phenomenon where the satellite temporarily blocks the Sun's light, casting a shadow on the earth, suddenly appeared before everyone without warning.

Although everyone witnessing the darkness gradually enveloping the world could associate this phenomenon with the astronomical knowledge in their minds, a deeper instinct within screamed and warned: this is not the eclipse they know, but something that transcends human knowledge, something that reigns over this world's civilization, something terrifying.

As if to prove their instincts were not groundless, more extraordinary phenomena followed in quick succession.

Not just the Sun, but with the bewitching singing, the light of the whole world started extinguishing.

Someone tried taking out their phone to capture this astonishing scene, only to find the screen suddenly dimmed; someone at home watching TV found the picture suddenly went black, and the whole room plunged into darkness; drivers on the road turned on their car lights, yet no light could shine.

Dark, pitch black, jet black —

All light was dying.

For the source of all radiance in this world — the Sun — was in depravity.

Therefore, this planet, which thrived from the mere grace of the Sun, naturally couldn't escape the fate of Dead Silence.

[Fallen God activates skill: Dead Silence Star]

[Sing the Sin Song of the apocalypse, let the infernal blaze incinerate the world, Heaven weeps blood]

Unknowingly, the girl stopped singing, yet a faint low hum lingered around everyone's ears.

As if witnessing the unprecedented fear in their lives, as if falling from the top of the primates, they were forcibly awakened to their primitive memories of clinging to life in the caves millions of years ago, reverting back to those most primitive rodent-like creatures —

People fell to their knees, trembling like sieved husks, desperately seeking cover.

Some crawled under cars, some hid in bushes, and some even, in a state of madness, lifted a manhole cover and jumped into the sewer.

Only the Shield Woman remained at a minimum of calm, yet she too was at a loss, speechlessly watching this unfold.

Though this is the Illusion Realm, the changes within are not without logic, but largely based on the extrapolation of reality.

If a Pantheon Mage retained their Wisdom and traveled here, they could establish a corporation as wealthy as a nation in ten years...

So then, if a Great Demon, holding its peak Magic Power, suddenly descended here, how many days would there be until this world's Destruction?

The answer is this very scene before them.

In less than ten minutes after the girl ascended the rooftop, this enormous city had nearly come to a standstill.

Originally, barriers existed between world and world. According to the travel accounts of Traveling Mages, the greater the contrast in Magic Power concentration between worlds, the thicker the barrier — just as birds cannot dive into the seafloor and deep-sea fish cannot leap into the sky.

So theoretically, even as powerful as a Great Demon, invading such a weakly Magic-endowed world would be extremely difficult.

But after all, this is just the Illusion Realm, and there is no barrier here that obstructs.

And to restrict Adventurers from using Extraordinary Power to disrupt the Trial, the restraint is also nullified by the Dungeon's own blessing.

Thus, when the Fallen God was invoked by the Mute Girl here, the Dungeon reasonably concluded: this world is doomed.

[Descend Method]

1~4. Sun

5~8. Possession

9. Guardian Spirit

10. Great Success/Great Failure

D10=2

At last, the Sun was completely devoured.

Yet the world did not plunge into total darkness, but instead, a layer of hazy crimson luminescence draped, shrouding all living things on earth.

Simultaneously, the street lights lit up one by one, and various electronic devices returned to normal, but no one cared about these trivial matters anymore.

"What on earth is this..." the Shield Woman raised her head in bewilderment, gazing at the Sun that was once untouchable.

The edge of the dark fireball released a trace of golden-red afterglow; at the center of that originally blazing light, the silhouette of a girl curled up appeared distinctly.

As if that star had become a cosmic egg incubating an embryo, heralding that the moment of hatching would be the end for all life and civilization.

"This should just about do it."

The Mute Girl also looked up at this scene, the corners of her mouth lifting into a satisfied arc, then she looked down and turned around.

The Shield Woman looked at her younger sister with unfamiliarity, opened her mouth to say something, but her mind was blank. It wasn't until her sister brushed past her that she managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"...What do you want to do?"

"Sister." The Mute Girl slightly turned her head, looking at her with a half-smile — those once pure black pupils now had a crimson glow at some point.

"Humankind has lost reverence for too long; I just want them to reestablish their position."

Hearing this sentence, which had a very sisterly style, the Shield Woman held her forehead, at a loss whether to laugh or cry for a moment.

"...Am I dreaming?"

"If you think so, it actually doesn't matter." The Mute Girl laughed softly.

"For you, what exactly is reality? Is it a painless world? Is it a happy world?

"If reality is painful, would you choose to dream? And if dreams are painful, would you choose to wake up?"

Upon hearing this, the Shield Woman was momentarily stunned.

Although the world was still cloaked in a dim red gloom, she inexplicably sensed the importance of this question in her sister's tone.

Thus, her mind involuntarily withdrew from this absurdity, and after a long silence, she gave an answer.

"Whether happiness or pain, a dream is a dream, and reality is reality."

This is a reasonable answer. For the Shield Woman, cultivated as a business elite from a young age, in order to break away from her parents' control to raise her sister, and who amassed tremendous wealth during college, respecting reality and logical thinking is essential.

It is also this thinking pattern engraved deep in her soul that allowed her to succeed in the Otherworld, even after losing her memory, right?

"Uh-huh, so for you, 'experiencing' is what's more important," the Mute Girl smiled softly, that appearance felt a bit unfamiliar to the Shield Woman.

"Since you will wake up eventually, having a happy dream is alright, right? Even if the experiences aren't real, these experiences can buffer the pain." The Mute Girl continued.

"Though that's what I think, it seems to be against my will, and I can only take another route."

The Shield Woman thought for a moment, nodded as if she understood, and asked again.

"Then what is it that you want to do now?"

"It's simple." The Mute Girl's soft demeanor vanished, and her smile gradually turned ferocious.

"I want to show that deadpan and chicken wings what it means to mess with someone they shouldn't!"

[Huanglan Group VS Sunset Divine Court (failure in confrontation requires guidance)]

D435=82

D511=398