Lord of Prayer - Chapter 104 - 89: Art is Patrick Star

Chapter 104: Chapter 89: Art is Patrick Star

“Take things? What do you mean?” Erin asked, confused.

“This is a warehouse. You don’t break into an enemy’s warehouse just to leave empty-handed, do you?”

Zhou Chen picked up an Essence Crystal and began converting it. In just a moment, his Essence was fully restored. Then, with practiced movements, he opened several crates and stuffed all the useful items into a burlap sack.

“…”

Erin’s expression was a little strange. The noble etiquette she’d been taught since childhood told her stealing was wrong, but her will to survive and her common sense told her to keep her mouth shut.

“By the way, you’re an Ascender too, right?” Zhou Chen asked as he pried open another crate. “There’s no way you could have handled the Destructive’s recoil otherwise.”

“Yes.”

“Want to grab some for yourself? I can’t carry all this on my own.” Zhou Chen’s reasoning was sound. “Don’t feel guilty. They stole all this stuff in the first place. It’s better we take it to strengthen ourselves than leave it for them to enjoy. This is a warehouse for the Eternal Fire. You must have heard of them—the Abyss Church.”

“The Abyss Church…” Erin clearly knew of the Abyss Church’s existence, and a hint of Fear showed on her face. In the period just after Zone 052 was unsealed, the Abyss Church had committed horrific crimes in the Laine Kingdom, making countless people pale at the mere mention of their name.

As for joining him… She shook her head. ’If Father and Mother ever found out I did something like this, I’d be in for a world of punishment when I get back.’

Zhou Chen didn’t press the issue and went back to his rummaging. He soon had the burlap sack stuffed to the brim.

’Time to bail.’

He shouldered the sack, called to Erin, and the two of them left the Room in the Crack. However, when they reached the library, the scene outside made Zhou Chen frown.

Before them was a scene of countless viscous, dark substances. It clung to the bookshelves, dripped from the chandeliers, and coated the ceiling. The entire room looked as if it had been corroded by some unknown organism, shrouding it in gloom. Even more of the dark liquid was seeping from cracks in the walls, threatening to flood the entire space.

“All units, listen up—”

Jiang Che’s serious warning came through the communication channel:

“The Gentleman has used an unknown Forbidden Object to expand the range of the Shadow Demon Pool. His main body is on the first floor fighting Li Xiaoxiao. All units, move to prevent the further spread of the Shadow Demon Pool and capture Li Xiaoxiao alive at all costs!”

’Shit, he’s on the first floor. At the rate the Shadow Demon Pool is spreading, the whole floor must be covered… How are we going to get out?’ Zhou Chen’s mind raced as he quickly pulled a mechanical, steel-forged backpack from his sack.

This was an external Essence Conversion Device. For a Transcendent, it was like having an extra, high-capacity external fuel tank.

He stuffed the conversion device full of high-purity Essence Crystals, put it on his back, and began to craft Alchemy Bombs by hand.

One, two, three…

With the external Essence Conversion Device, there was no need to worry about running out of Essence. He quickly crafted four Alchemy Bombs containing concentrated Cyan Flame.

The carefully crafted bombs were a size smaller, but their power had nearly doubled. Each one was filled to the brim with maximally compressed Soul-Burning Flame.

“Do you like fireworks?” Zhou Chen looked at Erin, who was standing beside him like a well-behaved lady.

“Huh?” Erin looked baffled. She hesitated before answering, “When I was little, I always envied the kids who got to play with fireworks, but Father and Mother never let me touch anything that dangerous. Once I grew up, I never really had the chance…”

“Well, now’s your chance.”

Without another word, Zhou Chen shoved two Alchemy Bombs into her arms. “In a bit, we’re going to run into a very, very bad person. When I throw mine, you throw yours too. Throw them all, understand?”

“…”

Erin knew these were special circumstances, so she had no choice but to take them.

The two retraced Zhou Chen’s steps back to the basement level. Zhou Chen could hear a deafening commotion from the floor above, as well as the Shadow Matter constantly flowing down through the cracks in the building.

“It’s not a huge problem if this stuff touches you, but whatever you do, don’t get trapped in the mire. Unless you have some special way to break free, once you’re pulled into the Shadow Demon Pool, your soul will be devoured bit by bit.”

Zhou Chen’s expression was grim, his tone solemn as he warned her. This was from his own personal experience.

’To this day, he still couldn’t forget the fear of being on the verge of death.’

The Shadow Demon Pool was a Derivative Ability the Gentleman developed after becoming a Corrupter. All living beings pulled into it would have their Souls devoured. The cold, viscous Shadow Matter would envelop every inch of skin, every single pore.

It would surge into your nasal cavity, fill your esophagus, and pour into your lungs and stomach…

It was like falling into Hell. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. You couldn’t hear a single sound or see a single speck of light. There was only endless, sprawling Darkness, accompanied by a sense of weightlessness as you slowly sank. You could clearly feel your body’s warmth and life ebbing away, able to do nothing but wait helplessly for death…

If the rescue team hadn’t arrived in time, he would have been a corpse.

The two found a gap that hadn’t yet been contaminated by the Shadow Matter and easily leaped up to the first floor.

The entire first floor was covered in a deep layer of Shadow Matter, like a muddy swamp. The building’s interior had been almost completely demolished, leaving a clear line of sight.

The Gentleman stood motionless upon the black sea, leaning on his Walking Stick. He looked prim and proper, a faint smile on his face as he gazed into the distance.

Monsters made of black ooze, formed from coalesced Shadow Matter, were launching a ferocious assault on Li Xiaoxiao. She, in turn, controlled her Abyssal Plants to defend herself. Vines lashed out, and Cannibal Flowers gnawed at the creatures… But these monsters were made of Shadow Matter; as long as the Shadow Demon Pool existed, they were endless.

The roar of gunfire echoed from all around. The Operators were also being attacked by Shadow Monsters. The exoskeletal armor they wore protected them from being devoured by the Shadow Demon Pool, but the unending tide of ooze monsters slowed their assault.

“My lady, tell me the whereabouts of that item, and I can help you leave this place.” The Gentleman smiled with refined grace. “I always keep my word.”

Li Xiaoxiao waved her hand, and long, razor-sharp leaves flew out, slicing through several ooze monsters. She asked coldly, “Fallen Paradise wants to stick its nose in this, too?”

“It would be a true shame to miss out on such a rare treasure.”

The Gentleman lightly tapped his Walking Stick. The Shadow Demon Pool began to boil violently, spewing forth a viscous torrent of darkness as even more Shadow Monsters emerged from the black pool.

“My lady, my time is limited. Please make your decision quickly… Any later, and it will be very difficult to leave.”

Li Xiaoxiao didn’t answer, coldly manipulating her plants to fight the attacking shadow creatures.

Behind a pillar.

Zhou Chen stealthily poked his head out. After confirming no one had noticed him, he pulled back and whispered to Erin, “Let’s hit him with something big while he’s not looking.”

“Something big?”

“Yeah, big.” Zhou Chen asked, “You ever hear the saying? Art is…”

“An explosion?” Erin had clearly heard the phrase before.

“Nope—” Zhou Chen grabbed two Alchemy Bombs and hurled them with all his might toward the Gentleman.

Seeing him move, Erin hurriedly threw her Alchemy Bombs as well. She might look petite and delicate, but as an Ascender, her physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

“Hm?” The Gentleman whipped his head around, spotting four iron balls hurtling toward him at high speed.

In the next instant, in mid-air, it was as if ten million thunderclaps detonated at once, a tyrannical roar that echoed in everyone’s ears, savaging their eardrums and terrifying their souls.

A terrifying, brilliant light, bright enough to sear one’s pupils, erupted forth.

Light.

Tore through everything.

The ground trembled and hummed, like a volcano that had been building pressure for a thousand years finally erupting. A searing white wave of fire, driven by a shocking blast of air pressure, surged outwards. It became a tide rushing in all directions, unstoppably tearing the viscous Shadow Matter to shreds and blasting it away. Under the scorching heat of the Soul-Burning Flame, the entire Shadow Demon Pool met with a swift and total annihilation.

Like a grand fireworks show.

At the center of the explosion, the white-hot light mercilessly engulfed the Gentleman, followed immediately by his shrill, agonized screams.

’How melodious.’

Only then did Zhou Chen turn to look at Erin. Her golden hair was flying, her face was stunned, and her azure eyes reflected the blazing light. He broke into a genuinely delighted smile.

“—Art, is Patrick Star.”