Lord of Prayer - Chapter 97 - 85: Loyal and Devoted

Chapter 97: Chapter 85: Loyal and Devoted

If Zhou Chen had to describe what it felt like to be blindsided, he’d say it felt… well, like being blindsided.

“Why are you bombarding the place with rocket launchers…”

’Son of a bitch, why.’

Upon learning of Jiang Che’s bombardment plan, Zhou Chen’s vision went dark as he asked the question.

“For convenience, of course.”

Jiang Che said calmly, “It’s such an efficient method. Is there any reason not to use it?”

Anyone who survived the explosions would surely be an Ascender, and an important member of the Eternal Fire at that. After being ravaged by the blasts, they would be weakened and unable to put up much of a fight. This would be crucial for the operation.

“I get all that, but I’m in here too!”

Zhou Chen asked indignantly, “Are you trying to get me killed along with them?”

“Don’t you have your Alchemy Armor?” Jiang Che sighed. ’Do I really seem that ruthless?’

“Oh, right… What about Li Xiaoxiao? What if a missile lands right on our faces?”

“Through meticulous calculations, we have determined the impact point of every missile and the radius of its blast. As long as you stay in the conference room, your lives won’t be in danger.”

Just as Jiang Che said this, Zhou Chen heard a piercing whistle from the sky.

Immediately after, a deafening explosion erupted. The ground shook violently, as if a level-twelve earthquake, a level-twelve hurricane, and a level-twelve volcanic eruption had all struck at once. The entire estate was instantly plunged into a Purgatory Fire Sea.

One, two, three… Giant Fireballs rose into the air, blooming into magnificent mushroom clouds in the night sky.

The storm surged. Wherever the scorching winds passed, everything was swallowed by the brilliant glare of the flames.

The walls of the conference room were blown out in an instant, and the windowpanes shattered into a million pieces.

Scalding Fiery Fire and a shockwave surged forward like a tsunami. Zhou Chen judged that this level of impact didn’t require him to summon his Alchemy Battle Armor, so he raised his left arm and summoned an Alloy Round Shield to protect himself.

BOOM!

Everyone there was an Ascender, and they all defended themselves almost instinctively. Still, the terrifying force of the blast sent them flying. Some slammed heavily into the walls, while others crashed right through them and out of the room.

Smoke and dust filled the air. Zhou Chen, covered in grime, coughed as he picked himself up from the hallway floor. He was one of the ones who had been blasted out of the room.

RUMBLE… The floor of the hallway began to give way. He leaped backward, covering several meters in a single bound. The next second, the spot where he had just been standing collapsed with a roar, sending up a thick cloud of dust as it fell.

The piercing screams of countless Cultists echoed from the floors below. The terrifying heat from the missiles, hot enough to melt steel, had erupted on impact and swept through the entire estate.

As ordinary people, the vast majority of Cultists had no way to resist. In the blink of an eye, they were dead or grievously injured. The few lucky enough to survive could only scream in helpless despair.

Destruction had arrived.

The luxurious estate was completely shrouded in fire and thick smoke, a scene of utter devastation.

“Activate… the ritual…” In the distance, blood trickled from Poisonous Spider’s forehead. She pulled a black card from the valley of her bosom and, with a sharp RRRIP, tore it in two.

The card instantly burned to ash. Immediately, the screams from downstairs twisted into inhuman shrieks.

Flames—pitch-black flames of death—ignited in every corner of the estate. Like demonic spirits from Hell, they spread and climbed outward, extinguishing the crimson Fiery Fire brought by the missiles.

At that moment, a dense, terrifying fire from the Abyss blazed wantonly, corrupting and transforming all the Cultists.

The charred corpses, whether dismembered or whole, began to merge under the burning black flames, gradually transforming into bizarrely shaped Abyssal Creatures.

Fire Slaves, demonic hounds, two-headed wolves, wicked fire-pythons… and even more strange, fused monsters emerged from the fire of the Abyss. They radiated intense mental corruption and the disastrous aura of the Abyss.

Just then, an Alchemy Grenade was thrown into the midst of the Abyssal Creatures. It rolled and rolled, finally stopping at the feet of one of them.

BOOM!

Flames flared and shrapnel flew. This was a grenade enhanced with Alchemy Enchantment, highly effective against Abyssal Creatures. Amidst inhuman screams and wails, gunfire erupted. Members of the Raven Legion and Operators from the Star Association stormed the castle from all directions, their Enchanted Firearms spewing flames of death.

They slaughtered with chilling efficiency.

At that moment, another aftershock from the explosions rocked the building, and the sound of collapsing structures came from many parts of the villa. Zhou Chen glanced over and saw the wall next to Li Xiaoxiao about to give way. He rushed over and pulled her away just as the wall came crashing down.

CRASH… Amidst the billowing dust, Zhou Chen looked down at Li Xiaoxiao in his arms, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

“Are you okay?”

’He’s actually worried about me…’ The thought somehow flashed through Li Xiaoxiao’s mind. She nodded, and just as she was about to speak, the roar of gunfire echoed from the collapsed section of the hallway.

“Shh, let’s go. The attackers came prepared. It’s not wise to get bogged down in a fight.” Zhou Chen’s face was grim. He helped Li Xiaoxiao up and led her forward, acting like a loyal subordinate.

“Where are we going?” Li Xiaoxiao asked.

’To walk right into the trap, of course. You’re worth a first-class merit medal…’ Zhou Chen’s expression was solemn. “We have to escape. Is there a safe passage around here?”

Li Xiaoxiao’s expression was dark and uncertain. The attack had been so sudden that her mind was still reeling. “To the fourth floor. There’s a hidden passage there that leads straight to the basement. I don’t know if it’s still intact.”

When the two reached the staircase, they found it had long since been blown away. There was only empty space. Looking down, a wave of heat washed over them, and all they could see was a charred crater burning with flames.

Fortunately, as Ascenders, their physical abilities allowed them to simply jump up.

“Leave her behind, will you?”

A voice sounded from behind them.

In the shadow cast by a doorway, the Darkness writhed, and a figure slowly rose from it.

It was a Western man wearing a top hat, a black tailcoat, and a bow tie, holding an ornate Walking Stick in his hand.

—The Gentleman!

Zhou Chen’s heart sank. The Gentleman really had appeared amidst the chaos. Jiang Che had predicted this and made preparations, but the plan was for the Raven Legion to deal with the Gentleman, not him!

He was just a poor, weak, and helpless mole.

Just then, Zhou Chen felt an inexplicable sinking sensation at his feet, as if he were trapped in a mire with no escape. He looked down to see his own shadow had transformed into a black pool, and it was swallowing him.

A Shadow Pool also appeared at Li Xiaoxiao’s feet, but it was instantly incinerated by her Chaos Fire. Without so much as a glance at Zhou Chen, she leaped to a higher floor, her heavy footsteps echoing as she fled on her own.

The Gentleman swiftly melted into a pool of shadow and pursued her, seeping up through the cracks in the wall. His primary target had always been Li Xiaoxiao; dealing with Zhou Chen would have been a waste of time.

’Holy shit, what a bitch! She just ran?’

Zhou Chen’s eyes widened. A pale flame erupted from beneath his feet, causing the Shadow Pool to boil violently until it disintegrated. Then, he leaped up in pursuit.