Chapter 1535 - 971: A Step Ahead (Part 2)

Chapter 1535: Chapter 971: A Step Ahead (Part 2)

The previous second was a frenzied battle shaking the planes, and the next it was just Carlos standing alone on the scorched earth he had personally torn apart.

The roar of battle suddenly ceased, leaving only the bubbling sound of rolling lava and the distant screech of spatial rifts, highlighting the absurdity of the silence.

Carlos’s massive divine form slowly contracted and solidified, finally reverting to his usual form of a Rock Giant standing nearly three meters tall.

The land beneath his feet was already shattered beyond recognition, its original appearance lost. The combat, which both sides approached head-on, had thoroughly altered the terrain of this area.

It seems this place will need a new name.

He hovered above the fragmented sea of lava, and the fine cracks on his body rapidly healed under the circulation of runes, leaving only a few almost unnoticeable white scuffs, like shallow marks polished by wind and sand on ancient rocks.

Kana’s figure silently appeared beside him, her golden divine eyes sweeping over Carlos’s almost negligible "injuries" on the surface.

The situation on the other side silently passed through her eyes, as a silent assessment took place in her mind.

Carlos noticed Kana’s gaze, and his rocky lips seemed to pull slightly, emitting a deep, resonant voice.

"What is it? Rarely see these kind of divine level ’flesh wounds’?"

His tone carried a calmness that comes from experiencing countless similar scenarios, with even a touch of teasing.

"Seeing the battle shake the heavens and earth, it seemed as if the next moment would determine life or death.

"But for us gods who lean towards defense and pure power collision, unless faced with conflicting rules or the other possesses some ultimate ’destruction’ or ’annihilation’ force, fights often just turn out like this."

He didn’t know much about Kana, only realizing that the other was truly young and a newly born life, curious that Kana seldom participated in such combat between lives.

He raised his rock arm and lightly tapped his chest with his knuckles, producing a dull "thud" as if striking a mountain rock.

"The resilience of rock, the pulse of mountains, the weight of stars... these are the principles my rules depend upon. And that Magrum, his power core is the brute force of ’impact’ and ’destruction,’ equally forceful.

"We are like two hardest stones colliding, sparks flying, rumbling the universe, but to really shatter each other?

"It’s difficult, even in this Blood Battle Battlefield of the Abyss, battling for decades or centuries, as long as divine power doesn’t run out, most likely all we would do is scrape off some ’stone powder’ from each other."

He paused, with a hint of self-deprecating humor in his voice.

"So, often I rely on these ’hard bones’ of mine to wear out my opponent’s patience and divine power, ’dragging’ the battle to victory."

The golden stream of data in Kana’s eyes slightly paused, then returned to a steady flow.

She nodded, her voice calm in response:

"An indestructible defense is indeed enviable. My rules in pure physical defense cannot reach the height of Lord Carlos."

"Ha, each has its own strengths and weaknesses."

Carlos waved his hand, his expression slightly more serious.

"But Kana, in this Blood Battle Battlefield of the Abyss, especially during such intense close combat divine wars where every punch counts, caution is paramount.

"The rules of the Abyss infiltrate all gaps; they will silently stir your anger, amplify your battle intent, causing you to make decisions driven by... not so ’godly’ impulses under heated passion.

"Just like earlier with Magrum, if he hadn’t taken that harsh hit, he might still be stuck in that frenzied melee, unable to extricate himself."

He looked at Kana, his lava-like gaze carrying a warning.

"Although these are minor influences, possibly not affecting the overall judgment, troubles that can be avoided should indeed be avoided. Your rules seem to have strong resistance to this, yet constant vigilance is necessary."

This is nearly the universal perception every god has when seeing Kana, regarding the feelings brought by her main rules.

It is a kind of cold order, absolute order.

Though its significance is unclear, this calmness serves as a natural defender of the spirit.

"Thanks for the reminder, I will be cautious."

Kana earnestly agreed.

The two gods exchanged no further words, their figures simultaneously blurring, and in the next moment, they had traversed space, appearing on the newly set frontline where the smoke of battle had yet to completely dissipate ahead of the Blood War Fortress.

The scene before them had notably changed from when they left.

A fortification constructed from earth and steel, exuding the radiance of order, rooted firmly in the charred land like a meandering giant dragon, replacing the previous jagged temporary battle line.

The main structure of the defensive line was led by the logistics construction unit of the Blood War Fortress.

Several humanoid beings, made of sleek black obsidian—Earth Shapers—were plunging their thick "arms" deep into the tainted soil of the Abyss.

With the pulsation of earthy yellow light on their bodies, the ground groaned, and solid, massive stone walls rose rumblingly like living entities, forming the most primitive yet sturdy framework of the fortifications.

Many beings have such abilities; the reason these were tasked with this is due to their strong resilience to the Abyssal environment.

They can operate their powers within the Abyss environment unaffected.

Afterwards, the mages of the Blood War Fortress stepped forth, their hands casting arcane brilliance, guiding the flow of magic power.

The rough surface of the stone walls seemed as if an invisible chisel sculpted it, corners smoothed and fortified, shooting holes and embrasures precisely molded, defensive runes quietly inscribed within the walls, enhancing overall magical and physical resistance.

Minotaur Shamans carried their massive totem poles, sitting cross-legged at the base of the walls.

Their deep chants resonated like the pulse of the earth, carrying the power of the Ancestral Spirit.

The totem poles were deeply inserted into the ground, verdant Natural Energy spreading like roots, entwining the freshly risen stone walls, infusing them with vigorous life and additional toughness, resisting the corrosive forces of the Abyss.

The Night Watcher’s logistics unit, on the other hand, displayed a different kind of efficiency and precision atop this primordial "musculoskeletal" structure.

They drove vehicles, rapidly hoisting and assembling the pre-fabricated giant composite steel plates glinting with cold metal light onto the front and key points of the city walls.

The steel plates fit seamlessly, emitting a dull metallic locking sound.

More notable were the complex defensive rune arrays pre-etched on the steel plate surfaces, which lit up with azure light upon completion, linking together to form a unified Energy Shield Generator covering large segments of the city wall.

Its reinforcing effect and energy resistance even drew a few extra glances from the mages of the Blood War Fortress nearby.

Sixteen brand-new Floating Towers, like silent steel sentinels, hovered above the city walls in the high sky.

The massive, sleek metal structures reflected a cold sheen under the abyss’s dark red sky; their rotating rune loops and ready-to-fire turret arrays silently proclaimed their formidable firepower delivery capability.

They serve as the aerial eyes and heavy hitters of this nascent defensive line.

Behind the line, the camp setup was even more astonishingly efficient.

Standard modular barracks provided by the Night Watchers were swiftly assembled like building blocks; logistics supply points, medical stations, temporary workshops, energy nodes, and other facilities were orderly arranged.

Fortresses unique to the Blood War Fortress soldiers, more rugged yet equally solid stone-wood hybrids, dotted the area.

The breath of order staunchly supported a stable foothold on this land tainted by the foulness of the Abyss.

Carlos’s lava-like gaze swept over the preliminary structured, solid defensive line, blending the best characteristics of both factions, then looked towards the distant demon camp’s murky aura, somewhat disorganized and reluctant due to the gods’ departure and the alliance army’s retreat, showing a satisfied expression on his stone-like face.

His heavy voice echoed beside Kana, bearing a sense of certainty after the dust settled:

"It succeeded. With such a defense, unless the demons come in full force, launching a wave-like total assault regardless of cost, don’t expect to shake it one bit in a short time."

He turned to look at Kana, his lava-like gaze holding a hint of approval and comradeship.

"This time, as we actively drew our swords, cleared the flanks, and achieved the connecting objective—flawlessly accomplished."