Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 647: Chapter 538 War_1

What day is it?

The Colonel furrowed his brow, unable to comprehend this strange question.

Because only in the Current Circumstances does the concept of a seven-day week exist.

Time in Hell is a bizarre thing. Generally, the further one is from the Current Circumstances, the more erratic and discontinuous time becomes.

Unless there is a framework of the Creator connected to the Rainbow Bridge for synchronization at any time, it is quite difficult to accurately determine the passage of time.

And, according to the calculations of the Scholars, in the region of Depth Nine, time usually operates at a ratio of 1.34. That is to say, 1.34 days here are equivalent to one day in the Current Circumstances.

He looked down at his watch.

According to the conversion of the depth meter, the time in the Current Circumstances was roughly two o’clock in the afternoon. It was Monday.

The Colonel was taken aback for a moment, feeling something furry pass by his feet. Its soft tail brushed against his leg; he could feel the silky fur.

”MEOW.”

On the ground, a little Black Cat opened its amber eyes wide and meowed at him in a tiny, kittenish voice.

But the Colonel reacted as though facing a great enemy, stepping back, a chill running down his spine—When had this thing gotten so close? Why hadn’t the Refracting prism he’d specifically prepared given any warning?

Without a second thought, he drew his precious sidearm, aimed it at the Black Cat staring at him, and pulled the trigger.

He emptied an entire magazine in a roar of gunfire. Before the spent magazine hit the ground, a new one was loaded.

He raised the handgun again.

All he saw was the mangled, bloody carcass of a Black Cat lying on the ground.

He had overreacted.

Just as he came to that conclusion, he heard a gentle sound from behind.

”MEOW.”

He whirled around. Peering through the gaps between fire and darkness, he caught a glimpse of multiple pairs of slowly opening eyes—amber, calm, and indifferent—staring at him.

They meowed softly.

”MEOW.”

And behind him, the Black Cat’s mangled body was rapidly fading, as if it had never existed.

Only the bullet holes in the ground still held a trace of its fresh blood. When something invisible stepped in it, a line of bloody paw prints was left on the ground.

”MEOW.”

A brand new Black Cat emerged from the void, glanced back at him, and walked into the flames.

And more cats were crouched atop the desolate ruins of the refinery—on the steel frames, on the shattered gas tanks, on the walls, on the ground, amidst the rubble—their little tails twitching.

Their black fur reflected the blazing fire, dyeing it a deep crimson.

It wasn’t the least bit abrupt, as if they had always been a part of this place.

No, it’s more accurate to say they followed the Ivory Tower and the Ivy League. They stepped over each corpse and weapon, walked among those with killing intent and cold gazes, meowing gently. Finally, at this moment, they revealed their forms, proclaiming their existence.

Its name is ’War’.

Right under Huai Shi’s feet, a Black Cat sat upright, its tail leisurely swinging in the air, observing everything that would soon be engulfed by flames and darkness.

It waited tamely.

Huai Shi smiled and reached out—

”AHHHHHHH!!!”

A roar thundered from within the inferno.

Without any hesitation, following the Colonel’s counterattack, one hundred and sixteen Centaur Cavalry from the Fat Land pulled their giant bows to the limit. Amidst the clear, low hum of steel and bowstring, heavy arrows pierced through the air.

Piercing Armor Heavy Arrows whistled into the sky, descending from above with the scorching heat of the fierce wind.

A rain of iron engulfed the land.

But even faster than that was the strange square frame that appeared above the Black Cat’s head.

The moment Huai Shi reached out, an invisible switch was activated.

”MEOW.”

It meowed softly, glancing at Huai Shi. In the elongated square frame above its head, three rows of patterns began to rotate rapidly. The sound of countless parts grinding together emanated from behind the frame, sparks flying.

Amid the whistling, it suddenly stopped.

Foremost was a totem of explosion, followed by two patterns resembling burning droplets of blood.

In that instant, numerous illusory Black Cats suddenly dispersed, turning into smoke, blanketing Huai Shi’s forces at a terrifying speed, faster than the arrows.

”ROAR!!!!”

From within the hunched bodies of the Rat-men, a roar as resonant as that of a Giant Beast resounded.

A shower of arrows rained down.

As the scattered dust gradually dissipated, what was revealed were pairs of eyes burning with blood-red flames, and bodies that had inflated like balloons.

The Abyss Ratmen, who could normally only serve as cannon fodder in the Abyss, had suddenly undergone a transformation, almost making one believe they had encountered the fanatical legion of the legendary Crowned, the Lord of the White Tent, and the Corpse Forest Monarch—the Dead Black Corps.

They were not inferior to those Stitched Giant Rats created through forbidden drugs and surgery. As blood invigorated their curled spines, their muscles expanded. Under their glossy black fur, a network of purple veins surfaced on their swollen bodies.

Even the toxin crystals embedded in their flesh began to show hints of scarlet.

It made one wonder if poking these Rat-men with a needle would cause them to burst like balloons.

Literally boiling blood rushed through their veins, bringing a thousandfold pain but, at the same time, unimaginable strength. Under the influence of hormones and their current state, their minds were completely engulfed in frenzy, numb to these insignificant torments.

Even when impaled by iron arrows falling from the sky, they would carelessly pull them out, toss them aside, and let fresh blood gush from the open wounds.

At this moment, the Department of Justice’s role had taken a completely different turn. It was no longer coercing them with decrees to charge but forcing them to await Huai Shi’s command: to stay put and not rush to confront the fully armored Minotaur warriors.

You’re not even as tall as their shoulders, for heaven’s sake!

Even so, those bloodshot eyes, consumed by brutality and madness, could hardly wait to throw themselves into the fray.

Even Huai Shi hadn’t expected the ”War and Peace” enhancement to be so exaggerated. No, it should be said that the Rat-men’s original quality was so poor that the ’War’ buff had driven them into such madness.

This time his luck wasn’t bad. Although he didn’t hit the triple-match jackpot for the same boost from ’War’s benefits, the result was still top-tier.

Apart from ’Urging moment’, which increased explosive power specifically for encounter battles, he had randomly obtained double ’Blood Madness,’ double ’Madness,’ and ’Enhanced Recovery Speed’!

Compared to the Rat-men who had undergone a metamorphosis, the Gargoyles had hardly changed, but the ferocious aura they emitted was uncontrollably spreading, as if they had truly transformed from stone statues into Demons.

The Snake-man Undead Army’s Lizard mounts had turned a purplish-green, snorting heavily and screeching in high, shrill tones. Even restrained by the Knights’ reins, they struggled to contain their predatory impulse.

”Your command, Your Excellency,” the Snake-man’s Elder said in a hoarse voice, maintaining restraint amidst the frenzied urge.

”A command, you say?” Huai Shi thought for a moment and then chuckled softly. ”To be honest, I don’t understand tactics and the ways of war. You are the true professionals. But now that the war has begun, there can only be one command.”

He raised the Sword of Virtue in his hand, pointing it towards the steel array advancing towards them with battle cries, and issued his sole command.

”Bring me victory!”

”As You wish, Your Excellency.”

The Elder bowed his head.

In that instant, the final restraint was released.

All the frenzied Rat-men roared, clutching their crude Axe Blades and Long Spears, and fervently threw themselves at the Minotaur Warriors’ formation.

Incredibly, they bore the brunt of the countless arrows raining down from the skies, charging at an iron wall that left no gaps.

Faster than them were the Gargoyles, who ascended into the sky and then dove back down.

When the Gargoyles, each at least three meters tall, folded their bat-like wings and plummeted from the sky, they became veritable kinetic weapons, causing a tremendous impact.

With the earth trembling from their impact, they engaged in close combat, stashing their javelins and drawing their long halberds. They slashed and cleaved through the Minotaur ranks, the clash of weapons creating a constant din.

With the strength of just a dozen Gargoyles, they carved several horrific breaches in the Minotaur Heavy Armor Team’s defenses. The Rat-men, consumed by ’Blood Madness,’ then swarmed through, dragging the Minotaurs into a protracted melee.

It was unavoidable.

Even with the War Aura bestowing upon them ultimate explosive power and double frenzy and regeneration, the Rat-men’s crude weapons were still insufficient to break through the Minotaur Warriors’ exquisite armor.

And these Minotaur Samurai, trained in warfare from a young age, were each skilled fighters. Although the frenzy compensated for the Rat-men’s lack of fighting spirit, how could these creatures, who had always relied on numbers, compare to their enemies’ individual prowess? Despite charging through the breaches, the Rat-men suffered terrible losses under the skilled coordination of the Minotaur Warriors.

Even if they could get up again after being slashed twice and gutted, a few more cuts would still prove fatal.

They were now only maintaining a fragile standoff due to their sheer numbers. Previously, with their wretched morale, this group of Rat-men would likely have disintegrated as an organized force long ago. How could they possibly sustain the current stalemate?

To truly achieve a breakthrough, they still relied on the Gargoyles, the elite force that had broken into the enemy formation.

The Undead Army first launched two volleys at the flanks, but sadly, these had little effect against the heavy armor. The Elder decisively changed targets. He stowed his bow, drew his Horse Knife, and spurred his frenzied Lizard mount towards the assembled Centaur regiments.

”Cholulu!” the Elder roared as they charged. ”Hold my banner high!”

The robust second-in-command neighed, snatching the Undead Army’s Banner from the original standard-bearer’s hands. He increased speed, closely following the Elder, holding the banner high to transmit the Elder’s command to those behind.

Four hundred paces.

Full army charge!