The Veil of Doomsday

Kang De witnessed the nuclear explosion.

Although it was born from the purest destructive desires of humankind on Earth and was launched on the orders of the Mad King, this dazzling radiation was ultimately brought to this pure otherworld by Kang De himself.

The mushroom cloud soared into the sky, radiating an unparalleled brilliance that illuminated the heavens and the earth.

Although the distance was extremely far and the Horus armor provided protection, the scorching wind still crossed the sea, blowing in all directions like a cataclysmic storm.

Even though he had a relatively clear understanding of the destructive power of nuclear weapons, it was only based on images he had seen in video materials. Now, he was witnessing it with his own eyes.

That was just a tactical nuclear bomb with a yield of 340,000 tons.

The most powerful nuclear bomb ever made by mankind has a yield of 50 million tons.

In that most terrifying era when human Civilization teetered on the brink of destruction, there was even a plan to detonate a billion-ton hydrogen bomb on the America off the west coast of the United States, triggering a massive tsunami that would engulf the country.

"Truly a weapon belonging to the devil."

He sighed softly, "Einstein and Oppenheimer, those scientists who proposed and assisted in the creation of atomic weapons, hoped that this incredibly powerful bomb would become a sharp weapon to defend world peace. But the romantic and naive scientists underestimated the darkness of human nature and the greed of politicians. In the end, it became a tool for hegemonic expansion and intimidation of the world... It's truly a miracle that the world is still at peace today."

This B61-11 bunker buster nuclear bomb has a yield of 340 kilotons, which seems like a small fry compared to its predecessors from the Cold War era, which had yields of millions or tens of millions of kilotons.

But it is many times more dangerous than the former.

Because the fusion efficiency of nuclear weapons is constantly improving, while their size is constantly decreasing, they can even be deployed from a fighter jet.

For example, the next version of this tactical nuclear bomb, the B61-12, has an adjustable yield, with a maximum yield of only 50 kilotons and a minimum yield of only 300 kilotons. This improved version has already shown the subtle change in the American Empire's nuclear strike concept, and it is an extremely dangerous change.

This transformation is enough to make this pocket-sized tactical nuclear bomb the most dangerous nuclear weapon ever made.

Thermonuclear weapons with yields of tens of millions of tons are only fit to lie in silos and warehouses as a show of force, while tactical nuclear bombs with a minimum yield of 300 tons would provoke the idea of use—in today's world, it is not only Kang De who realized the inadequacy of conventional weapons, but the US military is the same.

When a salvo of dozens of costly Tomahawk missile fails to destroy an airfield, a single, minimally powerful tactical nuclear weapon can achieve its purpose. If the U. S. military, which is constantly suffering setbacks in the Middle East, takes the most dangerous step, the America Doomsday Clock at the University of Chicago will be ticking down to within a minute.

Because once this precedent is set, in any future conflict or friction between the U. S. military and any country, missiles and bombs launched by F-35 fighter jets, B-2 bombers, or other launchers may be implicitly assumed to be carrying nuclear warheads.

"At least this time it was used for the right purpose."

Horus was thus comforted.

Kang De sighed slowly, "Indeed... but I'm afraid the consequences will be endless. Compared to a nuclear Mass Projection, the sound and light effects and the shock of a mass projection far surpass the former... All countries have long-range surveillance capabilities like spy satellites; they may have all seen this scene."

He didn't believe that a single nuclear bomb would make monarchs of various countries cower in fear and submit to the utmost, daring not to harbor the slightest disloyalty or malice—just as he didn't believe that Mass Projection could solve all problems.

Perhaps the overt malice and hostility will temporarily subside, but the covert targeting and hostility will increase many times over. How can those high-ranking monarchs and rulers allow a second sun to appear above their heads?

After a sigh, Kang De smiled again, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, we'll just deal with whatever comes our way. I have no intention of going along with them. We'll settle things sooner or later—we'll deal with the future later, let's deal with the present one. So, is it completely dead?"

Although the 340,000-ton nuclear bomb struck him head-on, and the God of the Star Palace was still inside the blast center, theoretically he should be completely dead, Kang De was still somewhat uneasy.

When the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima, there was a survivor just 300 meters from the epicenter because an extremely thick concrete load-bearing wall blocked the shock wave and heat Fallout. As for whether the deep-sea behemoth with a body like a mountain, extremely strong regenerative and defensive capabilities, and even an anti-gravity force field could be knocked out by this tactical thermonuclear warhead, Kang De was not entirely sure.

"Unable to observe, Father, your Phoenix Eyes?"

Kang De shook his head. "It's just endless light and heat, like staring straight into hell."

The Transformers thought for a moment and suggested, "It's probably going to take some time for the Flame, blast waves, heat waves, and mushroom clouds to dissipate, so we can't assess the enemy's situation yet. But just to be on the safe side, Father, why don't we go back to Earth again and prepare for both possibilities?"

Kang De pondered for a moment, and was about to speak when suddenly his expression changed drastically.

At the same time, Dairila, who was dealing with the elders in the Silvermoon Hall, also looked up.

The line of fire that had taken off from Twilight Moon Island suddenly halted. Malegith spread her phoenix wings, her feathers fluttering, and gazed at the sky, flames erupting from her halberd. "As expected—but how could it be so fast?"

Still adrift in the Endless Sea Dong Tianming gazed at the starry sky. "... It's them."

Kang De's Phoenix Vision was transmitted from the Elf Queen.

This unparalleled eye technique was passed down from Malegith, and it was developed and created for only one purpose.

Monitor celestial anomalies.

And now...

After the second ray of sunlight faded, the darkness of sunset ruled the sky, yet the rising mushroom cloud still rolled with crimson waves of fire, and the sea burned with raging flames. That hellfire was the image of sinful bodies burning, and countless black smoke billowed into the sky, even turning into black raindrops that fell back into the sea. After the nuclear explosion, this place was hell, where only sinful bodies burned eternally, and death spread without end.

How ugly, how bizarre, filled with the burning of death and the putrid fire of sin.

The terrifying mushroom cloud rose into the sky, like the most horrifying tombstone or totem.

But at this moment, light descends.

In an instant, the scorching, dirty clouds dissipated, and stars shone down from the dark night sky.

The light was sacred and intense, its colors ever-changing, like the aurora borealis, radiating and cascading down from the deepest reaches of the heavens, as if the Milky Way had descended from the nine heavens to the Mortal World.

In that instant, the detection methods of the Holy Empire, the Dusk Moon Dynasty, and the Arcane Council all failed, leaving only a chaotic array of elemental light in the Endless Sea.

What happened?

"What happened now?"

"--Prepare for war!"

To those who witnessed this area firsthand, the rising mushroom cloud was instantly dispersed and vanished by the starry sky.

As the light shone, the fiercely burning nuclear Flame were extinguished.

The gentle starlight shone on the massive, battered body.

The nuclear explosion had blasted a massive hole hundreds of meters in diameter into the surface of the deep-sea behemoth. The flesh and blood within had been completely vaporized, leaving only strange substances of gold, red, and green flowing and dissipating. Flame and blood continued to gush from the rest of its body, and its tentacles burned and broke. Now, starlight fell, seemingly healing all the pain. The burning Flame had died down, and the tattered monster was bathed in the starlight.

Then, it slowly floated to the surface.

Dirty seawater slid down its surface, boiling water emitted scalding steam, and the bloody remains of the sea monster that rolled back clung to its skin before slowly drooping off. This mountain-sized, ferocious beast was slowly rising, as if it had moved from the sea into the Milky Way, and then sailed upstream!

The heavens and the Mortal World are connected by the flowing Milky Way.

"The Starry Firmament Bridge is complete!"

Above the Star Palace, at the Ark Gate, stands a magnificent and imposing portal. Floating and rotating, a sphere with interlocking star rings emits intense starlight, while a galaxy flows down from the void, descending upon the Mortal World.

From then on, the God of the Star Palace holding a spear looked down upon the Mortal World.

He is Apophis, the Star of Divine Destruction.

The leader of the War Council who remained in the Star Palace during this era, monitoring the Mortal World.

Behind him, the gods of the Star Palace, clad in armor and armed with weapons, were ready to descend upon the Mortal World and wreak havoc.

And after them, the Star Palace, which had been dormant for countless years, is now rumbling back to life.

The enormous ring surrounding the celestial palace lit up with dazzling light. The War Council had issued a mobilization order. The slumbering Extinction War Servants and Void Star Guardians rose from the Emerald Dream, their golden wings flapping several times, the shimmering starlight condensing into fluttering wings. They arrived from all directions, kneeling in the void, offering their long-awaited loyalty and obedience to their masters.

The long roar was a call to revival. The giant whale leaped out of the sea of stars, swam in the void, and flew and shimmered among the huge star rings, letting out excited roars.

The clanging of metal echoed from the ever-illuminating palace complex, as more and more war machines were revived, annihilating Civilization and severing eras. Their accumulated power, boundless resources, and the essence of Civilization plundered from every most glorious era were preparing to unleash endless destruction upon this generation.

Apophis raised his spear.

"Hermes! Lead the Starfury Warband down the Starry Firmament Bridge on the Void Whale to meet that idiot Lahma, then stand by and prepare to establish a frontline war zone in the Mortal World!"

"Bennu! You lead the Star Striker Force and prepare for the second strike!"

"Phaethon! You're in charge of deploying the Star Core System!"

"Adonis!"

One by one, the God of the Star Palace bowed to receive the order. Apophis's burning gaze was fixed on the Mortal World, and the destructive halo behind him blazed fiercely—he was ready.

Erase the traces of Civilization from this filthy planet.

He then frowned slightly.

"That idiot Lahma," he said coldly, "Why is he so heavy?"

In the Mortal World, Endless Sea.

Lahma, the God of the Star Palace who merged with the peerless ferocious beast, slowly detached its broken but still enormous body from the sea, hovered in the sky, and then slowly drifted into the air.

Large amounts of flesh and debris continued to fall onto the water's surface, and many tentacles had broken off and fallen into the water. The enormous size stirred up towering waves. Bathed in the Star Palace, it, which had been on the verge of death from nuclear radiation and heat waves, finally awoke and realized its predicament.

And then it let out a wild laugh filled with joy, exhilaration, fear, and anger.

"Kang De! Kang De!"

He roared with laughter, "Fire Thief! Fire Thief! You must be listening! You saw it! The Starry Firmament Bridge has been erected, which means extinction has begun! Mudbloods! Mudbloods, you heard that!"

It couldn't even move its body, but it shouted loudly, wanting Kang De to hear it.

"The Doomsday Clock! The Doomsday Clock is tolling! I don't know what happened, but it must be the weapon you just used! Hahahaha! That's awesome, that's brilliant, hahahahahahaha!"

Its body was slowly lifted into the sky by the Bridge of the Starry Firmament, and it burst into wild laughter that shook the heavens and the sea. At this moment, it was extremely happy because it knew what had happened and what the Fire Thief had done!

"You used this weapon to kill me, you unleashed the power of the sun, hahahahaha! So powerful! So beautiful! So exhilarating!" he roared, "Fire Thief! You personally tolled the doomsday bell of the Star Palace! The Mudbloods, whose mission was to save the Mudbloods, personally drew back the Veil of doom!"

"Hahahaha! Is there anything more wonderful than this?!"

Kang De was already very close, heard a sound coming from the wind.

His expression changed instantly.

"Father!"

Horus said in a deep voice, "In this situation, no one can do it better than you!"

Kang De gritted his teeth and said, "Chase after them!"

Just then, a loud shout came from the side, " --Kang De!"

Clad in flowing white robes, the old man arrived riding on a cloud. He gazed at Kang De with a complex and indescribable expression, and finally said in a deep voice, "I am Dong Tianming, Hong San's master."

Kang De glanced at him. "Go back to Distant Harbor, don't stay here."

As soon as she finished speaking, a line of fire streaked across the sky, Malegith transformed into six phoenix wings, hurtling towards them.

"Kang De!"

Kang De finally stopped, his voice already a little hoarse. "What happened?"

The Parrot's face was hidden beneath her heavy helmet. She looked at Kang De, her eyes filled with shock, confusion, and a sigh. She whispered, "I don't know either, but things have come to this... Prepare for battle."

Kang De seemed not yet to have recovered from this extreme shock and turning point.

He asked, bewildered, "Fight against what?"

Malegith couldn't bear to answer. She remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "... Fate."

The God of the Star Palace, still floating in the air, was shouting and cursing.

"They will be here soon," Dong Tianming said. "Your Highness, prepare to meet these extraterrestrial enemies with your strongest attacks. They will descend upon this place, and we must deliver a crushing blow."

Malegith said, "I will have Dairila, as the Phoenix King, announce to all nations that they should prepare to unite in battle— Kang De, do not be pessimistic; things are different now than before."

She glanced at Dong Tianming, then said, "This time we have you."

Kang De remained silent, like a stone statue.

After a while, he looked up and saw that Lahma had risen several tens of meters higher.

"Don't the people in the Star Palace know what happened yet?"

"Yes, so they're recalling this poor wretch."

Would killing it make a difference?

"Not very useful."

"But it'll still be useful, won't it?" Kang De said softly, "Kill him first."

"We can't kill him," Malegith sighed.

Kang De looked at her.

The Parrot raised its hand, and water splashed up, forming a huge block of ice. It carried the few sea monsters that had escaped the water with them towards the Starry Firmament Bridge. The moment they touched the enormous galaxy, the ice, imbued with the Phoenix King's magic, shattered with a deafening roar, and the sea monsters were reduced to fragments under the endless starlight.

The mocking laughter of the God of the Star Palace echoed from the sky.

"That's the Starry Firmament Bridge, built using the secret techniques of the Star Palace and the power of the void stars. Its principles are unknown, but it possesses a strangulation field and recognition intelligence. It will destroy all unverified external interference forces and life... It can even be used as a weapon, like the Particle Uplink Cannon in the game."

Malegith gazed at Lahma, whose ascent was accelerating rapidly, and sighed, "There's no way around it. Even if we catch up and kill him, it will be very difficult. Even with a nuclear bomb, we probably couldn't kill him under the protection of the Starry Firmament Bridge. You saw the result before, and besides..."

Kang De paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "No, there is another way."

The Parrot asked in astonishment, "What are you going to do?"

I'm going to give it a try.

The Phase Gate traced a beautiful arc, opening a portal to another world.

Kang De gazed at Malegith.

I'm determined to try.

Horus said uneasily, "Father..."

Kang De did not answer; the next moment, he crossed from the White Mist World to Earth.

On the Pacific Ocean, on the bridge of the A Fu.

The enormous illusion that stretches across the ocean and reaches the sky has not dissipated; it remains in the Pacific Ocean, on the screens of the Pentagon, the White House, and even many unspeakable foreign dignitaries.

A short while ago, it swallowed a B61-11 Tactical Nuclear Bomb.

The America president, staring at the screen, seemed to have forgotten the passage of time; perhaps time stood still at that moment. Everyone stared in astonishment, not even knowing what had happened.

The next moment, they finally saw the shadow of change.

The enormous monster's body trembled violently, and countless cracks filled with intense light bloomed on its skin. Its mountain-like body was even stretched much larger, with blood gushing out and broken flesh and tissue flying in all directions. Clearly, a violent nuclear explosion had occurred inside its body!

"YES!" A Chuan exclaimed with delight, "That idiot! He actually dared to eat a nuclear bomb!"

But the next moment, the defense minister's voice rang out in alarm. "Sir, it seems..."

On the television screen, the monster that had experienced a 340,000-ton nuclear explosion within its body hadn't been pulverized into countless fragments of flesh and blood. Despite its numerous wounds, it roared to the sky, the intense nuclear flashes branding its entire body. It let out an angry howl, shedding copious amounts of blood, before heading towards the west coast...

--go ahead!

The joy on A Chuan's face froze completely.

On this day, the elderly president's emotions went through a rollercoaster ride. His eyes widened, first blankly, then filled with unprecedented shock, anger, and fear.

"What the hell is going on?! Why can't even a nuclear bomb kill it?!"

At this moment, Trump's mind is working at its most efficient.

In just a moment, he arrived at the optimal solution.

"Nuclear bomb! Nuclear bomb! Nuclear bomb!" he roared. "Throw down another big one! No! Several!"

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PS1: 5,000 words... I misjudged the pace. Next chapter, the next chapter will be awesome!