Countdown, The Herta's Curio

Lin Hai felt the torrent of power within his body, and an overwhelming surge of joy welled up in his heart.

He clearly realized that although the power brought by [Super Burst] was incomparably strong, it was ultimately a borrowed power with a time limit.

The reward of Path of Elation is permanent growth, a true enhancement of one's own strength!

This battle, which was originally fraught with danger, became the perfect stage for him to temper himself and reap power.

At this moment, he no longer feared Cocolia; instead, he began to secretly anticipate how many more surprises this Supreme Guardian, corrupted by the Stellaron, could bring him.

Cocolia's figure reappeared amidst the swirling blizzard ahead.

Bloodstains remained at the corner of her mouth, and there were obvious cracks in her abdominal armor, indicating that she had suffered serious injuries in the previous battle.

However, the dense, dark purple Stellaron energy, like a living thing, coiled around her, frantically drawing power from the void and repairing her wounds at a visible speed.

In just a few breaths, Cocolia's injuries had fully healed.

What's even more unsettling is that the power of the Stellaron seems to have undergone a deeper fusion and transformation within her body.

The ominous dark purple energy was no longer merely lingering, but had become highly condensed, forming a set of sharply defined armor covering her entire body.

The armor gleamed with a dark luster, radiating an even colder aura than before.

Cocolia's power level rose once again, but correspondingly, the light of humanity in her eyes dimmed more and more, and the traces of being controlled by the Stellaron became more and more pronounced.

"Again!"

Lin Hai was in high spirits and launched the first attack.

With a swift movement, he appeared before Cocolia as if by teleportation.

Cocolia was not to be outdone. With a flick of her icy spear, imbued with the evil energy of the Stellaron, it transformed into a bolt of purple-black lightning that pierced straight at Lin Hai's heart.

Lin Hai neither dodged nor evaded; his fist, enveloped in pure energy, slammed fiercely towards the tip of the spear!

Boom!!

Fists and spears clashed, producing a deafening sound like metal striking metal.

Two completely different energies clashed violently, causing the snow to evaporate and the ground below to crack.

The two fought with lightning speed, their figures transforming into two colliding streaks of light that flashed rapidly across the icy plain.

Gunfire flashes like dragons, fists fly like tigers!

Each collision sparked dazzling energy sparks, accompanied by continuous booming sounds, as if countless thunderbolts were exploding around the two.

The aftershocks of the battle raged wildly, further tearing apart the already devastated battlefield.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Lin Hai spotted an opening, ducked low to avoid the sweeping spear, and unleashed his powerful right fist like a cannonball, striking Cocolia's abdominal armor squarely!

Rumble!

Click!

A crisp cracking sound rang out as the seemingly indestructible black-purple armor, formed from Stellaron energy, was actually shattered by Lin Hai's punch!

The cracks spread rapidly like a spider web.

"Puff!"

The moment the armor shattered, a powerful force pierced through her body, Cocolia to cough up blood and stagger backward.

The fighting has not stopped.

The massive Engine of Creation received the command, raised its giant foot, and stomped down on the Lin Hai like a collapsing mountain!

Shadows enveloped the Lin Hai.

A fierce glint flashed in Lin Hai's eyes. Instead of retreating, he leaped up and took the initiative to meet the towering steel giant foot.

He channeled his power into his fists and, as if dismantling a toy, violently tore and smashed the critical structure of the engine's base!

The ear-piercing noise of metal twisting and disintegrating was incessant, and countless parts and ice shards fell like a torrential rain.

In a short while, the massive Engine of Creation was gradually destroyed and disintegrated by him, starting from a localized area, and collapsed onto the icy plain, completely losing its ability to move.

Lin Hai felt a chill run down his spine, and his breathing quickened.

In his perception, the countdown to [Super Burst] had only one minute left.

A sense of urgency is rising.

We must finish this quickly!

Lin Hai's gaze once again locked onto Cocolia, who had just regained her footing.

His figure moved like lightning, closing in once more, and with another powerful punch, he struck with pinpoint accuracy the spot where Cocolia's abdominal armor had previously shattered!

Bang!

This punch was even more powerful than before!

The armor, already riddled with cracks, shattered completely, dissipating into countless blackish-purple energy fragments.

Cocolia coughed up another mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale, and her breath weakened rapidly, clearly indicating that she had suffered a severe injury.

Lin Hai hovered in mid-air, his body surging with energy, like a deity descending to the mortal world.

He gazed down at Cocolia, who was weakened despite being entangled in the fel energy of the Stellaron.

With just one strike, the chaos in Belobog can be temporarily put to rest.

However, just as he gathered his strength, preparing to deliver the decisive blow to Cocolia, a figure staggered and rushed between the two.

"Mother! Supreme Guardian! Please wake up!"

Bronya opened her arms, her voice trembling with excitement.

She did not stand in front of Lin Hai.

Because she also knew that if Cocolia went berserk again, it would inevitably cause even bigger trouble.

Bronya shouted loudly, her tone incredibly firm:

"Please see for yourself! See what Lin Hai and his partners have done for Belobog..."

"... the ventilation ducts in the Underworld, the hope for the Wildfire organization, and... and the future for which we are all fighting!"

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted to protect in the first place?!"

Perhaps it was Bronya's cry that touched the suppressed conscience deep within Cocolia's soul, or perhaps it was Lin Hai's previous storm-like attacks that consumed a massive amount of energy from the Stellaron in a very short time, causing its control over the host's mind to loosen for a moment.

The restless, dark purple energy surrounding Cocolia showed clear signs of disorder.

She clutched her head tightly with both hands, letting out painful screams, her eyes flashing wildly.

A frenzied crimson and a struggling clarity, locked in a constant tug-of-war.

Bronya...

Cocolia squeezed out a few indistinct syllables through her teeth, as if she were struggling against invisible shackles.

But this brief moment of clarity was like a candle flickering in the wind.

The haunting whispers of the Stellaron, like venom, immediately seeped into her mind again, attempting to regain control:

(Trust? Ridiculous! Look who she's standing beside! She's already betrayed you, throwing herself into the arms of an outsider!)

(She has been corrupted; she is no longer your daughter! She is an obstacle to the new world!)

(Cleanse them! Only by fully accepting me can you purify everything and recreate eternity!)

(Embrace destruction, and new life will follow! Kill! Kill! Kill!--!)

"No... shut up..."

Cocolia let out a painful roar, her will being cruelly torn apart by her daughter's voice and the shriek of the Stellaron.

Lin Hai's eyes sharpened; he clearly sensed that the Stellaron was attempting to regain complete control of Cocolia.

The opportunity to fight is fleeting; there is no time to hesitate!

He moved with lightning speed, bypassing Bronya and appearing behind Cocolia. With a precise hand chop carrying concentrated energy, he swiftly struck the back of her neck.

The light in Cocolia's eyes instantly faded, her body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground, falling into a coma.

The evil energy that had been binding her dissipated as quickly as if it had lost its source.

A loud, rough engine roar came from afar.

The black Maybach, now covered in scratches and with its tires caked in mud, was bumping along through a chaotic, potholed battlefield.

With a final drift, it came to a steady stop not far away.

The car door opened, the Herta jumped out.

She first glanced at the unconscious Cocolia and the anxious Bronya, then her gaze met Lin Hai's, and she nodded slightly.

Without further ado, the Herta took out a small, antique-looking mirror with intricate star patterns carved on its frame—[The Genius's Childhood Kaleidoscope].

This is a precious and wondrous object, possessing extraordinary power to explore and influence the spiritual realm.

"Then!"

The Herta tossed the mirror to Lin Hai.

Lin Hai understood, took the Kaleidoscope, and pointed it at the unconscious Cocolia.

The mirror did not reflect reality, but rather rippled with a dreamlike radiance, a soft light enveloping Cocolia's head.

When Cocolia briefly awoke from her coma, her blurred vision instinctively turned towards the light source.

Her gaze was captured by the vortex deep within the Kaleidoscope.

The mirror seemed to reflect fragments of distant Remembrance, the innocence of childhood...

These things clashed violently with the reality that she was being eroded by the Stellaron.

Cocolia let out an unconscious murmur, her eyes becoming empty and lost, before she fell asleep again.

But this time, the omnipresent whisper of the Stellaron was significantly weakened, as if it had been blocked by an invisible barrier.