Just how strong is Mu En right now?
Even he himself couldn't give a precise answer to this question.
However, the total amount of Rune he consumed when he withstood Goliath's first barrage was even less than what he had consumed when he first purified that forest in the Valley of the Wind.
This alone provides a clue.
Mu En had long noticed a pattern: the larger his size, the wider the range of influence he could have, and the greater the power he could wield as a god.
Based on this pattern, he could easily handle the seemingly terrifying thirty heavy cannons on the deck of the Goliath.
That aerial fortress, encased in special alloy armor, would probably be as fragile as a balloon in his presence.
Yes, this colossal steel warship, revered by humanity as a "weapon of the gods" and a symbol of the kingdom's absolute military power, is, in Mu En's eyes now, at most, just a...
Large steel balloon.
That's why Mu En felt he had been too cautious and even underestimated himself before, and he needed to recalibrate his assessment of "threats".
Therefore, he did not intend to pop the "giant balloon" immediately.
He planned to take this opportunity to test the new powers that had not yet been tested in actual combat, and also let these arrogant Kingdom Army experience firsthand what true "divine power" was.
Therefore, Mu En responded.
Golden light flashed continuously, and hundreds and thousands of intricate and mysterious Erdtree Mark appeared in the air.
Heart-stopping roars, howls, and shrieks emanated from those markings.
The next moment, one "beast" after another struggled to flap its wings and fly out from the golden Rings of Light!
Their appearance is bizarre and fantastical, and they do not belong to any known natural species.
Some have outlines resembling a lion, others resemble upright Werewolf, and still others show characteristics of legendary creatures such as griffins, dragons, and even angels.
Despite their varying sizes and shapes, these beasts' bodies were all composed of translucent dark golden energy, and each beast vividly displayed the characteristics of the " Aspects of the Crucible "—horns, feathers, scales, and...
Claws, tail, hooves, fins --
These characteristics are forcibly integrated into energetic bodies in a way that defies the laws of nature yet is full of primal beauty.
This is a tangible projection of the concept of the " Crucible of Life ".
The so-called "Crucible of Life " refers to a state before the separation of heaven and earth, when all things were in chaos and life forms were not yet defined.
The " Aspects of the Crucible " are the initial life forms born from this chaotic furnace, possessing infinite possibilities.
Although not as highly differentiated and specialized in various laws or magic as the life forms of later generations.
But precisely because of this, the Aspects of the Crucible represents extremely powerful, untamed vitality and pure physical strength!
At this moment, Mu En merged all the fragmented images of Incantations concerning the "Forge" into one, manifesting the chaotic beast horde here, named the [ Aspects of the Crucible: Beast ].
"Hooray!!!"
The Aspects of the Crucible: Beast Swarm roared in unison, fearlessly charging towards the rain of death made of steel and gunpowder.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Dark golden streaks of light collided with the torrent of shells, and continuous shockwaves of explosions ripped through the air, illuminating the dim sky with firelight.
Meanwhile, Mu En continued to maintain the Shield of Immutability. The shockwaves and shrapnel from the explosions that scattered in all directions struck the golden light shield, creating ripples, but they could not shake it in the slightest, nor could they harm the town below.
The next moment, the horde of beasts burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, flapping their wings and launching a full-scale attack on Goliath.
The first wave of gunfire was actually "crashed" apart by this savage yet sacred golden beast tide!
A piercing alarm sounded throughout the entire ship.
"Open fire! All units! Open fire! Take down those bastards!"
On both sides of the ship and on the upper and lower decks, the secondary guns, rapid-fire cannons, and densely packed anti-aircraft machine gun positions that had not previously been firing at full power now all spewed out deadly tongues of fire, and an even denser barrage of bullets intertwined into a metallic Storm, engulfing the golden horde of beasts.
Bang bang bang bang bang!!!
Thump thump thump thump!!!
The roar of artillery fire could be faintly heard even tens of kilometers away, and the trajectories of tracer bullets wove a cruel yet magnificent pattern.
As the pinnacle of "modern civilization" in this world, the Goliath is indeed not to be underestimated. When the Furnace Beast is hit head-on by a large-caliber high-explosive shell, its body is often torn to pieces, turning into a shower of golden light that falls down from the sky.
However, these Aspects of the Crucible: Beast are not true living beings of flesh and blood; they are Incantations images with life characteristics, sculpted from a vast amount of Rune.
As long as the energy supply continues, and as long as Mu En's will continues to drive them, they will be an immortal legion.
The golden fragments did not vanish; instead, they converged towards the main body under an invisible pull, rapidly regenerating as if rewinding a timer.
In the blink of an eye, a slightly smaller but still ferocious Crucible Beast re-formed and roared as it joined the charge.
"Roar-!"
A massive, winged wolf-like Crucible Beast, braving the continuous bombardment from several rapid-fire cannons, broke through the last barrage and reached the vicinity of the Goliath's outer armor.
"Aim! Shoot it in the head!" Inside a machine gun turret, the machine gunner frantically pulled the trigger, and spent cartridges poured out like a waterfall.
But it was too late.
The Crucible Beast raised its thick, long tail, which was covered with bone spikes, and roared!
The long tail instantly extended to tens of meters, slamming solidly into the rotating machine gun turret.
The alloy armor dented instantly, and the immense force crushed the machine gunner inside, along with the machine gun, into dust.
This seemed to be a signal; as the wolf-like beasts launched their attack, more Crucible Beast broke through the barrage and pounced on the surface of the Goliath's hull.
The claws left deep grooves in the armor plating; the bulletproof glass shattered instantly at the bend.
Some beasts even flapped their wings, sending out countless seemingly weightless dark golden feathers.
These feathers, like the sharpest armor-piercing bullets, easily pierced the steel bulkheads, riddling the crew members who couldn't dodge in time with bullets.
Soon, the Crucible Beast crawled directly into the Goliath through the destroyed gun emplacements, ventilation shafts, and portholes.
Immediately afterwards, intense gunfire erupted from inside the ship, along with the short, agonizing screams of dying humans.
The steel behemoth groaned in pain; its terrifying power, enough to make small nations tremble, appeared clumsy, sluggish, and utterly vulnerable before these energy beasts representing primal savagery.
Below, beside the Erdtree, on the deck of the Tiger Moth.
Dola, Pazu, Sheeta, and all the other crew members stared back, completely speechless.
Their eyes were filled with the violent spectacle in the sky.
Golden marks emerged like a constellation of stars, from which a mythical army of beasts surged forth, directly confronting the torrent of steel and cannons, and then crushing them with the most savage force.
A salvo of naval cannon fire, enough to wipe out Valley Town in an instant, was easily deflected, and the giant airship was instantly overrun by a supernatural army summoned out of thin air.
Are the gods really that powerful?
Everyone realized once again just how great the being they were following truly was.