The battle at the Blood-Red Defense Line was extremely fierce. The Rift Demons like a tide, fearless and relentless. Their powerful defenses and energy absorption capabilities inflicted heavy losses on the warriors of the Civilization Barrier Army. Often, it took several times the enemy's firepower to barely eliminate a single slightly stronger demon.
However, in the midst of this desperate battle, a faint but crucial glimmer of hope unexpectedly appeared.
It happened during a raid on a satellite island that had just been overrun by a small number of monsters. A squad led by a colonel encountered a dark purple ( Vice Admiral level) Rift Demons commander. The squad fought a fierce battle, suffering heavy casualties. In the end, after being nearly wiped out, the seriously wounded colonel managed to pierce the monster's core with a specially made high-explosive energy spear at the last moment.
The monster let out a shrill scream, and its massive body began to disintegrate. However, unlike before when the monster would simply decay after death, this time, an extremely fine yet pure golden ray of light suddenly flew out from the disintegrating monster, as if it had a life of its own, and instantly entered the body of the dying colonel!
This scene was clearly captured by the observation Den Den Mushi at the rear command post and by several survivors!
Then, a miracle occurred. The officer, who had been on the verge of death, began to stop bleeding and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye! Although still weak, his vital signs miraculously stabilized! More importantly, his aura seemed to have undergone an inexplicable, subtle improvement!
The news was immediately reported to the frontline command and the rear headquarters.
"Golden light? Healing injuries? Enhancing aura?" Sabo looked at the report, keenly grasping the key points. "Investigate immediately! Check all recent kill records, especially kills against units of higher levels, for similar occurrences! Inquire with all frontline troops!"
The order was issued, and feedback was quickly gathered. Similar situations were not isolated incidents! They had occurred occasionally during the fierce fighting of the past few days, but were ignored or dismissed as illusions. Now, upon closer examination, they do indeed exist! Moreover, a pattern is beginning to emerge:
• The stronger the monster you defeat, the higher the probability of encountering a radiant glow, and the stronger the glow will be.
• Flowing light can slightly heal injuries, restore physical strength, and bring a slight, permanent boost to strength (similar to a breakthrough in cultivation).
This improvement isn't simply an injection of energy, but more like... a fundamental optimization? One veteran described it as "breaking through some kind of bottleneck that had been limiting him."
Robin, having perused numerous Poneglyph and ancient legends, proposed a bold hypothesis. "Perhaps this is... a feedback loop from the world's destiny?" She elaborated at the meeting, "According to some of the oldest records, when the world faces external threats, its instincts invigorate its guardians. Slaying these 'foreign enemies' might grant the world's consciousness recognition and rewards—the so-called ' Power of Fortune '? This could also explain why killing enemies of a higher level is more effective, because it represents a greater 'contribution' to the world."
Allen sensed the recorded golden energy and nodded. "This power... is pure and ancient, unlike any known energy system. It does indeed contain a faint blessing of 'rules.' As invaders, the existence of the Rift Demons is itself plundering the foundation of this world. Destroying them is equivalent to reclaiming the stolen power for the world, and the world will therefore give back to the guardians... It makes sense logically."
This news was like a spark of hope ignited on a dark battlefield!
Although the Rift Demons remain powerful and terrifying, and defeating them is still difficult and dangerous, it is no longer a meaningless war of attrition! Every successful kill, especially when challenging opponents of higher levels, makes the warriors even stronger! This undoubtedly greatly boosts morale!
The dragon immediately issued a new command:
"Inform the entire army of this discovery! Emphasize the existence of the ' Power of Fortune '!"
"Adjust tactics! While ensuring safety and maintaining frontline stability, encourage capable soldiers to attempt challenges beyond their level! Organize elite squads to specifically hunt down high-value targets!"
" Science Department! Prioritize the development of equipment capable of detecting monster strength and assisting in locking onto core targets, maximizing kill efficiency and safety!"
" Intelligence Department! Continue to delve deeper into the mysteries of ' Power of Fortune ' and the best way to acquire it!"
The shift in strategy had an immediate effect. Although the warriors still faced the threat of death, their eyes now held a new fervor and fighting spirit. What had once been a despairing demonic tide now seemed to some as a dangerous "experience field." Elite squads became active, specifically hunting down those dark purple and purplish-black monsters.
Luffy punched a purple monster ( at the Admiral Candidate ), sending it flying. Watching a distinct golden light disappear into his body, he sighed contentedly, "Wow! It feels like I ate a super steak! Although it's still tough!" His Haki seemed to have become even more refined.
Ace purified a large area of low-level monsters, but the golden light he gained was negligible. He looked at a monster in the distance that emitted a dark red aura ( Admiral- level), his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Looks like... I'll have to find a bigger one."
Zoro, having repelled a purple monster with his Three-Sword Style, grinned as he felt a faint warmth coursing through his body. "Looks like there's another path to becoming stronger. Bring it on!"
However, the higher-ups were not blinded by this frenzy. They knew that while the Power of Fortune offered hope, the absolute strength and numerical superiority of the monsters still existed. Those deepest red ( Four Emperors- level) and even stronger auras hung overhead like the Sword of Damocles.
" The Power of Fortune... is the key to our ability to persevere." Allen gazed at the distant rift from which monsters continued to pour forth, his tone grave. "But ultimately, to end this war, we must cut off the source. We need someone powerful enough to penetrate that hellish realm, close the rift, or... slay that possible monster lord, Transcendence the Four Emperors."
They gained the Power of Fortune to accumulate the strength for their final counterattack! The road ahead remains long and dark, but at least the warriors hold the Spark of hope in their hands. The Blood-Red Defense Line, intertwined with despair and hope, has become even more resilient.