thefictionvixens Page 1385
Page 1385
Before he could even finish his question, the scene before him already provided the answer. The captain was staring intently out the window, his mouth agape in astonishment.
This incredibly large monster floated on the sea, approaching at an astonishing speed, looking like an oval-shaped floating island. It was so large that the people on the ship could not even get into its field of vision, only seeing a very limited part of its body, just the tip of the iceberg, which was enough to leave them speechless.
Countless black monsters poked their heads out from the island's surface, roaring loudly and raising their heads high. The countless roars overlapped, creating a deafening sound, like a sonata of utter destruction, extremely unpleasant to hear.
The sailors in the command room muttered, "Captain..."
The captain quickly recovered from his shock, his eyes revealing a firm resolve.
"Fire!"
They spared no expense in their expensive weaponry: almost every firepower on the ship capable of hitting the monsters was deployed. Missiles burst through the air, spewing black smoke at the behemoth, while flames quickly ignited on its surface, spreading like red lilies across the floating island and engulfing several small black monsters.
However, for the monster as a whole, this level of attack wasn't even a scratch. The floating island remained unmoved: compared to its size, this imposing destroyer was nothing more than an ant under an elephant's foot. Ignoring the destroyer's barrage of fire, it soared into the sky, the black hole at its bottom opening again. An unparalleled suction force pulled the cruiser and the seawater backward, the seawater hissing violently, as if a tornado of seawater and metal fragments was rising from the surface.
In less than ten seconds, the 100-meter-long cruiser was completely swallowed up by the monster, leaving not even a single propeller behind.
But this was far from enough for the floating body. After absorbing the destroyer, it stubbornly maintained the same speed and continued to move toward the Russian coast.
However, the destruction of the cruiser was not in vain; at least before it disintegrated under the influence of gravity, they successfully transmitted images and information about the destruction back to the Kremlin. The leaders of the Russian Federation immediately went on high alert and convened an emergency meeting, the main topic of which was "to launch or not launch nuclear weapons at this unknown object."
High-ranking officials around the world, and not just them, generally believe that nuclear weapons can solve all problems, as if nuclear bombs are a panacea. And judging from the current situation, this does seem to be the best option. Considering the current location and movement speed of the floating island, if a nuclear bomb hits, the 5.8 ohm nuclear explosion will not immediately reach the coast. Afterwards, the concern about nuclear contamination seems less urgent compared to the current troubles.
Furthermore, they didn't have many options. The destroyer had just ensured that conventional military firepower was practically a tickle to this thing, utterly meaningless. And time was running out; this thing was moving too fast, and in a few minutes, they would have to consider the negative consequences of a nuclear explosion on Russian territory.
Overall, his proposed solution seemed quite clear, and the discussion led most of the participants to this conclusion.
"Let's make the right choice," the Russian president said calmly at the end of the emergency meeting.
Chapter 1725 Nuclear Strike
A long trail of water chased them from the other side of the sea, a result of the invisible blades slicing through the water due to a sudden change in air pressure. A red and blue tree stump cut across the azure sea, and Xu Fu, moving at supersonic speed, pursued the tail of the giant island, seemingly finally catching up with the behemoth.
But the other side seemed to have noticed his pursuit. Countless black creatures, busy with their business, poked their heads out of the holes and charged at him with low growls. A large number of winged creatures capable of flight flapped their black fleshy wings in front of him, like hungry beasts pouncing on their prey.
These hideous creatures were ferocious and abhorrent, their fangs covered in black, slimy mucus, and their sharp claws slicing through the air. They emitted piercing hiss and swept towards Xu Fu in a circle at incredible speed, like a group of warriors besieging a lone enemy.
Xu Fu neither dodged nor slowed down; he charged forward at his current speed. When the first monster opened its jaws to crash into his face, he punched through its upper jaw, sending it flying and shattering two other monsters charging at him. Then, he shot scorching laser beams from his eyes, slicing five more monsters below the waist; two of their still-sparkling corpses fell into the sea.
“Step back,” he said, tearing the eagle-like monster in half like a pancake. “I don’t have time for you.”
The two sides clashed briefly, and the corpses of a dozen or so flying creatures were already reduced to countless fragments, falling into the sea. Among the large number of lone pterosaurs, a creature over twenty meters long swept towards Xu Fu, its fleshy wings raised high as it soared into the sky, churning in the storm as if to unleash a tsunami. But it was quickly proven that it was too strong; outwardly powerful but inwardly weak, Xu Fu struck and bandaged its long neck, sending it into the sea.
These creatures were weak to Xu Fu, but their sheer number was overwhelming. Xu Fu realized that this floating island was less a bio-aircraft carrier carrying countless fighter jets and more a mobile fighter jet factory. The number of these monsters seemed endless; no matter how fast he killed them, new monsters would always fill the void. As Xu Fu ventured deeper, the pressure from all sides intensified, and he was almost completely surrounded by these ferocious creatures. With a cold breath, a huge opening appeared, and in less than half a second, it was filled with even more fanged monsters.
When he saw the missile roaring towards Russia from afar and saw the distinctive warning markings of nuclear weapons on its body, an ominous premonition arose within him.
If a single nuclear bomb could destroy this strange island, 25 miles in diameter, that would be a good outcome. But his intuition told him that things weren't that simple, and that a nuclear bomb would only make things worse.
His premonition was quickly confirmed. The missile's exhaust plume shot into the air above the sea, leaving white ripples on the azure surface as it hurtled towards the massive target in the sky. The island seemed to sense the danger as well, slowly turning to the side and finding itself facing the oncoming missile, which had a dark dent on its side.
The cavity's elastic inner walls suddenly expanded, releasing a powerful gravitational pull once more. The violent airflow shook the azure sea, instantly creating towering waves. The flying nuclear missile was inevitably drawn into the turbulent currents, beginning to spin about fifty meters from its target, before finally being slid into the dark cavity.
Without a sound, a dazzling golden halo illuminated the dark opening in a very short moment. The sun-like golden light flashed for a moment, and then a strong plume of black smoke suddenly shot out from behind, like a full stomach after a burp.
...She swallowed the nuclear warhead like a dessert.
No, that's not all. Xu Fu could see that since swallowing the nuclear warhead, the temperature inside the monster's body had risen sharply. At this moment, the excessive heat was rapidly rising from its body towards the hole where it had just absorbed the nuclear warhead, forming a blazing energy in the dark cave, as if charging its powerful attack.
It absorbed a massive amount of energy from nuclear fusion and condensed it into a cavity, ready to retaliate like a super nuclear cannon. Xu Fu had no doubt that an explosion of this energy could cross the ocean, tearing Russian coastal cities to shreds and potentially killing millions...unless he could do something about it.
He suddenly unleashed a burst of energy, shaking off the tangled horde of monsters with both hands. Using his powerful thermal vision, he cleared a path and instantly reached the surface of the floating island. He blew away the monsters that were trying to surround the island with a single breath, then slapped the island's outer shell with his palms, his fingers sinking in, feeling as if they were solid flesh.
Xu Fu's arm muscles tensed, he gritted his teeth, and exerted force with both hands. His efforts quickly paid off; with just a little effort, he successfully twisted the colossal object, which was over 20 miles in diameter, and lifted it overhead, so that the groove containing the super nuclear energy cannon was directly above his head.
Imagine how magnificent it would be if a tiny person held up an island teeming with demons and monsters in their hands!
The high-temperature nuclear energy accumulated in the cavity was extinguished, and countless monsters emerged from the volcano on the small island, roaring and screaming as they rushed towards where Xu Fu was.
Xu Fu felt his hand sinking deeper and deeper into the island's shell, as if the island was actively pulling him in. He felt the temperature of the part of his palm that was in contact with it instantly rise to over 5000 degrees Celsius, and white smoke began to hiss from his palm. He looked up and saw that the temperature inside the giant sphere's core had also increased, and heat was penetrating the hull, with every indentation on the sphere's surface faintly emitting a fiery red light.
The monsters let out pitiful screams, seemingly frightened. One by one, they disappeared into some unknown place, like birds and beasts seeking shelter before a disaster, vanishing without a trace after a while.
Soon, Xu Fu saw what was happening or about to happen beneath the island's surface: a powerful and violent nuclear fusion was taking place. The island was not only swallowing a nuclear bomb, but it was itself transforming into a giant bomb 20 miles in diameter. He didn't know how far the explosion at this speed would affect; cities along the Russian coastline across the ocean might also be unsafe.
“Yes, come on,” Xu Fu muttered to himself, “let’s see how hard you can hit.”
After saying this, his body suddenly rose upwards, power flowing into his hands, lifting the 20-mile-long behemoth directly into the air. The monster writhed violently in his hands, its temperature rising higher and higher, almost reaching a level that even he himself found uncomfortable.
They took off at incredible speed, quickly disappearing from the azure sea and rising into the clouds. Xu Fu realized that the merger was nearing a critical moment. He spread his arms and forcefully pushed the hippopotamus towards the thick gray clouds.
Boom!
Nuclear explosions are always breathtaking. As the most powerful type of bomb in human history, their explosions almost involuntarily evoke images of the apocalypse. Endless light and heat are released in an instant, scorching storms disperse the clouds, rapidly expanding vortexes of fire fill the resulting voids, and the sound seems to engulf the entire world.
The moment Xu Fu withdrew his hand, he was engulfed by the thermonuclear flames. His body was violently propelled away from the epicenter by the high-temperature hurricane. The light that burned his retina instantly darkened his vision, and his body, like a red kite, fell helplessly with the hurricane after the torn string snapped.
Chapter 1726 Hibernation
His entire body was enveloped in the scorching heat of the nuclear explosion, the blood in every vein seemed to be boiling. In his hazy mind, it felt as if he had been falling for a hundred years, as long as the seven days and seven nights of Lucifer's fall. Gusts of cold air frantically swept across his cheeks, finally dispelling some of the sweltering heat. Only when a hand in the air grabbed his wrist, stopping his fall, did he realize how long he had been falling.
The warmth vanished, and Xu Fu struggled to open his eyes. Seeing the guest, he couldn't help but ask, "Superman?"
“It’s me, kid.” Superman nodded. “I noticed some unusual noises around here, so I came to check… Can you tell me what’s going on? I think I’m seeing residual nuclear radiation.”
“Nuclear radiation…you’re right,” Xu Fu covered his slightly dazed scalp with his hand, but at least he had surfaced. “This thing…it has swallowed a nuclear bomb and is releasing nuclear heat. It’s extremely dangerous, we must stop it…”
Superman frowned: "Stop what?"
Xu Fu looked up, about to point out the giant island in the sky, when he suddenly froze.
That thing is gone.
The events that began with the "Cult" cult and brought the entire island of Cortland to a temporary close. The monster-infested floating island vanished in a nuclear explosion, leaving not a single fragment. At best, it self-destructed in its own nuclear blast, but experience teaches those in the know that one should never be too optimistic in this world.
Helena referred to the island as "The Center" in her report, which was also the title given to the leader of the Order. Naturally, the leader of the Order disappeared along with the island. Perhaps he gained the entire island and his so-called "Center," or perhaps he left the island in some supernatural way, hiding in some dark corner waiting for an opportunity.
“Deathstroke?” Amanda Waller frowned upon hearing Helena’s report. “Are you sure he’s on the island too?”
“I’m pretty sure,” Helena said, “that someone hired him to extract some dark energy samples from a well at the heart of the mine. Are there any suspects?”
“No, but we’ll find out.” Waller leaned back in his chair behind his desk, clasping his hands together. “The Knights used to be just a troublesome terrorist organization, but this incident has undoubtedly raised their threat level to green. I’ve started assembling a team to handle this, and you and your partner Shockwave will be included. But before that, I’m sure you’d like to meet one of your new partners.”
Just as she was speaking, the office's automatic door opened casually, green light streamed into the room, and a man walked in. Mike Marcus, dressed in a crisp green uniform, looked sharp and extended his hand to Helena in a friendly manner: "Hello, I'm Mike... uh, no, Green Lantern. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope we can work together again next time!"
Helena stared at him with wide eyes, her surprised expression lasting for a long time, hesitating whether to take his outstretched hand that was glowing green.
“You must be joking,” she muttered to herself.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
The hardened vials of black substance were neatly arranged on the transparent glass table. Deathstroke took a half step back, hiding his upper body in the darkness of the room, and said coldly, "Mission accomplished. I believe it's time to collect your reward."
“Of course.” The man sat in his office swivel chair with his back to Deathstroke, holding the test tubes above his head. “They’re in the box next to the desk. You can see for yourself how many you want.”
The persistent man picked up a silver leather briefcase, opened it on the table, revealing neatly stacked banknotes inside. After glancing at it, he closed the lid.
"Would you like a more thorough inventory?" the man asked with a smile.
“There’s no need for that. I still trust your reliability in this regard.” Deathstroke paused, his tone suddenly turning somber. “Besides, you know what the consequences would be if even one ticket were lost.”
The man smiled and remained silent. He held the small bottle at eye level, carefully examining the wavy black substance inside, like a biologist observing a small insect.
“Deathstroke said coldly, “You know, if you can explain how many unusual details this mission involves, the reward will be much higher.”
“Then I’m sorry.” The man shrugged helplessly. “Before you set off, I didn’t know what this island would be like. But I believe in your abilities, I know you can definitely complete the mission… Never making a mistake, that’s your characteristic, isn’t it, Slade?”
Deathstroke snorted. "...A price is a price. I won't ask about the price after the mission is complete." He paused, then asked, "However, although I'm not particularly concerned... what do you need this for? To destroy the world?"
"Destroy the world? No, no, no"
Lex Rudd stood up from his swivel chair, placed the vial back on the table, and solemnly said, "I'm going to save her."
The darkness lay dormant for a time, but it was not over. It had only been temporarily wounded, recuperating in the shadows, waiting for the right opportunity to strike again.
In the torch-lit hall, countless hooded knights knelt devoutly. Dark figures descended the stone steps and ascended the stage engulfed in flames; their shadows, cast by the firelight, were long and lingering, trembling slightly with the ripples of the flames.
The chief removed his hood, revealing a gaunt face beneath, but half of it was covered in deep scars from his injuries. His face was split open, exposing subcutaneous tissue and blood-red tendons; darkness filled the ripped face, making it appear as if it were still alive, a horrifying sight.
He raised his hands high, and everyone shouted in unison. The thick darkness swallowed the torchlight, instantly filling the entire cave, and the sound waves reverberated, making the dome seem as if it were about to collapse.
The chief looked at the kneeling worshippers with satisfaction, and couldn't help but reveal a sinister smile.
The center is not far away; the destruction has only just begun.
Beyond Earth, in the dark, boundless expanse of space, a colossal island slowly moves across the barren surface of the moon. It perfectly conceals itself on the far side of the moon, nestled in a sunless corner. Thousands upon thousands of black monsters huddle in the craters beneath it, necks craned, silently howling.
The darkness is not fleeting; it has just begun.
Chapter 1727 Christmas Eve
After Thanksgiving, Christmas arrived, and the metropolis welcomed its first snowfall of the year in December. Thousands upon thousands of white snowflakes descended upon the bustling city, transforming it into a silver wonderland on Christmas Eve. Every rooftop and every treetop was blanketed in snow, the pristine white mingling with the city's neon lights to create a beautiful picture of a modern holiday.
Christmas was still a few days away, but the Reynolds family, like many other families in town, had already begun celebrating. Mr. Reynolds brought in a Christmas tree, placed it next to the television in the living room, and, admiring it, smiled and said: "It seems he likes this tree more and more."
As he called for Xu Fu's help, he hung wreaths, ribbons, fairy lights, and other decorations on the tree, as if dressing it in a sparkling coat. Mr. Reynolds looked at his work with satisfaction, casually unwrapped a candy cane, and whispered to Xu Fu, "Don't tell Mom I ate it."
However, at that moment, a strange coincidence occurred when Mrs. Reynolds' voice came from the kitchen: "Charles! Come here!"
Mr. Reynolds' face turned deathly pale. "Impossible! Maybe your mother could see through it too?"
Stunned, Xu Fu forced a smile and looked at his mother through the living room wall: "063, don't worry, she just asked you for help. As long as you don't show up in front of her with a candy cane in your mouth, you'll be fine."