049. Natural disasters
At this moment, the Grantians' contempt for Gamma-tier was finally shattered.
"No matter how strong a person is, they're still a carbon-based lifeform. There's nothing firepower can't solve!"
The premise of this statement, of course, is that it requires a nation with sufficient firepower to back it up.
The Bemudes soldiers under Xislong fought valiantly against the duchy's guards, their hearts filled with unwavering faith. But when Duke Gamos descended amidst the roaring thunderclouds, their will to fight vanished. People cried out and fled, and the officers had to coordinate the retreat, ensuring everyone took their supplies and withdrew in an orderly manner.
Alpha Squad, still clearing out enemies within Surut Palace, hadn't recovered from the shock when they were instantly crushed underfoot, powerless to resist.
Their actions weren't entirely out of fear but rather the understanding that no mortal would be foolish enough to face a tsunami with their bare body.
The earth and sky connected, thunder roared, and the towering figure, like a fortress, was wrapped in all manner of ghostly and evil spirits. The Emerald wolf pelt cloak billowed in the storm, casting an eerie glow in the endless night.
Duke Gamos slowly lowered three pairs of giant hands, using the umbilical cord as a flail to smash the ground like a meteor hammer. The Spirit Wife in white, with snail antennae slowly rotating on her head, reflected the collapsing army and ruined city in her four ghostly blue eyes. The long night brought snow and sand, and in an instant, the thunder dragon on the horizon tore through the sky, illuminating the demonic spirits groveling at his feet.
The shaman stood tall amidst the natural disaster, commanding the thunder and ghosts at will.
The world howled, and the wind whistled, bringing with it sharp cries that sent chills down one's spine, making the scalp tingle as if pricked by needles, emotions uncontrollable, difficult not to think of an absurd notion:
This planet is weeping.
She cannot sustain beings that surpass the ecosystem. Her massive form and incredibly sturdy structure made gravity seem like a joke, and the endless spiritual energy pouring in from all directions gathered toward an insatiable funnel, no matter how much it was fed.
Boom!
The grand duke instantly whipped the umbilical cord, the swaying placenta slamming heavily into the ground, causing the earth to quake. A deep chasm immediately swallowed countless fleeing people, and the modern forest of steel and concrete was reduced to a joke under his might.
Desperate people raised rocket launchers, aiming 122mm howitzers at the grand duke, hoping to injure him with a meager rain of shells and sparks—yet as the flames propelled the warheads toward Duke Gamos, they passed through him as if through a curtain of water, creating only ripples.
Boom, boom, boom, boom——
The extended barrage passed through the grand duke's chest, tracer rounds weaving and dancing in mid-air, yet it failed to bring about the blood and death they so desperately sought. The cannon fire sounded like a million gongs and drums beating in unison, gold, iron, and fire blazing, as if these weapons weren't meant for killing but for celebrating a New Year's festival with fireworks.
Never before had the soldiers so desperately craved slaughter and power; they unleashed their firepower in despair, but it was all in vain.
Duke Gamos stood among them, reveling in the symphony of mortal steel.
"This is the true power of Gamma-tier."
Gravity lifted the rubble, and the flames in Li Aozi's left hand extinguished as he caught Alexia. Together, they leaped out, facing the nearly 40-meter-tall grand duke. They looked like ants in comparison.
The planets of the universe come in all shapes and sizes, but when faced with an overwhelmingly powerful individual, they all seem to experience a sense of crisis and fear.
Gamma-tier might be the most common force in the universe, but on the Blue Star, such a being could only be described as a disaster-class creature.
And this wasn't even a Gamma-tier at its peak—this was one who was old, his brain long deprived of oxygen, and his energy insufficient. Perhaps large-scale, high-density firepower bombardment and ballistic missiles could defeat him, but for the underdeveloped agricultural nation of the Grand Duchy of Grant, it's no exaggeration to say:
"——Duke Gamos is a god on earth."
"A god?"
Alexia clasped her fists together and said solemnly:
"The gods of the old days should make way for the new humanity."
Li Aozi tilted his head and said, "I think so too."
The next moment, the two of them suddenly sprang into action.
Gravitational acceleration—150G!
Clad in armor and in Dominion Form, all of Li Aozi's Omega Energy was integrated, combined with a 50% increase in movement speed, propelling his actual speed to over six times the speed of sound. A brilliant red streak tore through the sky like a sword, straight toward Gamos's head.
"Hah——!"
The grand duke's form flickered, and the flames on his body scattered the ghosts, driving them back in fear. His massive body displayed a flexibility that defied physical laws, as if weightless. He immediately dodged Li Aozi's attack, retreating into the spirit world.
Traditionally, people always believed that the stronger a creature, the slower and more cumbersome it would be.
But they forgot one thing: for an extraordinary being, power isn't just about strength; it's about output capacity.
Strength and speed have always complemented each other. Without great strength, there wouldn't be explosive acceleration.
In his 'Take Action' form, Gamos had four eyes, each capable of rotating independently, giving him a field of vision akin to a third-person perspective.
With one failed strike, Li Aozi's body was immediately exposed to the grand duke's grasp. Six arms reached out simultaneously, each movement as fast as a cruise missile. They were unaffected by heat-seeking countermeasures, relentlessly pursuing Li Aozi's form, while Gamos also unleashed a dense wave of malevolent spirits, swarming toward Li Aozi like locusts.
Duke Gamos remained silent, and Li Aozi knew he was serious.
Compared to the arrogant words of Professor Abyss, who seemed like a clown just ascending the throne, Duke Gamos was the decaying yet still powerful king, entrenched on his throne.
He held onto his lofty dreams and authority, always aware of his strengths and weaknesses, understanding the need to give his all, even when fighting a rabbit.
Extraordinary beings of the [Eerie] class are often like this—stubborn and arrogant, yet inwardly cowardly and sensitive. This stems from their obsessive and mysterious worldview. From the start, they believed in the idea that the mind triumphs over matter and that consciousness is the only reality. This led them to define kingship and divine right as a 'heaven-bestowed mandate.'
From the beginning, Li Aozi and Alexia had been under the immense pressure brought on by the grand duke's full power. Li Aozi had no time for words; just dodging the grand duke's attacks had exhausted all his energy.
But the grand duke was different. He could freely retreat into the spirit world. Even if Li Aozi could prevent him from using spirit consumption to replenish his life force, he still couldn't kill him.
The professional arena favored the [Eerie] class for its incredible survivability—if you couldn't kill an [Eerie] extraordinary being in one strike, it was as if no damage had been done at all. Their powerful control abilities and excellent error tolerance made them perfect for professional players.
For Li Aozi, the reason he dared to face such a formidable opponent as Duke Gamos was that he had enough confidence to deal a blow the grand duke couldn't possibly withstand.
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