Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1508 Poison Dance
"From today onwards, you are my team members. Memorize the manual. I don't want any of you to die on your first day on the job. Remember, your brains are more important than your physical strength."

"Wow, Vanessa, not bad weapon. A ranged weapon is much better for survival than melee weapons at the beginning."

"The Scarlet One-Act play's response was a great success, a beautiful shot. Vanessa, you have no idea how much destruction this thing caused before. Number one is a monster. Haha, I'm treating everyone to dinner tonight."

"Level 2 alert... Did I see the Death Bird? Vanessa, if I don't get through this today, you'll be the next captain."

"...How many survived?"

"You can call me Vanessa, or Captain, it's all the same. Memorize the manual. Stupid people don't last long here. No matter what your original strength was, get your heads straight first."

"Four more people died? From the first corridor to the third corridor, the entire area was cleared out, not a single person was left."

"Poison Dance? I can't be bothered to ask who gave it that nickname. Don't let me hear that word during work hours."

"Congratulations. You have broken through the limits of your weapon's potential for growth in a desperate situation. Given time, you may become the first owner of a god-level weapon on Judgment Island. As for me? My potential is gone."

“Starting today, the Madness-class containment unit will be filled with containment objects. Madness 1, Heavenly Stem, I will explore its management rules. No one has dealt with a Madness-class doomsday containment object before, so be prepared, it may trigger a Level 2 or Level 3 alert.”

"The Berserker-class containment unit is full, and we'll be taking turns on duty. I'll go check if there are any new recruits we've taken in next door who are worth training; my team also needs some reinforcements."

“I have a few promising talents. I’m particularly optimistic about that newcomer named Giovanni. I’ll submit an application in a couple of days, and with my connections, I should be able to get him transferred.”

"You've reached the point where you can go back? Congratulations, it's not easy to have a peaceful end in this place. Don't worry about me, I'll be there soon too... What's that sound? A level three alarm?"

"The setting sun, the tiger, the writhing night, the pupae, the moth forest, the funeral procession carrying a coffin... the suppression is complete."

"Message Log: This is Level 1 Enforcer, Captain Vanessa. My team members have been almost entirely wiped out after the two Doomsday Cores of the Lilvin Codex breached containment. I have done everything in my power to suppress the Missionaries of Creation and the Missionaries of End."

"I am now in the Berserk-level Corridor 9. The door is locked. I have confirmed that I have encountered the Doomsday Core of Berserk 12 [Ah, Homeland], the No-Return Traveler. Blood handprints have appeared on my body."

"Judging from the situation on the ground, the Doomsday Core has concentrated all its efforts on attacking me. I will use a spatial detonation to ensure its complete destruction. Furthermore, I believe this Doomsday Core is worthy of being a footnote to my life. It has been an honor to fight alongside you all to this point."

=
Lu Ning suddenly felt her connection to all the bacterial colonies severed, and her originally vast sensory range was immediately reduced back to her own. However, this didn't matter much; she could now see the spire of the Minute Church.

But... what exactly has changed?
Minutes before the church, accompanied by Vanessa's prayers, a green cloak covered her original nun's robes, and a light armor appeared beneath the cloak. Scattered colonies began to gather towards the center, and blue and green fluorescence emerged at her feet, forming a circle that was not dazzling but could not be ignored.

Then, Vanessa opened her eyes, saw the red giant in front of her, and smiled.

"Although they are slightly different... they are probably not far apart."

She stood up and gently tapped her head with the handle of the plague-infested weapon.

"However, it's not a good idea to bewitch the past me. After all, people need to grow. I'm not at the point where I can control you yet. Forcing growth is not something you should do."

The giant stared at Vanessa, unaware of any changes that had occurred to her. It only sensed that this tiny life before it suddenly possessed a powerful killing intent, not an illusion, but the aura accumulated from truly slaughtering dozens or even hundreds of creatures similar to itself.

"A containment object that's almost ready... Ah, not yet contained. But it's not far off, though. It doesn't have many unique features, since it's still inside its eggshell. It's probably only at the Paper-to-Breakthrough level at best. Ha, it's easy to say, but we can't overexert my current body."

The plague transformed in Vanessa's hands, rapidly elongating into the form of a sniper rifle.

"Strongly targeted epidemic cluster loading, three rounds, broad-spectrum."

Three crisp sounds were followed by a direct shot.

A green beam of light ripped through the night sky, instantly creating a large hole in the red giant's chest.

Bernd watched with wide eyes.

Immediately following was the second shot, which pierced the skull, and the third shot, which severed a leg.

The red giant merely took a step back, and radiance gathered on its body, causing its three wounds to heal rapidly.

"Hmm... It doesn't possess the typical weaknesses of humanoid types. Physical injuries don't affect its speed, and it has rapid regeneration capabilities. This is interesting. Wild Plague, do you remember when we first explored the characteristics of a new containment object?"

Bacterial debris spilled from the barrel. This gun did not require ejecting the spent cartridges. Although Vanessa enjoyed the crisp sound of the cartridges hitting the ground, absolute silence was more often the better.

The habit remained, which gave Vanessa a somewhat melancholy look.

"It can't last too long."

She glanced up at the red giant, then vanished instantly, leaving only scattered debris. The red giant hadn't seen her disappear, but its divine senses immediately detected Vanessa's presence behind it.

It opened its palm, grasped a ball of red light emanating from itself, and then slammed it behind it. The use of this divine power was so primitive that Vanessa couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

A shot pierced her wrist in mid-air, and the deliberately amplified recoil propelled her upwards again, transforming the "Wilderness Plague" into a longsword in her hand.

"Conquering Sword Techniques!"

The blade flashed out like a whirlwind, just like the swordsmanship Rosalind had once used. The difference was that Rosalind pursued sustained combat in group battles, while Vanessa had transformed it into the ultimate offensive against a single target.

The giant's hand, which held the red light, was shredded along with the light itself. A sharp blade pierced through the severed wrist in the gale, leaving a green mark that pierced the giant's entire arm before exploding from the inside. Dust filled the air as Vanessa plummeted from the sky. Just before hitting the ground, she fired a shot to offset her descent. A large patch of fungal carpet began to gather around her, and a javelin quickly rose from the ground, reaching her. Vanessa reached out and grasped it, pulling out the fungal javelin. Her armor and cloak flashed for a moment, and then the entire javelin burst forth with a brilliant light.

"go with!"

The piercing whistling of the javelin cutting through the air assaulted everyone's eardrums. This time, the newly born god, struck by the javelin, had a multitude of cracks appear on its illusory body, the flashes of light perfectly matching the color of the javelin. Vanessa lightly leaped back, vanishing the instant she landed. At the same time, the giant, seemingly unable to withstand the javelin's power, exploded from within.

The soaring red light vanished, leaving only two cracks in the sky that seemed to prove the giant had ever existed. Lu Ning witnessed all of this, and then her gaze fell upon a nearby patch of fungal carpet.

Vanessa emerged from there, having transformed the Plague back into its pistol form, a serene smile on her face.

"Is this what you looked like on Judgment Island?" Lu Ning had already guessed what had happened.

“I suppose so… We all end up becoming all sorts of strange creatures, to adapt to battle, don’t we?” Vanessa turned her head to look at the direction where the giant had shattered. “We haven’t been able to finish it off yet, but we’ve significantly weakened that god’s fighting power. Pharmacist, I still want to see your methods.”

“I didn’t bring my weapons with me.” Lu Ning laughed. “In terms of strength, you should be stronger than me now.”

“In fact, if you hadn’t brought it out, our cycle should have ended long ago. But unfortunately, things are never perfect. Vanessa always goes to Judgment Island, and you… will take this relic with you in the more distant future.”

Vanessa stroked the plague.

"This weapon is imbued with too many of my obsessions and memories. It has become extremely dangerous. If used incorrectly, it could very well become a doomsday core."

“Someone observed this ending on another timeline,” Lu Ning replied.

“But that’s a time when there will be no results.” Vanessa chuckled. “I’ve learned quite a bit, Pharmacist. From what we’re dealing with to their nature. Even if Judgment Island doesn’t provide very detailed information, the daily management isn’t just repetitive work. Some containment objects are happy to share their knowledge.”

"But the ending was not happy."

“Not all loops have happy endings, and this loop hasn’t stopped. Your mission is over, but the gears of fate have begun to turn again. Unless you kill Vanessa and end it all,” Vanessa said.

"Since my mission is over, why kill Vanessa and deprive her of any potential for future cycles?" Lu Ning retorted. "Do you want it to end?"

“I don’t care what I do, because I’m already dead. The plague reconstructed me through memories and power, and it was precisely because I was Vanessa that I was able to fully unleash that power. All I know is up to my death. But… even though I’m dead, being able to return here and see familiar people and things again, perhaps that’s the benefit this strange experience has given me. Back then, I didn’t know what Vanessa was feeling when she stepped into the fray, but now I understand.”

Lu Ning glanced at the spot where the god had been shattered. Although the red light had disappeared, thick fog had begun to rise.

"What you destroyed was the gaze of the gods from the future. What remains now is the persistence of a saint."

The vast illusion was shattered, yet the struggling past remained. The solidified figure began absorbing the surrounding bloody aura, which rapidly expanded, instantly surpassing the location of Lu Ning and Vanessa and spreading into the distance. Death, battle, bloodshed, and killing intent within the city quickly gathered, forging the figure into a body very similar to Liu, yet lacking detailed features.

She held a red and black military knife in her hand, standing with her head bowed, seemingly deep in thought. However, she quickly raised her head, which began to slowly turn, as if scanning her surroundings.

Crimson claw-like marks appeared above everyone's heads. Rosemerada frowned slightly upon seeing this and quickly gripped the Ark of Miracles tightly. She knew very well that this unknown threat did not come from her, and therefore had to be identified as an enemy.

The serpent dragon wasn't too worried about the mark on his head, but since Rosemerada was already in danger, he had no choice but to show himself. So he put down his briefcase, took out the greatsword from it, and walked confidently toward Rosemerada.

Vanessa and Lu Ning, who were further away, were no exception. The marking spell of the Burial Pivot was something Liu had demonstrated before, but it was always a single-target mark.

"Does she still have any restrictions on accepting bribes?" Lu Ning asked.

"Most likely... that's it. After going to Judgment Island, I can no longer sense Na's limitations. I can still use spells, but the effects are much weaker. She has an aura similar to yours, so her current state should be the same."

“Different worlds have different rules, and a place like Judgment Island can bring them together, but integration means making choices.”

"Therefore, I don't like that place."

"Same."

The two smiled knowingly, this strange connection allowing them to relax even on the battlefield.

The "Saint" moved, like a paintbrush splashed with vibrant crimson, leaving a deep, scarlet hue in the air, while she herself traversed space. As for her target—

"Why are you still holding a grudge!"

Burdi yelled, brandishing his dagger in a backhand motion, and began to ramble on: "You think you can beat me like this? As long as you get close to me, whether you've become a god or not, you'll still be the same—what is this thing?"

The red color spread before Burdi's eyes. It wasn't just a simple slash mark, but something far more deadly, something Lu Ning would recognize if she were closer.

To coat.

Danxi, who was fighting the Red Lady, felt as if a sharp knife was piercing her brain. She was fighting this apostle who controlled blood, and she was also bleeding. The bloody absorption just now not only cleared all the blood in the room, but also took away a part of her power.

In Bernd's eyes, a phantom of a giant wolf appeared above the red and black man's head, and the six eyes on the phantom were slowly opening. He felt a deep-seated fear take over his mind; at this moment, he understood the saint's true state.

Abandoning the unfinished god, leaving behind a body large enough to contain the god, relying on the life extended by resurrection, one calls upon the gods of this world to bestow upon oneself.

He is the incarnation of God.