Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 560 The Last Fireworks (Part )

"It hurts, it hurts so much, my head hurts so much." Dak covered his head which was about to explode and came out of the half-asleep hangover feeling.

The bizarre dream scene around him quickly disintegrated, and all the illusions became fragmented. After a long time, he finally broke free from the confused whispers and erratic will, and got rid of the shackles brought by pain and hangover.

Dak patted the unknown dust on his clothes that was faintly shining with a creepy light, supported himself on the ground with one hand, moved his body, and tried to get up.

After about a few minutes, perhaps half an hour, he finally suppressed his erratic will and took control of his thinking. After struggling for a while among countless messy memories, vague words, and occasional severe tinnitus, he finally regained control of his body and remembered his identity and the purpose of coming to this "last laboratory."

"This is... Oh, yes, this is the true appearance of the 'Last Laboratory'. So, the dark 'pseudo-universe' has disappeared, and the daytime 'inverted space' has also disappeared, except for this river flowing beside... 'Yudianankou', and, and..." Dark rubbed his eyes to dispel the dirt on his eyelashes, and was forced to take several steps back, looking up at this great hall that condensed the most technological products of the old empire.

As if it sensed traces of humans, as if the breath of a living person in Dak's body after he woke up triggered a pre-set program mechanism, a crimson smoke first surged in the entire "Last Laboratory". After everything dissipated, two searchlights hanging high above the head, relying on two steam pipes emitting a turbid smell, illuminated dim and white lights respectively, making the entire space covered with a semi-psychedelic scene of day and dusk intertwined.

What came into his view was the huge iron sculpture of Ivan XXII, the iconic "Great Emperor" of the old empire. The whole statue was dull in color, and the parts that should not be covered by clothes, such as the head, arms and collar, were covered with irregular brown rust. They were not spots, but continuous patches, giving people a feeling of filthiness.

Dak guessed that perhaps before the Battle of "Silent Highlands", this sculpture was brand new and shiny, but after the death of Ivan XXII, the power of the "Orderer" in his body and the fire magic source power could no longer maintain his control over the location of the "Master Fire of Heavenly Punishment", and the sculpture began to rust rapidly.

"There is a strong smell of 'sorrow' in this sculpture... I remember that in the Dragon Era, in order to gain indestructible power, humans used the evil spells of shamans and priests to dedicate half of their souls and seal them in a huge sculpture to ensure that the fate of themselves, their tribe, and even a small country would be as solid as a rock. If that sculpture could be watered with the blood of the dragons, then the small country would grow into an empire that would last for a thousand years." Dak recalled the ancient myth story he saw in the Binglin Province Library:
"The Cruzde Empire did last for a thousand years, and just as it was about to enter a new century, the 'Heartless Virus' that had been arranged by the 'New Construction Plan' broke out. This may be a cause and effect, a cause and effect that cannot escape the arrangement of the Creator's 'Reason'. Ivan XXII wanted the empire to continue for thousands of years, so he became crazy. He wanted to destroy everything and rebuild everything, but he forgot a rule: destruction is easy, but reconstruction is difficult."

After a few sighs, Dak walked around the statue that had long since lost all its value and headed for a more central location. There was a brand new circular flying disc-shaped machine parked there, about a hundred meters wide, with an old empire's "official double-headed eagle" emblem deeply imprinted in red in the center.

The entire circular flying disc-shaped machine is abnormally white only where the badge is located, while the rest of the area is high-tech black and gold. The surrounding exhaust devices are spewing pure water mist, which, under the light, creates a psychedelic feeling brought about by the "Tyndall effect".

Dak continued to look upwards, and he found that the layout of the entire "Last Laboratory" was narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, like a loophole. The sculptures and flying disc-shaped machines at the bottom were located in the narrowest ring, and the space became wider as he went up, until he reached the top, where there was a kilometer-long metal ceiling that was built in an unknown way.

However, the only piece of Old Empire technology machinery that can be seen is the one in front of him. The rest may be hidden inside the heavy iron door. Dak does not have the key, nor does he have a layout map of the place.

He didn't know how to go to the higher levels. After all, each level was connected by a smooth metal wall, just like the terraced fields in the East, except that the spacing between each level was larger and was wrapped with all kinds of sparking wires, making it almost impossible to climb.

"Just now, after destroying the 'Ivan Machine', the huge explosion not only destroyed the device that powered the 'pseudo-universe', but the aftermath of the explosion also blew us all away. I don't know where Wolfya went, and I can't sense the scent of Light's 'evil god'. Even that stupid Yaroslav..." Dark sighed lightly, staring at the dim searchlight above his head, as if he had made some kind of resolution that transcended life, and murmured:
"They are all gone. Even though the extraordinary properties of the Red Fantasy Ruins have been lifted at this moment, their existence will not be erased, but they still cannot escape the natural law set by the Creator. Humans will always die, and now I am the only one left."

Dark clenched his fists and slowly walked to the center of the entire "Last Laboratory". He turned over his arm and injected the few remaining water-based magic power into the "Mark of Reselection". At the same time, he took off the "Tears of Bizuni" that he had been wearing on his chest since entering the "Red Fantasy Ruins". He suppressed the tears that had almost flowed to his chin and said in a low, choked voice:

"Destiny, perhaps, was arranged by the Creator for all humans from the beginning... He has so many clones, enough to write a sinful, confused, and painful script for every human in the wasteland era. I have never doubted 'Void Zero', I always believe... 'The Mark of Reselection' gave me two chances of reincarnation.

"But, I can't go against the power of creation and change my fate. In the previous two reincarnations, I didn't die alone, but this time, I'm the only one left. No one can reach here again. The strong 'sorrow' and 'ancient power' here will drive anything that enters rashly crazy.

"Now, I am the only one who can summon the controller to shut down the 'Master Control Fire of Heavenly Punishment'... Of course, the moment the 'Master Control Fire of Heavenly Punishment' is shut down, the entire 'Last Laboratory' will disintegrate in an instant, and the river near the 'Yudenankou' will quickly freeze, sealing off the entire space. The laboratory's self-destruction program will soon be activated, and everything that exists here will be reduced to ashes by the raging fire."

Dak wiped the tears from his face, looked down at the ground covered with metal plates, and continued to talk to himself:
"I have always wanted to retrieve the memories of the time when I became a 'different monster' and before, but it seems that they are not important. Everything in the past will only imprison humans in the past. The more painful it is, the more we should look forward.

"I already have power beyond that of a 'different monster'. 'Ice Silence' is enough to allow me to win in all battles. Moreover, I am still a human being, and even a mutant recognized by the Federation. But... I don't have the power to choose 'fate'. I have always been alone. Under the arrangement of 'fate', I can hardly become friends with anyone I meet, except... Wolfya. The religion of Chidanris seems to have such a rumor. If my life is lonely, then this may be my last reincarnation in the human world. If there really is a heaven beyond life and existence, it must be beautiful."

Dark sighed deeply again, he put away all his emotions, chanted the Central language used to form spirits, and urged all the magic power in his body to be poured into his hands.

Soon, blue flames like smoke rose between Dak's palms. He aimed at the right position and pressed his hands hard to the ground.

After a slight vibration, a circular azure magic circle with interlaced patterns of double-headed eagles, sunflowers, and sunflowers emerged in the area beneath his feet.

A cool air belonging to the ocean and ice field emanated from the magic circle. The refreshing smell rushed straight into his brain, making him feel as if he was in the world where the ocean and ice field met when the Cruzde Empire was first founded.

Then, he stood up, took a deep breath, looked around the "Last Laboratory", and said:

"No one knows, not even the Federation Administrator Vasily, that the code to the summoning console is hidden in Wendys's collection of poems, The Call of the Wind. Perhaps this is the last bit of romance left in the war machine of the old empire."

Dak coughed a few times and chanted loudly:

“Creation gives authority to gods and wisdom to humans.”

"When the gods no longer hold the scepter of judgment, humans take over the authority with red flames."

"The breath of divine punishment permeates the world forever, and the white dove representing peace shuttles between life and death."

“The Creator’s instructions to mankind are to be remembered:”

"Where the moon descends, where the sky floats, the heat of thought resounds, and the universe is shaken."

As Dak finished speaking, a white metal console rose in front of him. On it were only two silver-painted metal levers. One had "Destroy" written on it in Old Crusadersi, and the other had "Start" written on it.

Whoosh!
Just as he was about to pull down "Destroy" and destroy the "Master Control of Heavenly Punishment Fire", a silver bullet whizzed past his ear and went straight through his right palm.

"Leave it, leave the console. In the name of the commander-in-chief of the Cruzde Red Fantasy Ruins campaign, I ask you to leave the console, Vice Captain Dark Tillis."

"Yes, Yaroslav? What do you want to do?" Dak turned his head and saw Yaroslav holding his own Vasily pistol.

Yaroslav, who had just woken up from the icy river, didn't care that he was soaked all over. He limped and raised his gun with both hands to threaten Dak.

Even now, half of his face had been blasted into a bloody mess, with one eyeball drooping outside, connected by several blood vessels and ready to fall off at any time. The half ear hanging on the good half of his face also seemed to have been torn off by someone, and was flowing with a mixture of blood and pus. His left arm had been completely flattened and fused with the molten metal, forming an ugly product of bent metal and bone. The skin on his entire chest had withered, as if it was covered with a layer of grass and leaves, very brittle, and would almost fall off if pulled.

Yaroslav could die at any time now, but the strong "sorrow" and "ancient power" around him overwhelmed his will, allowing him to walk briskly. He dragged his limping leg to Dark's front and pointed a gun at Dark's head to force him to leave the console.

The intense stench mixed with the cold breath made Dak feel very uncomfortable. He felt as if his lungs were filled with filth. He had to take a few steps back in front of Yaroslav's ugly, deformed and twisted body.

"Yaroslav, you are crazy. Everything you do is sick. If you really pull down the 'Master Control Fire of Heavenly Punishment', even if your 'Paradise' plan can be successfully carried out and you can leave here alive, the Crusaders of later generations will imprison your consciousness in the illusory 'Paradise' you created, and let you suffer eternal torture." Dak advised:

"If you can prevent the destruction of the 'Fire of Heavenly Punishment', even if you die, Vasili will hold a grand funeral for you. The Cruzd people will regard you as a hero, and your deeds and your stories will be passed down among the Cruzd people forever."

"Don't tell me that." Yaroslav spat out a few pieces of broken flesh and blood, and said in a slightly unclear voice:
"Dak, pull down the 'start' lever, and all the technological items here will belong to me. These 'Master Control Heavenly Punishment Fires' cannot reach the main strongholds of Cruzde. As long as the key cities are still there, I can rely on these technological items to create the real 'Ielishela'. See, this 'Cruzde Spaceship' in front of you is a great aircraft that can break through the gravity of the earth.

"The world needs a complete destruction. All people, lost ones, 'heartless people' and extraordinary things will be annihilated, and human consciousness will be poured into a larger space city at that time, overlooking the entire world being burned by fire, returning to the Ice Age, and then the ice and snow melt, entering the next spring of reincarnation. Dak, there is no point in persisting, think about it." Yaroslav held the pistol in one hand and pressed the "start" lever with the other hand, and continued:
"The Wasteland Era is the punishment given to us by the Creator. People will always deceive each other, and then deceive the gods. Light is gone, and the [Orderer] is gone, which means that there is no hope for this world. The Creator is punishing mankind, and the 'Goddess of Light' and the 'Lord of Darkness' have abandoned us. The 'Evolution Platform Plan' has driven Vasily crazy, and more and more 'Waves of Careless People' are tearing apart the 'Gnady Line'...

"As long as I have the technology of the old empire, spaceships, aerospace cities, electromagnetic pulse rifles, nanorobots, dark matter cannons, phase transfer devices, mind control consoles, dimensionality reduction rift transmitters, gene editors, etc., these weapons, after the long winter of this reincarnation, we 'real new humans' will be the only masters of the new era, and I will be the master of the world."

Yaroslav smiled, his mouth wide open, several teeth soaked in blood fell out, red saliva flowed out, but these did not affect the movements of his hands, he pulled the "start" lever amid Dak's shouts.

boom!
A tiny mechanical gun is hidden in the console below the "start" lever, which will fire a bullet if someone tries to activate the lever.

Yaroslav would never have thought that a small brass bullet would pierce his chest at the last moment and end his life. He was too confident and took off his bulletproof vest and threw it aside before entering the "Red Fantasy Ruins".

However, the "start" lever did not get stuck because of Yaroslav's death. Yaroslav's arm also pulled down the "start" lever as his body fell.

In an instant, the white searchlight on top of the entire "Last Laboratory" went out, and countless dim lights filled the entire area. Rapid and melodious alarm sounds continued to surround Dak's head.

"No, no! Don't start, don't start the Fire of Heavenly Punishment!" Dak shouted helplessly, trying to pull the "start" lever back, but no matter how hard he tried, it was of no avail.

The "destroy" lever on the side fell off the moment the "start" lever was pulled down, making it completely uncontrollable.

Just as he was helplessly slapping the console, wantonly venting his inner resentment and anger, Wolfya appeared beside him.

"Give me your Tear of Bizuni and Mark of Reconciliation. These two items are the real key to shutting down the 'Master Control Fire of Heavenly Punishment'." Wolfya ordered in a hurried voice.

"How did you know? And, weren't you blown away just now?" Dak was surprised and happy, but he still used his magic power to remove the "Mark of Reselection" on his arm as quickly as possible, and handed it to Wolfya along with the "Tears of Bizuni".

"I said I would tell you my true identity. Now listen carefully, Dak." While violently dismantling the console and trying to put the two ordinal monsters in the appropriate position, Wolfya said to Wolfya behind him:

"I am the messenger of the Lord of Darkness, and even more so his incarnation. I rely on him to observe the entire wasteland world, because gods cannot really directly influence the operation of the world. At the same time, I am also the illegitimate son of Commander Vasily, so I can grasp so much useful information about the Federation.

"In fact, Dak, you have always been Vasily's key training successor. He has always believed that only those who have experienced hardships and trials can truly have the ability to lead the Cruz Federation. But now all this is just a daydream."

"Why?" Duck asked.

"The battle of the Red Fantasy Ruins has completely destroyed the elite warriors in the Federation who could fight against the Lost Ones. The Genadi Line will soon collapse, the Heartless Wave will sweep across the entire west of the Ice River, and Vasily's Evolution Platform Plan will exacerbate the collapse of the Federation." After installing the "Tears of Bizuni" and the "Mark of Reselection", Wolfya stood up and forcibly pulled the control consoles apart, revealing the palm-sized button in the middle, and said:

"[Orderers] and [Troublemakers] are destined to cooperate in order to restore the [order] of the human world and move towards the Star Era you desire. Wait, after I press this button, the entire 'Last Laboratory' will be sealed off, and a small explosion will occur here. The 'Red Fantasy Ruins' will be blown up, but it will not affect the military camps and strongholds set up by the Federation in the surrounding area.

"When I climbed out of the river just now, I brought Light Sugra with me 'by the way'. There is an elevator behind you that leads directly to the ice field outside... Take Light away from here, leave the Arctic Special Zone, leave the Ice Province, head east... leave Cruzde, and go to the land that successfully resisted the 'Wave of Careless People' and flows with milk and honey... Qi... No, the Flame Empire."

"Wolfya, I should be the one to bear the fate of death. This is my destiny. The Mark of Re-Choice gave me two reincarnations, both of which ended in death. This time, I will not escape. It should be you who leave. You are very strong and have so many friends in the Federal Committee. If one day in the future we need to fight against the 'Wave of Careless People', you will be more useful than me." Dak cried. He hugged Wolfya from behind and said reluctantly.

"Don't you understand yet? In the first two reincarnations that 'Xu Ling' talked about, you were a pure 'alien monster' once, and you were a pure 'human' once, so you failed and died. But this time, you are the [troublemaker], and you have the ability to rescue the [orderer], so 'fate' will not arrange death for you again, you will live until the reconstruction of [order] comes." Wolfya said in a low voice.

"But I 'love' you... I'm tired of the world shrouded in the dark night. Even if it means death, I don't want to be with darkness anymore. I really hope that the holy day will come to the world." Dak said while suppressing his tears.

"Dak, you have to believe that the holy dawn will eventually come, and the future of the world can be white. Of course, I also believe that it can also be red, symbolizing strength and courage. Let's go, Dak, take the [Orderer] away." Wolfya pulled Dak's hand away, turned around and handed Wright, who was lying flat on the ground, to his hands.

A few minutes later, accompanied by the rumbling sound of mechanical operation, Dak walked towards the top of the "Red Fantasy Ruins" in the cage-like elevator.

About half an hour later, when the golden light of dawn was splashed on the endless snowy wasteland of the "Bersluna" area, Dak carried Wright to the edge of the "Red Fantasy Ruins", a military camp that had long been deserted near the area where the "Wind Wall" was previously located.

As a red beam of light spurted out from the ruins, the entire sky was dyed a soul-stirring red as the earth trembled mercilessly, as if the clouds were ignited by the Creator.

The scorching air waves almost melted the ice field. Suddenly, the towering light column broke and evolved into gorgeous fireworks, which scattered in all directions, reflecting the remains of cities, towns and villages where human beings lived across the ice field, dispelling all the hazy feelings that belonged to the early morning.

Soon after, Dak discovered that in the direction of Carnosk, the towering "Tianji Evolution Platform" like a giant tower finally emerged from the horizon, bringing a future that could be either disaster or "hope".

Dak knew that the Creator had always set two endings for the human beings in this world, one was hope and the other was death.

Perhaps, in the endless reincarnations in the past, Dak chose death, but now, at this moment, he finally chose hope.

This is the best of times, and the worst of times; this is the most hopeful of times, and even more so the age of death and disaster, where foolishness and wisdom, faith and blasphemy, long night and light shine together. With different choices, mankind is heading towards heaven and hell, and is gradually passing through the "wasteland", and perhaps... eventually heading towards the "stars".

Thank you readers for your continued support. The second volume is about to be completed. I beg for a wave of monthly tickets!!!
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(End of this chapter)