Cataclysm: Undead Dragons and Zero Empire

Chapter 125 Assassination Operation

Humanity's home planet remains covered by vast, frozen snowfields.

Winter is long gone, but the planet's ecosystem has never been able to return to its pre-disaster state of distinct seasons, forcing most of human civilization's settlements to go underground.

This is New Valentine City, a major city built by human civilization on their home planet. Countless young people come here seeking their future and opportunities, as if the times have never changed.

Unlike the cramped and sunless underground bases of the era of catastrophe, the new Valentine City is now a truly magnificent underground city.

Countless pillars support the dome, and the "leaves" on it are the homes where humans live today. A large three-dimensional transportation network maximizes the utilization of the entire underground space. After being freed from the constraints of the ground, countless driverless anti-gravity levitation vehicles shuttle in an orderly manner in the air channels, just like traffic flowing on an invisible road.

The dome simulates the sky and sun of the pre-disaster era. At dawn, the pale sun slowly rises from the eastern dome, casting a warm and soft light. At noon, the simulated sun rises to the center of the dome, illuminating the entire city. As night falls, the setting sun sinks below the western horizon, and countless stars fill the dome, reflecting the lights of thousands of homes in the city.

Living underground did not diminish humanity's yearning for the sky and sunlight; they used their wisdom and technology to recreate a vibrant world beneath this frozen land.

At this moment, all eyes in this bustling underground city are focused on the central square, which is more lively than ever before.

The leader of the Exalted Death Sect preached in New Valentine, and the area below the platform was packed with people who came to listen.

People gazing upon the face of the cult leader.

Hundreds of thousands of people came from all corners of human civilization, crowding the huge square to capacity. People were standing everywhere, while the vast majority of people who could not come in person watched everything that was about to happen here through a live broadcast network that was accessible to all of human civilization.

Among them were elderly people with white hair, who most hoped to see Terence in person. The frost of the harsh winter had left indelible marks on them. They had personally experienced the cataclysmic earthquake, endured extreme cold, and watched the people around them wither away in the dark ages.

The energetic young people were born in the post-disaster era and grew up in the underground city. They did not experience the suffering of their parents and did not have a deep affection for Terence, the leader of the Death Cult. However, they were still happy to crowd around here out of curiosity and a desire to join in the fun.

The crowd thronged, and the sounds of discussion rose and fell like waves in the square. Some people were whispering about the contents of the new doctrines, while others were arguing about whether Terence's religious reforms were right or wrong. When there were many people, such clashes of ideas seemed to be a constant presence.

All eyes were focused on the high platform when Terence slowly walked out. It was unclear whether the black robe with red trim was the same one from years ago. The hem of the robe fluttered gently as he walked, like wings unfolding in the dark night.

Two faint black-red flames burned in those eyes that were once always filled with compassion and reason. Even from this distance, the people below the stage could clearly feel the presence of those two flames.

Terence simply stood there, and the entire crowd in the square involuntarily held their breath, as if something had gently touched their souls along with those eyes.

Terence began this grand sermon, his voice carrying a rhythm that could soothe any restlessness, allowing the crowd to quiet down and listen to his words.

"My fellow countrymen, my brothers and sisters in human civilization."

"Today I stand here not as the leader of the Death Cult, but as a survivor like you, who survived the apocalypse of winter, and I speak to you."

"I think many of the elderly people here still remember that devastating earthquake."

"That day, the earth cracked open into a deep abyss, cities collapsed into fissures, and volcanic ash covered the entire sky. We thought it was the end of the world, but we were wrong. An even more terrible winter had just begun."

"The ocean froze into a vast ice sheet, crops failed, livestock froze to death, and everything we depended on for survival vanished in that extreme cold."

"Back then, we didn't have such magnificent cities, warm sunshine, or enough food. We had to fight tooth and nail to get even a sip of clean water. Our compatriots froze to death in the snow and died in famine."

His words instantly brought tears to the eyes of the elderly people in the audience who had experienced the apocalypse. They were speechless, remembering the years they struggled in the snow and ice, and their deceased relatives and comrades-in-arms.

"Many newcomers ask, how did we survive?"

Terence's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, "It was thanks to the bloody battles fought by General Howard and the Deathbringers, and the indomitable resilience etched into our very bones."

"But these are not the most fundamental reasons."

He raised his head and looked up at the simulated sky above the dome, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick layers of rock to reach the real, vast starry sky.

"We survived because of the Lord's grace. It was He who calmed the earthquake in the end times when the earth was collapsing, and it was He who ignited the spark of spiritual energy for us in the desperate situation when winter was coming."

"He is our Heavenly Father, the Lord of Death, and the only Redeemer of human civilization."

Terence pointed to the dragon bone statue that was now once again placed on the high platform, and the flames in his pupils suddenly brightened.

"Many people ask me, does He really exist? Why can't we see Him? Why doesn't He descend before us?"

"I tell you, He is always there. He is in our dreams every night, in every prayer we make for peace. He has never left us. He is always watching over us and walking with us."

Elderly people who have experienced the apocalypse are often the first to believe these abrupt words, believing that only miracles can explain how human civilization has struggled to survive from disasters.

The younger generation mostly looked puzzled and whispered among themselves. The history they learned in their textbooks was that humanity had overcome the apocalypse through its own strength and gradually arrived at where it is today. The "Lord" that Terence spoke of seemed more like a vague myth to them.

Terence ignored the murmurs and commotion from the audience and continued his narration.

He recounted the moment of the Lord's awakening, the great power that calmed the earth's crustal movements during the earthquake, the Lord's empowerment of humanity to survive in the snow and ice during the harsh winter, and the trail that the Lord left behind when He departed, spanning half a galaxy and pointing humanity to the path to the stars.

Terence's account was devoid of flowery language, yet utterly truthful and certain, as if he were reciting a definitive historical record. Whether they believed or doubted, everyone in the square listened quietly to his narration.

Just as Terence was about to expound on the new doctrine, a clear image flashed through his mind: a cone-shaped electromagnetic armor-piercing projectile, accompanied by a delayed whistle, tore through the air and hurtled toward his forehead.

Terence showed no panic. He simply turned his head slowly and looked calmly toward the direction from which the ballistics originated, into the building hidden outside the square.

This sudden action startled the audience, who all turned to look at the building in the direction of his gaze. The live broadcast camera also followed his gaze in that direction at that moment.

Just as everyone was puzzled, the armor-piercing shell had already reached the high platform, aimed at Terence's forehead.

However, this electromagnetically accelerated bullet, powerful enough to penetrate armor, suddenly stopped when it reached Terence's position, as if it had hit an invisible buffer wall. The bullet spun wildly in the air but could not move forward even an inch.

The bullet's kinetic energy was quickly exhausted, and it came to a complete stop in mid-air. Terence glanced at the bullet in the air, and the armor-piercing bullet instantly changed direction and shot back at an even faster speed than it had come.

The sniper, hidden in the distance, followed a hit-and-run strategy. After pulling the trigger, he didn't even look at the result and was already rappelling down the building. His comrades would be waiting for him to escape the scene.

But he saw the bullet he had sent out pierce the wall, return to his side, penetrate his skull, and bloom into a flower of blood.

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