Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

He wanted to die knowing why he died. He didn't intend to obey the orders of these obviously evil guys who were indiscriminately killing innocent people, but he was also very curious about what Wayne, the guy who had killed him, looked like and who he was.

As a result, she looked down, and before a second had passed, she looked up again. She launched into a tirade against Him and His unicorn followers, who were waiting for an answer:

"Did you take the photos with that thing?"

Her chin was raised high, pointing directly at the old-fashioned lock on the gate in the distance.

I'll submit the leave slip tomorrow.

My family is having our New Year's Eve reunion today. It's a bit early, but I'd still like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance!

This was the first time I, as an adult, had given a red envelope to a child. The relative's kid was fairly well-behaved and didn't touch my figurines. However, one seven or eight-year-old actually asked me if I was into anime and manga, which made me a little embarrassed.

I played tabletop role-playing games with a few authors tonight, and that's all for today.

I'll update tomorrow. Tomorrow's going to be big – how about a fistfight with God?!

Chapter 115 Let's go all out!

"Did you find anything?"

Wayne looked at Ascalon and asked. With electronic devices malfunctioning inexplicably, a "Sarkaz superman" like Ascalon was arguably the most useful warrior. Ascalon, who had been called, brushed the dust off his arm from the wall, his face also showing confusion, and explained to Wayne:

"【Paradox】Sir, just as you predicted, the abandoned city is now a ghost town. There are no citizens in the houses or on the streets. This is the case throughout the entire city, not just in our area."

Although he had been mentally prepared, Wayne still anxiously folded his arms upon confirming the outcome. The city's inhabitants couldn't possibly disappear so quickly; even if all the civilians were young and able-bodied, it was impossible for them all to evacuate a city. The most likely scenario was that they were still gathered somewhere. And Wayne knew that place, the enemy knew that place, everyone knew that place.

Have you been to the city hall?

"Wayne said. Ascalon's face showed a rare expression of resentment, and she answered truthfully:

"I'm sorry, [Paradox], I cannot explore the City Hall at the moment."

It wasn't that they didn't investigate, but rather that they were unable to investigate? Wayne frowned and asked, "What happened?"

“I can sense a very dangerous aura there. I can’t get close,” Ascalon said.

In fact, Ascalon's mere reluctance to approach was enough to demonstrate his keen sense of danger. The beings currently guarding the City Hall weren't the demons Wayne had anticipated, but rather the bicorn clan and their deities from Victoria. It's common knowledge that in Victoria, the unicorns siding with Aslan and the bicorns with Drak have been enemies since ancient times. The unicorns, as the pioneering organization for intelligence and assassination on Terra, hold undisputed authority in this field. In their confrontations with the unicorns, and to counter their endless underhanded and dirty tricks, the bicorns, after suffering several heavy losses, have finally become seasoned experts in countering assassination.

Ascalon's strength is formidable, but even at her peak, she hasn't reached the level of single-handedly slaying a god. This means that even if she goes all out and uses every trick in the book to conceal her presence, her actions are perfectly clear to "Ancestor." Her methods aren't much better than a unicorn's, and her experience is certainly comparable to that of an immortal unicorn. If she rashly approaches, "Ancestor" can detect her at any moment and control her, which would truly be a case of losing more than she gains.

Two-horned beasts don't care about human rights; if Ascalon is caught by them, he'll face a near-death experience.

Fortunately, Ascalon realized the danger of continuing forward and stopped near the city hall. He wisely chose to go back and report rather than act alone, which prevented Wayne from losing a key player before even making contact with the enemy.

Faced with Ascalon's answer, Wayne paused for a moment, nodded, and did not ask any further questions.

The fact that Ascalon showed such vigilance meant the enemy's identity was definitely not simple. Wayne had essentially ruled out the possibility that those gathered in the City Hall were remnants of the demon Elfaxen I or vengeful spirits. Firstly, he had personally annihilated the demon, and given Wayne's meticulous nature, he was quite certain he hadn't left any loose ends. Secondly, if the enemy were fragments of the demon, their first reaction upon seeing him wouldn't be to lure him in; they should be eager to flee.

Illusions were useless against Wayne, his mental strength was completely overwhelmed by Wayne, and he was tormented by the Mandate of Heaven's power to the point of almost becoming the second demon in history to meow like a cat. Wayne had always been utterly inhuman in his depravity; he couldn't accept not leaving Alfakson I with some kind of psychological trauma, like having nightmares about his own face for the rest of his life. Even after all this, that poor (please allow Wayne to use this word to describe it) demon still dared to swagger around the city center, releasing its aura, and start another battle with Wayne?

If it really is him, then Wayne can only praise its courage and then escalate the psychological trauma by spanking it until it develops post-traumatic stress disorder.

But if not.

Wayne had to admit that Rembiton was truly a place of abundant resources and outstanding people. How could all sorts of strange and wonderful people end up here?

"All personnel, prepare for battle," Wayne ordered. "This mission isn't actually part of the Babel Tower's current operations, but the Caucasian imprisoned on the second floor of the City Hall is an innocent victim, imprisoned by demons because of the Babel Tower's arrival. We have a responsibility to rescue this Caucasian girl who has been caught up in this mess. Furthermore, if the unrest in the ruined city continues to spread, it will inevitably affect our mining operations in the Rabbit Mine. Therefore, everyone, except for Mr. SilverAsh and Mr. Nosis who will be waiting outside the city with their men, the rest of you, follow me, storm the City Hall!"

What should you do if you encounter a problem and there is no solution?

Just go all in! Don't underestimate Babel just because it seems like a small organization with fewer than a hundred members. Almost everyone in this organization is among Terra's top-tier combatants. Even the weakest member, Kroos, has a plethora of ingenious inventions that can cause considerable trouble for the enemy. If it weren't for the inexplicable full-band silence, Wayne would have even considered remotely controlling Kroos's drones, emulating the tactics used in the Hillsshire campaign, and launching a saturation bombardment of the City Hall first.

They were fully capable of a daring gamble, and with the help of Theresa and Wayne's magic, they could guarantee a safe retreat after obtaining the information. Demons possessed illusion magic, and so did Theresa; in fact, she was an expert. The illusions she wove were, in the distant past, precious rewards that had drawn Sarkaz warriors to their deaths. If things went wrong, Wayne could easily coordinate with Theresa to create a large-scale illusion and then retreat gracefully.

The people of Babel clearly understood this as well, and no one objected to this seemingly reckless plan. Instead, they drew their weapons in response.

Bozokasti's imposing heavy halberd, equipped with a steam-powered module, and his specially crafted steam-powered heavy armor, imbued with the will of the Wendigo giant, began to overload, releasing towering heat. Kal'tsit summoned Mon3tr, the Originium behemoth's markings emitting a faint red glow, seemingly competing with Bozokasti for "power." Warfarin and Kroos worked together, the Blood Demon's magic resonating, adding the [Blood Rage] effect to the surrounding Sarkaz warriors, accelerating their blood circulation and helping them unleash even greater combat power. Ascalon's outstretched sleeve blade, Frostnova's dagger and staff, and Theresa's unsealed, spiraling longsword of blue flames—the prepared warriors all turned their gazes toward Vayne.

"Am I the only one here empty-handed? Isn't that a bit embarrassing?"

Wayne laughed and complained.

Kal'tsit crossed her arms, smiled, and retorted:

"Words are the most powerful weapon."

Chapter 116 The Operation Begins!

The abandoned city's municipality is divided into three floors. The first floor is the city hall, luxuriously decorated, still showing signs of its former splendor despite its long abandonment. The second floor houses various administrative offices. Although the abandoned city is merely a satellite city of Sigraine, its administrative departments are quite complete, encompassing everything from construction and planning to environmental and industrial departments—a small but perfectly formed entity. According to information provided by the demon Elfaxen I, the purple-haired Catherine girl and the brown-haired Catherine infant are imprisoned in two offices on the second floor, but Elfaxen did not specify which offices they were in.

This isn't to say that divine mandate and imperial power have failed, or that the willpower of the demons is particularly strong. In fact, Alfaxon's will to survive has far exceeded its pride; it simply doesn't know it. As a being attempting to integrate into modern society and establish a religion of demon worship, it has put considerable effort into studying humanity, but this effort is still far too little compared to the intricate social systems that human civilization has evolved over thousands of years.

Alfakson I was utterly unable to comprehend a social system that even humans themselves couldn't understand. He couldn't fathom why rooms with essentially identical structures could attain extraordinary social status simply by displaying a sign. This is likely why he chose to establish a religion rather than a regime or state. The former was far too simple compared to the latter; if the pope, as the ruler, wished, all religious power could be concentrated in his own hands, even allowing him to abandon all the priests. Alfakson I's unique physical advantages gave him the means to wield absolute power.

For this absurd yet undeniably real reason, Wayne and his team were forced to add a new element to their mission: finding the exact location of the two imprisoned individuals.

The third floor of the city hall houses the mayor's office and the main conference hall of the abandoned city. After the city was occupied by the demon Elfaxen I, the mayor's office was transformed into the demon's papal palace, and the main conference hall became a baptismal hall. All fanatics favored by the demon would come here to become members of the "Papal Guard." Of course, the demon didn't need mortal guards. This so-called Papal Guard's method of protecting Elfaxen I was simply to offer their bodies for the demon to replace.

This floor is outside the attack range of Wayne and his team, and it may contain remnants of demonic energy. Unless absolutely necessary, Wayne forbids the Babel Tower operators from exploring the floor.

"Now that the action plan and building layout have been explained, let's begin assigning tasks."

Wayne said calmly:

"First, the team responsible for the first level assault: Patriot, Frostnova, Balrog, and Mudrock. This task is assigned to you."

After Wayne finished speaking, he looked at the people whose names had been called, his expression softening slightly, and asked:

"Are there any difficulties? The first level of the assault mission is the most difficult. You may have to face all the cultists in the entire ruined city. Their weapons and equipment will not be good, but their numbers are indeed a huge problem. As the saying goes, many ants can kill an elephant. If there are any difficulties, I can send more people."

Surtr pouted dismissively, lightly brushing a strand of red hair from her temple with her finger, and said with a disdainful expression:

"What's so difficult about that? They're just a bunch of rabble! As long as I make a move, they'll all be reduced to ashes!"

As she spoke, she reached out and tapped Niyan's mask, a hopeful smile spreading across her face:

"Not to mention, Mudrock is with me. The two of us are enough; we don't even need Uncle Patriot! You agree, Mudrock?"

Mudstone waved his hand awkwardly: "You can't say that."

Compared to the overconfident Surtr, Patriot's performance was much more mature. As a seasoned general, he carefully considered for a few minutes before slowly nodding:

"Based on my... estimation... this... configuration... is already... able to... handle... most situations... However... just in case... I would like to ask Wayne... cough cough... His Highness Paradox... to... lend me the lordship... temporarily."

“Lord?” Wayne was stunned for a moment before realizing that Patriot referred to Kal'tsit. He looked at Kal'tsit for her opinion.

Kal'tsit nodded and stepped forward, saying, "Let's go together. It will make Ascalon feel wary and threatened. The enemy is likely not just a simple cult. I know a little about the existing monsters and alien species. With me by your side, I can provide some technical support."

Moreover, if necessary, mon3tr can become a top-tier combat force, only slightly inferior to the Patriot, when its meltdown mode is activated.

Of course, Kal'tsit didn't say this aloud. Mon3tr's Meltdown Mode was one of her trump cards, its destructive power capable of easily leveling a building. In the distant past, before nations were as powerful as they are now, Kal'tsit, wielding Mon3tr and activating Meltdown Mode, could even single-handedly destroy a nation.

Of course, this wasn't without its costs. Raising a terrifying Originium behemoth and coexisting with it is inherently a highly risky undertaking. Not to mention, even if an Originium creature possesses life and consciousness, its essence remains Originium; coexisting with it is tantamount to coexisting with Originium. Otherwise, how could a thousand-year-old lynx, living even longer than the immortals, and a ten-thousand-year-old Kal'tsit, have contracted such an incurable disease as Oripathy?

Melting down Mon3tr unleashes its ferocity; its increased combat power means increased Originium activity, and also a worsening of Kal'tsit's Oripathy. If Wayne and Theresa knew this, they would certainly not allow her to use this trump card again. Therefore, Kal'tsit preferred to keep it a secret.

Unfortunately, Wayne already knew about this skill all along.

“In that case, the assault team will include [Doctor] and [Ascalon],” Wayne ordered. This startled Kal'tsit, but before she could ask a question, Wayne said to Ascalon, “The task of protecting Kal'tsit is now yours. Ascalon, remember, under no circumstances should Kal'tsit be exposed to danger. That is your most important duty; everything else is irrelevant. Understand?”

Ascalon's eyes flickered beneath his hood, and he nodded knowingly, saluting Wayne: "Understood, Your Highness."

“But I don’t need to…” Kal’tsit wanted to say something, but Ascalon had already stood beside her.

The star of the Military Council, the mastermind behind the purges of Babel, remained stern and unmoved by anything Kal'tsit said.

"Protecting you was an order from His Highness Paradox, what does it have to do with you?"

Her words silenced Kal'tsit, leaving her speechless despite her quick wit and eloquence. Finally, the old lynx could only glance at Wayne with a mixture of helplessness and happiness, her expression reminiscent of a mother frantically adding layers of clothing for someone going out in winter.

Well, although I was a little annoyed, it still warmed my heart.

"Thank you."

Kal'tsit whispered something. Wayne smiled and nodded, then turned and continued:

"Then the second layer will be handled by Theresa and me. Logos, Kroos, and Warfarin, the three of you will be responsible for providing support outside and ensuring our retreat is unobstructed. If the operation encounters problems, cover the retreat and notify SilverAsh and the others. We're entrusting our backs to you."

Logos nodded: "That's only right." Warfarin and Cloosell exchanged a glance and nodded: "Although, don't worry, leave it to us."

Wayne nodded, then glanced at everyone present one last time before speaking:

"So, everyone, this is only the second time in the history of the Tower of Babel that we have fought a collective battle. Last time, we faced only an insignificant rebel group. This time, we are facing a demon and its henchmen. Everyone, give it your all and wish them a triumphant return!"

"Operation begins!"

Chapter 117 Patriots Charge and the Lava Giant Reappears!

The main entrance to the city hall.

The sky was overcast, and a cold wind carried the stench of blood far and wide, reaching the noses and mouths of everyone present.

Countless mutilated corpses lay before the broken gates, their arms broken, bones torn apart, some even cruelly decapitated, leaving only mangled wounds from which gushed large amounts of blood, staining the steps leading to the city hall's first floor an ominous crimson. At the end of this ominous crimson carpet lay the city hall's glass doors, shattered into dust. Inside, all was silent; not a soul was to be seen.

Patriot had seen countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood. During his guerrilla warfare against the Ursus pickets in the tundra, he had repeatedly used the depraved overseers of the Black Mine as ornaments on his halberd, smashing them to the ground, then lifting them up, and smashing them again, until the corpses were completely reduced to a mangled pulp, until the will of the resisters was utterly shattered, until those who had blasphemed Ursus obediently offered their necks for slaughter. Yet, even so, faced with this hellish scene before him, where not a single intact body could be found, a flicker of red light appeared in his eyes.

"Father...this is...."

"Don't be afraid." Patriot shifted slightly, instinctively shielding Frostnova behind him. "It seems... someone... got there before us."

"All troops, prepare for the assault!"

He raised his halberd, letting out a beastly roar, and charged towards the city hall gates, hoisting his massive shield. Dark Sarkaz magic coalesced at the tip of his spear, his modified steam-powered heavy armor roared with overload, and the Wendigo accelerated unstoppably in a mere instant, the gust of wind whipping up in front of him enough to destroy anything in its path. This was the charge of the Silver Spear Pegasus. Although Patriot wasn't using a lance, and his heavy armor limited him from achieving the terrifying afterimage speed of Pegasus, the powerful steamroller and the incredibly fast bullet were both deadly weapons—how could one be superior?

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, Patriot smashed through the walls of the City Hall. The already dilapidated City Hall collapsed in an instant, and even the two-horned beast lurking inside was caught off guard, never expecting someone to be so unethical as to demolish the building. It was also buried under the rubble.

But Patriot's charge did not stop. He charged straight ahead, knocking down, stabbing, and hanging on his halberd as all the enemies that blocked his way. He carved a bloody path through the ranks of the unicorns and finally crashed through the wall behind the city hall and burst out of the building.

At the same time, after Patriot gave the order to charge, Yelena followed without hesitation. She drew her staff, frost dancing lightly on her fingertips. With Wayne's support and Theresa's tutelage, she could finally control her ice magic with ease. She no longer needed the resonance of Originium Ice Crystals to unleash her frigid aura; as long as the power wasn't limited, she could create a freezing blizzard with a wave of her hand. Without a doubt, given time, she would become another Cataclysmic-level warlock on Terra.

"freeze!"

Before the enemies inside could react, she shouted, and frost began to spread beneath her feet. A cold wind, accompanied by a greyish-white magical glow, instantly filled the void of the city hall. The bicorns, buried under the rubble by the Patriots' charge, hadn't even had time to lift the stones from their bodies and unleash their power before they were frozen together by the magic, along with the ruins, like frozen graves.

"Wuhu, well done, Froststar!"

Surtr admired the father and daughter's perfectly synchronized teamwork, praising them. Frostnova and Patriot hadn't exchanged a single unnecessary word before the battle, but after Patriot launched his surprise attack, Frostnova understood his intentions almost instantly and reacted accordingly. Surtr couldn't help but envy this level of understanding.