Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

An optical signal was projected before Alice's eyes, visually displaying everything happening around the pupa—a suddenly rising wall of flesh and blood, constructed from complex and dense tendons, bones, crystals, and connective tissue. The portion facing Hamunaptra had completely melted, leaving only charred carbon at the edges, yet these carbonized parts were rapidly reverting to flesh and blood, quickly restoring it to its original state.

[Were they initially hidden underground? No... their movement speed couldn't be that fast; they must have had other methods in place.]

[Main weapon, reloaded.]

Suddenly, Hamunaptra's momentum abruptly halted. It was as if it had entered water from air, or crude oil from water; the wind barrier created outside the protective walls due to its supersonic speed vanished instantly. The entire fortress trembled.

[This is... a gravitational wave?]

The four floating monuments surrounding the main body of Hamunaptrae emitted an eerie green light, and the protective barrier nearly doubled in strength within milliseconds. Immediately afterward, ripples spread across the hemispherical protective barrier.

Cairo's counterattack has begun.

A burst of fire suddenly erupted from the very back of the city, followed by a dense swarm of black dots tearing through the air towards Hamunaptra. These were spore cannons, unleashing tens of thousands of explosive shells powered by chemical energy, each capable of instantly turning a football field into a crater. And for Cairo, these shells were virtually inexhaustible.

[She's trying to deplete my shield? No, she's trying to slow me down.]

[Secondary weapon system reload. Gravity silo, secondary overload.]

Alice's fingers trembled slightly, and dozens of puppet strings began to operate. Immediately afterward, Hamunaptra's external form began to change, with enormous statues and ritual altars slowly rising, and highly concentrated energy gathering into clusters, driving various magical mechanisms to operate rapidly.

The sonic cannon activated, distorting the air within the protective barrier like the surface of a pond tossed with a stone. A soundproof barrier rose within Hamunaptra, protecting Evelyn and the other reincarnators from the Central Continent Team. Meanwhile, outside, tens of thousands of explosive spores shattered instantly!

'boom--!'

The erupting flames engulfed the entire floating fortress, but only half a second later, the explosions were left behind by the Hamunaptra's second acceleration. At the same time, Cairo's creep also repaired itself to a certain extent in this short period of time, with countless towers of flesh and blood quietly rising, their eyeballs emitting a dangerous light.

[We are 6 kilometers from the outskirts of Cairo. At our current speed, we expect to arrive in 32 seconds.]

[Entered secondary weapon range.]

[Main weapon launch still 56 seconds... Strategy changed, main weapon output halved, Apocalypse preparations begin. Selected theme: The Shift from Light to Darkness... I despise Egyptian mythology for lacking apocalyptic tales.]

Magical energy began to gather behind the girl, diverting more than half of the magical power originally intended for the main weapon. This was actually just a trigger for the apocalyptic magic, a device that acted as a fuse.

Destroying the [Chrysalis] directly using the Seven-Colored Magic Cannon is now an impossible goal. Therefore, the only hope lies with the assault team and Apocalyptic-level magic. Before these two strategies can be achieved, the first priority is to clear away the obstacles!

Gravitational waves, lasers, and heat rays shot out from Cairo, bombarding Hamunaptra's protective walls like a torrential downpour. Although they couldn't break through the walls immediately, they managed to keep Hamunaptra there. Without close enough proximity as a guarantee, even the apocalyptic magic used as a last resort couldn't be assured of destroying the target.

"Zheng Zha, the assault team is preparing to land."

"Saito Hajime, there's no need to summon any more Heavenly Demons. Release them all in a moment. Prepare the Earthly Fiend Summoning Scripture."

Alice's voice was projected into the ears of the person who needed to receive the command. And the next moment, Hamunata arrived at the location she needed.

The world was once again painted pure white.

Chapter 42. I am a law-abiding citizen.

As the light faded and the second, half-charged Seven-Colored Magic Cannon struck the ground, the flesh-and-blood structures near Cairo were completely obliterated by the devastating energy attack. Hundreds of thousands of tons of mass were directly decomposed into the most basic elements, which then recombine and condense into grayish-white residue in the high temperature. The central area, approximately one hectare, remained covered in lava. This lava would cool within hours, transforming into various shapes of volcanic rock.

[The individual protective barrier has been prepared for you. Please proceed with the descent immediately. Zheng Zha, your target is the pupa; do not let anything else get in the way.]

The passage directly in front of Hamunaptra suddenly opened, and hundreds of Celestial Demons surged out. Near the center of the horde, three exceptionally strong ones carried Zheng Zha and the others. Protected by their own kind and aided by Hamunaptra's artillery fire, they rapidly advanced into the heart of Cairo!

The conflict begins. This is the starting point, approximately ten kilometers in a straight line from the location of the "Chrysalis" deep within Cairo. The instant the horde of demons is released, the intensity of the gravity waves projected from within Cairo amplifies dramatically! The floating Hamunatas, whose speed had already begun to slow, decelerate even further, their distance from the demon horde increasing instantly!

"Looks like we'll have to rely on ourselves from now on!" Zheng Zha laughed, holding a knife in one hand and gripping the mane of his celestial demon mount tightly with the other. Although these creatures gave him a very uncomfortable feeling, he found that he could ignore these obstacles by simply enduring them.

This is probably what a "smooth" way of thinking looks like.

Zheng Zha was unsure, because he didn't think the other two had any problems either.

A burst spore hurtled through the air, but it was detonated by a laser nearly thirty meters in front of him. The oily biological tissue spontaneously combusted in mid-air, instantly turning into a large, scorching cloud of burning.

And after one came hundreds. In the blink of an eye, the area directly in front of him was covered by burning clouds, and the giant celestial demon carrying him suddenly flipped over. Immediately afterward, a spear of light pierced through the scorching clouds.

“Okay, I admit we still need a little help.” Zheng Zha shrugged. He saw a black, airplane-shaped cloud rise from Cairo and hurtle towards the horde of Heavenly Demons without pause. In the blink of an eye, the black cloud collided with the horde of Heavenly Demons!

They were a flock of flying beasts, with the wings of bats and the fangs of venomous snakes, spewing highly toxic acid from their open mouths—these creatures were definitely not ordinary beings in nature. They were weapons, messengers of slaughter, and their sole duty was to spread death.

They did indeed bring death.

The Heavenly Demons are faster, stronger, more resilient, and more cunning than they are. Their venomous spray can only corrode a small piece of flesh on the Heavenly Demons, but the Heavenly Demons' four claws can easily tear apart their tendons and dismantle their bones and flesh.

In the instant of contact, dozens of flying beasts were killed by the horde of celestial demons.

However, their numbers are in the tens of thousands!

[Don't let them entangle us! Advance into Cairo immediately!]

Several laser beams swept across, instantly tearing a gaping hole in the entangled horde of celestial demons and flying beasts. Taking advantage of this, the enormous celestial demon carrying Zheng Zha and the others surged forward, crossing Cairo's outer city in the blink of an eye!

The artillery fire came down like a storm.

The moment they crossed the outer city, the firepower projected from within Cairo more than doubled. Heat rays, plasma, acid spheres, and physical cannons—which Hamunapta lacked reserves of but Cairo had no shortage of—were unleashed. The giant demon lasted less than three seconds before being reduced to blood and gore with a single cry. Zheng Zha and the others, protected by the protective barrier, successfully escaped the plane crash.

They fell like meteors, crashing into the city. And then, like a tidal wave, biological weapons swarmed in.

Zhang Jie was the first to land.

As he landed, watching Zheng Zha and Zhao Yingkong fall in two different directions, a sigh of relief escaped his chest, and boundless power surged from within him.

"The guide cannot intentionally harm members of the Reincarnation Squad, nor can they damage the Reincarnation Squad's weapons. Unless their lives are in danger, the guide cannot retaliate."

He let a chimera pounce on him, its sharp claws piercing his chest.

The next moment, the chimera's form suddenly disintegrated, and the resulting explosion instantly pulverized all the bizarre creatures within a radius of tens of square meters. The disintegrating blood then transformed into a deadly poison, seeping into the fungal carpet on the ground and dissolving huge craters.

“Mind control is not considered harm, but on this basis, it cannot control the controlled person to self-harm or attack others.”

More chimeras surged forward, but froze just before leaping over the poison, falling directly into the toxic pit and dissolving into a pool of blood.

A tower of flesh and blood suddenly rose up, and dozens of square eyeballs appeared on its surface, blinking like stars in the night sky. Dozens of laser beams were poised to fire.

Silver-blue plasma descended from the sky, instantly wiping the Tower of Flesh and Blood and hundreds of surrounding chimeras from the world. Long-range artillery fire from Hamunaptra arrived shortly after, clearing the area around Zhang Jie in an instant.

His gaze passed over the gunfire and landed on the remaining two people in the far distance.

Zheng Zha had already approached the inner city, while Zhao Yingkong was destroying the numerous biological workshops in the outer city.

"The guide's responsibility is to select the most promising squad members and grant them a first-tier gene lock enhancement and captain privileges when they suffer fatal injuries or when the horror world ends. Before that, assessment is necessary."

Zhang Jie looked in Zheng Zha's direction, powerful psychic energy surging around him. This was his enhancement: double-A level psychic power and the third-tier gene lock. Although his combat strength was inferior to those who had fought their way to the top due to the gene lock being bestowed by the main god, he could fully unleash the power of his psychic enhancement. If it weren't for the main god's restrictions, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was the strongest in the Central Continent team.

"The most promising reincarnator at present is Alice Margotrovid. The second is Zheng Zha."

He ventured deeper into Cairo, rapidly approaching the location of the [Chrysalis]. The wound the chimera had inflicted on his chest had already been healed by Alice's magic, and he clearly didn't care to repeat what he had done.

More poison pools were created, and he was not hindered by the main god in any way.

“I’ve decided to assess Zheng Zha’s potential before the story ends. So now I’m going to get to the center of Cairo and observe his behavior near the target he has to reach.”

He looked up at the sky and muttered to himself.

"God, I have not broken any rules."

Chapter 43: Someone Always Has to Pay the Price

“I knew I was prone to problems when I flew. Okay, this doesn’t count as flying.”

Zheng Zha slowly pulled the demon-headed broadsword stuck in the ground, took a deep breath, and then observed his surroundings to determine his location.

Centered on him, all living beings within a 100-meter radius were reduced to dust. Their shells shattered, and bones and tendons were scattered everywhere like garbage. And it wasn't just the synthetic beasts; even the massive biochemical workshops and flesh towers collapsed and disintegrated, turning into meaningless pieces of rotten flesh.

Only now did he realize the extent to which he had been enhanced. This was merely 80% of his power used to cushion his fall from the sky, yet even this single strike would have been more than enough to wipe out the entire Central Continent team during the Curse of the Netherworld arc.

“I should be thankful that Margot is on our side.” He shook his head. After unlocking the second stage of his genetic lock, his vampire senses were also activated. With just a little concentration, he could sense that Zhang Jie and Zhao Yingkong had landed safely in two other directions, several kilometers away. And long-range firepower from Hamunaptra was providing them with protection.

His comrades didn't need him to worry, so he needed to focus on dealing with what was happening right now.

He gripped his demon-headed broadsword tightly, watching as two creatures exuding a dangerous aura appeared directly to his north. About a kilometer behind them lay the location of the [Chrysalis]. And to reach the [Chrysalis], they were the enemies he had to overcome. And they were… Shiva Ganten, the captain of the Indian team, and Imhotep, the undead priest, the ultimate target of Zheng Zha and the others in this horror film.

The once frail young monk had now merged with the multi-headed serpent, which had more than doubled in size from its original two heads. All six enormous heads stared intently at Zheng Zha, each eye flickering with a chaotic light. Beside him, Imhotep appeared largely unchanged, but his eyes were now as sharp as swords!

“I suddenly realize that killing you all here is a better strategy. I suppose Margot Lloyd wouldn’t object to me ending this horror movie early.” Red flames began to rise around Zheng Zha, and his internal energy, which had partially transformed into innate true qi, surged within him. The energy link from Hamunaptra supported him, making him feel stronger than ever before, and the enemy appearing before him filled him with joy.

The Indian contingent has lost seven men, making eight including prisoners. The Central Contingent, however, has no casualties.

In other words, killing Imhotep here would end the horror movie and be a complete victory!

As long as... we can kill it!

The next moment, a wave of air erupted from beneath his feet, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Imhotep as if he had jumped through space!

Then... behead!

..................................................................

Everything is proceeding according to plan, although there have been some deviations, but they are still within the scope of correction.

Alice lowered her eyes, shifting her gaze away from the optical projection of the battle between Zheng Zha and Shiva Ganten and Imhotep.

Zheng Zha's battle was meaningless. At this moment, the lives of Shiva Ganten and Imhotep were already connected to the entire Cairo. As long as Cairo was not destroyed, their lives would not end. Of course, destroying every cell that made up the body in an instant could bypass the life connection and eliminate them, but Zheng Zha's efforts were not enough to achieve that.

Blood began to seep from the corners of her eyes and ears.

The brain is nearing its critical overload threshold... but there's still no sign of the genetic lock being unlocked. Is this really not enough?

Her fingers trembled slightly, and the firing angles of several plasma cannons were subtly adjusted. A few seconds later, a gravity wave projector she had detected was burned to ashes by the plasma, and the floating Hamunapa Tower moved forward another few hundred meters.

The threat from the [Chrysalis] was increasing, and she could sense the firepower from Cairo decreasing. As long as she didn't enter the inner city, with Cairo's current output, even if they were to remain there for another hour, they wouldn't be able to breach Hamunaptra's outer defensive walls. But once the [Chrysalis] hatched, the destruction of Hamunaptra might only take a few seconds.

Alice pondered, more dead blood seeping from the corners of her lips, nostrils, and even under her fingernails. She could feel her vital signs declining rapidly, some organs beginning to necrotize, and the various components within her body becoming extremely unbalanced. She anticipated that in about half an hour, all life activities would completely cease.

But she knew she could definitely hold out for half an hour. Because she could clearly sense some kind of power brewing within her. A power that was hard to discern, yet undeniably present, like a living thing trying to break free of its shackles.

The power of genetic lock.

She knew she was very close to unlocking the first stage of the gene lock, but even with this 99.9% progress, getting past that final 0.1% was incredibly difficult.

According to the information obtained from Zhang Jie, three conditions are required to successfully unlock the gene lock on one's own.

First, one must have the awareness of being a human being.

Second, one must struggle between life and death, exerting all one's strength.

Third, one must possess sufficient "luck".

Regardless of the unlocking mechanism, she was certain that the information Zhang Jie provided was complete and accurate. Therefore, all that remained was to fulfill the conditions. Of these three conditions, [luck] was the most troublesome.

According to Zhang Jie, so-called "luck" is a kind of favor from the world, or rather, a blessing from humanity. Only those who make great contributions to the survival of the world can obtain luck. Of course, many people are born with a lot of this, which makes their lives almost smooth sailing. Even if they accidentally enter the Main God Space, this treasure they were born with can easily allow them to meet the conditions and unlock their genetic locks.

Alice clearly lacks this treasure.