wjnovel Chapter 1111 Curiosity
Chapter 1111 Curiosity
The icy mountain wind howled across the rugged peaks, stirring up fine purple dust.
Those are traces left by the erosion of the void.
The massive body of the Destruction Ape crouched on this high point, like an unchanging ancient rock, yet it exuded a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble.
His one eye was wide open, staring blankly at the churning purple torrent below.
His other eye was closed, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
At the foot of the mountain, a raging torrent of void surged.
Countless, grotesque, and twisted void creatures converged into a destructive wave, roaring, crawling, and writhing as they surged forward.
Their target is those distant nodal fortresses that stubbornly gleam with the light of order under the purple sky.
Around the mountain peak, the space is like a shattered mirror, filled with void fissures of varying sizes.
These fissures are like the breathing holes of living things. With each opening and closing, new void creations, exuding an ominous aura, struggle to squeeze out and merge into the surging purple army below.
The Destruction Ape squats here, seemingly doing nothing, but in reality, his "rules" are operating silently.
He could not forcibly seize the core information flow of the Aegira world as he could in other worlds; the firewall constructed by the world host and data rules was too tight.
Furthermore, it is highly targeted, which makes it impossible for him, who has not yet become a god, to obtain information about the world, and it would be very difficult even if he became a god.
Not to mention he could never become a god.
But he could draw nourishment from the grand war itself.
Every shockwave from an energy explosion, every clash of wills, every command transmitted, even fragments of information scattered when a void creature dies... all flow into his invisible network of perception.
He was like an observer detached from the situation, peering into the movements of all parties through the "river of information" flowing across the battlefield.
At that moment, the corners of his rough lips seemed to twitch slightly, and a low, rumbling mutter, like the grinding of rocks, rolled through his throat:
"Heh... they're all moving now."
He "saw" the pure and cold radiance of the Crystal Law drifting towards the world and making contact with the newly born god, Kana.
That posture was by no means hostile.
"The Law of Crystal... has indeed turned against us. As expected."
The voice of the Destroyer Ape carried a complex emotion, a knowing indifference mixed with a barely perceptible, almost forgotten bitterness.
"A world that can truly resist the void... for someone like her who is still resisting, it is the only torch in the darkness, an irresistible salvation... What a lucky girl."
This sentiment is not mockery.
For these former strongest beings of a civilization, who were twisted by the void and forced to become vanguards of destruction, to encounter a world worth "defecting" to during a mission of destruction, and even to possibly gain some kind of "redemption," is nothing short of a luxurious stroke of luck.
He recalled the scene when he was first "dispatched" to carry out a destruction mission.
At that time, with each arrival, didn't he feel a faint impulse deep in his heart to help that world resist the void?
However, the reality is cruel.
What he experienced was almost always a crushing defeat; those worlds were as fragile as paper in the face of the absolute power of the void.
His feeble and ill-timed attempts at "goodwill" ultimately turned into deeper despair and futility.
After a while, that spark was extinguished by the cold reality.
In order to maintain the last bit of his willpower under the erosion of the void, he could only place all his attention on the only thing that could still ignite his interest—information.
Curiosity about unknown rules and the search for the logic of how the world works became the only remaining warmth in his cold soul.
Therefore, he became an anomaly in the Apocalypse, unlike the Rift Queen who was keen on charging into battle and venting her destructive desires, or the Resistance King or the Mourning Queen who secretly plotted and commanded large armies.
He simply squatted there, like a most focused yet indifferent spectator, greedily collecting every data fragment from the battlefield.
And from this data, we can analyze whether this world can resist the void? If it does, what kind of suffering will it endure?
Then selectively use the information for other purposes.
"If...the first few times we encountered this kind of world..."
The Ape of Destruction's thoughts drifted for a moment, but he immediately cut them off himself.
The cold reality quickly returned, crushing those unrealistic "what ifs" to dust.
"Ha, there are no 'what ifs.' Only the cold survives the longest."
His perception continued to extend, capturing another intense energy collision point—the fierce clash between the Mourning Queen's raging will and the cool, serene rules of the Crystal Law.
“Grief…it’s still the same as always.”
The Destruction Ape was all too familiar with the abilities of this "colleague".
As one of the most "attendance-oriented" individuals in the Void Apocalypse, he has worked with all the Apocalypses here, including the mysterious and unpredictable King of Resistance.
The Queen's vast mental network and her ability to command massive numbers of void creatures held little mystery in the eyes of this information gatherer.
"It's just about driving more insects... In essence, the number of void creatures is an infinite torrent. Commanding more or less doesn't make much difference to the overall situation."
Finally, his invisible "gaze" was cast toward the direction of the Sunset Sea, where the will of the King of Resistance resided.
The silence of this apocalyptic leader itself contained an immense sense of oppression.
"So...King of Resistance, what will you do this time?"
The Ape of Destruction tilted its enormous head slightly, a ripple of pure curiosity stirring within its cold consciousness.
He had worked with him very few times, but the other party only intervened once.
At other times, he might not even know what the other person is doing.
"Everyone's getting moving..."
The massive body of the Destruction Ape finally made a move.
He slowly stood up, his bones making a dull popping sound.
"Is it really appropriate for me to just squat here and watch the show like this?"
He was talking to himself, more like giving himself an excuse to act.
Satisfying his curiosity was the sole driving force behind his actions.
The main reason was that this was the first time he had encountered a firewall in this world, and he was extremely curious about it.
This curiosity allows him to effectively suppress the encroachment of the void and maintain his will. Correspondingly, this strong curiosity necessitates action from him: to satisfy his curiosity, to unravel mysteries, and to acquire information.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his massive legs, covered in dark fur and bulging with muscles, suddenly exerted force!
boom!
The rocks beneath their feet instantly crumbled.
Its massive body, like a cannonball, roared through the air as it leaped away from the mountaintop and towards the heart of the battlefield.
The enormous figure drew a powerful arc in the air, briefly obscuring the purple torrent below.
He certainly wasn't going to charge into battle.
His goal was clear: to satisfy his insatiable curiosity.
Given the resilience currently exhibited by the world of Aegira, its wondrous node defense network, the application of data-driven rules, and the effective command of the Ring Tower City, the speed of the Void's advance will inevitably be greatly slowed down.
If he cannot cause enough trauma to the world and force them to reveal more of their trump cards, how can he possibly uncover those tightly guarded core secrets?
How did the newly born god Kana ignite the divine fire and merge with the authority of the world?
What is the essence and specific application of data-driven rules?
This information, firmly locked by the global host, was like the most tempting honey, constantly tantalizing him.
So this time he decided that he would stand on the side of destruction, just to satisfy his curiosity.
In his view, even the side he was destroying was merely providing a source of military power, which was not a big problem for the world.
"Since a direct breakthrough is impossible..." The Ape of Destruction's cold mind raced as it flew. "Then... let's take a roundabout approach."
A simple yet effective method came to mind.
If we cannot directly obtain the world's core information, then we should start with the individuals that carry that information.
In the minds of the soldiers and commanders who fought bloody battles on the front lines.
This was a piece of cake for him.
One of the essential aspects of emptiness is the erosion and pollution of the spiritual realm.
……
The deafening roar is the eternal background sound of the battlefield.
Fortresses numbered 1-25, these steel behemoths embedded in the shattered ice plains, are enduring yet another fierce pounding of the void.
Above the city walls, there was a scene of purgatory.
Soldiers dressed in heavy armor of different races formed a steel jungle, fiercely guarding the ramparts.
Giant shields, gleaming with enchanted light, formed an impenetrable wall. Spears, battle axes, and chainswords thrust out, slashed, and cut wildly through the gaps in the shields, slamming down the Void creatures with grotesque carapaces or twisted limbs that tried to climb up.
Every successful ambush resulted in a splash of foul-smelling purple slurry.
"Hold on! Left flank, No. 3 ramp! Three 'digging claws' are coming up! Heavy hammer operators!"
A human commander, his face splattered with purple blood, roared, his voice hoarse amidst the explosions.
"Roger!" a dwarf warrior roared in response, swinging a power hammer almost as tall as himself, his short, stocky body unleashing astonishing power as it crashed down.
With a sickening cracking sound and a shrill screech, the clawed creatures that tried to break through were smashed into a pulp, and even the rocks at the edge of the rampart cracked.
"Well done, old Stonehammer!"
The human crossbowmen beside him shouted as they used their heavy alchemical crossbows to precisely fire at the flying aberrations that were trying to spew acid in the distance, attempting to dispel the oppressive atmosphere of death with their voices.
"Ha! These little brats aren't good enough to tickle me!" The dwarf warrior spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, wiped the filth from his beard, and laughed heartily, even though his arm was trembling slightly.
Behind the city wall, the arcane crystal at the top of the mage tower was accumulating destructive energy. Suddenly, it shot out a thick frost ray, instantly freezing the swarm of slimes that were trying to pile up into a slope below the city wall. Then, it was blasted into a sky full of ice crystals by the alchemical incendiary bombs fired from behind.
The turret array roared rhythmically, and specially crafted alchemical shells exploded among the void creatures. Some unleashed shockwaves that purified like holy light, while others released viscous gel of order, slowing down the charge of subsequent monsters.
"Construction team! Energy erosion cracks have appeared in section B of the city wall! Divine steel gel! Quickly!" An urgent command came through the communication crystal.
"Here they come!" A team of engineers, wearing heavy protective suits and carrying huge canisters, braved stray arrows and energy splashes and quickly rushed to the designated position.
They skillfully sprayed out a gel substance that emitted a pale golden glow and quickly drove in "order rivets" engraved with runes.
With the aid of the faint light of divine power, the damage to the city walls is being repaired and reinforced at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In this symphony of death and steel, the soldiers' interactions are the only "human touch."
"Hey, newbie! Stop hacking and slashing, watch your step! Those 'Shadow Worms' burrow into the soles of your feet!" An old soldier kicked aside a monster whose head had been chopped off and was still twitching, and shouted at a pale-faced young elven ranger next to him.
The elven ranger nodded nervously, but his longbow remained steady as a rock, and the arrow precisely pierced the compound eye of a flying snake that was trying to ambush the veteran's flank.
"Thanks, kid!" The veteran grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "After this, the cookhouse is supposedly getting some hot broth, the kind with dwarven liquor in it!"
"Then I'll have to live until then!" The young elf managed a weak smile, though his palms were sweating profusely as he gripped the bow.
Amidst this noisy, bloody, yet tenacious atmosphere, in the middle of the city wall, a human heavy shield bearer named Tom was struggling to use his tower shield to push back a charging fanged beast.
Sweat mixed with blood flowed into his eyes, causing a stinging sensation.
Just then, he felt that the constant whispers, roars, and shrieks in his ears—those maddening mental noises from the void—seemed to have lessened a little?
Or perhaps it was covered or harmonized by a new sound?
An indescribable, strangely alluring, decadent melody, like the softest feather, gently tickled his eardrums and quietly seeped in.
It blends into the roar of the battlefield, the shouts of comrades, and the clash of weapons, so inconspicuous, yet so...clear.
Tom shook his head, trying to dispel the discomfort.
What strange noises were there on the battlefield?
The noise in the void is inherently bizarre and varied.
He didn't pay much attention, simply considering it another new form of mental pollution.
It seems that after the retreat, he will need to be relieved and rest for a while before he can return to the front lines.
Mental instability makes it unsuitable to continue; otherwise, it will harm both oneself and others.
But now is clearly not the time.
Gritting his teeth, he once again pressed all his strength onto his shield, roaring as he shoved the sharp-toothed beast violently off the city wall.
Purple blood splattered all over his face, and the seductive music seemed to become clearer, carrying a strange magic that soothed his fatigue and tempted him to relax, gently teasing the edge of his tense nerves.
He was completely unaware that this was not ordinary noise.
This is the tentacles of an Apocalyptic being, reaching out to this fortress and into his spiritual world to satisfy his cold curiosity. (End of Chapter)