CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER 67: TERRIFYING CREATURES

Riding forward on Bubute Ni, Su Xiao could also feel the power of the explosion, a strong thrust coming from behind.

The fireball behind was scorching like the sun, but fortunately, Su Xiao had already left the half-kilometer radius of its impact.

Sherlock had been scheming against him from the start, and he had been wary of the other as well.

From the initial meeting, Su Xiao sensed something was off about Sherlock.

Not only did Sherlock hate the alchemists and the royal family, but he actually hated all humans. Su Xiao realized this when he got in contact with Sherlock.

The notification of Sherlock’s death appeared, so these details no longer mattered.

Bubute Ni was still galloping at full speed. Su Xiao’s target was the location of the coordinate drop, still dozens of kilometers away.

It was imperative to complete the return mission quickly, as something extremely terrifying was awakening inside the Bilumake Alchemy Testing Ground.

To be precise, it was something released by Su Xiao himself.

The area within several kilometers of the Imperial Capital was shaking slightly, and the battle between the Imperial Army and the Revolutionary Army had already ceased.

...

Inside the Imperial side’s camp.

A dozen or so dejected-looking Contractors gathered together.

"Let’s hear it, how do we get out of here? The main mission was snatched away, and now we’re surrounded by the Revolutionary Army. The return mission actually requires obtaining 5% of the World Source, and that’s no easy feat."

A female Contractor with a shotgun on her back spoke, her face not looking good. The failure of the main mission had her All Attributes reduced by 3, driving her nearly insane.

"Rather than discussing how to complete the return mission, I’m more interested in knowing how to escape with our lives."

Another Contractor who had gained quite a bit spoke up. Although he too suffered the All Attributes -3 punishment, he had completed several side missions, barely mitigating the loss from the main mission failure.

That’s the advantage of joining under General Bud’s command; there are many side missions.

"We’re all going to die, we’re all going to die."

Sobbing came from within, and the dozen Contractors all looked at a young Mage.

"This...."

The Contractors were a bit at a loss. This Mage had always been arrogant, but now tears and snot mingled.

"There’s...something coming up from below. I never imagined a being could emit such a terrifying aura."

The Mage’s voice trembled, his legs as weak as noodles.

"What do you mean?"

The arrogant Mage’s pitiful appearance alarmed the other Contractors, prompting them to ask repeatedly.

But at this moment, the ground tremors intensified.

Snap, snap.

The ground near the Contractors cracked open with fissures several centimeters wide, and they scattered, each trying to save their own skin in the face of calamity.

Boom!

The ground shattered, and a hand the size of a millstone emerged from the earth, the hand bright red in color, with joints linked by metal—this was a hand formed by a fusion of steel and flesh.

The giant hand braced against the ground, and a towering figure several dozen meters tall emerged from the earth.

This was an upright creature, its skin a deep red color, with metal structures at its joints and neck.

The upright creature was somewhat human-like overall, with a bull head on its shoulders, devoid of horns and filled with sharp fangs.

This was a transformed super-dangerous species, truly the pinnacle of alchemy technology compared to the Supreme Teigu.

"It’s been hundreds of years since I last emerged after my master disappeared. The world above ground... truly nostalgic."

The half-metal giant monster with a bull’s head and a human body spoke, its voice loud like rolling thunder.

Although its form was mighty, the bull-headed monster’s eyes were filled with sorrow, for its master had long since passed in these hundreds of years.

"Master, I’ve always obeyed your command not to kill the royal family, but where are you now?"

The bull-headed monster scanned the terrified surrounding civilians, seemingly uninterested in killing.

"Help me do a few things, and you’ll be completely free in the future."

The voice that spoiled the scene was that of the Little Emperor.

The Little Emperor’s situation was dire, with his body from the waist down embedded in the bull-headed monster’s forehead. Rather than being embedded, it was more like fused, merging into the monster’s brain.

Such was the price the royal family paid to use the bull-headed monster; each time it was used, a direct lineage member of the royal family paid with their life, which was why it had been sealed away.

The bull-headed monster had its own independent consciousness, with risks each time it was used, always wanting to break free from the royal family’s control.

"Hohoho~, little brat of the royal family, I’ll take your bloodline. I’ll help you with no more than three things, not a single one extra."

The bull-headed monster mashed its body by casually stomping a deep pit over a meter into the ground.

"Three things... alright."

At this moment, the Little Emperor was enduring unfathomable pain, his body slowly merging upward into the bull-headed monster’s brain.

"The first thing, help me kill three people: the Chancellor, Esdeath, and Bai Ye."

"No."

"Why?"

The Little Emperor roared in anger, seemingly eager for these three to die.

"One task can only target one specific target, three people mean three tasks."

The bull-headed monster provided its answer, leaving the Little Emperor to ponder deeply.

"Then... kill the Chancellor and Bai Ye, forget about Esdeath."

"Alright, one task slot is left. What’s your wish?"

Every time it devoured a member of the royal family, the bull-headed monster would help accomplish three tasks, as promised to its master.

The bull-headed monster was only loyal to one person, the alchemist who activated it, and the royal family executed all alchemists precisely for this reason.

"The last wish, help me destroy this Empire, let both the Revolutionary Army and everyone else die."

The Little Emperor’s face wore a twisted smile, the betrayal by the Chancellor and subsequent experiences having darkened his nature, inclining him towards world extinction.

"Alright, kill Bai Ye and the Chancellor, destroy this Empire, I won’t completely devour you until these tasks are completed.

Let’s destroy this place first, then go find that Bai Ye."

The appearance of the bull-headed monster left both the Imperial Army and the Revolutionary Army perplexed, unsure what it was at first.

But they would know very soon what it was.

This was a monster, a demon, a destroyer.

The bull-headed monster strode forward, a faint red mist gradually dispersing around it, its specific function unknown.

After taking a few steps, the bull-headed monster broke into a run, its speed increasing until it transformed into a blur.

Bam.

The bull-headed monster breached the city walls as if breaking through a piece of paper, reaching the battleground of the Imperial Army and the Revolutionary Army.

"Humans still love infighting so much."

The bull-headed monster didn’t attack; it just stood there.

The faint red mist spread around swiftly, sweeping over the soldiers of both the Imperial and Revolutionary Armies.

Thud, thud...

Everyone fell, faces ashen, eyes empty, pupils losing all luster.

They all died silently, not even managing a scream.

"What on earth is this thing?"

In the distance, both the Imperial Army and the Revolutionary Army stared in horror, as did a blue-haired beauty.

Esdeath gazed at the bull-headed monster in the distance, hesitated for less than three seconds, then turned and walked away.

"General Esdeath, what do you mean by this?"

The Chancellor called out loudly from the wall.

Esdeath looked at the Chancellor and shook her head.

"While I do enjoy fighting, I’m not interested in courting death."

Esdeath had no desire to engage the bull-headed monster because she knew she wouldn’t last even a few seconds before dying.

It was the crystallization of generations of wisdom from thousands of alchemists, something entirely different from the Teigu.

...

An hour later, the Imperial Capital was reduced to scorched earth, the landscape pitted and devoid of any living beings. The ground bore traces of incineration, most places turned to glass.

The bull-headed monster held a man in its huge hand, a portly figure—the Chancellor.

"Spare me, Your Highness, I am...."

"Kill him."

The Little Emperor wore a deranged smile.

Splat.

The Chancellor was effortlessly crushed into a pile of flesh by the bull-headed monster, casually as if squeezing a tomato.

"The Imperial Capital is destroyed, the Chancellor is dead. Now only the nearby towns and that human named Bai Ye remain. Bai Ye, the one who acted together with you before, right?"

The bull-headed monster gazed into the distance, apparently sensing Bai Ye’s location.