Chapter 146 Chapter 146: The 3,422nd Episode of the Sarkaz Grand Series "The Return"
Chapter 146: The 3,422nd Episode of the Sarkaz Grand Series "The Return"
Fragments Tower Control Center,
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Hundreds of personnel in work uniforms were at their respective posts. Sarkaz accounted for only about one-tenth, while the rest were researchers "recruited" from the Londinium Academy of Sciences.
Some were even the original designers and planners of the "Fragments Tower."
"Compressed gas injection, complete."
"Originium traction, complete."
"Secondary launch activation, complete..."
A bespectacled elderly Liberi stood before the main control console. Days of exhaustion had left his eyes dull and clouded.
Listening to each report, his expression grew increasingly grim.
The Fragments Tower was the culmination of his life's work. Being able to restart it one day should have been a joyous occasion for him.
But now, for its first official activation, this weapon originally born for Victoria was aimed at his homeland, glorious Victoria!
"All preparations complete."
The person responsible for the second-to-last procedure was a Sarkaz. He stared coldly at the elderly Liberi man. He was one of the few highly educated intellectuals in Kazdel.
Of course, in terms of scientific research, he couldn't compare to these native Victorian academicians, so his main role was supervision.
"Dr. Eberson, I hope you will make the right choice."
Beneath the Sarkaz's work uniform, something bulged—a firearm he had taken from a deceased Sankta.
"Sigh."
Eberson let out a long sigh, scanning the researchers who were watching with concern. Trembling, he reached out.
His aged palm pressed down on the activation button.
"Fragments Tower, activate!"
——————
Whoosh!
A breeze?
A gentle wind brushed past a Victorian soldier's face.
He didn't pay it much mind at first, until the wind grew increasingly violent, lifting the hem of his uniform and shaking the deck of the high-speed airship.
"What's going on? What is that!"
His gaze gradually turned to terror.
In the sky above, a massive storm eye was forming. The airship happened to be at the very center of that eye, gazing down upon everything on the earth like the eye of a deity.
Layers upon layers of Catastrophe clouds gathered.
"The Catastrophe is here! Everyone, hold on tighter!"
Rhodes Island operators directed the Self-Defense Force and citizens to take cover.
FrostNova stood in an open space, took a deep breath, and raised her hand.
A thick ice wall slowly rose, like a mythical Wall of Sighs, blocking the storm that could churn the very earth.
Boom!
The moment it made contact, FrostNova's face instantly paled, and her body trembled slightly.
Crack! That was the sound of ice shattering.
Stones carried by the storm, half-collapsed buildings, and various debris smashed against the ice wall, covering it with cracks.
In the end, it lasted only a mere ten seconds before exploding into a shower of ice crystal fragments.
"Let's go."
Ascalon grabbed FrostNova by the collar and retreated into a pre-prepared basement.
The storm completely engulfed the entire Norbert District. Tall buildings were uprooted like radishes. High-speed airships were nothing more than slightly larger toys before a Catastrophe of this scale.
Soldiers, citizens, nobles who hadn't fully escaped—their situations were surprisingly identical now. The Catastrophe did not discriminate based on status.
——————
After the storm's rampage.
The once-bustling streets of Norbert District had vanished. The magnificent high-speed airships lay toppled on the ground, their hulls showing varying degrees of damage; some were even reduced to half.
Dazed Victorian soldiers crawled out of the disabled airships like insects or ants.
"A Catastrophe?! Why would a Catastrophe appear in Londinium?"
The soldiers were bewildered. Regardless of whether the legend about the King's Scepter suppressing Catastrophes was true or not, as Victoria's capital, Londinium hadn't faced a Catastrophe directly for decades.
A Victorian soldier smashed open a porthole and struggled to climb out of a capsized high-speed airship. The hull's sturdiness was commendable, so there were quite a few lucky survivors like him who had kept their lives through the Catastrophe.
But before he could even catch his breath or utter a few words about his rebirth, a shadow enveloped him.
Swish!
The Sarkaz raised his blade and brought it down. The soldier didn't even have time to react properly. Blood sprayed as his head rolled to the ground, painting a vivid crimson trail.
Thud! Thud!
The earth trembled. An unending torrent of footsteps followed the overwhelming spectacle.
It was the main force of the Sarkaz!
The Lieutenant Colonel realized this immediately. Since the Dukes had underestimated the Fragments Tower's power, now was naturally the time for the Sarkaz to return the favor.
Was this a peculiar form of "reciprocity"?
He drew his saber. The Army Gold Medal on his chest gleamed brilliantly. The high-speed airships were temporarily out of commission now.
But—
"You Victorian expletive Sarkaz! Get out of Victoria!"
He jumped down from the overturned airship hull and charged toward the ever-growing tide of Sarkaz. Scattered Victorian soldiers seemed inspired by him.
They charged headlong into that black "wave."
......
"No wonder Theresis was so confident. Controlling Catastrophes? What a terrifying weapon."
The Lord of Fiends watched Norbert District, now utterly shredded by the storm, and offered a quiet assessment.
The Ancients were individuals of profound experience, not stubborn old fools. The destruction caused by a single Catastrophe attack from the Fragments Tower was something even he couldn't achieve in such a short time.
What was even more frightening was that both the dirigible used for guidance and the Fragments Tower itself could be mass-produced.
As for powerhouses at the level of the Lord of Fiends or the Lord of Blood? One might not appear in centuries.
After being swept by the storm, the Sarkaz's operations proceeded exceptionally smoothly. They didn't even encounter decent resistance; occasional stubborn holdouts were easily beheaded.
Whether it was city blocks or strategic points, they were captured with ease. Even some high-speed airships that weren't severely damaged fell under their control.
Within Londinium, there were no longer any forces capable of counterbalancing them. The Sarkaz seemed to be declaring with this battle's outcome—the Demons of old have returned!
"Your Highness, the casualty effects from the Fragments Tower's first activation have been tallied."
"Excellent, excellent."
Theresis tightly gripped that piece of paper, repeatedly uttering his approval.
"One high-speed airship destroyed; sixteen high-speed airships shot down or damaged..."
The results from the Fragments Tower's official debut far exceeded his expectations.
Perhaps because its power was too terrifying, and the phenomena it caused were sufficiently shocking.
Thus, information about this place reached the desks of leadership in various nations via spies almost immediately, causing significant upheaval.
Every nation understood the consequences of such a terrifying weapon falling into Sarkaz hands.
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!