Apocalypse Circular-Chapter 469 - 468: Return to the Wasteland Alliance

Chapter 469: Chapter 468: Return to the Wasteland Alliance

In the place where Lu Luo’s gaze landed, the waters of the Nether River began to show a ghostly purple hue, like that of spirit springs. The Netherflame slowly started to burn on the river’s surface.

Subordinates who had some understanding of Lu Luo began to look at him. Wasn’t Netherflame supposed to be an ability their boss had mastered? Apart from their boss, there was only the Nightmare Demon. They hadn’t yet returned within the walls, so it couldn’t possibly be the Nightmare Demon... So, were these Netherflames conjured by the boss himself?

Lu Luo didn’t bother to explain to his subordinates. The gap in understanding between them was too great; there was absolutely no need for an explanation. Was he supposed to tell these members about the giant Orochi in the river, so huge that it was known as the Doomsday Serpent, residing here? That was simply impossible. He came here to perform a ritual to get Meiqi’s permission to pass. This was like a greeting to Meiqi, indicating he had other matters to attend to and couldn’t pay a formal visit, so a ritual was necessary. What a sensible plan!

Without Noah’s Star, Lu Luo could no longer pull out items at will like a treasure-filled Doraemon. He motioned for his subordinates to bring over a long table, then placed some gems, some Gold, and a few Dark Spirit Stones on it. Afterward, he took out some cigarettes he had obtained from the Inspection Department members, lit three of them, and stuck them upside down on the table, standing on their filters.

"River Deity, members of the Circular have arrived at your precious domain. We wish to pass through. Please grant us this opportunity," Lu Luo said, then bowed deeply. The hundred or so individuals behind him, seeing their leader bow, all bent down as well.

「In the water.」

Meiqi watched all of this with interest. She had never experienced a ritual for a river deity before. Meiqi summoned the Devourer’s vessel. In her presence, the Eighth Order behemoth was as obedient as a dog, its undulating tentacles resembling a puppy’s wagging tail. Meiqi stroked the sea monster’s head while pointing at Lu Luo on the river surface.

"It seems he’s developed well, but why does he want to return to the Wasteland Alliance? The Wasteland Alliance is a Land of Seals! It wasn’t easy to break the seals of the Dawn Disc and the Truth Disc to let him out. What if something happens when he returns!"

Meiqi spoke as if to the sea monster, yet also as if to herself. All the creatures around her were in submission. While Meiqi was thinking, no living creature dared make a sound. Such was the intimidating presence of the World Devourer.

"Alright, it seems our little friend Lu Luo indeed has matters to attend to. Let him pass for now. After all, his woman is still in the Imperial, and given his personality, he’ll surely find a way to return, no matter what."

Meiqi had no intention of stopping Lu Luo; her reasoning was simple. If Lu Luo was going in, he was most certainly coming out. She would let him pass now without interference. Then, when he came out, Lu Luo would surely have to visit the Upside-Down Sea for a proper chat with her.

"Alright, since he’s performed a ritual to pay respects, he’s given me enough face. Go ahead and see them off, but don’t frighten these little ones," Meiqi said, a playful look in her eyes.

Upon hearing her command, the sea monster immediately swam upriver.

On the river’s surface, turbulent waters mixed with purple Netherflame began to spread outward. The members of the Circular were somewhat frightened; they had never encountered such a situation. What in the world was happening?

"Brother Luo..."

"Don’t ask yet. We’ll talk after we’ve passed this."

Gu Fangyi nodded and, seeing Lu Luo’s solemn expression, immediately kept quiet. The currents on the river’s surface grew more turbulent.

SPLASH! A huge head emerged from the water’s surface. Its eyes, covered by a thin membrane, suddenly snapped open, startling everyone.

"Monster! A monster!"

Gu Fangyi was also taken aback. The creature’s daunting presence was far beyond what he could handle...

"Brother Luo!"

Gu Fangyi instinctively raised his sniper rifle, but Lu Luo pressed his hand down on the weapon.

"Put it down. Everyone stay quiet. The River God is giving us a sign."

After hearing Lu Luo’s words, Gu Fangyi, somewhat surprised, lowered his rifle. Lu Luo’s behavior right now was somewhat different from usual. Normally, he wasn’t someone who would let his own people suffer a disadvantage. Was the monster before them... invincible?

Lu Luo looked at the sea creature before him and, using the Observer’s sealed perception ability, concealed his killing intent. So, this thing was the vessel Meiqi had prepared for him, right? Or rather, was it the vessel she had prepared for the resurrection of the Devourer, Xu? If he followed Meiqi’s and their plans, constantly absorbing power from within the Disc, and then gradually became corrupted by the essence of the Destroyer, then a complete and fundamental mutation would most certainly occur. He would become a monster ruled by Sequence Power. And the nature of the Devourer meant that it could plunder other Sequences almost unrestrictedly within the Disc World. This would inevitably lead to the resurrection of the World Devourer, Xu. The plan was truly secretive, and seemingly perfect. However, unfortunately, the Destroyer didn’t see it that way. The Mute Yang... she said she had grown tired of such a life. Borrowing Noah’s popularity, she achieved a true rebirth. Though she abandoned much, like completely losing the qualification to contest Lu Luo for the Doomsday Disc. And losing the opportunity to integrate the ultimate Sequence. But she also gained much, the most important of which was... Freedom. A free, powerful will is far more terrifying than a confined one. What the Mute Yang would do in the future, Lu Luo couldn’t be sure. But he highly doubted she would spend a lifetime in seclusion with Noah. Neither of them was ever the type to stay put. The title of Destroyer wasn’t earned by quietly hiding in a corner. Moreover, Noah himself was quite problematic, with a very unstable personality. Lu Luo wondered if Noah would be influenced by the Mute Yang after being with her. Or perhaps, to a certain extent, Noah had already been influenced by the Mute Yang.

"Hello there, messenger of the River God. Convey my greetings to the River God."

Lu Luo nodded slightly. The sea creature immediately began to joyfully twist its body; it was clearly very fond of Lu Luo. Perhaps it already regarded Lu Luo as its own. After a simple acknowledging nod to Lu Luo, the sea creature began to descend. It couldn’t keep Meiqi waiting too long; Lady Meiqi was not a patient master.

Lu Luo’s subordinates behind him, upon hearing his words, were somewhat speechless. This creature was merely a messenger of the River God... The part of it visible above water was already so massive; how big would the River God be? Although the Wasteland Alliance’s high walls were bordered by a wide moat, it was still just a river. Could a river really give birth to such gigantic creatures?

"Brother Luo, has this place always been like this?"

"Don’t speak yet. We can cross now. Let’s talk after we get over the wall."

Lu Luo lowered his voice. He was uncertain how far Meiqi’s monitoring range extended, but it was wiser to be cautious. After all, she was an Angel Envoy, one of the ultimate powerhouses of this world. He needed to be absolutely cautious to avoid any disastrous mistakes.

Gu Fangyi nodded. When it wasn’t the time to talk, he and his team would remain silent.

The group proceeded in silence until they climbed onto the outermost wall. Only then was Gu Fangyi’s curiosity reignited.

"Brother Luo, that river..."

Gu Fangyi didn’t know how to continue. As a Guard Captain and scout, he had been to this place many times. But this was the first time he had encountered such a monstrous creature so directly. Although they had previously glimpsed the battle between Meiqi and Leviathan in the GuiXi District, that was from a great distance. This face-to-face encounter was entirely different.

"Yes, it has always been like this here, and the monster has always been present."

"But a river like this..."

"Under the river, there is a sea."

"Under the river is a sea?"

Gu Fangyi was somewhat unable to comprehend. Under the river? Could it be an underground sea?

Lu Luo knew Gu Fangyi couldn’t understand his meaning, and at this point, he didn’t intend to keep anything hidden. It would be good for Gu Fangyi to learn a bit about Meiqi.

"Under the river, there is a sealed sea known as the Upside-Down Sea. As the name suggests, it’s an inverted sea area, not particularly vast—at least not on the scale of an ocean. But it is a sea, after all, naturally much larger than rivers and lakes. The Upside-Down Sea is very dangerous, teeming with large marine creatures—Exotic Species. Their strength can easily reach Fifth Tier or above. The most outrageous among them is that cyclopean sea monster, an Eighth Order creature. However, it’s not as powerful as a typical Eighth Order Monarch because it lacks a brain."

"Beyond the Upside-Down Sea lies a lost Western nation. It’s utterly ruined. Its original inhabitants were the Caucasians from those Imperial domains. Although they haven’t gone extinct, they certainly aren’t having an easy time nowadays. Not everyone can accept the collapse of a civilization."

Lu Luo briefly explained the situation beneath the river to Gu Fangyi. Gu Fangyi was shocked and slowly digested the information Lu Luo had provided.

"Is it that incredible?"

"Indeed it is. What, are you scared?"

"Not really. I’ll have to face it eventually. Also, what’s the deal with the River God you mentioned?"

"The River God? You’ve seen her."

"We’ve seen her?"

"Didn’t you witness the battle between the Doomsday Orochi and the Titan Behemoth before? The so-called River God is that Orochi, the Tenth Angel Envoy, Her Excellency, the Doomsday Serpent Meiqi."

"The Tenth Angel Envoy, the Doomsday Serpent—Meiqi!"

Gu Fangyi quickly processed the information Lu Luo provided. Though he had never heard the term Angel Envoy before, if Lu Luo spoke of it with such seriousness, then the rank of an Angel Envoy must be higher than that of a Monarch. Because Lu Luo now possessed the power to stand on equal footing with a Nightmare Demon. If Angel Envoys were merely Eighth Order, Lu Luo definitely wouldn’t need to be so extremely careful.

"Are there ten such beings in existence?"

"No. Perhaps not, or perhaps more."

"Huh?" Gu Fangyi looked puzzled.

"From what I currently know of Angel Envoys, I can only guarantee that three of them possess their full power and form. Meiqi is one of them, a monster sealed beneath the Upside-Down Sea."

"She was sealed? Then why do you call her a River God?"

"Yes. One who controls Netherflame, like her, needs to be suppressed by an absolute vastness of water. This seal should have been perfect. I don’t know by what means she managed to break free. Maybe she hasn’t completely freed herself. But Meiqi is clever; she altered the form of Netherflame. She transformed Netherflame into three forms: black, purple, and gray. Black for destruction, purple for control, and gray for chaos."

"What about the Nightmare Demon’s Netherflame?"

"Correct. The Nightmare Demon’s Netherflame originated from Meiqi. Meiqi gave her two forms of Netherflame: black and purple. But Meiqi didn’t give the gray Netherflame to the Nightmare Demon."

"I see..."

Gu Fangyi looked surprised. The things Lu Luo spoke of were top secrets of this world. Without sufficient power, one simply couldn’t touch upon the world’s true nature. But if one had enough power, they would then be troubled by these powerful entities—truly a vexing predicament.

"Meiqi is a terrifying monster. She polluted the ocean that sealed her and took control of this river. While turning it into the Nether River, she also remained hidden beneath the seal. As long as we don’t have a confrontation, our people who come here in the future will have to perform rituals first."

"So... there will be a confrontation in the future, right?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, yes."

At this moment, Lu Luo had no need to deceive Gu Fangyi. His honeymoon period with Meiqi wasn’t over yet, but things likely wouldn’t be as amicable once he left the Wasteland Alliance this time.

Gu Fangyi turned to look at the Nether River beneath the wall. Imagining a battle with a monstrous creature like the Doomsday Serpent, he felt a mix of despair and surging excitement.

"Who would have thought we’d actually get the chance to oppose such a monster."

"Don’t sell yourselves short. There will be plenty of such opportunities in the future. The future belongs to us."

Confidence flashed in Lu Luo’s eyes. This wasn’t blind confidence. Time was on his side.

「」

Lu Xiaotian leaned back comfortably on the sofa, one Lu Luo had left behind. One had to admit, that guy really knew how to enjoy life, making the sofa this comfortable. Her own furniture, by comparison, was very stiff.

"In terms of enjoying life, it seems I still need a lot more practice," she mused.

More than two years had passed. Lu Xiaotian, who had grown rapidly, had blossomed into a delicate young woman. Though not tall, she already possessed considerable charm.

"Master, the new hospital has been built. But why let Han Shiyu be the dean? Isn’t she Lu Luo’s woman?"

The speaker was Qin Wanyu. She had become much more somber after returning from the Imperial. Tong Yuan’s death was heavily related to her. Returning to the Wasteland Alliance, Qin Wanyu had matured considerably. Because of her outstanding abilities, she was still entrusted with important responsibilities upon returning to the Nightmare Demon’s side. It was just a pity that Tong Yuan would forever remain in the Imperial.

"What if she is Lu Luo’s woman? As long as someone is capable, anyone can rise to a higher position under me. This Han Shiyu has deep feelings for the Wasteland Alliance. She didn’t follow Lu Luo when he left. She has her own thoughts and a sense of responsibility. Such a person is naturally fit to be the dean of the new hospital. What do you think?"