The Vermin’s successful evolution shattered 009’s composure.
As The Vermin said, even if he couldn't kill 009 completely, he could kill him a thousand, ten thousand times!
The Vermin devoured 009 piece by piece, storing him in his abdominal cavity.
His abdomen secreted copious amounts of viscous fluid, encasing 009; his limbs were bound, constantly corroded by acid.
Gluttony watched silently, but 005 within him laughed.
“Hahaha, this is what they call reaping what you sow?”
“To be betrayed by your own subordinate… pathetic.”
005 could barely contain his laughter, but he was imprisoned as well.
Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed from above!
Boom!
Two terrifying auras erupted from above!
The Vermin sensed this, raising his head, “4th Step, 4th Step… Hehe, I sense evolution! Further! Further!”
Thump!
The Vermin burst through the ceiling!
Only Gluttony remained in the base.
Gluttony pressed his face against the wall; his body merged; the ropes and sack fell away.
“I wonder if Director Zero is still alive. If he’s dead, where should I go?”
After escaping the base, Gluttony touched his teeth; several fell out.
“My superpower disease are worsening. I don’t know how much longer I can last…”
“Cough, splash!”
Gluttony coughed up blood; he felt his life flickering, about to extinguish.
The 005 within him eagerly awaited his death.
Gluttony trudged forward, but the sight before him chilled him.
Ruins…
Everywhere were ruins.
No sign of humans; collapsed cities, overflowing red tides, monsters dominating the land.
This was the apocalypse.
“Where… is home?”
...
On the earth, a fiery dragon unleashed a pillar of fire across the sky!
Queen Bee, unmoving, caught Chino’s dragon stone.
“It’s itchy.”
“You only have stones?”
Chino remained calm, “I borrowed some toys from 024, but my eyesight’s poor. Could you tell me what this is?”
A black book appeared on Chino’s fingertip.
Queen Bee descended, as if settling on an invisible throne.
“Oh, you borrowed it yourself; you should know. No need for theatrics; open or covert, scheme or plot, use them all.”
“Of course, if you want to tell a story, then begin your performance.”
Chino chuckled; the book flipped open.
“This book is called The Book of Death.”
“When I borrowed it, it said this book records ancient secrets and possesses the ability to summon ancient gods and awaken slumbering beings.”
A page floated open.
“Legendary Atlantis was built upon a Nessus; its angelic army originated there.”
“They wore unbreakable golden armor, wielded weapons beyond their time, possessed incomprehensible advanced knowledge, and commanded colossal ships capable of traversing the world.”
“They marched east, conquering Africa and Asia.”
“No one could stop their angelic army. Now, they are here.”
“In the name of Atlas, King of Atlantis, descend!”
Chino’s fingertip glowed a cyan light, radiating golden waves.
The waves surged forward, tearing a massive gate in the sky!
The gate was flat, like a sheet of paper, infinitely extending, forming a vortex!
Colossal ships emerged from the vortex!
These ships floated in the sky, propelled by strange engines!
A vast army, clad in golden armor, wielding golden weapons, appeared on those ships!
Queen Bee’s eyes widened; she thought Chino was telling a story; he was chanting an incantation!
Seeing the dense fleet, Queen Bee felt uneasy.
It was like a wooden ship externally, but internally, it was a nano-energy cannon.
The ships seemed like ordinary vessels but were quantum-powered spaceships.
It was power beyond its time; the cannons were advanced starship weaponry!
The soldiers' weapons and armor were made from nickel-iron alloys and unknown super-alloys!
This isn’t an ancient army; this is a futuristic army!
At that moment, Queen Bee remembered something.
The Airplane Cult.
Don't laugh; this cult existed; it was a primitive tribal religion.
Around World War II, natives witnessed an army dropping supplies from planes; they worshipped the planes as gods.
They built wooden models and prayed for the planes to bring food.
This seems ridiculous to modern people.
But imagine a colossal, incomprehensible triangle descending from the sky, capable of destroying Earth with a single blow.
Wouldn't humanity worship it as a god?
Perhaps it was merely a spaceship from an advanced civilization.
Incomprehensible concepts are often attributed to the occult.
Like this Atlantean army; to the Bronze Age Mayans, flying ships would seem divine.
Queen Bee realized that the Great Old Ones, the Angel, the demons, and even herself, were likely extraterrestrial lifeforms.
They were simply lucky recipients of extraterrestrial genetic combinations.
After the Atlantean army descended, even Chino was doubtful.
Was this truly an ancient angelic army?
So, Poseidon and Atlas weren’t gods?
Just extraterrestrials from a more advanced civilization, bringing future knowledge to Earth?
Like a modern person showing a lighter to primitive people; they'd call you the Fire God.
This speculation was terrifying.
If their knowledge was limited to mythology, these beings might be fictional!
But now, with this ancient army and their advanced weapons, understanding this makes it more realistic!
Perhaps giant dragons and gods existed, but…
They were extraterrestrial lifeforms.
If this is true, they left for some reason.
Was this fortunate or unfortunate?
If they left due to some danger, that’s bad news.
But perhaps Chino and Queen Bee were overthinking.
Let's hope so.
“The more you know, the more you realize your ignorance. Scholars dedicate their lives to knowledge and truth.”
“I’m fortunate not to be a scholar; the pursuit of truth is not only agonizing, but terrifying.”
“Ignorance is bliss. In the Stone Age, people only worried about food, shelter, and reproduction; they easily found happiness.”
“In fact, the more advanced civilization and technology become, the lower human happiness levels fall.”
“The Stone Age was humanity’s happiest era.”
“But I’m not human. If I rule the world, I won’t regress to the Stone Age; I’ll advance civilization.”
“Not only will I recreate Atlantean technology, but we will conquer space!”
Chino gestured, “All great achievements are built on sacrifice. Global unity requires one nation to conquer all others!”
“Only by destroying and merging all nations can true global unity be achieved!”
“But for us, nations represent each other. We 4th Steps are the superpowers!”
“If we don’t fight each other, we’ll be trapped in a cycle of war and history, repeating the past!”
“Either evolve or perish; it’s always been this way!”
The Atlantean army advanced; seeing the colossal ships, Queen Bee split into tens of thousands of individuals, attacking the army!
The differently sized Queen Bees clashed with the Atlantean army!
They possessed advanced technology, but those wielding it were ordinary.
Queen Bee and the monsters were superior individuals.
Both sides clashed; cannons fired from the ships!
Boom!
Energy beams struck, blasting a hole in the underground headquarters!
But Queen Bee instantly crushed a ship!
Ships fell from the sky, exploding on impact!
Chino dashed towards Queen Bee!
His clones returned to him; Queen Bee moved!
Her speed rivaled Chino’s Rabbit stone.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
They clashed; Chino unleashed laser beams from his eyes!
Queen Bee teleported, appearing before him, striking his face!
Thump!
A powerful blow; Chino’s face fell; his massive body swayed; countless tendrils erupted, striking Queen Bee!
Queen Bee leaped into the sky; Chino followed!
He opened his mouth, unleashing a fiery pillar of light!
The pillar flashed through the city, carving a magnificent line of destruction!
Queen Bee’s remaining clones returned to her; her power surged; she kicked Chino!
Chino reached out, but Queen Bee struck his hand; it was severed!
Splash, splash!
Blood sprayed; a massive arm fell to the ground!
Chino roared; his severed arm healed instantly!
That feeling again—concentrating power!
“Rabbit!”
Chino fired a beam of light; Queen Bee transformed into a rabbit!
Chino caught the rabbit, throwing her to the ground!
Boom!
Queen Bee, like a meteor, struck the ground, reverting to human form!
Queen Bee tossed her hair; Chino reached out from above!
The Rooster stone activated; giant boulders, defying gravity, were hurled to the earth!
Queen Bee charged, like a bullet piercing the boulders, reaching Chino!
“Is that all you’ve got?”
Thump!
Queen Bee punched; a palace image appeared behind her; countless Guard Bees punched simultaneously!
The blow struck Chino’s jaw, sending his head flying!
Splash!
Green blood erupted; Chino’s head spun; a spinal column rapidly extended, reconnecting to his body!
His neck elongated, connected only by a thin spine!
His mouth and eyes unleashed three beams of light, striking Queen Bee!
Boom!
An explosion echoed; black smoke filled the air.
Queen Bee emerged; she looked at her back; her hand was scorched.
Annoying…
“I need to remove those stones from him.”
Chino, with twelve stones , possessed diverse powers and devastating combinations.
To kill Chino, she had to remove his stones.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the ground, appearing behind Queen Bee with incredible speed!
Huh?
Queen Bee turned to see a chaotic insect aggregate; a maw-like structure lunged at her!
That giant mouth contained hundreds of smaller mouths!
Queen Bee retreated, arcing through the sky!
“What is that?”
The Vermin’s ambush failed; hundreds of mouths opened, “Failure… unfortunate.”
“I’m intrigued by what you said. If the gods are extraterrestrials, then we’re the apex of extraterrestrial life!”
“You two would make excellent sustenance.”
Queen Bee, looking at the creature’s faces, remembered something.
“This… isn’t that insect?”
What? It evolved to 4th Step?
Chino’s giant head descended; he sensed a similarity between this insect aggregate and himself.
And the Red Mist.
“Another 4th Step. Unrestricted evolution is real.”
Queen Bee, then The Vermin; this was the sixth 4th Step being.
The situation was worsening.
With no 5th Steps, 4th Steps were evenly matched.
To achieve victory, they needed a decisive blow.
They attacked The Vermin simultaneously!
The Vermin was instantly disintegrated, scattering black chitinous insects across the land!
The Vermin wouldn’t fight two 4th Steps at once; if they attacked together, he’d disintegrate, avoiding conflict. What could they do then?
If they fought each other, The Vermin could ambush them.
If they didn’t fight, they’d perish with The Vermin; a war of attrition.
Queen Bee and Chino exchanged glances, distancing themselves.
“With a third party present, let’s avoid a direct confrontation. Let them fight; we’ll see what happens.”
“Agreed.”
“I don’t want to be the one who makes the wedding dress.”
Queen Bee and Chino were in sync; if The Vermin wanted to manipulate them, they wouldn’t fight.
...
In Asia.
The people's faith in the dragon repeatedly repelled the Red Mist; it couldn’t advance, only defending.
The Red Mist couldn’t break through.
Unless Chino intervened, Shino could only stalemate.
This stalemate yielded nothing; high-level battles were difficult to resolve.
One side unwilling to fight; the other couldn't force the issue.
Unless they had a plan.
4th Step was a significant threshold; unlike those below, life and death hung precariously in the balance.
Suddenly, Shino received a message from Chino.
“Brother, don’t waste your energy.”
Shino’s eyes flashed within the Red Mist, “But he’s repeatedly touched our seals; he’s dangerous; we must eliminate him.”
Chino’s voice again, “We control the seals; there’s no rush.”
“Wait for the dragon to leave; then eliminate him. The longer you fight the dragon, the closer he stays.”
“The situation has changed; there are at least two more 4th Steps.”
“One frightens me; I sense a grave danger. Without a countermeasure, he might win this war.”
“He’s an Old One, like us. There must be something that can counter or seal him.”
“I’m heading to the island; the situation in Asia is strange. Be cautious; strategic retreats are acceptable; avoid unnecessary conflict.”
Shino agreed.
He looked at Ye Long, “Since you insist on saving him, fine. He’s yours.”
“But if you interfere with us later, don’t blame us for taking advantage.”
Shino transformed into Red Mist, spreading in all directions.
Ye Long said nothing; he turned to Reinhard, “Those two are 4th Step; they can unleash devastation; killing is effortless.”
“Yet they target you, an ordinary human with nothing special. What secrets do you hold that warrants this?”
The Dragon could perhaps sense some things; some, he couldn't.
Reinhard sighed, “I sealed the Sea King; that’s why they want me dead.”
“It’s that simple.”
That simple?
Reinhard had presented sealing artifacts twice; claiming coincidence was impossible.
It was Mei manipulating the variables.
Unfortunately, Reinhard was chosen as that variable.
Perhaps Mei only wanted him to introduce variables; like adding a weapon to a wargame, creating unpredictable outcomes.
But tragically, the monsters saw Reinhard as a chosen one.
They believed Reinhard’s connection to the sealing artifacts meant he was destined to seal them.
Ye Long didn't fully understand; he was curious why Shino and Chino targeted Reinhard.
His questions answered, Ye Long left, saying, “I’ll borrow the needle for a day; I’ll return it.”
This Silver Needle could break curses; it was an Ancient Artifact.
Becoming a Fish-Man was a curse; this artifact could break it.
Ye Long’s mother had been a Fish-Man for a long time; this was a burden on his heart.
Now, he finally had the Silver Needle.
Excited, Ye Long flew towards a small fishing village.
He returned home, about to tell his mother, but the sight before him made the needle fall from his hand.
A bloody corpse lay in the house; the death was gruesome.
The corpse was mutilated, its own claws embedded in its flesh.
It was Ye Long’s mother.
Ye Long’s eyes widened; his body trembled.
A voice echoed in his mind!
“Too bad, Ye Long. If not for you, she wouldn’t have died.”
Rage surged through Ye Long, coiling around his heart and lungs, “Sea King… what did you do?!”
“I brought her to me; she was to help me pressure you. Unfortunately, she defied me and committed suicide.”
“Every time I used mind control, she cut herself, until she died.”
“I have to admit, she was a great mother.”
An unknown Fish-Man informed Chino that the dragon resembled Ye Long and had visited his mother.
Chino realized the dragon might have been his kin, escaping his control after obtaining a potion.
Ye Long.
Chino quickly found Ye Long’s mother, intending to use her to control Ye Long.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the order to threaten her son, she resisted.
Chino used mind control; to escape, she repeatedly mutilated herself.
She killed herself before succumbing to Chino’s control.
For Chino, this was a sad story.
For Ye Long, it was a blood feud!
Enraged, Ye Long couldn’t contain his fury; he transformed into a giant dragon, soaring into the sky!
A roar echoed across the land!
“ROAR——!!”
He only wanted to save his mother; what had he done wrong?
He didn’t want to compete for evolution or dominance.
His only desire was to save his mother.
He’d found the Silver Needle, but Chino found his mother.
Ye Long’s worst fear had come true!
His roar broke the silence; countless Fish-Men looked up at Ye Long.
Ye Long’s eyes burned crimson; he hadn’t sought conflict, but fate was cruel. Fine!
“As you wish!”
Ye Long opened his jaws; fire gathered, erupting in a pillar that struck the earth!
Boom!
A massive explosion and mushroom cloud erupted; the Fish-Men below were incinerated!
After the explosion, Ye Long landed, human-shaped, on the ruins.
He looked at the scorched earth and punched it!
“The knife is at your throat; why reason with the butcher?”
“If someone bullies you, fight back!”
Why waste words!
Only cowards reason!
“Sea King!”
“You want to fight? Let’s fight until the world ends, or until I end you!”
...
Overseas, the Other Shore island.
Chino arrived, seeing the colossal Old One temple.
He split himself, entering the temple in human form.
The temple inhabitants didn’t stop him; he reached the deepest part, finding three massive statues.
Before each statue was an altar-like structure.
Judging by the shape of the altar, a Trident was placed before Chino's statue.
On Shino's statue's altar was a torch.
But The Vermin’s altar…
“Nothing?”
Chino frowned. The Vermin didn’t lack a sealing artifact; it was that his altar was empty.
It wasn’t clear what it was supposed to be.
A sealing artifact certainly existed; someone had taken it.
Who?
Lord Aurora?
Likely.
Chino and Shino’s artifacts had been taken by Mei.
But if Mei took it, that was troublesome.
He’d have to visit 024 The Library of the Exiled and trade souls for the artifact.
“Or…”
Chino suddenly thought of someone.
Reinhard.
He might obtain the artifact; let him do the work.
After Reinhard obtained The Vermin’s artifact from 024, Chino would take it.
This saved soul lifespan and effort; a win-win.
Hmm…
Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed!
The sky trembled; dark clouds gathered; lightning flashed!
Chino severed the connection, returning to his physical body!
But a figure had already attacked!
Boom!
Ye Long, human-shaped, kicked Chino’s head, creating a massive crater!
“You dared to touch my mother; you must die!”
Ye Long, small yet forceful, threw Chino into the sky, smashing him to the ground!
Boom!
Chino’s colossal body crushed trees and rocks; seeing Ye Long’s furious expression, Chino chuckled.
“Not bad, you finally have some strength, Ye Long.”
“Remember when I knocked you down? Your punches were like pathetic mosquito bites!”
Ye Long punched Chino in the head again!
Boom!
The earth cracked; Chino’s head was damaged, but healed by the Horse stone!
“Keep going!”
Chino smirked; he felt no pain from Ye Long’s furious assault.
“This is immortality. Even your earth-shattering power can’t kill me. But you lack that; one mistake, and you’ll join your mother in the underworld!”
Rage.
Rage and hatred are inner beasts; they cloud judgment and erode reason.
All impulsive actions stem from rage; all regrets, from rash decisions.
Chino knew humans were emotional; he knew Ye Long would seek revenge.
Since Ye Long’s mother was dead, Chino abandoned the idea of controlling him; he provoked him, waiting for him to lose control.
“Hahaha!”
“Your speed is slow.”
Chino’s chest shot out a tendril, striking Ye Long’s abdomen, sending him flying!
Chino lunged, grabbing Ye Long!
Ye Long roared, transforming into a giant dragon; he tore free, biting into Chino’s body!
Stones flew from Chino’s body!
Ye Long tried to seize them, but Chino’s tendrils snatched them back!
“Too bad, so close!”
Chino’s right arm split into three, seizing Ye Long’s upper, middle, and lower body!
He tried to crush him!
“Roar!!”
Ye Long’s body strained; he reverted to human form!
He pierced Chino’s body, tearing out an stone!
The Ox stone!
Chino’s power weakened; Ye Long spun, kicking Chino, shattering his body!
Splash, splash!
Countless tendrils reassembled Chino; he unleashed dragon flames!
Ye Long countered with dragon flames!
Boom!
The flames collided, causing a massive explosion!
Fueled by faith, Ye Long was far stronger than before.
Chino found him much harder to suppress.
“Things have changed. I have various abilities, but none are particularly strong. This is frustrating.”
Hearing Chino, Ye Long attacked with renewed ferocity; he felt he was completely overpowering Chino.
And he was; Chino’s counterattacks were weak; his body was repeatedly shattered.
Consumed by rage, Ye Long attributed his enhanced strength to the people's faith.
Seeing stones fly from Chino’s body, Ye Long assumed they were the source of his power.
He tore stones from Chino; the Ox stone instantly boosted his strength!
He shattered Chino’s body again; an stone appeared; Ye Long grabbed it; it showed no effect.
The Rat?
The battle continued; Chino kept provoking Ye Long.
Suddenly, Ye Long noticed the island’s trees and ground were turning to stone.
Birds in the sky occasionally turned to stone and fell.
Ye Long ignored this, focusing on Chino.
He saw no more stones emerge from Chino.
No matter how many times he shattered Chino’s body, there were no stones.
Until Chino, using the Tiger stone, focused his power into a sharp tendril, severing three of Ye Long’s fingers!
The Rat stone fell.
Chino smirked.
“Almost there.”
Ye Long, about to attack, instantly turned to stone!
Yes!
Without warning, his body petrified!
But Ye Long hadn’t felt any magic or attack!
Chino had been chanting something with the black book; yet, Ye Long had interrupted him every time.
Why…?
Ye Long’s stone body fell.
Chino retrieved the Ox and Rat stones.
“You didn’t notice, did you? That’s right.”
“The Rat stone’s power can turn stillness into motion; even petrified, you wouldn’t notice the change.”
“The petrification wasn’t instantaneous; it was gradual. If you’d realized, you could’ve used the Silver Needle to undo it.”
“But you endured ten petrifications before your body fully petrified; you didn’t react.”
Chino held up Ye Long’s stone statue, “Everything I said was to provoke you.”
“As a Deep One, you should know that I can kill a Deep One with a thought; how can you resist my will?”
“Your mother didn’t resist; I made her kill herself.”
“I knew you’d come for revenge; I made no preparations; why do you think that is?”
Chino’s plan was formed before Queen Bee became 4th Step.
The Fish-Man who informed him did so immediately after the seals were broken.
But he didn’t act; he didn’t know killing equals yielded rewards from Mei.
But all 4th Steps were to be eliminated; Ye Long was on Chino’s list.
But no rush; he needed the right moment.
Then, Chino learned that killing equals granted advancements.
The plan to kill the dragon was reinstated.
Chino initially returned to Asia to find Ye Long; he didn’t expect Queen Bee to become 4th Step.
Chino wanted Queen Bee’s stones; he’d deal with her first, observing her new abilities.
Then, he’d formulate a counterstrategy.
Unexpectedly, an insect appeared.
Chino suggested a temporary truce with Queen Bee, resuming the plan to kill the dragon.
His plan was simple: kill Ye Long’s mother, enrage him, and lure him to Chino.
Wait for him to lose control; then use the petrification curse from The Book of Death.
But there was a problem.
Shino informed Chino that Ye Long had traded for a needle.
Chino realized it was the Silver Needle from 024; it could break curses.
The petrification curse wouldn’t work.
Ye Long, if not foolish, would use the Silver Needle if he noticed the curse.
The petrification was slow; if Ye Long realized he was losing, he could escape.
And Chino couldn’t stop him.
To minimize variables and ensure the plan's success…
Chino fueled his rage, making him determined to kill Chino.
Then, Chino feigned weakness, making Ye Long overconfident; the petrification curse was phase two.
The problem remained: the Silver Needle.
If Ye Long had it, he’d instantly remove the curse; even enraged, he wasn’t entirely irrational.
Chino devised a plan.
He let Ye Long shatter his body, revealing the stones, secretly giving Ye Long the Rat stone!
With the Rat stone, Ye Long wouldn’t notice the petrification, no matter how many times Chino used it.
He thought his body was the same, but he was a petrified statue, revived by the Rat stone.
Simple, wasn't it?
The Rat stone didn't remove the curse; it made the statue move!
Ye Long was petrified, but the Rat stone prevented him from noticing.
Removing the stone would instantly petrify him.
But giving him the stone was risky.
So, Chino first subtly showed him the stone, then quickly retracted it, feigning its importance.
Then, he strategically placed the Ox stone where Ye Long would strike, allowing him to take it.
Feeling the stone’s power, Ye Long wanted more stones.
To weaken Chino and strengthen himself.
So, Chino subtly revealed the Rat stone!
All so natural!
Enraged, Ye Long wouldn’t suspect Chino’s control over the stones; he could shift them within his body; they wouldn’t easily fall out.
One should consider: what the enemy shows you, they want you to see.
Otherwise, Ye Long couldn’t have easily pierced Chino’s Tiger stone defense.
Ye Long’s rage was essential to the plan's success.
His anger made him ignore the petrifying trees and birds.
Chino’s petrification spread subtly; Ye Long, enraged, focused on killing Chino.
Once Ye Long was fully petrified, Chino used the Tiger stone’s concentrated power to shatter his hand, retrieving the Rat stone.
Ye Long petrified instantly; he had no time to react.
Chino's plan succeeded; his meticulous scheme showed respect for a fellow 4th Step.
After all, Chino had learned his lesson.