IBHJ Chapter 915

A bone-rattling crack, crack, crack echoed through the air as the Heaven's Corpse descended. Zaun shook violently, the ground splitting open, the entire city trembling in terror.

Screams and panicked shouts filled the air. Chaos erupted in the city, fear gripping its inhabitants.

This fear and chaos quickly infected the adventurers. Many of them, eyes vacant and bodies shaking, began muttering incoherently, "The Emperor's God Destroyer has awakened... The God Destroyer from beyond has awakened... They have trampled on the game's rules and awakened again, to dominate this land with terror again..."

Shirou frowned as he watched these hollow-eyed adventurers. It was clear they weren't strangers to the Heaven's Corpse—or rather, to UO.

The God Destroyer from beyond, the one they spoke of with such dread, was UO?

"Is there anything we can do, Gil?" Enkidu asked, turning to Gilgamesh.

"Don't lose your reason, Enkidu," Gilgamesh said calmly, his gaze on the monstrous Heaven's Corpse that blotted out the sky. "That thing has gone berserk. Here... no, on this entire planet, there is no being capable of stopping it. Even the Holy Sword user cannot harness its full power and stop such a force since Gaia has already been tampered with by those mongrels."

He continued, "Those beings are invincible. This city is already beyond saving. Let's secure the God's Brain and find a chance to retreat. There's no opportunity to defeat it now. We can only wait for it to calm down, then follow the game's rules to defeat it."

"I understand," Enkidu nodded, her heart heavy.

She knew Gilgamesh was right. Unlike the gods, unlike even the monstrous Humbaba, UO was the invincible, the strongest among the stars.

To put it into perspective, each of its bodies was equivalent to the sum total of all life on Earth. It was the invader from beyond, feared even by the gods. It was a cosmic-level enemy, a trial of despair that no pre-space age civilization could overcome.

Retreating from the rampaging UO was the logical course of action. After all, a strategic retreat was often wiser than a reckless charge forward.

However, a bitter taste of disappointment lingered in their mouths.

Crack, crack, crack

The Heaven's Corpse's vine-like tendrils tightened like a fist and began pounding on the barrier. Boom! Boom! The protective dome covering Zaun groaned under the assault, invisible cracks spiderwebbing across its magical surface. Then, with a sickening crunch like shattering glass, a gaping hole ripped through the barrier.

Immediately, several monstrous figures, like the minions of some evil god, swarmed in from beyond the broken barrier.

[Angel of Destruction Lv9]

The terrifying level indicator glared in the adventurers' faces, and panic erupted.

"You've got to be kidding me? L-Level 9? Shouldn't those monsters only be in the Holy Land? Why are they here?"

"Is this what an EX-rank city defense mission is supposed to be like?"

"We're going to die! We're definitely going to die! Those small fries are already Level 9, and that floating island... it has to be a Level 9 boss. This is an endgame mission for Lv9 adventurers! We can't handle this!"

"Run! Use your revival chances to escape Zaun!"

Panic turned into a stampede. The adventurers had no intention of fulfilling their mission anymore. The small monsters were already Level 9, easily breaching a barrier that was supposed to be invincible according to the game's rules. This felt like a scripted death scene, a hopeless scenario.

The only option left was to run.

Use their revival chances and escape Zaun!

The adventurers wasted no time deciding their escape routes, but the angels were far from passive obstacles.

They were beautiful, with features like heavenly angels, yet their intentions were far from benevolent. They were harbingers of destruction.

Descending from the sky, they attacked the adventurers and the city's NPCs with terrifying efficiency, spreading fear throughout the city.

"They're coming!"

"Watch out!"

People scattered in a frenzy. Like predatory falcons, the angels swooped down, snatching up fleeing residents and adventurers alike.

Anyone caught in their grasp, be it adventurer or resident, was instantly drained of life. Their bodies withered, turning to dust that scattered in the wind.

The adventurers who saw this horrific scene were paralyzed with fear.

"Impossible! No revival! This can't be happening!" one of them screamed.

Since the invasion of the outsider who called himself the Emperor of the Universe, Frieza, who had descended from beyond and defeated the gods ruling the world, this world had been virtualized.

Death could be reversed by revival chance—this was common knowledge. But now, that fundamental truth had been shattered!

"Being killed by those monsters... means real death!" someone stammered as the realization dawning on them.

Fear tightened its grip on the adventurers' hearts. In a world that had grown accustomed to the safety net of revival, the sudden return of permanent death instilled a terror far deeper than any death they had known before.

"Run! Don't let those monsters kill you!"

Panic triggered a desperate escape.

In the midst of the chaos, Enkidu turned to Gilgamesh. "Gil..."

"That thing has completely lost its mind, breaking the game's rules. It's time to retreat, Enkidu," Gilgamesh said, then added after a brief pause, "Permission granted to accept those who wish to retreat with us."

Enkidu nodded. "I understand."

In this dire situation, even the natives who were unaware of the true nature of the Heaven's Corpse would recognize its terrifying power. This was not an enemy that Heroic Spirits or gods could defeat. Those who did know the truth would be even less inclined to fight. To combat an existence like the Heaven's Corpse, one needed either the planet's Counter Force or the might of a cosmic-level civilization.

But just then, a high-pitched voice cut through the air:

"Aqua, use Prayer, Lightning Strike!"

The voice was a stark contrast to the fear-laden atmosphere. Enkidu turned to see the King of Knights pointing at the Heaven's Corpse, issuing commands to the God's Brain—Aqua—at his side.

"I understand, Master," Aqua replied, her hands clasped in prayer.

The sky darkened ominously, and then a torrent of lightning bolts rained down, striking the Heaven's Corpse with a deafening roar.

"—!"

The Heaven's Corpse let out a strange, pained cry as the lightning struck.

Did the King of Knights intend to confront the Heaven's Corpse head-on? Enkidu stared at him in disbelief. Hadn't he experienced the horror of UO before? Why would he do something so reckless?

Numerous Angels of Destruction poured through the breach in the barrier, ravaging the city like a swarm of locusts. Wherever they passed, life was extinguished, flesh and blood dissolving into nothingness.

Even the vampiric race, who sustained themselves on human blood and flesh, now found themselves prey to these terrifying beings.

The Angels of Destruction swooped down, bringing death and destruction in their wake. But the hunted adventurers were not without options. Faced with such an existential threat, their fear-stricken hearts ignited with the flame of survival. They unleashed a barrage of skills against the Angels of Destruction.

Three angels charged towards Gilgamesh, their eyes devoid of emotion, clearly marking him as their next prey. But before they could reach him, Enkidu extended a hand, unleashing a torrent of Chains of Heaven that formed a protective web, trapping the three angels.

"Hmph. How dare you treat this King as prey? This crime is unforgivable! You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!" Gilgamesh roared as shimmering orbs of light materialized around him. The orbs unleashed a torrent of magical beams, creating a tide of energy that engulfed the three Angels of Destruction, obliterating them completely.

"Hmph. Worthless mongrels," Gilgamesh sneered, arms folded. Clearly, those orbs were not from the Gate of Babylon, but rather skills of his game character.

Angels descended from the celestial island in droves, a breathtaking sight as if heaven itself were falling. But this was no divine blessing; it was destruction from beyond the stars.

Under the assault of these Angels of Destruction, people were forced to retreat into buildings within the safe zones that still offered some semblance of protection.

Although the Heaven's Corpse had broken the game's rules, the world as a whole was still governed by the virtual reality framework. The safe zones still retained some of their protective functions.

"W-What should we do? What are we supposed to do?"

"Why is this happening? The game's rules have failed... Death. We can actually die. How is this possible!"

"What's going on? This isn't supposed to be happening!"

"I just came to Zaun for a little adventure, why am I caught up in this disaster?!"

"Quickly, contact the guild and tell them our situation. The other adventurers will definitely form a rescue team to save me!"

"It's not working, the system is glitching, the connection to the guild channel is lost!"

"How can this be...!"

Outside, the sounds of destruction caused by the angels grew ever closer, amplifying the panic within the building as voices clamored in fear.