Before Arthur arrived in this world, Merlin had given him a collection of items, an assortment of oddities that seemed to lack rhyme or reason. Without guidance, they were a puzzle waiting to be solved.
If it hadn't been for the frustration caused by Keno's escape, Ethan might not have thought to finally sift through those items. And without that effort, he wouldn't have discovered something hidden among the collection: a small, seemingly insignificant piece of metal that turned out to...
2025-01-01 19:26:41 +0000 UTC
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After several months, Ethan returned to State Island.
Compared to his last visit, the changes in him were drastic. The once frail fisherman boy had transformed into a mage apprentice, someone who had begun to grasp the mysterious forces of magic. His new equipment ensured that he could travel the Sea of Tranquility freely, no longer needing to constantly fear for his safety.
"So, this is State Island?"
Arthur stood on the ship's poop deck, looking out at the bustling port...
2025-01-01 19:26:10 +0000 UTC
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After finally cleaning the deck, Ethan and Arthur had no choice but to throw the bodies of the dead sailors into the sea. Keeping the corpses aboard wasn't an option. In this weather, disease could spread in just a few days, and while Ethan had learned to make basic potions for minor illnesses, plagues were far beyond his ability to handle.
"Born to the sea, returned to the sea," Ethan murmured.
To ensure the bodies didn't float back to the surface, Ethan tied them together with...
2025-01-01 19:25:31 +0000 UTC
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Boom!
The orange-red energy projectile slammed into the magic shield conjured by Ethan. The resulting explosion rocked the air with a deafening roar, scattering fiery sparks and generating a powerful shockwave. While Ethan's shield absorbed the blast and kept his ship protected, the unshielded Flame Sovereign bore the brunt of the impact.
The enemy ship creaked ominously as the force pushed it backward, the hull groaning under the strain. The hooks securing the two ships togethe...
2025-01-01 19:24:58 +0000 UTC
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A burst of orange-red light exploded with a deafening roar, leaving everyone dazed as the shockwave rippled through the air. The sheer force sent several sailors tumbling across the deck like rag dolls, and a few unlucky ones were thrown overboard.
Fortunately for them, years spent living at sea had honed their swimming skills. Though they hit the water hard, they wouldn't drown so easily.
But no one was paying attention to those sailors now. All eyes were on Ethan and Sean.
...
2025-01-01 19:24:27 +0000 UTC
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Sean's eyes widened, gleaming with greed as they locked onto the iron rod in Ethan's hand. They practically glowed like two bright light bulbs, fixated on the arc of electricity that danced along the weapon.
"Just as I thought! These two kids really do have magic stone equipment!"
His gaze shifted to Arthur, who wasn't far off. Sean scrutinized the blond boy's large sword, but it didn't seem special. "So, it's not his weapon… No matter. Both of them are going to die anyway...
2025-01-01 19:23:44 +0000 UTC
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Ethan pointed at the ship steadily closing the distance between them. Now, both sides could clearly see each other's situation. The opposing ship was larger and positioned higher, giving them a better vantage point than Ethan and Arthur. The two of them stood openly on the deck, and it didn't take long before both sides noticed one another.
Sean frowned in surprise. He hadn't expected to see two unfamiliar faces, let alone two young men. The dark-haired one appeared slightly older, but...
2025-01-01 19:23:08 +0000 UTC
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The sea breeze howled across the harbor, carrying with it the eerie creaks of the dented black oil drum rolling and bumping along the concrete. The silence among the gathered men was thick, oppressive, broken only by the sound of the wind.
"I need some dogs to run errands for me." Bardi said, his voice cold and emotionless, cutting through the quiet like a blade.
His sharp, piercing gaze swept over the crowd and settled on Hank.
In that moment, his demonstration of invul...
2025-01-01 19:16:40 +0000 UTC
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The salty sea breeze blew across their faces, ruffling clothes and making them flap noisily in the eerie silence. The dim, swaying light cast distorted shadows over the scene, heightening the surreal atmosphere.
"What the hell is this?" Hank muttered, staring at the Colt Python revolver in his hand, his disbelief palpable.
The situation was absurd, impossible even. Since the invention of firearms, no one had ever heard of a person deflecting a bullet with their fingernail, let a...
2025-01-01 19:16:09 +0000 UTC
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The sea breeze howled through the dark night, carrying the sound of crashing waves as they slammed against the shore.
Bardi stepped onto the harbor, his body shuddering briefly. With a subtle movement, the water droplets clinging to his skin were shaken off in an instant. He ran his hands through his wet hair, slicking it back, revealing a chiseled, resolute face. His sharp features, hardened by life, were accented by scars that gave him an air of defiance and indifference, as if nothi...
2025-01-01 19:15:25 +0000 UTC
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Why is Gotham so dark, so oppressive?
It always feels like the city is trapped under a perpetual shroud of darkness, with cloudy skies and a suffocating atmosphere that weighs on everyone. The streets are a cesspool of crime and corruption, and the tension in the air gnaws at people's nerves, pushing them to their breaking points.
Some say the city itself is cursed, that a demon named Barbatos lies at the heart of Gotham's decay.
This demon was summoned long ago, allegedl...
2025-01-01 19:14:55 +0000 UTC
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Jenny followed Vic out of the medical building.
Her face was pale and cold, her wide, bloodshot eyes giving her an almost feral appearance. Every step she took seemed to radiate an eerie detachment from the world around her.
The wounded crowded the hallways, some leaning against the walls for support, others being wheeled out on stretchers, too injured to move on their own. Each time they encountered a group of injured soldiers, Jenny, Vic, and Willife stepped aside, pressing th...
2025-01-01 19:14:19 +0000 UTC
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General Vic walked through the shattered remains of the military base, his heavy boots crunching against debris. The wrecked jeep, the scorched earth, and the acrid stench of burning oil hung in the air, its dull heat pressing against his skin. His face was grim, and the simmering anger beneath his expression made it burn even hotter.
Around him, soldiers worked tirelessly, carrying charred or broken bodies on stretchers. Some of the injured still groaned in agony, their cries adding t...
2025-01-01 19:13:44 +0000 UTC
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The wind howled like a thousand blades, slicing against Bardi's face. His hair whipped wildly in the air, and his clothes snapped and rippled violently as if they might tear apart. The currents of wind roared around him, but he stood unmoving, unwavering.
To the fighter pilot staring through the cockpit glass, Bardi's figure loomed impossibly large, a towering force that dominated the jet's nose like an immovable mountain.
Bardi's posture was rigid, his spine straight, and his c...
2025-01-01 19:12:50 +0000 UTC
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"AH-63 Apache gunship, soldier, cease your flight immediately, descend, and prepare for inspection."
The communication channel buzzed with the stern voice of the F-15 Eagle fighter pilot.
Bardi remained silent. The dense green of the forest was now in sight, but he ignored the warning and continued flying toward the Snake River.
The helicopter was currently cruising at an altitude of about 1,500 meters, with approximately 18 kilometers left to the river.
The AH-63 ...
2025-01-01 19:12:19 +0000 UTC
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Bardi's footsteps came to a halt.
The acrid stench of burning flesh and debris carried by the wind reached his nose.
Among the ruins, he stood alone, the sole figure remaining upright.
His usually cold, indifferent gaze softened, as though a faint light of reflection flickered in his eyes.
Reaching behind his waist with his left hand, Bardi touched the genetic serum tucked into the band of his pants. The test tube's cold glass pressed against his fingertips. In the...
2025-01-01 19:11:49 +0000 UTC
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On the ground military base, the air was thick with smoke and despair. The remnants of destruction stretched as far as the eye could see. There was no longer the sound of battle, only the haunting cries of the wounded and dying.
Under the scorching sun, the ground shimmered with distorted heat waves. Black smoke spiraled into the sky, mingling with the stench of burnt vehicles, charred flesh, and blood. Shattered vehicles lay scattered amidst the ruins, broken bodies strewn across th...
2025-01-01 19:11:10 +0000 UTC
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Boom...
The underground research institute trembled again, the vibrations rippling through every floor, even reaching the heavily reinforced fourth sublevel where the air felt thick with tension.
Bardi had directed the 70-ton Annihilator III missile straight at the white laboratory building aboveground, obliterating the soldiers encircling it. The addition of mass-launched vehicle-mounted missiles had turned the military base into a battlefield of carnage. Over 1,700 soldiers ha...
2025-01-01 19:10:43 +0000 UTC
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If the Patriot IV ballistic missile had emotions, it would likely be feeling quite proud of itself, it had certainly become the center of attention.
Amid the 17,000 soldiers staring up in stunned terror, mouths agape and eyes wide with disbelief, the missile made its dramatic descent, slamming directly into the seventh floor of the soldiers' dormitory.
For a moment, time itself seemed to slow. Every heart was caught in a vise of tension, their collective dread suspended in silen...
2025-01-01 19:10:16 +0000 UTC
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A soldier stared at the screen, his voice trembling with disbelief as he exclaimed, "Brigadier General Cagle, the missile silo has been activated automatically!"
"What did you say?"
Brigadier General Cagle felt a chill run down his spine. The flames of ambition that had burned so brightly just moments ago, the determination to surpass Slade and prove himself were extinguished in an instant. His hands felt cold and clammy, his entire body rigid with fear.
There were sevent...
2025-01-01 19:09:44 +0000 UTC
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The aboveground structure of the underground research institute appeared as a white laboratory building rising modestly into the skyline. The building itself was only three stories tall, with large, high-strength composite glass panels sloping across its facade. Though the structure had clearly been refurbished with modern materials, traces of wear and weathering gave it an oddly juxtaposed appearance of old meeting new.
The laboratory building seemed ordinary on the surface, almost li...
2025-01-01 19:09:08 +0000 UTC
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The monitoring system for the underground research institute was connected to the ground base, a vulnerability that allowed Bardi to use Hera to take control of their electronic networks, weapon systems, and other facilities.
Yet, just as he had ordered Hera to hack and dominate the military base and underground research systems, General Vic had sent a message requesting a call.
Coincidence? Or was his timing deliberate?
Or worse, had Bardi overlooked something critical, ...
2025-01-01 19:08:40 +0000 UTC
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Dean Bori was dead.
He had gripped the key tightly in his hand as if it were a life-saving talisman, opening the office door with a trembling resolve.
Bardi rose from his chair, turned to see the key in Bori's hand, and instinctively slid his right hand across the pistol lying on the desk.
Bang.
Bardi moved with precision, his M9 pistol angled slightly as if cutting through mist. Blood and bits of brain spattered onto the gun, clinging to the cold steel, yet not a ...
2025-01-01 19:07:50 +0000 UTC
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Bori closed the office door behind him and exhaled shakily, a suppressed and frightened breath escaping his throat.
He was terrified of death.
Human beings were fragile, and once they died, everything ended. Right now, he was still alive, still had everything—fame, wealth, admiration. People spoke his name with reverence, associating him with the Nobel Prize in Biology, with groundbreaking contributions to science. The looks of awe and adoration people gave him fed his ego, ma...
2025-01-01 19:07:19 +0000 UTC
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The old man, Dean Bori, trembled as though his legs might give out. He couldn't keep himself hidden under the desk any longer.
"It's… it's you, Bardi." His voice wavered as he forced a thin, unconvincing smile onto his gaunt face. He emerged slowly from under the desk, his frail body shaking. An M4 carbine dangled from a strap across his chest, but the sight of Bardi's indifferent gaze made the weapon feel unbearably heavy, almost scalding against his chest.
With trembling han...
2025-01-01 19:06:49 +0000 UTC
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The scene was almost surreal.
Slade's face flushed red, veins bulging and snaking up his neck like coiled ropes. His hands trembled with exertion, the bones in his fingers turning white as he gripped the sword with everything he had. Yet, despite his full strength, he couldn't move the blade an inch further.
Bardi, on the other hand, stood perfectly still, biting down on the blade as though it were no more than a stick of candy. His cold, detached gaze bore into Slade, completel...
2025-01-01 19:06:03 +0000 UTC
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The faint chill of air-conditioning mixed with the thick stench of gunpowder smoke filled the room, suffocating everyone present. The oppressive atmosphere weighed down on the soldiers, gripping them with dread.
Under the harsh glow of incandescent lights, the soldiers—momentarily frozen in shock lifted their heads to gaze at Bardi. He loomed over them like a giant, holding the limp body of a soldier in one hand, his expression a twisted mask of tyranny and malice.
Bardi stood...
2025-01-01 19:05:20 +0000 UTC
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Bardi let out a deep, guttural snort, gritting his teeth as the whites of his eyes turned bloodshot, the pupils narrowing dangerously. The deep scar across his face twisted and writhed, giving his already fearsome visage the appearance of a furious giant rising from molten lava.
The electric current coursing through his hand left his body paralyzed, and for a fleeting moment, it dragged his thoughts back to the first time he arrived on Earth. His spaceship had exploded, crashing him to...
2025-01-01 19:04:44 +0000 UTC
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Special thanks to Blank1 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉
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Orochimaru's approach to meeting the Queen of Rōran was as direct as it was crude.
In any normal circumstance, a little humility would have sufficed for gaining an audience with the queen. Yet, Orochimaru discarded even the most basic courtesies.
He chose a more straightforward and forceful approach not out of necessity, but because he simply didn't want to waste time.
In Orochimaru's v...
2025-01-01 08:02:00 +0000 UTC
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Special thanks to Blank1 for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉
---
The citizens of Rōran, who had noticed the commotion from a distance, had retreated to safer ground, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
When they saw Sasuke crash into a wall after being sent flying, they silently thanked their decision to hide earlier.
In the battlefield, Sasuke's Susanoo had vanished. He struggled to pull himself out from the debris, his breathing heavy and labored....
2025-01-01 08:01:21 +0000 UTC
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