In terms of national strength and technological advancent, Arin was undoubtedly number one in the world. Its armories were overflowing, its ammunition seemingly endless. The destructive power of its weapons of mass destruction was truly terrifying.
Once it was confird that the first city had been completely conquered by the Underworld monsters, the second and third cities nearby were also in imminent danger. To prevent the Underworld from expanding its territory further, the Black Palace of Arin issued an order with extre resolve: "At all costs! Unleash a saturation bombardnt! Raze the first city to the ground!" They vowed to trap and annihilate these Underworld monsters, preventing their escape.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless artillery shells rained down, blanketing the sky. Flas roared as thick smoke billowed, and one building after another collapsed into ruin.
Originally, a small number of humans had been fortunate enough to avoid being killed and devoured by the Underworld monsters. Instead, they t a desperate, wretched end amidst the artillery shells. At the sa ti, a great number of Underworld monsters were also blasted to death. Their regenerative abilities were incredibly strong; no matter the injury, as long as they had a mont to recover, they could heal. But the continuous, all-encompassing explosions gave them no such chance. No matter how powerful their healing, being completely blown to bits was still a death sentence.
In this manner, the Arin high command bombed relentlessly for two straight hours before finally ceasing this madness.
"Phew…"
"That should have wiped them all out, right?"
"Quick! Send in the drones and chanical dogs to scout. See if there are any survivors!"
BEEP! BEEP!
As operators remotely controlled them, drones flew through the sky and chanical dogs ran along the ground, swiftly navigating the ruins of the city. High-definition caras equipped with thermal imaging continuously scanned every corner.
"Report! No signs of life detected in Sector A!"
"Report! Nothing in Sector B either!"
"Sector C is also clear…"
Receiving the series of reports, the perpetually tense faces of the high command finally broke into smiles. They knew the public was in a state of panic, flooding the internet with disheartening comnts, and that many business tycoons were incessantly calling to ask about the battle. In the real world, countless vehicles were frantically fleeing to other regions, even other countries. To stabilize public morale and boost confidence, the high command decisively released the situation to the public.
"There is no need for panic! The mutated creatures from beneath the earth have been completely eradicated by us!"
"Central Earth won the first battle, and now we, Arin, have won the second!"
"This proves it. Central Earth has its solitary hero, Long Tianji, who relies on traditional martial prowess to fight the Underworld monsters, but we in Arin have our advanced modern weaponry, and it's just as effective!"
Upon seeing the video footage, the citizens of Arin felt their panic subside. They began to relax and stopped their mad exodus. So who had hoped to take advantage of the chaos for a "zero-dollar shopping spree" reluctantly withdrew their hands.
Additionally, a few sharp-eyed individuals noticed the partially intact remains of the humans killed in the blast…
"Oh my god! You killed the Underworld monsters, but you slaughtered our own people in the process?"
"They didn't die at the hands of those damned monsters, but at our own? How ironic!"
"It was necessary, wasn't it? War is cruel. So sacrifices are unavoidable…"
"Fuck! Do you hear yourselves? I can't even imagine the pain and despair our countryn must have felt in their final monts!"
"Shouldn't you have rescued them first before bombing the monsters?"
"Don't be so naive…"
The internet erupted in heated argunts. Other countries, including Central Earth, also reported on the events after learning what had happened. One faction argued rationally that, given the circumstances, iron-fisted asures were necessary. If the bombing had been delayed, the Underworld monsters would have rapidly conquered more territory and killed far more people. The humans caught in the blast would not have escaped anyway. Compared to being brutally tortured and devoured, instantaneous death by bombing was at least painless.
Another faction, however, could not accept this. They protested and condemned the indiscriminate attack that killed their own people.
Over in Central Earth, people were also engaged in intense debate. At the sa ti, they were all deeply relieved.
Thank God our Central Earth has State Preceptor Long! We don't have to use the pinnacle of human technology to destroy ourselves, like Arin.
Regardless of the debates raging online, the Black Palace of Arin swiftly issued a proclamation, brazenly declaring their victory in the battle.
But… had they truly won?
Within the city, amidst a mountain of rubble, a claw suddenly shot out toward the sky.
CRASH!
The surrounding concrete and debris tumbled away as a massive, hulking figure with pockmarked skin rose proudly to its feet. Following its roar, a second claw, then a third, and then dozens more shot out as their owners revealed themselves. Standing in their midst was a creature seven or eight ters long and even more powerful than the Si Dele that Lin Tang had once fought. It was this very creature that had used its Space Power to create a barrier, protecting these dozens of its kin.
It was furious. Its throat suddenly bulged, resembling that of a toad or a pufferfish. The next second, it opened its mouth and unleashed a piercing sonic wave.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Both the drones and the chanical dogs burst into flas before exploding.
It was worth noting that these Underworld monsters looked different from the ones that had appeared in the strange cave. Si Dele had a tail but could not emit sonic waves. These creatures had no tails but possessed long necks, and the powerful sonic waves they blasted from their mouths killed any human who heard them.
They let out strange cries and leaped, covering hundreds of ters in a single bound. With a series of hops, they quickly reached the city's edge and set off for the second city.
"How can this be?"
"There are still so many of them alive!"
"Quick, launch more powerful missiles! We absolutely cannot let them continue this rampage!"
The high command in Arin, having just tracked the monsters' rapid advance via satellite, had been on the verge of holding a victory banquet. Now, they instantly broke out in a cold sweat, seized by panic. By the ti the missiles finally caught up to the Underworld monsters, they had already crossed a wasteland, slaughtering the inhabitants of a few small towns along the way.
The leaders watched, filled with hope, only to be t with bitter disappointnt. The lead monster changed its pitch and emitted another high-frequency sonic wave. Space was effortlessly torn open, swallowing the creatures whole. A mont later, a series of missiles detonated. Even with a blast radius of several kiloters that gouged massive craters into the earth, they had no effect on the monsters. The explosions erupted right beside them, yet the force was always kept at bay.
The personnel controlling the missile trajectories decisively changed the coordinates, targeting the mountains on either side. This triggered a massive landslide that buried the creatures under tons of rock.
However… it was utterly useless.
A few monts later, the creatures used their sharp claws to dig a tunnel and crawled out, looking revitalized. They cast a mocking gaze at the sky and imdiately resud their journey.
Seeing this, Arin's high command was struck speechless, completely at a loss. After a brief brainstorm, their only option was to warn the second city that the Underworld monsters were about to arrive. Those who could flee should do so quickly.
"What the f—"
The people of the second city could scarcely believe their ears. A mont later, the monsters descended from the sky as promised. The brutal slaughter began once more.
Except for the wealthy who escaped on their private jets, all other forms of transportation were far too slow to be of any use. As they killed, the monsters also engaged in psychological tornt, speaking in human tongues. They announced that their original plan had been to kill only half the population in each city and keep the rest as livestock. But now, after being bombed and covered in dust, they were very angry.
Until their anger subsided completely, they had decided… to leave no one alive.
And so, through their efficient slaughter, the second city was emptied. During the massacre, there was no shortage of incoming artillery, but as long as the monsters stayed close to their leader, they remained completely unhard.
As the creatures prepared to move on to the next city, the people of Arin were on the verge of a complete breakdown. When the rest of the world learned the news, they too were plunged into deep despair.
"Where is Long Tianji? Is he really dead?"
"If he's alive, he can't be so selfish as to only protect Central Earth!"
"All of humanity needs his help…"
"If we had known it would co to this, back when Long Tianji was choosing his consorts, we should have done everything in our power to bring him to our country! We would have made him king, let him rule over everyone, given him every beautiful woman in the nation! Anything would be better than being so powerless while these monsters slaughter us…"
"Why don't we have our own Long Tianji? It's not fair!"
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