Chapter 38: The Genesis Nest, The Holy Mountain Mutation

The Inquisition was known for its terrifying interrogations and punishments, but this time they encountered an uncrackable nut. Most of their torture methods couldn't even break the target's hardened physical body, let alone extract information through mental coercion - it was like playing music to a cow.

Even threatening their family members didn't work.

Until Mike sat firmly at the interrogation table, face-to-face with the Necro Cult adherent bound in a straitjacket, and calmly said, "So you wanted to shoot me from behind, huh?"

The Necro Cult adherent didn't respond, just staring fixedly at him, his body surface shimmering with a metallic hardness, evidently prepared to endure another round of torment.

"No need to be nervous, we're all civilized people here," Mike smiled, "I don't... urgh!"

At that moment, a plate of rotten, stinking meat slapped down in front of him.

Rose and Damon retreated to the doorway, turning to ask, "Sir, shall we let him try?"

Williams silently tapped the arm of his wheelchair, also curious to see what method the young man would use to make these Necro Cult fanatics talk. "Let him try, who knows, there might be a surprise."

Suppressing the stench, Mike approached the Necro Cult adherent and sneered, "Don't play dumb with me, I know the god you worship is an Outsider, and the power you wield also comes from an Outsider, right?"

At these words, Williams and the others narrowed their eyes.

"Too bad your friend blabbed all this before he died," Mike said, putting on gloves and smiling, "But, I know how you obtain this power... by eating flesh, isn't that right?"

Hearing the mention of eating flesh, the expression on the Necro Cult adherent's face finally changed.

At that moment, Mike grabbed his mouth and shoved the rotten meat inside.

"Eat it!"

The Necro Cult adherent struggled violently, the half-rotted side of his body emanating a foul stench, his surface rapidly becoming encased in a hard metallic skin-like armor.

Countless blood vessels emerged as if tracing out a pattern.

He bit down on the rotten flesh, howling to the heavens, his features twisting and distorting as the hard iron armor consumed him, transforming him into a savage, bestial creature, horns even sprouting from his head!

"Sata, Abaloath! Sata, Abaloath!"

The chains rattled, nearly shattering.

Rose and Damon were stunned, not expecting the rotten flesh to work.

"This is a type of Outsider that has never been seen before, at least not in the Outsider compendium. From what we can see, it can harden its body into an extremely durable state," Williams photographed the transformed Necro Cult adherent, such a momentous discovery had to be documented.

"Agent," he asked flatly, "How did you know to feed them the rotten flesh?"

Mike took off his gloves, stepping back in disgust.

"When we were chasing Baron, he showed fear and revulsion towards synthetic meat."

Of course, this was just a hastily fabricated excuse.

The real reason was that he had also consumed Baron's memories.

Suddenly, Williams noticed the intricate blood vessel patterns on the Necro Cult adherent's body, his previously impassive gaze now tinged with change as he spoke solemnly, "This is...an evolutionary lineage!"

Mike also recognized the totem-like pattern traced by the blood vessels.

He had even seen the complete version before, in Baron's memories, etched onto the ceiling in a disturbing mural.

"What is this evolutionary lineage?" he asked curiously.

After a moment of silence, Williams quietly explained, "Simply put, Outsiders are not as simple as you might think. In your understanding, Outsiders are all just mutated forms of Earth's life. But there are also some that we have termed the 'primordial species'. They are ancient beings revived from the frozen poles, empowered by the Kabbalah Tree of Life, and have evolved into deities."

"No one knows how those ancient great lives were born, but they possess the power to destroy heaven and earth. Every generation of Sacred Sovereigns has spent their lives battling them. After the dawn of the new human era, we call them 'Celestials', meaning invincible gods."

He shook his head, "Each Celestial represents an evolutionary lineage. Along this lineage are the different life forms that the Celestial has manifested as in various stages. For example, with a chicken, we can divide it into three forms: the hen, the chick, and the egg. Though they seem vastly different, they are all still chickens, do you understand?"

Mike had a vague grasp of it. "In other words, Agumon, Greymon, MetalGreymon, and WarGreymon are all part of the same evolutionary lineage. If you see an Agumon, it could potentially evolve into a WarGreymon, right?"

Williams was somewhat dazed, the long-lost memories surging back.

"That's right, the celestial gods are immortal and can independently propagate an entire evolutionary lineage. For example, an ultimate form can propagate a hundred complete forms, a thousand mature forms, ten thousand adolescent forms, and a hundred thousand juvenile forms. Even if you kill them all, as long as there is one adolescent form remaining, it can still evolve back into an ultimate form and become a celestial god."

He paused, "Even just a bit of their genes can do it."

Mike turned to look at the Necro Cult disciple, thoughtfully, "So the patterns on his body are an evolutionary lineage. If you've never even seen what he's transformed into, then it means a brand new evolutionary lineage has appeared, and its culmination is a celestial god?"

"Patient commander."

He couldn't help but ask, "How powerful are the celestial gods? Compared to you?"

Williams said impassively,

"If it's me right now, one of His fingers could crush me to death."

Mike was shocked.

But fundamentally, he didn't have much of a feeling about it.

After all, if the sky collapses, there's someone tall enough to hold it up, and if it can't be held up, everyone dies together.

What's there to be afraid of?

If the Decaying Spectre is the initial form of the evolutionary lineage,

Then the Progenitor Nest is probably the ultimate form of the evolutionary lineage.

"No doubt, it's a new evolutionary lineage."

Williams murmured, "I just hope there's no complete evolutionary lineage yet."

Rose and Damon realized the seriousness of the problem and immediately ordered their subordinates to feed the Necro Cult disciples rotten meat to see if they could get more clues.

"Uh."

Mike scratched his head, "Actually, there already is."

Williams suddenly looked up.

"I saw similar totems in the cathedral of the Afterlife."

Mike started talking nonsense again, "And it's complete."

There's no way to explain this kind of ability to see others' memories.

"Can you draw it out?"

Williams' gaze became sharp.

The memory of an Evolved is stronger than that of a normal person.

"Luckily you asked early, or I would have forgotten in a couple of days."

Mike said confidently, "Pen and ink at your service!"

Ten minutes later.

Damon looked at this shocking masterpiece, "This painting is really..."

Rose coldly said, "A pile of shit!"

Williams' face darkened as the paper showed a very abstract modern art piece.

But you couldn't tell what it was.

It could only be understood as a kindergarten-level scribble.

"Get him a high-level painting chip."

This The Grand Adjudicator really couldn't hold back anymore.

"You fucking have no aesthetics at all..."

Mike expressed strong dissatisfaction.

Another ten minutes passed.

The newly skilled Mike proudly displayed his painting and explained, "This time I can't be wrong. Baron said before he died that the power he possessed came from a Decaying Spectre entity. And the deity worshiped by the Necro Cult is called the Progenitor Nest."

This painting showed a huge lotus flower like it was forged from steel, floating in mid-air like a deity, with its vines piercing through the earth, and countless worshippers kneeling and praying in silence.

When Williams saw the complete lines of this painting, his gaze became trembling.

Damon and Rose couldn't even say anything.

However, at this moment, the Necro Cult disciples who saw this painting suddenly went into a frenzy.

"Shata, Abaloua! Shata, Abaloua!"

He shouted up to the sky, pounding the table with his hands violently.

In every cell in the corridor, the Necro Cult disciples' pupils rolled back, all pounding the tables with their hands, the countless clapping sounds gathering together, as if playing a strange melody, "Shata, Abaloua! Shata, Abaloua! Shata, Abaloua! Shata, Abaloua!"

In an instant, they all seemed to be plunged into huge applause, like the requiem before the destruction of the world, the candles in the corridor flickering, with strange shadows dancing like demons.

A terrible aura came from afar.

Chilling to the bone.

On December 31, 534 in the Holy Calendar, Avalon City officially began to defend against the Alien Tide.

The grand St. Basil's Cathedral in the city center held a grand mass, with countless worshippers praying devoutly in the huge square, the light of the Divine Intelligence seemingly illuminating the streets and alleys, and also reflecting on the statues of the great monarchs, their backs towering.

The ethereal and distant voice of the High Priest echoed throughout the city,

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done."

When her benediction resounded on the huge metal ramparts,

The sound of the horn rang out.

The four elite guards of Avalon City have gathered here, with the four most distinguished majors leading the troops guarding the city gates, their torches lighting up the mist.

Lisa, as the most formidable and highest-ranking officer, silently placed her hand on her chest and recited, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, you will be done."

On the massive metal ramparts, Eric shivered in the cold wind, still reviewing the operations manual he had memorized all day, facing the gigantic Demolition Cannon.

The other operators shared the same grim determination, even though they all wore specialized protective armor.

Yet, no one knew what to expect from the creations of Noah's Organization.

In the distance, a terrifying howl echoed, and huge dark shapes emerged from the mist, with a pair of harrowing, abysmal eyes opening, as if the cracks of the underworld.

Uncountable abominations came rushing from the horizon, their decaying faces and grim expressions resembling those of sirens, their eerie cries piercing the cold wind.

It was as if the gates of hell had opened.

Hordes of demons poured out.

Semin, the general, stood on a helicopter, his voice booming without a megaphone, echoing through every corner of the city, "To offer our hearts for the future of humanity, this is the ancestral teaching left by my great-grandfather. However, even he did not believe in such superstitions, nor did he feel obligated to fight for the survival of this world. I suspect you all feel the same way."

He held a note, reading and shouting, "Each of us has only one life. What reason do you have to fight to the death? You march on, bearing the weight, but it is for the peaceful lives of others. You are on the frontlines, risking your lives, while the officials drink and sing in the city."

Such words were indeed sacrilegious in this theocratic federation, but only the noble Duke family would dare to utter them.

Yet, these very words struck a chord in every soldier's heart.

Yes, why should we fight to the death?

We have no future, so why risk our lives for the future of humanity?

"However, often, we have no choice. Like you, like me, like my great-grandfather, we take the battlefield and give up our lives. Is it for the gods and beliefs? No, the true reason we fight is for our families. We bleed, and we sacrifice, to protect the world where our families live. The cocoon breakers must guard their families still in the cocoon, the indigenous must protect their families in Ember. That is a noble ideal, an untarnished conviction."

Semin's voice echoed across the field, "We do not want them to live in a desolate world, I do not want my daughter to become the prey of the abominations, nor do I want the abominations to destroy the home I depend on. We are soldiers, we have chosen this path, and we can only fight."

This was, in fact, the customary opening speech of the Duke family during battle commands.

Most veterans were already accustomed to it.

But Eric felt his blood boil.

So this is the reason to fight.

This is the belief and the ideal.

Although his family was gone, he still had his closest friends.

"All forces, attack!" Semin roared, "Charge, kill, go!"

He tossed the note into the wind, with only the last three words being what he truly wanted to say.

The voice of Archbishop Lionel reverberated through the loudspeakers, piercing the cold wind.

"Fire!"

Countless dazzling crosses tore through the night, a thunderous barrage shaking heaven and earth!

A deafening boom and the barren land was engulfed in the horrifying celestial fire, a massive mushroom cloud rising as if a meteor had fallen from the sky, obliterating everything.

However, on the metal ramparts, a tremendous explosion also rang out.

The massive Demolition Cannon, after its terrifying barrage, was destroyed by its recoil, and the operators all blasted away in a gruesome scene.

Only Eric was left, cowering under the sole intact Demolition Cannon, trembling.

"Help!"

But no one heard his cries.

For as the terrifying mushroom cloud was scattered by the cold wind, everyone witnessed an otherworldly sight - behind the endless smoke and fog, there stood a mountain flowing with dark, endless malice, its demonic horns reaching up to the heavens, beyond the clouds.

Whether it was an illusion or not, this mountain seemed to shimmer with strange, intricate patterns, like lotus flowers or vines.

And on the desolate battlefield, countless burning abominations charged forth, their bodies encased in armor-like shells, their rotting faces bearing a touch of chilling, unsettling smiles.