Chapter 22: Regarding the Possibility of a Nuclear Explosion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Regarding the Possibility of a Nuclear Explosion
Clang!
Julius, gripping his pitch-black heavy sword, clashed once more with the Gray Horse Knight.
Even though the size difference between Julius and his opponent was staggering, they continued to trade blows with equal ferocity. At one point, Julius even managed to suppress the Gray Horse Knight, turning the battle into a high-stakes dance on the edge of a blade.
The earth shattered beneath them. The shockwaves from their collision leveled the surrounding houses, and even the solid ground could not escape the devastation.
Meanwhile, Edward and Cecilia had somehow found a safe zone and sat down as if they were in the front row of a theater. Cecilia pulled out a handful of melon seeds and began cracking them while she watched.
"Whoa, it’s not every day you get to see a fight between powerhouses like this. Even if I die now, it was worth the price of admission."
Unlike the enthusiastic Cecilia, Edward was busy studying the manuscript in his hands.
"Using a specific ratio of rotation to concentrate energy infinitely into a single point... this compression method is truly ingenious."
After reading through it twice, Edward already understood the mechanics of the compression. As Roland’s first and only apprentice, Edward’s talent for alchemy had always been exceptional. However, due to his bizarre tendency to make everything he refined explode, he had yet to produce any praiseworthy alchemical results.
Right now, while he understood the theory, he didn't dare try to replicate it manually. He had nearly killed himself trying to refine things at home; attempting it in a dangerous place like this was out of the question. One stray shockwave from the titans fighting in the distance could end him.
Cecilia was the only one being optimistic, dragging Edward along to enjoy the show. He couldn't escape even if he wanted to.
"If I show this technology to Master Roland, he might be able to make something of it. It’s a pity this manuscript didn't complete the Singularity Technology; it got stuck on the issue of maintaining singularity stability."
Edward began to analyze the hypotheses regarding singularity stability written in the manuscript.
A successfully compressed singularity would naturally dissipate and lose its indestructible properties. To be used effectively, a way to maintain its stability had to be found. The manuscript categorized singularity dissipation into two types: chronic and acute.
Chronic dissipation merely released the energy consumed during the singularity's creation.
Acute dissipation, however, was unique. It would trigger a spatial rift within an extremely short period, causing the surrounding energy to rush toward the gap and trigger an extreme explosion. This explosion would then create more spatial rifts, continuing to draw in surrounding energy and triggering a chain reaction. The entire process was lightning-fast.
It would continue until all energy within range was sucked dry. The range of this energy draw was massive, yet the resulting explosion remained highly concentrated. The final result was a phenomenon where a vast area was drained of energy in an instant, focusing it into a central zone to produce a terrifying, ultimate explosion.
Not only would it deal catastrophic damage, but it could also annihilate everything within its radius. Furthermore, the spatial rifts created by the explosion would take a long time to mend, turning the blast zone into a forbidden land for all living things.
"Hiss..."
Edward took a sharp breath as he read the description. The power of a Singularity Explosion was no less than the ultimate strike of any top-tier powerhouse. In fact, in most cases, the threat posed by such an explosion was far greater than any individual warrior.
"Is the Chaos Church after this Singularity Technology?"
Edward thought about it, then shook his head. The manuscript explicitly stated that the Singularity Explosion existed only in theory. To turn chronic dissipation into acute dissipation, one would need to inflict a level of damage comparable to a god upon the singularity the moment it began to dissipate. This requirement effectively locked the possibility of a Singularity Explosion behind an impossible wall.
"Wait... explosion?"
Edward suddenly remembered his own trait: a fifty-percent chance of an explosion occurring whenever he performed a refinement. Singularity Technology was, at its core, a form of alchemical refinement. If Edward triggered an explosion the moment he refined a singularity, it might just set off the terrifying chain reaction described.
"So... is it possible for me to hand-craft a Singularity Explosion capable of destroying the world?"
Suddenly, Edward felt like he had found his path. It was just that this path was a bit... surreal. Other alchemists pursued stability and utility in their creations. He was pursuing the ability to throw his creations and blow things up.
"Is this even alchemy anymore?"
Setting that question aside, Edward had one more critical problem to solve if he wanted to achieve a Singularity Explosion: how to trigger it safely from a distance.
Based on his current deductions, even if he did manage to trigger a Singularity Explosion, it would be an instantaneous blast the moment it left his hands. He wouldn't have any room to maneuver. If he didn't solve this, he would simply become a "zero-distance observer" of his own apocalypse.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The clash of titans continued nearby. Julius launched several attacks at the Gray Horse Knight, but each was parried by the knight’s exquisite skill. As the stalemate dragged on, the trajectory of their battle gradually shifted.
Amidst the rhythmic violence, Julius began to notice something strange. The opponent was intentionally or unintentionally leading him toward a specific location.
It was a derelict graveyard.
Clang!
After forcefully breaking through the Gray Horse Knight’s defense, Julius voiced his suspicion.
"There is nothing unusual about this place, yet you keep drawing the battlefield here. Since when did noble knights start resorting to such mysterious schemes?"
The Gray Horse Knight did not answer Julius’s question. He looked at the graveyard behind him as if making a final resolution, and he refused to retreat another step.
"Warrior, I acknowledge your strength for now. From this moment on, I shall set aside my pride."
Then, for the first time, the Gray Horse Knight activated his skills.
*
[Calamity Song Lv.1]
Consumes half of your HP. For every 1,000 HP consumed, all attributes are increased by 1 point. Every attack you land will inflict a random debuff on the target. For every debuff/buff the target has, your damage against them increases by 5%. Duration: 300s.
Cooldown: 30 min / Cost: 30,000,000 Mana.
[Apocalypse Lv.1]
Your attacks are guaranteed to be Critical Hits and are converted into True Damage. You recover HP equal to 500% of the damage dealt. 10% of any overhealing is added as a damage boost to your next attack. Duration: 300s.
Cooldown: 30 min / Cost: 30,000,000 Mana.
*
Instantly, the Gray Horse Knight’s aura exploded. After consuming nearly 100 billion HP, his total attributes surged by 100 million points. Aside from his Constitution, which was already at 2 billion, his other attributes essentially doubled.
Such a massive surge in power naturally caught Julius’s attention. But before he could react, the Gray Horse Knight struck.
In a single second, Julius was hit dozens of times.
-504 million!
-529 million!
-554 million!
-579 million!
-604 million!
-631 million!
...
-2.973 billion!
-3.023 billion!
-3.074 billion!
After roughly forty strikes, Julius had suffered over 66 billion damage. Under the weight of the ferocious assault, he was forced to retreat.
By the twenty-fifth strike, the Gray Horse Knight had already returned to full health, triggering the damage boost from Apocalypse. In the ensuing combat, every one of the knight's attacks would be stronger than the last. Furthermore, they were all unavoidable True Damage.
As Julius backed away, the shadows beneath his feet immediately crawled up his body, instantly knitting most of his wounds back together.
"So, you're finally getting serious."
Looking at the surging aura of the Gray Horse Knight, Julius prepared to move, but he suddenly felt a wave of malaise wash over him. Along with the massive damage, he had been riddled with a mountain of debuffs.
[Stun Lv.2]
[Corrosion Lv.5]
[Poison Lv.3]
[Weakness Lv.1]
[Burn Lv.3]
[Fragile Lv.2]
[Grievous Wounds Lv.2]