Picking Up Attributes From Today
chapter-188

Chapter 188: God’s Domain, The Hammer of Destruction

“W-what’s that?”

“It’s… It’s so huge!”

“To think there’s such a lofty and majestic tree in this world… How inconceivable!”

“That tree is so massive! It’s probably no ordinary tree?”

A gigantic tree towering straight into the sky appeared on the Dragon God Cathedral’s huge magic screen.

It stood erect in the continent’s center, towering tall and straight into the sky above the sea of forests. The mountains were reduced to mere props while the ancient trees became its background.

It was simply too huge and too majestic—one could neither see to the top nor the ends of it.

The moment it entered their sights, it astounded everyone, ranging all the way from Emperor Frederick the 32nd to every single civil and martial official. All of them were dumbstruck and flabbergasted.

Frederick the 32nd was terribly alarmed. “Why didn’t the surveillance team discover a lifeform like that in the Lost Continent?”

Nobody knew whether or not they had discovered it, but Frederick the 32nd had already realized that the Lost Continent was far more unsafe than what he’d thought. The contestants… They were in danger!

“Reporting!”

It was at this moment that a golden-armored knight walked out of the teleportation magic circle. “Your Majesty, a half-deity lifeform has appeared in the Lost Continent. 100 contestants, including Prince Barbarossa and the others, have been captured, and their lives are in peril!”

“What?”

Everyone got up at once, an indescribable astoundment brimming in their eyes. All of them were shocked.

The emperor barked fiercely, “Are you sure?”

The golden-armored knight replied loudly, “Your Majesty, it is the absolute truth!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty!”

All the Saint Domain experts turned to the emperor at once. The princes, princesses, nobles, and officials also turned to him.

Everyone knew that things had gotten serious.

A half-deity lifeform had appeared in the Lost Continent, and it had captured 100 contestants, including Prince Barbarossa.

This was no longer an accident on a small scale but a serious matter that threatened to undermine the empire’s core.

Once mishandled, not only would the empire make an enemy out of a half-deity, but it would also cause irreversible losses for the empire.

This was an extremely serious matter.

Frederick the 32nd, who was facing everyone’s anxious, anticipative eyes, slowly closed his eyes. He said, “By sending all the contestants to the Lost Continent without careful consideration when we aren’t yet clear on the situation in the Lost Continent, I have sinned!”

“Your Majesty!”

Everyone exclaimed in low voices.

“However, it is nigh the time to pursue the matter of accountability now. What’s most imperative right now is to dispatch men to the Lost Continent and rescue the contestants!” Frederick the 32nd stepped forward. “Summon the senior statesmen’s assembly at once and order the Grand Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder to follow me to Dragon Island to request aid from the grandmasters!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

An official bowed in acknowledgment and hastily went to deliver the imperial order.

“My beloved subjects, you’re dismissed!” said Frederick the 32nd as he looked at everyone.

President Luke hurriedly stepped forward and requested, “Your Majesty, the contestants are in critical peril. I am willing to head to the Lost Continent in advance to investigate the situation. If it is permissible, perhaps that may help a little with the situation!”

“Me too, Your Majesty!”

“We cannot stand by and wait idly while our students are trapped. I request to head to the Lost Continent in advance to investigate the situation!”

“Your Majesty…”

For a moment there, all the academy presidents and teachers-in-charge requested to be deployed to the Lost Continent to rescue their students.

“I am greatly moved by your sincerity, my beloved subjects. Unfortunately, a half-deity occupies the Lost Continent. All of you heading there is no different from moths flying into the fire—seeking death!” Frederick the 32nd shook his head lightly. “Everyone had better just wait for my good news. As long as the grandmasters are willing to help, a mere native half-deity can be wiped out with just a flick of the fingers.”

“Your Majesty!”

“My mind is set. Say no more!”

Frederick the 32nd threw back his long sleeves, and then, he rose into the air and flitted toward the palace. A group of palace attendants, princes, and princesses hastily followed after him.

“This…”

All the Saint Domains looked at one another, sighing one by one.

In the Lost Continent…

“Protecting the safety of all the contestants and ensuring that the exchange competition doesn’t suffer interference from external forces—these are missions, as well as our duty, that His Majesty the Emperor has given us, the Holy Knight Order!”

With a brandish of the broadsword in his hand, the Golden Colossal Dragon Person shouted, “Where doth our duty lie?”

“With glory it lies!”

“With glory it lies!”

“With glory it lies!”

The knights of the Holy Knight Order roared.

“For the Holy Knight Order’s duty and for the Holy Knight Order’s glory, I order all of you to continue to attack!”

“With glory it lies!”

“With glory it lies!”

Boom, boom, boom!

The Royal Holy Knight Order resumed their attacks on the golden shield. With their great strength and sheer numbers, thousands upon thousands of attacks struck the golden shield, causing the thin golden shield to shake violently as if it’d shatter any moment!

“Evil deity, release the contestants at once!” The Golden Colossal Dragon Person shouted as he attacked, “The half-deity expert from the Dragon God Empire is descending any moment now…”

This was originally just an insignificant threat, but unexpectedly, the Tree of Life, upon hearing the threat, seemed to have been triggered.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Up to 100 vines suddenly flew into the air and morphed into innumerable pythons that assailed the 100-odd contestants. The vines weren’t particularly fast. They moved at snail-like speeds; hence the contestants easily evaded their attacks.

However, an aged voice suddenly rang out the next moment.

“God’s Domain!”

Buzz!

A strange energy wave descended.

Instantly, the 100-odd contestants were frozen to the spot as if their acupoints had been sealed. They stood there just like that, still and motionless.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The vines crept over slowly and wound around the contestants again and again. In no time, they had wrapped around them and turned them into dumplings.

“What’s going on?”

Everyone was rather dumbstruck.

“God’s Domain! That’s God’s Domain!” Ol’ Amos exclaimed, “It’s an ability that only half-deities can use. Not only can it freeze space-time, but it can also imprison everything in the world. As expected, the Tree of Life really is a half-deity. We can be completely sure of that now!”

“God’s Domain?”

A huge jolt went through Meng Lei!

“Go, Meng Lei! Hurry and leave!” Ol’ Amos urged him, “It was triggered by that fool just now. On the off-chance that the Tree of Life goes berserk and tries to break the seal at all cost, all of you will die!”

“Leave?”

Meng Lei couldn’t help but look at Abbe, and the moment he did, an intense shiver went through him.

The vines winding around the contestants had actually stabbed into them and were madly absorbing their lifeforce.

“Help!”

“Help me!”

“I don’t want to die!”

All the contestants whom the vines had wound around were actually visibly shriveling up.

Abbe was no exception to that, either. Little by little, her jade-like, crystal-clear skin started to lose its luster, shriveling and drying up bit by bit…

“Abbe!”

Meng Lei was terribly shocked.

“Go! You little bastard, go!” Ol’ Amos urged him loudly. “You won’t be able to save her! You won’t! Leave this place immediately! Out of sight, out of mind…”

“But Ol’ President…”

Meng Lei was in a struggle.

“There are no but’s to be had! The two of you are just mere acquaintances. That bit of friendship is not worth risking your life for!”

Ol’ Amos berated him loudly, “Besides, what can you do even if you rush in there? Can you save her? You can’t!

“Not only will you not be able to save her, but you’ll even throw your own life away instead! It’s… not worth it!

“Meng Lei, you’re a Saint Domain. Be more rational!”

Meng Lei fell silent. He was indeed rather weak at the moment.

“Don’t bother with me, Meng Lei!” Abbe shook her head hard. “This is what I’ve chosen. I have no regrets. There’s no need for you to throw your own life away!”

Then, she suddenly smiled. Next to her gradually-shriveling skin, her smile seemed as though a flower that was gradually withering and looked extraordinarily tragic.

“I was born into the royal family and was all by myself since I was young with no-one loving or doting on me. I had no family, no friends… Until I met you.

“You saved me twice. To me, you’re my only friend. If anything untoward happens to you because of me, I will live in guilt, regret, distress, and pain for the rest of my life!

“Go, Meng Lei! Live on! Live on properly!”

Abbe’s eyes gradually dimmed and dulled. A single teardrop rolled off the corner of her eye on her dried-up face.

“Your only friend?” Meng Lei took a deep breath. “Maybe I can’t stay so miserly anymore!”

Then, he licked his lips and ordered, “System, be on standby at all times. Let’s go crazy together later!”

Then…

“Shatter!”

With a shout, Meng Lei smashed his fist against the golden shield!

“What are you doing, brat!?” Ol’ Amos was aghast. “Are you crazy?!”

“Don’t worry, Ol’ President! I know what I’m doing!”

Meng Lei continued to launch a series of frenzied attacks on the golden shield, much like a raging bull.

Bam, bam, bam!

It was just a pity that despite the golden shield shaking violently as if it would shatter any moment, it ultimately didn’t. With a silent curse, a dark golden hammer appeared in Meng Lei’s hand.

“C’mon, break!!”

Meng Lei leaped high into the air and smashed the hammer down madly.

Boom!

A shocking, thunderous boom erupted. Amid crisp-sounding cracks, a few cracks appeared on the surface of the golden shield. Then, more and more of them appeared, instantly spreading throughout the golden shield like a spider web!

Crash!

The golden shield broke apart in an instant the next moment, turning into countless glowing particles that dissipated into the universe.

“Abbe!”

“Break!”

As Meng Lei smashed the dark gold hammer about in a frenzy, the vines that had wound around Abbe broke at the roots. Then, Meng Lei reached out and caught hold of her.

“How are you feeling, Abbe?”

Abbe’s peerless beauty from before was nowhere in sight anymore. What was left was just a dry, shriveled-up face covered in wrinkles.

“M-Meng Lei!” As though she had heard him, Abbe slowly opened her eyes and said weakly, “Meng… Meng Lei, don’t… Don’t b-bother… wi… with me… Go… H-hurry… And go!”

“Ol’ President, what do I do now?” Meng Lei hurriedly looked at Ol’ Amos and asked, “Can she still be saved?”

“Sigh, what a sin!” Ol’ Amos let out a faint sigh and said, “The Tree of Vitality’s branch can save her.”

“The Tree of Vitality’s branch? Right, right! The Tree of Vitality’s branch! Why did I throw that out of my mind?”

Meng Lei hastily brought out the Tree of Vitality’s branch. Then, he asked, “How do I use this thing, Ol’ President?”

Ol’ Amos sighed again and again as he replied, “Squeeze out the lifeforce essence in it and feed it to her.”

“Alright!”

Meng Lei nodded, and then, he squeezed the branch forcefully.

“Abbe! Open your mouth!”

One drop, two, three…

Then, something amazing happened!

As if rain descending upon dry riverbeds!

As if the spring breeze blowing across a frozen creek!

As if the blazing sun shining upon the moistened ground!