Free Web NovelChapter 2468: Chapter 2469: Jigsaw Puzzle
Ultimately, Baiman City decided to follow Maomu City’s example by establishing tiered protective zones centered around the Data City. Although they lost many powerful Beastmasters during the attack, many Beastmasters who were out seeking improvements to their strength returned at this critical moment to protect their homeland.
Although it’s been decided to protect ordinary people within the Data City, the current situation in Baiman City no longer allows them to directly copy Maomu City’s plan. For example, merely assembling Beastmasters to patrol the city proves difficult.
The rescue team sent from Maomu City won’t be staying permanently, so they can’t include the rescue team’s strength in their calculations.
The once somewhat orderly teams inevitably fell into chaos upon returning to the surface. Initially, there was a glimmer of hope and fantasy about finding lost loved ones, but now all possibilities have turned into concrete numbers and lists, causing many to break down in tears.
"It really is..."
Trying to find a corner without crying, Feng Yuan shook his head helplessly. The entire city was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere of sorrow with the return of the survivors. Qi Chen and others also felt bad; back underground, these survivors were still shell-shocked but not as they are now.
Back then, there was still hope; they could console themselves with all sorts of reasons until now, when all fantasies burst like bubbles. The suppressed fear and sadness overwhelmed many, causing them to lose control completely.
"Soon, they’ll get used to it."
Sitting on Rainbow Bubbles and looking at the news on her phone, Veronia said this round of attacks wasn’t only Great Xia’s misfortune but affected countries worldwide by the people from The Imperial Timeline.
However, even so, some countries are still unwilling to go to war. Veronia didn’t know what they are waiting for, thinking that perhaps there’s still room for peace between both sides?
At least, from Veronia’s understanding, after such enormous casualties caused by The Imperial Timeline against Great Xia, it’s already impossible for Great Xia to negotiate with them. The only path left is war.
"Get used to it?"
Qi Chen and others looked at Veronia. Her words made them feel uneasy. Feng Yuan touched his chin and said,
"Indeed, if we can’t stop their unlimited timeline jumping, such attacks are hard to prevent."
Though they can establish a protective barrier for ordinary people centered around the Data City, it’s merely an unavoidable measure. Even if they cannot directly jump into the Data City, the defense outside the city is hard to prevent their sneak attacks.
If they merely set up a dense defensive line around the Data City’s entrances, it’s clearly not feasible; such a small range of defense can be easily broken by their frightening mutual destruction methods.
However, if they opt for multiple defensive lines without it, they cannot prevent them from jumping timelines and sneaking behind for attacks.
"Little Crocodile and the others don’t seem to have a solution, do they?"
Veronia looked at Feng Yuan and said tentatively, with a wry smile, Feng Yuan helplessly said,
"How could there be a solution? Unless we tamper with the Time River, we can’t stop timeline jumping. But doing so might easily bomb the Time River."
Even Feng Yuan couldn’t directly prevent timeline jumping, as it’s a natural law. To address it, either broad rule alteration of the world is needed, or action in the Time River itself, since timeline jumping ultimately relies on the Time River to take effect.
However, doing this is tantamount to starting a war in the Time River, and without much thought, it would certainly affect the Time River, potentially causing chaos.
Simply to prevent one of their sneak attack methods, such action clearly won’t be agreed upon by the likes of Agunas.
If they cannot stop timeline jumping, humans in the Main World will remain exhausted in defense, which is evidently a troublesome thing.
"Is there really no solution?"
Veronia looked skeptically at Feng Yuan, who shrugged, showing powerlessness, and said,
"Otherwise? If there were a solution, why would they do nothing? Even if those Divine Beasts don’t want to intervene, maintaining order in the Main World wouldn’t harm them, right?"
"It’s hard to say. Even now, some Divine Beasts don’t intend to take action."
With a cold snort, Veronia seemed displeased. The Imperial Timeline had already attacked their doorstep, yet those Divine Beasts were seemingly indifferent, ignoring it.
"Hmm, didn’t you tell them about the Anti-Divine Beasts?"
Looking puzzled at Veronia, Feng Yuan asked curiously. The Imperial Timeline this time wasn’t only causing massive slaughter in the Main World but also displayed their reliance on not fearing the Divine Beasts.
Even if they are just runes, due to the special nature of Anti-Divine Beasts themselves, these things are not easily handled.
"We did, but those guys simply ignored us."
Veronia said angrily while looking at Feng Yuan,
"Those guys think it’s merely runes, not as dangerous as we said."
"Well, if it’s only runes, it’s hard to say what the result might be if there are many."
Shaking his head, Feng Yuan didn’t know what to say about those Divine Beasts watching from the sidelines. The Anti-Divine Beast runes indeed don’t have that strong power but as props, they possess some unique characteristics.
Long Boduo looked worriedly at Feng Yuan and said,
"Will those runes affect the Netherworld?"
"It’s hard to say. Twisted Beimode is the embodiment of time rules, Twisted Sinide is the embodiment of life rules. Theoretically, the death rules should be related to the Netherworld, but Twisted Sinide might also target the Netherworld, since they overlap."
Thinking for a while, Feng Yuan said. The real trouble isn’t here but in how many different Anti-Divine Beast runes The Imperial Timeline holds.
If there’s truly an Anti-Divine Beast rune embodying death rules, it would be a significant issue. Even if it were ineffective against ordinary Divine Beasts, it could cause indiscriminate instant death effects against Legendary Level Beastmasters.
Feng Yuan wasn’t even sure if such instant death effects could be exempted by temporarily enhancing rank.
After all, these things are attacks on the rule level.
If not for higher-level rule restrictions, the power of Anti-Divine Beast runes would be even more terrifying. Yet, they aren’t simple even as they are now.
It’s uncertain whether they don’t know how to use them correctly or if they intentionally hold back, waiting for a moment to strike.
"It shouldn’t manifest in its true form, right?"
Thinking of a possibility, Long Boduo shivered and asked. Though he had never seen an Anti-Divine Beast, just listening to Feng Yuan’s description made it clear that they are tough opponents. If The Imperial Timeline suddenly unleashed an Anti-Divine Beast, it would indeed cause problems.
"It shouldn’t happen. That thing only has enough resources to manifest in the Main World, unless under special circumstances, it can’t appear in the time tributary."
"I don’t know if they have all the Anti-Divine Beast runes. If they do, it’s troublesome."
Realizing something, Feng Yuan sighed and said. Long Boduo looked at Feng Yuan questioningly,
"Why? Is there something special about gathering all Anti-Divine Beasts?"
Turning his head meaningfully to look at Long Boduo, Feng Yuan said coolly,
"You’re right. Gathering all Anti-Divine Beasts can combine into Apocalypse Chaos Palom, possessing the special authority to directly reboot the world."
"How... could there be such a thing?!"
Not just Long Boduo, even Veronia and the others were shocked. No way could anyone easily confront a world-rebooting entity; based on current knowledge, only the Guardian of the Yin World could do this, as they restore the Main World based on data preserved in the Yin World. Apocalypse Chaos Palom evidently should lack this capability.
Moreover, that name, Apocalypse?
Note that unlike humans naming their Beasts, Divine Beasts have special prefixes that they didn’t name themselves. Those prefixes represent their characteristics.
A special existence whose primary trait is apocalypse? Why would the world permit such a thing to be born?
It’s likely impossible to directly reboot the world with runes. However, if they truly have all runes, they might be able to create an Apocalypse Palom rune, whose effect, while unknown, would certainly be related to the apocalypse.
Shrugging, Feng Yuan expressed that he truly hoped The Imperial Timeline did not possess all the runes; otherwise, no one knows if they’d make some desperate, insane move.
Even if just runes, Feng Yuan asserted that Apocalypse Palom runes are not something Divine Beasts can easily handle.
