Apocalypse Circular

As Lu Luo cursed, a colossal foot was already stomping down.

BOOM!

The blast of steam, combined with Lu Luo's raw muscular strength, tenaciously withstood the impact. This also bought the others a precious moment to catch their breath and dodge the attack.

When Lu Luo gathered his strength to push back, he had already taken in the opponent's full appearance.

It was a stone statue.

The statue's exterior was exceedingly crude and unremarkable, devoid of any ornate details. Soaked by the river of time, even its eyes and nose had become blurred and indistinct.

But these were not the main issue. The main issue was its sheer size!

The statue's height was almost level with the High Wall. If the High Wall was 400 meters, then this thing was probably around 380 to 390 meters tall.

Of course, if it were merely a giant statue, Lu Luo wouldn't have cursed. The real reason he swore was that this statue not only actively attacked them but could also speak—and quite clearly at that.

"Invaders! Must be killed."

RUMBLE!

Merely bending down produced a deafening roar.

The soldiers behind Lu Luo were so tense they could hardly speak. However, their excellent discipline prevented them from fleeing at this critical moment. Still, the pressure emanating from the Giant Statue was immense!

"Lu Luo!"

"It looks formidable, but it's not overwhelmingly so."

Lu Luo's words sounded comforting, but they were true; the Giant Statue was simply too large. In terms of combat pressure, it was far less overwhelming than some of the monsters Lu Luo had previously encountered.

Just as the Giant Statue extended its hand towards the group, a massive tentacle materialized out of thin air. The tentacle was enormous, rivaling the statue's arm in size.

The Giant Statue, its arm entangled, finally stopped. It looked at the tentacle, seemingly unable to comprehend what it was, then turned its gaze towards Lu Luo and his companions. Red light flashed in its eyes as it spoke again, "Invaders! Must die!"

With that, the Giant Statue lifted its other foot, and the immense pressure descended once more.

"Scatter!"

Qi Xinzhu glanced at Lu Luo with concern. Not wanting to interfere further, she quickly pulled Bai Yuetong to one side. This kind of monster could no longer be dealt with using conventional weapons and equipment.

BOOM!

A foot stomped the ground. Without Lu Luo to cushion the blow this time, the shockwave rolled towards them, carrying a massive cloud of dust and debris. The Breath of Favor squad was sent tumbling by the force of the stomp.

However, its attack also presented Lu Luo with a perfect opportunity to counterattack, as the Giant Statue's mobility was very poor compared to his own.

Steam Fifth Gear, Thunder Breath.

He moved in a flash!

Without Fenrir, a standard-issue greatsword could not withstand Lu Luo's Slash Strike and shattered in his hand instantly. But the sword had served its purpose.

Imbued with high-speed cutting steam and Qi He, and the piercing sharpness of lightning, the attack sliced at the Giant Statue's calf.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The slashes rang out continuously, and the Giant Statue's calf snapped under the assault.

Unable to stand on one leg, the Giant Statue came crashing down with a tremendous RUMBLE.

BOOM!

The heavy fall caused the entire earth to tremble.

Lu Luo drew another sword. Dragging it by the hilt with one hand, he began to sprint quickly across the Giant Statue's body.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

Sparks flew wherever the blade passed. By the time Lu Luo reached the top of the Giant Statue's head, the sword's momentum had reached its peak. White lightning, intertwined with the blade, descended from the sky and instantly pierced the Giant Statue's forehead.

The flash of lightning illuminated Lu Luo's face and extinguished the Giant Statue's soul!

[Giant Statue Watcher-01 Model, Seventh-Tier Intelligent Mechanical species, Role: Watcher.

Attributes: Strength 500, Constitution 250, Agility 25]

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes slightly. An ordinary Seventh-Tier Exotic Species, huh? Its strength isn't particularly great because the weaknesses of such monsters are very apparent.

But what's strange is that the Giant Statue Watcher is an Intelligent Mechanical species. Artificially made?

The members of Circle Company were calm; they already had a clear understanding of their boss's power.

Kevin Jones, however, did not. This was his first time witnessing Lu Luo in action, his first time feeling such immense power. He couldn't believe that the person displaying such strength was a young man roughly his own age.

How on earth did he train? Even the most outstanding geniuses from the Imperial College of Hardships, the Empire's top academy, couldn't possibly possess Lu Luo's strength.

Lu Luo stood on the fallen Giant Statue. Its enormous size left him momentarily unsure how to Devour it.

Before he could make an attempt, the Observer prompted again: "Another one is coming!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

[Giant Statue Watcher-02 Model, Seventh-Tier Lord...]

Lu Luo watched as another Giant Statue slowly approached them, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

What made his expression so grave, of course, wasn't simply a Seventh-Tier Great Lord. He had seen plenty of Exotic Species, even Eighth-Order Calamity Monarchs. So, even if a Seventh-Tier Exotic Species was formidable, it wouldn't be enough to frighten Lu Luo.

But all of this was based on a one-on-one scenario. And now, it was clearly not a one-on-one situation.

Behind Giant Statue Model 02, a dense swarm of Giant Statues followed. It was as if they had been summoned, all heading in Lu Luo's direction—or rather, towards the location where Lu Luo had just destroyed the other Giant Statue.

The Observer warned, "The situation doesn't look good! With this number, it's not something you can handle."

Indeed, it's not good.

If Lu Luo were alone, he could probably maneuver around them, since the Exotic Species here were all massive. Great size was often a disadvantage, so Lu Luo wasn't overly concerned for himself.

But just because he wasn't worried didn't mean the others weren't.

Faced with such a formidable array, Lu Luo could only gesture for the others to retreat, signaling them to head back into the passage.

Lu Luo glanced at Kevin Jones from afar. Although they were a considerable distance apart, Kevin Jones still felt Lu Luo's icy glare.

Mr. Lu Luo seems angry! This realization left him somewhat at a loss.

"Do we... do we not need to bring Mr. Lu Luo back with us?"

Qi Xinzhu looked at Kevin and shook her head indifferently. "No need."

Truth be told, she disliked this pale-skinned man, partly due to his strong body odor. However, Lu Luo had instructed her to keep an eye on him and, if possible, prevent him from getting hurt. The man himself wasn't very important, but his identity, his connections, and many other details were. Lu Luo needed these details, so Kevin couldn't die.

But at this point, Lu Luo's opinion of Kevin Jones had soured considerably. After the earlier ambush in the passage and now facing these Giant Statue Watchers, Lu Luo was certain of one thing: Kevin Jones had hidden things from them.

Their safe arrival in the Fifth Ring Zone couldn't have been as simple as Kevin described. The Exotic Species along the way posed a constant threat, as they would normally attack humans. If not for the considerable strength of Lu Luo's group, they would have been overwhelmed and killed by the monsters here long ago. Therefore, Lu Luo was sure they were definitely hiding some crucial information. For instance, information on how to avoid these monsters!

The Observer mused, "Are you planning to go back and rough up that little blondie?"

"Let's deal with the current situation first."

Lu Luo took out another sword. Not having a suitable weapon was truly a frustrating matter. There were no high-level alchemists in the Fourth Ring, and he didn't want to ask Noah for another new weapon. So, in regular combat, although Lu Luo's attributes had gradually increased after returning to the Fourth Ring, approaching the peak of Fifth Tier with all stats around 350, his actual combat ability hadn't seen a particularly strong increase due to the lack of a suitable weapon. Currently, Lu Luo could unleash bursts of power, but in a protracted battle, he often had to rely on his fists or resort to his Sequence abilities.

BOOM!

Giant Statue Model 02 stopped in front of Lu Luo. The anticipated attack did not occur.

The Giant Statue stared at Lu Luo, its crimson gaze seeming to scan Lu Luo's physical structure. As it observed Lu Luo, Lu Luo was also scrutinizing it. This Giant Statue's structure was much more defined than the previous one. Its body was sculpted with the semblance of clothing and even possessed defined musculature, clearly indicating a more advanced model.

After scanning Lu Luo, the Giant Statue suddenly spoke: "Designation: Intruder suspicion eliminated. Identity confirmation: Executor, Emissary of the Doomsday Disc. Confirmed."

"???"

Lu Luo was somewhat astonished. So I'm not considered an intruder and won't be attacked further? Then what is my identity?

"Executor?"

"Greetings. I am Watcher Model 02, Executor Sir. How may I assist you?"

Why did the tone suddenly change? Executor Sir? Lu Luo committed the title to memory. After a moment's hesitation, he asked a question that felt somewhat out of place, "What does 'Executor' mean? Why do you call me Executor?"

"'Executor' refers to the one who controls the Doomsday Disc and carries out the final command. As the controller of the Doomsday Disc, you are, naturally, our Executor Sir."

So it's because of the Doomsday Disc... But there are three Discs in total, right?

"What about the Dawn Disc and the Truth Disc? Are they the same as me?"

"They are designated as the Confiner and the Keeper, respectively. Each Disc has a different function, Executor Sir."

Each Disc has a different function. The Dawn Disc is the Confiner, the Truth Disc is the Keeper, and I am the Executor. It seems there's a lot of hidden information about the Discs.

"What are you doing here?"

"Watching over the High Wall."

"What's beyond the High Wall?"

Lu Luo hoped the Giant Statue could give him an answer, but unfortunately, it seemed perplexed. "Beyond the High Wall lies danger—extreme danger!"

"I'm asking, what *is* beyond the High Wall?"

"Beyond the High Wall lies danger—extreme danger!"

Lu Luo felt helpless. "Alright. How many years have you been guarding here?"

"1,023 years."

Lu Luo looked at the traces on the stone statue—the mildew, moss, and battle scars. Many things indicated its ancientness.

"Why do you stand guard here?"

"It is our Master's command and also our duty. Guarding is the Watcher's responsibility."

Stone statues that have guarded for a thousand years... Although they are stone statues, they are also Intelligent Mechanical beings. In a sense, Intelligent Mechanical beings are complete life forms. For a complete life form to stand guard here for a thousand years was truly admirable and deeply moving.

"You are commendable Watchers. I apologize for my earlier actions." Lu Luo was referring to his act of destroying the other Giant Statue.

However, Watcher Model 02 did not see it that way. It shook its head. "You need not apologize. Its destruction was justified. Over a thousand years, not all Giant Statues can maintain their original sentience. It had been corrupted by time, just like Ailaya once was, abandoning the covenant we upheld. It degenerated into a complete Exotic Species."

Lu Luo narrowed his eyes slightly. "Ailaya? Who is that?"

"She has many, many names. I believe you may have heard some of them, such as Stone Mother, Mother of the Earth, Rock Monarch, Buddha, and so on. But her original name was Giant Statue Watcher 01—Ailaya."

Lu Luo was surprised. This was the first time he had heard the Stone Mother's origin, and in such detail. This filled in the gaps in his knowledge about the Stone Mother. The origins of both Noah and the Nightmare Demon could be traced through clear channels and sources. The Stone Mother's emergence, however, was abrupt and peculiar, as if she had sprung from a stone. Lu Luo had previously wondered if land irradiated by Dark Energy could give birth to a monster like the Stone Mother. But upon closer reflection, it seemed unlikely; the idea of being birthed directly from the earth was a bit too far-fetched. Now, hearing the Giant Statue's explanation, it felt much more plausible.

"So the Stone Mother was also one of the Giant Statues!"

"Yes, Ailaya was once one of us, but she betrayed her oath. She was swayed by Noah and degenerated into a Fallen Exotic Species."

Lu Luo nodded. No wonder the Stone Mother and Noah were so close; it turned out Noah had swayed her. Thinking it over, Lu Luo could understand. This was because the Stone Mother wasn't a mutated creature but a colossal Intelligent Mechanical being. Since she was the same type of Intelligent Mechanical being as Noah, Noah, as the sovereign of such beings, naturally held a significant advantage in dealing with Ailaya, the Stone Mother.

However, this also made Lu Luo realize something crucial: no matter when or where, as long as something falls within the category of 'living being,' it is not immutable. The Stone Mother, originally a Giant Statue Watcher tasked with guarding the Fifth Ring Zone, was still susceptible to change due to Noah's influence. The betrayal of an Eighth-Order Watcher would undoubtedly bring changes to the entire environment within the Wall. This situation likely wasn't what the creators had intended!

"Watcher, you say it's very dangerous outside. Can you tell me what there is in the world beyond?"

The Giant Statue finally hesitated for a moment. "Beyond the Wall, there are rivers! And mountains too."

Lu Luo immediately realized what "rivers" the Giant Statue was referring to. Legend told that the power of the Nightmare Demon—the Netherflame—originated from the Nether River, which existed outside the Fifth High Wall. If there truly was a river beyond this Fifth High Wall, could it be the legendary Nether River?

"I understand. So, Watcher, if I wish to go out, will you allow me to pass?"

"It is very dangerous outside."

"I know it's dangerous, but I am human! I have never left this place, and humans don't possess such long lifespans. The world within the Wall has changed. A thousand years have altered too much. So I want to go out and see. I want to see this world, to see what the world outside is truly like."

The Giant Statue could not comprehend Lu Luo's meaning. In its subjective consciousness, the world outside was far too perilous; anyone who steps into the Nether River is doomed to perish. Given that, wasn't it better to stay here? Why insist on going out?

"Why must you go outside?"

A message flashed in his mind: "Because I am the Executor."

Lu Luo was taken aback. This tone... it's clearly not the Observer. Is it the Doomsday Halo itself speaking?

Then he repeated aloud, "Because I am the Executor."

Hearing Lu Luo's words, the Giant Statue seemed to understand. "I understand, Executor Sir. You may now proceed beyond the Wall."

"Thank you, Mr. Watcher."

The exchange had been relatively pleasant. After a not-too-lengthy conversation, Lu Luo finally obtained the Giant Statue Watcher's permission to pass.

Now I face a choice: to go or not to go!

「...」

Upon returning to the underground passage, Lu Luo confronted Kevin Jones.

Suddenly, tentacles shot out and coiled around Kevin.

"Mr. Jones, did you perhaps omit something when you spoke to me earlier?"

"Huh? No, I've told you everything I was supposed to."

Kevin's expression was one of terror because Lu Luo was currently making no effort to restrain his intimidating aura. The pressure of the Sequence Force made Kevin's legs tremble.

"Does Mr. Jones truly take me for a fool? Or do you believe I'm genuinely good-tempered?"

BANG!

The massive, sharp maw of the Devourer's tentacle appeared right in front of Kevin's face.

"Miss Lin Wen is still at Circle Company's base. If Mr. Jones were to meet an untimely end, Miss Lin Wen would surely be devastated, don't you think?"

Lu Luo's voice was calm and cold, but Kevin was genuinely panicking; he truly seemed to know nothing.

A purple hue, the Nightmare Power, flickered in Lu Luo's pupils. As Kevin met Lu Luo's gaze, he felt an intense pressure, as if he were suffocating.

"What did you hide from me?" Lu Luo asked again, his voice level.

Kevin Jones shook his head. "I... I didn't hide anything."

Lu Luo frowned slightly. He's not hiding anything? Impossible! If Kevin wasn't hiding anything, then how did they navigate such perilous territory?

Lin Wen?

Suddenly, the image of the plump, freckle-faced woman flashed through Lu Luo's mind. He had somewhat overlooked her before. Kevin was a Third-Tier Transcendent, while Lin Wen was an ordinary person. This had led Lu Luo to subconsciously assume that the one primarily responsible for their safe passage to within the Wall must have been Kevin Jones, the Transcendent. This was a common cognitive bias among Transcendents.

But if Lin Wen was the one with the secret, then his initial line of inquiry had been wrong from the start. The seemingly frail Lin Wen might possess some method or artifact for evading monsters.

"Does Miss Lin Wen have any way to evade monsters?"

"I don't know."

"When you were with her, did you ever encounter dangers you couldn't handle on your own?"

"No."

Kevin's eyes remained vacant as he dazedly answered Lu Luo's questions. The results, however, were unenlightening.

Qi Xinzhu and Gu Fangyi silently observed Lu Luo's interrogation of Kevin. Only after it concluded did Qi Xinzhu slowly speak, "Do we need to abandon this operation?"

After the questioning, Qi Xinzhu and the others understood Lu Luo's suspicions. When Lin Wen and Kevin journeyed here, they possessed some means of avoiding danger. However, they no longer seemed to have that ability. The world beyond the Wall likely harbored the legendary and perilous Nether River. There were no rivers or seas within the known Rings. If the Nether River truly lay beyond the Fifth Ring's Wall, crossing it would be a significant challenge for their group. Even if they managed to cross by some means, what about the dangers that might follow? A contingent of over two hundred people was too conspicuous a target. If something truly went wrong, even with Lu Luo's strength, he likely couldn't protect so many people.

The question hung in the air: should they give up?

Lu Luo released Kevin and retracted his Nightmare Power.

By the time Kevin dazedly regained his senses, Lu Luo had already made his decision.

"With this equipment, this team, and these preparations, if, after all this, we're still paralyzed by indecision and fear, then we might as well abandon any thought of venturing into the world beyond the Wall. Alright. The Giant Statues will no longer obstruct us. Let's move out! Mr. Jones, keep up. I'm still counting on you to guide us when we reach the Imperial."

Watching Lu Luo and his group begin to move, Kevin dazedly followed. He felt like something had just happened, but he didn't know what it was.

"Wait for me, Mr. Lu Luo!"

With the Giant Statues no longer an obstacle, Lu Luo and his party quickly ascended the High Wall.

Standing atop the vine-entwined Fifth High Wall, Lu Luo's gaze grew profound.

"It's so beautiful, Lu Luo!" Qi Xinzhu exclaimed, unable to hold back her admiration.

"Yes, it is indeed beautiful," Lu Luo nodded in agreement.

From the vantage point of the Fifth High Wall, the entire region within the Wall lay shrouded beneath dense, dark clouds. Beyond the Wall, however, the sky was clear, painted with the hues of a setting sun. As the twilight sunbathed their faces, an air of unreality washed over them.

"This place... it feels like our new beginning. How about we call it the Wall of Beginnings?" Bai Yuetong suggested.

Her idea seemed good, and the others readily agreed.

Only Lu Luo wore a peculiar expression. Wall of Beginnings? "Maybe... let's pick a different name!"