Apocalypse Forecast

In the sudden chill, Huai Shi desperately rolled, trying to dodge.

But he still felt a pain in his back. The attacker's movements were unexpectedly fast, and the coat, reinforced with layers of iron wire and protective material, was nearly penetrated by the blow.

One strike was immediately followed by another.

The sound of something tearing through the air exploded again.

Without looking back, Huai Shi threw his Iron Hammer and ducked behind a shelf. He immediately heard the sharp sound of metal being pierced. Then, roaring with all his might, he shoved the entire shelf toward his pursuer.

Amidst the momentary crash of the shelf toppling, a continuous cacophony of shattering sounds erupted.

The attacker quickly retreated, wisps of crimson mist swirling around them. On their pale face, their eyes emitted a sanguine light. In their left hand, they held a slender Cavalry Sword—clearly the weapon that had almost impaled Huai Shi.

Sublimators!

Huai Shi clicked his tongue in displeasure.

The situation had deteriorated to the worst-case scenario he had planned for—being cornered by a Sublimator from the Wanli Group.

Actually, for a vault like this, having a Sublimator guard was only logical, so it wasn't entirely unexpected. Huai Shi could only lament his terrible luck.

Faced with an enemy so proficient with a blade, Huai Shi instinctively wanted to pull out his Axe for an overhead chop.

Hunter's delight.

But because he needed to conceal his identity, he dared not brazenly brandish his weapon; otherwise, he might find himself on the Five Stars' wanted list before he even got out. Fortunately, Raven had already prepared a contingency plan for this type of situation.

With a tug at his waist, the liquid pouch hidden under his coat burst instantly. The viscous Potion flowed down from the nape of his neck under the hood, swiftly covering his entire body.

In that instant, Huai Shi pressed a hand to his chest and quietly slipped in a Liberator. The next moment, darkness surged, and flames erupted from his body, instantly flaring up and engulfing him.

But this time, the flames had turned a scorching crimson.

Like dancing fresh blood.

The color had changed.

Not only that, but the iron framework embedded inside his coat also protruded, making him look as if he were enveloped in burning rattan armor, an exceptionally eerie sight.

Under the gas mask, his pupils were rapidly covered in complete darkness.

Druid Genealogy, Second Stage Stigma—Willow Man!

As if.

At best, it was nothing more than a flashy knockoff.

It might look frightening, but in reality, it possessed none of the destructive power of the rumored Willow Man, the bomber fiend. The flames were merely colored by a mixture of volatile potions and had no actual lethality.

His current persona was supposed to be an Alchemist from Rome; he absolutely couldn't break character.

"A Roman?"

Clement was startled, his expression then growing increasingly grim. "Eat shit, Latin dog!" he snarled.

Before the words even faded, an exceedingly skilled Russian Federation sword art was already slashing towards Huai Shi's head.

Damn Russian Federation fanatics! How much could they possibly hate Rome!

Showcasing a Druid's Stigma not only failed to make the opponent wary but instead seemed to have a taunt effect, immediately enraging them.

With no alternative, Huai Shi didn't dare attempt any fancy moves like catching a blade barehanded; he could only start dodging and running through the narrow, complex terrain of the vault.

Fortunately, the shelves were packed densely enough; otherwise, Huai Shi feared he might have been cornered and hacked to death.

In the midst of the frantic scramble, his eyes lit up at an opportunity. With all his might, he leaped up, grabbed the box highest on the shelf, and hurled it at Clement. Enraged, Clement roared, his Cavalry Sword slashing down, smashing the box and its contents to smithereens.

"Coward! Face me!" he yelled at Huai Shi in Slavic.

"No way!" Huai Shi retorted in the Latin he had learned from Red Gloves, grabbing nearby bottles and jars and violently throwing them at Clement. "You, a Russian Federation Sublimator working for Americans, and you still have the nerve to look down on others!"

Taking advantage of the moment Clement's footsteps stalled, Huai Shi finally got close to his target: the Border Relic resting in the center of the shelf!

It was an ancient-looking set of antique Shackles.

A handle, as long as a common man's arm, connected to a segment of blood-red Lock Chain. At the other end, where a spiked mace head would originally be, was a head carved with countless sharp, snake-like hairs.

It was a mystery where such an item had been unearthed; its lascivious face still bore traces of the agonizing torment from the moment before death.

Watching Huai Shi reach for the Skull of the Succubus, Clement not only remained unalarmed, but a mocking sneer even appeared on his face.

Among the Border Relics stored in the vault, the Skull of the Succubus was indeed the highest, A-level, but this didn't mean Huai Shi could use it freely without the Liberation Words.

Moreover, aside from the vault's protection, all Border Relics were laden with curses and protective measures set by Alchemists. If the manager didn't remove them before a customer's use, they would be more damaging than red-hot charcoal.

Grabbing it directly with one's hand, once the safety measures were activated, would result in being burned to ash, even with gloves on!

But the next moment, he was dumbfounded.

Because Huai Shi had actually taken out another vial of Potion from his pocket, smashed it onto the Shackles, and the dark green liquid instantly seeped into the weapon. Then, his palm rested on the handle, and he effortlessly lifted the weapon off the rack.

Without any backlash.

Parasitic Galla.

Huai Shi grinned smugly; this was one of the safeguards Raven had left behind—if he encountered a crisis, he might have to improvise on the spot.

To bypass the restrictions and prohibitions on Border Relics, she had exhausted her few precious supplies and a large amount of Source Substance, extracting thirty grams of the finished product from a large vat of base Potion.

It was named Parasitic Galla because it could bypass all restrictions and directly parasitize the target's root system, becoming part of it.

It was a rare bonding agent, primarily intended to completely fuse two precious, incompatible alloys. However, after Raven's modifications, combined with Huai Shi's Hand of Confinement power, it yielded this incredibly fiendish effect.

Huai Shi would meld his own Source Substance, shaping it to cover his palm like a metal layer, while the Parasitic Galla was responsible for fusing the two "metals" as one.

The end result was that the anti-theft ward recognized Huai Shi as part of the Skull of the Succubus.

Man and hammer unified; it sounded incredibly mighty.

Even without the Liberation Words to unleash the Skull of the Succubus's original 'Petrifying Heavy Strike' ability, it was enough to make this bastard chasing him suffer grievously.

Before Clement could react, Huai Shi stepped forward, swinging the handle in his hand, and slammed the Skull of the Succubus toward Clement's forehead.

The Shackles tore through the air, and both men's legs nearly gave out, their hearts pounding.

The damn thing didn't make a screeching sound, but rather a sensually enticing moan that made one's heart itch.

The sound even changed with the force Huai Shi applied; it was like accidentally clicking on a pornographic video and fast-forwarding to the climax—utter mental pollution.

Clement, the guard, had never encountered such an effect. He was caught off guard for a moment and narrowly avoided being hit in the face.

But Huai Shi wasn't embarrassed at all. At first, he was a bit frightened, but after accepting this 'feature,' well… it was strangely enticing, and he found himself wanting to hear more.

"Stay right there!" Huai Shi pressed forward aggressively. "Let Grandpa here land eight hundred hits on you for a thrill!"

With that, he swung his arm down ferociously, and the moaning Skull of the Succubus swept across. Enraged, Clement disregarded the disparity in quality and met the Iron Hammer of the Shackles with his Cavalry Sword—sparks flew, and the saber sustained a notch.

It was a testament to its quality that it didn't break on the spot.

Then, within three steps, Clement suddenly raised his eyes and roared.

At Huai Shi.

A dazzling flash burst forth from his eyes, shooting straight into Huai Shi's pupils.

In that instant, ethereal wings unfurled behind his back, revealing the true form of his Stigma.

American Genealogy, Second Stage Stigma—Gargoyle!

The American Genealogy is also known as the Alien Species Genealogy. This is primarily because most of the early Sublimators who formed the American Genealogy possessed Border Variant-type Stigmata, such as Vampires, Werewolves, and Ghouls—beings considered part of the Dark Races during the Middle Ages.

Therefore, practitioners of the American Genealogy were often considered outcast groups.

Clement, hired by the Wanli Group, had advanced to one of its most famous Stigmata: the 'Gargoyle.' It not only possessed astounding defensive power but also a natural Skill—the Eye of Hatred.

As beings of evil and guardian spirits, Gargoyles featured in ancient tales about punishing the wicked. The Eye of Hatred, originating from this concept, served as a judgment upon the enemy.

Legend had it that it could summon the spirits of those the enemy had killed to seek revenge. However, its actual effect wasn't so mystical. Perhaps when advanced to the Fifth Stage, 'Falling Morning Star,' a mere glance could plunge one into Hell. But a Second Stage Gargoyle was merely a low-tier, budget version.

Its principle was to unleash a psychic shock on the enemy using sight as a medium. It selected the deepest strand of resentment clinging to the enemy, then imbued it with one's own Source Substance to temporarily form a ghostly figure of the deceased, enabling it to seek revenge.

In the short term, this created a two-against-one scenario, useful for suppressing and defeating an opponent in battle.

The moment their eyes met, Huai Shi's mind flooded with the encyclopedic knowledge of Stigma effects that Raven had forced him to memorize. Sensing the agitation of his own Source Substance, he instantly recognized the ability. His heart pounded with dread, and he nearly lost his composure.

The one who resented me most among those I've killed will return as a vengeful spirit to claim my life… Forget Red Gloves; if that damn Luo showed up, I'd be completely screwed.

I'm already struggling to handle Clement; how am I supposed to fight another one?

But then, he saw a plume of dense fog rise, and from within it, a venomous scream echoed.

An aged face emerged from the fog. Qi Wen, his features twisted with resentment, had returned from the dead, driven by his lingering grudge to seek vengeance upon Huai Shi.

And then?

There was no then.