BXBX NOVEL Chapter 534: The Bow
Chapter 534: Chapter 534: The Bow
At that moment, the two six-winged angels also exhausted their time and energy. Their holy bodies fell from the sky, transforming back into two different young men with blond hair, panting heavily and squatting down, clearly overexerted.
The crowd understood that the Church\'s great power was now gone.
Seeing that Cruyff\'s eyes had begun to lose focus, Yang Chen knew the old man had lost even the will to live. He shook his head and raised his left hand, preparing to crush the old man\'s skull.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, Gabriel, who had been watching tensely, shouted.
Yang Chen turned around, "What\'s the matter? Or do you want to die first?"
Faced with Yang Chen\'s seemingly calm demeanor, Gabriel couldn\'t help but take a step back. The tall crusader felt like a drifting weed, completely unsupported.
"Lord Hades, you cannot kill the archbishop, or you will definitely regret it!" Gabriel mustered all his strength to get the words out.
Yang Chen looked back at the lifeless Cruyff and then at the tense Gabriel. His eyes flickered with a peculiar light. He smiled and casually threw Cruyff to the ground, saying, "Tell me, what will I regret?"
Gabriel gathered a bit of courage, seeing that this man still had some concerns.
"Lord Hades, it seems you did not come to Europe alone," Gabriel said after composing himself.
Yang Chen revealed an expression of sudden understanding and smiled, "You guys are quite thorough in your investigation. Yes, I brought my woman with me."
"In that case, Lord Hades, do you know where Miss Lin is right now?" Gabriel asked with a piercing gaze.
Yang Chen squinted his eyes, "So you even investigated her background. I have to admit, that\'s impressive. No wonder you can be the Crusader captain. It seems Cruyff doesn\'t have your composure, having the guts to speak out at a time like this. Well, to be honest, I don\'t know where she is. She should still be waiting for me in Paris."
Gabriel seemed to regain his confidence and said, "That may not be the case."
Yang Chen\'s expression turned cold, "What do you mean?"
"My point is, Lord Hades, you will soon understand," Gabriel said as he pulled out a miniature communication device from his pocket, resembling a Bluetooth earpiece, and silently put it on.
By this time, most people had already left the venue due to the earlier dangerous battle scenes. Those who deemed themselves insufficiently powerful didn\'t dare stay in the venue.
Many had even fled back to the Louis XVI superyacht, ready to leave the island at any moment.
So, in the vast, empty venue, or rather the battlefield ruins, there were only a few dozen people from the strongest organizations remaining.
These people, like Yang Chen, watched Gabriel in confusion as he put on the communication device, not knowing whom he was contacting.
"You should be able to see the situation on the ground," Gabriel began communicating with the other end of the line.
"Abort the original plan. Archbishop Cruyff has been defeated; it\'s your turn now," Gabriel continued.
He then nodded and turned towards Fodessa and other officials from the Seventh Bureau of Security. If it weren\'t for their role as hosts and having nowhere else to go, many of them would have already left the scene, now looking very embarrassed with their dust-covered faces.
"Deputy Director Fodessa, there should still be some working display equipment in this venue, right?" Gabriel asked.
Fodessa was taken aback, not fully understanding, but his experience quickly steadied him. He nodded, "Yes, there are some backup displays in the underground base."
The fact that only a portion of the displays could be used was unavoidable. The recent fierce battle had leveled half the base, leaving the top with very little cover. Usable electronic equipment could only be found in other sections.
Gabriel nodded in satisfaction and then turned to Yang Chen, "Lord Hades, please follow me to watch a video. After watching, you may decide whether to kill everyone."
Yang Chen, almost understanding the situation, sighed, "Let\'s go."
Gabriel, not standing on ceremony, motioned for Fodessa to lead the way. He led Yang Chen to a still-intact area of the base where they could watch the video.
The few dozen people left at the scene were naturally curious about what was happening. Despite their lingering wariness, they followed Yang Chen and the others deeper into the base.
Sargeras, supported by Lilith, along with Soren, Abbess Yun Miao, and others, also followed.
The two young blond men, now back in their holy bodies, picked up the dazed and dejected Cruyff and followed Gabriel.
After passing through several ruined areas, the group arrived at a relatively intact conference room in the base. However, the room\'s ceiling was also damaged, allowing them to see the night sky and stars outside. Being close to the seaside, they could hear the waves crashing against the shore.
"Deputy Director Fodessa, please turn on the display and set it to receive satellite signals," Gabriel ordered.
Fodessa, though feeling the pain of the chaotic situation, couldn\'t disobey. He reluctantly stepped forward, turned on the large display on the wall, and set it to receive satellite images.
Soon, as the information was received, a clear satellite-transmitted image appeared before everyone.
The image showed a scene on the deck of a warship. The warship was stationary at sea, with the dark sky in the background, and the deck was brightly lit, revealing the railings and some anti-aircraft guns.
As the crowd wondered why such an empty scene was being shown, a group of people finally appeared on the screen.
It was a team of tall men in black agent uniforms, wearing steel helmets with goggles. Yang Chen recognized the outfit immediately; the kidnappers had dressed like this.
And on their arms and chests, they still bore the emblematic golden sun totem!
"People from the Divine Realm?"
Some of the people present recognized the origin of this group. Clearly, before attending the meeting, all parties had information on the Divine Realm and Apollo.
After these men in black appeared, several bound individuals were brought onto the deck. Yang Chen\'s eyes narrowed as he saw that these individuals were Lin Ruoxi, the Stern siblings, and Harry and his mother!
However, they were all unconscious, carried by a few men who then threw them onto the cold steel deck.
"Harry?!"
Fodessa was the first to shout upon seeing the scene, unable to believe his wife and son were there. He turned angrily to Gabriel, "Captain Gabriel! What is the meaning of this? What is the relationship between the Divine Realm and your Church?!"
Having been in a high position within the security bureau for many years, Fodessa quickly understood much of what was happening.
The Stormwoman from Sword in the Stone, Laura, looked at Gabriel disdainfully and sneered, "Is there even a need to ask? The despicable Church is clearly in cahoots with the Divine Realm. It\'s a disgrace. I can\'t believe the Church has fallen so low as to collaborate with a terrorist organization. Finally realized you can\'t conquer the world with your faith, so you resort to underhanded schemes?"
"Such hypocritical Western monks," sneered Mao Zangqi from Takamagahara.
Gabriel, unfazed by their words, continued to stare at the display.
Yang Chen, however, silently watched Lin Ruoxi lying on the deck.
Soren and the others looked anxious, and Abbess Yun Miao was so nervous that her hands began to sweat.
At this moment, an unusual figure slowly walked into the screen.
It was a man of medium build, dressed in white clothes with a prominent golden sun totem on the chest. He wore a helmet similar to an ancient Roman general\'s, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. The forehead of the helmet was also emblazoned with a golden sun totem.
On his side, there was also a display connected via satellite to the island\'s display, allowing him to clearly see the situation on the island.
After observing for a moment, the man finally spoke in a peculiar, raspy voice, "I think some of you might have guessed, but I\'ll introduce myself anyway. I am Apollo."
Indeed, many had roughly guessed the man\'s identity when he first appeared, but his confirmation still sharpened their gazes.
Although Apollo\'s expression was hidden by his helmet, a peculiar smile flickered in his eyes as he continued, "I know you must be surprised that the Church is involved with me. But I don\'t see any issue with it. I can give the Church what they want, and they can help me. That\'s all."
"Ha, though I doubt you\'re the real Apollo, I\'m curious about what you claim to give the Church. Do you mean helping them unify the world\'s religions? Dominating the world? That\'s quite the ambition," taunted Elle, a member of Blue Storm who had earlier clashed with Jaguar on the ship.
Apollo on the other end of the display didn\'t respond but instead motioned to someone off-screen.
A man in black stepped forward, carrying a golden longbow! The bow was intricately carved with complex runes and vine-like patterns, an exquisite piece of art!
The crowd, upon seeing the bow, realized it was no ordinary item and likely an artifact. However, what puzzled everyone was Apollo\'s intention. Was he planning to shoot Elle with an arrow just because of a sarcastic remark?
That seemed impossible. They were on the island while Apollo was at least several kilometers away on the sea. How could he shoot an arrow that far?
But Apollo\'s next words left everyone stunned.
"Do you see this bow?" Apollo asked, raising the golden longbow. "This is the Bow of Apollo, an artifact capable of shooting arrows across great distances with pinpoint accuracy. I will demonstrate its power."
As he spoke, Apollo drew the bowstring back, and a golden arrow formed from pure energy materialized. He aimed the bow directly at the screen, which showed the location on the island where they stood.
"You wanted to see what I can give the Church? Watch closely," Apollo said, his voice filled with cold determination. He released the arrow, and it shot out with a blinding speed, leaving a trail of golden light.
The crowd on the island watched in disbelief as the arrow traveled across the sea and sky, covering the distance in mere moments. The arrow struck the ground near Yang Chen and the others, causing a powerful explosion that shook the entire area.
Apollo\'s voice echoed through the display, "This is just a small taste of my power. If you want to see your loved ones alive, you\'ll do exactly as I say."
The room fell silent, the gravity of the situation sinking in as everyone realized the true extent of Apollo\'s capabilities and the precarious position they were in.
"Foolish humans, since you doubt my identity and capabilities, let me show you the difference between a god and a human."
With that, Apollo actually began to draw his bow! As he pulled back the golden longbow, golden-red flames ignited along the bow, and a flaming arrow, formed from crimson fire, appeared on the bow\'s silvery string.
"What kind of weapon is this? Is it Apollo\'s artifact?!" someone exclaimed in shock.
Yang Chen frowned, puzzled by what was happening in front of him.
The next second, Apollo released the bowstring.
"Idiot, do you think imitating a god with some high-tech gadget makes you a real god? You..."
Elle\'s mocking words were cut short as his mouth hung open, unable to speak.
Because, suddenly, everyone saw a point of golden-red light in the night sky outside the broken roof, gradually growing larger and speeding towards the base at an unbelievable pace!
"Elle, watch out!"
A member of Blue Storm, skilled in anti-particle shielding, threw himself in front of Elle, immediately deploying his shield while pulling Elle away from their original position.
However, as they moved, the flaming arrow, which indeed landed on the island, changed its trajectory like a homing missile and followed them!
"Bang!"
The flaming arrow pierced through the seemingly indestructible anti-particle shield, and both the man and Elle exploded into pieces simultaneously!
Everyone watched in horror as two recently healthy superhumans were blown to bloody fragments by an arrow shot from an unknown distance. The entire crowd was stunned!
This attack was even more terrifying than the battle that leveled the base! If this wasn\'t the work of a god, then what could it be?!
"Now, do you have any more questions?" Apollo, on the other end of the display, asked calmly, lowering his longbow.
Fodessa was the first to drop to his knees, stammering, "Apollo, what do you want? Why did you kidnap my wife and son?!"
Apollo ignored Fodessa\'s questions and instead addressed the silent Yang Chen, "The new Hades, I didn\'t anticipate you would attend this meeting, which has caused an unexpected twist in my plans. However, it won\'t affect the final outcome.
Persephone is already in my hands. I think we can have a good discussion and engage in a fruitful cooperation."