Vol 23 19-2: Imperfect Scheme and... Adam is Eaten!(II)
“Thus, the Mystic Eyes should have another method of attacking. Its not using a point and a line, or just attacking a single target. It’s an area of effect attack. For example, if we generate a large explosion or energy shockwave somewhere, then make Zero attack its causality, the causality of the entire space encompassed within the shockwave will vanish. No matter how powerful the organisms within are, they’ll vanish even if its clone Zheng! This is an area of effect attack even more terrifying than the Magic Cannon. I named it Instant Black Hole, the most violent power in the universe!”
Honglu was already speechless, and pointed at the simulation model on the computer. “What I’m curious about is, what will happen to Zero?”
“Of course he’ll die!” Xuan gave him a sidelong glance, as if he was being utterly nonsensical.
“Fine, I admit I asked a stupid question. The main thing is, how will you create such a large scale explosion and energy shockwave? Based on how sniping works and distance, Zero can only possibly fire while he’s within the shockwaves. He couldn’t possibly fire over the horizon, right? Wouldn’t he just directly die like that from the shockwaves?”
“Yes, this problem hasn’t been solved yet. Save it as a file for type four large scale area of effect weapons. We’ll slowly research it...” Xuan nodded as he said affirmatively.
“Hey... type four? What are the first three? This already needs Zero to die. Could it be you want to use us as human cannonballs?”
Honglu remembered the discussion he had with Xuan. They didn’t have Zero’s over the horizon sniping at the time, nor a way to create the large scale explosion needed in the plan. Honglu had pretty much forgotten this, not believing such an insane experiment of Xuan would work. He didn’t expect it to actually succeed and be all planned out. This had been planned as a pleasant surprise for team Devil, but it had ended up being falling to Adam instead in the end.
The weapon’s might didn’t need to be said, but its conditions were harsh as well. Apart from Zero’s death, the other important condition was a predetermined location and time to produce a suitable explosion that you wanted. The enemy also had to not move away from this region, two very difficult conditions.
The explosion condition was slightly easier to handle. Wangxia and Juntian’s cooperation could produce a hydrogen bomb’s scale which was much more powerful than normal nukes. They also had missiles from the base they went to before, so they didn’t have to worry about that too much. But making the enemy unable to move away and fixing the missile’s route and location...
Honglu’s choice was to place the targeting device on himself, and set it using his heartbeat. When he died, the missile would explode immediately, with the missile aimed at his direction. Honglu had intended to be the bait from the start and lure Adam and all his enemies in.
However, there were the sudden changes on the Angel Alliance’s end. Adam had used the Human Instrumentality Plan and surpassed the realm of humanity’s imagination to become a supreme existence, although it was incomplete. However, Adam had come to know of all his thoughts. So he could only bet it all on whether Adam would be scared into fleeing or that supreme existence would welcome this challenge. He had brought along all his comrades apart from the four needed to attack to be bait alongside him. Adam need the Light of the Soul for his Instrumentality, so he HAD to absorb them. Right, there were the members of team Devil as bait as well, all bait to lure Adam towards near the missile.
(Can my scheme succeed?)
Honglu would never know. He had already died to Kampa, a person no one would have imagined betraying team China. He had been controlled by Adam. His scheme only had the last step left, as it was unknown if the shockwaves could envelop Adam and whether Zero had completed his preparations. Had Juntian finished his? Had Wangxia...
He didn’t know. He had won and lost at this final step...
With a boom, the core of the explosion that had contracted into a scillintating ball of light abruptly exploded again, causing the skies to dim. It was like the birth of a new star as the light and temperature directly soared to the equal of the sun’s surface. Zero watched on from far away from the explosion’s center, carrying his Gauss sniper rifle. He was silent as various things crossed his mind.
(Brother. Father. Mother... And my comrades, goodbye! I’ll never forget how we fought side by side...)
BANG!
The Gauss sniper rifle’s shot rang out. The bullet was already travelling in a curve as it struck a certain point in the ball of light.
In an instant! The ball of light vanished in a way similar to paper crumpling. Zero who had fired this shot also began to break apart at the same time, like glass or crystal. As the other three called out his name, he had already vanished with a smile, truly becoming nothing. Only that rope floated in the air, flying off into the horizon.
Team China Fallen: Xiao Honglu, Zero
Remaining Survivors: Zheng Zha, Chu Xuan, Cheng Xiao, Zhang Heng, Zhao Yingkong, Luo Yinglong, Imhotep, Anck-Su-Namun, Lan Feng, Kampa, Ming Yanwei, Liu Yu, Lin Juntian, Qi Tengyi, Dragon, Wangxia