Who left their last words here?

Chapter 110 A Twist! Not Rome! Welcome to... [The Era of the Demon King]!
The startling doubts left Bai Zhou in a state of confusion.

Could it be that... what I've always thought was the "deepest part of the Void Realm" is actually not so simple?
Whether it's the ruins of Troy's civilization or the dense forest of skeletons beyond those ruins...

The Golden Pass seems to have brought him to a place that is not the deepest part of the Ruins where the End gathers.

But -

Or is it a living, breathing Rome?

Will it be so?
Perhaps it was simply the Trojan civilization, which was destroyed by Rome, that led the White Ship, who had just arrived in the "Zhu Luo Ji" period, to make a wrong judgment?

What are these skeletons...?

Bone Clan? Tribe?
—Could it be that they are not "the dead of the end", but rather an extraordinary race?

Like vampires and werewolves?
Everything unknown turned into a gray mist that shrouded the white boat.

People always hate the unknown, like going to the outhouse in the dark in the middle of the night, afraid of bumping your toes or stepping into a cesspool. Everyone wants to have the instruction manual for life in advance, but everyone feels lost when they stand in the present.

Or perhaps people don't really hate the unknown, but are afraid that what they see when they turn on the light will be far beyond their imagination, like wearing newly bought pants and sitting on an invisible chair, worrying that there might be stains on the chair that haven't dried yet.

That's why extraordinary people admire divination; even those who go to great lengths are simply trying to foresee their destined tragic future.

But then Bai Zhou remembered what the blood-red skull had said earlier.

他 说:

"Only those who act regardless of fortune or misfortune are qualified to question the will of Heaven!"

Bai Zhou pondered those words, seemingly gaining some insight.

Then, filled with doubt and unease, Black Cat White Boat began his exploration and adventure in the city.

This is a city that blends civilization's splendor with mystery. From the moment the white boat crosses the city gate, an atmosphere of glory and mystery washes over you.

The massive marble archway is carved with reliefs of war, and the broken gems at the top suggest that it once served as a defensive tower, but it was destroyed by the undead army.

The paving stones were not arranged randomly. When the blood moon shone on them, mysterious symbols would appear and disappear, vaguely forming a kind of star map, as if some kind of ritual was shrouding the entire city through these symbols.

The air was thick with the stench of sulfur and blood, and everywhere there were piles of broken bones and fallen golden-armored gods.

Bai Zhou picked up a lot of "trash" here.

For example, the broken gems on the marble arch, the special currency looted from the corpse of the god, and even a few floor tiles he pried off with his saber.

The battlefield, which the undead hadn't had time to clean up, was all cleaned up by the hardworking and enthusiastic Bai Zhou.

Regardless of whether it's useful or not, Bai Zhou just couldn't resist the urge to use his hands. Even if the gems were broken, bringing them back to Tinghai might just turn them into rare enchanting materials.

—That's just how we adventurers are!

In those adventure stories, which adventurer didn't empty the villagers' cabinets, plunder all the bottles and jars in the village, and even pull up all the radishes and dandelions by the roadside?
As Bai Zhou explored the city, he gradually came across some important buildings, such as the academy surrounded by a colonnade and the temple with a triangular pediment.

Everywhere is resplendent with gold and jade, and the depth and sophistication of civilization are reflected in the unique architectural styles and the subtle yet powerful mysterious symbols.

and……

They don't look old at all; on the contrary, some buildings look like new buildings.

Inside these buildings, Bai Zhou even saw unarmored, bloody corpses of civilians!

This made Bai Zhou even more certain that the place he was in was probably not some "ruins" of the Reflection Ruins Realm.

Although the ruins of the Trojan civilization and the dense forests littered with skeletons misled the White Boat in some way.

But they may simply be defeated by Rome.

Beyond these "remnants of failed civilizations"—

The living Roman civilization was right there in front of the White Boat!

Many years have passed since the defeat of these enemies, and now the Roman Empire is at its zenith, shining brightly.

This is probably an era in which extraordinary individuals emerge in large numbers and mysterious systems have proliferated to their peak.

In this era, the eagles of the empire soar across mountains and rivers, astonishing wealth is piled up in warehouses, and the extraordinary walk on the earth alongside ordinary people, without needing to conceal themselves.

—The Golden Pass, it seems, transported him to the "past" thousands of years ago?!

This incredible guess filled Bai Zhou with dread.

He tried to determine which period of Rome he had arrived in by observing his surroundings.

Perhaps he will even have the chance to meet the living "Empress Irina"?
Before this, Bai Zhou had felt that he was special because he was traveling alone in the depths of the Void Realm.

But now it seems he was more than just special...

Walking through the cracks of time, this is clearly a forbidden realm that only gods can touch!

Shirashu felt uneasy about this.

He didn't know what this meant to him, nor did he know whether his actions would have any impact on future generations.

The only thing that gave Bai Zhou some peace of mind was...

His gaze clearly fell upon a clock tower standing in the heart of the city, its hour hand pointing to 35:51.

Although Bai Zhou didn't understand why, even though it was the living past, he was living according to a 36-hour time zone.

But based on past experience, once the thirty-sixth point arrives, the Golden Pass will be activated, and he will be able to return to Tinghai from this dangerous and unknown place...

He was thinking this with great concern.

Suddenly, Bai Zhou heard a loud bang.

The surging army of the undead seemed to be engaged in a final battle in front of the temple in the center of the city.

"【Fear and Nightmare】The Chosen One... A remnant of the evil god, his wicked heart remains undiminished, no wonder he is so unscrupulous!"

In the swaying temple, elaborately dressed priests stood side by side with a general clad in gold and red armor.

Without exception, they were all over three meters tall, with some approaching four meters.

At this moment, both of them looked serious, facing the blood-red skull surrounded by lightning and thunder as if facing a formidable enemy.

The general looked at the priest, his voice low:
"You report it, I'll stall it!"

"……it is good!"

The general has arrived.

The general has fallen.

The general arrived with great momentum; his mere aura was enough to wipe out the entire undead army.

However, after the cry of "God help me!"

The general could only fall in despair, his head severed by the blood-red skull, leaving him with a face full of resentment.

"Gululu..."

The head rolled a long way.

It was spotted from afar by the white boat that had quietly arrived.

"?"

Thank you again for the gifts of nature.

This skeleton "partner," also a chosen one of God, is incredibly reliable and generous!

Using the broken buildings as cover, he quickly rushed over.

"You're very strong..."

Seeing the general's headless corpse fall to the ground, the blood-red skeleton standing in the sky gave a wink, signaling the skeletons to quickly strip the general of his glowing armor and longsword and bring them over.

Then, it clenched its fist triumphantly, its knuckles cracking as it grinned maliciously:
"But when it comes to competing for supremacy, it's not just about strength."

"It also depends on power and connections!"

As soon as it finished speaking, it was about to lead its army to storm the last temple.

The temple walls are covered with runes, and a semi-transparent light shield extends from it. Powered by rituals that are spread throughout the city, its defenses are virtually impenetrable.

But as the undead wreaked havoc on the city, the temple began to crumble.

however.

At this moment, the pale-faced priest did not continue to guard the temple.

Instead, he walked out of the temple on his own initiative, and although he was swaying, his expression was unusually relieved.

"What's the meaning……?"

Knowing that there was no possibility of the other side surrendering, the crimson skeleton suddenly felt uneasy.

"Om-"

A sudden change occurred!

The protective aura surrounding the temple shattered suddenly, sending ripples that drove back the spirits that had besieged the temple.

"Rumble--"

A sudden, unexpected loud noise came from the horizon.

"What happened?"

Bai Zhou, who had just found the general's head and was ready to leave the city with satisfaction, looked up in confusion.

Then he saw...

Above countless towering classical buildings, the sky, shrouded in a veil of blood-red moonlight, suddenly shattered!

The clouds seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, forming a huge, wildly swirling, and colorful vortex.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, emotionless, mechanical synthesized voice slowly drifted from the distant depths of the sky, instantly filling the heavens and earth, as if the sound were omnipresent:

【alarm! alarm! 】

The temple's signal detected the divine fluctuations characteristic of the evil god "Fear and Anger."

[Chosen One successfully marked, race is Bone Race, threat level is "Light Yellow"...]

[Error! Change! Threat level is now "Dark Blue"!]

[Meeting the requirements, in accordance with the Cleanup Protocol, a mission is now issued to the area surrounding the destination.]

【—Task accepted!】

[The mission takers are the Imperial Guard under the command of the Senate's Patrol Branch and the Count of Saxony from the 47th Sector of the Hiro Empire!]

[Now, begin targeted advertising—]

"Now……"

Hearing the sound, the priest suddenly let out a long sigh. Trapped in the chaos of battle, he surprisingly turned to the blood-red skull with a pitying smile:
"It seems like I have a stronger backer now."

Crimson Skull: "?"

Bai Zhou: "?"

What is the Heroic Empire?

What is targeted advertising?

What is meant by "Fear of Nightmare" God's Chosen?
Where did that sound come from?
For some reason, Bai Zhou suddenly felt a sense of unease and trepidation.

The last time this feeling struck Bai Zhou was when he witnessed the sky shatter in Wancheng...

"Boom!!!"

Then, the sky really did "break".

The vortex opened, sweeping across half the sky.

Bathed in a dazzling array of colors, an army emerged from the vortex and descended from the sky.

The moment they saw them clearly, the once high-spirited undead army suddenly froze as if they had been frozen in place, stopping their actions against all reason.

The blood-red skull froze in mid-air.

The battlefield, which should have been bustling, suddenly became quiet.

Only the deafening roar echoed in the air, the sound of an army marching.

but……

"Is this the army?"

Hidden in the distance, Bai Zhou's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he witnessed everything that was happening on the battlefield.

The synchronized hum of machinery—appearing before the figures—was as if countless sophisticated armor and weapon systems were completing their final self-checks.

Then, the invisible force dispelled the smoke and dust that filled the air.

The first thing to break through the fog was a pitch-black and ferocious head.

Its scales were menacing, and it stood upright. Its massive body, four or five stories high, roared to the sky. Its dim, vertical pupils were filled with a cold, murderous desire, and its body, covered in metallic scales, was pitch black.

"Roar!!!"

This is……

"Allosaurus?!"

Bai Zhou suspected that he was seeing things, or rather, he hoped that he was seeing things.

But he had indeed seen the monster in "Black Cat's 8000 Questions".

Allosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur, a prehistoric beast, is now extinct.

These ferocious predators, standing at the top of the food chain, are typically active in...

—Two million years ago, in the primitive era, reptiles dominated the world during the Jurassic period!

But compared to the monsters in the book, these Allosaurus seem to have undergone some kind of modification, becoming much taller and fiercer. Their special metal and scales are perfectly integrated, and the beauty of their slaughter makes the symbiosis between life and technology exceptionally harmonious.

On the backs of these Allosaurus, there were "knights" who were four or five meters tall!
Although they were called knights, each of them was actually wearing pale terracotta power armor.

The armor has a perfect streamline, with flames shooting out from the joints. The shoulder armor has mechanical wings that resemble those of a griffin, and the eagle emblem on the breastplate is poised to take flight.

Each knight wore an incongruously large red tassel on his head, and all of them wore cold helmets with eerie blue goggles, resembling the "pig-nosed demons" that Bai Zhou had seen.

These towering figures, fully armed from head to toe, wrapped themselves up tightly with unimaginably advanced machinery, transforming themselves into the most suitable weapons of war for the battlefield.

In the fantasy works of Tinghai City, these tin cans, created for war, are generally referred to as...

Mecha?! Gundam?!
It was as if mythology and technology were converging at this moment.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The machines roared.

Riding giant dinosaurs in terracotta power armor, the knights merged into a massive procession and marched out of the vortex.

But they were solemn and dignified, not in a hurry to launch an attack, but stood solemnly and silently on both sides of the sky.

It seems like...

To clear the way for something!
"Could there be more?!"

Not only was Bai Zhou stunned, but even the blood-red skeleton, who prided himself on being used to all kinds of storms, was dumbfounded at this moment.

"rumble!"

Immediately following, a different rhythm of roaring came from the sky.

Eighteen dinosaurs of different appearances and species emerged from the vortex, each of the giant dinosaurs wearing reins as if they were merely pulling a cart.

Smoke and dust filled the sky, the air distorted, and the outline of a building finally appeared in the depths of the vortex in the sky.

A colossal building, with countless pillars and numerous corridors, slowly descended from the sky.

At the top of this building are three ancient characters, sacred and solemn.

Everyone who sees those characters understands their meaning and feels an inexplicable sense of awe, almost wanting to worship them.

Its meaning is—

【senate】!
This is not over yet.

then.

Amidst the frenzied worship of the sacrifice, under the stunned gaze of the departed spirits, and in the dumbfounded observation of Bai Zhou—

The deafening sounds of metal reassembling and rolling stones echoed back and forth.

Suddenly, this enormous and sacred "Senate" kicked out two legs and stretched out two arms, transforming into a colossal humanoid figure that stood tall and imposing.

Each column, in its unique form, became its ribs; mythological reliefs became its breastplate; and its head was a temple pediment radiating golden majesty.

—It stood up!

The once confident, blood-red skull now had the golden flames in its eye sockets flickering violently like candlelight, and its jawbone wide open, almost dislocated.

what? !

What does it mean that the Senate has stood up?

Then, the Senate, standing tens of meters tall like an ancient giant god in the sky, looked down at the "tiny" three-meter-tall blood-red skull.

Its eyes shone brightly, and it said:
[Confirmed to be remnants of terror.]

[—The Senate authorizes a purge!]

As if a divine decree had been issued, a vast voice filled the heavens and the earth, carrying a suffocating and oppressive force that made people hold their breath.

"Boom!"

The moment the Senate issued the order, the army riding dinosaurs in the sky set off.

A vast array of towering figures, as if emerging from mythology, obscured all light and shadow in the sky, falling in a deluge.

—And they too fell densely into Bai Zhou's incredulous eyes in the distance.

What are "remnants of terror"?
Isn't he the god of war and protection?

Isn't your empire known for its wickedness?
So you're trying to shift the blame, aren't you?
At this moment, Bai Zhou suddenly felt that the hidden mark on his wrist was extremely hot to the touch.

He even had reason to suspect that the sudden increase in the threat level mentioned by the mechanical voice in the sky might be because of him!
"Zhu Luo Ji...Zhu Luo Ji..."

Suddenly, Bai Zhou felt a jolt of realization, as if he had just remembered something.

"That pass!"

Clutching the inexplicably burning golden pass in his chest, Bai Zhou finally recalled its contents.

it says--

【“Old Days: The Era of Extermination” Pass】

—In the vast expanse of eternity, even death will vanish, but between dawn and dusk, the departed may return, and the sunken may rise.

In the cracks of time, lost civilizations beckon to you.

"Let us transcend eternity."

It says, "Witnessing this decaying era where the embers are about to die out."

"..."

Spanning eternity!

It's not the Ruins! Nor is it Rome!
It was a much more distant and unknown era of civilization!

This also answered Bai Zhou's previous question.

Why, in just a few thousand years, have the extraordinary individuals who once coexisted with ordinary people become rare figures like those in Tinghai City, living in seclusion behind the scenes?
How could such a flourishing and extraordinary civilization disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye?
How could the discontinuity in such an extraordinary system be so severe?

Of course, it's because there were more than a few thousand years in between.

...Perhaps, "Zhuluoji" really is "Jurassic".

The full name of the Zhuluoji Pass has always been the "Old Days Zhuluoji" Pass...

"..."

Bai Zhou's vision blurred.

The wind howled in their ears, and the shadow of the blood moon in the sky was blocked by the huge humanoid Senate.

"Buzz!"

"Boom!"

With a roar of machinery, javelins were hurled by armored knights, flying towards the ground with trails of eerie blue smoke.

But these javelins weren't javelins at all; they were clearly missiles... They exploded precisely on the ground, causing the earth to shake violently!

The Senate giants, capable of plucking stars and seizing the moon, are commanding a devastating and one-sided war.

In the distance, Bai Zhou's gaze reflected these scenes that resembled both classical mythology and interstellar science fiction.

The terrifying, dense, and ferocious figures in the sky, resembling gods and demons with bared fangs and claws, seemed to be speaking in unison to Bai Zhou.

they said:
"Welcome to……"

"—The Old Days: The Era of Extermination!"

(End of this chapter)