Exploding God

The cliff face was bare, devoid of any vegetation.

At the top of the cliff, towering trees blocked out the sun and clouds. Thick, thorny vines coiled around the trunks, constantly drawing nutrients from them. Occasionally, tender buds and leaves would tremble slightly, as if greedily devouring the moisture and...mist.

The enormous cave stood behind them like a bottomless abyss, with the crisscrossing spider webs and scattered spider eggs just as before.

The cave was completely still, but its mere presence was a silent threat!

Lu Geng would have glanced at things a few times before, but as the fighting progressed, he no longer had any time to look behind him.

He fought purely on instinct, his body covered in dried spider blood and crisscrossing wounds.

Behind the mask, Lü Geng was panting heavily, gulping down oxygen to try and keep his brain from falling into a coma.

The high-voltage stun baton in his hand was getting heavier and heavier. The armor on his arms and legs had exposed his skin, and the blood flowing out was quickly congealed under the high temperature, but it was also bursting open again and again due to the fierce battle.

Looking at the two giant spider corpses he had killed with a single blow, and then at the spider swarm that had gathered again in front of him, Lü Geng grinned with a sense of accomplishment. Then, because of the burning sensation in his throat, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva to moisten his parched throat.

Although he didn't know why the giant spiders didn't swarm at first, but only lingered on the perimeter.

But after fighting for so long, he was already exhausted, and the restless giant spiders finally lost their patience and began to gradually close in and compress his room to maneuver.

Only a few dozen square meters remain around it.

Lu Geng looked up and stared straight ahead. The giant spider, which was half a size stronger than its companion, had a row of terrifying red compound eyes and was staring intently at him.

"The final chapter of life is finally coming... Ah."

A muffled panting laugh came from inside the Ranger mech. The high-voltage stun gun was once again held in front of him. His arms trembled slightly from exhaustion, but he never lowered them.

Lü Geng's eyes were calm and resolute.

Behind this powerful Devouring Terror Spider, several of its companions followed at a distance, blocking off the other directions.

Looking at the cautious way these terror spiders moved, a scene suddenly flashed into his mind: when he first entered the academy and fought alongside his teammates for the first time.

In just two years, he has become a star senior in the eyes of his juniors.

The honor earned in that battle fills my heart with immense satisfaction whenever I think about it.

He truly, truly misses every moment of Shanglan Academy.

"I am Lü Geng. Brothers, see you in the next life." Lü Geng casually removed the recording black box and gently placed it in the pit in the rock wall behind him.

After thinking for a while, he left only this sentence.

After all, saying too much would seem pretentious, and the younger students would probably laugh at me.

Although I really wanted to offer a few more words of encouragement.

With his worries gone, his eyes inexplicably relaxed, as if he wasn't so afraid of facing death.

The battered Ranger mech, with its last strength, stood upright and took a step forward.

Staggering yet with an iron will, he launched his final charge before the curtain fell on his life!

"Come on, you scum!—"

The strongest, most powerful spider at the front, its four pairs of compound eyes glowing crimson, was enraged by Lü Geng's suddenly raised voice, and its dark brown fangs snapped open.

A strong stench filled the air. Lu Geng, who was running towards him from 5 meters away, could even clearly see the disgusting green venom deep inside the spider's giant mouth. He tightened his grip on the stun gun and stared intently at the gap where the fangs were open.

If they could both perish, then he must have killed the three-headed giant spider on his own, right?

Lü Geng thought to himself.

then……

Suddenly, a spinning black shadow that shouldn't have appeared appeared in his field of vision, descending from the sky.

With overwhelming force, in the brief moment before he and the giant spider could react, it forcefully pierced through the spider's brain, striking the ground with a whoosh and severing all life force from the powerful giant spider, standing like a boundary marker before Lü Geng.

The spider swarm paused briefly due to the sudden and dramatic change.

The wandering knight stopped, staring at each other in astonishment.

A black hilt, a dark spine, and a long blood groove...

Is this my own hot-melt saber?

Lü Geng raised his head, trembling.

The blast wave swept up smoke and dust, flames licked the scorched earth, but the howling wind could not block out the calmly rising sound, which echoed from afar through the mountains and dense forests, coming like a tidal wave.

History needs to be told.

……

"Successors need role models."

……

"Heroes need not be mourned."

……

A Terror-Eating Spider descended from the sky, crashing to the ground with a blast of air that shattered the mist and the shrill sound of its legs cutting through the air. Half of its body scattered in all directions along with the rubble and dirt.

Lu Ze stepped off the spider corpses, his hands behind his back, and looked gently at the inhuman Ranger mech in front of him, softly finishing his last sentence.

"They will surely return, bearing flowers and glory, revered by all."

He reached out and drew his sword.

He turned around and calmly looked at the dozens of giant spiders.

Lu Geng stood there blankly, trembling as he stared at the quiet, tall figure. His lips, which were covered in blood behind his mask, twitched, and he finally bit his lip hard, letting hot tears flow silently down his face.

At that moment, all he wanted to do was cry out loud.

……

Lu Ze stared at the twenty shadowy, terrifying spiders ahead, his pupils constantly replaying the scene he had just witnessed.

Unreserved trust, willing dedication, unwavering courage, and an iron will.

When he saw Lü Geng's final, resolute charge, the last piece of the puzzle in his mind about the Hibiscus Squad was finally completed.

Their spirit is the most precious spark for humanity's future.

In their previous lives, the Hibiscus Squad may have sacrificed themselves before the Mist Tower rose, becoming nameless corpses on the solitary path of the Firebearers; or perhaps there were countless other Hibiscus Squad members who shared the same fate and the same unwavering resolve.

But in this life, since he is fortunate enough to travel with us, it is only right that he preserves this tiny flame of hope for humanity and will ignite many more embers that should have been extinguished.

Until one day in the future, we will watch these sparks ignite into a prairie fire.

This was the most gratifying thing for him since he regained consciousness.

Therefore, today's battle should be fought to the fullest.

Lu Ze's left hand, which had been hanging by his side the whole time, was finally raised at this moment, with two fingers interlaced, and tapped against the blade.

hum!

The viscous green paste that had been attached to it instantly dissipated into mist, and the heavy edge of the blade became blurred in an instant.

Stop, bend your fingers, and flick again.

The mist rose around the longsword, then dissipated in layers.

At this moment, the long, slender, hot-melt military knife emitted a metallic resonance sound, like the roar of a dragon.

No one could know that just two simple fingers had consumed a full 300 units of Lu Ze's Star Source Power!

He watched the swarm of terrifying spiders leaping high in a rage, and strode forward.

Each step was powerful, landing like metal striking metal, accompanied by a sound that echoed through the valley.

"For a hundred years, I have been living a desolate life in this mortal world, and I have rarely opened my eyes to discuss heroes and outstanding figures."

"Where the clouds rise after the storm, the sea is swallowed by whales; I offer this sword in reverence for life and death."

As the last syllable faded, he stood firm, sword in hand.

The swarm of spiders descended from mid-air with the force of a raging torrent, their fangs, sharp limbs, venom, and spider silk filling the entire field of vision.

At that moment, Lu Ze raised his left hand, and a whirlwind surged out along the hilt of the sword, instantly extending for a full thirty meters, like a white wave of a great river stretching across the sky.

Looking up, Lu Ze raised his military knife and swung it back like a dragon, sending up a cloud of dust thirty meters high.

Lu Geng looked up in shock!

At that moment, his whole body trembled...

He saw it; the surging mist resembled a sword wielded by a god.

Just one strike.

Where the sword energy crisscrosses, everything is severed.