Heroes Return

They were originally on the side of the gods.

"Hahahaha! So, heroes of this world! Now, who among us is truly righteous?" Ivan shouted mockingly at the heroes below, "Do you know? This time, the gods are on my side!"

"What exactly did you ask for?" Leng Yan's cousin asked the man in front of her coldly.

"What exactly did I ask for?" Ivan simply replied with a rhetorical question: "Nothing much! I merely expressed my desire to join them, and the gods generously entrusted me with command of this trial of humanity! So, now I am a player on the gods' side. As the start of this new game, let me issue my first order upon taking office! Slaughter all these people!"

Upon hearing Ivan's words, all the angels in the sky reacted simultaneously. On the other side, countless warriors riding winged horses swooped down towards the heroes present, and the mythical beings also prepared to attack at that moment.

On the ground, several large armies, dressed in ancient styles and with distinct characteristics, appeared atop the Great Wall. They were all clad in special magical armor.

"Evan!" Just as everyone at the sluice gate was on high alert, a girl's voice suddenly rang out. This girl was none other than Alice, and at her feet was a giant wolf.

The giant wolf pounced directly at Ivan the instant the countless armies formed, something no one had anticipated. Of course, it wasn't over yet. The giant wolf crashed into the barrier protecting Ivan, shattering it instantly. However, the moment it struck the barrier, Fenrir was once again stopped by a giant hand that emerged from the ground.

"Kuhuhu, it's time we settled things!" Alice's laughter suddenly echoed within the barrier. For some unknown reason, Alice jumped down and rushed through the broken barrier. In mid-air, the energy gun in the girl's hand shot directly at Ivan, and Ivan's energy gun shot back at the girl...

That's how it looks, but Evan didn't pull the trigger at all.

Alice's energy blast struck Ivan's shoulder directly, instantly ripping off one of his arms. Even so, Ivan's expression remained perfectly calm when he saw Alice.

The moment Alice landed, a chainsaw appeared in her hand, which she swung directly at Evan's head.

“This is so boring.” Evan simply said this to Alice calmly: “You still can’t do it.”

Upon hearing Evan's words, Alice had no intention of arguing, after all, this was the biggest opportunity she had ever had.

Unfortunately, she failed again this time. A warrior in armor grabbed Alice's chainsaw, and in the blink of an eye, Alice's attack was neutralized.

"You know what? Zero was missing for five years, and I was so incredibly bored! There was almost nothing that could interest me." Looking at Alice, who was completely blocked from view, Evan spoke as if he felt no pain whatsoever. "Those were truly dark times. I tried to find other forms of amusement, I even created multiple copies of myself! Just to keep myself from getting bored. And you are one of my creations. After I poured my thoughts into your brain, and your IQ test results seem to be higher than mine! I, Evan, can create an even stronger Evan."

But I failed! You're just a failure, all that data and stuff was utterly unreliable from the start. You've completely lost my interest; I don't even have the thrill of killing you, it's just too boring.

As he said this, Ivan even yawned. Keep in mind, he's currently missing an arm: "Alright, throw this failure out. Maybe this is her chance to settle scores with me, but it's too boring. I don't even have the interest to take the hits. Why? Why did I fail?! Was there something wrong with my intelligence test? Or is it that Ivan's positivity isn't solely determined by his thoughts and brain development? I can't figure it out. Why are you a failure? Since I can't figure it out, then I won't think about it anymore! Ahahahaha! Let me enjoy the next battle!"

As Evan spoke, he ignored Alice, who had been thrown out of the barrier, and looked around.

"Now that the gates are open, let's go." On the battlefield, the Master of Fate sighed helplessly, then joined the other masters. The heroes clearly had no time to deal with them now.

But just as they were about to leave, a black figure blocked their way, and the moment this black figure appeared, even the Master of Fate's expression changed. Unfortunately, the next second, they were cleaved in two by a black longsword.

At this moment, both the gods and the heroes calmed down once again.

Amidst that suffocating feeling, Zero appeared in mid-air, calmly gazing at the open gates of heaven!

Chapter 45

At that moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on one point: a black figure.

No words were needed, no actions required. This person simply stood there calmly, and that was enough to draw everyone's attention. Whether it was the gods in the sky or the people below, everyone was focused on the person before them.

The oppressive aura that once filled people with terror, the feeling as if their hearts were being squeezed, had disappeared. But even without that fear, people still couldn't remain calm when facing him.

They had seen that figure from behind countless times.

Every time the world faces difficulties, every time people are in crisis, this figure appears. And the reason he's in the background is quite simple: he's always standing at the forefront.

The Council of Truth, which had previously caused the heroes a bitter battle and trouble, couldn't even hold out for a moment against this person before being killed on the spot.

The oppressive power of the gods, the solemnity of heaven, the lofty and sacred aura—all vanished at this moment. The mere appearance of a single figure changed everything.

Even the gods had to admit that they had seriously underestimated humanity. This time, they were not only overwhelmed by the aura of one human, but also threatened by another.

Of course, things haven't remained unchanged. With the aura of fear no longer emanating from Zero, he now gives everyone a different feeling – an unparalleled sense of security.

When Ivan first made his request to the gods, everyone thought they were doomed. But now, just looking at that black figure in the vast sky, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was a sigh of relief as if they had been saved.

The gods, however, were not so friendly. With the appearance of Zero, black power began to flow continuously in the sky above the gods.

On Earth, gales, torrential rains, melting glaciers, erupting volcanoes, and sudden plagues—all sorts of disasters erupted at this moment.

"Zero! Your actions will only bring disaster." A majestic voice resounded from the sky: "Your next actions and choices will determine the future."

Zero didn't waste any words; he simply pointed his greatsword at Tainan Kong.

Seeing Zero's actions, the heroes on the ground began to cheer. That's right! This is Zero! He fears nothing, not even the threat of a god.

"Hahahaha! Stop talking nonsense! Zero is Zero precisely because no one can defeat him, and no one can make him submit! That's why he is Zero!" Ivan's voice suddenly rang out: "Gods! Don't forget what you promised me. In this trial of humanity, I am the one in command of all matters involving war!!"

"Mortal! Watch your words." Another authoritative voice suddenly rang out: "Don't forget what you said, that you would give your full command of this war and would not go against our purposes and interests."

"Hahaha! That's right, we're just getting what we need," Evan replied with a laugh.

"Damn it! What is that bastard Evan up to?" Torus said with a serious expression.

“No matter what he tries, he won’t succeed. He’s never beaten Zero!” another hero suddenly said.

Of course, it wasn't long before Ivan answered their questions. Ivan, slightly manic and excited, exclaimed, "New game! Zero! Our new game is ready! My old friend! Aren't you as excited as I am? After all, this might be our final decisive game! Ahahahahaha! How about that, am I great?! Hahahahaha! This time I've gathered all the pieces we need for our new game! To hell with heroes! To hell with those boring, common good versus evil tropes of saving the world, destroying the world, or conquering the world! I've had enough of that cliché! Now, let's all have a good time next year! I bet you're lonely! It's been so long since you've had a decent enemy, hasn't it? Now, I've prepared everything for you! Ahahahahahaha!!"

In response to Ivan's words, Zero's longsword slashed down at Ivan from the sky. A crimson sword light pierced the heavens and earth. Just as the sword light was about to strike Ivan, a man clad in armor appeared before him and blocked Lin Jie's attack with his own longsword.

"Hahahaha! I knew you'd like this! But do you really have time to worry about us right now? You know, this door is just one of the doors that's been opened. Actually, there are several doors like this in the world! It's just that all those doors require these keys to open here." Ivan's voice rang out again: "Hahahaha! Zero! Whether it's you or me, we have one thing in common, which is that neither of us likes playing chess or strategizing, right? Hahahaha! So I think, since we've already played many kinds of games, let's try a game we've never played before! Although we're both terrible at chess, although neither of us knows how to play chess. But isn't that more interesting? Hahahaha! The fate of the world will be in the hands of two chess players who can't play chess at all! How interesting!"

This time, I've got my pieces! And you've had yours all along, haven't you? Let's have a good game with the two pieces we have! Ahahahaha!

Without a doubt, the pawns Ivan mentioned were the so-called gods, since Ivan had already gained command of this war. However, Ivan Zero also had his own pawns: the entire Hero Association and the strongest humans!

As Evan excitedly spoke his words, various kinds of end-of-days barriers lit up in the sky! The gods began to gradually disappear.

As Ivan's figure began to blur, Zero's figure appeared directly in front of him. After many years, the two were finally face to face again.

This time, Zero didn't hesitate or waste words; he simply slashed at Ivan with his longsword. However, Lin Jie's sword was once again blocked by the figure completely encased in armor.

"Mortal, it's not time for war with you yet." The armored man said, throwing a punch at Zero, seemingly intending to send him flying. However, when the punch hit Zero, the expected backward flight did not occur.

On the other side of the ground, Leng Yan, his voice low and menacing, spoke into his communicator: "All targets are locked. The material bombs can be prepared for activation."

But the moment he finished speaking, the gods in the sky vanished. Only the armored figure remained. After all, when the gods left, the armored man tried to block Lin Jie's advance, but in the same moment he blocked Zero, Zero grabbed his wrist.

"Damn it! Antimatter bombing canceled!" Leng Yan said helplessly into the communicator once again.

Just minutes ago, Leng Yan had contacted the science department and was preparing to expedite the development of the antimatter weapon! This gathering of gods presented a perfect opportunity to capture most of them. Undoubtedly, antimatter, capable of destroying the world, was the ideal weapon against the gods.

However, the gods seemed to have foreseen Cold Flame's intentions from the very beginning. Just as the antimatter weapon was about to launch, the gods vanished into the sky. It's important to understand that the antimatter weapon Cold Flame had prepared was an antimatter cannon powerful enough to destroy an entire alien fleet! As technology left behind after the alien invasion, although humanity hadn't fully assimilated it, a technological explosion had already occurred unintentionally.

In the sky, Zero and the armored man clashed once again.

"You cannot defeat me! The fiercer the battles among humans, the stronger I become! Your constant warfare in this short period of time has made me incredibly powerful! Since you insist on keeping me here, then prepare to accept your punishment!" As the armored man spoke, an ancient medieval-style longsword appeared in his hand and clashed with Zero. In the sky, the powerful sound of the collision began to grow louder and louder.

"We must help Zero!" Torus's voice rang out from the crowd. "This is no time to stand idly by. Although only one remains, it is still a god! We must help Zero now!"

Upon hearing his words, the heroes below finally began to stir with excitement.

"There's no need anymore." Fenrir, now back to his original form, suddenly spoke up. "Seeing him again, I'm certain. He doesn't need our help to defeat him. After sleeping for so long, my understanding has finally been refreshed. I never imagined that humanity, after your growth, could ultimately surpass the gods!"

Fenrir's words shocked all the heroes present.

At this moment, Chrollo couldn't help but look at Zero in mid-air with worry. Was Zero really alright after such an intense battle?

However, it turned out that everyone's worries were unnecessary.

Unbeknownst to them, not long ago, the world's three highest peaks had been razed to the ground in a battle. The beings who perished in that battle—including a colossal Titan, several gods, and numerous demigods—all had their corpses left behind, becoming the new mountains.

Just minutes ago, Zero had already destroyed more than one god! Now it didn't matter whether there was one more or one less. Zero's only regret was that Ivan had actually escaped with the gods!

Sure enough, as if to prove Fenrir's words, Zero's sword in the sky directly severed the armored man's longsword and ultimately pierced into the armored man's body, cleaving him in two.

With utter shock and disbelief, this being, known as a god, fell before all the mortals.

Chapter 46

Everything returned to calm, but this time everyone understood that the calm might only be temporary. After all, the gods behind the gate had vanished from everyone's sight along with Ivan. And according to reports, various disasters had begun to occur all over the world. Faced with these disasters, the heroes became even busier.

As for Zero, after slaying the armored god, he once again vanished before their eyes. Although the heroes desperately wanted Zero to stay and discuss the next steps, they ultimately had no choice but to watch him disappear.

In fact, they no longer have time to ignore Legend Zero, as more and more trouble is arising all over the world. The heroes have no time to waste.

Just as Lin Jie had returned to his original form in H City and hadn't even headed home, an exceptionally terrifying explosion nearly turned the city upside down. Fortunately, H City wasn't destroyed in the horrific blast; an ancient bell belonging to Ivan had engulfed the entire city in the blast.

Although the explosion was terrifying, it was ultimately stopped by the ancient bell.

"Although I don't know who you are, you can't hurt my panda!" Xiao Meier's voice rang out at that moment. Almost simultaneously, Lin Jie saw a girl riding on a panda staring at a very strangely dressed person in mid-air.

"I, a member of the Immortal Path, do not wish to harm your panda," the person said calmly. If Ying were to point out any difference between this person and the others, it would be that he had more arms and several heads than others. Additionally, his attire was somewhat unusual.

"Why is this guy dressed like an old Indian guy?" Lin Jie muttered casually before glancing up at the sky with some lingering disbelief. Undoubtedly, this was one of the gods who appeared alongside the other after the descent of the gods. But why did "Love in H City" specifically appear here?

Although Lin Jie hadn't figured it out yet, Xiao Meier had already launched her attack. Right in front of Lin Jie, Xiao Meier suddenly had a box of toothpicks in her hand. That's right, a box of bamboo toothpicks. As she casually scattered the toothpicks into the air, they all transformed into bamboo swords.

Slicing through the sky, the bamboo sword shot directly towards the being before it.

For a moment, the entire sky was filled with sword energy. However, the opponent was clearly not easy to deal with. Sometime later, the opponent's arms suddenly multiplied and reached out to grab the bamboo sword.

Then each of those arms grabbed a funny thing.

Indeed, each of these arms was gripping a comical figure. It was as if, without anyone noticing, a large number of comical stand-ins had appeared in this person's hands, leaving even the person before him stunned. After all, in all his years of life, he had never witnessed anything so bizarre.

But before he could be surprised for long, countless bamboo swords in mid-air had already turned the person in front of him into a hedgehog.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Jie noticed that the ancient clock had vanished. At the same time, Lin Jie's gaze was once again drawn to the direction of Xiao Zhan's building.

"Holy crap! Money really can buy anything!!" Lin Jie couldn't help but exclaim as he looked in the direction of Xiao Zhan's building.

Because right on top of Xiao Zhan's building, there stood something blurred out, with a shape that easily evoked suggestive thoughts. Undoubtedly, it was a cannon, but this cannon, which looked like a blurred male genital organ, stood majestically at the highest point of H City, exuding an imposing aura. Even more bizarrely, it hadn't been removed by the local authorities for allegedly affecting the city's appearance—it was truly bizarre!

"Wait! I remember now! Isn't this the main cannon of the warship that the Xiao family will use to fight against alien invasion seventy years from now? Holy crap! I can't believe Xiao Zhan actually made it seventy years ahead of schedule!!" Just as Lin Jie was in shock, the main cannon fired.

The main cannon, imbued with a powerful, comical energy, fired directly at the deity in the sky. Caught between the bamboo sword and the main cannon, the deity vanished into thin air, filled with resentment and confusion. The gloom that had shrouded H City also dissipated completely at that moment.

However, what interested Lin Jie was that many citizens kneeling in worship on the street opened their mouths wide when they saw this scene, as if they were witnessing the end of the world.

Lin Jie quickly noticed the words that appeared next to the leader: Church of the Gods.

Upon seeing these words, Lin Jie's eyes darkened once more. Faced with an attack of this scale, the members of the Church of the Gods not only failed to seek refuge but also brought so many citizens into the streets to confront this dangerous situation. Lin Jie felt a subtle displeasure, and of course, he was even more displeased with the citizens who had come out to worship their so-called gods.

What words should we use to describe them?

Just moments before, the heroes were fighting tooth and nail to protect these people, yet these people turned around and accused them. They even wanted the heroes to submit to the so-called gods and face the impending judgment.

Does it seem to them that by betraying their worship of the gods in advance, they can avoid being judged by them? Perhaps that way they won't be judged?

But it was precisely this that fueled a strange anger in Lin Jie's heart.

"Hehe, seeing these people who firmly believe in the invincibility of the gods showing such expressions of shattered worldviews, doesn't it feel satisfying?" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice appeared in Lin Jie's ear: "Humans are like this, always liking to assume what they think is right, sometimes even resorting to self-deception. So, how many of these people truly believe in the gods? At least in my opinion, most of them just think the heroes can't win, so they've turned against them. They just want to use this flattery to get the gods to show leniency under the doomsday they speak of, avoiding judgment. To put it simply, they're afraid of death, so they've betrayed us before the battle even begins."