Chapter 315

"Cough, cough, cough…"Han Meng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings. His tattered trench coat was stained with patches of blood. As the grayness in the sky gradually spread, erasing all colors except black, white, and gray, Han Meng’s vision blurred. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish whether the red on the ground was his own blood or the falling snowflakes.

In this gray world, monsters, as if emerging from a black-and-white film, surrounded him like towering city walls. The falling snow resembled blurry static, shimmering silently in this oppressive landscape.

This was not Han Meng's first encounter with the Gray Realm. Even at the brink of despair, his expression remained composed. He knew he likely wouldn't escape this predicament. If that were the case, he would fight to the death, determined to take down at least a few more calamities with him. He first checked the condition of his firearm, then gripped its handle tightly, vigilantly observing each encroaching disaster.

*Swish—swish—*The rustle of leather shoes on the accumulated snow broke the suffocating silence.

Just then, the surrounding calamities seemed to sense something, suddenly turning their heads in unison toward a specific direction. Seeing this, Han Meng instinctively turned to look as well.

Black snow, like static, fell silently in the desolate world. A figure holding a black umbrella approached along a deserted, frosty path.

The black umbrella brim obscured half his face. Han Meng could only make out the solemn suit the figure wore. As he drew closer, the surrounding calamities stirred restlessly, seemingly assessing if this human posed a threat, ready at any moment to tear him to pieces.

How could a realm belonging solely to the Forbidden Sea tolerate the presence of a living human?

Just as the low growls of the calamities began to rise, the figure with the umbrella slowly raised a hand and touched his chin.

*Riiiip—!*The moment he tore off his 'face', a dazzling crimson replaced the suit, fluttering in the biting cold wind!

It was a vibrant red opera robe, its color like the fangs of some ferocious beast, tearing open a corner of this desolate gray world. Its striking brilliance seemed to warn all creatures approaching it: danger! Danger!!

In that moment, all the calamities of the Forbidden Sea froze. They instinctively retreated, clearing a path for the slowly advancing crimson figure.

The figure calmly walked through the encirclement of calamities and stopped before Han Meng.

The black umbrella brim slowly lifted slightly."It seems I've arrived just in time."

Han Meng, seeing Chen Ling's face beneath the umbrella, paused slightly, his expression complex. "Why are you still here? Didn't everyone from the Twilight Society already leave?"

"I stayed behind because I have something to do."

"What is it?"

*Roooar—!!!*Chen Ling was about to speak when the enormous giant holding a long staff, seeing that the surrounding calamities were unresponsive to Chen Ling, abruptly widened its eyes and roared furiously at him once more!

A terrifying pressure, like a sudden gale, accompanied its roar. A foul stench of rotting seaweed gushed from its mouth as this giant calamity bared its fangs at Chen Ling!

This roar left the other surrounding calamities dumbfounded. Before they could even react,

Chen Ling's hand gripping the umbrella suddenly clenched!"SHUT UP!!!"Chen Ling's pupils constricted beneath the umbrella brim. He glared wildly at the giant, his furious roar like thunder!

The next moment, countless dense red eyes opened from the void, tinging Chen Ling's own pupils with crimson. It was as if innumerable grotesque, mocking monsters were glaring at the giant, and an incredibly terrifying aura surged forth from this gaze!

These two words instantly silenced the giant's roar. Invisible waves of energy rapidly radiated outwards from Chen Ling, and terror surfaced in the eyes of every calamity!

The giant froze, numbly clutching its staff. Startled by the fleeting multitude of eyes, it stumbled back half a step. Simultaneously, a dozen or so enchanted seaweeds rapidly bound its body, forcing it to the ground with a resounding rumble.

The even larger seventh-tier seaweed calamity held the giant down firmly, its gaze seeming to say:

Are you out of your mind?! Why would you provoke him????

Back in the Frigid Sea, this seventh-tier calamity had already learned its lesson. It knew full well that Chen Ling harbored a great terror within, and it wouldn't dare provoke him in the slightest. Yet this dim-witted giant couldn't grasp the situation, blindly charging in and nearly scaring the life out of it.

Meanwhile, Han Meng, standing nearby, was equally stunned by the aura Chen Ling had inadvertently unleashed. He stared blankly at the figure in red, as if a realization had dawned on him.

"Apocalypse…" Han Meng murmured to himself.

In that moment, Han Meng finally connected all the dots. His memory flashed back to that rainy night when he detected fluctuations of an "Apocalypse"-level calamity in the mass grave of District Three. At the time, he had thought the calamity pointer was malfunctioning, but now it was clear that wasn't the case.

On that rainy night, an "Apocalypse" truly emerged from District Three!

And that "Apocalypse" had, in fact, been right before his eyes all along.

Chen Ling didn't hear Han Meng's murmur. He withdrew his gaze from the giant, and the countless eyes behind him vanished as well, as if everything that had just occurred was merely an illusion.

"Where was I?" Chen Ling asked, regaining his focus.

Han Meng looked at him with a complex expression. After a long silence, he finally spoke, "You were talking about… why you stayed."

"Oh, I plan to blow up Aurora City." Chen Ling asked directly, "The detonator is with you, right?"

Han Meng was startled, realizing only then that Chen Ling had the same idea as him.

"Yes… but to detonate all the explosives throughout the city simultaneously, it needs to be triggered from a sufficiently high point, otherwise the signal won't cover the entire area."

"A sufficiently high place, then…"

Chen Ling looked into the distance. Beneath the gray sky, a tower with kites fluttering stood not far off. However, Aurora City was now overrun with calamities; even the tower's exterior surface was covered in several catfish-like monsters.

"I can do it. Just give me the detonator." Chen Ling extended his hand.

Han Meng glanced at the detonator in his hand. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head.

"No, I'll go. The current reserves of explosives in Aurora City are too vast. Once detonated, no one could possibly survive. Aurora City has already fallen. I am the last law enforcement officer in this city, and this should be my mission.

As for you… you don't belong here, do you?"

Chen Ling's eyebrows raised slightly. "You intend to die with the calamities in this city?"

Han Meng didn't answer. He simply gazed silently at the aurora above, but his eyes said it all. Like Tan Xin, he had no intention of leaving alive since deciding to execute the "Hand of Redemption" plan.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chen Ling said, shaking his head. "You should still give me the detonator."

"Chen Ling, there's no need to persuade me. My mind is made up."

"…I'm serious."

"So am I."

Seeing Han Meng's unwavering resolve, Chen Ling watched him for a long moment, then let out a helpless sigh.