Chapter 281
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Chapter 281: Me, Profligate
The power of the Chaotic Saint was utterly terrifying.
The entire street had already been lifted by the dreadful “universal gravity,” with numerous buildings floating in the sky, resembling a labyrinth constructed from towering structures.
But even as the buildings adorned with powerful spells were lifted, the ongoing ritual of descent showed no signs of stopping.
The crimson ancient incantation had, at this point, detached from the buildings, existing independently in mid-air, twisting and hovering.
It wriggled.
These incantations, in fact, did not belong to the dimensions of reality.
Even if the real world were destroyed, the ritual of descent would remain unaffected, impervious to any attempts to disrupt it.
Therefore, the members of the Babel Tower had to discover a unique method to shut down the five ritual locations simultaneously.
Only in this way could everything finally come to an end.
Alan had thought he was safe, having hidden himself thousands of meters away, confident that he wouldn’t be easily detected by any search parties, much less captured.
However, he had gravely underestimated the power of the Potential Apocalypse-level sorcerer.
He had underestimated the abilities of those who had stepped out of the textbook.
Alan had no choice; he had never faced such a formidable opponent before.
The enemy was shockingly powerful, far beyond his expectations.
Hals stood with the air of a proud conductor.
He closed his eyes, his hands moving gently through the air.
Inside the vast “gravity zone,” everything was drawn in—dolls, debris, trees, vehicles, and buildings—all became like “water.”
Thousands upon thousands of “water” particles formed an immensely powerful whirlpool under Hals’ command.
Alan found himself trapped in the center of the gravitational vortex. Even before the objects could strike him, his body was already being crushed by an unimaginable force.
“Boom!”
Within the heart of the gravitational whirlpool, Alan was crushed into a mangled heap of flesh, losing all signs of life in an instant.
“Just so-so.”
Watching his opponent meet such a fate, Hals shook his head lightly, a trace of regret in his voice.
“If you can’t survive, you can’t do anything. There will be no future for you… The boastful words you spoke are utterly meaningless.”
“That’s it.”
With that, Hals had no intention of continuing the spell. He casually lowered his “commanding” hands and turned away, strolling off with his hands clasped behind his back.
Above in the gravitational zone, a colossal structure gradually began to take shape, resembling a fortress. But once control was lost, it suddenly collapsed, crumbling down toward the ground.
The scene was magnificent—grand and overwhelming.
Yet, for the elderly man standing with his hands behind his back, it was all meaningless.
What he said might have been true.
Hals’ expression became more despondent.
All these years, he had been nothing but a hypocrite… arrogant and self-righteous.
But the true meaning of his life had already been poured into magic.
“We’ve reached this point, and there’s no turning back. All we can do is move forward.”
Hals sat quietly on a stone, lifting his head to gaze at the sky, waiting for the end of the world.
What had he gained and lost throughout all these years?
The friendships, honor, and reputation from his past had long since dissipated into nothingness.
Now, the world itself was about to turn to ashes.
He was about to achieve his desires, yet deep within, he knew… he would not truly feel “satisfied” afterward, let alone experience “happiness.”
Ah.
Hals looked up at the sky, and behind the vast golden ribbon, he sensed something.
“Many things are beyond change or redemption.”
Come forth!
“Pupil of Chaos, the great one, come forth!” he cried out.
No matter the final outcome, please end the confusion and pain in my heart at this moment!
Hmm?
Hals furrowed his brow, momentarily confused.
With his keen intuition, he sensed something subtly wrong.
“Surprisingly, still alive?”
“It seems I underestimated you,” Hals slowly stood from the stone.
Alan had, in fact, “died” only moments ago.
But among the many forbidden spells Alan had mastered, there was one spell called… the Substitute Puppet.
The vague remains of flesh had fallen to the ground as the “force of gravity” was released, slowly starting to regenerate. Fingers, bare feet, shoulders, abdomen, cheeks… Alan painstakingly climbed back from the realm of the dead, step by step.
He knelt on the ground, eyes closed, resembling someone repenting before a deity.
Alan whispered to himself and mimicked the gesture the old man had made earlier.
He extended a hand, gripping it tightly.
“Universal gravitational force.”
The crumbling ruins that had collapsed and continued to fall began to reform into a massive gravitational whirlpool once more!
In the next moment, Hals’ body shot into the air uncontrollably!
“This, how is this possible? You can actually learn this?” Hals’ eyes widened in shock, a wave of fear unlike anything he had ever experienced flooding through him!
This was impossible!
Why?
How could something like this happen?
He had only witnessed his own release once, that modified, forbidden magic from the higher realms…
The members of the Babel Tower were amazed to see that they had learned all at once!
“It can’t be!” exclaimed.
Hals couldn’t understand, for this kind of thing was completely illogical, without any sense of reason!
Alan chuckled with a smile.
He knelt on the ground, exhaustedly maintaining a powerful forbidden magic, feeling his spiritual energy being continuously drained.
Slowly opening his eyes that emitted a radiant glow, he revealed the immensely precious Pupil of Mystery.
In terms of growth, it is the mightiest Tactical Card!
“Ah, it is possible… The power of the Babel Tower, the gift of the Savior, are all an unimaginable existence.”
He wouldn’t last much longer.
Both sides actually knew this.
“Damn it!”
Hals’s body was unable to move in the sky, and in his voice, a hint of anger finally emerged.
He couldn’t die here!
At this moment, so much had already been sacrificed!
How could he/she die here?
“Do you think that using my magic, you can kill me?”
The old man chuckled coldly.
Even with the improved effects of “Universal Gravity,” Hals felt dizzy and overwhelmed, but he was strong enough to stay focused in such extreme circumstances.
Unraveling his own improved magic!
But, this also needed time.
Alan quietly exerted his own power.
He was in a sorry state, closing his eyes and raising his hands high.
“Praise, Sun.”
A magnificent golden glow shimmered on the surface.
The power belonging to the ancient sun god, even if just a tiny bit, still possessed extraordinary strength!
In an instant, the world seemed to be filled with nothing but gold!
Hals, in the sky, let out a painful and sorrowful cry. In the intense brightness, the covering of his eyelids became meaningless, and he instantly lost his sight.
He covered his eyes in overwhelming anger.
The attempt to unravel the curse was interrupted by “The Sun Anthem.”
“I will kill you! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
In intense pain, he could feel that this force was a kind of divine power, symbolizing a “god.” Otherwise, his usual defensive spells would not have been easily penetrated!
“Ordinary magic, extraordinary power, it should be really difficult to kill you…”
Alan continued to kneel on the ground, breathing softly, both his physical and mental strength draining away.
“Fortunately, I had always been prepared.”
The ground.
Something strange appeared.
On the ground stretching hundreds of meters, black flames gradually ignited.
Hals’s INT was frantically sounding the alarm.
Even though he couldn’t open his eyes, every pore of his body sensed a deadly sense of crisis.
It had been many years, how many years exactly, I hadn’t experienced this feeling for a long time!
Alan smiled and said, “The Fire that Burns Everything will never extinguish on its own. It continues to ‘multiply’ beneath the surface, in places that you cannot see…”
From the very beginning, the Fire that Burns Everything unleashed by Alan was not meant for instant destruction.
He couldn’t have been any clearer.
That distance was impossible to directly attack the opponent.
When Alan unleashed the Fire that Burns Everything, he controlled them to burn continuously underground, waiting for the flames to multiply.
Now, there were enough black flames available for use.
Plan before taking action, this has always been his style of warfare.
Alan murmured to himself, trembling as he extended a finger towards the sky.
“I can improve the spells too, the ‘Fire Dragon,’ as the name suggests, is a spell that controls flames… Hmm, the Fire that Burns Everything is also a kind of flame, right?”
He smiled.
Swallowing the soil underground, the black flames surged to the surface, transforming this place into a terrifying abyss of pitch-black fire in an instant.
Alan took a deep breath and pointed his finger at the enemy who had stepped out of the textbook.
Fire Dragon!
The enchantment took effect, and the surrounding sea of black fire transformed into several long dragons. Roaring, they soared into the sky, twisting and turning, fiercely “biting” at the old man suspended in mid-air.
“Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!”
With a piercing scream, wails of despair, the old man who had emerged from the textbook immediately ignited within the destructive black flames that had consumed numerous vast worlds, letting out a resounding cry!
About to turn into ashes.
The sky was engulfed in black flames.
It was over.
That’s enough for now.
Alan suddenly felt his vision darken, and he collapsed to the ground, unable to move and powerless to cast any spells.
The debris from the sky came crashing down with a loud rumble, black flames scattered like rain, burning all around. The protective spell he had prepared in advance saved him from being crushed to death.
The Savior…
I have not let you down, for all the time you have invested in me…
Hehe, Lin Bian, I am also worthy of the title ‘Night Watcher’, aren’t I?
A smile appeared on Alan’s face.
And there was still more…
“You truly pushed me into a desperate situation.”
What!?
Alan, who was lying on the ground, trembling all over, slowly opened his eyes.
He was horrified to discover that the dreadful old man was standing unharmed not far away, staring at him with a serious expression on his face.
“Why…how could this happen…”
Alan gritted his teeth, unable to comprehend.
“Not only do you possess relics of civilization, young man, but in Noah’s world, the greatest advantage lies in the fact that there are more ‘relics’ here than in any other world…”
Hals calmly pushed aside the elderly hand, revealing a green and yellow jade pocket watch resting on it. The watch’s only hand spun backward continuously.
It was known as the “Looked Back.”
A relic from a high-level civilization.
It had the power to induce “regret,” usable once every seventy-seven days, consuming half of the user’s remaining lifespan, and rolling back their state to one minute prior.
Top-tier experts at the Potential Apocalypse level naturally possessed immense “foundation” and “reserves.”
Hals waved his hand with calm precision, pushing the surrounding ruins tainted with black flames away, ensuring they stayed as far from him as possible.
For safety, he even delved deep into the ground, clearing away any lingering black flames.
“That should suffice.”
To ensure the young man had no tricks left, Hals maintained his composure as his elderly body erupted in flames, revealing a flickering crimson light.
“At last, I will grant you a dignified death.”
“I must completely erase you from this world, and only then will I move on.”
Hals paused for a moment. Finally, at the very end, he uttered a profound statement to the young man standing before him.
“You truly are a one-of-a-kind genius!”
Forbidden sorcery.
Transformation: Flame Giant
Flames roared and surged for hundreds of meters, rising ferociously without pause. The terrifying fire giant, with wings on its back, turned half the sky into a blazing inferno.
Standing beneath a massive golden ribbon of light, he gazed down at the tiny humans below.
The heat alone was enough to make Alan collapse, unable to move, on the verge of dehydration.
“Cough, cough…”
Alan struggled, his energy drained, his vision blurring.
“Indeed,” he thought to himself.
Even if one could replicate forbidden spells, one’s fundamental strength still posed a limit.
The gap was undeniable.
If one’s spiritual power were strong enough, they could unleash multiple spells, even continuously activating powerful ones like “foreseeing the future,” draining energy at an alarming rate.
Perhaps that could alter the course of the battle.
“Sorry,” he murmured.
“I failed to protect Tatsumi City, the Savior,” he whispered with regret.
“I believe the world will not fall due to my own failure,” he said with conviction.
“I also believe in the others at Babel Tower; they will succeed in saving the world in the end.”
“But I can no longer continue,” he sighed.
“Um…”
Lost in a daze, Alan suddenly found himself standing without realizing it.
He was trying to cast a spell.
So this is how it is.
The thought of continuing the battle had become instinctual, truly befitting of me.
The spell failed to materialize.
At that moment, Alan nearly lost his clarity, on the brink of slipping into unconsciousness. He could no longer cast spells that required focus and precision.
“I still can’t do it.”
He sighed, muttering to himself.
Waiting for his end.
This time, Alan had no tricks left.
He was about to meet his true death.
The Flame Giant stood tall, its molten lava-dripping fist resembling a volcanic eruption as it crashed down toward the tiny humans below.
“Boom!”
Amid a tremendous roar and wave of heat, the ruins were completely consumed. To Alan’s astonishment, he realized he had somehow survived!
Something… something had saved him!
He felt his energy slowly replenishing through the “Blood of Darkness,” so he seized the opportunity to eat some food and regain strength.
Using the Heart of Life, his vitality quickly recovered.
Soon, Alan discovered the reason for his miraculous survival.
That man.
Mr. Profligate stood before him.
The man chuckled softly and raised his hand.
In his palm, a temperatureless red light flickered.
This was the scarlet blood from the Queen of the Scarlet Moon.
The flickering light countered the Flame Giant’s overwhelming strike!
Hals roared in fury, attempting to continue his assault, but he was powerless.
The size difference between them was staggering, making this scene even more astounding.
“Sorry, I arrived a little late.”
Bai Yan shook his head gently, apologizing to his friend behind him.
Alan knelt on the ground, staring at the elder before him. He began to recall the figure of that man.
Thirteen years ago, he had been trapped in despair, unable to free himself.
Then, that man had appeared out of nowhere, changing everything.
Ah.
I understand now.
Alan suddenly realized why he cared so much about Bai Yan’s whereabouts and wanted to find him.
Because that kind of hero, who could turn the tide like him…
He realized he had always wanted to be that person!
It was his goal, his dream.
But it seemed he was destined never to make the final appearance, unable to become the hero who would save everything… Even though his power was no longer weak, the enemy had grown far stronger.
Bai Yan stood before the enemy, calmly speaking,
“You’ve done well. Like everyone else, you’ve all done exceptionally well.”
“In this world, there are enemies that cannot be defeated. It’s not your fault.”
But it is my mistake.
I couldn’t fully unleash the Babel Tower’s power, and it’s my failure that you could not grow stronger—strong enough to overcome any obstacle.
However…
I will personally change everything, paying the price for Babel Tower’s imperfection.
“Are you Profligate?”
In his Flame Giant form, Hals’ voice boomed like thunder, echoing for miles.
Even he had heard of the infamous “Profligate” from Babel Tower.
This man was not to be taken lightly!
“Yes, it’s me.”
Bai Yan nodded calmly.
He smiled, adding,
“I am the ‘Profligate.’
I am a member of Babel Tower, the Savior of the world, just like my companions…”
“As for you, no matter how weak you are, legends say you’re nothing but disgusting old witches and clowns, plain and worthless.”
“Arrogant fool!”
Hals’ fury erupted, and flames on his body became shooting stars, surging around him.
He roared and swung his fist!
Bai Yan, still smiling, suddenly threw Gungnir from his hand. It transformed into a dazzling white light.
Deep Red – Divine Punishment!
The white light transformed from Gungnir suddenly sped up, like a bolt of lightning, piercing through the body of the Flame Giant, interrupting its attack.
“Ah!”
Hals shouted loudly, growing more and more angry!
In the next moment, Gungnir returned once again, piercing through the enormous body.
“Impossible! Impossible!”
The elderly man within the Flame Giant found himself faced with this situation, completely powerless!
After being pierced through numerous times, the body of the Flame Giant crumbled and fell apart.
Hals roared and shouted angrily as he immediately unleashed an extremely powerful forbidden spell with a sense of triumph.
Gravity!
Alan was taken aback and felt a powerful pull, thinking he was about to be drawn towards it, but suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm.
Bai Yan stood firmly on the ground, wearing a smile on his face.
At this moment, he is currently in Power Possession mode, mastering the power of the “Queen of the Scarlet Moon,” continuously accumulating, while the gravity keeps increasing.
“I can’t just stand here like this, your body would be torn in half,” Bai Yan said calmly.
“It’s time to go.”
Bai Yan’s one eye glowed with a dark light.
The power of connection allowed him to perceive the current situation in every aspect.
In the next moment, he leapt up voluntarily, accelerating with the help of “gravity,” instantly transforming into a burning, fiery glow!
Gravity is simply another form of power.
Harnessing strength to deliver a powerful blow.
This was almost impossible, a battle technique that existed only in theory.
Ordinary people could never accomplish such a feat, but Bai Yan, who possessed a special “connection,” instantly perceived the only precise point to harness strength!
A burning, fiery red glow shot towards Hals’ body!
Hals felt an indescribable sense of suffocation, as if he was about to be crushed, as if he had already sunk into the depths of the ocean!
No!
I must survive no matter what! I must become stronger no matter what! I must explore more no matter what!
“Go away and die! It should be you who deserves to die!”
He roared, fuming, and shouted hysterically!
In an instant, a protective spell, like a shimmering barrier of light, was cast.
But, in the next moment, the protective shield shattered completely as the charged Crimson Blood struck!
Hals was engulfed by the aftermath of a dreadful power, causing him to be flung away like a tiny insect, flying hundreds of meters in one breath.
The elderly body fell to the ground, bones shattered and muscles torn. He struggled to get up, coughing up blood repeatedly.
If it weren’t for Hals’ regular use of protective spells, he knew deep down that he would have been killed directly by this terrifying man.
“Ah, you’re not dead?”
Bai Yan stood calmly several hundred meters away, while Alan was also by his side, catching his breath and recovering.
When the spellcaster Hals was gravely injured, the spell that required continuous maintenance, the force of gravity, naturally dissipated.
The Scourge of War.
Bai Yan slowly reached out and calmly drew a silver longsword from the red halo beside him.
This was the Civilization-level Relic, “Gorgeous Moonshine.”
A legendary weapon that once belonged to the Ultimate Witch, a thousand years ago.
Its effect is simple and unadorned.
It severed all things, unstoppable.
Bai Yan quietly raised the silver longsword and gently pointed it, speaking in a calm manner, “I have discerned your weaknesses. Yes, this weapon will be just right for you.”
“So, you should be dead.”
He calmly delivered the pronouncement of death.
Unbeatable!
Hals widened his eyes, realizing the situation. Although neither side had reached the “Apocalypse” level, the gap in strength between them was enormous.
Suddenly, he understood something.
I am about to die.
The years of abandonment, torment, and self-loathing were all meaningless.
I am about to die here.
As he had said, once you die, nothing has meaning anymore.
In the final moments, Hals didn’t give up. Instead, he became somewhat frantic.
He planned to cast an extremely difficult forbidden spell.
“I will crush you all!”
As a renowned master of magic, Hals had access to seven forbidden spells, each with incredible and powerful effects.
If he could cast one, there might still be a chance for a comeback…
Deep Blue World.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Yan had already crossed several hundred meters and was calmly standing behind Hals.
The silver longsword in his hand flowed like liquid, radiating moonlight.
The incompatible blood dripped from it.
The silver longsword became flawless again.
The moonlight shimmered, glowing brightly.
Hals, unable to finish casting the spell, collapsed, and his protective spell failed completely before “Moonlight Polarization” could take effect.
His head hit the ground, his eyes wide open in disbelief, unable to close.
Perhaps, in his last moments, the old man would truly regret his decision to join the Troublemakers.
“It seems I’ve finally caught up.”
The sword in his hand vanished without a trace. Bai Yan turned around with a smile, and in the next moment, he appeared back in front of Alan.
He helped his friend to his feet and then said, “Everything went as we planned, didn’t it? You held off the enemies, and I came to assist…”
“Long story short, Mysterious Magic, I still need to head to the next location.”
He paused, his expression becoming serious as he added, “From here on, it will be up to you to guard this place.”
“Um.”
Alan took a deep breath and nodded gently.
“I will protect everything.”
Tatsumi City, the Air Alliance, Noah, and this world—everything I care about is here.
I will protect it with my life, and beyond that, with everything I am.
Bai Yan nodded.
“Wait a minute! There’s one more question I want to ask, Mr. Profligate.”
Before Bai Yan could leave, Alan stopped him and asked, “Why have the people of Tatsumi City disappeared?”
Bai Yan revealed a knowing smile and said, “Because the Savior has protected them.”
Indeed, that was the truth.
Before the Doomsday Crisis began, Bai Yan spent one thousand Source Energy Points to exchange for a building facility.
“The Shelter”
Its effect was to accommodate ordinary people from a city inside, requiring 10 Source Energy Points per hour to sustain. The people within the shelter would be safe, unaffected by the real world.
The drawback was that the Shelter could only accommodate ordinary people and didn’t work for extraordinary individuals.
Bai Yan spent 1000 points mainly for three reasons.
The first reason, of course, was to prevent massive civilian casualties during the war in Tatsumi City.
The second reason was that Bai Yan knew, aside from the Scarlet Moon and Slime, other members of the Babel Tower would hesitate and be affected by the death or hostage situations involving civilians.
The final reason, based on his first playthrough of the game, was that after the Doomsday Crisis, casualties would be counted, and a significant loss of civilian lives would impact the final evaluation.
“Now that I know, I can finally feel relieved… Whew.”
Alan let out a sigh of relief.
He started to smile and even felt like laughing.
Being chosen by the Babel Tower might be the greatest stroke of luck in his life!
At this moment, Alan thought sincerely to himself.
Bai Yan quickly left.
He and another “incarnation” had already split up, heading toward five strategic points as “support units.”
Relying only on the Babel Tower’s Core Operators wasn’t enough to handle the enemies in the Doomsday Crisis.
Bai Yan understood clearly that as the “sole variable,” he had to give it his all—no, he had to risk his life!
Having come this far, he was, strangely, a little excited.
In his eyes, there was a hint of joy and excitement.
“The power to save the world is within my grasp.”
