DD Black White [421-422] (Patreon)

Chapter 421: Celestial Computer

Inside the main hall, the Holy Spirit Cult’s worshippers and elders, including the Grand Worshipper Shi Yue and the Evil Phoenix Douluo Feng Ling, all let out a long breath, as if they had been rescued from drowning. They scrambled to their feet, eyes filled with awe and lingering fear as they looked at the Demon Empress. Just now, they had truly felt the approach of death.

The Demon Empress ignored these ants. His gaze returned to Huo Yuhao and he said in a calm tone:

“Tell me, what do you mean by ‘a common enemy’? How do you intend to cooperate with me?”

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao dispersed the Honkai energy and mental power surrounding him, deactivated [Herrscher Armament: Illusion of Mind], and returned to his original appearance. Only his scarlet eyes remained deep and unfathomable. He spoke in a low voice:

“My mother’s soul was forcibly taken away by the Sea God, Tang San, and imprisoned in the God Realm. I want to go to the God Realm and take back my mother’s soul.”

He paused, his gaze meeting the Demon Empress’s hateful stare.

“And you seek revenge against the Sea God Tang San for killing your husband. Our goals are both aimed at the same high and mighty deity. Since we share the same goal, why can’t we cooperate?”

Huo Yuhao put forward his terms:

“If you agree, I can honor you as the Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult, with a status equal to mine. We will share all the resources of the Holy Spirit Cult and conspire together to kill the gods.”

Upon hearing Huo Yuhao’s words—especially that Tang San had taken his mother’s soul—the Demon Empress was slightly taken aback at first. Then, as if she had heard something extremely ridiculous, she suddenly burst into wild laughter.

“Hahahaha… good, good, truly good.”

Her laughter stopped abruptly. She looked straight into Huo Yuhao’s eyes, her gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to pierce his soul and see through all his pretense and obsession. She said in a deep voice:

“Okay. I agree.”

“Let me see just how far you can go on this path of defying the gods while bearing such a destiny.”

In Huo Yuhao’s eyes, she saw something similar to herself—an almost obsessive determination. However, what sustained her was her deep-seated hatred for Tang San. What supported Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, seemed to be a different, more complex emotion—was it the desire to save his mother? Or anger and resentment at being manipulated by the gods?

She became somewhat interested in this young man and wanted to see how far he could go.

Moreover, reason told her that if she actually fought Huo Yuhao and Xiao Wu here at the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters, even if she won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory that would not benefit her at all. On the contrary, it might provoke the dissatisfaction of Mobius and even the entire World Serpent organization.

As the being who granted her the core power of the Herrscher of Thunder, Mobius was someone the Demon Empress deeply feared, and the power contained within the shadowy World Serpent made her feel even greater awe. No one knew better than her how powerful and extraordinary the Herrscher Core’s power was—power enough to allow her to break the ancient curse in the bloodline of the soul beasts.

Long before her cultivation reached the limits of humanity, she had used her power as the Herrscher of Thunder to comprehend a cruel truth:

Soul beasts cannot become gods through their own power.

Some supreme being had placed an invisible curse on the entire soul beast race.

Soul beasts are forbidden from becoming gods unless certain unknown and stringent conditions are met.

This curse was hidden and powerful. Ordinary soul beasts could not detect it at all. Even the Beast God Di Tian was completely unaware of it. But she, through the Herrscher of Thunder’s power to control electromagnetic forces, had glimpsed the shackles that bound the very source of all soul beast bloodlines.

In her view, it was almost impossible to completely break the curse on the entire soul beast race. This curse targeted the entire race, and the one who had cast it was incredibly powerful. She even suspected that their level surpassed that of a God-King of the God Realm.

While it was hopeless to lift the curse on all soul beasts, it was not entirely impossible to lift the curse on an individual.

She herself had relied on the essence of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the Vortex Demon God Osial from a parallel world to gather a vast amount of energy far beyond the ordinary limit. Then, with the power of the Herrscher of Thunder’s core as a guide, she forcibly tore apart the curse shackles that bound her and stepped into the god-level realm.

In addition to this, there were two other theoretical methods:

First, to sacrifice a massive amount of life energy, triggering a qualitative change through sheer quantity and forcibly breaking through the curse seal targeting a single individual.

Second, if a deity was willing to lend a hand, the power of that deity could also lift the curse from a single soul beast.

However, in any case, lifting the curse on the entire soul beast race was as difficult as reshaping the laws of heaven and earth. Even a God-King would find it almost impossible.

The Demon Empress had no interest in delving into the source of the curse imposed on the soul beasts’ bloodline; her only concern was that this curse hindered her path of revenge. But precisely because of this, she understood more clearly than anyone else the preciousness and power of the Herrscher Core—a supreme blessing that could break the shackles of the gods and grant her the power to defy fate.

Therefore, she was unwilling to fall out with the unfathomable World Serpent organization before achieving her revenge.

Huo Yuhao’s invitation to cooperate happened to coincide with her interests, providing her with a stable base and an “ally” with special powers and a common goal.

Seeing that the Demon Empress and Huo Yuhao had finally reached an agreement, the last bit of hope Elder Moyin Douluo had been clinging to completely collapsed. His spirit was utterly dejected. Having played his last trump card, he discovered that it had only allowed others to become allies. He could no longer muster any other thoughts and, as if his spine had been removed, obediently chose to submit, bowing his head deeply in the direction of Huo Yuhao and the Demon Empress.

At this point, Huo Yuhao had finally gained firm control of the entire Holy Spirit Cult and had unexpectedly obtained the powerful divine assistance of the Demon Empress. The goal of saving his mother’s soul no longer seemed so unattainable, and his confidence soared like never before.

However, before he could march towards the Divine Realm, he still had a long-standing debt that needed to be settled in the mortal world.

Duke of the White Tiger.

The man who had kidnapped his mother, the man who didn’t even know he existed.

Judging by the timeline, the situation on the continent was about to undergo a dramatic change.

According to reports from the Holy Spirit Cult’s spies planted in the Sun Moon Empire, with the “help” of the Lord Ravager, the Sun Moon Empire’s soul tool technology was developing at an astonishing speed. Its military strength was changing rapidly, its massive war machine already in full operation, and a cold torrent of metal was poised to be unleashed. The shadow of war had already loomed over the three great empires of Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling.

…

Time flew by, and a year passed quietly amid intense preparations, covert schemes, and the accumulation of individual strength.

For ordinary people, a year might just be another cycle of the four seasons. But for the Holy Spirit Cult lurking in the Great Star Dou Forest, for the ambitious Sun Moon Empire, and for the three great empires that sensed impending doom, this year was the calm before the storm—a period of accumulation that would determine the future of the continent.

The warm afternoon sun shone through the crystal glass of the dome of Haiyuan City, casting dappled light. In the garden, silvery laughter drifted on the breeze.

Little Lu Mingyin had grown quite a bit taller. She chased after a butterfly, her little face flushed from running. March 7th held up a camera, constantly snapping photos of the exciting moments while shouting:

“Little Yinyin, look over here, give me a smile!”

Elysia sat on a nearby swing, gently swaying and humming an unknown lullaby, her eyes crinkling as she watched this vibrant scene, as if all the beauty in the world had gathered here.

Lu Jingming stood on the veranda not far away, gazing tenderly at his daughter. This tranquility and joy were treasures he was willing to give everything to protect.

A familiar fragrance drifted over. Changli gracefully came to his side, naturally taking his arm and snuggling closer with her soft body. She also looked in Lu Mingyin’s direction, a smile playing at the corners of her lips, but the words that came out shattered the warm atmosphere before them:

“The Sun Moon Empire is about to take action.”

Lu Jingming’s smile did not fade; instead, it carried a hint of calm confidence.

“I expected this. It’s been tough for Xu Tianran to endure and accumulate for so long.”

Aside from themselves, probably no one understood the Sun Moon Empire’s movements better than Haiyuan City, which controlled the “Will of the Plane.”

“The show is finally about to begin, and the day when we take center stage is not far off.”

He spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something trivial that had nothing to do with him.

With the unfathomable strength of Haiyuan City, it would not be difficult for them to sweep across the land and forcibly unify the Douluo Continent. However, such a move, under the guise of military conquest, would breed countless hidden dangers: alienation of the people, covert resistance, and millions of subsequent governance problems.

He preferred to wait until the three great empires showed signs of fatigue, or even collapse, under the military might of the Sun Moon Empire. At that time, he would then act as a savior—defeat the powerful Sun Moon Empire and the Lord Ravager behind it, and rightfully take over everything to integrate the continent.

The former approach was domineering, simple, and direct, but fraught with endless troubles. The latter was the way of the king: it required patience and maneuvering but would result in a solid foundation.

Lu Jingming hated trouble and didn’t want those around him, who were devoted to him, to be caught in endless turmoil in the future. Therefore, his choice had been clear from the beginning.

“Let’s prepare our legions as well.”

He glanced once more at the corner filled with laughter and chatter, a fleeting, almost imperceptible warmth flashing in his eyes before it was replaced by indifference.

“The gears of fate have begun to turn.”

He turned and left, his steps steady. The pristine land behind him, like an idyllic paradise, would be kept away from the storm that was about to sweep across the continent by his most forceful means. No matter how turbulent the outside world became, the tranquility and beauty here must not be disturbed by anyone.

With a flash, Lu Jingming disappeared from Haiyuan City and stepped into a strange space—the Star Inner Sea.

The scenery here was very different from before. Countless mysterious bands of light flowed and intertwined in the void, forming a vast and intricate network. At the center was a huge sphere of light composed of pure energy and information flows. The Herta and Ruan Mei stood before the sphere of light, whispering to each other.

Ruan Mei’s arrival had brought about revolutionary changes to this world. With Douluo Star’s will as the core, and with her and The Herta’s wisdom that transcended their era, they had managed to transform the entire planet into the prototype of an unprecedented celestial computer.

Even geniuses like them needed sufficient computing power to support them when facing massive amounts of information and deduction.

Now, under Ruan Mei’s enlightenment, the dimensional will of this planet had transformed into a true star soul, possessing independent life and form. It had become the core processor of this planet-level computer.

Perhaps due to Lu Jingming’s peculiar sense of humor, the transformed Star Soul had taken on the appearance of a vibrant and beautiful young girl, especially striking with her head of emerald-green twin ponytails. Lu Jingming named her Hatsune Miku.

With the birth of Hatsune Miku, the mountains and rivers, the aura of living beings, the flow of energy, and even the subtle movements of various forces throughout the Douluo Continent were all clearly presented to Lu Jingming’s will, as if he could see the lines on his palm.

With the support of this “planetary consciousness’s” terrifying guidance and computing power, the soul technology of Haiyuan City was undergoing silent yet rapid iterative upgrades. Without anyone noticing, even a level-12 soul tool that had only existed in theory had been successfully developed. And this was merely the result of Hatsune Miku’s own deductions and optimizations based on the existing soul tool system of the Douluo Continent; it had not required The Herta to personally intervene.

Moreover, during that year, Lu Jingming also returned, as promised, to the parallel world where Qian Renxue lived. There, he fulfilled his promise to the Angel God, not only making her completely his woman, but also bringing with him the help of Ruan Mei and The Herta. The intertwining of angelic holiness and the allure of mortal life created a truly unforgettable experience.

But more importantly, Douluo Star in that world was also transformed into a celestial computer. After its star soul took human form, she became a beautiful white-haired girl with a cool temperament and a figure far more stunning than Hatsune Miku’s. Lu Jingming named her Yowane Haku.

In a sense, Hatsune Miku and Yowane Haku, these two beings born from Douluo Star’s will in different timelines, could be considered a pair of unique sisters.

With the full support of Yowane Haku, the development of the Martial Soul Empire’s soul guidance technology could be described as meteoric. The achievements made in just one year had surpassed the accumulation of hundreds of years of normal development.

Lu Jingming stayed in that world for quite some time, only leaving after he confirmed that Qian Renxue was carrying their bloodline. This had been Qian Renxue’s persistent request. She wanted to continue the purest angelic bloodline, and Lu Jingming, as the partner she had chosen, naturally had the responsibility to fulfill her wish. However, the gestation of a god-level lifeform was extremely difficult, and for this reason, he did indeed spend more time and “energy.”

At this moment, Lu Jingming’s gaze pierced through the dazzling light streams of the Star Inner Sea, as if he could already see the flames of war about to rise across the continent. The layout was complete, the pieces were all in place, and all that remained was the clarion call to usher in a new era.

He murmured to himself, a mixture of anticipation and chill in his voice:

“The stage is set. It’s time for the actors to take the stage.”

Chapter 422: The Sun and Moon Empire’s Great Army

Sun Moon Empire. A massive military assembly area outside Mingdu.

The oppressive atmosphere was almost tangible, making it hard to breathe.

On the high platform, Ju Zi, dressed in a military uniform, wore an expressionless face. Her once lively eyes were now like a frozen lake, reflecting the terrifying military formation below—enough to terrify any opponent.

The first thing that caught the eye was the uniform, metallic legion of soul masters.

Tens of thousands of soul masters, at least at the fourth-ring level, wore standard soul guidance armor and wielded the latest soul guidance ray guns or energy concentration cannons. They remained silent; their soul power fluctuations merged into an invisible force field that even caused the light above them to distort slightly.

This was the foundation upon which the Sun Moon Empire swept across the continent.

Now, with the technological catalysis brought by the Lord Ravager, the sophistication of their equipment and the synergy of their soul power had far surpassed any previous era.

Beyond this ocean of soul masters lay an even more awe-inspiring steel jungle—the mech legion.

Thousands of colossal structures, some over ten meters in height, stood majestically, their cold metal shells gleaming with a chilling luster in the sunlight. They came in various shapes and sizes; some carried giant cannons powerful enough to blast down city walls, while others had their arms modified into high-speed rotating chainsaws or massive alloy claws. A low hydraulic rumble emanated from their joints.

These war machines were the product of the fusion of soul guidance technology and otherworldly metallurgy. Each one possessed destructive and defensive power comparable to a high-level Soul Douluo, a mobile fortress born purely for destruction.

However, even more terrifying and unsettling were the antimatter legions that roamed the flanks of this great host, seemingly emerging from the abyss.

They were neither purely mechanical nor living beings, but bizarre entities composed of twisted energy and dark matter. Wherever they passed, even the air seemed to be eroded by some kind of negative energy, becoming cold and lifeless.

They were the vanguard of the Lord Ravager, pure messengers of destruction, whose very existence constantly dismantled the surrounding laws of matter and energy.

Above all of this was a massive, sky-obscuring fleet of floating warships.

Dozens of giant warships, each hundreds of meters long, hovered high in the sky. Their thick armor, towering cannons, and complex soul guidance runes flashing along their hulls proclaimed their unparalleled air superiority and devastating firepower. They were like moving steel mountains, casting shadows that covered most of the gathering area.

Even more unsettling were the enormous shadows looming and swirling around these floating warships in the clouds.

Those were Doomsday Beasts—massive biological weapons with dragon-like features. Their scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, their claws and beaks were strong enough to tear through the toughest armor, and ominous dark-red energy flickered at the corners of their mouths.

They were the fleet’s most loyal and terrifying guardians. Their roars were like death knells, foreshadowing the coming end of civilization.

Ju Zi stood there, commanding this force capable of overturning the entire continental situation.

After the Holy Grail War ended, her contract with Celenova should have been terminated. That Lord Ravager was too powerful; the so-called contract could not bind her in the slightest. Ju Zi should have been like those assimilated people in the Fire Phoenix Douluo’s forces, becoming a member of the Star Roar Destruction Army without any independent consciousness.

Strangely, Celenova did not do that.

Instead of abandoning or assimilating her, she allowed Ju Zi to sit on the throne of commander-in-chief of the Sun Moon Empire’s three armies.

Ju Zi didn’t understand why. In her view, she had already lost her usefulness to Celenova.

In another dimension, two transcendent beings were watching all of this.

“Your little toy seems quite puzzled,” Phantylia said lazily, as if watching an interesting drama, a playful smile on her lips. Her eyes, which could see through people’s desires and fears, easily captured the confusion and bewilderment deep in Ju Zi’s heart.

“Ju Zi…” Celenova’s voice was cold and flat.

She stretched out a finger and casually drew a line in the air before her. Space was torn open like a curtain, revealing the boundless starry sky and the Douluo Star that was undergoing subtle changes.

“She is ‘his’ person. Since ‘he’ wants to use us to advance his plans, then we will simply go with the flow and let him use us.”

The Douluo Continent of today, after being transformed by Ruan Mei and having its status elevated, was no longer what it once was. Space was more stable, the material structure more robust, and the energy level had greatly improved. This planet was now capable of supporting the arrival of a god-like being without being rejected or collapsing under the will of the plane.

However, Celenova and Phantylia—these two Lord Ravager who had witnessed the birth and death of millions of worlds—were unwilling to set foot on it easily.

They had seen through the planet’s true nature at first glance—it had been transformed into an enormous celestial computer. Under the shadow of that almost limitless computing power, once they stepped onto Douluo Star, whatever they did would be like moving pieces on a chessboard that had already been laid out. Every move they made might be calculated, deduced, and even incorporated into the opponent’s plan.

This feeling of being under someone else’s control made them unhappy and filled them with vigilance.

Therefore, their decision to evacuate Douluo Star was already an unspoken agreement between them.

But before leaving, their agreement with Xu Tianran still needed to be fulfilled. Helping him launch this war of conquest that would sweep across the continent was both the fulfillment of a promise and an… interesting experiment.

They wanted to see where Xu Tianran and his human empire would ultimately go after gaining power far beyond their era. Would it lead to ultimate destruction, or would some unexpected new life be born from the ruins?

Regardless of the outcome, the process itself would always bring something of value—perhaps data, perhaps enjoyment, or perhaps just a fleeting spark called “possibility.”

Celenova’s gaze returned to the assembled army of destruction below. Her icy voice echoed through the alternate dimension:

“Let’s begin. Let’s see what kind of future this blade we personally handed over can cut open.”

Ju Zi’s voice, amplified through the soul guidance loudspeakers, coldly reverberated throughout the entire gathering area. It was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if she were merely reading a notice unrelated to herself:

“All troops, listen to my command—target: the original Three Kingdoms of Douluo. Advance!”

There was no rousing speech, no promises of glory—only a simple yet brutal order.

However, this cold command was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting this ocean of steel and destruction.

“Buzz—!”

The soul guidance engines of the floating warship fleet emitted a deep, earth-shaking roar. The massive hulls began to move slowly, like ancient behemoths awakening, pressing towards the eastern horizon surrounded by countless Doomsday Beasts.

On the ground, the soul master legions marched with uniform, heavy steps. Their metal boots struck the earth, raising clouds of dust. The towering mech legions advanced in lockstep, causing the ground to tremble. The sounds of hydraulic systems and metal joints grinding together merged into a symphony of destruction.

The distorted antimatter army spread forward silently, like ink dripping into clear water, leaving withered vegetation and extinguished life wherever it passed.

On the edge of this massive and despair-inducing legion, a particularly conspicuous force silently followed.

They were not human, but wolf-headed, human-bodied creatures exuding a cold and bloodthirsty aura. The leaders among them radiated particularly terrifying presences—they were none other than the Titled Douluo-level elders and retainers of the Holy Spirit Cult.

The alliance between the Holy Spirit Cult and the Sun Moon Empire had not been broken by the death of the former cult leader, Zhongli Wu. For Emperor Xu Tianran, it didn’t matter who led the Holy Spirit Cult. As long as this powerful force could be used by him, as long as it could become a sharp dagger to tear apart the enemy’s defensive lines, that was enough. Whether it was Zhongli Wu or Huo Yuhao who controlled it was merely a change of dance partner.

…

Deep within the Great Star Dou Forest, in the dark main hall of the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters.

Bei Bei and Tang Ya stood in front of a huge projection screen that clearly displayed the terrifying scene of the Sun Moon Empire’s army setting off.

A torrent of steel, ferocious monsters, warships that blotted out the sky… all of this made the two people who had grown up in the original Three Kingdoms of Douluo feel incomparably heavy, as if a huge boulder was pressing on their hearts.

Tang Ya shifted her gaze from the screen to Bei Bei’s calm side profile, her eyes filled with unbearable guilt and pain.

It was precisely because she had been trapped in darkness and controlled by the Holy Spirit Cult that Bei Bei had been willing to betray Shrek Academy, which had nurtured him, and even throw himself into the lair of evil soul masters, just to protect her.

Feeling her gaze, Bei Bei turned his head and met Tang Ya’s self-reproachful eyes. He could only smile helplessly and reach out to gently hold her cold hand.

He had said countless times that he had never regretted his choice. The glory of Shrek Academy and the revival of the Tang Sect were insignificant in the face of Tang Ya’s safety and smile. As long as she was safe and well, as long as he could stay by her side, he would be willing to fall into eternal darkness.

At the very top of the main hall, on the throne symbolizing the highest power of the Holy Spirit Cult, Huo Yuhao stared indifferently at the army on the screen.

In his arms, he carefully held a swaddled newborn—his and Xiao Wu’s child.

Looking at the massive army that was about to trample his homeland, a cold sense of satisfaction flashed in Huo Yuhao’s eyes.

He had waited far too long for this day.

The man named Dai Hao—his biological father—had been away from home for many years, stationed at the front lines in defense of the empire. It was this very absence that had indirectly led to his mother’s tragic fate and death. It had also caused Huo Yuhao to experience the world’s coldness from an early age, never once feeling a father’s love.

Since that was the case, he would personally destroy the faith Dai Hao had protected his whole life, and shatter the beliefs and achievements he cherished like his very life. He wanted that high and mighty duke to watch as everything he had sworn to defend crumbled before his eyes in the face of absolute power.

However, when he lowered his head and his gaze fell upon the pure, innocent, sleeping face of the baby in his arms, his icy killing intent and blazing flames of revenge would involuntarily soften a little.

The arrival of this child was like a faint but tenacious ray of light shining into his heart filled with hatred, allowing him to regain a sliver of reason that had almost been completely extinguished.

It was because of this little life that he had prevented Bei Bei and Tang Ya from participating in the impending bloody war. He needed to secure a relatively safe future for himself and for this child—for their uncertain and perilous road ahead.

He had to storm the Realm of the Gods to rescue his mother, but the future was unknown and fraught with danger; he could not possibly take his young son with him. Now, the only people he could trust were Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

Also because of the birth of this child, his original obsession with killing his father and massacring everyone in the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion had quietly changed.

Utter destruction might only bring emptiness.

What he wanted was for Dai Hao to feel a deeper and more lasting pain—to watch the country he protected fall into war, to watch the honor he cherished be trampled, to watch all his efforts turn into nothingness, yet remain utterly powerless to change anything.

Huo Yuhao gently rocked the baby in his arms, his gaze returning to the screen.

“Go… destroy, plunder, bring despair.”

He justified himself, a cruel smile curving his lips.

“Dai Hao, watch closely and see what kind of end awaits everything you cherish.”

The war began in the most brutal and direct way.

…

On the border of the Sun Moon Empire, hundreds of super-heavy soul guidance cannons—enhanced by Antimatter Legion technology—had already been calibrated. As Ju Zi, overseeing the rear, calmly waved her hand and gave the order, these ferocious war machines let out a deafening roar.

Their target was the Mingdou Mountain Range, the natural barrier upon which the Star Luo Empire relied to maintain its border security, and the most elite Northwest Army Group stationed there—personally commanded by the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao.

What arrived first was not ordinary artillery fire, but strategic weapons capable of altering the terrain itself—level-nine fixed-installation soul guidance shells.

Several streaks of light, trailing blazing flames like falling stars, tore across the sky at supersonic speeds and struck precisely at the core area of the Mingdou Mountain Range’s defense line.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

Then came extreme light and heat—and an explosion that annihilated everything.

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!”

An unprecedented roar instantly robbed everyone of their hearing.

Huge fireballs rose simultaneously from the main peak of the Mingdou Mountains and several critical passes, soaring straight into the sky as if the earth had opened a giant mouth to spew flames.

The terrifying shockwaves spread wildly in all directions, crushing hard rock into powder like brittle biscuits and turning dense forests into charcoal and ash in the span of a heartbeat.

The mountains wailed—they crumbled.

A mountain hundreds of meters high was blasted in half. Boulders mixed with soil poured down like a waterfall, instantly burying the camps, fortifications, and defensive soul tools below.

The earth itself was torn open, leaving deep, bottomless ravines—hideous scars across the surface of the continent.

For the soldiers of the Northwest Army Group, this was undoubtedly the end of the world.

Many soldiers did not even see the enemy before they were instantly vaporized by the extreme heat, disappearing without a trace along with their armor and soul tools.