Chapter 36 Chapter 34: The Knight Chasing the End_1

Translator: 549690339

Jiang Chen saw the tentacles that originated from the deep sea and didn’t feel much fear.

From the strategies he had consulted in the present world, combined with the descriptions of the trial, he had already guessed the general backdrop and even the process of the trial—

First of all, the ancient deities of the deep sea could obliterate civilizations in an instant, their power was undeniably immense.

But the stronger They were, the less threatening They became.

After all, this was just an advancement trial for rookie mecha pilots. Even an SSS-class rookie wouldn’t be enough to face an ancient god in 0th Rank mecha.

Unless the mecha pilot sought death themselves, deliberately dancing on Their face, then They would merely be a backdrop.

“In other words, the ancient gods have been living on this planet, even longer than human civilization, just in a constant slumber.”

“The progression of events is nothing more than an ancient god waking up to find his home infested with steam mosquitoes emitting pollution, getting up grumpy, casually swatting them dead, and going back to sleep…”

“Perhaps the time They were awake was only for the brief moment just now.”

“However, even if the ancient god falls back into slumber, the matter is not over.”

“Their casual actions have already completely collapsed civilization and order, probably even disturbing other creatures in the deep sea, causing them to flee to the land…”

“It’s these creatures that the mecha pilots truly need to face, monsters capable of destroying civilization.”

Having understood these things, Jiang Chen had also completely clarified the logical flow of this promotion trial.

He alone could not save the entire civilization—ten days was too short; it was impossible to traverse the planet in time.

What he could do was to use the power of the mecha to occupy a certain area as a stronghold.

Gather the survivors, resist the monsters of the abyss, and hold out until after ten days, preserving the last ember of civilization.

In such circumstances, a special identity was very necessary.

It could quickly earn the trust of others, as well as establish authority, sparing many troubles.

Just like now, the gentleman in the tailcoat, trembling with fear from the sudden catastrophe, at a loss, turned to look at Jiang Chen in astonishment after hearing his words.

“Apocalypse?”

In this world, there were also myths and legends of end times and doomsday.

Among them, the term “Apocalypse” corresponded to the knight who rides misfortune and brings about the end.

This man calls himself Apocalypse, what kind of madman with a mental illness?

No…

The gentleman in the tailcoat looked toward the dock.

All the steel behemoths had vanished without a trace, the area was now submerged by the tide, and the endless tentacles remain vivid in one’s sight.

Such events could overturn anyone’s understanding, reshaping their entire worldview.

This was not a myth, not a legend…

It was the reality unfolding.

Calamity was descending, the end had arrived.

The knight who rides the apocalypse, too, emerged according to myth, from the abyss into the world of humans.

Yet, unlike the myth, he seemed not to bring the end but to chase after it, seeking to leave behind the last ember for humanity.

By then, the meaning of what he was telling himself was very clear.

Past myths in the mind of the gentleman in the tailcoat pieced together into a new logic.

After a brief daze, he suddenly bent down, kneeling on one knee. He lowered his cane with his left hand and placed his right hand over his heart, bowing respectfully.

“I am at your service.”

Jiang Chen was unaware of the etiquette of this world and couldn’t be bothered to respond to these trivial matters, directly asking instead.

“What schools are nearby?”

Inside schools, there were both young students and professors with extensive knowledge.

Furthermore, they contained an abundance of books and the inheritance of wisdom.

If one were to preserve the last ember of civilization, it would undoubtedly be an appropriate place.

“Violet University, Tulip Middle School…”

The gentleman in the tailcoat quickly responded.

Jiang Chen continued to inquire.

“Which school has enrolled the most out-of-town students?”

Weak blood relations can effectively prevent the issue of inbreeding and may enhance the possibility of civilization’s continuity.

Although time was limited and perfection was unachievable, there would still be some effects.

“…Vanilla University.”

“Lead the way.”

Jiang Chen made his choice without hesitation.

In fact, he didn’t have much time to think over it.

Thanks to the enhanced physical abilities that improved his vision, he could clearly see the docks, the coast, and other places where, as the tide receded, deformed monsters began to climb out.

The external scanning equipment marked these creatures.

[Shallow Abyss Merfolk]

[Attributes: Strength 7, Agility 3 (5), Defense 4, Enigmatism 2.]

[Traits: Merfolk lives twisted by ancient gods, once dwelling deep in the ocean, adapted to deep-sea pressure, possessing slimy skin and formidable strength… They are not well-adapted to land, and their agility is diminished.]

[Weaknesses: Speed, fire, blunt weapons.]

[Assessment: Individually weak, but they usually move in groups, enough to pose a great threat to rookie mecha pilots.]

These deformed merfolk were not very strong.

They were nowhere near as formidable as the Gluttonous Goblins from the Nightmare Abyss.

With Jiang Chen’s current abilities, he didn’t even need to lift a finger; he could simply walk through them, crushing as many as there were, without breaking a sweat.

But the humans in this world didn’t have his strength.

A lucky sailor on the dock, who hadn’t been dragged into the deep sea with the large ship or swept away by the tidal waves,

encountered these Shallow Abyss Merfolk and was torn to shreds without any capacity to resist, his blood staining the ground red.

It wasn’t just him; as the Shallow Abyss Merfolk landed, they spread out in all directions, hunting down nearby humans with speed beyond that of ordinary people.

Lives were extinguished at an alarming rate.

At that moment, a cargo robot stepped forward.

Operated by a pilot, it stood nearly two stories tall, constructed entirely of metal with gears of various sizes visible in the joints, ejecting steaming vapor.

It grabbed a nearby street lamp and, with brute force, yanked it from the ground, wielding it like a steel long stick and sweeping it outward!

With a single strike, it sent three Shallow Abyss Merfolk flying!

The external scanning equipment provided information.

[Low-level Steam Mecha (Cargo Type)]

[Attributes: Strength 12, Agility 1, Defense 6, Enigmatism 1.]

[Traits: Steam-powered Mecha, it’s hard to believe this thing can move at all, it’s quite unscientific… Being a tool for cargo, the inventor did not care for its speed, resulting in its exceedingly clumsy movements.]

[Weakness: The pilot.]

[Assessment: Great strength, solid defense, but the exposed pilot makes it clear this machine is not hard to deal with.]

Just as the scanning equipment’s information showed,

this steam mecha, though seemingly overpowering in its slaughter of the Shallow Abyss Merfolk with sheer strength,

was ultimately intended for cargo, with its pilot seated at the chest cavity of the mecha, the upper body completely exposed.

A few Shallow Abyss Merfolk swarmed it, easily climbing the mecha and pulling down the pilot, tearing him apart immediately.

Without an operator, the steam mecha knelt down, motionless.

Meanwhile, an endless number of Shallow Abyss Merfolk emerged from the sea, and the situation on the coast collapsed almost instantly.

And all this was just a microcosm of the entire planet’s civilization.

Jiang Chen had no time to delay; he needed to head to Vanilla University as quickly as possible, gather the survivors, and protect them.

Any further delay might mean he could only accomplish the first survival task.

As he was about to leave, he looked at the pedestrians on the street who were at a loss and offered one more piece of advice.

“If you want to survive, come to Vanilla University.”

Having said that and without caring how many people listened, he picked up the tailcoat gentleman and hurried toward the university.