Chapter 43 - Infernal Flame Tauren… The Heart Stops

TL-ed by Wei

Edited by LD

If she was the Queen of Needles, then everything would be easier. Li Jiayu only needed to talk with her for a while and make some false promises, then that would probably allow him to gain control of her temporarily and persuade her to stab the Abyssal Vine Demoness to death, right?

However…

Before Li Jiayu had the time to rejoice, the change in the battlefield once again made him stare in stupefaction!

The Abyssal Vine Demoness struggled; its dilapidated eyeball twitched and stirred, and sent out a weak spiritual cyclone!

This Spiritual Storm was far weaker than the previous two, but when it came into contact with Rong Momo’s head, Rong Momo immediately gripped her head and started screaming! Her eyes were wide open with an expression filled with agony, practically resembling a grievous spirit!

“Ah! Ziwei, you little s.l.u.t. Even if I, Rong Momo, die from the pain, I’ll never let you off after turning into a ghost!”

When it reached the end, Rong Momo had already gone completely limp on the ground. She rolled around and writhed about arduously, then under Li Jiayu’s astonished gaze, she finally vanished from the magical formation with a “poof”!

‘Oh, heavens!

‘What the h.e.l.l is going on?’

Before the Higher Second Tier creature, the Queen of Needles, could even flaunt her unique skills, it had already gotten defeated by that weak Spiritual Storm and kicked back into her own s.p.a.ce?

Why was there such a weak Queen of Needles? One had to know that the prowess behind that weakened Spiritual Storm was like an arrow at the end of its flight. Even an ordinary man would be able to endure it!

Li Jiayu felt his scalp go numb!

‘Maybe I guessed wrong? Maybe that woman isn’t the Queen of Needles but a delicate and frail ordinary old woman, whose prowess was merely comparable to any Tom, d.i.c.k, or Harry!

‘Ugh… What is going on…? Why is it that after my rebirth, all of my summons are always unexpected and bizarre even though I have the soul of a Greater Dark Summoner? It is reasonable to say that my summons won’t have any aggressively fatal mistakes, right…?

‘d.a.m.n it! Now isn’t the time to examine if there is a problem with my soul! I must make use of the time I have to get rid of the Abyssal Vine Demoness!

‘If the summoned beasts aren’t of any help, then I shall rely on myself! Even if I have to resort to crawling, this short distance of 50 to 60 meters is nothing!’

Li Jiayu shook his head vehemently and heaved out a few exhausted sighs, trying to temporarily disperse the growing dizziness in his head. Laboriously, he moved with his fractured right leg.

Frost Moon had long since frozen the puddle it laid in, and cold air lingered around, glowing with a deathly cold l.u.s.ter in the silent night.

Clink—

Li Jiayu used his completely intact left hand to pick up Frost Moon from the frozen puddle. As the rainwater cleansed the blade, the rainwater rapidly turned into sparkling translucent drops of ice. The chill pa.s.sed onto Li Jiayu and caused him to shudder incessantly, turning his dripping wet yet gravely stern face ineffably pale.

“You know… after being reborn, I did not hold any big ambitions. No matter how chaotic the apocalypse is, even if two or three tides of insects waves a.s.sault us every day, even if countless numbers of people end up in the bellies of the worms, even if science and technology fails… So what? It’s none of my business!”

Li Jiayu staggered, with one foot stepping higher than the other. He trudged through the battlefield, plunking into puddles and make splashes. He gasped for air as the glow of his soul became dimmer by the minute. Talking to himself, he said,

The war between Insects and Humanity… If it’s possible, I’d truly rather not bother with it…”

“I merely wish to spend my days in peace. I want to be filial to my old man, protect my younger sister, marry several good-looking wives, and find a random safe region to spend the rest of my life…”

“However… because of you, these hopes have all been ruined!”

Li Jiayu grimaced. His expression seemed tranquil, yet his gaze appeared extremely malevolent. Without him noticing, his chest had started to throb with pain and forced him down to the ground, kneeling halfway. Only after quite a while did he finally manage to climb back up. All in all, he had spent roughly a minute’s time before he was able to painstakingly reach the Abyssal Vine Demoness’ body!

Poof

Frost Moon’s blade pierced the Abyssal Vine Demoness’ gigantic eyeball, causing chilled energy to invade its body. Like breaking dead branches and smashing rotten wood, it wrecked the Abyssal Vine Demoness’ internal system. The whites of its eye, the green juice, and blood had been frozen along with the flower bud that had been about to bloom, severing its vitality!

‘Finally...

‘I finally killed the Abyssal Vine Demoness. The sacrifice did not go to waste!

‘This way… Sister Hsiao Wanqing will be safe for now. She will no longer be turned into a dried corpse by the Abyssal Vine Demoness, right?’

Li Jiayu’s lips curled up into a mocking smile.

Creak~

The screech of an insect came down from the skies!

Li Jiayu instantly felt his scalp go numb, his entirety was submerged in a freezing cold and it was like his blood had frozen!

‘... insect?

‘An insect came!’

At this moment of time, an insect had come!

‘Why are they still lingering around like haunted spirits!’

That familiar screech was not from a Crimson Crowned Beetle nor was it a Corrosive Worm but a Leaping Dragon Louse that made the soldiers flee for their lives!

That was an insect that specialized in searching for smoke. These creatures loved the scenes where battles and bombardments took place, breathing in the luring aroma of the smoke while conveniently killing the gun- and cannon-wielding people!

In the apocalyptic era, these insects appeared the most within locations like military sites, bases, and a.r.s.enal. The reason was that they possessed “impulses” that allowed them to foretell simple dangers and also set up a protective cover that made it strenuous for ordinary firearms to kill it. These insects were the most headache inducing creatures for soldiers!

Lower Second Tier, Leaping Dragon Louse!

It was a type of gigantic insect a level even more terrifying than the Crimson Crowned Beetle!

In a blink of an eye, the Leaping Dragon Louse flew toward Li Jiayu under the covers of the night and the dim illuminance. Li Jiayu took notice of its greyish-white carapace as well as the three flashy pairs of wings behind it!

Even if the Leaping Dragon Louse was a size larger than the Crimson Crowned Beetle, its body was clumsy. However, with the support of three pairs of wings, its speed exceeded even that of a swift(bird). The Leaping Dragon Louse’s bloodthirsty blue gaze was fixated onto Li Jiayu!

“It’s charging toward me, huh… So, it turns out that the Spiritual Cyclone wasn’t to a.s.sault Rong Momo but to attract this Leaping Dragon Louse. Additionally, this place has the smell of smoke, so it really came over…”

Li Jiayu’s heart arose with despair. He had already struggled until the end and yet had not attained the best results… 

‘I’m not satisfied with this. Even after paying such a heavy price, is there no way of winning?

‘d.a.m.n it. Man proposes but G.o.d disposes. Are we supposed to stand here while waiting to be eaten and then regret in h.e.l.l…? How can we do this? If we are going to take a last stand, we should give it everything we got!’

“Insect Cores and what not are whatever… I’ll ignite everything! Random summon, this is probably the last summon of my life! No matter what, please do not disappoint me! You must not disappoint me!”

As though experiencing an electric shock, Li Jiayu took out the last seven Insect Cores he had and threw them to his feet. Glaring with at them with widened eyes, he bellowed with hatred. From the depths of his mind, he felt a dizziness and a feeling like he was on the brink of collapse; his head seemed as though it was about to blow apart in utter chaos. However, Li Jiayu remained as clear-headed as before, and in the fastest speed possible, he completed his incantation!

For a split second, an ineffable fiery sensation flowed in his heart. Li Jiayu then opened his eyes, and despite the leg and wrist fractures, he forced himself to kneel. With a hand on the ground, he bellowed with rage,

“I’m grateful for your arrival! I shall forever remember your glory! Come forth, Infernal Flame Tauren!"

As Li Jiayu’s words fell, the Leaping Dragon Louse squatting on the top of the gymnasium started to get impatient. It flapped its wings suddenly, swerving down from midair. Its two front legs were like two beheading swords that glinted with ice-cold radiance in the cold night. 

Close… It was getting closer. Soon, it would be able to slice Li Jiayu from head to toe. One thing the Leaping Dragon Louse loved to do was to slice people in half—separating them into left and right two pieces, like cutting a watermelon!

Li Jiayu raised his head to look at the Leaping Dragon Louse lunging directly toward him, and his pupils contracted!

‘This is a race of time!

‘Please please for G.o.ds sake! Please hurry up!

‘If it’s even a hundredth of a second late, I’ll be in the abdomen of some insect!’

As though Li Jiayu’s prayer was heard, a dazzling magic formation lit up rapidly. Under the rain, the edge of the formation combusted with a red flame pattern. In the meanwhile, a fire-red silhouette suddenly burst out from within the six-starred magic formation!

Creak~

The Leaping Dragon Louse collided against the fire-red silhouette. However, it was as though it had collided against a steel beam, and the Leaping Dragon Louse emitted a painful cry. Even its front claw, which it prided highly, was dislocated from the crash!

The Leaping Dragon Louse recomposed itself but was surprised to notice a lofty, 3-story-tall, blazing tauren standing erect before it. Its size was horrifying, and its entirety was wreathed in raging flames. With muscles like solidified magma, it exuded an astonishingly high temperature and the aura of h.e.l.l. Even if the rainwater landed on it, the rain water would evaporate in an instant!

Creak——

The moment the Leaping Dragon Louse took notice of such an enormous enemy, it immediately knew that it had encountered a tough opponent. It was not foolish and turned around to flee, but it had no chances at doing so!

The Infernal Flaming Tauren emitted a thunderclap-like roar and sound waves rippled outwards so much that even Li Jiayu’s hair started to fly. Afterward, it grabbed the Leaping Dragon Louse in midair with an outstretched arm. The Infernal Flaming Tauren exerted some force, then... 

Pop! 

The Leaping Dragon Louse was crushed to death and even cooked by the Tauren’s flames!

Before the Leaping Dragon Louse could even flaunt its awe-inspiring prowess, it had been decimated instantly by the Infernal Flame Tauren!

Bang!

A sound resounded and the Infernal Flaming Tauren vanished! It was so overwhelmingly powerful that even after Li Jiayu had over drafted his spirit’s limits, the Infernal Flaming Tauren could only be retained for a mere second!

After the disappearance of the Infernal Flaming Tauren, Li Jiayu could not hold out any longer and collapsed to the ground like a pile of wood. Despite the relentless battering of the muddy rain that soaked his white hair, he did not move in the slightest!

‘Already… completely out of strength… All of my strength has been emptied. My head feels hollow. There is nothing left except pain…’

“Li Jiayu!”

First came a scream, then a bunch of people rushed over... It was Chu Xiang! He had brought a group of males and braved the dangers of being attacked by the insects under the cover of the night, fumbling their way over hastily.

“Li Jiayu, are you alright? Persevere for awhile more, I’ll bring you to the 13th floor. There’s a physician there!”

Chu Xiang shouted as he burned with anxiety. The ten men who followed behind him were like ants on a boiler, running in all directions out of panic. Even an idiot would be able to tell that Li Jiayu’s condition was very bad. If an unexpected misfortune were to befall him, that would be bad!

“They did not arrive early nor did they arrive late… Why do these minor characters always appear after everything’s over…”

That was the last complaint Li Jiayu had in his mind. In the next moment, he shut his eyes silently and sank into the boundless darkness!

When Chu Xiang noticed Li Jiayu had shut his eyes, Chu Xiang’s expression changed for the worse, and he hurriedly felt Li Jiayu’s chest with his hands!

One second, two seconds, three seconds—the long wait made Chu Xiang’s expression turn for the worse and worse as the time pa.s.sed by. That ugly lizard face now looked like a ghost!

“N-no… T-there’s no heartbeat! There’s no heartbeat!”

Chu Xiang’s voice trembled, as though his tone permeated with a chill!

“It’s impossible! You’re spouting nonsense! Nothing will happen to Li Jiayu! He’s a prophet! He belongs to the Celestial Dragon Group! Nothing bad will befall him! He will not fall that easily!"

At this moment, several men and women rushed over with umbrellas. The one who had spoken was Sun Weiwei. She was not using an umbrella and was thoroughly soaked through. Her black hair was dripping wet as it draped over her shoulders, and her eyes were red, while her face was mixed with tears and rainwater. With a hand covering her mouth, she ran over in a short sprint and pushed Chu Xiang away. Yet when she saw Li Jiayu’s ice-cold body, she was at a complete loss!

After a long while, Sun Weiwei then lowered her head as her body shuddered, placing her head onto Li Jiayu’s chest. Her red lips trembled incessantly, feeling guilty and fearful like a startled bird. This was the first time in her life that she had experienced such a bone-piercing fear!

“H-he really is…”

Sun Weiwei covered her mouth while her tears fell silently. Seeing her reaction, everyone knew...

Li Jiayu was dead!

Rumble!

An ear-splitting thunder resounded, and under the illumination of the dazzling flashes of lightning, heaven and earth became bright as day. In a blink of an eye, the sound of the rain mingled with gregarious booms. It was as though the heavens were splitting apart with countless tears. The drizzle became a heavy downpour, lashing down in torrents!

Everyone fell into silence. A faint scent of vines and the blood of corpses lingered amidst the downpour, and an unspeakable sorrowful and stifling atmosphere spread amongst them slowly. 

‘Li Jiayu is dead… Such a strong prophet actually died? If someone like him could die, then how was it possible for the ordinary humans to survive in the apocalypse from now onwards?’

Many of the boys that admired and worshiped Li Jiayu felt a sense of bewilderment, and their conviction was shattered with a feeling of powerlessness!

Without Li Jiayu’s protection, how would the students deal with the endless waves of insects…?

As the downpour, mixed with the chilling breeze, hit their bodies, an unspeakable chill seeped into their bones!

“Wait a moment… There’s still time to rescue him! Maybe there are some other methods? Can’t we imitate a pacemaker? We can stimulate Li Jiayu’s heart! Or CPR! If there’s even a shred of chance, we must definitely save him!”

It was Han Xiaoqi who spoke. This girl had grown up together with Li Jiayu. Despite not having any romantic feelings toward him, Li Jiayu was her best friend. Now that Li Jiayu had become like this, one could only imagine her sorrow.

“Yes, are there any medical students?! Quick, during this time, we can only depend on you!” Chuxiang hollered at the students.

The boys and girls exchanged looks, doing the ‘you look at me, and I look at you’ thing. After a moment pa.s.sed, all of them shook their heads. There were many students but not a single one was a medical student!

‘Why is it like this… at this point in time…? Why is there no one that knows first aid?!’

“It’s too late! We must not delay this any longer… We must think of a solution! Even without any medical students, we can still use CPR— the most simple method of artificial respiration that everyone knows!” Chu Xiang spoke.

“Who will help Li Jiayu do the CPR?”

When CPR was mentioned, the girls on the scene all felt their hearts become astir. Whether it be out of saving someone or for some other reason, they were all extremely willing. However, when they were about to volunteer, the half-dead Dark Octopus, who was not far away, woke up from its comatose state and groaned softly,

“Don’t… waste your time… Ordinary methods won’t be of any help… Go rip apart the Abyssal Vine Demoness’ flower… Take out its Life Core, and let Master consume it… Maybe this will retain Master’s life…”

If Li Jiayu was awake, he would be extremely taken aback. That was because his mental fluctuations had long since ceased. According to the rules of the Summoner’s World, when the master was dead, summoned creatures would be returned to their original plane regardless… So, why was Dark Octopus still able to stay by Li Jiayu’s side?

This violated the general knowledge of the magic world completely!

However, at this moment in time, no one would pay heed to these matters. After Chu Xiang heard what the octopus said, he ran aggressively over to the Abyssal Vine Demoness’ frozen corpse almost immediately. Rage filled his heart as he grabbed both ends of the flowers and ripped it apart as though ripping clothes, tearing apart the bud’s frozen flesh.

In the flower bud, there laid a transparent, blue female figure that was about to form. However, due to it losing the source of energy that nurtured it, it had begun to regress into a formless ma.s.s that is the primal chaos, becoming a viscous liquid which middle contained a glowing gem.

Chu Xiang did not bother about the opposite party being female and reached out into the girl’s heart, gouging out the glowing gem. He felt that the gem exuded a warm energy that was comfortable like a spring breeze.

It was a Middle Second Tier, half Spirit and Vitality oriented core!

Rain fell wildly from the sky, and the pitch-black sky seemed as though it would collapse at any moment.

Afterward, it had become a  serene darkness. After consuming the core, Li Jiayu had not revived, so his freezing-cold body was transported back to the 13th floor. From the dance hall, Chu Xiang and crew rescued Hsiao Wanqing and the other women that were in a stupor, totaling up to 88 females altogether. Of course, they also found the mummified corpses of 56 males who had been drained of their blood.

Tonight would be the longest night the survivors would ever have had to experience. The howling winds and torrential rains battered against the tattered window like a whip, emitting ear-piercing and horrifying sounds. It was unknown as to how many people were frightened awake from their nightmares and how many pa.s.sed through the sleepless night in apprehension.

---Translator Notes---

Thank you for reading! 

If you find any errors in the translations, it"d be great if you can point them out to us and we"ll fix them ASAP. We want to make the reading experience as enjoyable as possible, so thank you in advance for helping out! Please contact us via Discord: Wei#4089 (Translator); LD#8735 (Editor).