Chapter 38: Stupidity and Madness
For friends and companions, what kind of figure is Joshua?
Perhaps there are a thousand different answers to this question, but without a doubt, all these answers share one common point: a sense of reassurance.
Whether it's the weapon's somewhat resentful muttering or the praise of his subjects tinged with a hint of fear, beneath the surface of complaints lies an unparalleled sense of security. Joshua's existence is like a towering mountain—as long as he is there, there is no need to worry about the arrival of storms. He may seem aloof, but in reality, he is full of warmth—in Moldavia, no one hears a single whisper of gossip about the lord. This is not only because of the lord's own strength but also because he truly has no blemishes.
As a friend and comrade-in-arms, Joshua's reliability needs no elaboration. He upholds order, adheres to his duties, does not make promises lightly, but if he says something, he will surely fulfill it. To have such a person fighting by one's side is indeed the most reassuring thing possible.
So, for his enemies, what kind of existence is Joshua?
There is only one answer: a monster.
Stubbornly straightening its body, Haier Mu did not retreat or curl up. It looked up at the unharmed steel giant high in the sky, light lines like runes flickering across its body.
What other answer could there be? Any being standing opposite this warrior would silently agree with this answer: a nearly indestructible steel body, an inconceivable strength to move mountains, a regeneration speed comparable to an undead monster, and an ordinary attack capable of destroying cities and mountains... Even in long-range combat, Joshua could use techniques like fist winds and nuclear fusion flames to attack, and engaging him in close combat was even worse—it was the worst possible choice.
Not to mention others, just consider the last being that fought him in close quarters: Saruka. The Demon Lord was no weakling. The Insect Demon, proficient in various transformations, possessed troublesome polymorphic forms and different combat styles, but even it, when choosing to clash head-on with Joshua in close combat, could only be completely crushed, without even the power to fight back—now Saruka's burning body was still falling toward the bottomless world of the Bloodmoon Abyss. After just one exchange, all the bones in its body were crushed, and its form was completely twisted and deformed.
But was Joshua truly invincible? Haier Mu did not think so. The Great Serpent Eye Demon was very certain of this. Even though its combat style and attack methods were completely countered by the warrior from start to finish, it still did not believe the steel giant was unmatched in the world.
Joshua had weaknesses and could be destroyed. The fact that Black Dragon King Ke Anuo's attack could be effective was proof. Saruka's ambush could also break through a layer of armor. Although the steel giant seemed indestructible, it could still be damaged. His mutual attack with the Dragon King had torn both of them apart, revealing various fragile points in his body structure, which Haier Mu had thoroughly recorded.
But it was not strong enough.
The steel giant was agile and swift at short range, but at medium to long range, its massive weight made it difficult to dodge. The gravitational fluctuations transmitted at the speed of light also made it hard to ambush. Joshua had not deliberately taken Saruka's previous attack to counterattack; he simply could not dodge it, so he defended and then struck back... In terms of pure speed, the giant indeed had a weakness.
But the demon was not strong enough.
So far, the warrior did not seem to have resistance against special types of attacks. He indeed had unparalleled adaptability to ordinary energy and physical attacks, but was the same true for special seals, curses, and mental attacks? To defeat such an invincible giant on the battlefield, perhaps there was no need to face him head-on. One could simply retreat to the Abyss and plan a large-scale soul sacrifice curse to weaken him, making it difficult for him to fight.
But Haier Mu was not strong enough.
Yes, not strong enough.
Haier Mu had seen the fragile structures in Joshua's body. It had analyzed that the warrior was not agile enough. It speculated that the steel giant had no resistance to certain special attacks... But so what? It simply could not exploit these obvious flaws! The great serpent gnashed its sharp teeth anxiously. Compared to one-on-one battles with powerful beings, Haier Mu was better at suppressing an entire world on its own. Its attacks could scorch half a continent, but they were useless against certain strong individuals. It saw through everything but could not attack the enemy's weaknesses, could not exploit their flaws, and did not even have the chance to try striking from the enemy's vulnerable points—because the warrior was right in front of it, and Haier Mu had no opportunity.
High in the sky, Joshua had mostly finished dissipating heat. He began walking toward the great serpent, not fast, but his oppressive presence was like the entire sky turning into an ocean pressing down. He was advancing, and no one could stop him.
Scorching winds lashed back and forth against the serpent's body, causing the energy patterns flickering on the Demon Lord's surface to hum. Haier Mu watched Joshua walk through the flames. The pairs of closed serpent eyes on its surface began to open one by one, each snake eye flickering with different lights—dim, bright, scorching, cold, full of vitality, filled with nameless stillness... Millions of different lights surged around the serpent's body, making it seem like an aggregate of light.
"My king, Lord of the Abyss, Goliath."
Haier Mu muttered in the ancient demonic tongue. The high-temperature gas spewed from the serpent's throat ignited the surrounding atmosphere, and rolling heat currents echoed all around.
"I fear not battle, life or death, nor pain or torment. I am willing to toil and serve my race, never knowing peace, even if it means sinking into eternal damnation—I fear only one thing: that the hope of my race is cut off by my hand, leaving no future."
Haier Mu recalled the scene when it was defeated by Goliath. It had been cleanly beaten but, contrary to the conventions of past demon wars, was not killed but spared. At that time, the Gluttony Demon, not yet a Demon King, did not even glance at this defeated opponent, but its words did not enrage the Eye Demon; instead, they made it willingly become its subordinate.
"The Sixth Abyss is too small, Haier Mu. I want to conquer other worlds and seize everything I need from them—whether it's flames, souls, or the hope of reviving the Sixth Abyss, I will not let any go."
"I spared your life not out of mercy. There are countless worlds, and I cannot personally act every time. I need a subordinate to charge ahead for me, and you happen to be suitable."
The former Demon King had pressed the serpent's head into the mud, stepping on Haier Mu's head as it spoke. Goliath's tone was harsh, and every move showed contempt for Haier Mu, but that was the victor's rightful privilege over the defeated in demon battles. Yet the word 'hope' made Haier Mu, waiting for death in the mud, pause slightly.
Hope? What a beautiful, what an inconceivable thing. When had demons ever needed such a thing, and when had they ever been able to possess it? This foolish demon had indeed defeated it, but did it really think it could revive the Abyss? Too stupid, too crazy.
Heh, an interesting fellow.
In the sky, Joshua was still walking unhurriedly. The joints of the steel giant were still slightly red. Although Haier Mu's Star Blaze had not caused obvious damage to the warrior, it had indeed slowed his movements. The Demon Lord noticed this but still could not find any possibility of defeating him.
Yes, it had no chance. According to calculations, it did not even have a one-in-a-billion chance of victory. Rather than hoping it could defeat the steel giant in single combat, it would be better to hope that the Black Dragon King would rise from the dead and Saruka would recover from its injuries, so the three of them could join forces to besiege him.
But not everything requires having a 'chance' before taking action.
Joshua's walking speed grew faster and faster, and the effect of Star Blaze on him became increasingly weaker. Meanwhile, the light all over Haier Mu's body grew brighter and brighter. Hundreds of different types, attributes, and characteristics of energy converged on the serpent's body. It suddenly coiled itself into a massive ring—the Demon Lord abandoned its serpentine physical form and completely transformed its legendary body into a simple ring-shaped energy structure. Countless points of light of different colors began to move within this ring-shaped energy structure. Their speed continuously increased, and after a few seconds, they turned into rapidly rotating streams of light, making Haier Mu an energy ring of shifting brightness. Space was shattered by this ring, and fragments of the world fell around it like scattered, multicolored crystals.
There was nothing else to do.
The next instant, the stream of light that Haier Mu had become suddenly soared upward. Amidst Joshua's surprised gaze, it rushed toward him. It had transformed into light, a pure aggregate of energy. Its speed was the speed of light, and nothing could stop it.
—Even in a battle destined for defeat, Haier Mu still took the initiative to attack, vying for a nearly zero chance of victory.
This was the 'stupidity' and 'madness' of a demon.
The ring formed by the Demon Lord spun rapidly, advancing at the speed of light. It shone with blinding light, illuminating half of the Bloodmoon Abyss. Countless colors at this moment merged into white, but this white was not pure and warm; it was a scorching, chaotic, indescribable white. It lunged at Joshua, seemingly intending to strike head-on.
—It was about to succeed. Everything happened within 16.67 microseconds, the time it took light to cross five kilometers, the distance between Haier Mu and Joshua. In such a short time, no living being could react. This was a guaranteed hit.
But four hands reached out. A gentle silver glow flickered, and an invisible barrier stood between the charging ring of light and Joshua.
Light burst forth, illuminating the entire Bloodmoon Abyss. For a moment, even the light released by the Blood Moon was obscured. But Haier Mu was not stunned by this scene; it had not yet reacted—it had been blocked.
The warrior stared at the ring of light that Haier Mu had become. The time was too short; he had not understood what the other party intended to do. But an attack that forced a legendary expert to abandon its form could not be taken lightly. So Joshua used his most cautious defense to block it. Steel Force condensed into countless crystals with perfectly smooth surfaces. Any light or energy entering this cloud-like barrier of crystals would be refracted and deflected, making it impossible to cause him any harm.
The reason he could react was not that his reaction speed surpassed the speed of light, but that he had been prepared in advance—after losing in a spar to Pope Eagle, Joshua had been thinking about how to counter this incarnation of light. Although he still had not figured out how to deal with the inconceivable ability to change the speed of light, he had thought of countermeasures for all other ordinary attacks. Haier Mu's Star Blaze happened to be among them, and this charge in the form of a ring of light was no exception.
The moment the other party transformed into a ring, Joshua instinctively set up his defense. This was not instinct but a prediction based on rich experience. And every move of the Demon Lord was seen through by him, just like now.
"Impressive."
He muttered a low praise. For the sake of courage, Joshua did not intend to waste any words. Silver flames lit up on his arms and accelerated continuously, forming a terrifying chainsaw-like stream of light. The warrior appreciated Haier Mu's decisive attack, but he did not intend to understand its intentions. Joshua condensed Steel Force and mass waves capable of shattering mountains. He was going to directly sever the Demon Lord's still-accelerating stream of light body, cutting off all its hopes and possibilities.
But suddenly, in the dark, silent depths of the Abyss, a dim star lit up.
The Bloodmoon Abyss was a world of destruction. Before it was destroyed, the entire continent floated in the sky. Even fallen rocks would float in the air before being absorbed by other islands. Countless different races and civilizations thrived on one floating island after another, but no matter the race or civilization, they all held great reverence for the bottom of the world.
They said it was the end where all things return to death. They said it was a dark, bottomless abyss. No one had ever been there; no one knew if it had an end—but now, a dim star rose rapidly from the abyss. It ascended vertically, trailing a gray pillar of light. This pillar of light pierced through all the darkness, dyeing the pitch-black world with a hint of color. It was like an extremely sharp sword, exuding an incomparable aura. At that moment, even Joshua could not help but be slightly distracted. Haier Mu, however, did not take this opportunity to attack. It could not, for one thing, and in truth, it too was attracted by that point of light.
The next instant, they both knew what that point of light was.
It was the demon Saruka, the Insect Demon Lord.
"Hiss—ahhh—!!"
Rising rapidly, letting out an inhuman roar, Saruka's body had mostly regenerated. It had transformed into another smooth biological form and was now flying rapidly toward the sky above. Sound was left behind it. Air burned and thunder exploded. It was severely injured but not without the strength to fight. The Insect Demon eagerly desired to return to the battlefield.
The 'star' rapidly enlarged. It collided with Joshua—not that the warrior could not react. At this moment, he was fully engaged in a contest of strength with Haier Mu. How could he spare the strength to deal with Saruka? Everything happened within a thousandth of a second. All that could be seen was that the continuously rotating stream of light finally broke through Joshua's barrier and struck his chest. Meanwhile, the Insect Demon Lord, striking the warrior from behind, transformed into a strange octopus-like form, tightly binding the steel giant's four arms, preventing him from counterattacking.
One hundred-thousandth of a second later.
A supernova ignited at the center of the Bloodmoon Abyss.