# 1976
Chapter 1976: The Return of [Nightfall]
A figure draped in a Crimson Cloak shot across the shattered earth like lightning, charging alone toward the two Cthulhu Faction deities!
The hand resting on the blade hilt tightened slightly, and a crisp sword cry rang through the heavens!
Clang—!!
In the next instant, a torrent of murderous aura and flames surged skyward!
"Hehehehehe……"
The pitch-black aura flames seemed to merge with the night itself, reducing this battlefield to ruins. Before the two mountain-like Cthulhu Faction deities, a titanic figure rose from the sea of flames!!
In the blood-and-fire ruins, that colossal figure gradually straightened to its full height, its height actually surpassing the two Cthulhu Faction deities. Circular hollows were scattered across its joints, and two cracked black chains extended from the void, binding its form in place. It seemed on the verge of shattering apart at any moment.
Both Cthulhu Faction deities struck simultaneously, their诡异 power flooding over the colossal figure standing in the sea of flames. The two black chains shuddered violently before shattering into nothing!
Stripped of the black chains' binding, the Black King's injuries healed rapidly. The aura flames spread beneath the titanic figure's feet, incinerating countless Black Goat spawn into ash.
An extremely terrifying and violent aura clashed with the two Cthulhu Faction deities' eerie presence, actually forcing them both to retreat slightly!
Roar—!!!
A thunderous howl shook heaven and earth. The titanic figure's palm reached into the sea of flames and grasped, a massive blade forged from intertwining murderous aura and flames materializing in its grip. It slashed呼啸 toward the two Cthulhu Faction deities!
Fighting two at once!
Exaggerated aura-laden blade light cleaved the earth repeatedly, revealing a deep fire chasm. The battle remnants from these three colossal beings instantly cleared the area, grinding tens of thousands of Black Goat spawn to powder. The titanic figure, blade in hand, fought the two Cthulhu Faction deities alone and somehow didn't fall behind at all!
[Nightfall] Squad member, the Black King, Cao Yuan!
Gray ash drifted over the surging tide of Black Goat spawn, rapidly forming into a crimson figure with six wings on its back.
With a single finger pressed to its lips, the burning cinders fell dimly. A gray domain instantly spread to cover another wave of black tide surging from the other direction. It stood atop all living things like a deity of the silent world.
"Shhh——"
The Black Goat spawn caught within that gray domain simultaneously exploded into countless blood mists.
A blazing flame burst from that figure's lips, instantly forming a wall of fire before the civilians, blocking the charge of the remaining stragglers.
[Nightfall] Squad member, the Angel of Silence, Shen Qingzhu!
Boom—!!
A black coffin crashed from the sky onto the earth, the shockwave flipping a dozen Black Goat spawn nearby!
A ghostly girl stepped out of the coffin. An invisible magnetic field swept across all electronic devices in the hands of the civilians behind her. Signals traversed networks, instantly covering all of Great Xia.
In the next moment, missile silos across Great Xia automatically opened. All thermal weapons within range, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, launched simultaneously!
Over a thousand missiles carved across the sky, like a steel sea cutting through the night, converging precisely on the northern battlefield.
As the girl raised her finger, a thousand missiles turned in unison, drawn by some force to orbit around her like a massive tornado, then descended upon the Black Goat spawn tide from behind!
Missiles detonated behind the wave, fireballs erupting one after another. Though they couldn't kill these bizarre monstrous creatures, the shockwaves tore gaping holes through the tide.
These precisely calculated missile impact points divided the endless black wave into over a dozen scattered segments within three seconds, drastically reducing the pressure on An Qingyu and Shen Qingzhu at the front lines!
[Nightfall] Squad member, the Ghost Magnet, Jiang Er!
Silver-white hair fluttered in the wild wind. Behind the battlefield, an old man stood alone in a pool of blood, silently watching those earth-shaking crimson figures. Deep remembrance flickered in his eyes……
[King's Star Coins] could resurrect beings from memory…… and the more familiar the person was to the one reproducing them, the closer the reproduced version's power would be to the original.
In this world, no one was more familiar with these people than Lin Qiye, the squad leader. [Nightfall] Squad was the strongest combat force he could perfectly reproduce now…… and the only means to hold off the Cthulhu Faction army for seven minutes and give humanity a desperate chance at reversal.
But this trump card could only be used once.
Once the Star Coins stopped turning, he would completely forget the beings that had been reproduced…… those cherished memories, the people he had eternally etched into his memory, would vanish from his mind forever.
For Lin Qiye, this was something more precious than life itself.
Just as Lin Qiye gazed intently at the distant battlefield, a figure emerged from nothingness and stopped beside him.
Lin Qiye turned to look.
It was a girl draped in a Crimson Cloak……
Black long hair fluttered in the wind alongside the cloak's hem. That face, which had appeared in his dreams countless times, now gazed at him from inches away. Her eyes were crimson with tears……
Her trembling hand reached out, slender fingertips touching Lin Qiye's withered, aged cheek. Two streams of tears uncontrollable rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
"Qiye……?"
Jialan stared blankly at him, her voice hoarse. "What…… what happened to you?"
Before her, those shocking wounds covering his entire body and that haggard, weary face were like a sharp blade, lacerating her heart.
Even though the current Lin Qiye no longer resembled his youthful self in the slightest, she could recognize her beloved at a single glance…… but she couldn't fathom what a young man in his twenties must have endured to end up like this?
A breeze lifted several strands of white hair. Lin Qiye stood in the pool of blood, those dim, lifeless eyes gazing at the Jialan before him…… Even though he knew everything before him was a false image reproduced from memory, in this moment, he couldn't help but feel his heart tremor!
He was the Commander-in-Chief of Great Xia's Night Watch. He could silently bear all enemies' attacks without a word, stand calmly before everyone…… yet he couldn't withstand the concern of the woman he loved, even if it was just from a memory.
All these years, he had endured too much loneliness and pressure. The instant he saw Jialan, the softest corner of his heart melted. The pain silently buried in the depths of his heart had finally found an outlet. Countless words of complaint surged forth uncontrollably……
But in the end, he simply shook his head.
In those turbid eyes watching Jialan, a trace of tenderness emerged…… He lowered his gaze to glance at his broken reflection in the pool of blood and softly said:
"I…… I'm just a little tired."