Chapter 40

At the bottom of Moonshadow Lake, the giant fist of the Corrupted Tree King, covered in purple crystal clusters, crashed down like a meteor! The filthy lake water was crushed by immense force, forming a terrifying vacuum zone! Elly’s silver hair whipped wildly in the current, the icy water squeezing her body like iron bands, death’s shadow instantly engulfing her!

No escape possible!

At this critical moment, a desperate madness flashed in Elly’s eyes! She did not try to dodge; instead, using the water’s momentum, her body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, accelerating toward the Moonlight Crystal at the lakebed! Simultaneously, the alloy dagger clutched in her right hand glinted with cold light, stabbing fiercely at the wrist joint of the descending fist—where the purple crystals were relatively thinner!

“Squelch!”

The dagger plunged deep into rotten wood and purple mycelium! A thick, foul-smelling purple sap gushed out!

“Aaaagh—!” The Tree King roared in agony, its descending fist veering slightly off course!

“Boom!!!”

The massive fist grazed Elly’s body and slammed violently into the lakebed mud! The terrifying shockwave hurled Elly away like a fallen leaf! Mud churned up, plunging the lakebed into utter darkness!

Excruciating pain nearly knocked Elly unconscious; several ribs seemed broken, her mouth and nose filled with foul-smelling mud and purple decay fluid. But she clenched her teeth, drawing on superhuman willpower and survival instinct, using the shockwave’s force to lunge violently forward!

Her right hand frantically groped through the murky mud!

Her fingertips touched something warm, hard, emitting a faint cool aura!

Moonlight Crystal! She had it!

Elly’s heart surged with triumph! She clutched the crystal tightly in her palm! Pure moonlight energy instantly surged through her palm, dispelling some of the biting cold and withering corruption, reviving her spirit!

Yet the crisis was far from over! The wounded Tree King erupted in fury! All surrounding Corrupted Tree People surged closer, their massive arms churning the water, sealing off every escape route! The lake’s surface was completely blocked by the towering bodies of the Tree People!

Elly was trapped at the lakebed! She held hope in her hand, yet was ensnared in utter despair!

The Wasteland Hollow.

Three thick plasma beams, radiating annihilation, tore through the sky and slammed down—targeting the center of the hollow!

“Lingna! Down!” Lin Mo screamed in despair, tackling Lingna to the ground and shielding her with his body! Wrench let out a cry, hugging his head and scrambling into a half-collapsed metal crate!

“Boom! Boom! Boom!!!”

The beams of destruction struck the hollow! No thunderous explosion—only silent annihilation! Areas directly hit—blackened earth, shattered cover, Wrench’s carefully laid traps—vanished instantly into vapor, leaving three terrifying, bottomless pits with mirror-smooth edges! The intense heat vitrified the surrounding soil in an instant!

The shockwave struck Lin Mo’s back like an invisible hammer! He felt his organs shift, his throat sweetened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood! Beneath him, Lingna groaned in pain!

The entire hollow trembled as if struck by a god’s colossal palm! The newly repaired wooden fence shattered into dust! The last remnants of the shack were ripped away! The potato field was leveled! The precious “Starlight Moss” withered and blackened instantly in the heatwave!

Just one volley! One-third of Hope Outpost’s core area was erased!

On the top platform of the “Scavenger,” the Doctor watched the infernal scene below, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting the light of destruction. He raised his hand, preparing to order a second volley—to crush all resistance utterly.

“No—!” Lin Mo roared in anguish as he watched his fields turn to ash and the “Starlight Moss” vanish! His home destroyed! His hope trampled! Rage erupted in his chest like lava! The Seed of Life sensed its host’s overwhelming fury and protective will, unleashing an unprecedented emerald glow! This power was no longer gentle—it brimmed with fury and destruction! [28] “Boom——!!!”

“Doctor! You want energy? I’ll give it to you!” Lin Mo, wild as a mad beast, leapt to his feet and sprinted toward the fissure deep in the hollow! He poured the Seed of Life’s power furiously into the still-warm embers of the geothermal vein below!

"Boom——!!!"

Deep in the fissure, dark red magma surged forth like an enraged dragon! A thicker, wilder crimson column, interwoven with emerald life energy, erupted like a flame of vengeance, tearing through the earth and hurtling straight at the “Scavenger”!

“Force field! Maximum power!” the Doctor barked, face darkening.

The pale blue force field surrounding the “Scavenger” flared to blinding intensity!

“Boom—!!!”

The crimson and emerald energy torrent slammed into the pale blue shield! Blinding light swallowed everything! A terrifying energy storm raged above the hollow! The shield quivered violently, groaning under unbearable strain! Spiderweb cracks spread across its surface!

“Shield overload! Energy core damaged!” Alarms shrieked inside the “Scavenger”!

“Second volley! Target! Energy source!” the Doctor’s voice carried a note of shock and fury!

The “Scavenger”’s triple-mounted turrets groaned as they rotated, recharging again! Pale blue light locked onto Lin Mo, who was channeling the geothermal fire!

And Lin Mo, after unleashing this devastating strike, was spent. The Seed of Life’s glow had dimmed to near extinction; his body swayed precariously, with no escape from the incoming annihilation beams!

At that moment!

“Whirr—!!!”

In the center of the hollow, space twisted violently! A portal formed instantly—woven from thorns blazing with emerald flame! Within its depths: the filthy waters of Moonshadow Lake and the enraged Corrupted Tree King!

A figure shot backward out of the portal, crashing heavily onto the blackened ground—it was Elly! Soaked, caked in purple mud, a broken piece of corrupted wood impaled through her chest, blood staining her torn priestess robe. But in her hand, she clutched tightly a crystal radiating soft, pure moonlight—Moonlight Crystal!

She had succeeded! But at a terrible cost!

Elly struggled to lift her head, seeing Lin Mo about to be consumed by plasma beams! Seeing her home reduced to rubble! Seeing the Doctor’s cold face atop the steel fortress!

Cold killing intent and unwavering resolve burned to their peak in her eyes! Ignoring her grievous wounds, she slammed the Moonlight Crystal hard into the ground and screamed with her last strength:

“Liyana! In the name of Moonlight! Thorned Throne!”

As she cried out and the Moonlight Crystal touched the earth, the blazing thorn portal erupted with unprecedented radiance! A colossal force—fused with moonlight energy, natural will, life energy, and geothermal fury—descended across dimensions with thunderous force!

Countless giant thorns, blazing with emerald flame and entwined with silver moonlight, erupted from the earth like serpents from the abyss! They grew, intertwined, and spiraled wildly around Elly and Lin Mo, forming a vast, burning, throne-like bastion of thorns that fiercely protected them both!

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

Three beams of annihilation slammed into the blazing Thorned Throne!

Emerald flame and silver moonlight surged together! Violent energy collisions tore open space! Blinding light dimmed heaven and earth!

The thorns shattered inch by inch, turning to ash—but more thorns surged endlessly from the earth’s depths, replacing them in relentless waves! The Moonlight Crystal trembled violently in Elly’s hand, its glow rapidly fading!

The Throne shook! It cracked! Yet it still held firm, guarding its core!

“No! Impossible!” the Doctor roared, losing composure for the first time as he watched the Thorned Throne, battered yet unyielding, endure the annihilation beams! “What power is this?!”

Within the Thorned Throne, Elly clutched the dimming Moonlight Crystal, blood continuously seeping from her mouth and the wooden spike in her chest, her gaze still cold and resolute. Lin Mo struggled to crawl beside her, pouring his last trace of Seed of Life energy into her body, trying to sustain the crumbling defense.

Outside the Throne: annihilation’s fire. Inside the Throne: two wounded guardians, gripping the hope-crystal from another world, making their final stand. And below Moonshadow Lake—how had Elly escaped? Had the Corrupted Tree King been defeated? What price had Liyana paid? All remained hidden behind the blazing thorns and the light of annihilation.

Hope, in the ashes, upon the thorns, in the faint glow of the Moonlight Crystal, sang its final requiem.