Chapter 3285: I Suggest Surrender

Main Painted World, Castle First Floor, Reception Hall.

The Young Lady on the high stool sat alone in front of the drawing board. The Young Lady cannot be considered cold in treating people, but cold is more appropriate to describe her. She treats everyone equally.

Perhaps already accustomed to loneliness, the Young Lady painted silently. A dull sound of armor collision came. The Young Lady didn't look in the direction the sound came from. She just dipped some paint with the brush in her hand and continued to depict her painting.

"Knight Grandpa, you're here."

The Young Lady's voice was still cold, but it contained more emotions.

The person who came didn't speak, just stood there silently. Old armor, a greatsword stained with blood behind his back, and a white beard tied with a faded thin red rope.

Old

"Do you want to take back your heart? I left it at the Sun Church. If you wish, I will have them return your heart. I saw the little fire bird not long ago; I'll let it go and retrieve it."

The Young Lady's tone remained flat, as if making the Sun Church obey orders was a trivial, everyday matter.

"No need. I have... no more need for that thing. The Ancient City has already perished; only you and I remain."

"The Ancient City..."

The Young Lady's hand holding the paintbrush paused, wanting to say something more, but ultimately falling silent.

"Are you the Painter now, or Rosa Aige?"

The Old Knight's tone carried a hint of unfamiliarity.

"I am Rosa Aige. I am still Rosa Aige, you know."

The Young Lady's name was very similar to that of the first Painter, whose name was Rosa Niye.

"That is good."

The Old Knight's gaze toward the Young Lady softened significantly, as if looking at a relative.

"Knight Grandfather, you don't have to do this. Everyone has their own destiny; why must you... bear so much for us? You are someone who should have rested in peace long ago. You owe no one, nothing. You have repaid the dynasty's kindness, saved many who wailed in the darkness, and gave hope to the people of the Ancient City. Even if the result is bad, they died holding onto hope. Isn't that better than a death of despair?"

After the Young Lady finished speaking, her expression was somewhat downcast.

"You will become the Painter."

The Old Knight's voice suddenly turned hoarse but firm. He stepped toward the long corridor and, after reaching the second floor, stopped in front of the door to the Gubao ward.

Click-clack~

The keyhole of the ward's metal door turned on its own and finally swung open with a boom. The Old Knight walked into the darkness ahead, which was filled with purple light spots, entering the Nightmare Gubao ward.

The Old Knight passed through the curved corridor, the main hall, and the patient rooms before entering the utility hall.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The Lamp Sister walked over from the front. When she was nearly ten meters away from the Old Knight, she stopped.

The Lamp Sister was somewhat fearful; she recognized this aura. It was this very aura that had nearly killed her years ago; the other party had almost shattered this nightmare.

Under the sea, Shelter City No. 6, inner city district.

The temperature inside the small building rose sharply, and the Emissary Polosi, who weighed at least six hundred jin, looked exceptionally ugly.

"So they really did find me."

The Emissary Polosi strode out of the small building. His reaction was perfectly normal; it was a trick played by Zuiyas.

As soon as Su Xiao, Wood, and Zuiyas arrived at Shelter City No. 6, a powerful enemy attacked. Unless someone was brain-dead, they would immediately think it was the trio's fault.

At this moment, a scapegoat was needed. Was there anyone more suitable to be a scapegoat than the Emissary Polosi? No one. If he took the blame, subtly implying that the powerful enemy was actually here to take revenge on him, there would be no problems. Shelter City No. 6 was his territory; who would dare to object?

Precisely because of this, Su Xiao and his two companions risked attacking the Emissary Polosi as soon as they arrived at Shelter City No. 6; time waited for no one.

Looking at it now, this decision was wise to the extreme. They had just succeeded, and the powerful enemy had arrived.

The Emissary Polosi was about to receive a new scapegoat. One could imagine that in the future, any broken pot would be thrown onto him—it would all be Polosi's fault.

Su Xiao leaped out of the small building's window and looked up. Above Shelter City No. 6 was originally an inverted semi-circular light membrane and a Sun Stone the size of a millstone, though not pure, which provided illumination so that crops within the shelter could grow normally.

The 'sky' of the shelter was originally beautiful; the sunlight reflected the seawater above into a light blue, hiding the dimness of the seabed.

But at this moment, the Sun Stone above had dimmed, looking no different from an ordinary rock; the sunlight it emitted was being absorbed.

Gurgle...

The seawater above the light membrane bubbled and churned, and the water had been reflected into a golden-red color. A massive ball of fire plunged straight down. One had to know that this was tens of thousands of meters under the sea; even the most advanced submarine would be instantly torn apart by the water pressure here, or compressed into a solid iron tin can.

Yet, under this terrifying water pressure, a giant bird dived straight down without any protection.

Did the ocean suppress the fire? No, the fire made the seawater boil, and due to the high temperature, it evaporated into water vapor, turning into a large amount of bubbles surging upward. This scene was both horrifying and spectacular.

Inside Shelter City No. 6, the former hustle and bustle ceased. Whether they were paupers, citizens, or nobles, all looked up. The nobles, who were usually full of arrogance, felt their legs go weak and their teeth chatter upon seeing the fire above; that was an existence they could not resist.

Sun Bird Taihakak, the divine creature born from the fanatical faith of the Sun Church over the past millennium, had arrived. The power of faith it absorbed was too obsessive and intense, which gave it unparalleled strength and obsession.

Any prey targeted by Sun Bird Taihakak, even if they reached the ends of the earth, or even tens of thousands of meters under the sea, it would find them and burn them to ashes.

Within the giant fireball surging down through the seawater, the shape of a giant bird was clearly visible. Its tail feathers were like ribbons of flame, and its eyes were sharp, fierce, arrogant, cold, and ruthless.

Whoosh!

The sound of breaking water had become ear-piercing. The Emissary Polosi looked up at Sun Bird Taihakak, gulped, and felt intense doubt in his heart, thinking: 'Am I an idiot? Why did I provoke such an existence? If I apologize now, is it too late?'

It wasn't that the Emissary Polosi was a coward; anyone with a shred of sanity would have this reaction upon seeing Sun Bird Taihakak.

"Polosi, mobilize everyone to meet the enemy outside the shelter."

After Zuiyas said this, he strode toward the outer city, exiting the city at top speed.

The Emissary Polosi shouted, and several Sea Clan guards appeared, following Polosi's orders to gather men.

Under no circumstances could they fight inside the shelter; that would mean certain death. Sun Bird Taihakak's ability was Sun Flame. If the enemy rushed into the water-blocking light membrane and entered the air-filled shelter, its combat power would increase by at least sixty to seventy percent.

Although the shelter was large, about the size of a city, to a solar-system divine creature, this was a natural incinerator. The Sun Flame it released would fill the place before long, burning all enemies to ashes.

Fighting in the seawater was different. Although Sun Bird Taihakak would cause the surrounding seawater to boil, it wouldn't be roasted to a crisp.

Judging by the golden-red color of the seawater above, Sun Bird Taihakak was already very close. Su Xiao leaped across the rooftops, his speed at full throttle.

When he reached the outer city district, not far from the city gate, he could already see Sun Bird Taihakak above.

Splash~

Su Xiao passed through the light membrane at the city gate and rushed into the seawater, activating the Sea God Statue.

Because of Su Xiao's movement, Sun Bird Taihakak also changed direction. Originally rushing into the shelter from directly above, it made a sharp turn and headed straight for Su Xiao in the sea.

As the powerful enemy approached, Su Xiao released the Eye of the Gods, attempting to detect Sun Bird Taihakak's data.

【Comparing intelligence attributes... Only 6.75% of the enemy's data detected.】

Name: Sun Bird Taihakak

Category: Divine Creature

Health: 100%

Solar Energy (Divinity): 107,519/113,000 points.

Strength:??? (True Attribute)

Agility:??? (True Attribute)

Stamina:??? (True Attribute)

Intelligence:??? (True Attribute)

Charisma: 249 (True Attribute)

Skill 1, Sun Deity (Passive, Lv. 82): Health +69,000 points, Physical Defense +51 points, Physical Damage Reduction 26.7%, Energy Damage Reduction 32%, ignores all Fire, Flame, and Sun-type damage.

Skill 2, Monster of Faith (Passive, Lv. MAX): Health +82,000 points, ignores all control effects, possesses Undying and Rebirth traits.

Note: Within this Painted World, Sun Bird Taihakak's Undying and Rebirth traits can prevent death under normal circumstances, as well as death caused by instant-death effects. It cannot exempt death caused by execution effects (among all instant-death and kill-on-sight abilities, execution is the highest tier).

Skill 3:???.

Skill 4:???.

Skill 18, World-Burning Karma Fire (Ultimate Ability):???.