Chapter 552

The specific description of sharing weal and woe is to propagate the disease effect to both the target range and oneself, with particular emphasis on the term "disease effect," encompassing both the symptoms themselves and their manifestations.

The relationship between the Phase Demon and carbon-based life forms is roughly equivalent to Sadako and Donnie Yen, or Hakiimi and a cat—completely unrelated.

Epilepsy cannot affect the Phase Demon itself, but its symptoms can.

Li Cheng trembled all over, forcibly severing the abnormally discharging regions of his brain using assembled rag dolls and insect-gene modifications, barely reclaiming control of his body; in his left hand he held the book, its pages turning automatically, every five seconds inflicting numerous diseases upon the Phase Demon and himself (given this was a live broadcast, he retained a shred of decency and did not flip to the gynecology section).

In his right hand he gripped a dazzling NFC card of gold, red, and silver, swiping it across the surface of the Thermal Death Corridor.

The surrounding space shattered like tempered glass, breaking slowly yet swiftly.

From the fractured space emerged a vast shadow, completely obscuring the hundred-meter-tall Phase Demon—a colossal serpent's head forged from dark-silver alloy, its surface covered in thick, dense armored scales, sparks crackling from its severed neck, its snout lined with serrated hydraulic steel teeth, its right optical sensor—once an eye—now destroyed, leaving only its left eye flickering with electrical current.

The strongest projection recorded within the Thermal Death Corridor: Alpha Serpent Head.

"WTF..."

In the Hague, Netherlands, Earth's real world, within the GOC Headquarters' Strategic Command Hall, numerous personnel of the Global Supernatural Alliance stared in stunned silence at the screen.

The Special Affairs Bureau had not transmitted live footage to the GOC via the Ten-Eyes communication earpiece, but since the communication satellite belonged to the GOC, they could vaguely glimpse the battle between the Phase Demon and Li Cheng in crude black-and-white comic form.

"That giant serpent… is Master Pi Fu's summon?"

"Just the head is as massive as Godzilla—could its true form be Jörmungandr from Norse mythology?"

"No wonder Master Pi Fu dared to provoke the Clock Tower—if he truly flipped the table, just this supermassive serpent head rolling through London could level Jin Rongcheng."

The command hall buzzed with murmurs; their thoughts were indeed correct.

Amid deafening metallic grinding, the serpent's jaws split and expanded, slowly opening as a magnificent, pure white plasma fluid gathered strength.

The Phase Demon thrashed violently, but was pinned in place by wave after wave of disease curses, until finally…

Boom—boom—boom—boom—boom!

A pale beam pierced the network space, engulfing the entire body of the Phase Demon; its blinding, starlike radiance stabbed through the GOC command hall's LCD screens, forcing everyone to instinctively shut their eyes.

When the light faded, all that remained in the space were Master Pi Fu and the gray rain—no trace of the Phase Demon.

Cheers erupted throughout the command hall; those who had refused the multinational conglomerates' exorbitant bribes at the very start of the Killing Ground and had resolutely joined the GOC were mostly idealistic internationalists.

They naturally harbored intense hatred toward the Phase Demon, a cross-universe invader.

As cross-universe invaders, Phase Demons naturally inspired intense hatred.

A cold, clear female voice sounded from the corner; everyone present instinctively turned their heads and rose in shock.

It was a figure entirely encased in bright silver armor, wielding a long sword at her waist, with no trace of supernatural power fluctuation.

The founder of the GOC, who single-handedly ended the vicious competition among major guilds during the chaotic era, established the order of the Slums, and was the first to reach the level cap of Lv40 since the Killing Ground's arrival: Saint Hong·Michael.

The command hall fell utterly silent; Michael had not appeared in the real world for a long time—her last communication with GOC leadership via friend messaging had been half a year ago.

The command hall was so silent that a falling pin could be heard; Michael had not appeared in the real world for a long time, and his last contact with GOC high command via friend communication had been half a year ago.

The GOC high command instinctively uttered this private honorific; they well knew that without Michael's founding of the GOC, global order would not be what it is today—it would have long since devolved into a world where the strong rule and commoners are as worthless as straw. They held her in heartfelt reverence.

Michael waved to cut off their greetings, lifting her gaze upward, as if seeing through the GOC's building roof—constructed from Killing Ground materials capable of withstanding nuclear bombardment—to the low Earth orbit.

In the next instant, the silver armor vanished from its place; only the cold, clear voice echoed in the hall: "The Phase Demon is not dead. I'm going."

In the next instant, the silvery-white armor vanished from its place, leaving only a cold voice echoing through the hall: "The Phase-Changing Demon is not dead—I'm going."