The Meaning of The Great Catastrophe

"Grrr!" Andy roared, his fangs bared as he hunched protectively in front of Du Chen. With thudding footsteps, a figure emerged from behind the maze's entrance. He wore a crimson The Flat-Top's Helm and a black Cleric's Robe, his stature tall and imposing. Beneath the helm, a fine, bristly beard covered his chin.

Seeing the man's attire, Du Chen lightly rubbed his nose, a smile playing on his lips. "Heaven, Earth, Generals, Weapons, Beasts—what are your thoughts on that phrase, esteemed sir?"

The man chuckled. "A mere five characters, yet they encapsulate the very essence of warfare. Any General who comprehends this truth is surely a God-General of their generation! Might I have the opportunity to meet your adopted son, Dud? I find myself exceedingly interested in him now!"

Du Chen offered a faint smile. "To meet Dud, you merely need Professor Jamis to send me a letter. If my teacher commands it, how could a student like myself possibly refuse?"

The man fell silent for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "We underestimated your capabilities! It seems you're already aware that our leader is Lord Jamis!"

"If I didn't know you were Lord Jamis's subordinate, how could I possibly remain so calm upon seeing you!?"

Du Chen remained still. Before him, a swirl of sand suddenly rose, rapidly coalescing into a square earthen table and two round stools. Du Chen retrieved a set of wine utensils from the Precious Lotus Scripture and placed them on the table, then elegantly gestured towards a stool. "Please, have a seat! In the past, Professor Jamis was quite secretive, vanishing after providing me with mysterious maps. Your sudden appearance today suggests a matter of great importance to discuss! However, might you first introduce yourself? As I seem to be your designated 'Number Ten', I presume I'm entitled to know a few things, am I not?"

The man smiled, taking a seat on a round stool. "You certainly know a great deal! As for us... have you heard of the Requiem Death Knights?"

A glint flashed in Du Chen's eyes. He nodded, smiling. "Records in the Papal Curia's Crystal Temple state that during the brutal Godslayer War, His Majesty Divine Emperor Prince established an ultra-secret, death-defying Legion. Their sole purpose was to assassinate high-ranking Fiendkind Generals and protect Holy Alliance headquarters, undertaking extremely perilous missions. Among them, every individual was a peak-level 'The Master,' possessing an unshakeable resolve for death—truly the Godslayer War's foremost powerful Legion!"

The man pointed to himself. "Requiem Death Knights, Number Two!"

"No wonder Andy couldn't detect your movements! So you were the Holy Alliance's Number Two Assassin back then. Your concealment Secret Technique must be truly unfathomable, even to ghosts and gods!" Du Chen nodded. "Speak, then. What is it you need me for?"

Number Two spoke slowly. "Not long ago, our Number One used astrology to predict the appearance of a fire-elemental beast here. Margaret's Ghost Map yielded the same forecast. So, we followed Margaret, preparing to ambush her once she and the fire-elemental beast were both severely wounded..."

"It seems your predictions were all wrong. There's no fire-elemental beast here; instead, there's a Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon!"

Number Two nodded slightly. "Indeed. Just now, we discovered Margaret had been severely wounded by the Scorcher Cannon. Lord Jamis decided to change our plans: the others went to pursue Margaret, while I remained here... to find you!" He swept a glance over Du Chen. "You've greatly surprised Lord Jamis. He originally intended to gradually bring you into the Requiem Death Knights, but alas, you acquired the Scorcher Cannon, and all our plans have been disrupted by it!"

Du Chen asked, "What exactly is the secret of the Scorcher Cannon?"

...Number Two smiled. "Let's continue our previous topic first—Heaven, Earth, Generals, Weapons, Beasts! During the Godslayer War, when the Holy Alliance was formed, humanity was already at an absolute disadvantage... In terms of Generals, battle formations, and Aberrant Beast armies, we were utterly inferior to the Fiendkind! To reverse the tide, His Majesty the Divine Emperor used sacred artifacts as a foundation and alchemy to develop a series of Weapon Secret Techniques to aid humanity in battle. Among them, the most representative were the fourteen Raging Fire Scorcher Cannons!"

Du Chen silently listened, his lips brushing the rim of his wine cup. *He thought to himself, 'And we must also add the Secret Techniques of Battle Qi Inheritance!'*

"In its nascent stages, the Scorcher Cannon was invincible on the battlefield. However, Bonis was equally brilliant and extraordinary. He took an unconventional path, using Ancient Military Arts to counter His Majesty the Divine Emperor's alchemy-based 'Weapons Clandestine Circles.' Specifically for the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon, Bonis developed a small item called the God-seeking Needle!"

As he spoke, Number Two pulled out a small, dark-gold, cross-shaped, double-headed needle from his waist and placed it before Du Chen. "With this little item, Fiendkind Generals can block the Scorcher Cannon's single-target lock-on function!"

Du Chen picked up the needle, turning it over in his hand. "Are you telling me that God-seeking Needles aren't rare, and that my ability to wound Margaret today was purely due to her not anticipating the sudden appearance of the Scorcher Cannon? So, in the future, I should be more careful when using it, is that it?"

Number Two nodded, continuing, "Once the Fiendkind possessed the God-seeking Needle, His Majesty the Divine Emperor, unwilling to show weakness, drew upon Ancient Military Arts within his alchemy-based 'Weapons Clandestine Circles' to develop the Scorcher Cannon's auxiliary targeting system—the Heavenly Eye System—to counter the God-seeking Needle! Does anything come to mind? The assistant for the Heavenly Eye System's development project was none other than Margaret, and Margaret's Heavenly Eye Divine Art evolved from the Divine Emperor's Heavenly Eye System! Your ability to wound Margaret with the Scorcher Cannon today truly was luck; in terms of understanding the Scorcher Cannon, Margaret surpasses you a thousandfold!"

Du Chen nodded, a smile on his face. "Continue!"

Number Two chuckled. "Thus, for every 'Weapons Clandestine Circles' the Divine Emperor researched, the Fiendkind invariably developed a counter through Ancient Military Arts. Over the long Godslayer War, both sides advanced their 'Weapons' to an unimaginable degree! Subsequently, all manner of 'Weapons' were integrated into army battle formations and Battle God Secret Techniques, forming an incredibly complex wartime situation! The most representative example of this was the 'Stellar Moonlight Array,' which the Divine Emperor developed for the Divine Empress and Moon Goddess, leveraging the properties of convex and concave mirrors to focus and diffuse light! Through the Generals' battle formations and mirrors crafted using alchemy-based 'Weapons Clandestine Circles,' it could maximize the concentration of scattered moonlight, enhancing the power of the Moon Goddess's Secret Technique! Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Du Chen chuckled, momentarily speechless. "Warfare catalyzed the development of high-tech weaponry. With the proliferation of diverse 'Weapons,' war transformed from a flat, two-dimensional conflict into a multi-layered, three-dimensional one. Battle formations, Aberrant Beasts, Generals, Divine Realm Battle Gods, and 'Weapons'—all these elements combined to form a complete, complex composite war mechanisms! Do *you* understand what I'm saying?"

Du Chen, using his common knowledge from his previous life, turned the tables on Number Two!

Number Two indeed looked bewildered, letting out a wry laugh. "I don't quite grasp your terminology, but you seem to have understood my meaning. So, what have you deduced?"

Du Chen's expression abruptly turned serious. "I understand now. The clash between alchemy-based 'Weapons Clandestine Circles' and Ancient Military Arts spurred rapid advancement in 'Weapons.' Yet, today... very few of these 'Weapons' have survived or been passed down! The reason for this is precisely why you've come to find me, and it is also the core secret of the Scorcher Cannon!"

...Number Two suddenly sighed. "That's right! In Heroic Era 812..."

Du Chen's body trembled. Heroic Era 812—the year the Great Prophecy by Wolf was born, and the year of the southward expedition to the Skylands!

"In 812, humanity had seized the initiative in the war. The Holy Alliance High Command anticipated victory within three years, planning a decisive battle in the Einz War Zone led by Marshal Orbach, while simultaneously deploying certain Generals and troops to the Skylands to prepare for a final showdown there! But to the High Command's astonishment, Marshal Orbach, the Holy Alliance's Invincible God of War, personally led the Godslayer's First Battle Formation—the Lion Emperor's Roar. Despite holding complete initiative, he not only failed to secure victory but tragically died in what is now the Auerbach Grand Canyon!"

Number Two shook his head slightly. "The military reports claimed Marshal Orbach died surrounded by the Fiendkind's Thirteen Battle Gods. Yet, after dozens of battle analyses, the Holy Alliance High Command simply couldn't fathom why Marshal Orbach would commit the foolish act of engaging in a solo duel instead of utilizing his army! Ultimately, Marshal Orbach's death was classified as an 'explained mystery'! It was also at this time that General Miki of the Staff Headquarters lost the Fourteenth Scorcher Cannon. Subsequently, a General named Wolf secretly approached the Divine Emperor and several Marshals, proposing an astonishing theory of catastrophe..."

Du Chen interjected, "The Great Catastrophe is imminent, and its harbinger is the inexplicable deaths of almost all who possessed the Art of Artifact Annihilation!" He raised his cup in a gesture towards the astonished Number Two, smiling. "I know far more than you imagine. Please, continue!"

Number Two gave a wry laugh. "Alright, I'll continue! Wolf's status was humble; he only attained the rank of Brigadier General due to his meritorious contribution of the Art of Artifact Annihilation! Moreover, his personal ties with high-ranking Fiendkind were too close. His words were not trusted by the Marshals. However, His Majesty the Divine Emperor, who was proficient in astrology, seemed to sense something at the time. Although he didn't fully believe Wolf, he did instruct us Requiem Death Knights to conduct secret investigations for a period!"

"And the result?"

"The result was... no result! Wolf had merely put forward a vague prophecy of catastrophe, one so unclear that we had no way to investigate it. The matter eventually faded into obscurity with Wolf's disappearance... However, in Heroic Era 829—which was Godslayer 10, the tenth year after humanity's victory and the calendar's change—the Divine Emperor suddenly died. Before his death, he told the seven still-surviving Requiem Death Knights that he finally understood what the Great Catastrophe truly was!"

Number Two abruptly fell silent. Du Chen's interest had been thoroughly piqued. He crooked a finger, and the Scorcher Cannon flew out from the Precious Lotus Scripture, along with Adams inside it!

Only then did Number Two speak again. "Do you know the Divine Emperor's true cause of death? The outside world widely spread rumors that he died from a relapse of old, severe injuries! However, we seven surviving Requiem Death Knights knew that His Majesty continued to research alchemy-based 'Weapons Clandestine Circles' even after humanity's victory. His research never ceased, not even on the night of his death..."

He sighed mournfully. "That night, the Divine Emperor suddenly summoned us seven Requiem Death Knights. He told us that the 'Weapons' he had developed based on sacred artifacts... had gained sentience. And, unwilling to be controlled by humanity, they had begun to control humanity in return!"

Du Chen abruptly stood up, his gaze snapping to the Raging Fire Scorcher Cannon!