The Natural Disaster Strike

It seemed to last for centuries, yet it was also like time was trickling away moment by moment. The purple-red light seemed to have traversed endless ages, finally bursting forth in this instant with an infinite radiance!

BOOM!!!

Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed, with Youliang at the center. A cloud of dust rose up, covering a radius of several miles, and then the sky brightened.

It was as if a new sun had risen slowly at the edge of the earth!

Endless heat! Endless light! Unparalleled shockwaves!

In an instant, temperatures exceeding 100,000 degrees vaporized everything in the vicinity!

The Revolution Army soldiers, still unsure of what was happening, suddenly felt the ground shake violently. In the next moment, they were engulfed by an endless flood of light and heat.

At that moment, Celica's ears could hear nothing, and her eyes saw nothing but blinding white light. Before she even had time to feel pain, her entire existence had already been annihilated!

In an instant, the extreme heat incinerated everything around her, leaving no signs of life!

RUMBLE!!!

RUMBLE—!!!

The thunderous roar did not stop. One wave after another, each stronger than the last, the unimaginable shockwaves spread out in rings, obliterating every plant in their path!

A massive column of smoke and dust slowly rose at the epicenter, forming a mushroom-shaped cloud that ascended into the sky!

...

Meanwhile, some 50 or 60 kilometers away, soldiers stationed on the outer walls of the Imperial Capital felt a sudden jolt in their hearts. Isn't it the middle of the night? Why is it suddenly bright as day?!

One soldier hurried to the battlements to get a better look, but before he could even steady himself, he was knocked off his feet by a booming sound like thunder.

In the next moment, disaster struck. From the southern direction of the Imperial Capital came a series of earth-shaking explosions, the roaring soundwaves gradually spreading outward, with fierce winds howling through.

The powerful gusts even carried debris, knocking the soldiers to the ground.

Although they were too far from the explosion's center to experience the unparalleled heat and light, the highly unnatural phenomenon immediately caught everyone's attention as they felt the overwhelming pressure emanating from the south.

Moments later, under the stunned gaze of the Imperial Capital's guards, a towering mushroom cloud slowly rose into the sky, as if wielding the power of the heavens.

Moments later, the smoke and dust began to swirl, forming a vortex as it was gradually absorbed by a figure at the center.

"Quick! Notify the General!!!"

At that moment, within the Imperial Capital, most people were abruptly awakened from their sleep. As they were still in shock, another earth-shattering explosion came from outside the southern city walls, deafening everyone in the capital.

People rushed out of their homes and opened their windows, only to see the Imperial Capital bathed in the bright purple-red glow of that massive explosion, illuminating the night as if it were daytime. Looking at the towering mushroom cloud that reached the heavens, the streets and districts were filled with chaos and panic.

Especially in the southern region outside the city, where it looked like an apocalyptic scene. The people had no way to resist this natural disaster.

In an instant, many of the royal forests and villas near the city were reduced to rubble. Deep within the mountains, countless herds of beasts were startled and fled in all directions, rampaging through the forests in a frenzy.

"What happened! What's going on? Your Majesty, what was that just now?"

Cough, cough... "It's nothing, it's nothing."

In a grand room decorated with white and gold, with a massive dome ceiling, the Emperor of the Empire suddenly awoke. Seeing the Empress's panic, the Emperor gently held her in his arms, softly comforting her.

"I'll go handle it."

Leaving the bedroom, not even bothering to fully dress, the Emperor gazed out through the glass windows, staring in shock at the purple-red sky. "Cough, cough... General Budo, what's going on?!"

The next moment, the palace doors were flung open, and a tall figure hurried out, moving quickly with a look of urgency. Sweat dotted his forehead, and his eyes were filled with both questions and fear. He had clearly sensed the recent energy fluctuations—truly terrifying!

"Your Majesty, a massive explosion has occurred in the southern region of the Imperial Capital! The city itself has not sustained any damage, but... the villas in the southern region likely suffered significant destruction."

The person speaking was none other than General Budo, the highest-ranking commander of the Imperial Capital's guard. Standing on the palace's high platform, he pointed to the south, where the massive mushroom cloud was still visible, towering into the sky.

"The south? I heard that Centurion Selene was leading a troop on a bandit-clearing mission in that area?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Centurion Selene set off two days ago, right towards the area where the explosion occurred."

"So... cough, cough... is Centurion Selene still alive?" the Emperor asked hesitantly.

In response, General Budo confidently replied, "She is alive! I could clearly sense from the energy waves of that explosion that it matched Centurion Selene's aura perfectly!"

After a brief pause, Budo added, "In fact... if I'm not mistaken, that explosion was likely caused by Selene herself."

"What?!"

Taking a deep breath, the Emperor wiped the sweat from his brow, his face stern. His previously pale face regained some color. "I lost my composure."

"Send the order! Mobilize the troops! The entire city is now under lockdown! The Imperial Capital is to enter a state of emergency! Once the explosion has completely subsided, dispatch small teams to investigate!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

...

"Ah—!"

"What is that?!"

"Are we going to die...?"

...

At the moment the explosion's shockwave hit, Selene instantly raised a protective barrier that enveloped the entire camp. What was a natural disaster to others was merely an event to Selene. Having caused the explosion herself, it was not difficult for her to defend against it.

Deflect, absorb, dissipate...

Sitting casually in a folding chair, legs crossed, Selene sipped her tea while watching with interest as the endless purple-red flames raged outside the transparent barrier.

"Tsk, I may have overdone it... but it shouldn't affect the Imperial Capital, right? Oh well, the experiment is over. I should clean up these hazardous materials."

With that thought, Selene set down her teacup and, with a blink, appeared outside amidst the flames.

The next moment, the mushroom cloud in the sky seemed to sense some kind of pull. It began to spiral down at a visible speed, gradually shrinking until it completely disappeared.

Using her control over the strong nuclear force, Selene reabsorbed all the radioactive materials, except for the scattered Honkai Energy particles.

The explosion was over.

What remained was an enormous, concave ring-shaped crater, and beyond that, the world was silent. Against the backdrop of an endless crystalline, glass-like surface and a darkened sky tinged with purple-red hues, it was strangely beautiful.

As the protective barrier faded, Selene's troops, who had been watching in shock, exchanged bewildered glances, all equally unsure of what had just happened.

"C-Centurion... was that explosion really caused by you...?"