Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 590 Moonlight in the Long Night
The members of the Hunter and the Swelling Woman Monastic Order thought they could finally catch their breath once they reached the upper levels of the floating building.

Who knew that things would only truly begin at this point?

...

The Star Familiars are probably similar to the aliens in those uncreative science fiction movies and TV shows that Milo remembers seeing, only larger, and their bodies are indeed in a state of constant transformation and distortion. Therefore, in some "optional" texts, another name for the Star Familiars is "Shapeshifters".

Compared to the subordinate race of the Snail People, these giant flying octopuses clearly possess a higher level of intelligence. Their attacks are not like the Snail People's, which surge and bite like wild beasts. In fact, they have already arranged their formations in advance as they float from the depths of the city.

Furthermore, the Star Familiar gave instructions to the headless snail-like creatures on the ground. After some ear-piercing sonic waves spread from the Star Familiar's formation, the gray-white waves on the ground immediately quieted down. After a few seconds of stunned silence, they surged toward the huge monolith in the central square of R'lyeh. Within minutes, the city streets beneath their feet were completely empty.

At this moment, the hunters and monks hiding in the lower level of the floating building probably realized something, and an ominous premonition rose in everyone's hearts. However, they had no time to pay attention to the snail people rushing into the distance, because the Star Familiar, which was floating in mid-air and swaying with countless terrifying tentacles, was already close at hand.

...

The Star Families are not afraid of the terrifying solar radiation; they seem to slow down the accumulation of the scorching energy by constantly changing the skin inside and outside their bodies.

When their army pressed in, Milo and Rebecca were the first to be affected. Their position was somewhat awkward, as they were in the upper ranks.

Despite the scrutinizing gazes of those enormous, imposing, and terrifying tentacle monsters, Rebecca was not intimidated. After all, behind her stood a shadow that devoured fear. Before Rebecca even realized it, the dread that was enough to drive her mad had already been absorbed into Milo's flask.

Are you sure those tiny lead bullets are really effective against these big guys?

She pointed the two revolvers in her hands at the two Star Familiars directly in front of her, while whispering a question to Milo behind her.

The gun's cylinder and hammer were still radiating heat, distorting the surrounding air, which gave Rebecca some confidence.

“Give it a try. I added a little bit of Outer God’s blood to it.” Milo glanced down at the gruesome cracks on the back of his hand and answered thoughtfully.

At this moment, more and more Star Familiars were floating in front of them. These creatures, with their dull skin and constantly surging and rolling, cast many scrutinizing gazes at Milo and Rebecca.

They are rapidly analyzing the images they capture in front of them.

There was no doubt that the two scorching hot gun barrels made them feel threatened.

As for whether revolvers are considered advanced or outdated in this era, that remains to be seen. Perhaps similar things existed in civilizations that have been lost to time, but none possessed the terrifying power emanating from the two that Rebecca is currently holding.

……

The standoff lasted for a short period of time.

Rebecca didn't fire her gun prematurely. To be honest, she hadn't even thought about what to do after firing all twelve bullets. Her confidence came almost entirely from Milo behind her.

Her eyes were fixed intently on the enormous beasts before her, and she whispered to Milo beside her:

"They'll make a move, won't they?"

“Of course, we haven’t received any signals of trying to communicate, have we? They’re just assessing your threat level,” Milo explained patiently to Rebecca, still seated.

Rebecca blinked:
"So I should act before they finish their assessment?"

Milo grinned:
"bingo."

...

Bang—Bang!!

Gunshots rang out from the floating structure.

The giant octopus, shot, roared through the air as it crashed into its kin behind it.

Its body seemed to have been pierced by some terrifying force from outer space, and that force was continuing to devour and decompose its life tissues.

These R'lyeh Servants could never have imagined that the weapon wielded by this being, who was practically at the bottom of the life order, could unleash such terrifying destructive power.

This goes against their cognition and thinking.

Of course, this is because within their field of vision, there is only one figure on the top floor of the floating structure at this moment—Rebecca wielding dual pistols—and not Milo…

...

On Rebecca's side, every time she pulled the trigger, in addition to the burst of fire, a terrifying shockwave would ripple out from the muzzle of the gun, perpendicular to the ground.

The first two bullets struck the two Star Familiars like cannonballs.

The visual effect was like a sail full of sea breeze being hit by a meteorite falling from the sky, accompanied by the ferocious and terrifying tentacles lashing wildly and sharp roars and howls, as the two enormous creatures plummeted to the ground.

The effect of firing tiny bullets is extremely terrifying and visually impactful.

Especially that moment of penetration, it's crazy and very stress-relieving.

Rebecca felt a kind of fanatical destructive urge being inexplicably ignited within her.

Perhaps she herself didn't even realize that she was wearing a smile that could only be described as ferocious.

……

However, no one stipulates that you have to keep a straight face like a seasoned hunter when you fire a gun, right?

Of course, Milo still quietly reminded her to try to savor the feeling of that moment when she snatched the gun, instead of firing wildly into the sky.

...

For a moment, the floating structures were filled with a chaotic mix of light and shadow, including decomposition rays and sound waves from the Star Families, as well as a vast network woven from the tentacles of the Families higher above. It was nothing short of light pollution.

The Star Families seemed completely unconcerned about whether their attacks would cause any damage to the floating structures.

Because the woven network of light in the sky blocks out the vast majority of solar radiation.

The Star Families are not solely targeting Rebecca.

The Hunters and the Swelling Maidens' Order suffered a major setback.

The rage of the Star Familia, ignited by Rebecca, poured down on every human member's head, leaving the vast majority utterly powerless to retaliate, except for a few psychics.

Soon, the lower level of the floating structure collapsed on a large scale.

The hunters' retreat space was constantly being compressed.

But that's not the most desperate thing.

What left them with no way out was that the snail-like crowd that had been frantically rushing towards the center of R'lyeh had now climbed up the floating structure along the huge monolith in the center and was now surging towards the location where the humans were hiding like a tide.

If you were standing on a street in R'lyeh right now, you could see countless hideous, grayish-white snail-like beings "walking on air" and running wildly in the sky with just a slight tilt of your head. That would probably be quite a spectacular sight.

As for the giant beast Dagun, which once clung to a massive monolith, deep within the city center of R'lyeh, it has vanished without a trace, and no one knows where it went.

……

Humans continue to die tragically.

Some fell to their deaths from the collapsing floating structures, while others were reduced to ashes in the projected beams of light. Some with weaker mental strength even fell into a dream state the moment the Star Familiar approached, losing the battle and becoming mere servants of the Star Familiar, wielding their weapons to slash at their comrades. It was clear that humanity's current technology and all the combat power acquired through spiritual vision and esoteric knowledge were utterly insignificant before these ancient races.

Long before the Star Families visited this planet, they had already developed into a thriving and powerful race in the outer universe.

Humanity is nothing more than an infant that oscillates between annihilation and rebirth, constantly dying in its cradle only to be reborn through the mercy of the gods.

...

Milo silently watched as the Star Familia slaughtered their way through the enemy ranks.

And then came the surging tide of snail people that followed from the city center.

He was unsure how many years or eras had passed between this moment and the conscious world; most likely, this period was not included in humanity's known history.

Even after millions of years, the Star Families remain like gods to humanity, insurmountable and invincible.

In that ethereal language, when the blood moon descends with enlightenment, and when the stars are in the right positions, the Star Families will be reborn in radiance, and their masters will awaken from their slumber.

Milo understood why Monsis called that day the end of the world.

There seems to be an insurmountable chasm between humans and these ancient races.

They were destined to be devoured and plundered. In that apocalyptic era, no one could resist, not even the hunters.

……

However, Milo remained unmoved throughout.

No matter how terrifying the screams came from the lower levels of the floating structure, or how fiercely Rebecca fought behind him, Milo simply sat quietly in his place, swinging his boots, watching the meat grinder-like battlefield below with a gaze so calm it was indistinguishable from indifference.

His hands were on the ground, his fingers tapping lightly and rhythmically on the transparent floor. No one knew what Milo was calculating.

This one-sided confrontation ended in bloodshed almost immediately after the start of the war.

Neither the Hunter Organization nor the Swelling Maidens' Order managed to escape from the surging tide of the Snail People. They fled back to the city streets of R'lyeh through the collapsed and tilted sections of the floating structures.

Raven, He Fang.

Several psychic hunters led by Monquia.

There are also mixed races.

The mixed-race person looked quite miserable.

It endured almost all the attacks that could have harmed the raven, and now its body was covered in wounds, with large areas of flesh exposed. Just like before, the initial wounds would secrete some special substance to form an exoskeleton. This time, many of the hybrid's wounds were caused by the exoskeleton being broken and then reformed. Many of the bone spurs on its body were also broken, and it seemed that one of its hands had been cut off, with the claws turning into broken radius and ulna bones protruding from the wound.

Monquia and the other hunters weren't much better off; their uniforms were tattered, riddled with holes and bloodstains.

Apart from Monquia, the other Spirit Hunters who barely survived were mostly missing limbs, and some were almost on the verge of death.

It seems that only Raven and He Fang look relatively normal.

With the protection of the swollen woman, He Fang, as a priest of the monastic order, had supporters who were basically willing to stand in his way and die for him.

Now, apart from himself, the entire Order of the Monks has turned into a pile of rotten flesh.

The sky was now filled with countless Star Families, and the Snail People rushed down, surrounding the last few survivors.

But He Fang was still able to calmly light a cigarette.

His white linen suit was already stained with blood, but none of the blood belonged to him.

He Fang, a cigarette dangling from her lips, took off her dirty coat and tossed it aside, then removed her tie. Finally, she gave Raven a meaningful look.

The remaining troops over there, including Monquia, were already at their last gasp.

He Fang is one of only two people on the ground who remain calm and composed; the other is Raven.

Raven's confidence stemmed from his knowledge.

As for He Fang, he is not actually a psychic. He belongs to the type of Yan and Dila Xiao. To use the terminology from the Dream Realm, he received the blessing of the Swelling Woman.

...

Now, apart from the raven, perhaps no other hunter knows the true significance of He Fang's appearance.

But at this moment, Monquia probably had no interest in investigating those things.

He looked up at the star creatures floating in the sky, and the snail-like beings that surged down the slope, filling the entire block of open spaces and building facades.

Countless bloodthirsty eyes were fixed on them.

Those who considered themselves hunters have now become the prey that has been surrounded.

The long handle of Monquia's scythe had broken in the previous battle, and he used his hands, glowing with intense heat, to weld the broken pieces back together.

Then, dragging his weary body and sickle, he approached another hunter who was on the verge of death.

This was also a clairvoyant, but he was blind and had lost his right arm.

This time, Monqueya did not consult Raven.

He held the sickle up with one hand.

May you see the moonlight in the long night.

Swah——

The blade slid across the surface, and the hunter died.

...

That sentence is a slightly modified farewell phrase from the hunter's oath.

It is usually said by someone ending their own life: "Even in the long night, I can still see the moonlight."

However, Monquia repeated the revised sentence six times.

Yes, he killed all six of his wounded hunter companions.

Then, he dug a pit in the ruins with his hands and buried the dead Sight Hunter there.

This chilling scene unfolded right before the eyes of all the snail people.

……

(End of this chapter)