3449

The wind was blowing.

Mist was swirling.

There were also black birds that represented death chirping in the depths of the mist.

The young man and his sister fell.

It was said that falling off a cliff or jumping off a building was a marvelous way to die.

As long as a cliff or a high building was high enough and the falling time was long enough, one could experience two kinds of death simultaneously.

At first, his body fell from a high place and broke into pieces like a watermelon.

Then, his soul left his body and fell into hell.

Hell.

The boundless darkness and horror.

The flames in the darkness, the boiling pot of oil above the flames, the criminals who were soaked in blood because of the torment and looked like toads.

In a trance, Gus saw all kinds of hellish illusions.

The person who was waving his hands and dancing in the frying pan, floating up and down like a toad that had been roasted, was none other than his classmate ‘Qin Yi’, who he had ‘personally’ sent to the stake.

No. It was not Qin Yi, not a specific person, but the souls of countless degenerates who did not believe in the Fist God. Countless fallen souls were receiving eternal suffering in hell at the same time.

His father was among them.

His father’s face suddenly emerged from the boiling oil.

His father held the edge of the pot with both hands.

Because of the wounds, his father’s lips, eyes, nose, ears, and fingers were all broken and falling off.

“Run.”

His father, who had been blown into smithereens, screamed at Gus and Grey, “Run, run, run!”

BAM!

Gus suddenly woke up.

His soul was smashed back into his body.

What followed was excruciating pain all over his body.

He was in so much pain that he was vomiting blood. He even felt that he was not vomiting blood but the mucus of his internal organs.

But he was not dead yet. Gus was certain of that.

The bone-chilling wind and the freezing rain were still stimulating the pores all over his body. The pain was as sharp as a cicada’s wing, and he was being tortured brutally.

Gus struggled to his feet, his head spinning.

He pushed his hands against the ground and vomited blood and bile.

Finally, he was somewhat clear-headed.

He could barely concentrate and observe his surroundings.

Judging from the screams above and the scattered torches, they had fallen lower than expected.

The cliff above them did not lead all the way to the abyss. Instead, there was a broad platform more than ten meters below the cliff, on which many trees were growing. But because of the mist, they could not see clearly.

Gus and Grey happened to fall on the platform, which was blocked by trees. In fact, they had only fallen a dozen meters and were half dead.

“Sister!”

Gus lunged at his sister and pulled Grey into his arms. He found that his sister’s body was soft and boneless, and her breath and heartbeat were extremely weak.

The punch of the priest of the Temple of Fist should be as powerful as this.

It was the last bit of mercy that Lei Lie, his uncle, showed to his niece. He hoped that Grey could be punched off the cliff and die a quick death so that she would not be tied up and sent back to the Temple of Fist where she would be burnt to death in public.

Unfortunately—

Fate had played a big joke on them.

The protruding rocks not only stopped them but also prevented them from dying a quick death.

Besides, the rock extended to the top of the cliff. In other words, the people on the cliff could reach the place easily and capture them like pigs.

Right then, a strong wind blew over and cleared the mist.

Gus heard exclamations from the cliff.

Obviously, someone had discovered their hideout.

The torch began to look for its feet. It circled around and gradually approached them.

This time, even Lei Lie could not find excuses to kick them off the cliff. He could only try to capture them alive and give them the most humiliating and painful death.

Gus hugged his sister. His face was swollen, twisted, and bulging, like a hideous mask.

He saw his sister’s lips trembling.

Listening carefully, his sister said weakly, “Throw me down.”

Gus looked at the abyss at the end of the platform. There shouldn’t be a second platform below. Was this their ultimate ending?

Gus wanted to laugh.

He was indeed laughing crazily. He was laughing so hard that his veins were bulging.

Why was this the ending for him and his sister?

Why didn’t the Fist God tell the world that there were really machines and steam in the world?

Why was their life and even their entire world revolving around the word ‘fist’?

Why did studying the force of machinery and steam become taboo, not to mention training?

Strength.

Gus had never craved strength more. He desired to be strong enough to walk to the end of the world and find the truth behind all the ‘whys’.

The torch drew closer and closer.

The hunters had found their way down. They opened their bloody mouths like a raging fire dragon.

It was hopeless.

It was impossible.

Everything was over.

He, a cripple born weak, a weakling cursed by the Fist God, a degenerate contaminated by the power of evil, would never know the truth.

It was truly… infuriating!

Gus heard his bones cracking. He even heard himself gritting his teeth.

Then, a polite question came. “Are you craving for strength?”

Gus looked back at the devil.

The devil had popped out of the ball of steam again and was smiling at him with his deep, dark eyes.

“What conditions?”

Gus heard his throat creak like the hinges of a rusted door.

But as long as he rotated it, he would be able to spit out the first word. The rest would be easy.

“Soul. Your soul.”

Lu Qingchen repeated his joke unhurriedly.

It was not a joke.

Gus’s pupils constricted violently. He pondered for a long time.

“Is my soul really useful for you?”

He asked the devil seriously.

“Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing special about you. It doesn’t matter if I change to someone else. It’s just that we are so connected by fate that I don’t want to waste my time.”

Lu Qingchen smiled and said, “Didn’t I promise you that I would fulfill your three wishes? How about this? I can let you keep your soul for now and wait until your three wishes are fulfilled before you harvest them. That should be good enough, right?”

Gus tilted his head and thought for a moment. Then he asked, “Can any wish be fulfilled?”

“Theoretically, yes, including becoming the strongest person in this world, but I don’t want to lie to you. If you really make such a wish, I can make you the strongest person in the world in one second, and you will be killed by the Fist God in the next.”

Lu Qingchen said, “Therefore, we should take it easy and achieve a small goal step by step… such as killing all the pursuers and escaping with your sister.”

“Then—then my first wish is to escape with my sister.”

Gus hesitated and gnashed his teeth. “I don’t want to kill them unless they stop me.”

“No problem. Devil Lu Qingchen is at your command. As for whether or not you kill him, it’s up to you.”

While talking, Lu Qingchen collected the crossbow bolts and other weapons that had fallen together with the two siblings.

He mumbled something and released steam from his fingertips, which enshrouded all the weapons.

After an earsplitting sound of metal twisting and crushing, the white mist dispersed, and all the weapons changed their shapes. They were glittering in silver, surrounded by electric arcs, and filled with unbelievable structures and brilliance.

Gus was dumbfounded. He felt that his eyes had been blinded.

Pointing at the weapons on the ground, he stammered, “What—what is this?”

“This is the standard equipment of the Orbital Assault Team of the Star Glory Federation, the powerful anti-materiel assault rifle ‘Thunder III’.

The devil smiled and introduced, “This is a triple-armed Vulcan Machine Gun specially designed by the ‘Black Tide Legion’, an elite special force of the Imperium of True Human Beings. Normally, only the super strong men weighing more than two hundred pounds and more than two meters tall can wield it. But here, I’ve modified the parameters and lowered the weight and the recoil. You will be fine, too.

“This is the ‘God’s Punishment VII’, the shoulder-mounted launch nest of the Holy Accord Alliance. It is as precise, cruel, and the best killing machine as those of the Star Glory Federation.

“Come on. I’ll teach you how to wear them. Have fun!”

The wind was blowing.

Mist was swirling.

There were also black birds that represented death chirping in the depths of the mist.

The young man and his sister fell.

It was said that falling off a cliff or jumping off a building was a marvelous way to die.

As long as a cliff or a high building was high enough and the falling time was long enough, one could experience two kinds of death simultaneously.

At first, his body fell from a high place and broke into pieces like a watermelon.

Then, his soul left his body and fell into hell.

Hell.

The boundless darkness and horror.

The flames in the darkness, the boiling pot of oil above the flames, the criminals who were soaked in blood because of the torment and looked like toads.

In a trance, Gus saw all kinds of hellish illusions.

The person who was waving his hands and dancing in the frying pan, floating up and down like a toad that had been roasted, was none other than his classmate ‘Qin Yi’, who he had ‘personally’ sent to the stake.

No. It was not Qin Yi, not a specific person, but the souls of countless degenerates who did not believe in the Fist God. Countless fallen souls were receiving eternal suffering in hell at the same time.

His father was among them.

His father’s face suddenly emerged from the boiling oil.

His father held the edge of the pot with both hands.

Because of the wounds, his father’s lips, eyes, nose, ears, and fingers were all broken and falling off.

“Run.”

His father, who had been blown into smithereens, screamed at Gus and Grey, “Run, run, run!”

BAM!

Gus suddenly woke up.

His soul was smashed back into his body.

What followed was excruciating pain all over his body.

He was in so much pain that he was vomiting blood. He even felt that he was not vomiting blood but the mucus of his internal organs.

But he was not dead yet. Gus was certain of that.

The bone-chilling wind and the freezing rain were still stimulating the pores all over his body. The pain was as sharp as a cicada’s wing, and he was being tortured brutally.

Gus struggled to his feet, his head spinning.

He pushed his hands against the ground and vomited blood and bile.

Finally, he was somewhat clear-headed.

He could barely concentrate and observe his surroundings.

Judging from the screams above and the scattered torches, they had fallen lower than expected.

The cliff above them did not lead all the way to the abyss. Instead, there was a broad platform more than ten meters below the cliff, on which many trees were growing. But because of the mist, they could not see clearly.

Gus and Grey happened to fall on the platform, which was blocked by trees. In fact, they had only fallen a dozen meters and were half dead.

“Sister!”

Gus lunged at his sister and pulled Grey into his arms. He found that his sister’s body was soft and boneless, and her breath and heartbeat were extremely weak.

The punch of the priest of the Temple of Fist should be as powerful as this.

It was the last bit of mercy that Lei Lie, his uncle, showed to his niece. He hoped that Grey could be punched off the cliff and die a quick death so that she would not be tied up and sent back to the Temple of Fist where she would be burnt to death in public.

Unfortunately—

Fate had played a big joke on them.

The protruding rocks not only stopped them but also prevented them from dying a quick death.

Besides, the rock extended to the top of the cliff. In other words, the people on the cliff could reach the place easily and capture them like pigs.

Right then, a strong wind blew over and cleared the mist.

Gus heard exclamations from the cliff.

Obviously, someone had discovered their hideout.

The torch began to look for its feet. It circled around and gradually approached them.

This time, even Lei Lie could not find excuses to kick them off the cliff. He could only try to capture them alive and give them the most humiliating and painful death.

Gus hugged his sister. His face was swollen, twisted, and bulging, like a hideous mask.

He saw his sister’s lips trembling.

Listening carefully, his sister said weakly, “Throw me down.”

Gus looked at the abyss at the end of the platform. There shouldn’t be a second platform below. Was this their ultimate ending?

Gus wanted to laugh.

He was indeed laughing crazily. He was laughing so hard that his veins were bulging.

Why was this the ending for him and his sister?

Why didn’t the Fist God tell the world that there were really machines and steam in the world?

Why was their life and even their entire world revolving around the word ‘fist’?

Why did studying the force of machinery and steam become taboo, not to mention training?

Strength.

Gus had never craved strength more. He desired to be strong enough to walk to the end of the world and find the truth behind all the ‘whys’.

The torch drew closer and closer.

The hunters had found their way down. They opened their bloody mouths like a raging fire dragon.

It was hopeless.

It was impossible.

Everything was over.

He, a cripple born weak, a weakling cursed by the Fist God, a degenerate contaminated by the power of evil, would never know the truth.

It was truly… infuriating!

Gus heard his bones cracking. He even heard himself gritting his teeth.

Then, a polite question came. “Are you craving for strength?”

Gus looked back at the devil.

The devil had popped out of the ball of steam again and was smiling at him with his deep, dark eyes.

“What conditions?”

Gus heard his throat creak like the hinges of a rusted door.

But as long as he rotated it, he would be able to spit out the first word. The rest would be easy.

“Soul. Your soul.”

Lu Qingchen repeated his joke unhurriedly.

It was not a joke.

Gus’s pupils constricted violently. He pondered for a long time.

“Is my soul really useful for you?”

He asked the devil seriously.

“Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing special about you. It doesn’t matter if I change to someone else. It’s just that we are so connected by fate that I don’t want to waste my time.”

Lu Qingchen smiled and said, “Didn’t I promise you that I would fulfill your three wishes? How about this? I can let you keep your soul for now and wait until your three wishes are fulfilled before you harvest them. That should be good enough, right?”

Gus tilted his head and thought for a moment. Then he asked, “Can any wish be fulfilled?”

“Theoretically, yes, including becoming the strongest person in this world, but I don’t want to lie to you. If you really make such a wish, I can make you the strongest person in the world in one second, and you will be killed by the Fist God in the next.”

Lu Qingchen said, “Therefore, we should take it easy and achieve a small goal step by step… such as killing all the pursuers and escaping with your sister.”

“Then—then my first wish is to escape with my sister.”

Gus hesitated and gnashed his teeth. “I don’t want to kill them unless they stop me.”

“No problem. Devil Lu Qingchen is at your command. As for whether or not you kill him, it’s up to you.”

While talking, Lu Qingchen collected the crossbow bolts and other weapons that had fallen together with the two siblings.

He mumbled something and released steam from his fingertips, which enshrouded all the weapons.

After an earsplitting sound of metal twisting and crushing, the white mist dispersed, and all the weapons changed their shapes. They were glittering in silver, surrounded by electric arcs, and filled with unbelievable structures and brilliance.

Gus was dumbfounded. He felt that his eyes had been blinded.

Pointing at the weapons on the ground, he stammered, “What—what is this?”

“This is the standard equipment of the Orbital Assault Team of the Star Glory Federation, the powerful anti-materiel assault rifle ‘Thunder III’.

The devil smiled and introduced, “This is a triple-armed Vulcan Machine Gun specially designed by the ‘Black Tide Legion’, an elite special force of the Imperium of True Human Beings. Normally, only the super strong men weighing more than two hundred pounds and more than two meters tall can wield it. But here, I’ve modified the parameters and lowered the weight and the recoil. You will be fine, too.

“This is the ‘God’s Punishment VII’, the shoulder-mounted launch nest of the Holy Accord Alliance. It is as precise, cruel, and the best killing machine as those of the Star Glory Federation.

“Come on. I’ll teach you how to wear them. Have fun!”