Chapter 68 -68-The Serpent’s Wrath Crushes the City
The Codex of Classes was one of the most miraculous artifacts in the world of the Apocalypse.
The five great Codices of Classes were the Codex of the Assassin, Mage, Cleric, Archer, and Warrior.
These five Codices were the origin of all combat classes.
For example, combat classes such as Summoner and Beast Tamer had likewise evolved from the Codex of the Assassin and the Codex of the Archer.
Moreover, the Apocalypse had one absolute rule: a player could possess only one primary class.
But if someone were to obtain a Codex of Classes, they could unlock an entirely new primary class.
And as it happened, John had already plundered a vast number of talents from other players.
Aside from the Assassin class, the number of S-rank talents he possessed from other classes was already terrifying.
Yet because he had only the Assassin as his sole primary class, he could not use the skills of those other classes. For instance, he was unable to cast Mage skills at all.
But if he could obtain even one Codex of Classes now—
then by tomorrow, John could become a true dual-class holder, mastering even more branching professions.
And if he could gather all five Codices of Classes—
then the Apocalypse world would witness the birth of its first being to possess all five primary combat classes.
Unfortunately, because the existence of the Codices of Classes dated back to an age too ancient and remote, much of the information surrounding them had already been lost.
Even John himself knew only fragments.
Trying to collect them would be harder than reaching the heavens.
"Unless I can find some existence that has also been passed down since the ancient era. They might know something about the Codices of Classes."
The moment that thought arose, John’s eyes instinctively fell upon the Void Serpent.
His gaze brightened.
Wasn’t this Primordial Divine Beast right in front of him a survivor from that very age?
Perhaps it really knew some secret history concerning the Codices of Classes.
John immediately asked, "Void Serpent, do you know of the Codices of Classes?"
The Void Serpent nodded repeatedly. "Of course I do. In the era I lived in, they were treasures of immense renown."
John followed up at once. "Then do you know where any Codex of Classes might still exist?"
After thinking for a moment, the Void Serpent answered, "At present, I truly do know of one.
It lies within that Scholars’ City.
The founder of Scholars’ City came into possession of a Mage Codex of Classes.
It was through that very Codex that he developed all manner of forbidden spells and new forms of magic—and used them to imprison me here."
At those words, John’s spirits soared.
This really was like being handed a pillow the moment sleepiness struck.
He had just been worrying about where he could find a Codex of Classes, and now it turned out there was one right here inside Scholars’ City.
John smiled faintly. "Void Serpent, do you hate Scholars’ City?"
At once, the Void Serpent’s eyes turned blood-red.
"Hate? How could I not hate them?
They imprisoned me here for a thousand years. For a thousand years, I endured endless torment at their hands.
If hatred could take form, this entire sea would long since have become the Sea of Hatred of my Void Serpent!"
John laughed loudly.
"Good. Then today, I’ll give you a chance to vent that hatred.
In a moment, come with me.
We’re going to tear Scholars’ City down."
The Void Serpent let out an immediate roar. "Good! I am willing to obey my master’s command!"
...
At this very moment, within Scholars’ City, a great number of scholars were still discussing all manner of magical and alchemical research.
The city guards of Scholars’ City were drowsy and half-asleep.
Because of the city’s special neutral status, almost no one ever dared to provoke it.
Most of these guards were little more than ornamental figures—mascots in armor.
They had originally thought today would pass like any other day before it, with sea breeze in their faces and sleep in their eyes.
But just then—
thick storm clouds suddenly began to gather over the entire Scholars’ City.
The bright sunlight was blotted out completely.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon them.
The guards shuddered and were jolted awake at once.
They stared in disbelief at the suddenly darkened sky, trying to understand why this was happening—
when the sea beneath the city walls abruptly began to boil.
Bubble, bubble, bubble!
The sound grew more and more violent.
Terror spread across the guards’ faces.
They saw the previously calm surface of the sea explode open—
and a colossal figure, like an upturned mountain range, burst forth from the ocean!
No—it was even grander than a mountain range.
The guards craned their heads back madly, looking higher and higher, yet still could not see its full body.
Rumble—!
The Void Serpent’s body, enlarged hundreds of times over, slowly lowered itself.
Compared to its body, Scholars’ City was as insignificant as a pebble.
The storm clouds were so black they seemed ready to drip ink.
And the moment the Void Serpent lowered itself, raging winds and torrential rain mixed with corrosive liquid slammed into the barrier like bullets.
[-100!]
[-100!]
[-100!]
Dense clusters of green damage values rose without end.
Before the Void Serpent had even truly attacked, the barrier’s HP had already begun to decay.
Inside Scholars’ City, countless archmages and clerics appeared one after another.
They stared in shock at the suddenly emerged Void Serpent.
They could not comprehend why it—normally so docile—would suddenly launch an assault on Scholars’ City at this very moment.
Then, all around Scholars’ City, massive mountain-like forms rose up.
No—that was not a mountain range!
It was actually the Void Serpent’s body!
Like endless rolling hills, it rapidly wrapped around the entire Scholars’ City, sealing it off so tightly not even wind could pass through.
Then it began to slowly contract, crushing down against the defensive barrier.
Creak... creak...
Under the Void Serpent’s constriction, the barrier immediately let out a shrill, grating sound that made one’s teeth ache.
[-1,000,000!]
Beneath the pressure of the serpent’s enormous body, it took only the slightest exertion for the barrier’s durability to plummet by an entire tier.
After that, it continued to tighten its coils.
Before the terrified eyes of all living beings in Scholars’ City, cracks began to spread across the protective barrier that had sheltered the city for over a thousand years.
Woooo—
Gales poured through the fractures, producing a mournful roar like the city itself was wailing.
Once the barrier’s durability had fallen into the abyss—
the giant python’s body suddenly erupted with terrifying force.
[-5,000,000!]
At last, the barrier could no longer endure it and shattered apart.
The city walls collapsed along with it, crashing down and crushing large swaths of buildings beneath them.
But the giant python still did not stop.
It opened a colossal maw vast enough to swallow sun and moon, and within it, destructive energy began to gather.
Then an incomparably massive beam of light poured forth from the Void Serpent’s mouth.
[Wyrmcoil Rage]!
As the Primordial Divine Beast’s large-scale area-of-effect attack, its destructive power needed no explanation.
Wherever the beam swept, no matter how sturdy the buildings were, they were all reduced to ruins, severed clean through at the waist.
Jade pillars crumbled. Grand towers turned to ash.
The beam of Wyrmcoil Rage struck the first Alchemist’s Tower.
At this moment, the tower had already been catalyzed into a dense outer shell of hardened metal.
But under the erosion of the Wyrmcoil Rage beam, that shell began to melt away, exposing the brown walls beneath.
It lasted less than three seconds.
Then the Alchemist’s Tower collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Countless alchemists wailed in despair.
They watched helplessly as the sacred place in their hearts was destroyed utterly and completely.
The beam continued to sweep toward the center of the city.
The second high tower collapsed.
Then came the third, the fourth, and all the way to the sixth.
Not a single one of the six towers was spared. Every one of them was melted clean away by the beam, leaving behind nothing but circular traces of ruins.
When the beam finally dispersed,
the entirety of Scholars’ City had already been reduced to rubble.
Only the Mage Tower at the very center remained standing, still completely intact.