Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator-Chapter 307 - 302: Familiar Faces and Crisis

"If you want to meet this god, just step through that door. Come on, I'm waiting for you!"

At this point, the solemn and awe-inspiring voice paused for several seconds.

"That is, if you're not afraid!"

Chen Pingchuan's eyebrow twitched. He walked down the stark white path toward a jet-black door. In such an environment, it was a glaring anomaly.

Chen Pingchuan pushed the door, but it offered none of the resistance he had expected.

With a dull, heavy groan, the door swung open. A potent, more sinister aura washed over him like a physical wave, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

The world beyond the door was a colossal palace. Inside was a vast, empty hall where eerie black flames flickered atop candelabras lining the walls. The flames offered no warmth, only a bone-chilling cold.

At the far end of the hall, a massive humanoid statue stood in silence.

The moment Chen Pingchuan's gaze fell upon the statue, he froze. An expression of pure disbelief washed over his face.

The statue's face was identical to his own. Unlike him, however, it was wreathed in a dense black mist, as viscous as ink, that obscured its true form. Its eyes were also different. They glowed with a scarlet light, like two blood moons flickering eerily in the darkness.

The next moment, that oppressive voice echoed in Chen Pingchuan's mind again.

The lips of the colossal, dark Chen Pingchuan, once motionless, began to move. Its voice was low and beguiling. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You've finally come, my other self."

"I expected this day would come, but not so soon!"

"But it makes no difference. We were bound to meet eventually. It doesn't matter whether you win or I win, as long as we conquer the divinity within us."

After saying this, the giant statue fell silent again, like a malfunctioning machine that sputtered to a halt.

"Oh, by the way, have you seen our divinity?"

"You must be quick. The day our divinity fully recovers will be the day we cease to exist."

Hearing the gigantic, dark statue's words, Chen Pingchuan felt a deep sense of unease creeping through him. He took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and asked coldly, "Who are you? Why do you look just like me?"

"And what is this divinity you speak of?"

"What on earth is happening here?"

After several seconds, the dark Chen Pingchuan let out a sinister laugh that echoed through the empty hall.

"Who am I?"

"Hahahaha! You came looking for me without even knowing who I am? You're hilarious."

"Just as I thought, humanity is the weakest of all. And to think I had pinned my hopes on you."

"Forget it. Allow me to send you on your way!"

With that, the massive statue shrank at a visible rate, quickly becoming identical in height and size to Chen Pingchuan. The black mist around the dark Chen Pingchuan surged violently, coalescing into predatory beasts that lunged at him.

Wherever the mist passed, the very air seemed to corrode with a SIZZLING sound.

Seeing the attack, Chen Pingchuan didn't dare to be careless. He stomped down, channeling immense force through his legs. The floor beneath him couldn't withstand the pressure and shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. The dark Chen Pingchuan held no weapon, yet with his bare hands, he put Chen Pingchuan on the defensive. After blocking just a single strike, the incredibly sharp longsword in Chen Pingchuan's hand had a large hole corroded straight through it.

"Is this all you've got?" the dark Chen Pingchuan mocked.

He raised his hands. As if summoned, the black flames on the candelabras flew from their sconces, converging to form a slender, pitch-black Dark Long Sword.

Wielding the Dark Long Sword forged from black flames, he swung it fiercely. A bolt of black Sword Qi shot toward Chen Pingchuan like lightning.

Chen Pingchuan's eyes narrowed as he quickly sidestepped. The Sword Qi grazed his clothes, carving a deep, fathomless gouge into the wall behind him.

Feeling the terrifying pressure from his opponent, Chen Pingchuan focused his will and summoned another longsword from his personal storage space. This one was entirely azure and radiated a biting energy.

Chen Pingchuan refused to remain on the defensive. Gripping the energy sword tightly, he moved with nimble, ghost-like steps and rushed toward his dark counterpart. The blade pulsed with powerful energy as he thrust it at his opponent's throat.

The dark Chen Pingchuan's lips curled into a cold smile. He neither dodged nor evaded, casually blocking the attack with the Dark Long Sword in his hand.

SIZZLE! The moment the energy sword met the Dark Long Sword, traces of corrosion spread across its azure blade, which began to dissolve at a visible rate. Just like the longsword before, the corrosion rapidly consumed the entire blade.

Chen Pingchuan's expression changed in alarm. He tried to throw the weapon away but was a step too slow. The corrosive power traveled up the hilt and into his hand, a piercing pain shooting through him. He quickly threw the sword aside and summoned a dagger from his personal storage space.

SLASH!

With a flash of cold light, Chen Pingchuan severed his own right arm.

AAAAAH!

It was no wonder Chen Pingchuan had been so decisive. The corrosive power of his opponent's weapon was terrifyingly fast, having already reached his wrist in mere seconds. To be safe, he had no choice but to sever his entire right arm.

But just cutting off the arm wasn't enough. Chen Pingchuan activated the dagger's energy and pressed its glowing blade against his stump. The nauseatingly rich scent of his own searing flesh wafted into his nostrils.

The dark Chen Pingchuan looked at the now one-armed Chen Pingchuan and sneered, "With such pitiful skills, you dare come to trouble me?"

With that, his figure flashed, closing in on Chen Pingchuan like a black phantom. He wielded the Dark Long Sword in a flurry of intricate passes, aiming for Chen Pingchuan's chest, abdomen, and throat. Every move was vicious and aimed to kill.

Unable to rely on a weapon, Chen Pingchuan could only use his agile footwork to desperately evade. He dodged left and right, his figure flickering unpredictably around the hall as the blade of the Dark Long Sword grazed him again and again, tearing his clothes to shreds.

"Dodge? How long can you dodge for!"

Seeing this, the dark Chen Pingchuan intensified his assault. He wielded his sword in a seamless barrage, and the black flames surged toward Chen Pingchuan like a raging tide. His speed more than doubled. It turned out he had been holding back on his speed.

Chen Pingchuan sensed the aura of death. Daring not to hold back any longer, he prepared to unleash every one of his strongest techniques.

Just a little faster than you!

Swift Hands, Empty Hands!