PGVCW 73

 

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 73

The Household Pacification Array

The Household Pacification Talisman, exactly as its designation implied, served to suppress malevolent auras, dispel baleful influences, eliminate disasters, mitigate misfortune, and ensure sanctuary safety.

Presumably, the compilation team who integrated these modules into the Comprehensive Talisman Compendium had never imagined that a Household Pacification Talisman could be scaled up to encase an entire metropolitan military installation.

Within the Nüwa Base, citizens who had been sprinting in blind panic abruptly realized that the anomalies—which had loomed terrifyingly close moments prior—were completely incapable of advancing another step.

Their frantic panic transformed into bewildered astonishment; they halted their flight, watching as the opposing anomalies collided against an invisible barrier and shrieked incessantly under the searing spiritual burn.

Someone cried out in shock: "Look upward!" "That's a talisman array!"

"Everyone, do not fear! This talisman is protecting all of us inside!"

Tracing the invisible "wall" upward, one could clearly perceive a colossal, undulating talismanic charter shimmering amidst dense waves of spiritual qi.

Crash! Crash!

Airborne anomalies dove downward from the firmament in continuous succession.

Such aerial aberrations constituted the most hazardous threat vector during siege engagements because they possessed absolute ubiquity and terrifying velocity; frequently, victims were snatched aloft by sudden aerial assaults before they could even process the threat.

Simultaneously, human counter-offensives were severely restricted by the dense clustering of panicked civilians; whether utilizing compound bows or firearms against these airborne threats carried an unacceptably high risk of friendly fire.

Yet presently, these terrifying aerial aberrations—frequently weaponized as nightmare fuel in bedtime folklore—were crashing headlong into the barrier until their skulls shattered.

Numerous anomalies suffered catastrophic wing fractures from the impact of the "transparent wall," tumbling groundward with frustrated screeches.

This spectacle instilled profound reassurance within the previously panicked populace, allowing them to stabilize and systematically purge the minor residual anomalies trapped within the base interior.

The Depletion of Qi

Even for Xia Wang'an, weaving a talismanic array capable of safeguarding the entire Nüwa Base exacted a severe toll, draining the majority of her internal spiritual qi.

If she relied purely on lethal eradication, Xia Wang'an could have neutralized the entire horde within five minutes.

However, because these aberrant entities were bound to trapped human souls, liberating those fragments necessitated strictly regulated talismanic applications, slowing her operational velocity considerably.

Nevertheless, Xia Wang'an remained entirely unbothered.

Providing defensive sanctuary was inherently more demanding than pure slaughter, a reality she had always understood.

She registered no concern regarding the rapid depletion of her internal reserves; throughout her preceding decade of dimensional traversal, Xia Wang'an had frequently confronted scenarios where her energetic output bottomed out within compressed timeframes.

When spiritual reserves ran dry, what was the operational protocol? Resume the slaughter, naturally. Enemies were hardly inclined to call an intermission granting her permission to halt and recuperate.

Spiritual power functioned identically to a sponge; diligent compression invariably yielded output.

The Breakthrough

Lin Ke surged through the aberrant ranks like a violent tempest; his wind-attribute mastery permitted him to harvest numerous anomaly heads while simultaneously relaying tactical transmissions to Xia Wang'an.

"Wang'an, I will provide suppression coverage; settle into meditation to recover your spiritual qi."

Xia Wang'an rejected the respite: "I shall simply draw talismans and absorb ambient qi concurrently."

"We must accelerate," she stated. "The Household Pacification Array demands excessive energetic maintenance. We must neutralize Nüwa and Chiyou swiftly to render reinforcement."

Nearby, Yuan Ning rapidly calculated spiritual convergence vectors across his optical interface: "Wang'an, approximately two hundred meters at the three o'clock azimuth exhibits peak spiritual density; operating from that coordinate will accelerate your recovery."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Xia Wang'an relocated to the indicated convergence nexus; true to estimation, as she resumed talismanic inscription, she experienced an exponential surge in internal spiritual replenishment.

Consequently, Xia Wang'an unleashed an inscription velocity surpassing her previous output—wielding a brush in one hand and paper in the other, she continuously birthed novel talismans and flung them into the horde.

Mirrors of every past engagement, her physical body and cognitive architecture spontaneously isolated optimal operational solutions.

As the volume of inscribed talismans multiplied, her internal spiritual qi underwent extreme compression until, upon completing a specific talisman, she experienced a sudden internal clarity. The previously constricted and sluggish qi pathways instantly expanded into torrential circulation.

Xia Wang'an had broken through.

—Late Deity Transformation Stage.

The aura radiating from the raven-haired maiden remained subtle, yet her kinetic movements grew noticeably more ethereal.

She was far from isolated in combat; Lin Ke and Yuan Ning flanked her positions, methodically sweeping away rear-guard flanking anomalies.

The garrison forces and regular infantry of Nüwa Base engaged with ferocious zeal; once internal base security was verified, defense personnel stationed initially for civilian protection surged outward to join the active frontline.

The Liberation of Souls

Tens of thousands of aberrant entities were swiftly decimated by human hands.

The liberated human souls drifted upward toward the firmament in a state of untroubled dormancy.

Within the scarred yet secure sanctuary of the base, sudden weeping erupted among the populace:

"Mom! Mother!!" "It's my father! That's my father!" "Yuanshan, is that Yuanshan? Look closely!" "Huihui, that's our little girl..."

Observers quickly realized that the translucent white mist drifting across the base sky contained the visages of their departed kin.

While lacking polished definition—with hundreds of facial imprints overlapping within a single vaporous stratum—what should have been a terrifying apparition instead evoked deep emotional resonance because those contours belonged to beloved family and friends.

Drifting across the base airspace like a gentle cloud, the mist encountered the boundary of the Household Pacification Talisman; unlike anomalous entities, which suffered destructive repulsion, the souls passed through unhindered, cleansed by a soothing spiritual breeze that clarified their vacant gazes.

The sentinel of Nüwa Base approached Xia Wang'an, sustaining fresh structural trauma upon his previously treated physique.

Disregarding his personal injuries, his gaze remained riveted upon the ascending vapor plumes and the human visages embedded within.

"What are those?" His voice rasped with gravelly intensity, matching the archetype of a battle-hardened guardian.

"Spiritual souls," Xia Wang'an replied, lifting her gaze to survey the spectacle once the combat concluded. "It appears that within their residual consciousness, this location remains their home. The Household Pacification Talisman is administering final liberation rites."

Even in a state of dormant oblivion, these spiritual echoes retained an instinctive homeward trajectory.

Perceiving the Nüwa Base as their final sanctuary, the protective talisman array overhead extended its mandate to shield them unconditionally.

"Ah... this was invariably their home."

The sentinel's voice retained its gravelly timbre, though losing its affected stoicism beneath a surge of suppressed grief.

He had located his younger brother.

Suspended within the vapor currents drifting above the installation, the spectral form of his sibling was captured mid-laughter, playfully colliding with fellow squad echoes as though discovering a wondrous novelty.

It mirrored memories of watching his brother depart the base perimeter alongside comrades, exchanging playful shoves and laughter.

Whenever deploying on reconnaissance missions, his sibling invariably twisted back to wave a cheerful farewell: "Elder brother, I'm heading out!"

Within the drifting mist, his brother broke away from his companions, struggling briefly to orient his ethereal profile toward the sentinel's exact position.

Locking eyes across the spatial divide, the spectral form smiled and articulated a silent phrase.

The acoustic vector failed to bridge the distance, yet the sentinel understood the message with absolute clarity:

—"Elder brother, I'm heading out."

Reinforcement Deployment

Confirming that all spiritual entities had been successfully embraced and liberated by the Nüwa Base pacification array, Xia Wang'an, Yuan Ning, and Lin Ke remounted their flying swords, escorting an uninjured detachment of infantry toward the adjacent Chiyou Base.

Faint acoustic feedback from Cen Qi's communications channel carried the rhythmic concussions of artillery and tactical coordination:

"Shennong Base has stabilized; civilian casualties remain zero."

At the Zhurong Base perimeter, Xuan Cheng maintained vigil at the primary gate, continuously refreshing the structural integrity of his defense talismans. Lacking Xia Wang'an's capacity to secure a metropolitan installation via a singular charter, he relied upon the conventional "Four-Corner Talisman Deployment Protocol".

Frequent breaches occurred as external anomaly strikes overwhelmed individual talismanic nodes; Zhurong garrison troops and infantry rushed frantically between structural gaps to exterminate penetrating aberrations before affixing replacement media.

Shouting across the chaotic battlefield, Xuan Cheng—surpassing his sixth decade of life—had never experienced such frantic operational pressure:

"We are holding, but structural integrity will fail within three hours! Expedite reinforcements!"

At the Kuafu Base, Cai Cai's brow streamed with perspiration. Employing the identical "Four-Corner Talisman Protocol," her operational efficiency vastly eclipsed Xuan Cheng's; remaining stationary at her designated anchor, she channeled continuous spiritual qi to repair fractured talismanic impressions automatically.

"Our sector is secure; we can sustain containment until relief arrives. Clear the Chiyou Base objectives first, then prioritize the Patriarch."

Qiu Zhuang operated nearby, drenched in sweat and anomalous ichor.

Upon their initial arrival, the Kuafu Base perimeter had suffered a fifty-percent breach; frontline defenders had sustained critical casualties before being rescued by tactical infantry squads. Had Cai Cai's vanguard not arrived to establish the defensive pacification array, Kuafu would have fallen as the primary installation.

While maintaining the pacification array strained Cai Cai's capacity, exhaustion remained manageable. Overall, their sector projected cautious optimism; even the critically wounded sentinel had been stabilized by Cai Cai's talismanic first aid—while lacking regenerative miracles, vital parameters were secured.

Executing rapid mudras and channeling ink, Cai Cai recognized that active combat operations served as the ultimate accelerator for practical proficiency, inspiring confidence that her current posture could endure for three successive days.

The Impending Crisis

Concluding a status transmission, Qiu Zhuang—having just liquidated a minor cluster of anomalies—shifted his gaze toward the distant horizon, narrowing his eyes at several microscopic black specks:

"Are those vehicles? Why are motorized units inbound from the exterior?"

Four S-rank anomalies continued their coordinated assault across the four cardinal sectors surrounding Kuafu Base; trailing directly behind their advance, three distinct vehicular convoys were barreling forward in total disregard of tactical peril.

"Critical! Those are the evacuation teams dispatched earlier!"

A surviving garrison officer lowered his military binoculars:

"When the base sustained initial kinetic bombardment, distress beacons were broadcast. Several logistical units operating externally are attempting a forced return."

Nearby units had already completed their retrograde movements; these three convoys had evidently operated at extended operational depth, receiving transmissions belatedly.

The operational hazard was self-evident: during the initial distress broadcast, S-rank attention had remained fixated upon base fortification structures, permitting external units to slip through unnoticed.

Presently, however, the Kuafu Base was completely insulated behind the Household Pacification Array, rendering human targets imperceptible to external aberrations.

For these three convoys to approach under current conditions was equivalent to ringing the dinner bell directly outside a predator's den.

Qiu Zhuang's expression shifted dramatically: "Inform them immediately! The base is secure—instruct them to halt and retreat!"

The officer shook his head grimly: "The transmission relay tower was destroyed during the opening exchange; long-range broadcast capability is offline."

"What about acoustic hailing systems?" "At this distance, vehicular audio isolation prevents acoustic projection."

Observed through optical scopes, the convoys remained positioned at least five kilometers beyond the perimeter.

From the perspective of the incoming personnel, four monumental anomalies dominated the approach vector toward the installation.

Judging by their aggressive retrograde velocity, even recognizing the catastrophic threat profile, they intended to force passage to reinforce their comrades.

The officer gripped his weapon: "Base tactical short-range radios remain operational across all transport units. However, current spatial separation exceeds operational range. I shall deploy with a mobile transmitter module to intercept them—otherwise, entering the engagement zone guarantees annihilation."

Qiu Zhuang glanced toward the officer's amputated left arm, then surveyed the surrounding infantry—virtually every combatant bore severe lacerations, engaged in reciprocal battlefield triage.

Operational effectives remaining uninjured were practically non-existent.

Dispatching wounded personnel constituted a suicide mission.

Blocking the officer's path, Qiu Zhuang stated: "I shall go."

Cai Cai reinforced a perimeter impression, turning her gaze toward him: "Qiu Zhuang!" "We agreed—zero personnel exit the pacification perimeter."

Qiu Zhuang offered a reckless grin: "Relax. Anomalies possess thermal aversion; have you forgotten my innate attribute? No one is better suited for this deployment."

Extending his palm, a localized combustion vortex flickered across his skin.

Cai Cai pursed her lips, holding his gaze in silence.

Normally characterized by boisterous operational carelessness, Qiu Zhuang adopted an uncharacteristic gentleness: "Do not worry. My talismanic grades have eternally languished; I cannot even execute basic exorcism strokes."

Licking his lips with mild self-consciousness regarding his academic deficiencies, he confessed: "I desire to contribute substantively."

During foundational training protocols, primary instructors routinely emphasized that cognitive and structural breakthroughs demanded deliberate exposure to high-threat operational friction. Remaining permanently sheltered within protected zones precluded meaningful progression over centuries.

Qiu Zhuang sought his breakthrough.

Cai Cai specialized in talismanic theory, Lin Ke commanded kinetic velocity, Yuan Ning managed operational logistics, and Wang'an represented absolute omniscience.

Even Lux, recruited latterly, possessed advanced restorative utility.

Conversely, Qiu Zhuang possessed volumetric mass and aggressive frontline momentum, lacking specialized utility.

While academic study induced immediate somnolence, his intellectual barriers persisted; yet the lingering frustration of feeling redundant within an elite collective weighed heavily upon his consciousness—an emotional parallel shared by Cai Cai, whose archery mechanics had historically struggled to achieve decisive impact.

Realizing that foundational support roles sustained the collective, the psychological sting of perceived inadequacy remained potent until she unlocked her talismanic aptitude.

Cai Cai offered no further obstruction.

"Exercise extreme caution," she murmured.

Nodding firmly, Qiu Zhuang clutched his side-arm: "Understood."

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