Clockwork Bride

Page 290

Five hundred clone Mikets, with identical bodies and minds likely linked together by divine power, would make their array even more terrifying! The array, though only two or three hundred meters in diameter, emanated boundless killing intent, scattering the clouds in the sky, leaving no room for doubt about its power!

Let alone a minor god, even a great god would never want to try fighting against such power and killing intent!

The audience of gods reacted with a mixture of admiration, smiles, fear, worry, and whispers, all thoroughly intrigued. Now, let's see what tricks Mickett will pull... hmm?

"Now entering are the troops of the challenger, His Excellency Mikttikashiva!"

The master of ceremonies, Peeling Skin, shouted as he turned the camera. And so the gods saw it: another five hundred people, led by a leader, marching towards the desolate battlefield. And that leader was… wait?

The figure of the leader surprised even the gods who had prepared themselves mentally. Even Smoke Mirror paused, then turned to Micket at the other end of the ritual area: "My dear daughter, what are you up to?"

However, Micket couldn't answer at this moment, because she didn't know what was going on either, and just wanted to grab Hayden and ask him for an explanation!

What they saw was a smaller version of Miktikashiva clone, physically appearing to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a Gothic Lolita dress. And she had brought four hundred and ninety-nine soldiers who looked like enhanced humans, and she had actually walked onto the battlefield like this!

This person, needless to say, is none other than Isham.

The 499 enhanced humans behind her were, of course, Todd and his guerrillas.

Normally, if Amu were seen by others, it would definitely cause a big problem. However, now that Smoke Mirror has produced five hundred clones of Micket, all of them minor gods, no one will think there's anything wrong with Amu. At most, they'll wonder why her physical age is different—Hayden's move is indeed quite interesting.

...But who would actually send one minor god and 499 enhanced humans to fight against an army of five hundred minor gods? It's impossible to win!

Hayden, what the hell are you doing?!

Only Hayden and his friends know this!

351: Drops of water make a river

Six days ago, when Hayden received the news that the second duel would be a contest of military formations, he racked his brains trying to figure out what "military formations" he could use.

He certainly didn't have it himself; he hadn't even studied such a thing. But on the other hand, several years ago, Angela had taught Hayden a lesson: "Don't try to solve problems all by yourself."

Hayden then considered the matter in two parts—first, had he strengthened the army's technology and strength?

Yes, there are many, a huge number. Rather, it's more accurate to say that Hayden has been accumulating more and more techniques over the years to enhance his own and others' skills. Not only Hayden, but his partners and even allies have many, each possessing unique skills. If these skills are combined, they can bring endless surprises.

Hayden simply lacked an army. And theoretically, with his current technology, he could easily find five hundred civilians and, within a week, enhance and train them into elite enhanced human warriors, whose combat power after the buff wouldn't be inferior to the Protoss army… Of course, the risk would still be significant. And even if it were theoretically possible, Hayden certainly couldn't just randomly involve a group of civilians. On one hand, there was no mutual trust; on the other hand, Hayden didn't like dragging innocent civilians into the mess.

So after much deliberation, he went to find Amu and Todd—weren't they innocent civilians too? Not quite. Hayden went to them first to ask for their opinions:

"The next battle of the main gods will be a military campaign, with each side fielding 500 men and equipment. Miktikashiva's technology won't be usable this time, and I was initially considering whether to urgently build a golem army... but then I thought of another way. Are you interested in participating?"

Todd frowned upon hearing this: "I do have five hundred guerrillas, but we are only at the level of enhanced humans. Fighting an army of five hundred men, who are at least at the level of the War Gods, will only result in a gruesome death."

Hayden shook his head and explained, "That's not the point. Of course, we have a chance of winning, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you. The point is, how much do you want to defeat Smoke Mirror? Are you willing to take some risks, to slap Him in the face, and even weaken His power in the process?"

Todd finally paused for a moment: "This is more complicated. At least the vast majority of people in this underground base hate Smoke Mirror, or at least hate His company, or the managers within the company... but just how big is the risk?"

"Simply put, if you're willing, I'll strengthen you over the next few days—I have a large reserve of Nine-Turn Golden Pills, so you can all consume them first, and with the help of alchemy, I'll apply another buff before the duel. At least during the duel, you'll have the foundation of a battle god."

Hayden said,

"But I suspect that the Smoke Mirror might create a large number of cloned Mickets to form an army. Even if it doesn't, it could turn into a situation where many cloned Mickets lead hundreds of high-level undead creatures."

Anyway, that's what Hayden's prophetic intuition told him.

"If things really turn out the worst, we'll have to face a small god-level army of five hundred. We can't win with just the basic combat god race."

These words stunned Todd and Amm.

"Mass production... mass production of a little god?? I thought that was impossible."

“It’s just not cost-effective,” Hayden explained to Todd. “True gods can be overwhelmed by the battle god soldiers in a military formation. In fact, most of the old gods in the war between the new and old gods died this way. Instead of spending a hundred times the money to mass-produce blank minor gods, it’s better to use that money to build battle god soldiers. It’s a matter of cost-effectiveness. But this time, with a limit of 500 against 500, the situation is different.”

“But that’s not the point. The point is, I have a great idea that I’m very confident I can gain the upper hand and also greatly weaken the 'momentum' and power of the Smoke Mirror—provided that I need Amu’s help. I need your unique talent.”

Hayden's words only confused Am, who was both surprised and honored: "What unique talent do I have? Is it because I'm a clone of Miktti Kashiva?"

“No, it’s not that it’s unique in that respect.” Hayden scratched his head. “Do you remember the arcane magic you used yesterday when you attacked that little secret base?”

“Those arcane arts aren’t particularly powerful, nor are they any unique or secret techniques, but my plan happens to require a time magician like that. Of course, I certainly won’t force you if you’re not willing…”

Am immediately retorted, "Don't bother with such polite words. Great people don't concern themselves with trifles. Why are you being so fussy?"

Hayden, ever the gossip, had no choice but to explain his proposed solution to Amy and Todd, and then, while they stared in disbelief, continued, “My methods usually have serious limitations—I’m only starting to realize that lately. No one can come up with a perfect plan, just as no one can do everything perfectly.”

"So if you think there are any loopholes or flaws in my plan, anything that needs to be modified, any suggestions, or if you think it simply won't work, please let me know as soon as possible."

Todd paused for a moment, then actually pointed out two minor errors in Hayden's plan. Hayden immediately nodded and discussed an improved version with him.

Am listened blankly for a while, and then shared some of her own thoughts.

And that's how it was done. It didn't even take much time in total.

Am joined, Todd joined, and his guerrillas joined as well.

Some people are doing it for their own future.

Some people want to bring their stories to a close.

————————————————————————

Back at the battlefield, the gods were naturally astonished to see that Mikert's forces consisted of a loli clone of Mikert and 499 enhanced mortals. Of course, the gods' eyesight was excellent, and they quickly realized that these enhanced troops had been temporarily boosted to roughly the level of the War Gods… but that was all.

First of all, temporary enhancements are only temporary and cannot compare to truly forged divine weapons. The reaction speed, combat skills, experience, and teamwork of the Protoss far surpass those of mortal soldiers. Moreover, Smoke Mirror has created five hundred cloned minor gods this time.

But then Micket created a minor clone of herself and made her lead 499 ordinary people against 500 of herself... What kind of bizarre move is this? What is Micket planning?

Surely you don't want to use your underage clones to beat down Smoke Mirror's five hundred adult clones and thoroughly humiliate Smoke Mirror, do you?

Nobody knew, nobody knew, even Miket himself couldn't figure out what Hayden was thinking.

After Amu and his 499 guerrillas entered the arena, they quickly began to deploy, forming a larger formation in less than ten minutes, covering an area of ​​about one kilometer in diameter. Although not extremely large, it was significantly larger than the formation of Klonmict's. It's important to understand that larger formations aren't always better for combined attacks. With both sides having 500 men, a greater distance between them would inevitably reduce the efficiency of energy flow and coordination. Moreover, the formation itself wasn't complex. The spectators were numerous and knowledgeable, and they quickly realized that the formation simply combined the power of Amu and his 499 men into one—a very simple formation.

It might not be difficult to defeat a minor god with this rudimentary formation, but how could it possibly defeat an army formation composed of five hundred minor gods?

...So, seeing this scene, most of the gods believed that, given the vast disparity in strength, Mikt must have come up with some remarkable solution, and there must be an incredibly complex and ingenious plan behind it all...right?

They were right.

The effect is simple, which means it is easy to understand, straightforward, and can run continuously as long as the core does not have problems, without fear of unexpected events.

Isham, the key figure in carrying out this plan, is now extremely nervous.

This wasn't just because she was about to engage a small divine army, but also because she was at the core of their formation. In fact, she was even feeling a sense of fear.

Her fear stemmed from the presence of five hundred clones of herself before her. It was a strange and disorienting feeling. Moreover, Amu was a god, not just someone who could see with her eyes and hear with her ears. She could truly and genuinely "feel" that these five hundred expressionless clones in black military uniforms were the same life forms as "herself," sharing the same blood, and even having most of the same memories and personalities.

This feeling is extremely terrifying. It's enough to cause a cognitive disorientation, making one wonder, "Who am I?"

Amu had previously been unsure whether the Smoke Mirror had acquired all of her biological genetic information, while Micket simply didn't believe it. But now, seeing five hundred clones of Micket at such close range, the resonance of bloodlines, divine power, and consciousness told her it was real. Faced with this fact, she felt her heart pounding violently in her chest like a frightened little animal.

That's ridiculous, she was originally a vampire.

"Don't be afraid, little goddess. We can win. Just keep your head down."

Suddenly, a guerrilla fighter spoke to her from behind.

"You are our lucky charm, you will definitely be able to turn danger into safety."

He was a weathered veteran, with a full beard and a robust build, considered old for a South American (as many may recall, older South American factory workers were often sent directly to gladiatorial combat as a blood sacrifice). This old guerrilla fighter, who had seen it all, smiled at Am, his tone gentle yet firm.

So Am nodded and said, "Thank you, Longway."

Behind them, wave after wave of guerrilla fighters stood in rows and formations. Amu stood at the very front, with about thirty others. It wasn't just that one veteran; all thirty-odd guerrillas around Amu were smiling—the kind of confident smile. Another soldier was nodding vigorously.

In the past few days, after experiencing the setback and gaining insights from her previous encounter with Little War God, Amu began to do something special. She went to visit the guerrillas in the underground base one by one, making sure not to miss a single one, constantly asking them their names, talking to them, and trying to find out who they really were.

Some guerrillas were resistant, as if their names were something important they couldn't easily hand over to the capitalist god; others didn't mind, quite liked Eminem, and enjoyed talking to her. Still others were quite surprised that a capitalist god cared about their names, perhaps even encouraged by it.

Then, after asking the questions, Am tightly grasped those names and memorized them, as if they were important business documents.

A person is defined by their name.

In other words, once they knew their names, these guerrilla fighters were no longer nameless extras, but real, living, breathing people. They were equals, just like Am—she learned and remembered this principle in this way.

mementomori (remembering death) – otherwise, how can you truly understand the mystery and meaning of death and life?

To Amu's surprise, over the course of six days, the guerrillas grew to like her more and more. Now they encouraged her, listened to her, and might even believe her instructions. They called her Little Lucky Star and truly considered her one of their own.

Neither Amu nor her true form, Micket, had ever experienced this feeling before. Perhaps she would die in this battle, or perhaps she would succumb to the pressure and allow Smoke Mirror to win the final victory... But at least for now, when the guerrillas trusted her, Amu could feel a warmth burning steadily in her heart, yet also a touch of unease.

Ever since being beaten up by the Little War God, Am was actually unsure of what she wanted to do in the future. Her previous ideas were no longer viable, and her future path remained uncertain. But at least today, she would fight Smoke Mirror, and she would fight alongside these guerrilla fighters. Because without defeating Smoke Mirror, Am had no future.

She resolutely concealed the fear in her voice and expression, took a deep breath, and shouted:

"Let's go! For tomorrow! For victory! For a better South America!"

The guerrillas roared and the five hundred-man army began to advance towards the five hundred clones of Mikt.

The five hundred clone Mickets stared blankly at Isham across from them. But perhaps a flicker of doubt arose within them, as if they were wondering how a strange, teenage clone could be standing opposite them, commanding an army of mortals.

So they launched an attack.

In an instant, the five hundred cloned minor gods unleashed their divine power. The leading clone, Micket (though outwardly indistinguishable from the others), used this concentrated burst of power to amplify the strength of the entire army, unleashing the boundless killing intent he had previously gathered, transforming it into a terrifying and incredibly powerful strike!

This attack concentrated the energy of five hundred clone Mickets, its power was simply unbelievable. The moment it was unleashed, the wind and clouds changed color. Dark underworld divine power and blood-red killing aura surged together, forming ripples that combined to form a vortex-like shape. Wherever it passed, even the earth cracked, and it crashed directly into the five hundred roaring guerrilla fighters who charged forward.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted, the ground trembled, a fierce wind arose, and the shockwave swept across the entire wasteland, soaring into the sky and shattering the solid earth into pieces—but before the wind and dust could dissipate, the five hundred clones of Mickett suddenly changed their expressions.

Immediately afterwards, a huge tentacle shot out from the smoke and dust and entangled the first clone, Micket!

Upon closer inspection, the tentacles didn't seem to be tentacles at all, but rather vines—light green plant vines.

The thing that grew this vine was an exceptionally large flower that appeared out of nowhere between the two armies' formations. For some reason, it had a mouth, so big that it could swallow a dump truck whole. The mouth was covered with sharp thorns, and its gaping maw was dripping with saliva, making it look very hungry.

Looking at the 499 guerrillas behind Isham, everyone realized that for some reason they weren't carrying weapons. What they were holding in their hands and hanging on their waists were... bags and bags of seeds.

And they are frantically scattering seeds on the battlefield.

"The requirement for a military duel is that each side must bring 500 men, each with their own portable equipment."

Hayden hid in the shadows outside the battlefield, observing the situation while muttering to himself.

"It doesn't say you can't bring your own combat plant seeds and grow them on the battlefield."

352: Battle of the Army

It's too late to say, then soon!

With the first clash between the two armies, the battle officially broke out, and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

When the armies of the gods clash in battle, their formations collide, it's essentially a group of gods working together to wield a divine power far exceeding their own. Needless to say, this is an extremely dangerous and difficult undertaking, like driving a heavy truck at the speed of a supersonic race car. The power is immense, incredibly strong, but even a slight mistake can lead to a gruesome death.

Since the battle formation is so dangerous, whichever side's formation collapses first is basically doomed. This is because the strength of unformed scattered troops differs from that of a fully formed army (even if the soldiers were originally of equal skill). Soldiers in a collapsing army will be instantly mowed down by the enemy.

In other words, once the two armies collide head-on, it's like two heavy trucks speeding at supersonic speeds while fighting each other; one side simply can't stop before it collapses.

I can’t stop anymore!

The two armies clashed, and in an instant, the difference in strength was immediately apparent. The Netherworld power and bloodthirsty killing intent unleashed by the Clonemic Legion bombarded the guerrilla formation. That dark Netherworld energy could devour everything around it, not even light could escape, like a black hole; that blood-red killing aura was formless and intangible, elusive, yet more deadly than swords.

So the five guerrillas fell after the first wave of attacks. They fell, but they didn't die. Because the formation sustained their lives, connecting the strength and lives of five hundred people together, like a shared health and mana bar.

But they didn't come without a price. White flames began to erupt from the bodies of the five guerrillas, mainly from their extremities, burning off their fingers and toes.

"Sacrifice and sacrifice."

Some knowledgeable spectators at the ceremony site witnessed this scene and couldn't help but comment.

"Voluntary self-sacrifice is indeed very powerful in the South American magic system, but it is still far from enough to bridge the gap between gods and humans."

Besides, if you mortals can sacrifice yourselves, why can't five hundred lesser gods? When gods are sacrificed, the effect is far greater than when humans are sacrificed. They can't possibly outdo each other!

Then the gods began to examine closely where these enhanced human soldiers used the energy they gained from the sacrifices—was it only for defense? It didn't seem so. They seemed to mainly use the energy to plant seeds.

As Isham channeled energy into the core of the array, amplifying the arcane magic, her spell caused all the planted seeds to sprout and grow at an astonishing speed, transforming into giant bulbous flowers within a second, each bearing a gaping maw of abyss-like maw and teeth larger than swords. Planting four hundred and ninety-four enhanced humans together instantly resulted in four hundred and ninety-four giant flowers, each possessing divine-level power.

"I see, so you're trying to increase your chances of winning by increasing your output..."

"Their focus is good, but they're all using the same amount of energy. They can't win like this."

Some of the gods saw through Mickett's tactics and began whispering and pointing fingers at each other.

The more units that can effectively engage in combat, the higher the instantaneous attack power, the greater the damage dealt, and the higher the combat efficiency—this is just a general and simple statement, but there is always some truth to it.

That's why Hayden needed Amu to participate in the plan and become the core of the military.

Six days ago, after reviewing Am's combat records and her arcane magic, Hayden discovered something quite interesting: as a new god of capital, Am should have been a completely blank god, without any special attributes or divine power. But what actually happened?

In fact, Am does possess special attributes, or at least special affinity. Although she had previously used only ordinary arcane magic, common arcane magic that anyone could learn, Hayden discovered that Am had a unique advantage in manipulating time (especially the future). The same arcane magic worked exceptionally well and efficiently for her. In addition, she was particularly effective when casting spells related to "animation" and "creating new life."

Even Hayden himself didn't know why, and could only explain it as—ah, probably because I used [Words of Wisdom] to give her the new name "Isham (Daughter of Tomorrow)," which affected her attributes in that direction as well. Probably.