Apocalypse Forecast Chapter 76: The Man of Fire, Jin Mu

If one were to continue using such frontier relics, it would consume a vast amount of physical strength and a massive quantity of |Source Quality|. In the case of |Jin Mu|, he would only be able to use them freely after promoting to the fourth stage, Antimony, and having his |Stigmata| transform into 'Feilian'.
As the barrier of the |Precept Zone| was destroyed, the |Sublimator| suppression unit began negotiating with the |People of Returning Purity| to release the frontier variants.
With a roar, the earth shook, and a massive frontier variant that looked like an ape but had the head of a lizard leaped over the main gate of the |Longma| Building and attacked the army surrounding the building.
The counterattacking bullets and shells were melted by the raging fire covering the monster's body.
The ape-like monster destroyed a tank in an instant, then looked up to the heavens and roared, grabbing the wreckage of the tank and throwing it at random. The army's formation collapsed, giving an opening to the frontier variants that followed in its wake.
"Jin Mu, do you still have the strength?"
Director |Dian| asked over the communication line.
Jin Mu grinned, showing his teeth.
"This level of spark is just a side dish."
Jin Mu hoisted his |Iron Whip| onto his shoulder, leaped high into the air, and swung the iron whip down toward the lizard-headed fire ape.
The fire ape dodged quickly, glared at Jin Mu with wide eyes, and spat white flames from its mouth.
The temperature around Jin Mu was high enough to burn his lungs with every breath, and the center of the flames was hot enough to melt steel instantly.
Jin Mu did not budge; he smiled even more, reached his burning palm out toward the distance, and grabbed at the void. In an instant, all the flames vanished, replaced by a terrifying cold.
From terrifying heat to cruel cold.
Having once braved death as a firefighter before his sublimation, Jin Mu's soul awakened when faced with fire. Driven by the deepest desire within his soul, he was granted the power to control all flames and heat in a sea of silver. Unfortunately, after that miraculous rescue, he had to leave the firefighting job he loved to throw himself into the battle against the frontier.
But his resolve, hard enough to shatter ice-iron, had never been moved by anything.
――To eliminate all fires from the world!
"|Xu Er|, did you forbid games today!"
As if diving through the residual heat of the flames, he let out a roar, held his iron whip high, and swung it down. The head of the fire ape, which could not dodge in time, was covered in frost and frozen solid.
The next moment, the two collided. The fire ape's head shattered, and it was crushed down to the shoulder. The arm that flew into the air froze instantly, fell to the ground, and shattered into shards of ice.
"Damn it, one more time!"
Jin Mu turned his body and roared at the still-living fire ape.
Jin Mu was fired up!
"I will join the battle as well. You two should focus on strengthening the defense. The enemy might be using a tactic to take the King in chess."
|Shen Yue| nagged out of concern, but Director Dian and |Ai Qing| let it go in one ear and out the other. If two Sublimators went out to the battlefield, the defense here would end up being thin anyway.
With Shen Yue's participation, the pressure on the front line was significantly eased.
Unlike Jin Mu, a combat-type who purely enhanced himself, Shen Yue was a support-type.
The trigger for his sublimation was a cerebral infarction caused by harsh overtime while working in the financial industry. His greatest wish upon awakening was to finish his work quickly, go home, and sleep.
The name of his soul ability was peculiar: 'Efficient Work Method Without Overtime'.
He was a master of buffs such as intelligence boosts, speed boosts, and defense boosts, providing the maximum protection possible to ordinary people and preventing the erosion of the poison known as the 'Stagnation of the Abyss'.
While the 'Stagnation of the Abyss' could not be completely prevented, it was quite effective in preventing the team members from dying of poisoning.
The third-stage Aether-class Stigmata, the |Dongxia| lineage's '|Shangyang|', expanded the range of his soul ability. It was a strange beast that once held the nickname of '|Rain Master|', and its greatest effect was to rain down upon the earth.
Thanks to Shen Yue's protection, the attack speed of the Sublimator suppression unit increased greatly, and they gained the upper hand in about an hour.
However, Ai Qing and Director Dian in the command center were not as relieved as the majority of the people. The experienced Director Dian believed that this was only the beginning. Ai Qing did not pay attention to the situation outside, but was lost in thought while looking at the notebook in her hand.
Frowning.
"One ritual, ten gluttonies, one hundred bone marrows, one thousand bird eyes, and ten thousand venomous snakes!
Death in a coffin, it cries, changing in one hell, for the sake of destruction.
The reborn shadow follows the twin wings, the nesting bird flies in the sky..."
Ai Qing repeated the prophetic poem, trying to guess what was implied.
The one ritual clearly refers to the People of Returning Purity. Those who toy with ghosts and gods perform rituals at the slightest provocation. Rituals for offerings, rituals for praise, even rituals for eating... so, what kind of ritual are they trying to perform?
The ten gluttonies must refer to the Great Hunting Offering of the People of Returning Purity.
What the |Rancher| likes is this kind of battle royale, where food items kill each other in a closed environment until only one is left. The final survivor of the offering is granted the title of 'Hunter' by the Rancher and becomes the best combatant of the People of Returning Purity.
And the one hundred bone marrows... that has also become clear in the last few days. It's the grave robbing that has been occurring frequently in Xinhai recently. In other words, they are collecting the skeletons of one hundred people.
For what purpose?
And the birds and venomous snakes are also meaningless.
The meaning of the coffin is simple. It must be referring to a Sublimator. A spirit coffin is a valuable tool for resurrecting a Sublimator.
Such tools are rare now and too expensive to be on the market. Because no one would put their own life up for sale.
Dying in a spirit coffin and resurrecting in hell... doesn't this mean a resurrection ritual?
What about the 'reborn shadow' and 'nesting bird' in the latter part?
Is there a bird-type high-stage Stigmata among the enemies?
That possibility is high and cannot be ignored...
At present, the greatest possibility is that the People of Returning Purity are gathering power through the offering ritual to perform a resurrection for some purpose.
What an annoying thing a prophetic poem is.
Even the creator doesn't know what will happen in the future, yet they make the reader guess without providing the answer, just to show off their own cleverness and wisdom...
Ai Qing cursed with foul language.

The situation on the ground was changing every moment.
Someone was now visiting the Stone Marrow Hall, which was far from the center of Xinhai City.
"Hello. Delivery."
Outside the iron gate, the delivery person knocked hard on the fence and looked with a troubled face at the overgrown, dilapidated mansion behind the iron gate. The old-fashioned mansion had an atmosphere that seemed like it might be haunted.
The delivery person called out several times, but there was no answer. Just as he was about to turn back, a raspy voice suddenly came from the garden.
"Just leave it at the door."
The delivery person was startled and almost dropped the pizza box, but he immediately placed it on the ground, straddled his motorcycle, and rode away as if flying.
After the delivery person left, the crow on the tree flew down, lifted the box with an invisible force, turned around, and flew into the house.
"Ah, such a small body is inconvenient. I can't even get delivery."
With a sigh, the house door opened without a breeze, revealing the hall inside.
On the table in the center of the hall, which had been cleaned by |Huai Shi| so that there wasn't a speck of dust, various foods were lined up. Three of the largest size cola bottles, two family barrels, four boxes of nuggets, and the pizza that had just arrived.
After placing the pizza, the crow whistled. She sat on a small sofa made to fit her body and enjoyed her weekend pizza party. Then she watched the great battle being broadcast on a large water mirror.
"Do it! Go!"
The crow watched from a high vantage point and cheered for both sides.
However, what the water mirror was showing was not the battle at the Longma Building, but a scene far away.
Like a clairvoyant eye, the water mirror could easily break through the shackles of the Present Realm and overlook the Frontier that surrounded the Present Realm like many bubbles. And the infinite abyss of hell beneath the Frontier.
The camera passed through the scorching flames of dozens of Frontiers and finally stopped in a narrow zone between the Present Realm and the Frontier. That place was the coastal region of Dongxia.
Now the East Sea was boiling!
Amidst the billowing white mist, the entire East Sea had turned into a cruel hunting ground. Countless monsters were killing each other there.
Small shrimp ate seaweed, small fish ate small shrimp, big fish ate small fish, monsters swallowed big fish, and they swallowed each other.
A cold whistle sounded.
A cruel food chain descended here.

Translator's Note:
Faust's prophecy has reappeared here.
I'm curious what kind of meaning it holds...