Chapter 94: The Source of Corruption

"What a pity. I recently learned a phrase: villains die because they talk too much." Tony descended slowly. His previous attack sensors had made it quite clear: that seemingly intelligent herald had been reduced to ashes under the sustained laser barrage, his unfinished words dissipating along with his remains.

As for that inexplicable Source of Corruption, it too had been blasted into dust. This left Tony at a loss for words. How could such a terrifying monster end with such a disappointing whimper? Was this so-called Source of Corruption truly nothing more than a joke?

What Tony did not know was that the flower the herald had summoned in his final moments was, in fact, just an ordinary flower. The true Source of Corruption had already been transported to the location where that flower originally belonged.

Indeed, the herald had expended a vast amount of his own energy not only to summon the Source of Corruption but also to use spatial displacement to shift it elsewhere. As for why he had done so, it was naturally because his massive form could no longer sustain itself.

Tony’s two missiles were not easily shrugged off; the herald had already been severely wounded, and it was only in his desperation that he had assumed that earlier form—a form Tony had correctly guessed bore some resemblance to a Shoggoth.

However, the gravely injured herald could not hold on much longer. This was why he had instantly calmed down after realizing he could not overcome Tony; he had come to Washington with a mission.

Thus, he exhausted every ounce of his remaining energy to summon the Source of Corruption—the very objective of his trip: to utterly destroy the administrative heart of the United States.

Because the Holy Cult had recently been expanding through the American political landscape like a virus, those who disapproved of its methods began to notice traces of its activities and started to suppress it.

These actions would normally have had little impact on the Cult, but the great Holy Son—the Chosen One—had successfully summoned a True God. This had sent the members of the Cult into a fervor, compelling them to offer a tribute to their great deity ahead of schedule.

The chosen tribute was, naturally, every person on American soil. In the eyes of the Cult, only a sacrifice of such miraculous proportions could awaken another great master who still lay in slumber.

And so, the Holy Cult began its operation. They first utilized their developed believers to sabotage defense nodes, and then, while everyone’s attention was diverted, they moved to destroy America's energy core and assassinate the President.

Regrettably, this final step had failed; the President had been rescued. Since a second assassination attempt would undoubtedly be even more difficult, the Cult had a contingency plan.

Once the assassination failed, they would activate the Source of Corruption to plunge the entire city into chaos. Then, using a ritual specifically tailored for the President, all dark entities would prioritize attacking him, allowing the Cult to execute their second assassination attempt.

Thus, Washington was currently being corrupted by the power of the Source of Corruption. The President and his party had only just left the White House and had not yet boarded the helicopter waiting to extract them.

So, just as Tony, feeling deeply puzzled, was preparing to leave the White House, every living soul in Washington felt varying degrees of agony.

The so-called Source of Corruption was, in truth, a wisp of a malevolent god’s aura. Although the presence was extremely faint, its essence remained that of an evil deity. Anyone who sensed its existence would, to varying degrees, descend into madness or even be directly assimilated into a monstrous, evil entity.

And precisely because it was the aura of a malevolent god, even Iron Man could not detect anything amiss; this was the power of a deity.

At this moment, the team protecting President Tang Chuan faced their greatest crisis. They had been escorting Tang Chuan to an emergency helicopter, but considering the threat posed by the massive monster, they had been forced to abandon the helipad closest to the White House and head toward another.

Suddenly, everyone felt as if their heads had been struck by heavy iron hammers. Then, kaleidoscopic hallucinations appeared before their eyes. The soldiers in the first vehicle, possessing the strongest willpower, were the first to regain their senses and managed to control the swerving car just in time. However, the President was not so fortunate.

To ensure Tang Chuan’s safety, they were traveling in a three-car motorcade. Tang Chuan was seated in the middle vehicle, which was being driven by the General himself, accompanied by two other advisors. The religious figures, having proven useless in the previous battle, had been relegated to the last car by Tang Chuan.

Tang Chuan felt as if he had returned to his mother’s womb. A warm, enveloping force wrapped around him, and he felt as though his mother was cradling him, humming a lullaby. Tang Chuan could not help but hum along softly.

Accompanied by Tang Chuan’s singing, the General, whose will had not yet fully recovered, sank into an even deeper hallucination, as did the two advisors.

As for the others in the other vehicles, aside from a few ascetic monks and soldiers who had woken up immediately, the senior officers had all fallen into a stupor.

Naturally, a collision occurred. The middle vehicle slammed into the lead one, forcing the rear vehicle to a halt, and Tang Chuan fell into unconsciousness.

Although these soldiers had lost the command of their superiors, they understood the fundamental priority of protecting the President. A group of them immediately exited their vehicles to rescue Tang Chuan and his party from the wreckage.

Alas, Washington was spiraling into chaos. Citizens who had been panicked by the collapse of the shields were now falling to the ground, with some transforming into monsters mid-coma, tearing at the bodies of those around them.

Watching the chaotic scene in the streets, the ascetic monks supported Tang Chuan and the advisors, while the soldiers kept their weapons raised and continued toward their destination. The city was lost; they had to escape.

Tony received this information at that very moment: the entire city’s population was unconscious, and some had transformed into monsters. The ominous foreboding Tony had felt earlier finally clarified; he understood the true purpose of the Source of Corruption.

"Damn it, these tentacle-monsters only know how to pull these low-life tricks, yet they have the nerve to call themselves superior." Tony immediately departed from the ruins of the White House. He had been studying the remnant of the flower, but he now realized he had been played.

Tony quickly arrived at the location of Tang Chuan and his party. Seeing the chaos below, he frowned deeply.

The citizens who had awakened were primarily attacking Tang Chuan’s defensive perimeter, and the bodyguards and soldiers were not showing mercy; dozens of citizens who had reverted to their true monstrous forms already lay dead before them.

Tony was just about to descend to assist when a massive tentacle suddenly emerged from the side to attack him. He was forced to fly higher to dodge the strike and quickly counterattacked. But as he looked, his eyes filled with horror: "Shoggoth!"