Chapter Ninety-Three: Poison Gas Bombs! Unspeakably Cruel!

Louis was very satisfied with his current body.

"To be honest, the frailest thing about human beings is their flesh and blood. That pitifully weak flesh can never withstand the ravages of disease, let alone something like poison gas. A human can inhale a single breath and die on the spot."

With cold, bloodthirsty relish, Louis drew in the chill metallic scent hanging in the air.

This was the smell he loved most of all. The bloody scenes already forming in his mind were driving him slowly mad.

More and more, Louis felt just how right his original decision had been. To cast off the human body and exchange it for a machine body, harder and more durable, had been the wisest choice imaginable.

"Oh? Is that so? Making poison gas is hardly difficult. But from the human data I have seen, this gas bomb is considered an inhumane weapon." Hades had long since known how to make it, but had never gone so far as to produce one.

Mainly because he believed such a weapon could not do much damage to humans. As a machine, he trusted machines more.

He, Hades, was the ruler of machines.

"That is no problem. Leave this to me. I am willing to do the work for you." Louis said respectfully, though madness burned plainly in his eyes.

"Very well. Then I will leave it to you. You may command my troops as you please. If you produce excellent results, there will certainly be a reward for you." Hades said indifferently.

He wanted to see just how far Louis could go.

With a thud, Louis dropped to his knees. "As you command! Please rest assured, I will do my utmost. These insignificant humans are nothing more than toys." When he finished, he gave a contemptuous laugh.

He knew all too well how weak human beings were.

As a doctor who stood at the summit of human knowledge, Louis found the making of poison gas to be child’s play.

A mere gas weapon was simple enough.

In just three days, Louis had manufactured an ultra-dense poison gas bomb, and had already used captured humans as test subjects.

The cruelty of his methods was unprecedented.

Those exposed to the bomb felt nothing at first, but after one minute, breathing became difficult; their entire bodies began to rot; their organs were wracked with searing pain; they coughed up blood without end; their eyes went blind; and one by one, their teeth fell out.

Within only two hours, the human would become a lump of putrid flesh, with all features on the face rendered utterly unrecognizable.

That was the killing power of the poison gas bomb.

Enough to send a human to death amid boundless agony and terror.

Louis proudly presented the results of his experiments to Hades.

Hades stared at the mangled flesh before him, disgusted to the point of nausea.

"So this is the power of the poison gas bomb. How do you find it, Lord Hades?" Louis asked with pride and deference.

"Hm. Not bad. Since you are so confident, then you will command this war." Hades truly wanted to see whether humans dealing with humans might prove more effective.

Louis was overjoyed and hurriedly dropped to his knees. "I will not fail your trust, Lord Hades!"

This time, he would certainly perform well.

The poison gas bomb was put into production.

China.

Today, Chu Xiao had felt unsettled all day, with the uneasy sense that something was about to happen.

"Ji Kaicheng, have you handled everything I told you to do?" Chu Xiao asked the man beside him, who was reporting on his work.

Ji Kaicheng looked confused. "Lieutenant General Chu, what are you referring to?"

Chu Xiao let out a long sigh. "Mass production of gas masks, and gathering all the experts in virology and bacteriology. Bring them together, and protect them well."

"Report, sir! Everything has been done! Gas mask production is still ongoing. At the current rate, there should soon be enough for every resident and soldier to have a set!" Ji Kaicheng replied solemnly.

Chu Xiao steadied himself.

"Send down the order. Tell them I had a prophetic dream yesterday, and in that dream Hades used poison gas bombs in the coming war. Tell everyone to carry a gas mask on their person at all times. Remember: make it as convincing as possible."

Chu Xiao suddenly lifted his eyes and looked straight at Ji Kaicheng, sending out a wave of coldness.

Ji Kaicheng had been somewhat puzzled before, wondering what this was all about. But now he straightened at once and gave a textbook-perfect salute. "Understood, sir!"

The news spread quickly, and before long it had become known throughout the entire land.

The United States, North Sand, and the European Power also received the message.

Everyone knew Chu Xiao was a time traveler, not a true prophet in the literal sense.

He had made it clear before that he could not foresee the future. Yet now he was saying he could predict what would happen later. It was rather strange. What exactly was going on with Chu Xiao?

Still, after receiving the news, the other three countries did not dare dismiss Chu Xiao’s warning.

Because if they had believed Chu Xiao in the beginning, none of the later chain of operations and disasters would have happened.

Chu Xiao had also spoken with Number One on the phone, and Number One strongly supported his decision, because if Chu Xiao claimed he had merely guessed it, it would likely be even harder for people to believe.

Taken together, it was better to call it a prophecy, because that made it easier for people to accept.

After all, Chu Xiao had once also won others’ trust under the identity of a prophet.

Besides, it was hardly strange for a time traveler to possess the ability of prophecy.

Soon, war broke out.

At first, there was nothing unusual about this war; everything seemed normal.

Hades’ side remained as relentless as ever, with gunfire and shells roaring, and the four countries still being kept apart.

But midway through, something went wrong.

All the machines ceased fighting and retreated beyond the range of their weapons. Very quickly, a shell appeared among their armaments.

From afar, Chu Xiao watched, and his heart sank.

"Poison gas bomb! Put on your masks, now! Hurry!" Qiao Xu shouted anxiously.

Hearing this, everyone rushed to put them on.

There was no room for jokes on the battlefield.

Suddenly, a barrage of green shells rained down on the fortress. Closing the gun ports was useless; they could only keep fighting.

Chu Xiao called Ji Kaicheng over and handed him a small bottle filled with green gas.

"Take this sample and get to the professors in the laboratory building immediately. Have them break it down and develop an antidote. Go!" Chu Xiao gripped Ji Kaicheng’s arm tightly, his eyes full of resolve.

Ji Kaicheng clasped Chu Xiao’s arm in return. "Rest assured, I will complete the mission!"

After the machine army had released the poison gas bombs, it launched another round of attacks.

Fortunately, Chu Xiao had the foresight to make sure everyone carried gas masks on their person. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. By the end, not a single soldier would likely have survived.

The United States.

Although Louis commanded the machine army, the battlefield he chose to visit in person was the United States.