novelraw Page 323
Page 323
She glanced down and, amidst a pile of clutter, something caught her eye even more...
"Poor Krim, the witness testimony has been turned into physical evidence..."
Yes, it was a gruesome corpse, its limbs twisted and its face contorted. It was none other than the musician Joseph Krim, who had recently gone into exile overseas.
The voice rang out again: "We'll talk about it next time. Dispose of the body, then come with me. The wanderer has reached the border."
Wow, so fast?
She covered her mouth, whether from surprise or the stench of the corpse, but judging from the fact that Rhea and Chris hadn't noticed, it was probably closer to the former.
Then, with a faint smile, he said, "Looks like I can't savor my food any longer..."
The shadows, accompanied by the girl's melodious voice, began to twist again, like a hungry wolf barely suppressing its urge to devour, drooling and ravenous as its prey was caught off guard...
"Let's get started..."
......
......
After a cacophony of indescribable, nauseating noise, a torrent of shadows surged forth, forming tentacles that, like a tidal wave, enveloped the corpses on the ground.
Before long, the shadows dissipated, and sunlight shone on the ground, creating a beautiful scene. The girl's smiling face was so captivating.
Apart from the corpse, everything else was lost, leaving only chaos and disorder.
"Music theory knowledge, what a novel experience..."
After she took off her gloves, a few drops of black liquid dripped out, which she casually flicked onto the ground.
"Goodbye then..."
Aither bowed slightly towards the deserted corner, then retreated into the wall, blending into the shadows.
In the end, nothing was left here...
9. Standoff
The border of Gronia is 9km from the rebel stronghold.
The area is located in a strategic buffer zone and has become one of the many no-man's-lands in Glonia due to numerous conflicts of varying scales. Even so, it remains part of the rebel-held territory.
The rebels were too busy with their recent battles with the government forces to notice the current state of affairs in the region.
Here, a colossal figure walks, clad in jet-black armor. Everything about it seems to be incompatible with any modern equipment, as if it were an old relic washed ashore by the waves of another era.
Its entire body is pitch black, yet it gleams with an ominous red light. The dragging iron chains and the enormous battle axe are enough to amaze even a child.
But the four enormous coffins floating behind it completely severed its connection with common sense...
It was armor, yet it moved mechanically, as if its owner were breathing in this polluted air.
Just like the rusty metal, it is the baptism of history that has adorned it.
She was walking towards the border of Glonia, being dragged along by the giant axe, and it seemed that nothing could stop her.
This scene originally held no special meaning, until a coffin behind her flew straight towards a nearby ruin.
The impact kicked up dust, which then returned to her back.
"come out......"
A deep female voice echoed from within the armor; she seemed to have sensed something, and the red light on her helmet flickered even brighter...
"Good morning, um... should I call you the Wanderer, the former Cardinal, or Morse?"
Two figures slowly emerged from the ruins: Rosalia and Ethel, who arrived on time to "greet" this strange guest.
"..."
She casually lifted the enormous battle axe, spun it around, and then returned it to its upright, hand-held position.
"Asmodeus, and the fragments of Gagsherav? How...how come you're traveling side by side?"
The armored woman asked a question, her hoarse voice conveying an indescribable weariness.
"Oh dear~" Rosalia spread her hands: "It's been so long since I've heard those two names, how about...?"
"Swish"
Before she could finish speaking, Rosalia collapsed to the ground, while Aither silently sank into the ground through the shadows.
The giant axe swept past them with astonishing speed, and in its path, a building was even cut in half.
"Damn it, how can they be so unreasonable?!"
Rosalia got up from the ground, ashes staining the hem of her bright skirt.
The armored figure returned the giant axe to its place, and the coffin behind him stirred: "I have nothing to discuss with the Demon King. My only target now is the conductor. I hope you two will move aside..."
"Miss Morse, do you know who the conductor is in the real world, and do you know how to find her?"
Ethel emerged from the shadows on the ground once more, her ever-present smile remaining calm and composed.
She raised her hand, and from inside her coat, several tentacles stretched out like branches and leaves. Her hideous eyes and mouth made no attempt to conceal the contempt she showed towards Morse.
"...Inevitable?"
Morse didn't even consider the question; the giant axe in his hand and the shimmering crimson light were the best answer.
"We wanted to sit down and have a calm discussion..."
Rosalia waved her slender arms a few times, and amidst purple sparks, the girl drew a strangely shaped longsword.
The flames trailed behind the sword, burning violently in the air.
"It looks like I'll have to get you to change your mind first."
......
Although the two appeared quite at ease, they still harbored some concerns, such as...
"Are they serious?"
Rosalia asked in a low voice.
"Let's play it by ear. We're not necessarily stronger than her right now, and we need to be careful to avoid attracting attention..."
Ethel had her own considerations. After all, they knew they had to hide themselves in this world, but the paranoid man on the other side wouldn't.
"All right!"
After saying that, Rosalia rushed straight up.
It is said that a clash of forces requires a trial and error, so she decided to test the limits of the axe's power.
Morse understood the opponent's intention to attack, so he held the axe behind his back.
"..."
Seeing that his opponent was about to rush up to him, Morse suddenly exerted his strength, and his giant axe swung up from his side, drawing a beautiful full moon; his cloak fluttered wildly, and his armor was even more menacing than when he was silent.
"!"
Rosalia's eyes widened. She had to change her strategy on the spot. This attack was too dangerous to be taken down by the naked eye!
Using her size advantage, the girl dodged in time, and the sword immediately burst into flames as she slashed at Morse's armor.
"absurd!"
The opponent raised his arm, intending to block the attack, but overlooked the significance of the name Asmodeus itself.
"You really want to accept it?"
"what?"
boom!
......
......
The impact propelled Morse more than twenty meters away. When he looked at his arm again, he saw a new, incomplete scar.
......
"Phew, the world's erosion concentration is still too low; the current power isn't even one-twentieth of what it used to be..."
She looked at the longsword in her hand, feeling a pang of nostalgia. She used to never even have to walk...
Morse charged in with her giant axe, but she remained standing still, not even glancing at her.
The giant axe fell, but just as it was about to strike Rosalia's petite body, Aither's tentacles stopped it.
Morse looked up and saw Ethel not far away, controlling the activities of those abominable creatures.
"...Gagsherav, why are you helping her?"
The heavy armor did not immediately resist, but instead asked questions.
“Emmmm…it’s not about helping,” Athel tilted her head and said in a deep voice, “it’s just a matter of mutual benefit, it just so happens that our interests align right now.”
...Those seemingly incredibly resilient tentacles broke free after Morse swung them forcefully. And those severed tentacles didn't die immediately; instead, they twitched and crawled towards each other, eventually merging and reforming...
"Are you allowing the plague to spread?"
Morse glanced at the monster on the ground, then stomped it into dust.
But Aither laughed even harder: "Have you forgotten our true nature?"
"...The Reverse Kabbalah Demon King is the plague itself."
Rosalia looked up at the armor in front of her and sneered, "That's right. There will always be people among humanity who are full of desire for forbidden knowledge. Their recklessness makes the arrival of the erosion inevitable. At that time, the dust will settle."
10. Peace Talks
The sword in his hand burst into flames once more, responding to its owner's arrogant smile.
"Yeah......"
Morse's face was completely covered by her helmet, but you could still guess her expression.
"Asmodeus, why do you believe that your new king will allow the plague to spread?"
......
This question really stumped her; Rosalia didn't respond to Morse immediately...
"Your king may have risen from the fields, or been raised on construction sites, or fallen to the dust; if he were not sent by heaven, how can you be sure how much he despises this world?"
“I don’t care. The king’s choice is his business. His ministers are only responsible for making the king’s choice a reality. Besides, the world’s erosion is so low that I still have to stand on the ground and face you, a broken and wretched wanderer.”
She shrugged, showing no interest in Morse's question, after all, she had always lived a very casual life.
"The spread of the plague is inevitable; after all, history always repeats itself..." The armor began to tremble, and black matter began to gather around Morse.
"But my goal is still just to be a conductor, and you have wasted too much of my time!"
In an instant, a huge shockwave spread outwards from Morse, even pushing wrecked cars a distance.
The two remained motionless, but Morse's power was still a threat to them; this was merely a warning.
Rosalia concealed her sword behind her back and smiled, "We can talk."
"What are you talking about? Do you want me to listen to the Demon King's slander?"
The axe blade was deeply embedded in the ground, and Morse's patience was visibly wearing thin.
“Even if they are just fragments, they are still not to be underestimated.” Her words were enough to prove the separation between the two; at least Rosalia and Ethel were far stronger than they appeared.
“Of course…” Rosalia affirmed, “The arrival of the corruption is inevitable; it’s only a matter of time. Our goal is to support a new king, but as you said, perhaps the new king isn’t an extremely ambitious person. Maybe he might even try to resist it. But we all know that the corruption cannot be eradicated, which means…”
“Miss Morse, you can become the Sword of Damocles, guiding the King on the path to resist corruption. Even the King cannot eradicate its influence, thus balancing our need for the degree of corruption. After all, you yourself are a shadow…”
Ethel added that their back-and-forth arguments did indeed give Morse pause for thought.
Judging from their explanation, there is some truth to it. If the king is guided towards fighting the plague, a delicate balance can be achieved between this power and the corruption. Their need for corruption will be satisfied, while the threat of the plague will not become uncontrollable...
In a sense, it's a win-win situation, and could even ease long-standing conflicts...
After a long period of contemplation, the armored man's face twitched a few times: "You wish for me to assist your king and guide him on the path to combat the plague?"
"Yes, this satisfies our needs, as well as our needs for coexisting with humans—killing two birds with one stone."