Chapter 209-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
This was [Mother of All Things]—the supreme ability to give and take life at will.
The more powerful the ability user, the harder they were to control. Given more contact time, she could have even crushed Sykes's heart directly—all of creation's transformations lay within her grasp.
Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to buy enough time. Sykes had erupted too quickly. With limited options, Ye Zheng chose to extract a section of his spine.
The bright red blood had already pooled at Ye Zheng's feet. She crouched down and looked at Sykes, still struggling. His golden eyes had dimmed. His hand trembled as it reached forward, seemingly trying to grasp the piece of bone, but Ye Zheng beat him to it and picked it up again.
The Crown Prince, sprawled on the ground, lifted his head. His crisp uniform had been scuffed and dirtied against the floor, even the collar button had popped off. His pampered, pale neck and shoulders were smeared with filthy blood. His golden eyes blazed with astonishing intensity—fury, defiance, shock... layers of complex emotion stacked in the depths of his gaze, like the most brilliant moment of a sunset.
The banquet hall had been evacuated under the Knights' cover. Only monsters remained roaming the vast hall. They encircled the only two living beings at the center, seemingly cowed by the heaps of their brethren's bones piled around them, not daring to approach.
Bang! A gunshot rang out. The walking skeletons seemed to flinch. Some monsters let out guttural hacking cries, followed by several more gunshots that drowned out all other sound.
Ye Zheng knelt on one knee with her gun raised, letting her white robe soak red in the pool of blood. She maintained a careful distance from Sykes throughout. Only when his body gradually fell still did [Stream] allow its water to slowly creep over the body, probing his condition.
Sykes's face was submerged in the pool of blood. His once-brilliant golden hair had gone completely dull—like the last fading glow of a sunset before it vanished.
After a long while, Ye Zheng slowly rose to her feet. She confirmed that his heart had stopped beating.
Ye Zheng looked down at the bone in her hand. She wiped the blood from it with her white sleeve. The bone was extraordinarily white—so white it looked like a laboratory specimen.
She had chosen to extract this particular bone from Sykes for two reasons. First, to completely destroy his mobility. Second... this bone was special.
During her brief contact with Sykes, she had simultaneously used [Mother of All Things] to access his memories. Sykes hadn't even noticed, assuming the painful recollections had merely been triggered by her words.
In his memories, Ye Zheng learned that Sykes's very life had originated from this bone—
A bone belonging to the demon dragon that had brought catastrophe upon the Empire. Belonging to the Empress Margaret from five hundred years ago—the erased, the transmuted Margaret.
The demon dragon's true form was a human body fused with a dragon's body. This bone was different from ordinary Dragon Bones—it had clearly been extracted from the human part.
Based on Ye Zheng's observations of the Dragon-Bodied Humans, the human body was the demon dragon's core. The demon dragon's "human bones" would be far more critical than Dragon Bones. Perhaps this was why Sykes was so extraordinary.
Ye Zheng carefully stowed the bone away. It had to be something crucial.
When everything was done, Ye Zheng took one last look at Sykes lying in the pool of blood, then turned and left. On her way out, she knocked over every decorative candelabra by the windows.
The skeletal monsters at that moment seemed to have developed the wisdom to avoid danger. They silently watched the woman who had just killed a 3S-rank ability user walk away. Not a single one dared approach.
Inside the hall, the fire grew fiercer. Thick smoke filled the air. Beams began to collapse. The roaring flames threatened to consume everything.
*
"Why are there monsters in the Imperial Palace? Is this some new breed the Crown Prince is keeping?"
A tall, heavily armored young man raised a barrier to block the skeletal monsters while voicing his confusion.
Percy swung his metal-transmuted arms, shattering skeleton after skeleton with his fists. These skeletal monsters had strength in numbers but were individually fragile—they posed no real threat.
Hearing his teammate Caleb's question, Percy sighed. "There's no way this many could be kept by anyone."
"Looks like the rumors are true."
Wu Shu, standing behind the fighting Cloud-Soaring Squad, spoke up leisurely. "The upper district has started seeing Demonic Domains too."
Roy, controlling his flame ability, turned around and frowned at Wu Shu, who stood with her arms crossed, watching from the sidelines. "Captain Wu Shu, is it really okay for a magistrate office senior to be slacking off at a time like this?"
Wu Shu raised an eyebrow without a shred of guilt. "You don't understand. In a situation this bizarre, what's needed is someone like me—a senior official—to oversee the big picture with an undistracted mind."
Roy gave her an exasperated look. He was about to turn away when his expression suddenly changed, his voice turning serious.
"Behind us—abnormal temperature. An extremely powerful energy signature."
At his words, everyone turned to look back in unison. At the far end of the long corridor hung a single painting. Beyond that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Percy's expression was grave. Roy was skilled at manipulating flame magic and had keen energy perception.
Could the core of this Demonic Domain be just behind them?
Percy's head ached. They had secretly entered the Imperial Palace to communicate with the Emperor. He hadn't expected a Demonic Domain to descend upon the palace at such a coincidental time. The chaos actually made it easier for them to be exposed.
He glanced at Wu Shu. The woman in the black uniform had lost her smile and seemed to be deep in thought.
They had disguised themselves as magistrate office personnel and followed Wu Shu into the Imperial Palace.
Wu Shu's past interactions with them hadn't exactly been pleasant. Even someone as magnanimous as Percy couldn't be entirely free of wariness toward a woman who had repeatedly trampled over them.
The moment he spotted Wu Shu on the street, his guard went up immediately. But Wu Shu had sharp eyes—she spotted them and asked about their purpose.
In the alley, Percy had even considered knocking Wu Shu unconscious. She could easily blow their cover. But Roy had tentatively struck up a conversation with her.
Watching from the side, Percy quickly calmed down. He realized Wu Shu's appearance here might not be a coincidence.
It was arranged.
Roy's arrangement. The Emperor's arrangement.
Wu Shu's current position was a reward granted by the Emperor. She very likely worked for him.
He had long suspected that Roy was also connected to the Emperor. Their entry into the upper district was thanks to Roy's connections, and Percy had a vague sense of the Emperor's hand behind it.
Once he realized this, he tacitly accepted Roy and Wu Shu's conversation. Caleb anxiously tugged at his sleeve from the side, but Percy only gave him a look that said: don't make a scene.
This couldn't be said aloud. It would make things awkward between Roy and the rest of them, and once the truth was laid bare... he wouldn't know how to face certain things either.
"Let me guess—you snuck into the upper district today to get revenge on the Pope who put you on the wanted list?"
Wu Shu leaned against the alley wall, asking with a teasing grin.
Percy frowned at her words, about to deny it, when Wu Shu clapped him hard on the shoulder and exclaimed, "What admirable courage, boys."
"I appreciate your bravery. How about I take you straight in to find her?"
Wu Shu's smile was mysterious—on closer inspection, even a bit mischievous. But based on his own deductions, Percy agreed without hesitation. Roy also tacitly accepted the outcome. Only Caleb was left bewildered.
Fortunately, Wu Shu did indeed bring them into the Imperial Palace.
They had cleared most of the monsters in the corridor. Percy turned to look toward the far end, thought for a moment, and decided to press deeper.
"The Demonic Domain's core is very likely back there. Let's deal with the Demonic Domain first."
Wu Shu watched Percy with a half-smile. "That's not really why you came to the Imperial Palace, is it?"
"We were heading in this direction anyway, weren't we, Captain Wu Shu?"
Percy's retort left Wu Shu uncharacteristically speechless for a moment. She shrugged in resignation and led the three members of the Cloud-Soaring Squad deeper in.
Walking at the front, Wu Shu wore a thoughtful expression, keeping her pace deliberately unhurried. She was beginning to wonder if her little bit of cleverness had created unnecessary complications.
Ye Zheng's original instruction was for her to monitor Percy and his group's movements and report their whereabouts to her at all times.
But as luck would have it, while Wu Shu was leading the peacekeeping team to maintain order during the Pope's procession today, she noticed a magistrate acting suspiciously. Using a few tricks, she learned he had a special assignment.
Someone had bribed him to smuggle three people into the procession disguised as magistrates. That squad would escort the Pope's procession all the way to the Imperial Palace.
Wu Shu pressed him for the targets' descriptions and almost immediately matched them to Percy and his group.
So she decided to turn the situation to her advantage. This way, she could "monitor" them openly and even influence their movements.
What Wu Shu hadn't anticipated was a Demonic Domain descending in the middle of everything. She had now lost contact with Ye Zheng and had no idea how to handle them. All she could do was lead them through detours in remote corridors.
Now that Percy's group had detected the abnormal energy signature and wanted to act on their own, Wu Shu couldn't come up with a good reason to stop them.
She could only take it one step at a time.
Wu Shu sighed inwardly, feeling a small twinge of resentment toward Ye Zheng.
Why always be so secretive? Was there really something she couldn't just say? Even if the goal was to kill them, Wu Shu might not be incapable of doing it for her.
The group pressed deeper. Outside, the sky had grown overcast. Nearly all the lights inside the palace had gone out. Their surroundings grew darker and darker, and the sights they encountered grew increasingly horrifying.
Numerous bodies lay scattered across the exquisite carpets. Judging by their attire, they were almost all palace servants and attendants. There were also scattered shoes, silk robes, top hats, and other expensive items strewn on the ground.
These skeletal monsters weren't strong. Based on his experience, Percy estimated this Demonic Domain was B-rank at most. Most nobles had abilities and were protected by guards—a Demonic Domain of this level couldn't threaten their lives.
But for ordinary servants without abilities, the sheer number of monsters in a relatively enclosed indoor space with limited escape routes was nothing short of catastrophic.
Percy's expression was heavy. Wu Shu, walking at the front, looked utterly grim.
Many of the palace's lower-ranking servants came from the Middle District. Working in the Imperial Palace was considered a great honor among ordinary Middle District residents.
But now, her honored fellow townspeople had become decidedly undignified corpses, lying on the ground with eyes frozen wide in terror.
Wu Shu walked on, then suddenly stopped. She crouched down and closed the eyes of a young maid lying in a corner.
She didn't know her. The girl's face had been gnawed beyond recognition. She simply couldn't bear it any longer.
Wu Shu took a deep breath and stood up. Her forward stride suddenly faltered as a delayed realization hit her.
Where had all the monsters in this area gone?
She hadn't seen a single one.
Something was very wrong. Wu Shu's guard shot up instantly. At the same time, behind her, Roy called out, "That incredibly strong energy signature is very close now! Everyone, be careful!"
After shouting, Roy looked somewhat puzzled at Wu Shu, who had quickened her pace at the front. The fox who always preferred to lurk at the rear and strike when the moment was right was actually taking point at a time like this?
The four proceeded cautiously. Along the way, the bodies grew fewer, but the scattered skeletal remains increased. Wu Shu glanced down and noticed the carpet had darkened in color. She raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
Percy walked alongside Wu Shu at the front. At a corner, he reached out to stop her, pressing himself against the wall to listen.
"Something's coming." Percy silently signaled his teammates with hand gestures.
The four waited quietly in the dim corner. The three members of the Cloud-Soaring Squad held their breath. Even without Roy saying anything, they could all feel that overwhelmingly powerful energy signature drawing ever closer—the pressure was almost suffocating.
Percy had already transmuted his arm into a razor-sharp metal sword. His eyes were locked on the corridor's corner, focused intently, waiting for "it" to emerge.
"What are you all doing here?"
A gentle voice rang out abruptly. Percy's heart skipped a beat in shock. He followed the voice and turned to look across the corridor.
Ye Zheng stood by a window on the opposite side of the hallway, tilting her head quizzically as she looked at them.
Outside, the sun was already setting. The sky was dim. Faint remnants of twilight filtered through the stained glass and dappled her hair, yet couldn't illuminate her face. She seemed puzzled, yet also seemed to be smiling.
The three members of the Cloud-Soaring Squad stared wide-eyed, looking at the white-robed Pope who had appeared out of nowhere in disbelief.
Caught completely off guard, Percy had no idea how to react. She was the fraud who had deceived the Empire, the enemy who had framed and issued warrants for him. But in this moment, all Percy could do was open his mouth blankly, unable to find any words.
Suddenly, dust sifted down from above. His body swayed as he realized the floor was shaking!
Before they could make sense of what was happening, the entire corridor began to crumble. Walls and ceiling cracked apart. From farther away came the thunderous roar of collapse.
"Get out of here."
Percy looked at Ye Zheng's expression again. She said "get out," but her eyes were gazing deeply in a certain direction.
Before he could think further, Ye Zheng was already retreating toward the exit. Percy gritted his teeth and led his teammates after her.
Wu Shu ran at the rear. Before fleeing the palace, she glanced down the corridor around the corner—the direction Ye Zheng had come from.
That corridor was packed floor to ceiling with skeletal remains, and as the beams collapsed, they came pouring out like an avalanche.
Wu Shu smiled. Only then did she vault out of a third-floor window that was on the verge of collapse, flash-stepping to an open area nearby.
Ye Zheng leaped down level by level until she reached the ground. She ran to a cracked fountain and stopped, turning to look back. Her expression was more solemn than it had ever been.
Enormous black wings blotted out the fiery sunset on the horizon, casting a vast dark shadow. The grand palace became nothing more than fragile paper beneath the dragon's feet. With a sky-shaking roar, the teetering castle in the distance finally collapsed entirely.
Ye Zheng gazed at the colossal creature on the horizon. Its body was purely draconic, yet she could tell what it was with a single glance.
—She had killed Sykes's human body and taken his life source. How was he still not dead?
Ye Zheng curved her lips into a smile devoid of warmth. Rather than shock or confusion, what she felt right now was something closer to anger.
The pitch-black dragon beat its wings once, and a powerful gust instantly toppled the surrounding trees. One of its claws perched atop a surviving tower spire. High in the air, it swiveled a nimble eye.
Suddenly, golden eyes more blazing than the setting sun locked onto a certain direction and went still.
Author's Note
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