Chapter 292-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
The water level receded slowly. The golden-red light draped across the surface was about to fade. A small boat drifted toward the city center, where the towering statue of the God of Hope no longer stood, and the Demon Dragon that had burst into existence was also gone.
The boat rippled the water as it drew closer. Heath had finally found Ye Zheng, and she stopped rowing.
Ye Zheng looked physically drained, yet there wasn't the slightest trace of mental fatigue. Her white robe was stained heavy with blood, and a host of imposing Dragon-Bodied Humans surrounded her. Simply standing there, she exuded the unmistakable air of a righteous leader.
Ye Zheng had always carried that quality, which was why people were drawn to gather around her.
But if anyone were to witness this scene now, they probably wouldn't see her as a divine messenger descended to guide the people—the Pope leading them toward hope—but rather a demon, or the incarnation of destruction itself, her oppressive presence no less formidable than the Demon Dragon's own.
"Ye Zheng, what do we do next?"
Heath stood alone on the small boat, face upturned, her expression panicked.
In order to help Ye Zheng assemble the Dragon Bones, she had exposed herself. The Emperor must have detected her contact with Ye Zheng. She no longer dared return to the upper district as a princess.
Thanks to the Demonic Domains that had appeared without warning, far too many East District civilians who hadn't evacuated in time had witnessed the great flood—had seen the Demon Dragon descend upon this land with their own eyes. Before long, rumors about Ye Zheng would spread like wildfire. Her identity, her character, her intentions would all be subjected to speculation. The Emperor would surely seize the opportunity to undermine Ye Zheng's legitimacy and channel every ounce of suspicion, fear, and fury toward her...
Although, admittedly, Ye Zheng had indeed done certain things that were destined to be misunderstood.
Ye Zheng didn't answer her question. Instead, she asked first: "Heath, how did the evacuation go?"
Heath looked at Ye Zheng, lips pressed together in silence.
"Did something happen?"
Ye Zheng stepped closer, boarding her boat. The distance between them shrank to nothing; every micro-expression was laid bare.
"After the Demon Dragon appeared, I detained everyone."
Heath said.
Ye Zheng's gaze sharpened. She quickly grasped the purpose behind Heath's action.
"Ye Zheng, I want you to succeed—we have to succeed! Any price is worth paying for that!" Heath's voice turned urgent, desperate, like a drowning person clutching at a final lifeline. She had no way out anymore; Ye Zheng's success was her only salvation.
"But you didn't go through with it, did you?"
Heath raised her eyes and met Ye Zheng's concerned gaze.
"If you'd really done it, you wouldn't have come to see me."
Once word of the Demon Dragon spread, Ye Zheng would instantly become the target of the entire Empire. All of Ye Zheng's enemies would have the perfect excuse to openly hunt her down, and the threats she'd face would dwarf what they'd dealt with today.
Heath didn't know why Ye Zheng had resurrected the Demon Dragon, but regardless of the reason, it was best that news of it didn't leak right away.
While securing the situation at the East District Station, Heath had already overheard people connecting the Demon Dragon to Ye Zheng. If they were allowed to travel to other districts and spread the word, the consequences would be unthinkable. Heath had immediately pulled rank and employed some deft rhetoric to shut the station down.
"I'm sorry. I restored the station to normal very quickly—most people have already left. But I... I'm sorry."
For a moment, she had genuinely considered making every ordinary person who had witnessed the Demon Dragon's descent disappear. The East District would need only those loyal to Ye Zheng. With Ye Zheng's reputation, they could pin all the losses, all the blame, and the Dragon's appearance on the attacking aristocrat army—or on the notorious Sierra.
But reason reasserted itself. She knew Ye Zheng would never condone such methods, and certain other people wouldn't agree, either... nor did she have the right.
"Heath, you just asked me what we do next."
"I'm heading to the upper district immediately. What about you?"
Heath froze. For a moment she couldn't process why Ye Zheng would go to the upper district. Then, all at once, a shadow fell over her. She took an involuntary step back.
The day's last sliver of light gilded Ye Zheng's figure; her shadow stretched endlessly long, endlessly vast, blanketing nearly the entire area.
A Giant Dragon's silhouette unfurled beneath Ye Zheng's feet, rippling across the water and the buildings like a projection from the other side of the world.
"Right now? You're going to—"
Heath's voice pitched high, almost cracking. Ye Zheng and her knights had only just finished a grueling battle, and now she was going to charge headlong into an even more perilous, even more punishing one?
"He won't give us time to regroup, and I don't intend to give him time to prepare."
Ye Zheng said coolly: "There's no need to suppress the news about the Demon Dragon, because very soon, I'll show everyone the real thing."
"Heath, if you have nowhere else to go, would you like to come with me?"
The boat carrying the two of them drifted unhurriedly across the water until the floodwaters had nearly receded. It came to rest on damp ground, right in front of the Holy Journey Knights Order Base.
The base's walls were extensively damaged—battered and scarred, looking like a war-worn veteran.
The knights holding the base were disheveled but stood with backs straight, methodically handling the aftermath. Someone spotted Ye Zheng and let out a shout. In an instant, every pair of eyes fixed on her, faces flushed with excitement.
As the sun sank below the horizon, the sight of Ye Zheng's triumphant return confirmed it at last—they had achieved a true victory!
Cheers erupted across the base. Ye Zheng narrowed her eyes slightly, leading Heath toward the entrance. But Heath suddenly stopped and let go of her hand.
"Ye Zheng, this time I won't be going with you."
"I don't want to ride your protection back to the upper district. That's not how a princess should carry herself."
Heath gazed at the battered base, a flash of envy and longing in her eyes. As she'd thought, rather than being one of the cheering crowd, she wanted to be the one they rallied around.
"What are you going to do?" Ye Zheng looked at her, her gentle gaze suggesting she wasn't at all surprised by the choice.
"This time, I'll reach the upper district before you."
"Aston blood runs in my veins. It's only right that I be the one to end this absurd dynasty."
Heath reasoned that even if the Emperor learned of her betrayal and wanted her dead, there was a reason he couldn't afford to eliminate her.
Roy was dead. She was the only one with a legitimate claim to the throne. The Emperor had to keep her alive.
Perhaps he preferred Percy's special body, but with a great enemy at his doorstep, he would never dare put Percy in harm's way to face Ye Zheng himself.
Percy was a coward, and the man who had used the Hope Project to engineer Percy was an even bigger one!
Heath had once tried to use Roy to uncover the Emperor's secrets, but now she realized no approach was more effective than stepping into the arena herself.
She was going back—openly and with her head held high!
Watching Heath's retreating figure, Ye Zheng smiled without thinking. They would meet again in the upper district very soon.
When that time came, this nation would face its true upheaval.
Ye Zheng headed into the base, then slowed her pace, her expression darkening.
The voice of Lin Zhixing, from another world, reached her—heavy and guilt-laden.
"Ye Zheng, we've run into a problem on our end."
"What happened?"
"As you know, the company's experiments extend beyond just your world. I can't even confirm how many worlds are involved, but today those worlds... were unusually restless. Because of that, I accidentally discovered a bug."
"This bug may have caused the Demonic Domains in your world, and it's also posing a serious threat to ours... I'm sorry. We disrupted your peace, and now I have to ask for your help..."
At this, Ye Zheng's expression actually relaxed a fraction. She said:
"That bug is related to the Creator, isn't it? They connected his brain to the Main System. I don't understand your world's technology, but from my perspective, I've made quite a few unique discoveries."
"We always assumed the person linked to the Creator's consciousness was Percy. In truth, it seems to be someone else entirely."
Ye Zheng lowered her lashes, her expression unreadable, the faintest hint of intrigue at the corner of her lips.
*
Author's Note:
I went out to have fun today, so only a short update (looks away)
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