Chapter 449: Your Time Has Come
Eileen’s lovely face was adorned with a sweet smile, but it was a chilling sight.
She would absolutely keep her promise and return Princess Suna to Edson, unharmed. But whether the king could put her back together… was another matter.
For now, the princess was still alive. She was leverage.
But after… well, that little bitch had insulted her. She wouldn’t let her live.
She would make her regret her words, watching as her body was dismantled.
Who would have thought such cruelty lurked beneath that innocent facade?
Her crimson eyes swept over the assembled force: her three associates, provided by her mysterious collaborator, the four members of the Hidden Society, including the Pride Witch (their leader absent), and Edson.
Nine individuals above War God level.
And the Hidden Society’s seventy or eighty followers, their combined strength equivalent to perhaps two War Gods.
Eleven in total.
It was a force originally intended for Qin Chu.
Now, it would be used against Athena and Sylph. What a waste.
She had also considered recruiting Edson’s three daughters.
Only Milo had reached War God level, but the other two, in their transformed states, were also powerful. But they wouldn’t be needed.
And it was better they weren’t involved, especially Milo.
The more she looked at the assembled force, the more confident she felt. How could they possibly lose?
After a moment, she finally spoke: “Let’s go.”
…
Meanwhile, at the inn.
It was unguarded.
Sylph was gone.
Athena was in her room, re-establishing her connection with the city’s rats.
In another room, Qin Chu’s eyelids fluttered, then he opened his eyes.
He was awake.
He gasped. While he hadn’t felt much pain while unconscious, the moment he woke up, an agonizing pain shot through his body.
“A grown man, whimpering like a child. How embarrassing,” a mocking voice said beside him.
He recognized the voice instantly: Little Shaye.
He looked at his right arm, still bone, only a small amount of flesh having regenerated at the shoulder. And she called that a minor injury?
Their definitions of “minor” clearly differed.
He didn’t argue, however. Now wasn’t the time.
Not because he feared losing the argument, but because he feared her retaliation.
Even at full strength, he wasn’t a match for her.
As he regained consciousness, his Holy Healing ability seemed to have… intensified, his recovery accelerating.
His divinities and authorities, once dormant, now pulsed with energy. And he could see the faint, milky white threads of faith flowing into him.
Despite Exeter’s smaller size and lack of a proper church, the faith here was far more potent than in the Imperial City.
His missionary work had been effective.
“Little Shaye, did you wake me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
The recent events seemed like a bad dream, a dark, oppressive nightmare, a beautiful goddess his only savior.
“I guess,” she shrugged. “If you died, it would be inconvenient for me.”
“Thank you,” he said, smiling, trying to sit up, but his muscles spasmed, and he winced. It hurt.
She almost went to help him, then stopped, a mocking smile: “Serves you right.”
What a sharp tongue.
He chuckled wryly. If Angelica were here, she would be fussing over him, gently massaging his aching muscles.
He missed her.
He struggled to sit up, and Shaye, unable to watch his pathetic attempts any longer, finally helped him, placing a pillow behind his back.
“Thanks,” he said, his expression turning serious.
There were still many unanswered questions.
The God of Blood, Death, and Darkness, his cryptic words, his plan… whose plan was it? And what was his role in it?
He had just awakened, and his mind was already racing.
That cryptic bastard… couldn’t he just speak plainly?
His head throbbed as he tried to make sense of it all.
“Don’t think too much. Just rest,” she said, glaring at him.
He hadn’t been unconscious for long, but her attitude seemed different. While still cold and aloof, there was a subtle softness, a hint of something else.
“Where are Athena and Sylph?” he asked.
“Next door.” She could have simply called them, but she seemed reluctant to leave his side. He suspected she wasn’t the Dark Witch, but the Sloth Witch. She used communication magic instead.
Soon, Athena appeared, relieved to see him awake.
She wanted to rush to his side, but he was still weak.
He was glad she was here, sensing her genuine concern, her slightly red eyes, as if she had been crying.
He shook his head, dismissing the strange thoughts: “Where’s Sylph?”
“She’s carrying out your orders, preparing a… gift for Eileen,” Athena replied, smiling faintly.
“Good.”
“Any news about Eileen?” he asked.
“She’s on her way,” Athena replied, her expression strange. “I have to admire her resourcefulness. She’s gathered quite a force, nine level 80+ individuals, including herself.”
“And a lot of cannon fodder.”
“They’re traveling openly, cloaked in black, not even bothering to hide. Thanks to the king’s arrangements, they haven’t encountered any resistance. They’ll be here soon.”
“She’s a fool. Didn’t she realize it’s too easy? Too convenient?”
“Tuttle, that mage, seems to suspect something, but no one listens to him.”
Qin Chu smiled.
Eileen was impulsive, reckless.
Her actions, even killing her own sister, were often spur-of-the-moment decisions, without any planning.
And now, with this opportunity, she wouldn’t hesitate.
She would likely try to kill him immediately.
He smiled, anticipating the coming confrontation, trying to get up, but his muscles spasmed, and he winced.
Athena sat beside him, gently massaging his aching limbs, a gesture that made Little Shaye frown.
“Master, just rest.”
“We can’t fight those beings from the Void, but we can handle Eileen.”
“And if we can’t… there’s still Miss Shaye,” Athena said, smiling, glancing at Little Shaye.
Little Shaye, seeing their expectant gazes, sighed and nodded reluctantly.
She was irritated. She felt trapped by him. Why should she care if he lived or died?
But she couldn’t just leave him.
No, it wasn’t concern. She simply didn’t want to be implicated if he died.
After a moment, she said: “They’re here.”
He looked out the window, and Athena helped him over, pulling back the curtains. A group of figures in black stood outside, Eileen leading them. Her face was filled with a confident smile. Everything had gone smoothly.
The Goddess was on her side. This time, Qin Chu was doomed.
Even the barrier around the inn was gone.
Only Tuttle, his face grim, his body trembling, seemed uneasy.
Everything had been too easy.
Was it really possible to kill the Hero so easily? The Hero who had defied a god?
A creaking sound from upstairs.
The window opened, and a familiar figure appeared.
Qin Chu.
His face pale, his muscles twitching, his right arm still bone, his aura chaotic.
He was clearly in bad shape.
Even Tuttle, usually so suspicious, now believed Qin Chu had no chance.
But Qin Chu merely smiled, his gaze sweeping over them, ignoring the Hidden Society members and King Edson, fixing on Eileen:
“Eileen, we meet again.”
She smiled triumphantly: “Putting on a brave face?”
“Qin Chu, your time has come.”
Chapter 450: Eileen’s Despair
Qin Chu’s condition wasn’t an act. Anyone could see the Hero’s weakness.
And he was practically alone, only Athena by his side, Sylph nowhere to be seen.
This made Eileen even more confident.
To her, his calmness, his confidence, was a bluff, a delaying tactic, hoping for reinforcements.
But she wasn’t a fool. She wouldn’t fall for such a simple trick.
She wouldn’t waste time talking. It was best to eliminate him quickly.
“Edson, have your men surround the inn. No one gets in or out.”
She spoke to the king without a trace of respect, confident in her control over him, his beloved daughter her hostage.
Qin Chu’s gaze shifted to Edson: “Your Majesty, I didn’t expect you to collaborate with this fool. Have you considered the consequences?”
Edson smiled coldly: “My apologies, Hero. I don’t want you to die here, but my daughter’s life is in her hands. If you must blame someone… blame her.”
He nodded at Eileen, then, after receiving her approval, he stepped back, producing a flare-like object. With a crackle and a flash, it exploded in the sky, a brilliant burst of light.
The next moment, the city guard swarmed the inn, surrounding it completely.
Eileen smiled smugly. There was no escape for him now.
The guards drew their bows, their arrows aimed at the inn.
“Turn him into a pincushion!” she ordered.
Then, something unexpected happened.
The guards turned, their arrows now aimed at her, a rain of projectiles, each imbued with battle qi, flying towards her.
She cursed, her daggers flashing, deflecting the arrows. When the barrage ended, she looked around. The Hidden Society members, except for Tuttle and her three associates, were dead, their bodies riddled with arrows, still twitching on the ground, blood pooling around them.
Instead of turning Qin Chu into a pincushion, they had become pincushions themselves.
She shuddered, stunned, then enraged, her face contorting.
She hadn’t anticipated this.
Edson, that treacherous old bastard!
She glared at him, wanting to tear him apart: “Edson! You dare betray me?!”
“Betray?”
The seemingly harmless old king’s face was now a mask of cold calculation.
And beside him stood Milo, Phine, Selma, and his other children, all in armor, their expressions grim, their gazes fixed on Eileen.
“You foolish girl,” he said, his voice laced with mockery. “I’m the king. You expected my loyalty?”
“And without loyalty, there can be no betrayal.”
“Don’t you care about your daughter’s life?” she shrieked, her voice cracking with rage.
“I do,” he said firmly. “But I’m not just a father. I’m also the king of Exeter.”
“And my responsibility is to my people, not just to my daughter.”
“Good, good… good…” Eileen’s body trembled with rage, repeating the word three times. She had come here to kill Qin Chu, and now, dozens of her followers were dead, while he remained unharmed.
She couldn’t accept this.
“Edson, I underestimated you! Fine! I’ll return your daughter! In pieces! I wonder if she’ll hate you in her final moments!”
“Are you referring to Princess Suna?” a clear, familiar voice called out from above.
Two figures landed on the inn’s roof.
One was Sylph.
And in her arms, she held a small, delicate girl: Princess Suna.
Seeing his daughter, Edson’s shoulders slumped in relief. While he had prepared for the worst, seeing her safe and sound was a miracle.
Eileen’s hands clenched. Her hostage was gone. She felt a surge of frustration and hatred. Why? Why was this happening?
Then, Qin Chu’s voice echoed from the inn’s second-floor window: “Eileen, you were right about one thing: it is someone’s death day. But not mine. Yours.”
Her hands clenched, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood. She couldn’t accept this. She glared at him: “You knew?”
“Of course.”
“I suspected it from our first meeting,” he replied.
He was, after all, a kind and benevolent Hero.
He wouldn’t leave her in the dark.
He sighed, rubbing his forehead. She was truly a fool, her plan full of holes. He didn’t even know where to begin. “Eileen, you’re an idiot,” he said bluntly.
She flinched.
“You exposed yourself at the banquet. Didn’t you notice? The youngest princess, sitting at a higher position than her elder sisters, despite protocol? And the king, constantly seeking her approval? And your exaggerated shyness, a princess cowering before me? It was too much, too obvious.”
“And Edson likely instructed you to act that way, to make you reveal yourself, to arouse my suspicion.”
“Our conversation… it was a way to relay information.”
“You thought I didn’t know about your meeting with Alfred? And that rat you killed? Didn’t you think it was a bit too convenient? Too timely?”
“Haven’t you noticed those rats appearing around you repeatedly?”
“You were so focused on your plan, so certain of your victory, that you didn’t notice… the closer you got to success, the closer you were to death.”
“You thought you were hunting me, but you were the prey all along.”
He shook his head: “Frankly, you’re no match for Loseweisse.”
That last comment, comparing her unfavorably to Loseweisse, stung her deeply. How could she be inferior to that bitch? Impossible.
Her chest heaved, her breathing ragged.
“If you knew, why didn’t you act sooner?”
“To gather all my enemies in one place, of course,” he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And… killing you immediately would have been too boring.” He smiled, a cruel smile. “Watching you, so confident, so certain of victory, then crushing your hopes… that’s far more satisfying.”
Her eyes widened, staring at him as if he were a demon.
He was a monster, his strength, his intellect, his cruelty…
But he wasn’t finished. She still had hope. Her will hadn’t broken yet.
“I know far more than you think,” he continued.
“If I’m not mistaken, those three associates of yours, they’re copies of Diabolique, the Demon Beast First Prince,” he said, his voice cold.
Copies?
The crowd murmured, their gazes fixed on the three imposing figures. Even Milo, at three meters, was unusually tall. These three were even larger, their aura foul and sinister. They were clearly not human.
Even Eileen was surprised. While she was willing to cooperate with anyone, even Demon Beasts, to resurrect Jie Luo, she hadn’t expected them to be… this.
“Oh? You didn’t know? How disappointing.”
“You’re truly a fool.”
“And you have another collaborator. I doubt you know his identity, so I’ll be generous and tell you. It’s Nagath, the Demon King!”
The crowd gasped.
Collaborating with the Demon King to kill the Hero?
“And the man you’re trying to resurrect…” he began, his lies flowing smoothly, wanting to crush her, to break her completely. “He’s gone. Dead. Beyond resurrection.”
“I have his soul fragments. They’re nothing but worthless stones.”
“And I’ve already crushed one of them. Even if you could resurrect him, you’ll never have enough fragments.”
“Everything you’ve done… it was all for nothing. Meaningless.”
“Such a waste… all that effort, all that struggle… for a hopeless cause…”
He wouldn’t tell her that Jie Luo’s soul was still… present, within Nagath, her collaborator. That would only give her hope.
His words, like daggers, twisted in her heart.
Jie Luo’s soul fragments… worthless stones?
And one was gone, making resurrection impossible?
She had even killed her own sister for this, for him.
And now, she was being told it was all for nothing?
All her hopes, all her dreams, shattered, leaving only emptiness and despair, a gnawing pain in her gut, a tightness in her chest. She coughed up blood.
Aaaaaaaaaah!
Her scream, filled with anguish and despair, echoed through the night.
And it was a beautiful sound.
