Chapter 465: Fate’s Shackles, Where Are They?
Thanks to Angelica’s insistence, Qin Chu enjoyed a rare few days of rest.
His body rested, but his mind didn’t.
The Pride Witch’s soul resided within him, nurtured by the sapling, her physical body preserved in ice within his storage ring.
But her words echoed in his mind.
The shackles of fate?
This wasn’t the first time he had heard of fate.
Jie Luo’s soul fragments had mentioned it repeatedly, and the Fire God’s prophecy to Phil had also named Moirae, the Goddess of Fate.
This mysterious goddess seemed to have orchestrated everything, weaving the threads of everyone’s destiny.
Fate, invisible, intangible, yet like an unseen thread, connecting everything.
He knew its touch was upon him as well.
Fate, the Evil Gods’ remains, Divine Authority…
Pride, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, Greed…
The two Shayes…
How much of his life, his surroundings, was predetermined?
The Pride Witch had sensed fate’s influence, and her pride, her arrogance, had driven her to resist, even choosing a path of constant conflict, destroying cults, challenging gods.
She had survived for a thousand years, only to die just as she met him, conveniently transferring her Authority to him?
Was it truly a coincidence?
It felt as if the Authority had been… delivered to him.
He smiled faintly. Perhaps this was fate.
But he didn’t like being manipulated. And he had a feeling that following fate’s path would only lead to a more tragic end.
He had preserved Edrina’s soul, a small act of defiance, though he wasn’t sure if it would even matter.
He stretched, getting out of bed. His right arm, fully healed, its flesh and bone restored, was as good as new.
His confrontation with the god, the immense pressure, had also… benefited him, accelerating his absorption of the Evil God’s remains.
His two hearts were beating in sync, as if they might eventually merge.
And his right leg, having absorbed the divine leg’s power, was now incredibly strong.
His power was constantly increasing.
He was closer to the demigod realm.
While Nagath and the Second Jie Luo were a threat, he wouldn’t confront them until he was stronger.
Whether he followed fate or defied it, strength was paramount.
He left his room, seeing Ekaterina in the hall below.
The Crimson Valkyrie, clad in her red armor, was a sight to behold.
Seeing him, her eyes lit up: “Master, you shouldn’t be up. Angelica will be upset.”
He smiled wryly. Angelica had been treating him like a child, fussing over him, confining him to his bed despite his recovery.
“I’m feeling much better. And I’m tired of being cooped up. Walk with me,” he said.
She nodded eagerly. Such opportunities to be alone with him were rare.
They walked through the streets of the Imperial City, which was slowly recovering.
After the earthquakes, the wall separating the noble and commoner districts had collapsed, blurring the lines between them. Commoners could now be seen in the noble district.
Ekaterina, her brow furrowed, stayed close to him, wary of potential assassins, her crimson hair occasionally brushing against his face, tickling him slightly.
She seemed… softer now, less aggressive, her movements more graceful, her aura more… seductive.
The commoners, seeing him, greeted him with smiles and respect. He was not just the Hero, but also the Pope.
And the Holy See’s recent recruitment drive, providing food for the elderly, had earned him their gratitude.
His actions, though motivated by his desire for faith, had improved their lives.
He nodded politely, acknowledging their greetings. Then, he noticed a familiar figure in the distance.
He frowned, signaling Ekaterina, then followed the figure.
Its once-scrawny frame was now muscular, its fingers like claws.
It was Lex, the blacksmith who had forged his sword, the one who had placed a trap within it. Of course, Shaye had disabled it.
He hated Lex as much as the others.
In the first loop, it was Lex who had orchestrated his downfall, spreading rumors and poisoning him.
He hadn’t fully transformed yet.
Perhaps because he wasn’t strong enough, the Evil God’s thread hadn’t completely corrupted him, prolonging his… human existence.
But the changes were evident: his body was now covered in thick, dark fur, a reddish tinge to it, a faint, crimson aura surrounding him.
His eyes, like a rabid dog’s, darted around, his gaze lingering on the passersby, as if seeing them as… meals.
But his remaining rationality restrained him, his internal struggle evident.
“He’ll transform soon,” Ekaterina whispered.
Despite his busy schedule, his trip to Exeter, his recovery… he had still kept an eye on Lex, assigning either Norma or Ekaterina to monitor him.
“His condition is worsening. He often sneaks out at night, searching for stray animals: cats, dogs, rats…”
“He can no longer satisfy his hunger with ordinary meat,” she added, her stomach churning at the memory of the gruesome scenes she had witnessed.
He had even devoured live rats, crunching on their bones, a disturbing smile on his face.
Initially, he had only hunted at night, but now, even during the day, he couldn’t control his urges, his gaze even lingering on humans.
Lex, lost in his own dark thoughts, didn’t notice them following him. While the people around him tempted him, he still maintained some control, his movements purposeful, his destination clear.
He stopped before the execution grounds.
A crowd had gathered, their gazes fixed on the three nobles kneeling there, bound by chains.
This was the thirteenth batch of nobles executed by Wadsworth, all accused of treason.
They proclaimed their innocence, even the executioner looking slightly uneasy. They had merely expressed their dissatisfaction with Wadsworth during a private gathering, their words somehow reaching his ears.
He also felt they had been wrongly accused, but he couldn’t disobey the Emperor.
All the nobles were living in fear, terrified of any misstep, any word that might be interpreted as treason.
The three were led to the guillotine.
Their heads fell, rolling across the ground.
Lex’s eyes gleamed with a hungry light. He wanted to pounce, to tear into their fresh flesh.
Only human blood and flesh could satisfy his growing hunger.
He restrained himself, waiting for them to be buried, then he would… retrieve them. It was his last shred of sanity.
But just then, a crimson mist, as if drawn by an unseen force, swirled around him, then entered his nostrils.
The scent of human blood…
His eyes glowed red.
He couldn’t control himself any longer.
Chapter 466: It’s Been a While Since I Favored Ekaterina
Undoubtedly, it was Qin Chu who had guided that wisp of blood into Lex’s nostrils.
For Qin Chu, it was a trivial act, undetectable by anyone. But for Lex, it was a death sentence.
Qin Chu had simply been taking a stroll, and having encountered Lex, he decided to… expedite the process, pushing him towards his inevitable transformation, giving himself a justifiable reason to eliminate him publicly.
The scent of blood.
Huff… huff…
Lex gasped, greedily inhaling the scent, more intoxicating than any animal blood, his bloodshot eyes bulging, his chest heaving.
The craving overwhelmed his remaining rationality.
He had intended to wait until the bodies were buried, but he couldn’t control himself any longer. He needed that fresh blood.
With a howl, like a wild beast, he lunged, his body a crimson blur, pouncing on one of the corpses, his jagged teeth tearing into its flesh, blood spraying everywhere, staining his clothes, his appearance becoming more and more monstrous.
Crunch, crunch… Slurp, slurp…
The gruesome sounds of his feasting silenced the onlookers, their faces a mask of horror, their bodies trembling.
The executioner instinctively wanted to intervene, but seeing Lex’s monstrous form, he recoiled in fear.
What was that thing?
As he devoured the corpse, Lex’s body began to swell, his clothes tearing, revealing the dark red fur beneath, his fingers elongating into claws, his legs thickening, his feet bursting through his shoes, his face twisting, crimson patterns spreading across his skin, forming an X-shaped mark, his eyes glowing, his teeth like a shark’s, crunching through bone.
The sounds of tearing flesh, of crunching bone… it was music to his ears.
But… it wasn’t enough. Something was missing.
Ah, he remembered.
It was the screams, the cries of pain and terror.
The dead couldn’t scream.
He looked up, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the crowd, his gaze making their skin crawl.
Terror gripped them, and they screamed, turning to flee.
With a roar, he lunged at the nearest executioner, his claws extended. The executioner’s face paled, but he was too slow.
Just as the claws were about to reach him, a massive club slammed into Lex’s side, sending him flying backwards, crashing into the wall, his body embedded in it, the stone cracking around him, the ground trembling.
The executioner, his face pale, his body shaking, had narrowly escaped death.
He looked up and saw a tall figure standing before him.
He recognized him, and his voice trembled with relief: “Hero!”
The Hero?
The fleeing crowd stopped, hearing his cry.
The Hero was here. They were safe.
They turned, their gazes filled with hope, fixed on Qin Chu.
Lex, his body dislodged from the wall, landed heavily, roaring, his transformed body, now a grotesque, four-legged beast, covered in crimson fur and spikes, lunging at Qin Chu.
Qin Chu merely smirked, wanting to test his new leg’s strength.
He waited, the stench of blood and decay washing over him, the creature’s monstrous face inches from his.
Then, he moved.
Despite his recent injuries and prolonged inactivity, his body hadn’t atrophied. He twisted, his right leg sweeping outwards.
“Begone, evil!”
Time seemed to slow down.
Lex’s monstrous form shattered like glass, his body exploding into chunks of flesh and bone.
Instant kill.
The onlookers, seeing the Hero’s effortless victory, cheered, some even falling to their knees, their faces filled with awe and reverence, their faith renewed. He could sense their faith, the milky white threads converging upon him.
And their actions seemed to inspire others, more and more people kneeling.
He was their savior.
No matter the threat, the Hero would protect them.
And he had deliberately caused Lex’s transformation, yet they were thanking him.
He smiled faintly, then, with a flick of his wrist, holy fire consumed the remains, leaving only ashes.
Another enemy eliminated.
Lex, lacking any true power, despite his prolonged transformation, had been the weakest among those corrupted by the threads.
But even so, Qin Chu was satisfied with his new leg’s power. It had almost torn space itself.
And it hadn’t attracted the attention of any Void entities, which was a relief.
While the threads were useful, with the Goddess weakened and the Evil Gods’ influence growing, they were becoming increasingly dangerous. He couldn’t risk using them anymore. He would have to remove the remaining threads from Sylph’s soul soon.
And Athena’s statues…
They were all time bombs.
He addressed the crowd, calming them, then, with Ekaterina by his side, he left.
Upon returning to the Residence, the others hadn’t returned yet.
“Ekaterina, when Sylph returns, tell her to come to my room,” he instructed.
He then went to his room, pondering his remaining enemies: Wadsworth, Loseweisse, his most hated foe, and Nagath, the Second Jie Luo, who wanted to invade Earth.
Loseweisse’s whereabouts were unknown, but with Athena’s plan, he would find her eventually.
Nagath and the Second Jie Luo were too powerful for him to confront directly right now.
And Wadsworth’s situation was… strange.
He should have transformed completely by now, like Karsus and O’Niens, but he was still maintaining some semblance of sanity.
His will was stronger than anticipated, but his mind was becoming increasingly unstable, his paranoia growing.
If left unchecked, he might single-handedly destroy the entire nobility.
Carol had been right. Her father had gone mad.
He seemed to believe everyone was plotting against him.
And the nobles wouldn’t tolerate it for long.
They would rebel, plunging the Empire into chaos.
And he, Qin Chu, would simply… watch, perhaps even… add a little fuel to the fire.
A knock on the door.
Was it Sylph?
“Come in.”
It wasn’t Sylph, but Ekaterina, clad in her crimson armor, her figure alluring.
Seeing his puzzled expression, she seemed flustered, fidgeting slightly, then finally spoke: “Master, Sylph hasn’t returned yet…”
“And… it’s been a while since you… favored me.”
