Chapter 369: The Black Emperor’s Remains
For the evil god Iä!, devouring Adele and obtaining everything about her was undoubtedly her greatest desire. But as Victoria said, she, with her gluttonous nature, couldn’t refuse the sacrifice of a legendary mage, nor could she resist the temptation to dissect and devour the vast knowledge accumulated over a True Ancestor’s long life. After all, Iä! was an evil god from another world. After devouring all the knowledge in that world, she wandered lonely in the endless apocalypse. Until she connected with the mind of a Vampire True Ancestor from another world.
Iä! eagerly made a contract with him, becoming his familiar. Finally, after a series of schemes, and of course, also due to the True Ancestor’s own reasons and his hatred for the magical world, Iä! convinced him, promising that if he was willing to sacrifice himself and allow her to descend upon this world, this space, she would destroy the entire magical world as promised.
Thus, the True Ancestor sacrificed himself in exchange for Iä!’s arrival. Her power was truly incredible, completely beyond common sense, unmatched by any magic. The entire magical world was plunged into its darkest day. The Grand Magic Library became Iä!’s first target, completely destroyed. She madly dissected books, extracting the knowledge within, and began to evolve. But like a python that eagerly swallowed prey larger than itself, she only became bloated, unable to escape when facing enemies. Iä! fell into the same predicament. Otherwise, she should have hidden after the successful attack to digest the magical knowledge of this world, then emerged and used this magic to cause further disasters, continuously learning, dissecting, and evolving. One day, she might be able to devour all the knowledge in this world, becoming a true World Serpent, the great serpent encircling the world tree, becoming a supreme god.
But unfortunately, time wouldn’t rewind. Iä! ultimately didn’t make the right choice. Instead, the magical world united and fought desperately, finally killing Iä!’s physical form at the cost of great casualties. The ruins of the Grand Magic Library also became a terrifying space-time turbulence due to this great battle. Anyone who entered risked being eternally lost.
Victoria, at the forefront of the fight against the evil god, was trapped inside, her fate uncertain. But Victoria wasn’t willing to die just like that. Her deep obsession was touching. But this was exploited by Iä!. Using her last bit of strength, Iä! attached her spirit to Victoria’s soul, merging with it.
And you already know the rest of the story. To resist True Ancestor Ron, knowing that she could no longer stop Iä!’s erosion, Victoria chose to sacrifice everything to her, making a contract and letting her take over this body. Iä! didn’t want to be instantly destroyed by True Ancestor Ron’s elemental power the moment she took over Victoria’s body. So, half-forced, she could only agree, obtaining all of Victoria’s power. This level of contract, if broken, would even cause an unspeakable backlash for an evil god. So she could only treat True Ancestor Ron before her as a mortal enemy and protect Adele behind her, absolutely unable to harm her.
It was unknown whether this would become Iä!’s biggest regret in the future. At least for now, she once again understood everything, feeling an unprecedented sense of comfort and joy.
“This world is amazing!”
“Victoria,” or rather, Iä!, while extending countless tentacles to resist True Ancestor Ron’s attack, began to express her excitement. Perhaps she was a chatterbox, or perhaps it was because the feeling of regaining freedom after being imprisoned for thousands of years was too wonderful, that made her so elated, adding a touch of humor to this apocalyptic scene.
“Just a short thousand years have passed, and humans have developed such prosperity.”
“That food, culture, technology, weapons…ah, I’m starting to think, should I eat my fill all at once, or…”
“Should I just…keep you all as livestock!?”
“La-la-la~.” She hummed a strange tune in Victoria’s form, then suddenly turned from joy to anger, roaring at True Ancestor Ron, “I hate rain! It makes my tentacles sticky and wet!”
“You’re much weaker than your brother!” Iä! commented arrogantly. She was indeed qualified to compare and judge. After all…Ron’s brother, another familiar-type True Ancestor, had long been devoured by Iä!, chewed up inch by inch, from skin to bone, from memory to emotion, eternally merging with her. So Iä!, understanding everything, was naturally qualified to judge.
But her current state was slightly different from Victoria’s. It wasn’t that Iä! devoured Victoria, but that Iä! became “Victoria.” It sounded confusing, but in short, Iä!, having lost her physical body, only had her spirit left. And now, she used her spirit to occupy Victoria’s body, while Victoria’s spirit fell into slumber. So…this phenomenon should be called “possession”!
That’s right, possession.
True Ancestor Ron’s scarlet eyes beneath his black robes showed no emotion. Undeniably, Iä! was right. His current state wasn’t his strongest. All this was thanks to his failed ascension last time. Having suffered a backlash, his power was probably only at sixty or seventy percent of his peak level. But even at sixty or seventy percent, according to Ron’s original plan, it should have been enough to deal with Adele and the others. As for all the visitors in the amusement park, they were the “majority” he held hostage. He understood the humans’ style. They wouldn’t sacrifice everyone in the amusement park for just one Adele. So the humans’ power was dispersed, other strong individuals couldn’t arrive in time, and he could quickly take Adele and the little girl in her arms away.
Ron was even more certain that there must be a secret to a second life hidden within them. He just didn’t expect Victoria to appear halfway. Or rather, not only did he have patience, but Victoria’s patience was also astonishing, a true “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind,” situation. This idiom refers to a situation where one party tries to gain an advantage, but another party is secretly waiting to take advantage of them.
But if it was just Victoria alone, Ron could handle it. He did shatter Victoria’s magic shield. Without protection, Victoria would be torn to shreds by his elemental power, and Adele would fall into his hands. But who would have thought that such a sudden change would occur? Victoria actually chose to sacrifice herself, willingly being possessed by the otherworldly evil god Iä!, using a contract to make her his enemy. Now, things were troublesome.
Clearly, Ron knew something about the evil god Iä!. After all, she was the familiar contracted by a True Ancestor in the past. If it were her, she would indeed be more difficult to deal with than Victoria. If possible, Ron really didn’t want to be forced to use his last resort. But now…there was no other way. So he had to act quickly, eliminate Iä! before the human and vampire reinforcements arrived, and then take Adele and that little girl away. As long as he could live a second life and escape the fear of death, Ron was willing to sacrifice anything.
The next moment, Ron suddenly took out a withered bone from his arms. An unknown magic power lifted it into the air, and it emitted an exceptionally vast and powerful force, merging with Ron’s body.
At that moment, Iä! instantly lost her previous arrogance and composure, becoming terrified. If she were at her peak, she probably wouldn’t be afraid of True Ancestor Ron. But in this situation… If Victoria, under her interference, could only exert eighty percent of her power, then Iä!, having received Victoria’s sacrificed body and spirit, could exert one hundred and twenty percent. The difference was almost half, so she was confident that she could defeat True Ancestor Ron. That’s why she spoke so arrogantly.
But why didn’t anyone tell her…that Ron had the remains of a demigod!? That’s right, that withered bone belonged to a former demigod.
At the same time, in the cabin at the highest point of the Ferris wheel, Dorothy’s tears suddenly flowed uncontrollably from her eyes, falling onto the floor. Adele’s heart skipped a beat, feeling the intense sadness emanating from Dorothy. At that moment, although Dorothy didn’t say anything, Adele realized something. This was an unacceptable reality for Dorothy, presented before her in its raw, bloody form. The bone in True Ancestor Ron’s hand came from the only True Ancestor in vampire history who successfully ascended and once ruled the entire Vampire Clan – Dorothy’s ancestor, the one known as the “Black Emperor”!
The veil of history was slightly lifted, revealing the darkness and blood behind it. True Ancestor Ron had always believed that the Black Emperor hadn’t died and would return one day. But he had a bone belonging to the Black Emperor in his hand. So what about the other True Ancestors? Did they know about this, or not? What exactly happened back then!? Could it be that there was more to the Black Emperor’s fall…?
———–
Chapter 370: Fallen
Adele tightly held Dorothy’s hand, but it felt icy, impossible to warm up. And she couldn’t say any words of comfort. This kind of blow could only be processed by Dorothy herself. The more others said, the worse it would get.
Adele never thought the situation would take such a turn. First, Teacher Victoria transformed into a strange being who could manipulate tentacles, then True Ancestor Ron fused with a demigod’s bone to enhance his power. The situation kept changing, all cards on the table, and the final result became increasingly unpredictable.
But if there were no more variables, True Ancestor Ron, having fused with the demigod’s remains, would become the strongest being present. Perhaps even “Teacher Victoria” would no longer be his match, even with the help of Yashi, the Bureau Director. He would break through their defenses in no time and take Adele and Xiao Ai away. Or perhaps, he would become even more crazed…and take away the remaining Sequence Ones as well! Dorothy, Hermione, Edith, Kaiser, Sharon. He would take them all and use the forbidden blood magic to extract the gene fragments that inherited the True Ancestors’ legacy, the “blood of God,” and absorb them. Although the effect might not be as good as “the thirteenth drop of God’s blood,” it would at least prolong Ron’s life for a long time. Even if it meant becoming enemies with the entire Vampire Clan, even with the entire world under the current order, Ron wouldn’t hesitate. After all, he had even taken out one of the Black Emperor’s remains, meaning he had completely broken the ancient “contract” and should be punished by heaven and earth.
At this moment, the one under the most pressure was Iä!, the otherworldly evil god inhabiting Victoria’s body. If she had known that the Vampire True Ancestor before her would suddenly take out a demigod’s remains to fuse with and temporarily gain that level of power, she would never have agreed to the contract with Victoria! Wasn’t this suicide!? In the real world, there weren’t so many so-called “geniuses who were invincible at the same level and could fight one level above.” Everyone was a genius, a “monster,” and the one with the higher power level was the invincible one!
But…damn it! Iä! had made an unbreakable contract with Victoria. Now, even if Iä! wanted to escape, as a spirit, she would undoubtedly die if she left Victoria’s body. But if she didn’t leave and continued using this hard-won body to fight True Ancestor Ron, she would also die!
The evil god who loved to dissect and devour knowledge was about to break down. She felt like she was trapped in quicksand. Whether she struggled or not, she would die. So, with Iä!’s personality, she could only struggle and fight against True Ancestor Ron, the “quicksand”! She didn’t want to give up on this unknown world, a fragrant and untouched land! She wanted to understand everything. She wanted to gain more new knowledge, the source of all her pleasure. So she fought desperately. She would die anyway if she didn’t.
Instantly, countless tentacles attacked True Ancestor Ron, who was floating in the air. An indescribable, twisting, writhing, constantly changing and wildly dancing shadow appeared behind Victoria. It was the projection of Iä!’s true form, a fragment of her at her peak. But even at her peak, she couldn’t fight against a demigod-level opponent. How could she defeat Ron, who now temporarily possessed demigod power?
“A futile struggle,” Ron sneered. He felt great now. Is this the power of the Black Emperor? No matter how many times I experience it, it’s fascinating. One of the main reasons why Ron embarked on his ascension journey in this era of declining magic was because he was deeply impressed by the Black Emperor’s power. The Black Emperor was his idol, his beloved elder brother, and also the object of his…their…fear. The Black Emperor’s ending was the deepest darkness that no vampire could touch!
Dorothy, are you despairing? But the true despair is yet to come. Or…should we just stop watching? Death is the most peaceful experience. Ron’s gaze fell on Dorothy from afar, almost paralyzing her. This meant that from this moment on, his target wasn’t just Adele and Xiao Ai, but also Dorothy and the other Sequence Ones who inherited the blood of God.
He even dared to be distracted during his battle with Iä!. This showed how powerful he was at this moment, looking down on everything. And it was indeed the case. Iä!’s attacks were like a mud cow entering the sea, ineffective. Instead, Ron swung his strongest attack at her. Almost everyone could foresee the scene of “Victoria’s” body being cut in half by this elemental blade that transcended the limitations of heaven and earth.
Adele screamed and closed her eyes, covering Xiao Ai’s eyes as well. Tears streamed down her face, filled with regret. If she had known this would happen, that they would face such a disaster, she would rather stay in the academy under Headmistress Winona’s protection for the rest of her life, until she became strong enough to protect herself. The girl hated her current powerlessness, hated her previous laziness and procrastination. Teacher Victoria’s last glance at her would become the most unforgettable scene in Adele’s heart. And she clearly understood the deep expectation hidden within that glance, the things Victoria couldn’t achieve, the loved ones she couldn’t protect, all the regrets she experienced. Adele, you must not repeat her mistakes. You have to protect everything, protect the girls you cherish, leaving no regrets…
As the protagonist of this book, logically, this desperate situation was the best time for Adele to activate her cheat. But just thinking about it, how could she do it? Adele clenched her fists, only to find her own powerlessness. But actually, perhaps there was a way for Adele to gain the power of a True Ancestor… If this world was still a world within a novel, then this was the foreshadowing left by the author, the only cheat Adele could use. That was to merge with Xiao Ai, to devour her, the “thirteenth drop of God’s blood” who somehow gained consciousness and a spirit. Then Adele would be reborn, becoming the thirteenth True Ancestor of the Vampire Clan. With the power of a True Ancestor, Adele would cooperate with “Iä!” and Yashi to temporarily resist True Ancestor Ron, then wait for the arrival of Headmistress Winona and other powerful members of the Enforcement Bureau. If they could hold on until True Ancestor Ron’s demigod state faded, they could achieve final victory!
But Adele wouldn’t use this cheat! Otherwise, wouldn’t she break her promise to Teacher Victoria? Wouldn’t all her efforts be in vain, her protection meaningless!? Adele didn’t want such power!
Then…could she only watch as Teacher Victoria vanished under True Ancestor Ron’s blade?
Adele, in despair, finally stopped escaping this tragic reality and slowly opened her eyes. But what she saw made her eyes widen. Countless eyes filled with compassion appeared in the sky, like God’s last glance at the human world before its destruction. It was such a sacred, strange, and terrifying scene that almost shattered her sanity. A huge, white figure appeared before Victoria, floating in the air, a pure human eyeball as its main body, its figure covering the sky, its huge, white six wings spread wide, each wing with three eyeballs observing the world, endless karmic fire burning behind each feather. In ancient times, she was called…an angel!
At the critical moment, the angel Seraph appeared, blocking the almost fatal blow for Victoria! But the consequences were dire. Three of Seraph’s wings were almost completely severed, and her mournful cry seemed to echo throughout the amusement park, in everyone’s heart, making all humans shed tears, let alone Adele, who had a deep connection with Seraph.
Seraph, having lost three wings, couldn’t even maintain her true form. She transformed into a petite, silver-haired girl, her white dress stained with blood, her eyes dim as she fell from the sky. When transformed into a girl, Seraph didn’t show her full six wings, only two. And now, even one of those two wings was severed from the base, blood splattering across the sky. Seraph, with only one wing left, fell like a withered leaf. Life is as brilliant as summer flowers, death as quiet and beautiful as autumn leaves. Of course, she was only dying, not dead! In other words, Winona used this method to save “Victoria’s” life. In her eyes, “Victoria” couldn’t die yet, otherwise, Adele would have no chance of survival. As for her…she had lived long enough. It was fortunate that she still had half a life left.
Winona didn’t want to wait to help Victoria. Actually, everything happened too fast. From Victoria resisting Ron, her magic shield shattering, her life crystal cracking, to her sacrificing her body to the evil god and momentarily suppressing Ron, then Ron taking out the Black Emperor’s bone and temporarily ascending, the whole process probably only took a few seconds! How could Winona, in just a few seconds, anticipate that Ron would reach the demigod level? Being able to arrive in time and block that fatal blow for “Victoria” was already the limit of what the angel girl could do. After that, she was powerless.
So…was there anyone else who could save Adele now?
Outside the amusement park in the Eastern Capital, in the raging storm, a tall woman with long silver hair raised her scarlet eyes, looking towards the scene in the center of the tornado domain. Beside her, countless humans were fleeing, but she remained motionless, a sneer appearing on her lips after a long while. The woman had witnessed everything, including the moment Seraph’s wings were severed.
“Your fall…is quite pathetic.” Seraph had finally fallen for a woman, just like her former angelic companions. Perhaps she hadn’t had time to think about it yet, but ink-like darkness was indeed spreading from the feathers of her remaining three wings.
The Hell Queen, Jormungandr, said this indifferently. But it didn’t matter, she would act when True Ancestor Ron truly threatened Adele. The fact that no one had noticed the Hell Queen, who had been observing the battle, proved a lot. Her level…was far beyond that of a mere True Ancestor. If True Ancestor Ron knew that Victoria wasn’t the last “oriole,” that behind the oriole, there was also the Hell Queen Jormungandr, guarding Adele like a phoenix, waiting for her to grow up, would he break down? All his efforts, his perceived invincibility after fusing with the Black Emperor’s bone, were actually just child’s play in the eyes of Hell Queen Jormungandr. A true demigod-level battle used the world as its battlefield, not a small amusement park, and didn’t involve taking ants like humans hostage. As for ants…just step on them. You wouldn’t remember how many slices of bread or grains of rice you ate, wouldn’t realize how many lives you trampled on. A god’s authority was the will and voice of the world. But these words were both right…and wrong. Because even among gods, there were exceptions like “her.”
Jormungandr’s thoughts wandered, but she quickly pulled them back. Because Ron was about to harm Adele, crossing a dangerous threshold. Then, she used spatial magic to easily break through True Ancestor Ron’s domain restriction and descended upon the battlefield. Revealing herself to humans at this time meant that she wouldn’t have much of a comfortable life enjoying the new human world in the future. But compared to Adele’s safety, even hell and the entire human world were insignificant.
If Adele had a system, a notification would surely pop up at this moment: Ding! Host’s biggest cheat has arrived!
Plot Armor in time to Save the Day