Chapter 318: Death Crows
Chapter 318: Death Crows
"Kaa! Kaa!"
Upon hearing the mournful cawing from above, Lyon instinctively looked up. However, what met his eyes was not the familiar blue sky and white clouds, but a vast expanse of lifeless, deep gray void.
A pale, lifeless sun, like the eyes of a dying old man, hung in the sky, surrounded by pitch-black clouds, silently watching over the turbulent, murky river below.
Above this murky, noisy river, a path made of countless old bones, slightly tinged with a faint yellow, carried numerous weeping and wailing souls, winding its way into the depths of the silent and profound Dead Realm.
"This is the Dead Realm, the place everyone comes to after death."
Seeing Lyon, who was still in awe, emerge from the crocodile's mouth with Emma on his back, the red-haired Director observed the three of them and instructed:
"After you come out of the crocodile's mouth, your physical bodies will enter the Dead Realm. Some crows will likely fly over, so remember not to attack them. Just stand still and wait."
"Ah, okay!"
Lyon nodded slightly, still somewhat dazed. Remembering that Emma was still unconscious on his back, he quickly sought help:
"Director, Emma is seriously injured…"
"Don’t worry, she’ll be fine."
After glancing at Emma’s soul, which was tinged with a hint of green, the red-haired Director sighed in relief:
"Although the Wealth Goddess struck hard, Emma’s soul is very resilient. She’ll be fine after a bit of rest. The only issue is her partially jade-transformed body… How about you? How are you feeling?"
"I’m fine."
Hearing the Director’s words, Lyon shook his head slightly and instinctively reached up to touch the two small bald spots on his head.
Although he had sustained many injuries during the mission, he had healed them all with the [Plague Blood Belt]. The only thing he couldn’t restore was the two small patches of hair that had been squeezed off when the horns grew on his head. If he had to pinpoint it, this was probably his only injury.
...
"Director, I’m fine, but I have a big problem!"
Just as Lyon was touching his head, a head suddenly lifted from the depths of the crocodile’s mouth. The lazy young man lying on the Crocodile Deity’s tongue looked up with a pained expression:
"Most of my bones are gone, and now only my neck and butt can move. Can you…?"
"Is this what you call an injury?"
Glancing at Tom, the red-haired Director waved his hand dismissively:
"Didn’t you already set up the Restoration Ritual? Shouldn’t one resurrection be enough?"
"It would work… but it’s a bit painful…"
"Oh, come on, it’s just a matter of snapping your neck. Don’t be such a wimp, man!"
After dismissing the lazy young man with a few words, the red-haired Director untied the hair from the Crocodile Deity’s neck, walked behind Lyon, and gently lifted Emma from his back. He then urged them:
"Come on, don’t stay in the crocodile’s mouth. Let’s go outside!"
"Oh…"
Following the red-haired Director’s instructions, Lyon walked out of the crocodile’s mouth, which had brought him to the Dead Realm. Before he could ask why he was brought here, a loud, mournful cawing filled the air once more.
Unlike the few caws they had heard earlier, this time the cawing was dense and chaotic. Lyon looked up and saw about six or seven hundred red-eyed crows flying from the distance. Instead of flying straight into the depths of the Dead Realm like the others, they began circling above the three of them.
"These birds are called Death Crows, pets bred by one of the rulers of the Dead Realm. Whenever a new soul appears, they fly from their nests, eyes wide open, soaring towards the depths of the Dead Realm, announcing the birth of the deceased."
After briefly explaining the significance of these crows, the Red-Haired Bureau Chief continued with a meaningful tone:
"However, if a living person enters the Dead Realm with their body intact, their Death Crow will not fly into the depths of the realm. Instead, it will find the person it's been watching and circle above them, or even land directly on their shoulder."
"That's not right, is it?"
Looking up at the sky, where the red-eyed crows were circling, Lyon was taken aback. "There are only three of us here, four if we count Tom, who hasn't come out yet. But there are almost seven hundred crows up there, aren't there?"
"To be precise, there are six hundred and sixty-six of them."
Glancing at Emma in her arms, confirming she was still unconscious and wouldn't hear her words, the Red-Haired Chief whispered:
"You've probably heard about Emma's origins. When her tribe attempted a coup to overthrow the current royalty, someone leaked the plan. As a result, everyone in her tribe was executed, except for Emma. The execution ground was set up right outside the Treasure Flower Manor, staining the redwood tree with blood.
It was during that execution that her undying body was born.
With over six hundred tribe members executed, she gained over six hundred lives to replenish her own. Only by killing her six hundred and sixty-six times in a single day could they truly put an end to her.
When she inherited the lives of her tribe, she also inherited their Death Crows. The crows above us are actually here for her."
"..."
Lyon listened to Emma's past experiences, and he couldn't help but fall into a brief silence. Although he had already suspected Emma's immortality, hearing such a bloody truth still left him in awe.
During Lyon's silence, the Red-Haired Chief carefully scrutinized him, looking him up and down repeatedly. Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Lyon asked:
"Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on me?"
"No, the reason I'm staring is precisely because there's nothing on you."
Giving Lyon a meaningful look, the Red-Haired Chief asked:
"Lyon, where is your Death Crow?"
"???"
Lyon was taken aback by the question and asked in confusion:
"With so many Death Crows flying above us, isn't mine among them?"
"As I said, all the Death Crows above us are here for Emma. Neither yours nor mine is among them."
Fixing her gaze on Lyon, the Red-Haired Chief slowed her speech, speaking earnestly: "When my Leon Value reached sixty points and my rank became equal to a True Deity, my Death Crow lost its ability to sense my death. It flew into the depths of the Dead Realm with its eyes closed.
But your Leon Value is only around six points, and you haven't escaped the Death Crow's death perception. So, your Death Crow should still be perched at the entrance of the Dead Realm."
"..."
"Lyon, can you tell me why, even though you entered the Dead Realm with your physical body, your Death Crow hasn't come looking for you?"
(End of Chapter)
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