Chapter 380: The Black Emperor

Chapter 380: The Black Emperor

In the Queens District, at the Sodrak Palace.

Wearing a crown, with a resolute face and a small mustache, George Iii sat on his throne, gazing at Derek Augustus in front of him without speaking for a long time.

After waiting for a while without a response, Derek frowned slightly.

"Your Majesty, about Ammun..."

"Don't worry about it."

George Iii cut him off, his tone calm.

"In Backlund, even Ammun won't cause too much of a stir. Continue with the plan."

"The construction of the mausoleum is ongoing, but... even with the use of decrees to accelerate progress, it will still take a considerable amount of time to complete."

Derek's expression carried a hint of worry: "Ammun's sudden appearance in Backlund might mean our plan has been exposed."

Breaking the treaty signed by the royal family and the three major churches, organizing the secret construction of the mausoleum through the mass purchase of people, and collaborating with the cults of the Witch Sect and the Aurora Society to cover up the crimes with large-scale population deaths...

Each of these actions, if exposed, would result in a scandal that would leave a dark mark in history. If discovered, it would not be a simple loss of public support; the three major churches and the gods behind them would certainly hold the royal family accountable.

Worse still, Intis, Fenibot, and Fusac would likely use the reasons of "tyranny", "breach of oath", and "liberation" to invade, potentially even sparking a divine war.

"Derek, you don't stand high enough, so you can't see far enough."

George Iii lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the gilded palace dome and the ornate tiles, his deep eyes burning with ambition like a wildfire.

"Whatever is done leaves a trace."

"Expecting a massive project to remain completely hidden is foolish."

He smiled with a dignified and solemn expression, his tone calm and composed.

"Exposure is not to be feared. As long as the timing is right, even if the truth is fully revealed, no one will dare to oppose it."

"Right now is the right time."

Derek's furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, and he looked enlightened. "You mean last month..."

George Iii nodded slightly, his smile growing more pronounced. "That celestial phenomenon signified the birth of a new great being, and it meant that other dormant great beings were roused."

"Since there is now an additional Outer God in the cosmos, more gods are needed within the barrier to support it. At this critical juncture, the person most likely to become a god is me!"

"What if the Goddess of the Night, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Steam and Machinery discover this? In such a situation, they can only tacitly accept it!"

"Even if tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people die, what does it matter as long as another god is born!"

George Iii's emotions suddenly grew intense, his powerful aura almost tangible, causing Derek, a Sequence 2 Balancer, to catch his breath.

"Once I become the Black Emperor, standing equal to the seven gods, all the mistakes will be erased!"

"Breaking the treaty? Wrong! It was a far-sighted action to defend against the end of days!"

"Buying people? Wrong! The people voluntarily contributed to their king!"

"Collaborating with cults? Wrong! Those fanatics are just fools being used!"

George Iii rose from his throne, his head held high with an air of supreme authority.

"Once I become the Black Emperor, I will ensure that the treaty between the royal family and the three major churches continues and becomes even stronger."

"Those secret cults will be systematically eradicated; I will not allow the worship of evil gods to spread in my kingdom."

"I will not forget those who voluntarily burned as fuel for their king. Their families will be rewarded, with honors they could never achieve in their lifetimes."

"Furthermore, the Rune Kingdom will become the strongest nation in the northern continent, making Intis, Fenibot, and Fusac bow down and become our vassals."

"And I will be remembered by the world forever, until the end of time!"

Derek bowed his head lower, his tone respectful.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

At that moment, George Iii's expression softened, and his aura dissipated. He sat back down, as if waiting for something.

A few breaths later, a guard rushed in, his expression panicked.

"Your Majesty, Bonwa Gustav of the Steam Church has come to visit."

Bonwa Gustav, the second son of the previous Black Emperor, Rossel Gustav, and a god-blessed of the Steam Church!

Derek's face immediately changed, his gaze involuntarily shifting to George Iii.

No matter how passionately George Iii spoke, he was still only a Sequence 1 Prince of Disorder, fundamentally different from a god.

George Iii's hand clenched the armrest, then relaxed. He commanded with a blank expression.

"Go down, and let him come in alone."

He pursed his lips and instructed Bolink, "Go and ask the 'Protector of the Nation' to come here."

The "Protector of the Nation" William I, an ancestor of the Augustus family, was a great angel on the "Arbiter" pathway, Sequence 1 "Hand of Order."

Soon, Bonwa, with a face that exuded a faint divine aura, approached the throne. As a "god-blessed", he did not bow to the king but simply gazed at him silently.

George Iii forced a gentle smile, "Sir, is there something you need here?"

Bonwa clasped his hands in a devout manner, his tone calm.

"I am here to offer assistance."

Assistance?

George Iii's expression remained unchanged, "I greatly appreciate it, but there should be nothing here that requires your help."

"No, there is."

Bonwa's voice was so calm that it lacked any emotional inflection, sounding like the precise mechanism of a clock.

"I am here to build your mausoleum."

"I will bring new technology, new knowledge, and new machinery. As the supervisor, I will ensure the mausoleum is built quickly, allowing your voice and image to reach all your citizens, achieving a perfect ceremonial effect."

Bonwa's indifferent voice echoed through the palace.

"This is the confidence of a 'Universalist' angel, a god-blessed."

George Iii's frown slowly relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curled up, his heart filled with joy.

...

Huiwu Zhi Shang, so silent that the fall of a needle could be heard.

After the last time he "initiated a war that swept the world", Mr. Emperor once again revealed something truly outrageous—the true name of a deity!

Algy felt like he had taken on a part-time job to earn some extra money, only to find out that his task was to steal the company's highest secrets.

"Don't worry so much."

Luke broke the silence with a smile, "I will provide you with protection, ensuring you remain undetected."

"Yes... The 'Stranger' should probably find a death row inmate or someone similar. Reciting the name does come with some danger, and although I can provide protection, it would lose its purpose of testing."

He intended to see how the Lord of Storms, "Leorod", would respond to a "Stranger" calling His true name.

Although Luke also had a general idea of what the King of the Air, Emperor of the Sea, Lord of Catastrophes, and God of Storms might choose to do.

"Protection..."

Algy opened his mouth, then glanced at The Fool, who remained motionless and did not raise any objections. He felt he might have underestimated Mr. Emperor's Sequence.

To know the existence of a true deity and to ensure protection from a true deity's gaze, a demigod would be far from capable. At the very least, it would be a walking angel, or perhaps an even higher being.

No wonder Mr. Emperor has never been particularly respectful to Mr. Fool, speaking to him more casually and easily than he does to "Justice." The other party must be a similarly hidden existence, akin to Mr. Fool.

Algy's heart raced uncontrollably, remembering a famous quote from the Emperor of Rossel.

"This is the best of times, and the worst of times."

After a brief hesitation, Algy licked his lips, swallowed, and bowed to Luke.

"I will handle this, Mr. Emperor."

"Good."

Luke nodded indifferently, a gesture that left Algy both disappointed and exhilarated.

It seemed this task wasn't important enough to win his favor, but if testing a deity's reaction wasn't a significant matter, it only highlighted how formidable Mr. Emperor was.

Algy straightened up and couldn't help but look at the tall, composed figure of "Justice", feeling a sense of awe.

What a stroke of luck, to so easily board a ship captained by a being nearly on par with a deity.

At this moment, Aurelia also mustered the courage to speak, "Mr. Emperor, is there any task you can entrust to me? I would like to help."

Luke thought for a few seconds and then smiled at her, "Yes, you can investigate the hospitals in Backlund and visit a crippled young man named Will Onsantine."

Will Onsantine, the chairman of the Life School, a Sequence 1 "Mercury's Hue" on the Fate Pathway, was currently being hunted by the Angel of Fate, Ullorius, under the True Creator.

Although a Sequence 1 wasn't particularly noteworthy, the Life School under his leadership concealed the unique "Dice of Probability" on the Fate Pathway.

Aurelia's face lit up with joy, and she nodded earnestly before asking, "What about next steps?"

"There are no next steps. Fate will provide them."

Luke answered calmly, "Fate Pathway mystics are like that; they don't need to do anything special, just follow their instincts."

Aurelia didn't ask any more questions, only nodding to show she understood. She trusted that Luke had his own plans.

Luke added, "Your 'reward' is on its way and should have arrived. Remember to check it after the meeting."

"Alright, I understand."

After the two had spoken, it was Luke's turn. He thought for a moment and spoke briefly.

"A new wave of the era is about to arrive, and a great change is imminent. I hope everyone in the Tarot Club can find their place and stand firm."

The obscure words left Algy and Aurelia at a loss for words, and they could only look to the Fool at the head of the table.

Kline, who was just as shocked as Algy and dared not interrupt, now relaxed and spoke in a steady voice.

"Have you decided what to do?"

Luke glanced at the Fool, who was unclear but dared not reveal it, and nodded slightly.

"I have a general direction, but there will be many variables, so I'm not entirely certain."

"Hmm, have you thought about the consequences of your actions?"

"More or less."

Kline, unable to come up with another universal phrase and running low on Spiritual Energy, coughed lightly and tapped the table.

"This Tarot Club meeting is now adjourned."

"As you wish."

Aurelia and Algy stood and bowed, and Luke waved his hand as he had done before, causing the deep red and black starlight to fade.

Kline, seated at the head of the table, rubbed his aching forehead and sighed, then disappeared from his seat.

The ancient and grand palace fell silent once more, the gray fog swirling and spreading, enveloping the bronze table and the chairs.

Time seemed to forget this place, leaving only the swirling gray fog.

At the head of the weathered table, the Fool's seat glowed, and the symbol of the Eye Without Pupil and Twisted Lines slowly transformed, adding layers of doors and fingers resembling clock hands.

Part of the fog slowly condensed, and ripples formed above the seat, revealing a vague outline.

...

Dense darkness enveloped the ruined palace.

A voice, filled with contemplation, rose from the massive stone chair, sometimes gentle, sometimes urgent, sometimes as soothing as a stream, and sometimes as fierce as a river.

In the sweat-drenched battle, the city gates were repeatedly breached by the massive battering ram, and the defensive lines crumbled.

The enemy troops, maintaining their vigilance even as they advanced, retreated and regrouped without hesitation, then charged again, their speed breaking the still-forming encirclement, over and over.

The defenses of the Land of the Night were flawless, but the invasion by the Outsiders was equally unimaginable.

After the grueling battle, the city was finally breached, and the Outsiders, without hesitation, sent in their elite forces to occupy the Land of the Night completely.

After a moment of calm, a gentle, soothing female voice rose from the darkness.

"How did you become..."

"Physical modifications aren't difficult. As for the structure, I adopted a Fugan dog."

Luke leaned back lazily in the massive stone chair, one hand around the figure sitting on him, enjoying the post-battle intimacy.

A soft, somewhat exasperated female voice spoke, "Don't make those changes."

"I just thought dogs go well with dogs... Alright, I got it, won't do it again."

Sensing the danger, the dark tide surged, and Luke clicked his tongue, releasing his grip.

Feeling him back down, the Goddess of the Night did not push further and remained silent, resting in her current position.

"Can you enter and exit the Hidden Realm directly now?"

Luke nodded with his eyes closed, "After gaining divinity, there's hardly anywhere I can't go. Not just temporary Hidden Realms, but the true Land of the Night and your Hidden Town as well."

As a Sequence 4 with the symbol of "Invasion", it was easy for him to enter and exit the domains created by higher Sequences. Entering the "God's Domain" of a deity was a bit more challenging, but with the help of his main body, it was smooth sailing.

The only issue was that his Sequence 4 body was still too fragile and couldn't last long.

Luke leaned up slightly, "One Deception Mentor for one Heart of the Mist Wolf, deal?"

The Goddess of the Night was silent for a moment, "The Deception Mentor is equivalent to the Ancient Scholar, and you only need one of the two main materials of the Ancient Scholar."

"Actually, if you want the Ancient Scholar, you can just tell me. Antigonus has several, and this wouldn't be a big favor."

"No, thank you. I prefer to maintain a pure partnership with you."

Luke rolled his eyes. The Goddess of the Night was shrewd and calculating. On the surface, they were harmonious, but in reality, they were cautious of each other.

With a light sigh, a misty, fragmented heart appeared in his hand.

Luke stored the material and smiled slightly.

Skipping the Ancient Scholar, he would directly ascend to the Sage, becoming a solid vessel for a god's descent, wielding the power of a true deity!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end