https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-914-You-re-Breaking-a-Sweat-Huh-Buddy-/13110318/
Chapter 913: Hijacking
Chapter 913: Hijacking
As the Hexa-faced Elephant uttered its final words filled with grief and anger, falling back motionless, the vast death world seemed to receive a signal, plunging into an incredibly bizarre state of "stillness."
The gray mist that enveloped the Gates of the Departed ceased its drifting, the crows within the Death Raven's Nest froze in mid-air, and the ever-flowing Yellow Springs came to a complete halt. On the No Return Path leading to the depths of the Netherworld, countless departed souls also solidified.
In Lyon's perception, death, which was more stubborn than time itself and never paused for anyone, momentarily and briefly halted its steps. Then, it condescendingly lowered its massive body and gazed at him with scrutinizing eyes.
Is this the feeling of being chosen by the Authority of Death...
Unconsciously, Lyon looked up at the sky, meeting the gaze of that non-existent towering figure. A profoundly strange sensation overcame him.
In this moment, his soul seemed to have fallen to the very bottom of the Netherworld, becoming the eye of a colossal funnel. The solidified Netherworld, driven by some will, began to 'collapse' towards him.
"Zzzt..."
Accompanied by a familiar, grating noise, the ever-present 【Materialism】, which had been quietly occupying the first slot on the badge panel, suddenly burst into a dazzling crimson glow.
[Your current Infection Value has exceeded 60 points, granting you the ability to come into contact with and initially master rules. The hidden attribute of the chromatic badge 'Materialist Soul' has been activated.]
[Materialist Soul (Crimson): As a staunch materialist, you firmly believe that matter is the foundation of objective existence, and spiritual and conscious phenomena are products of matter. Things that are incomprehensible are due to an insufficiently accurate and profound understanding of the world...]
[Equipment Effect: ...]
[Upgrade Path: Already at the highest level, cannot be further upgraded.]
[Hidden Attribute: Whenever your understanding of a world's core rules reaches a certain level, you gain the ability to modify them to a corresponding degree.
Current Analysis Progress (arranged by level of understanding): Mundane Realm (15%), Netherworld (12%), Dream Realm (9%), Abyss (1.5%)... Star Realm (0.1%), Old Earth (0.1%)]
"Zzzt..."
[You passively accepted the infusion from the Authority of Death, and your understanding of the Netherworld has improved...]
[You are gradually comprehending death...]
"Zzzt..."
[Due to the inability of the living to understand death at a level of 50%, analysis progress is paused. Current analysis progress for the Netherworld is 49.9%.]
[The Authority of Death continues to incline towards you.]
[Your 'living' origin from the Mundane Realm is being covered by the Authority of Death. As the covering process completes, transforming you into a dead being... An abnormal situation arises, and the Authority of Death is diverting, slowing down the covering process.]
"Huh?!"
Hearing the prompt that the covering had stopped, Lyon, who was closing his eyes and accepting the 'baptism' with his head tilted back, preparing to temporarily take over the mess of the Netherworld, suddenly froze. Then, as if realizing something, he instinctively turned around.
To Lyon's astonishment, a figure he was all too familiar with stood beside the Gates of the Departed, willingly accepting the gaze of that majestic 'eye.'
"Wait!!!"
Sensing the Authority of Death leaning towards Emma, Lyon's heart clenched. He wanted to interrupt her from willingly stepping into death, preventing her from being left behind in the Netherworld.
In a Dead Realm devoid of a Dead Realm Lord, the world had fallen into a complete standstill, like a massive amber with Lyon trapped within, unable to move, a mere wishful thought.
What's worse, although Lyon had devoured almost all the Dead Realm Lords, as a living being who had never truly experienced death, his understanding of the Power of Death was far from profound.
Emma, on the other hand, possessed a bloodline that blurred the line between life and death, and she was once a deceased who had returned from the No Return Path to the Mundane Realm. Having already grasped the Power of Death while 'alive,' her connection to death was far closer than Lyon's.
If she hadn't stepped forward, Lyon, who had consumed the most deaths, would naturally attract the Authority of Death due to the sheer 'quantity.' But now that she had emerged, the Authority would instinctively lean towards the true deceased.
Damn it! If I had known, I would have sent her back first!
Upon realizing he might not surpass Emma, Lyon's face paled, and a deep regret surfaced in his heart.
Despite his apparent nonchalance when mocking the Hexa-faced Stag, vowing to shoot himself if necessary, it didn't mean that pulling the trigger would be so easy.
Not a single mistake in their well-kept, complete...[unclear phrase]!
Putting aside the fact that 'killing' a dead person required consuming 'ammunition' of the same level, and resurrection wasn't as simple as a whim, the current chaos in the Dead Realm meant that whoever took up the Authority of Death would be firmly bound to it.
All the Dead Realm Lords had been eliminated by Lyon, and who knew when the next being capable of understanding death would emerge? Yet, the Dead Realm needed someone to wield the Authority of Death to prevent this complete standstill.
This meant that even with a means to return to the Mundane Realm, the first shot would likely have to wait a very, very long time, perhaps even centuries or millennia, if luck wasn't on their side.
If Lyon took on this task, he might find a way back using the badges he would acquire later, but if Emma took his place, who knew how long she'd be stuck here?
"Emma!"
Lyon glared at the old man who had shrunk back, knowing he was the instigator. His face twisted in anger as he shouted, "Don't listen to that old fool! I have a way to return to the Mundane Realm without your help! Stop!"
Hearing Lyon's call, Emma, in the distance, slightly wobbled and stopped her 'gaze' at death itself. She lowered her head and softly looked in Lyon's direction.
Upon receiving her gentle gaze, Lyon instantly understood her message—Emma was telling him that taking up the Authority of Death to rule the Dead Realm was her willing choice, and he need not feel guilty or try to stop her.
Lyon knew Emma's personality all too well—outwardly gentle and graceful but with an incredibly resilient inner strength. Once she made a decision, no amount of persuasion would change her mind; she would persist until the end.
Damn it! That damned Third Generation Old Man!
(End of Chapter)
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