Chapter 161: Stay of Execution
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Stay of Execution
As the words fell, a terrifying pressure erupted from Xie Bai, radiating outward and causing the massive trunk of the World Tree to tremble violently.
Thanatos felt the weight of it instantly. Caught off guard, he was forced down to one knee, his hands barely bracing against the ground to keep him from collapsing entirely.
"Wait... what is happening?"
He struggled to lift his head, looking toward Xie Bai.
The petite, white-haired girl sat alone on the edge of a World Tree branch. Her expression was cold, almost entirely devoid of emotion. Yet, the suffocating pressure crushing the air out of his lungs was undeniably emanating from her.
No matter how dull Thanatos might be, he could tell something was wrong with Xie Bai.
Bracing himself against the pressure, he forced himself toward her, step by agonizing step. Finally, just before Xie Bai could make a move, Thanatos reached her side.
"Master..."
"Hmm?"
Hearing Thanatos’s call, Xie Bai blinked, turning her head to look at him. Seeing him hunched over, struggling just to stand before her, a flicker of confusion crossed her eyes.
"Is... something the matter?"
In an instant, the pressure radiating from her body weakened significantly. As she regained a sliver of composure from her rage, the intense red glow of the Ring of Seven Curses dimmed as well.
Thanatos let out a breath of relief. Just as he was about to speak, he felt another gaze—faint, yet deeper and more terrifying than the last.
After a moment of thought, Thanatos looked at Xie Bai and spoke slowly.
"Master... I do not know who has provoked such wrath from you. But if you permit it, I shall become your sharpest blade, hunting them until death."
He paused.
"And even after death, their soul shall find no peace."
Hearing this, Xie Bai let out a soft cough.
"Ahem... let’s skip that part."
When Thanatos had approached her, she thought he was coming to offer counsel or calm her down. Instead, he had straight-up offered to hunt the offender to the grave and beyond.
While Xie Bai had been tempted to do exactly that for a moment, now that she had regained her senses, she reconsidered. Taro Ball probably didn't deserve death.
Recalling how Maomao’s livestream at Sacred Light’s location had suddenly cut out, Xie Bai realized the livestream channel wasn't as simple as it seemed. It appeared to have a built-in secrecy mechanism that automatically severed the connection to the outside world in specific situations, likely to prevent certain content from leaking to other players.
Taro Ball had probably considered this and told Maomao to shut down the stream early to avoid any unnecessary complications.
"But even so, that’s no reason to let the kid off the hook."
Xie Bai’s cheeks puffed out in annoyance, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Still, Taro Ball is likely still training inside the Land of Distortion. Now isn't the time to go looking for trouble with him."
Thinking of this, Xie Bai stood up.
"I’ll wait until he gets back, then see where I can 'assign' him. Though, who knows if he’ll even survive the Land of Distortion."
Ultimately, using a "stay of execution" as her excuse, Xie Bai temporarily abandoned the idea of hunting down Taro Ball. She had a mountain of other matters to handle; trekking into the Land of Distortion just to find him would be a waste of time.
She turned to Thanatos.
"You needn't worry about this. When I call for the others later, just cooperate with them."
With that, Xie Bai’s figure vanished, leaving Thanatos alone.
"Yes, Master."
Thanatos nodded slightly before straightening his posture. In Xie Bai’s earlier mumbling, he had caught the name "Taro Ball."
The realization sent a small jolt through him.
"That kid... just how did he manage to make Master this angry?"
Thanatos shook his head and looked toward the stone gate. Roland hadn't had the chance to remove it yet, so it remained in place for the time being.
"Now that we have a safer Void Tunnel, there is no need for this stone gate to remain."
Deciding to inform Roland that the branch issue was resolved and to have him reclaim the gate, Thanatos started forward. But as he reached the gate, he suddenly stopped.
He scanned the surroundings, his eyes locking onto a specific spot. He reached out into the air and made a sharp, grasping motion.
"Ugh!"
Feeling the sudden pull, Cecilia hurriedly scrambled out of the shadows. She and Atoris tumbled out together, landing in a heap before Thanatos.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
Before Cecilia could even clear her head, she looked up to see Thanatos’s cold, towering gaze.
"How... did you two get here?"
Faced with Thanatos’s interrogation, Cecilia panicked instantly.
"Um... I, I..."
At that moment, Atoris stood up, shielding Cecilia.
"I demanded she bring me here. If you have a problem, take it up with me."
Seeing Atoris stand in front of her, Cecilia felt a surge of emotion. "Sword Princess..."
"Don't talk."
"Oh, okay." Cecilia obediently shut her mouth.
Atoris turned back to face Thanatos. Looking at the two unexpected guests, Thanatos simply shook his head.
"Forget it. I will not pursue how you arrived." He paused. "If you have no further business, you should leave."
Hearing the warning, Atoris lowered her head, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt.
"I... very well."
Perhaps realizing their arrival was indeed intrusive, Atoris didn't argue. She chose to take the exit Thanatos offered.
But just as she prepared to lead Cecilia away, the massive World Tree behind them shook violently. In the next second, a beam of gentle light descended, bathing her in its glow.
"This is...?"
Thanatos stared at the scene, stunned.
"The World Tree... has granted a trial?"
*
Meanwhile, Xie Bai had returned to the Void Dragon.
With Thanatos away, Strife was currently the one presiding over the ship. Since Thanatos’s departure, he had been preoccupied with the eight weapons the knight had left him.
"Wow... these Throne Angel weapons are incredible. If they were upgraded just one more tier, they might actually become Divine Artifacts..."
As he spoke, Strife swung a warhammer. Without him noticing, a surge of energy quietly manifested inside the hammer, beginning to accumulate.
Clang!
The command room door suddenly swung open. Startled, Strife scrambled to hide the warhammer.
"What... are you doing?"
Xie Bai entered the room and looked at the flustered Strife with confusion.
"Me? Nothing! Nothing at all!" Strife waved his hands dismissively. "By the way, Master, what brings you here so suddenly?"
In response to his question, Xie Bai found a chair and sat down.
"Nothing much. Just checking in on you, and waiting for someone."
"Oh... I didn't realize Master cared so much about me..." Strife scratched his head sheepishly, a look of flattered surprise crossing his face.
Clang!
The door swung open again.
Still basking in the perceived praise, Strife instinctively snapped to attention.
"Um... hello!"
The newcomer spoke, her voice laced with urgency.
"One of our people has gone missing. I was wondering if you could help—"
The words died in her throat. Maomao froze as she stepped into the command room.
In her field of vision, the petite and adorable white-haired girl sat in a chair, leisurely sipping a cup of warm tea.
Crimson eyes lifted slightly, meeting her gaze.