Chapter 196: Do Me a Favor and Die Quickly
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196: Do Me a Favor and Die Quickly
On the other side.
Bang!
Brandon was sent flying, slamming hard into a wall.
"Cough...! Are we... are we at the Imperial Palace?"
He scrambled up from the ground, scanning his surroundings.
"By the way, Your Excellency, you... Huh? Wait, where did she go?"
Brandon stared at the empty space around him, momentarily dazed.
"Strange, I could have sworn she was right behind me just a second ago."
Though he didn't understand where she had vanished to, he had at least reached the palace. He could try to find Velo and the others now.
As Xie Bai watched Brandon begin to grope his way through the palace, she followed silently behind him in her Spirit Form.
Is this the Rolands Imperial Palace? It feels almost identical to the Northern Imperial Palace that Brandon oversaw the renovation of. It seems that fellow is quite sentimental.
Since she wasn't yet familiar with the layout and currently lacked the safety net of her Void Authority, Xie Bai decided to play it safe and remain in her Spirit Form while following Brandon.
A moment later, she followed him into a grand hall.
In the center of the hall rested a silver greatsword.
[Moment of Imperial Glory]
Looking at the sword, Xie Bai suddenly recalled the one the Cult Leader of Chaos had snatched from Ivy’s hands.
They were identical—the exact same blade.
Come to think of it, I believe I have this sword too.
At that thought, Xie Bai opened her Inventory and found two "Moments of Glory" lying inside.
These were the quest rewards she had received for slaying the Mother of Myriad Dark Forms. Likely because the rewards were triggered by a kill, the double-drop effect of Funeral Rites had applied to them as well.
This resulted in Xie Bai currently possessing two copies of the blade.
Just as she was browsing the item descriptions, a sharp shout rang out.
"What do you think you're doing with the Moment of Glory!"
Brandon spun around at the shout, finding an Imperial Guard rushing toward him.
Suddenly, the reality that he was still a wanted man broadcast across the empire hit him.
"Wait, hold on, let me explain—"
Before he could finish, a spear whistled through the air, thrown by the guard.
Swish—!
The spear grazed Brandon with pinpoint precision, striking a figure standing directly behind him.
Clang!
The spear was caught firmly in mid-air.
"Heh, not bad for a Rolands Imperial Guard. To think you could actually detect me."
Hearing that playful, mocking tone, Brandon whipped his head around.
A tall man clad in emerald green entered his vision.
[God of Theft - Charon – Lv.246]
The moment he saw the name, Brandon’s breath hitched.
"A-A True God?!"
Before he could react, the spear in Charon’s hand suddenly flew back into the guard's grasp.
The guard leveled the spear, pointing it straight at Charon.
"Vile, filthy God of Theft. Leave the Empire's borders at once before the Emperor's wrath finds you!"
Faced with the guard's threat, Charon couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"With just you? A mere mortal? If your Emperor were here, I might actually be wary."
As he spoke, Charon drew two curved daggers.
"However, in honor of your courage, I shall settle this like a warrior—a fair duel."
Despite his words, Charon’s eyes were brimming with arrogance.
In his mind, finishing off a mortal in the most primitive fashion was the greatest mercy he could bestow.
Xie Bai watched the scene, hesitating.
She hadn't unsealed her Void Authority yet. Without the massive attribute boosts and the health-lock safety net provided by the Void, she couldn't guarantee a kill against the God of Theft.
Meanwhile, Brandon stood in the middle of the confrontation, looking utterly lost.
Just as Charon fell into a stance, prepared to cut down the guard and then Brandon along with him...
A light, airy voice suddenly echoed through the hall.
"Oh my, oh my. What do we have going on here?"
Everyone present was suddenly frozen in place by an invisible force.
"If it isn't our famous God of Theft, playing at duels with a mortal."
"Hmm... a lovely idea. Though it does seem a bit unfair. But no matter."
In the next second, a faint violet glow shimmered over the Imperial Guard's head.
[Target "Morris" has been granted Talents: "Atheist," "Godslayer," "Inquisitor"]
[Target "Morris" has been granted Status Effects: "Void Protection," "Death Protection," "War Protection," "Plague Protection," "Famine Protection"]
[Target "Morris" has been granted Buff: "Blasphemy Lv.1"]
As waves of power surged into the guard, his strength instantly skyrocketed to match Charon’s level.
However, the price was steep. This power could not last long, and the moment it vanished, he would die—leaving not even a soul behind.
In response, the Imperial Guard shouted toward the source of the voice.
"Thank you!"
With that, he lunged at Charon, his spear piercing through the god's physical form.
"Dammit! What is this?!"
While Charon was reeling from the guard's sudden explosion in power, the Moment of Glory in the center of the hall suddenly broke free from its protective seals. It flew through the air, decapitating Charon in a single, clean stroke.
Crack—!
The Moment of Glory landed perfectly in the guard's hand.
Within moments, Charon’s head had already regenerated.
He stared at the guard, who was now wielding the Moment of Glory and dripping with an absurd number of buffs, and fell into a grim silence.
"Fine. Consider this my bad luck. I'll come back when there's another chance."
With that thought, Charon instinctively moved to flee.
Even though his Divine Authority of Theft had been nullified by the "Atheist" talent, he still possessed the base stats of a True God.
Specifically, as the God of Theft, he had heavily invested in his Agility.
Just as Charon prepared to vanish, an unfamiliar power locked onto him.
[Daybreak Lv.13]
[Designate one target within line of sight. For the next 60 seconds, your damage against them is increased tenfold, and they cannot leave a 50-meter radius around you.]
Instantly, Charon’s body froze in place.
"Wait, what is this now?!"
Before he could wrap his head around the situation, a petite white figure appeared before his eyes.
Slash—!
-2,281.5 Trillion!
-823.6 Trillion!
-3,105.1 Trillion!
In an instant, Charon’s health bar dipped noticeably.
At the same time, his natural health and mana regeneration were forcibly suppressed.
Seeing the newcomer, Brandon cried out in surprise.
"It's you, Your Excellency! You were by my side the whole time?!"
"Quiet."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Brandon immediately clamped his mouth shut, swallowing the praise he was about to heap on her.
Xie Bai caught the returning Funeral Rites and looked at Charon with cold eyes.
"I didn't expect to run into this guy here."
Including this time, this was the third time she had encountered Charon.
However, Xie Bai’s attention wasn't really on him.
She recalled the voice that had just spoken, a sense of familiarity welling up in her heart.
Was it her? That Void King...
The voice was identical to the one she had heard when she accepted the Godhead of Void. There was no mistaking it.
Thinking of this, Xie Bai looked up at Charon, then glanced at the Imperial Guard.
"I feel like if I don't step in now, I won't have any part left to play in this scene."
As she spoke, she pointed Funeral Rites at Charon.
"By the way, I'm in a hurry. Do me a favor and die quickly."