Chapter 199: End of the Dungeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: End of the Dungeon
Just as Rhinedottir was beginning to doubt Xie Bai’s identity, another voice drifted over from not far away.
"There! Those two who broke into the palace!"
"No, there are three of them!"
"Wait, what’s the deal with that little girl?"
Several Imperial Guards rounded the corner, leveling their spears at Brandon and the others.
A second later, a hexagonal blue border materialized around them.
[Joint Space Lockdown Lv.1]
The four of them were trapped within the seal.
Seeing this, Velo immediately stopped pestering Brandon.
"Crap! How did the Imperial Guards catch up so fast?"
He turned to Rhinedottir. "Rhinedottir, hurry up and use that invincible alchemy of yours to think of something!"
Faced with Velo’s plea, Rhinedottir simply spread his hands. "An Imperial Guard space lockdown? I’m out of options too."
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Velo grabbed him by the collar. "This is no time to play coy! We need a way out! Don't think for a second we're walking out of their dungeons alive if we get caught!"
At that moment, Xie Bai, who had been silent for a long while, finally spoke.
"I’ll handle it."
With a flick of her wrist, she summoned Funeral Rites and gave it a gentle wave.
Hum—!
A space rift tore open before them.
As shadows surged from the rift, the surrounding Imperial Guards instinctively recoiled.
"Space? No, is that a Shadow-type ability...?"
"Could that little girl be the Lord of Myriad Darknesses Morris mentioned?"
"Careful, everyone back up!"
Watching the guards retreat, Xie Bai spoke softly. "Remember to hold on tight."
Velo blinked, confused. "Hold on to wha—"
The next instant, the surging shadows snared his ankles.
Whoosh—!
Velo was yanked into the space rift, sent flying through the shadows at high speed.
"Wait a minute! Can you grab me somewhere el—"
Before Brandon could finish, the shadows seized his ankles too, dragging him into the darkness just like Velo.
Hearing the faint, fading screams from within the rift, Rhinedottir cleared his throat. "Actually, I did have a teleportation—"
Before he could finish, the shadows beneath his feet clamped shut, dragging him into the rift after the other two.
"That should be everyone."
Xie Bai stowed Funeral Rites and glanced back at the wary Imperial Guards.
"Come to think of it, these guards are much more timid than the one before. I don't think I look that scary."
Xie Bai muttered to herself.
Just as she was about to step into the rift and leave, a familiar ripple suddenly shivered through her heart.
In an instant, before the guards could even react, Xie Bai’s figure vanished.
Only the empty blue frame of the lockdown remained.
"She... where did she go?"
"Just vanished? Did she leave?"
"Forget that for now! We need to go see the Emperor immediately!"
*
Elsewhere.
Xie Bai flickered through the palace, searching for that specific aura.
"The scent of the Void... there’s no mistake..."
Relying on the agility of her Spirit Form, she phased through room after room, drawing closer to the source of her perception.
Finally, she stopped in a vast, empty hall.
Contrary to her expectations, there was no crowd—only a burly man with graying hair and a beard standing in the center.
[Niedo Lv.200]
[Emperor of Rolands]
The man turned slightly and spoke softly.
"Has someone arrived?"
Still in her Spirit Form, Xie Bai was taken-back. He can sense me?
No. It wasn't a sense; it was a guess.
Xie Bai watched Niedo calmly.
Suddenly, two long, slender ears popped up from behind Niedo’s back.
"Heave-ho..."
A soft, squishy white creature crawled onto Niedo’s shoulder.
Once it settled, it chirped, "Whoa! What a cute girl! She must be a god, right?"
The white creature then patted Niedo’s shoulder. "Since she’s such a pretty girl, you have to go easy on her, okay?"
Niedo shook his head. "First, I cannot see her, so I do not know her appearance. Second, if she truly is a god, then I doubt I am in a position to 'go easy' on her."
The white creature flicked its tail, poking Niedo’s cheek. "You shouldn't say that. You're my kin now, so you're definitely stronger than before. Anyway... please stall for a bit for me."
The white creature hopped off Niedo.
"By the way, cute little one, if you can defeat Niedo, I’ll have a little reward waiting for you~"
With that, it dove into a miniature Void Tunnel and vanished.
"Wait!"
Seeing the tunnel, Xie Bai lunged forward.
At that moment, a pale blue ripple expanded, blanketing the entire area.
[Joint Space Lockdown Lv.13]
Niedo had completed the seal of this space all by himself.
It was then that Xie Bai realized she couldn't leave. Even when she slashed with Funeral Rites, no rift appeared.
Niedo spoke again. "You might as well show yourself. To be honest, I’m quite curious to see what kind of being the Void considers a 'friend'."
Friend?
Xie Bai’s figure slowly materialized. "That 'Void' you mentioned—what kind of person is she?"
Niedo dithered for a moment upon seeing her. "It seems she was right. In my limited lifetime, you are the first to ever make me lose my focus."
Niedo slowly drew a silver greatsword. "But I shall not let pity stay my hand. I wonder if your strength matches your beauty..."
Flash—!
A blade-light flickered.
The arm Niedo used to hold his sword was severed, falling to the floor.
"I’ll ask one more time," Xie Bai said, her voice growing sharp and irritable. "That 'Void' you spoke of—who exactly is she!"
The Ring of Seven Curses on her finger snapped its eye open, glowing with a faint red light.
["Wrath" is highly offended by his attitude and has gained the support of "Pride".]
[The multiplier for "Wrath's Blessing" and "Wrath's Curse" has increased to 11x.]
Hearing the notification of the empowerment, Xie Bai replied coldly, "Annoying..."
Against a mere Level 200 Emperor of Rolands, she didn't need this kind of boost.
Before Niedo could even process what had happened, Xie Bai swung her blade a second time.
She aimed straight for his head.
However, just as the strike was about to land, a cheerful voice rang out.
"Oh my, the little one is so strong. Ending the fight so quickly."
Xie Bai’s movement faltered.
"But you’re being a bit naughty."
As the words fell, Xie Bai felt as if someone had lightly tapped the ring on her hand.
Instantly, her surging emotions smoothed out.
Immediately after, a series of prompts flashed before her eyes.
["The Forgotten Golden Age" has ended.]
[Nodes Unlocked: "Shadow World," "God of Theft - Charon," "Golden Trio," "Emperor of Rolands," "Avatar of God"]
[Harvested: "Gluttony's Harvest," "Sword of Rolands," "Someone's Blessing"]