Chapter 30: You Disgust Me
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: You Disgust Me
Atoris.
Emperor of the Aodu Empire.
He was also the Guardian of the Aodu Empire.
For nearly three hundred years, he had stood as its protector. Under his leadership, the empire had triumphed over countless formidable enemies and crises. He was the spiritual pillar that had sustained the Aodu Empire for three centuries—a living totem.
At this moment, Atoris sat facing a man.
[Hermann, Lv.90]
"I had long heard that the Golden Dragon was refined from the carcass of a hunted dragon, but seeing it with my own eyes is truly a marvel," Hermann remarked, sampling tea and pastries with the leisurely air of a guest who had traveled from afar.
Atoris’s gaze was frigid. He addressed Hermann without a shred of courtesy. "So, why have you come? Do you wish to trade blows with me?"
Upon hearing this, Hermann waved his hands dismissively. "Perish the thought. I am but a civil official, unversed in the ways of violence. If it’s a fight you want, you’d be better off seeking out Julius."
Atoris grew impatient. "Then what business do you have with me? Or did you come merely to amuse yourself at my expense?"
Faced with Atoris’s interrogation, Hermann dropped his facade. "I have come, Your Majesty, simply to negotiate a deal."
Atoris frowned slightly. "What kind of deal?"
Hermann produced a contract. "I have heard that Your Majesty’s time is running short. If you are willing to donate your future remains to the Chaos Church, I shall take the Void Insect Race and depart immediately. What do you say?"
Seeing no reaction from Atoris, Hermann pressed on. "A mere promise of a future corpse in exchange for immediate peace. This should have no impact on your present life, should it, Your Majesty?"
A long silence followed.
Observing the lack of emotion in Atoris’s eyes, Hermann smiled tactfully. "Since Your Majesty is unwilling, I shall not overstay my welcome."
With that, Hermann stepped out onto the deck and departed the Golden Dragon aboard a Void Flying Insect.
Once Hermann was gone, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Your Majesty, are we truly letting him leave?"
Recognizing the newcomer as Roland, Atoris spoke slowly. "That man from the Chaos Church spoke with such arrogance... I was considering how to strike him down while his guard was down. However, those of the Chaos Church are a cunning lot. For him to come here so defenseless suggests he had a trump card hidden away. Considering the safety of the Empire, I cannot show my hand just yet."
Roland sighed at Atoris’s reasoning. "Sigh. I know not what means the Chaos Church used to seize control of the Void Insect Hive. The Void Insect Race wasn't supposed to mobilize until tomorrow, yet they caught us off guard today."
Roland pulled up a chair and began to report on the current situation. "Every Titan-class Mechanical Guard in Carlos Lilanka has been dispatched to the front lines to stall the insect tide. However, their offensive is so fierce that the mechanical guards have no opportunity to rotate out for repairs. We may need to summon Alchemists to personally oversee the maintenance of the guards on-site."
"Furthermore, as the chaos outside intensifies, many opportunists within the city are beginning to stir. Rumors are spreading like wildfire, causing widespread panic."
"There is, however, some good news. According to my observations, the Empire's second crisis node has been resolved. We can now focus entirely on dealing with the Void Insect Race."
After listening to Roland’s report, Atoris reflected for a moment before speaking. "I will issue an Authoritarian Decree shortly to summon all Alchemists in the city to support the mechanical guards. As for those opportunists..."
Atoris let out a cold sneer. "Hmph... I will order the Imperial Guard to coordinate with you. Remember, not a single one of these imperial parasites is to be spared—especially not in such a critical hour."
Roland bowed slightly. "Understood, Your Majesty."
As Roland turned to leave, Atoris suddenly called out to him. "Wait. Is there any word from the Grand Marshal?"
Roland turned back. "Three days."
*
The Void Insect Hive.
Hermann had already entered the interior of the hive via the Void Flying Insect.
As he moved, he was still calculating. As expected, that Emperor won't be so easily handled. It seems I'll have to find time to go back and ask Julius for help.
The next offensive must be doubled in strength. We must break the hard bone that is Carlos Lilanka to trigger the total collapse of the Aodu Empire.
Sigh, if only the ritual hadn't gone wrong. The Void Insect Hive would have proliferated to a terrifying level by now. I wouldn't have to do this personally.
Hermann dismounted from the Void Flying Insect. The moment his feet touched the ground, a sudden change occurred.
The Void Flying Insect, which had been obediently following orders, suddenly pressed its scythe-like forelegs against Hermann’s neck. Not only that, but the other Void Insects standing by in the vicinity turned toward him, their glowing purple eyes filled with pure hostility.
"What’s happening? Has the control ritual failed?"
Hermann was momentarily stunned. Just as he prepared to slaughter the surrounding insects and flee the area, the Void Insects parted to form a path.
A profound, imposing figure appeared before him.
It was a sturdy man dressed in a vintage gray tailcoat. The sheer pressure radiating from him made Hermann, who had lived for two hundred years, tremble.
"You... who are you? Have you taken control of these Void Insects?"
The massive man walked up to Hermann, looking down at him as if he were a pathetic bug. "The Void Insect Race are the kin of my Master. Since when did they belong to an outsider like you?"
The Void Insect Race... are kin?
No, what kind of lunatic takes the Void Insect Race as kin?
The Void had been a realm of disorder for tens of millions of years, remaining entirely uncontrolled. Not a single creature that emerged from it into the physical world was a comprehensible entity. The Void Insect Race was the most chaotic of them all. Only through forceful means of control could they be made to obey briefly.
And now this man was telling him they were someone's kin?
Who would believe such nonsense! If they could be made into kin, Hermann would have performed a transmutation ritual to claim them long ago.
However, forced by the circumstances, Hermann did not show any dissatisfaction. As a cunning veteran who had survived in the Chaos Church for over a century, Hermann knew there was always a bigger fish. He usually kept a low profile to avoid trouble. Even during his meeting with Atoris, he had made a quick, playful exit the moment he sensed something was wrong.
Now that he was trapped by this unfathomable man, he couldn't afford to be arrogant. As the saying goes, a wise man submits to fate.
Even though Hermann didn't believe a word the man said, it didn't stop him from playing along.
"My lord, I was blind. I did not mean to lay a finger on your Master's kin. I beg for your mercy; please, spare my life."
Looking down at Hermann groveling on the ground, the man in gray furrowed his brows, his eyes filled with disgust. Through Thanatos’s "Dark Eye," he could clearly see every crime the man had committed.
Murder, deception, parricide, human experimentation, instigating wars... and pedophilic urges.
The list was endless. He was a piece of human trash who would commit any atrocity for profit.
"You... are truly disgusting."
Before Hermann could say another word, the man in gray looked behind him and spoke. "Master, how shall we dispose of him?"
Almost simultaneously, Hermann felt a presence appear behind him.
Wh—When?!
The suddenness of it made cold sweat pour down Hermann’s back. Contrary to his expectations, the voice that answered was that of a young girl. It sounded delicate, yet it carried a chill that froze the blood.
"Thanatos, just bury a man like this. Looking at him makes me sick."
Hermann: "?"