Chapter 42: The Charm of 7.62mm
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: The Charm of 7.62mm
Xie Bai stared at the reshaping interface and began to poke around.
"Let’s see... reshaping directions..."
"There’s Class, Talent, Traits, Abilities..."
"Personality, Likes, Morals, Loyalty..."
"Hair, Skin Tone, Build, Gender... wait, what the hell is this last part?"
As Xie Bai looked over the incredibly open-ended customization options, her expression became quite colorful.
"Does this... really count as resurrection?"
The variety of choices was a bit too much.
However, it happened to suit Xie Bai’s mischievous little heart perfectly.
After some thought, Xie Bai decided to leave all the initial options exactly as they were. Then, ensuring the hair color, eyes, and skin tone remained unchanged, she began to move her "dirty" little hands.
"A little of this... a bit of that... and then like this..."
"Mhm... perfect!"
Before long, a brand-new image was produced.
【Confirm reshaping direction?】
"Confirm!"
【Confirmation successful.】
【Awakening Brilliant Soul—Atoris.】
At Xie Bai’s command, a petite, blonde-haired, blue-eyed loli slowly opened her eyes.
"Nngh..."
The moment she opened her eyes, the newly awakened blonde loli saw Xie Bai standing before her.
At that same instant, Xie Bai felt a surge of unparalleled loyalty.
【"Atoris's" loyalty has increased to 1000.】
【Triggered Lust's Blessing: "Atoris's" loyalty has been locked at 1000.】
The current Atoris was the very image of a soft, fragrant, blonde loli.
From the shimmering golden strands of hair and the verdant green pupils to the delicate, smooth skin and the tiny body outlined beneath thin clothes—every bit of her exuded the charm of 7.62mm.
"Hiss... was my character-creation skill always this good?"
Before Xie Bai could finish admiring her masterpiece, the other party spoke first.
"Thank you for the new life you have bestowed upon me, My Master."
Looking at the blonde loli who was half a head shorter than herself, Xie Bai was stunned for a moment. Then, she couldn't quite keep the corners of her mouth from twitching upward.
"Mhm... is this right? It’s right... no, it’s not... wait, yes, it’s definitely right. This is exactly how it should be."
Xie Bai looked at the slightly "different" Atoris and, after a moment of thought, asked, "How... how do you feel right now?"
Faced with Xie Bai’s inquiry, Atoris spoke candidly.
"I feel fine. Although I am not yet accustomed to this body, I was originally a man on the verge of death, barely clinging to life through the power of Chaos until I was eventually consumed by it. Now that My Master has granted me a second life—one that is even more vibrant than my previous one—I am naturally beyond grateful."
Watching a tiny, adorable blonde loli use such a tender voice to say such old-fashioned, serious things felt strangely jarring to Xie Bai, but it was still within the realm of acceptability.
Seeing Atoris’s respectful demeanor, Xie Bai suddenly remembered something.
【Crown of the Empire】
Xie Bai pulled the item from her inventory and handed it to Atoris.
"Here, this is for you."
Atoris stared at the item Xie Bai held out, momentarily dazed.
"This is... the symbol of the Empire. My Master, what do you mean by this?"
"What, don't you want to go back?"
"Well... it’s not that..." Atoris looked at the Crown of the Empire in her hands, her expression turning distant. "It’s just... with how I am now, do I really still have the right to return?"
For Atoris, he was an Emperor who had protected his empire for three hundred years, beloved by millions of subjects. Yet, in the end, he had transformed into a world-destroying demon god and nearly destroyed his empire with his own hands.
If she returned now, she likely wouldn't be forgiven.
Furthermore, after her "death," Roland would likely support his son to take over the Empire. Whether she returned or not didn't seem particularly important.
Seeing the sorrow and confusion on Atoris’s youthful face, Xie Bai patted her on the back.
"Alright, regardless of everything, you are still the Emperor who protected them for three hundred years. Even if you don't return to hold power, you can still support them from the shadows, can't you?"
Hearing Xie Bai’s words of comfort, Atoris tucked away some of her sorrow.
"Yes, My Master. No matter what, I must continue to uphold my former oath of protection."
After putting away the Crown of the Empire, Atoris looked back at Xie Bai.
"By the way, My Master, I do not yet know what you require of me next."
Faced with Atoris’s request, Xie Bai thought for a moment.
"Uh... nothing in particular, I guess..."
After all, resurrecting Atoris was purely born out of Xie Bai’s own twisted sense of humor.
In Xie Bai’s imagination, if the people of the Empire discovered that their Emperor wasn't dead, but had instead turned into a soft, fragrant blonde loli... no matter how she thought about it, it seemed like a very entertaining prospect.
【"Lust" has decided to give you a thumbs up.】
The smirk on Xie Bai’s face suddenly froze.
"Wait, what the hell just popped up?"
Before Xie Bai could react to what had happened, Atoris spoke again.
"Then, My Master, since there is currently nothing for me to do for you, may I have permission to return to the Empire?"
In response to Atoris’s question, Xie Bai gave a simple reply.
"Sure. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know."
Atoris gave a slight curtsy.
"Yes, My Master."
Then, with Xie Bai’s help, Atoris used the exclusive channel of the Poem of the Void to leave the Void Insect Hive.
Now, Xie Bai was alone once more.
Well, alone with a certain legendary architect who was currently redrawing blueprints.
"Mhm, I feel like there’s nothing left to do here. Maybe I should head back too."
As she spoke, Xie Bai prepared to step into the spatial tunnel of the Poem of the Void.
Vwoom—!
Suddenly, a wave of alarm surged through Xie Bai’s body.
"Wait, this is... Malice of the World?"
Only now did Xie Bai remember that the "good deeds" she had just performed had already driven the Malice of the World to the brink of madness.
If Xie Bai showed her face back there now, she would likely face an all-out suppression from the Malice of the World, regardless of the cost.
"Forget it, forget it. I’ll just hide out here in the Void for a while. If anything happens, I can just contact Thanatos."
Having made her decision, Xie Bai flew back to the bedroom at the top of the palace.
"Hiss, did I forget something else... Oh right, that spaceship. Eh... I’ll deal with it later."
With that, Xie Bai flopped onto the bed.
"Ugh... I just finished a fight. I think I’ll take a nap first..."
*
Carlos Lilanka.
By this time, Roland had already returned to the city.
When he first arrived, he had witnessed the scene of the Golden Dragon falling, only to be swallowed by a massive spatial rift.
That kind of impossibly absurd sight was something even the two-hundred-year-old Roland struggled to process.
"Was this... done by the people from the Wheel of Fate? Aside from them possessing the power of gods, I truly cannot think of anyone else capable of such a grand feat."
As he spoke, Roland looked at Cecilia beside him.
"So, are you certain that everything you said is true?"
Hearing Roland’s question, Cecilia looked somewhat exasperated.
"Master Roland, how many times do I have to say it? It’s all true. I saw the Emperor fighting a Chaos Cultist with my own eyes, then he slit his own throat and turned into a clawed, fanged monster. After that, I was rescued by a very tall guy."
"I’ve said this eight times already! Why do you still not believe me...!"
Despite hearing Cecilia’s explanation yet again, Roland’s heart could not find peace.
If everything Cecilia said was true, then his Emperor had truly kept him in the dark for a long time.
That Emperor had somehow managed to deceive even his most trusted high officials, hiding his physical condition and stubbornly protecting the Empire until now.
And in the end, he had turned into a Chaos monster and vanished into a spatial rift, his fate unknown.
Such a reality was too difficult to accept, both for him and for the entire Empire.
After a long silence, Roland spoke once more.
"So, are you certain that everything you said is true?"