Volume 6, Chapter 68 – Other Characters Undergo Similar Changes

A dark purple figure emerged from the rolling thunderclouds. Seeing the city opening up before her eyes, the figure’s owner couldn’t help showing joy on her face. She hid her figure with familiarity and entered the domain forbidden to ordinary people. Soon, she stopped above a magnificent building and drilled into the blue glass window that looked tight but could actually be removed with a little skill.

Because it was night, there was no one in the palace corridor. The woman with a proud figure and charming appearance had time to adjust her breath. She must meet her Master in her best state. In addition, she had to be prepared for punishment. Even if the experimental plan being destroyed was an unexpected situation, failure was failure. No matter how gorgeous the defense, it couldn’t change the fact.

With awe and nervousness, Helian tidied up her messy dress and long hair. Finally, she straightened her collar and walked into that familiar room—the door wasn’t locked; it could be entered with a gentle push.

Darkness filled this not-so-small luxurious bedroom, and at the same time pressed on Helian’s heart like a heavy burden. She closed the door uneasily, then knelt on both knees toward the bed, even pressing her forehead against the carpet, her voice full of timidity.

“My Lord…”

“Speak, what is it?”

Seeming to have noticed Helian long ago, the owner of the room wasn’t surprised. He half-layed on the bed, his voice indistinguishable between happy or angry.

Her Master had always been like this.

Helian swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said with difficulty.

“Galil… Galil is dead. The research facility was probably also destroyed completely.”

“Didn’t I ask you to provide help for him? How could he die just like that?”

There was a trace of questioning in the man’s words, but this instead made Helian relieved. She had served the Sovereign for many years and more or less figured out her Master’s habits. Her Master laughing abnormally was the sign of anger. Merely questioning meant his mood was within a controllable range.

Helian began to elaborate on the course of events. Starting from her disguising as Nola’s Goddess—the Princess of the Queen of the Kingdom of Death, the soul named Ruth. Then learning from Nola that Fia and Claire were close at hand. Next, she activated teleportation to escape without hesitation, letting her two puppets meet Galil. Finally, Fia and Claire arrived much faster than she imagined. Even when she used one puppet as a pawn to attract attention, they still arrived before the puppet could take Galil away, sealing the space with the forbidden spell [Spatial Confinement].

Although the information she knew ended here, she could imagine what that place would become afterwards. Undoubtedly, both Galil and her puppets would die, and the research facility and demons below would also cease to exist. Everything would be destroyed.

As if looking for a chance to make up for her mistake, she hurriedly took out a large pile of papers from space magic and put them aside.

“Th-This is the research result I regularly obtained from Galil. Although not as good as Galil reporting to you personally, it can also recover a little loss…”

“Hmm—”

The man hiding in the shadows emitted a pondering hum. The eerie silence, quiet enough to hear a silver needle drop, lasted for a full minute before the man finally let out a helpless sigh. In this instant, his voice changed from sophisticated to young, like a young man in his twenties, making one feel refreshed.

“This can’t be helped either. You ran around for my matters, your strength is much less than before. It is reasonable that you couldn’t defeat the current Eldest Princess. Moreover, she has another visitor from a foreign land by her side. Being able to rescue the results is already not easy.”

Although the Sovereign was praising Helian, Helian couldn’t be happy. The past Sovereign always made her feel fear. Since the Sovereign finished collecting souls from Silvar, the Sovereign’s personality had undergone huge changes, making Helian feel gentle yet strange. It seemed the current Sovereign was no longer that tyrant with a capricious personality, but a monarch full of rationality, even considering others’ feelings.

If she hadn’t handled the resurrection ceremony single-handedly, she would have suspected her Master’s soul had been replaced. The fact was the Sovereign’s soul was still the Sovereign. It was just that in the process of recovering the soul, it was stained with habits belonging to elf society, becoming able to empathize with others.

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Objectively speaking, this was a good change. But Helian had served the original Sovereign much longer than the current Sovereign. She couldn’t accept this huge change in a short time, unable to adapt.

She answered with fear and trepidation.

“Subordinate is gr… grateful…”

“No need to be so nervous, Helian. This is all what you deserve. Although the current me is not like before, I can understand the thoughts of people around me better. Whether elves or humans, they are all interesting lives. You can regard this as a kind of growth of mine. If you also come to experience life as a human, elf, or beastman, maybe you will also become like me. When we finish our business, do you want to try? It will definitely bring a new life.”

“How can I trouble you…”

Seeing Helian’s reluctance, the young man got up from the bed with a smile. He didn’t mind Helian refusing him. Instead, he walked in front of Helian, supporting Helian’s shoulder with one hand, signaling Helian to stand up.

“There is no need to be formal between you and me. You are my most trusted subordinate. Encountering the Eldest Princess was something that couldn’t be helped. Even if I went, the result wouldn’t change. Being able to make a rational judgment and come back alive is already a fortune amidst misfortune. Now I haven’t fully recovered. We are weak in force; we must preserve our strength.”

“Yes…”

Although it wasn’t the first time Helian was treated so kindly by the Sovereign, she still felt unaccustomed. In her impression, when the Sovereign treated others kindly like this in the past, he would kill them with a smile in the next second. Even if she admitted she wouldn’t complain if executed by the Sovereign, this kind of precursor making one fearful and trembling still made her feel double the fear.

Of course, the Sovereign didn’t kill Helian. After helping Helian up, he took a step back. Not only that, he also saw Helian’s fear and said with a smile.

“Shoulders are trembling. It seems the past me was really unbearable, not even able to do the feeling of sympathizing with subordinates. Sorry for scaring you.”

“N… No. You are still like before… is better… better.”

“Having already realized the past self wasn’t excellent enough, how can I change back to the previous appearance.”

The Sovereign turned his palm toward Helian, signaling Helian not to explain. To stop Helian from fearing, he simply retreated back into the shadows, turning to face out the window.

“Retrieving the research data is enough. As long as knowing that after tens of thousands of years of precipitation, the creatures of the World Tree Continent can merge with Chaos, my goal is achieved. Further research can be handed over to others just the same.”

Not long after the voice fell, as if thinking, the Sovereign tapped the window frame gently with his fingers, making tak tak sounds.

“On the contrary, the Eldest Princess, you said she used [Spatial Confinement]? This growth speed is amazing.”

“Yes. Probably because your subordinate escaped from her hands twice before, she held a grudge in her heart. So this time she used the forbidden spell as soon as she came up to prevent your subordinate from escaping. Pity what left there was also a puppet. Activating a forbidden spell must be accompanied by sacrificing a part of the body. The price of [Spatial Confinement] is making one blind. Exchanging a puppet for a pair of eyes, she lost.”

“Must not underestimate the enemy.”

The Sovereign’s statement made Helian anxious. She leaned forward slightly, a trace of anxiety in her tone.

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“That was absolutely [Spatial Confinement], no mistake. Otherwise, it’s impossible for even teleportation magic to be solidified!”

“I am not denying you mistook the magic, but saying don’t look down on the Eldest Princess’s power. You and I both know why the Holy Tree changed. The Elf God who should have come out of the seal had no news for just one night. What this represents is already obvious. In the battle of the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis, the Eldest Princess lost her memory but also came to possess god-slaying power. The report you gave me stated very clearly. At first, she even had to spend some time dealing with the Moon Dragon. In just a few months, even gods are no longer her match. Hard to imagine how strong she will be given more time. Even if the Elf God just out of the seal was only half-baked, he was far stronger than the current you and me.”

“Then let’s go strangle her now… If she is alone, there might be a chance. If the two are together, we can’t defeat them no matter what. No, start with her relatives. She will definitely submit obediently under our threat. People always have weaknesses.”

“Must not.” The Sovereign rejected Helian without thinking, his eyes full of determination. “That will only push us into a dead end. Just dealing with the Eldest Princess alone is enough for us to bet everything, let alone the other party has two. Furthermore, did you forget what I told you before?”

“Uh,” Helian thought carefully for a long time before finding the possible memory. “You mean she might become friends with us?”

“Friends are unlikely, but might become partners working together. Arbitrarily pushing a future partner to the opposite side is not a wise move. From the moment she dared to kill the Elf Father God, we have had a lot of room for cooperation. Don’t provoke her again in the future. If you are unlucky enough to encounter her again, focus on communication first—although I don’t think she will talk to you nicely. The impression you gave her in the past was too bad.”

“Please forgive me. Your subordinate will pay attention in the future.”

Lowering her head deeply in shame, Helian retreated slowly toward the door. But the Sovereign stopped her.

“Wait before leaving. Want to have a drink with me?”

“Ah… Hah?”

For a moment, Helian almost thought she heard wrong. It was night now. If this kind of pickup-like statement came from other demons, she would be accustomed to it. But coming from the mouth of her Master, the Sovereign who never approached beauty, it was simply the sun rising from the west.

And the fact was, the Sovereign had already taken out red wine, shaking the bottle gently at Helian while walking toward the round table in the room.

Paired with that handsome appearance, even Helian, who had seen countless people, couldn’t help being moved. No, accurately speaking, even if the Sovereign didn’t have this current handsome elf skin, Helian would agree shyly like an adolescent girl. The Sovereign was both her Master and the God she admired and worshipped. No one could refuse the invitation of their own God.

She came back to her senses after being dazed for a long time. Like a girl only in her teens, she answered stammeringly with a blushing face.

“If… If you allow me to sit opposite you.”

“I proposed it; of course I allow it. I have to change your habit of fearing me.”

“Then… ex… excuse me…”

Helian walked toward the opposite side of the Sovereign with stiff steps but full of anticipation. If other demons familiar with Helian saw this scene, they would definitely be scared until their jaws dropped to the ground. That terrifying, mad dog-like Helian could actually show this shy posture like a little girl.

Accompanying the crisp clink of wine glasses, the night became darker.

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A dead land forever shrouded by dark clouds, seeing not a bit of sunlight.

It must be said, this was not the rust-colored barren land, but a pure realm of death without a bit of life. It had a well-known name—the Netherworld.

According to legend, there existed a kingdom named the Kingdom of Death beneath the Netherworld. All souls needed to pass through the [Wall of Sighs] of the Netherworld to reach their destination, the Kingdom of Death. Because the Netherworld was full of danger, and the Kingdom of Death itself was guarded by a powerful Queen, no one knew what the Kingdom of Death exactly looked like. Even after ten thousand years, people’s understanding of it still remains in legends.

In this way, the Kingdom of Death was also full of mystery. Plus the Queen of the Kingdom of Death actually didn’t belong to the Darkborn; she was a special faction recognized by both gods and Darkborn, in charge of souls. Therefore, neither Darkborn nor the fanatical believers of gods went to trouble her. Some people even believed if they offered offerings to the Queen of the Kingdom of Death, they could be reincarnated into a good family by the Queen after death, worshipping the Queen of the Kingdom of Death as an alternative god.

However, here, the Queen of the Kingdom of Death was a living person visible to the naked eye.

Pushing open the familiar palace gate, Ruth, the second master of this land, walked step by step to the throne with a serious expression. Sitting there was her mother—a woman with a dignified figure, her face hidden under a gray veil and long dress. Even just sitting there, endless majesty emanated, so much so that the entire gray hall was full of solemnity under this majesty. The heavy oppression made people breathless.

This was the Queen controlling the Kingdom of Death, a woman named Venex. Her figure was more graceful than a Goddess, but what shrouded her whole body was death.

“Mother, I’m back.”

Ruth bowed slightly to Venex on the throne. Venex nodded gently, but only her head moved slightly; her body remained motionless.

“Do you feel uncomfortable?”

As an undead without feeling, Venex naturally wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Ruth asked this only because Venex’s attitude was very abnormal. In the past when she came back, her mother would definitely stand up and welcome her happily. Now she just nodded mechanically. Her body was also like a sculpture; a layer of dust even accumulated on her clothes. In the past, this would be simply incredible.

Indeed the same as what the message-delivering Skeleton Knight said. Mother is very strange.

Several days ago Ruth received a message. The letter claimed no matter how they called the Queen, the Queen would only nod and shake her head. However, they dared not speculate on the Queen’s mind arbitrarily, for fear of being banished to the Netherworld. So they could only beg Ruth, the Princess, to come home and check the situation.

As an answer, Venex sitting on the platform nodded again. This made Ruth more determined that her mother was abnormal. Even the person sitting on the platform wasn’t her mother at all—undead simply didn’t have the sensation of feeling. How could she feel uncomfortable physically? Simply nonsense!

Recalling her mother’s personality, just in case, Ruth suppressed her temper and asked the last question.

“Who am I?”

The gray woman sitting on the throne hesitated for a while first, then nodded.

My mother has big problems.

Things having reached this step, she was very sure the person sitting on the throne wasn’t Venex. She lifted the skirt hems on both sides angrily and stepped up the stairs. Then in front of several Skeleton Knights at the door—whose mouths opened wide enough to make clicking sounds, expressions full of astonishment—she arrived in front of Venex, lifting Venex’s gray veil at once.

Then, a picture that directly made the Skeleton Knights’ heads fall to the ground appeared before her eyes.

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Under the veil was merely a weak ghost curled into a ball. Now seeing Ruth, she was directly scared to the point of making teeth-chattering sounds.

Ruth wasn’t any better either. She knew this ball of ghost wasn’t Venex. Having been played, she was both angry and amused, unable to speak for a moment.

“No, no… not me disguising intentionally! Princess Ruth, it… it was Her Majesty the Queen who made me do it!”

“Good, then I ask you, where did my mom go? When did she make you sit here?”

Ruth’s voice was full of gnashing teeth, looking as if she would slaughter the ghost on the spot if it lied.

And this also scared the ghost, who was originally just a maid, almost to tears.

“O… One month ago! Her Majesty the Queen said she wanted to go out to relax. Pr-Probably the time for [Replacement] is arriving. Her Majesty the Queen ordered me to just nod and shake my head until she came back. I… I can’t disobey Her Majesty the Queen’s order, Your Highness Princess!”

“Tch, wanting to replace in just two or three years.” Listening to the ghost’s explanation, the anger in Ruth’s expression gradually disappeared. She clicked her tongue heavily. “I understand. Leave the affairs during this period to the Necromancer Archmages to handle. She will come back herself after a while. I still have to go back to the Weeping Mountains to handle my matters. Discuss [Replacement] after I come back. I will have a good talk with her.”

“O-Okay!”

As the maid ghost fled rapidly, Ruth, feeling a headache, turned around. Then she saw several skulls rolling in front of the palace gate. Their bodies were still standing in place like wooden stakes. Such a comical scene made her, who already had a headache, even more irritable. She frowned, ordering coldly.

“Putting your heads here to make a spectacle of yourselves? Pick them up and put them back on!”

“Yes yes… Yes!”

“Also, do not spread the news from earlier. Anyone who disobeys will be banished to the Northern Territory to fight elves.”

“”YES!!!””

As if hearing an even more terrifying statement, several skeletons stood still and saluted Ruth without even picking up their heads.

Seeing this situation, Ruth couldn’t help having a few more points of sympathy for her mother. But she eventually held her forehead, letting out a troubled sigh.

“Wanting to be replaced in less than three years, what exactly is Mother doing this time…”

No one could answer Ruth. Echoing in the hall was only the dense and depressing aura of death.