Chapter 176: The Bone Throne (Part 1)
Light!
As Qin Chu chanted, a soft, hazy white light emanated from his body, dispelling the darkness.
The light coalesced behind him, forming two enormous wings that lifted him from the window, carrying him down towards the street below with the grace of an angel.
He walked across the ravaged ground, darkness receding before him, approaching Karsus step by step.
Wadsworth, Saint Monique, and Augustus exchanged glances, a shared unease in their eyes.
Qin Chu’s aura was growing stronger.
He carried himself like a divine emissary, which was definitely not good news for them… Although this emissary only displayed such an aura when demonstrating his power.
Normally, he was worse than the most debauched noble.
He seemed more interested in the beautiful women of the Heavenly Continent than its peace and stability… They couldn’t understand why such a person would gain the attention of a deity.
He reached the chains, his fingers brushing against the cold metal.
A familiar feeling.
A flicker of ruthlessness crossed Qin Chu’s face, quickly masked by his usual inscrutable expression.
From the moment the goddess’s phantom appeared behind him, Qin Chu knew that these old foxes would investigate. But no matter how they speculated, how they probed, his response would be the same: neither confirm nor deny.
It was better to reveal a little of his power, just enough to keep them guessing, allowing him to conceal his true strength.
He reached the corroded section of the chains and brushed his fingers across the foul substance. A gentle white light enveloped it.
With a sizzling sound, the dark red, defiling blood was cleansed, leaving only a discoloration on the chains.
Augustus’s cloudy eyes narrowed. The Shackles of Heaven’s Cage he had used was also Holy Light magic, yet it couldn’t resist the corrosive blood. The light from Qin Chu’s hand, although not particularly bright, was remarkably effective.
This could only mean that the power of light Qin Chu wielded was on a higher level than his own Holy Light magic.
Qin Chu had his own plan. This was different from the Grand Prince’s situation.
The Grand Prince had summoned a phantom of the Evil God, but Qin Chu hadn’t directly confronted it. The goddess had handled it.
This time, Karsus hadn’t summoned the Evil God’s avatar, but he had gained immense power through its influence.
Qin Chu knew how powerful Wadsworth’s three Disintegration punches were. Karsus’s head had been shattered by one punch, yet he could still regenerate. He was a formidable opponent. And summoning the goddess’s avatar was impossible now. He had tried, but failed.
To completely destroy Karsus, this monster created by the Evil God, he could only rely on himself.
This was the first time Qin Chu had truly confronted an Evil God. Before, he had always avoided them… He didn’t want to be involved with those mysterious and terrifying beings in the Void.
But he knew, whether forced or willingly, he was already on this path. His only choice was to fight to the end.
It had nothing to do with the fate of the Heavenly Continent, but simply…he wanted to live.
He smiled. To confront an Evil God, it was actually quite exciting.
On Karsus’s monstrous body, a new head, round and about the size of a child’s, had already regrown on his severed neck, bumps quickly appearing on its surface.
He seemed to sense the danger. A crack appeared on his head, seemingly his mouth, splitting into a half-circle, almost tearing his small head in two. The inside of his mouth was a deep crimson, filled with rows of spiraling teeth.
“Kill!”
His sharp, terrifying voice echoed once again.
An invisible shockwave slammed into Qin Chu.
But this time, it was different.
The hazy white light around Qin Chu seemed to block the sonic attack, rippling outwards.
He swayed slightly, his face paling, but quickly steadied himself.
Resisting the impact, he walked forward step by step. Although his pace was slow, each step seemed to carry the weight of millions of kilograms.
The shrill cry continued, unrelenting.
Norma, Sylph, and Airi were forced to retreat further.
The sound seemed to have the ability to trigger the most cruel and bloodthirsty side of human nature. They felt an increasing urge to destroy, to slaughter. Their eyes even flashed with ferocity and cruelty.
Saint Monique and Augustus lowered their eyes slightly, maintaining the four chains, pulling Karsus’s mangled body taut to prevent him from breaking free and attacking.
Their strength was greater, their souls able to withstand the sonic assault.
Wadsworth followed Qin Chu, ready to rescue him if necessary.
After all, although he was wary of Qin Chu’s talent and strength, the Heavenly Continent couldn’t afford to lose him now.
Finally, Qin Chu reached Karsus.
He held his hands above Karsus’s newly regenerated head, as if grasping something invisible.
“Only light can dispel darkness.”
“Only light can purify filth!”
He chanted.
Two cracks appeared on Karsus’s head, seemingly his eyes, filled with venomous red light.
“In the name of the Goddess of Holy Light…”
“We deliver the judgment of the heavens.”
Silver-white light gathered in his cupped hands, forming a silver sword with elegant lines and a thin blade. It looked more like a decorative piece, a work of art.
But this silver sword made Karsus’s bloody face contort in what seemed like fear. He struggled violently.
The four chains rattled, and Augustus and Saint Monique’s expressions changed. Karsus was almost breaking free.
They quickly increased their Mana output, the chains tautening, regaining control over Karsus’s body.
“Sword of Judgment!”
With Qin Chu’s cold command, the silver sword plunged downwards.
Pfft!
The sharp blade pierced through Karsus’s newly regenerated head.
Splat…
A stream of foul blood spurted out, transforming into red, hot, slimy, thread-like strands that coiled around the Sword of Judgment, as if trying to corrode it with their defiling essence.
But it was useless.
Qin Chu gripped the hilt and twisted it 180 degrees.
Silver flames instantly erupted from the Sword of Judgment, incinerating the thread-like strands. The flames spread to Karsus’s head, melting it bit by bit.
Fresh flesh continued to regenerate rapidly.
Melting and regenerating, a grotesque cycle.
But for Karsus, trapped in this agonizing loop, it was unbearable torture. Even in his madness, his body convulsed uncontrollably.
Seeing his miserable state, Sylph’s heart ached, tears welling up in her eyes. She glared at Qin Chu with hatred.
Poor Brother Karsus.
It was all because of Qin Chu. If it weren’t for this man, Brother Karsus wouldn’t have to suffer like this… She didn’t have any thoughts of sacrificing everything to save Karsus, but she did have thoughts of shifting all the blame onto someone else, and those thoughts were strong.
By blaming Qin Chu, Sylph seemed to feel a little better.
She had always disliked Qin Chu, and now she hated him even more, wanting to tear him apart.
Qin Chu frowned. In the eyes of others, the Hero seemed to be puzzled as to why Karsus wasn’t dead yet. He seemed to be looking for a way to completely destroy him.
His gaze swept over the surroundings. Perhaps because they sensed the presence of the three strongest experts in the Heavenly Continent, the Hero, and the former members of the Hero Squad, people felt that the situation was under control.
No matter what kind of enemy it was, with so many experts present, wouldn’t it be easy to deal with them?
The fear in their hearts gradually dissipated, and their instinct to watch a good show took over. A large crowd had gathered, and more people were on their way.
A smile appeared on Qin Chu’s lips. The next second, he channeled his Battle Qi into his voice, his words echoing through the night like thunder:
“Everyone…”
“This is Karsus, the Death Knight, a former member of the Hero Squad. He offered everything to the Evil God in exchange for power. His body and soul have been corrupted by evil, turning him into an ugly monster. He killed the Holy Knights and priests guarding him, and he killed many nobles.”
Whispers spread through the crowd as Qin Chu spoke.
They were clearly shocked by his words.
“A former member of the Hero Squad? How did he become like this? Although he dabbled in dark power, he was still human, wasn’t he?”
“The power of darkness is strange and evil. Anything is possible. Besides, didn’t you see that the Pope, the Holy Maiden, and His Majesty the Emperor are all here, and there are two other members of the Hero Squad as well? None of them refuted it… What does that mean? It means the Hero is right. That ugly monster is Karsus.”
“Oh my god, how terrifying.”
“Such a person was actually accepted into the Hero Squad. What was the First Hero thinking? Those corpses around him, they must have been killed by Karsus. They look like they’ve been drained of their blood. What an evil method.”
“So, Karsus’s hands are truly stained with blood. This kind of person should have been executed when he first dabbled in dark power… If it weren’t for the Hero protecting him, he would have died hundreds of times already.”
“The Hero protected him, and we’re the ones bearing the consequences, so many nobles died because of him… I’m not saying the First Hero was bad, but… Sigh… I almost died just now. It was terrifying.”
“If Karsus is like this, could the other members of the Hero Squad also be bad? Not to mention that Muse the Mad, she’s also said to be a murderous maniac…”
“How terrifying…”
Whispers and discussions spread through the crowd.
Only when the danger was so close, even directly affecting them, did these nobles begin to question the First Hero and the former members of the Hero Squad.
They hadn’t interacted much with Jie Luo, so they weren’t as deeply influenced by him.
In the first playthrough, Qin Chu had never thought of ruining Jie Luo’s reputation, so Jie Luo had always maintained a positive image in people’s hearts. But this time, it was different.
Qin Chu hadn’t mentioned Jie Luo at all, but people subconsciously directed their suspicion towards him. For the first time, they began to feel dissatisfied. After all, it was Jie Luo who had recruited the members of the Hero Squad.
And the thousands of nobles watching would quickly spread these things throughout the city. Most importantly, rumors always mutated as they spread. With a little guidance…
Airi’s face turned livid, her heart filled with rage.
Sylph’s expression was icy, her fingers clenched tightly. She wouldn’t allow anyone to insult Jie Luo… If it weren’t for Wadsworth and the others being here, she would have already attacked.
And Qin Chu, like a charlatan, spread his arms, his voice echoing through the night:
“Now, I need your strength…”
“Everyone, pray to the Goddess of Holy Light with all your hearts…”
“Only light can dispel the darkness that shrouds the Heavenly Continent.”
Actually, it wasn’t necessary. Qin Chu could just use the power of the silver hair. Even if he couldn’t summon the goddess’s avatar, destroying Karsus was still no problem.
But Qin Chu had his own plan.
The surrounding nobles looked at each other… They were all believers of the Goddess of Holy Light, nominally.
As for how much faith they truly had in their hearts, only they knew.
But at least, at this moment, looking at the damaged buildings and the dried corpses, thinking that such a disaster could befall them at any time, their faith was sincere.
They crossed their arms before their chests, chanting prayers to the Goddess of Holy Light, seeking her protection.
Their prayers seemed to work. Strands of white light gathered in the sky, converging above Qin Chu’s head, like a blooming lotus.
The night became as bright as day.
Qin Chu’s figure was bathed in Holy Light, faint white wings seemingly flickering behind him.
For a moment, he seemed incredibly holy and noble.
Seeing this, the surrounding nobles trembled, their eyes filled with excitement, admiration, even fanaticism.
Was this… the descent of an angel?
As the first person knelt on the ground, more and more followed.
“An angel has descended!”
“A divine emissary!”
“This is a miracle.”
Similar voices rose and fell.
Augustus, Saint Monique, and Wadsworth’s hearts sank. They had been deliberately concealing Qin Chu’s ability to summon the goddess’s avatar, to prevent him from being worshipped as a divine emissary.
But now, it had happened in another way!
Qin Chu’s face was filled with benevolent holiness. He looked down at Karsus, who seemed to hear the curses and insults directed at him, the insults towards Jie Luo, and the worship towards Qin Chu.
The power of the Holy Light seemed to have awakened a bit of Karsus’s rationality. Although he didn’t have a head, he seemed to understand what was happening.
His body twitched and convulsed violently.
If he still had his own consciousness, then he must be in great pain now, right?
It was good that he was in pain. If Karsus didn’t react at all, then Qin Chu would feel less satisfied.
“Karsus…” Qin Chu leaned down, his face close to where Karsus’s heart should be. He placed his hand on Karsus’s chest, using his Mana to transmit his voice directly into Karsus’s mind through a secret method that no one could detect, not even Wadsworth, who was standing behind him.
If Karsus still had any consciousness left, he would definitely sense it.
“Actually, I could save you, but why would I waste my precious Mana on you?”
“Actually, Norma only begged me to save you. You seem to have misunderstood something… But it doesn’t matter anymore. It seems Norma doesn’t like you anymore, what a pity.”
“You seem to like Sylph a lot, right?”
“I will definitely devour Sylph too. I will use the worst methods to deal with her. It’s a pity that you’re about to die and won’t be able to see it. It would have been a wonderful show.”
“Oh, right, do you think I don’t know about your Hero Squad’s plan?”
“Wrong, I know everything.”
“Your plan to kill me is destined to fail. On the contrary, I will kill everyone in the Hero Squad.”
“By the way, I was the one who killed Benson.”
Karsus’s body suddenly stiffened. He seemed to have really heard Qin Chu’s voice. A few seconds later, his headless body began to convulse violently.
Qin Chu straightened up, his hands clenching again. The Sword of Judgment reappeared in his palm. It would be a pity if he couldn’t hear Karsus’s desperate wails, but it was about time for him to die.
“Filthy evil, are you still struggling?”
“In the name of the Goddess of Holy Light, accept your judgment!”
Pfft…
The Sword of Judgment pierced through Karsus’s heart.
Silver-white flames spread rapidly from his heart to his limbs.
After telling Karsus the whole truth, letting his consciousness taste the most painful despair, Qin Chu finally mercifully ended his life.
Karsus, amidst the curses, insults, hatred, and disgust of the crowd, reached his end.
Only ashes remained on the ground.
The four chains fell to the ground.
Looking at the reverent gazes around him, Qin Chu knew that the grand scene he had deliberately created had achieved its desired effect.
He was about to continue his act as a charlatan, fooling the surrounding nobles, when he suddenly sensed something and looked up at the sky.
The dark night sky seemed to be torn apart by a giant battle-axe, crimson light like blood enveloping the earth, the entire world turning blood-red.
Gloomy, oppressive.
An indescribable fear spread through everyone’s hearts.
No one knew what was happening.
A giant bone throne emerged from the Void!
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