Chapter 288: A Hair from the God’s Right Hand
The passage leading to the underground chamber was riddled with traps and wards, at least a hundred in total.
Each one was deadly.
Even Wadsworth had to proceed with extreme caution.
Finally, he reached the chamber at the deepest level, a vast, cavernous space that stretched beneath the entire palace, perhaps even the entire Imperial City.
Who living above would suspect the ground beneath their feet was hollow?
A large, translucent barrier shimmered within the chamber.
It was the final ward, not designed to kill, but to contain the aura emanating from the colossal object within.
Without the barrier, the aura alone would have been enough to pulverize the entire city.
Wadsworth had seen this before, but even so, the sight still filled him with awe and dread.
Thump… thump…
His heart pounded in his chest.
It was a giant arm… a right arm!
Said to be the remains of a god.
Wadsworth was a large, powerfully built man, but compared to this colossal limb, he was smaller than a fingernail.
A thousand years ago, this arm had fallen from the sky, crashing into the Imperial City, creating a massive crater.
Buildings had been destroyed, countless lives lost. The devastation was said to be comparable to a meteor strike.
The ancestor of the Aberchian family had sealed the site and built the current palace over it.
He had silenced all witnesses, making the arm a secret known only to the Aberchian family.
They sensed the immense power within the arm. If they could harness it, they would be invincible.
Not just in the Heavenly Continent.
Even ascending to godhood might be within their grasp.
This secret had been passed down through generations, known only to the Emperors.
In the following millennium, the Auville Empire had seen dozens of Emperors, each a remarkable individual, possessing exceptional talent and strength.
They had conducted countless experiments, trying to harness the arm’s power.
But their efforts had ended tragically.
Over ten Emperors had lost their minds, their consciousness consumed by the arm’s power.
Three had exploded, their bodies unable to contain the immense energy.
Two had even died in the traps leading to the chamber…
After becoming Emperor, Wadsworth had studied his ancestors’ research.
He hadn’t intended to approach the arm so soon. Even through the barrier, he could sense its overwhelming power… but now, he had no choice.
The Hero’s strength and rapid growth were alarming.
Too many secrets surrounded him. Wadsworth knew that after the Demon Beasts were dealt with, the Hero would become his greatest enemy.
By then, he would be like an ant before the Hero’s might.
He needed to become stronger.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his fear and deactivated the barrier.
Buzz…
An immense pressure slammed into him.
Wadsworth’s legs buckled, and he fell to his knees.
Despite being one of humanity’s strongest, he couldn’t withstand the pressure. It was far greater than even the Demon King Nagath’s aura.
Pain filled his eyes as the aura, like needles, pierced them. Blood trickled down his cheeks.
He saw the arm as if it were alive.
Despite the passage of millennia, it showed no signs of decay.
The hairs on the arm swayed slightly.
It seemed as if it could break free at any moment, bringing ruin to the Heavenly Continent.
He roared, his fists clenched, struggling to rise.
But the immense pressure pinned him to the ground, his head lowering towards the cold stone.
Crack…
The stone beneath his knees cracked under the pressure.
He refused to yield, trying to lift his head.
He crawled towards the God’s Right Hand, his fists and knees scraping against the stone.
Thud… thud… thud…
Each movement was a struggle.
The pressure intensified with each inch he gained.
Finally, he reached it.
He extended his trembling hand.
Crack, crack…
His fingers broke under the pressure.
But Wadsworth’s willpower was astonishing. He seemed oblivious to the pain, stretching his arm, a guttural growl escaping his throat.
Finally… he touched it.
He grasped a single, thick hair and pulled with all his might.
Snap.
The hair broke off.
Then, he retreated.
He didn’t aspire to study the entire arm. A single hair, containing immense power and knowledge, would be enough for a lifetime of study.
He reactivated the barrier.
The pressure subsided.
He collapsed, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
His body, drained of strength, lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
He was covered in blood.
The pressure had ruptured his blood vessels and shattered his bones.
This was the power of a god. Even before a mere fragment of a divine being, humans were as insignificant as ants.
But Wadsworth’s eyes shone with excitement. He looked at the hair clutched in his hand, a mad grin on his face.
If… if he could absorb the power within this single hair… he would become the eternal ruler of the Heavenly Continent.
…
Meanwhile, at the abandoned church.
The Goddess’s Hair restrained the monstrous fetus.
The sapling, now a towering tree, absorbed its power.
The creature’s energy was immense. It would take the sapling some time to fully digest it.
Qin Chu walked towards Mavis, who still lay writhing on the ground.
The so-called God-Mother was barely recognizable, her body charred black.
But she still crawled towards the creature.
“Give up,” Qin Chu said, frowning.
Mavis’s body trembled. Her empty eyes fixed on him, her voice raspy and dry, like scraping metal: “You killed Lance… and now you want to kill my other child.”
“Why?”
“I just wanted a child, a family.”
“Why take even that away from me?”
Mavis’s life had been tragic.
This was the fate of the Ice Duchy’s princesses.
For a thousand years, they had been forced to marry strangers, living out their lives in a foreign land.
Those who found kind husbands were fortunate.
But the Emperors of the Auville Empire were always wary of their Ice Duchy brides. They granted them status and privilege, but never love.
Their social interactions were restricted, their influence limited.
After the birth of the heir, they were neglected, forbidden from bearing more children.
Their fate was a lonely life, essentially widows in all but name.
To the Emperors, they were merely tools for producing powerful offspring.
Mavis’s voice was filled with anguish and despair.
Qin Chu watched her silently. After a long moment, he spoke:
“Your life is tragic, but what does that have to do with me?”
Truly a cold and heartless man.
“It doesn’t justify harming Angelica.”
“And you’re directing your hatred at the wrong person. I never provoked Lance.”
“He challenged me to a duel.”
“I didn’t force him to embrace the power of an Evil God.”
“And I didn’t kill him. Wadsworth did. So, you have no reason to hate me.”
“Wadsworth executed him, but who truly led him down that path? The father of your second child. He corrupted your son, turning him into a mindless monster.”
Mavis wanted to cry, but she couldn’t.
Driven by loneliness and despair, she had sought solace in the worship of a Void entity, believing it would bring her salvation.
But now, the Hero was telling her that this very entity had destroyed her son?
Her years of indulgence and depravity… what had it all been for? Her faith crumbled.
“I promised Anastasia I would grant you a swift death,” Qin Chu continued.
“Anastasia?”
Mavis repeated the name, then seemed to smile: “I held her in my arms when she was a child…”
“It seems Anastasia is more fortunate than I.”
Qin Chu shook his head: “No, she’s not more fortunate. She’s stronger.”
“Is that so…”
Mavis sighed, her empty eyes looking towards the creature. After a long moment, she closed them.
Qin Chu knew it was time.
“One last question. Who is the leader of the Witch Society?”
“I don’t know.”
He didn’t press further. He ended her suffering, severing her neck and engulfing her body in silver flames.
Reduced to ashes. Perhaps this was the most merciful death for Mavis, sparing her body from further indignity, from being displayed as a cautionary tale, the fallen Empress.
The holy fire consumed all traces of corruption.
And ended the tragic life of a lonely woman.
Meanwhile, the monstrous fetus’s cries ceased.
The Goddess’s Hair retracted, and the towering tree shrunk back into a sapling.
A new leaf had sprouted, but it was a strange purplish-red, an ominous hue.
It would take the sapling a long time to purify the evil it had absorbed.
The commotion had drawn the attention of the entire city.
At the entrance to the cathedral of the Earth Mother Goddess, Saint Monique gazed into the distance, her expression grim.
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