Category: Dear, it’s time for your medicine!

Chapter 134: Athena’s Tears

Less than a month, and he already possessed the power of a Grand Mage. What kind of monster was he?

Even if he was the Hero, such an exaggerated improvement was enough to make people despair.

The assassin leader’s face was ashen. Under this pressure, he didn’t even have the courage to resist.

He even feared for His Highness Lance. The Grand Prince didn’t know what kind of demon he was facing. Opposing this terrifying monster was probably the worst decision His Highness Lance had ever made in his life.

A Grand Mage?

Actually, Qin Chu’s current strength hadn’t reached that level yet.

At least in terms of stats alone, there was still a considerable gap between him and that level. However, the power within Qin Chu was very special. The small sprout in his body was attached to his Battle Origin and Demon Core, absorbing his Battle Qi and Mana, while also refining his power.

If they only compared purity, the purity of Qin Chu’s power far surpassed any other expert in this world, even Augustus and Saint Monique were far inferior.

And highly refined power could unleash greater destructive force.

Of course, below the level of Grand Mage and Valkyrie, he wouldn’t dare to say he was invincible, but he definitely didn’t have many opponents.

Under this powerful aura, his body even gradually floated into the air.

The feeling of freely unleashing his power was so comfortable that it even fascinated Qin Chu.

His gaze swept over the nine figures below. They stood there trembling, their eyes lifeless, not believing they had a chance to survive.

“Run!”

The leader muttered softly.

Suddenly, he raised his head, his eyes wide and bloodshot, filled with madness.

“Run!” The mutter turned into a terrified scream.

The leader’s voice woke up all his companions who had been stunned by Qin Chu’s aura.

They were destined to fail their mission, but at least they had to escape from here and inform the Grand Prince of Qin Chu’s true strength.

Otherwise, the Grand Prince would definitely suffer greatly at Qin Chu’s hands in the future.

It had to be said that although these people were a bit foolish and unqualified as assassins, their loyalty to Lance was undeniable. Perhaps it was precisely because they had been instilled with this sense of loyalty since childhood that they hadn’t received other education, which was why they were so foolish.

Following the leader’s scream, the nine figures dashed in different directions almost simultaneously.

They were at least smart enough to know to escape separately.

Qin Chu just floated leisurely in mid-air, with no intention of chasing them, “Sixth, as assassins, you’d better figure out if your target has any other people around them.”

Hum!

Just as Qin Chu’s voice fell, flames suddenly erupted all around.

Dark red flames danced violently, rising tens of meters high, and a wave of heat rushed towards them. The nine assassins were forced to stop and even retreat under the pressure of the heatwave.

The rising flames seemed to be drawn by some force, forming an arc and finally connecting in the air above the center of the circle of fire, like a huge fire canopy covering the ground, completely sealing off this area.

The leader’s pupils trembled. He felt his throat dry, and a strange squeak escaped his mouth.

He saw it.

A silhouette gradually emerged from the blazing flames.

It was a person.

She was walking on the flames, her outline becoming clearer and clearer.

It was a petite girl, flames burning on her slender body. She held a dark spear tightly in her hand, a flag symbolizing the Auville Empire tied to the spearhead.

Her small and delicate body was clad in sturdy armor, and her metal boots made clicking sounds as she walked on the ground.

Her golden hair, almost as long as her body, fluttered behind her, dyed crimson by the red flames. Her deep blue, gem-like eyes were as cold as ice, a stark contrast to the flames.

Black chains wrapped around her slender body, writhing like vipers.

She was like a witch emerging from the flames.

Clang!

The spear, almost twice as long as the girl’s body, slammed into the ground beside her, sinking more than a meter deep. Her cold eyes swept over the nine assassins, “No one is leaving here tonight.”

Anthea’s voice was a death sentence for these assassins.

Anthea’s aura was even stronger than Qin Chu’s.

The leader’s heart turned to ashes. He finally understood what Qin Chu meant. Hahahaha, as assassins, they were truly unprofessional!

They rushed over recklessly without even figuring out the target’s strength or the helpers around him. If they didn’t die, who would?

So, this was the Hero’s true strength?

Besides the two powerful figures, Ekaterina and Violet, there was another expert guarding him, no less powerful than them.

The Hero had been hiding his true strength all along. Everyone in the entire Heavenly Continent had underestimated him.

At this moment, a violent surge of energy came from the air.

A gentle Holy Light shone on Qin Chu’s body. The warm light didn’t make these people feel comfortable, they only felt despair.

Behind Qin Chu, a huge, graceful silhouette of a goddess gradually emerged.

Her clothes seemed to flutter in the wind.

Long, silver hair fluttered in the strong wind.

Qin Chu stretched out his right hand, palm facing upwards.

It seemed as if he was holding an extremely heavy energy in his palm, slowly turning it over.

Then, his palm pressed down extremely slowly.

In an instant, the ground in front of him collapsed.

The nine assassins were instantly crushed into powder, mixed into the huge crater.

Refreshing!

Qin Chu didn’t even use the Devourer to absorb their power. It wasn’t that he forgot, but that he didn’t want to.

Whether it was because he saw Karen again or for other reasons, Qin Chu felt very depressed. He needed to vent, to release the suppression in his heart with his strongest power.

The flames disappeared.

The goddess’s silhouette also gradually dissipated.

Qin Chu descended from the sky, walked to Shaye and Karen, and released the Mana blockade, “Karen, you can open your eyes now.”

Karen, who had been obediently keeping her eyes closed, opened them upon hearing Qin Chu’s voice. Although she was thin and weak, her eyes were very lively. Seeing the deep crater that had cut through the road and the flower beds on both sides, Karen was shocked. She hadn’t expected such a change to occur in the blink of an eye, “This is…”

“Shh…” Qin Chu put a finger to his lips and winked at Karen, “Can you keep this a secret for me?”

Karen seemed to understand something and nodded vigorously.

Qin Chu smiled and extended his hand. Karen seemed a little confused. After a few seconds, she realized what he meant and raised her arm to take his hand, but seeing the dirt on her palms, she seemed a little shy… However, her small face was so dirty that it was impossible to tell if she was blushing.

She desperately wiped her hands on her clothes, but her clothes weren’t clean either. The more she wiped, the dirtier they became. She withdrew her hand dejectedly.

Qin Chu didn’t care. He took Karen’s small hand under her surprised gaze, “Let’s go…”

One tall and one short, the two figures cast long shadows under the streetlights.

“Big brother… Hero, where are we going?” Karen asked cautiously.

Qin Chu smiled at Karen, “My home!”

Karen’s eyes trembled. Home was a very unfamiliar word to her. She never dreamed that she would have a home again.

But that was the Hero’s home! The Hero was so noble, was it really appropriate for someone like her to go to his home?

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it.” Qin Chu smiled and rubbed Karen’s dirty hair, which seemed to have lice in it.

Qin Chu had always felt guilty towards Karen. In the first playthrough, because of him, Karen’s legs were broken. Although he had prepared a wheelchair for her and arranged for someone to take care of her, because he was busy fighting Demon Beasts, Qin Chu rarely visited her.

In the end, only Karen was still speaking up for him.

“Don’t worry, I’m the Hero. No one dares to disobey me,” Qin Chu said proudly, patting his chest.

“By the way, do you have anything to pack at your home?” Qin Chu tilted his head and asked.

“My home…”

“It’s long gone…”

“After the news of my parents’ death spread, all our belongings were taken by the neighbors, even the house was snatched away.”

…

On the other side, Athena finally woke up.

Thinking about what had just happened, tears of humiliation welled up in Athena’s eyes.

Her last shred of dignity was gone.

She hated her own weakness, her inability to control the reactions of her body.

Recalling what had just happened, her body trembled violently with betrayal and guilt. Her fair fingers gripped the bedsheet tightly, and she whimpered and sobbed.

Even though she was the Grand Mage Athena, even though she could fight Demon Beasts without fear of death, she was still a woman.

She also had her own persistence and weaknesses in her heart.

She had betrayed Lord Jie Luo.

She was no longer pure.

Even if Lord Jie Luo was resurrected, was she still worthy of staying by his side?

Athena felt a strong disgust towards her own body. Dragging her tired body, she walked towards the bathroom, letting the hot water wash over her. She wanted to cleanse all the filth from her body, as if that could restore her purity.

Looking at her perfect body in the mirror, she even wanted to tear it apart with the broken glass.

No… No… No…

Athena shook her head vigorously, her azure hair swaying.

Everything she had done was for Lord Jie Luo.

Now, only she and Ekaterina were left for Lord Jie Luo. If she gave up completely because of this humiliation, when would Lord Jie Luo be resurrected?

Lord Jie Luo must have recovered a bit!

When Lord Jie Luo was resurrected, he would definitely be grateful to her.

Athena’s eyes, reflected in the mirror, were filled with a morbid obsession, self-moved and self-satisfied.

“Lord Jie Luo, for you, I can endure any humiliation.”

Chapter 133: As Assassins, You’re Very Unprofessional 

Although it was to deceive his opponents, constantly pretending to be weak was quite unpleasant.

Occasionally, he still needed to fully display his strength to feel satisfied.

Moreover, Qin Chu had already accumulated a lot of anger in his heart. The appearance of these people was just right, allowing him to vent his rage.

Thirteen assassins, Qin Chu didn’t take them seriously at all. He had already placed Karen on the ground, and Shaye was by her side. With Shaye’s protection, no one could harm Karen.

As for Qin Chu, he was moving his hands.

Not having stretched his muscles and bones for a long time made his limbs feel a little stiff. Cracking sounds came from his fingers as he interlocked them.

Seeing that Qin Chu not only didn’t surrender but even wanted to resist?

These people were stunned. Was there something wrong with this Hero’s brain?

Couldn’t he see the huge difference in strength between them? This summoned Hero was truly an idiot.

The leader of the assassins knew that it was best not to waste words with Qin Chu in this situation. It was better to just take action swiftly and eliminate him, then bring his head back to His Highness Lance to report the completion of the mission and receive the reward…

Of course, the woman next to him couldn’t be spared either. What happened tonight couldn’t be discovered by anyone.

But the leader couldn’t help himself.

He even wanted to laugh.

Thinking about personally killing the noble Hero was truly exciting.

“Qin Chu, don’t think you’re some kind of expert just because you defeated Horn. Not to mention that it was a sneak attack, even if you really defeated Horn in a duel, so what?”

“To us, Horn is just trash. Any one of us thirteen can easily defeat him. Now, Ekaterina and that tall woman are not by your side. You don’t think you can fight against us alone, do you?”

“If you obediently kneel down and surrender, maybe we’ll let you die a quick death.”

His Highness Lance would be very happy if they could humiliate the Hero.

They were experts carefully trained by His Highness Lance, completely different from trash like Horn. What they learned from the beginning was how to quickly end a life.

When the Crimson Valkyrie and Violet weren’t by Qin Chu’s side, taking his life was as easy as flipping their hands.

The Hero’s strength did increase very quickly. Being able to reach the level of defeating Horn in such a short time was enough to prove that his talent was astonishing, surpassing anyone in the Heavenly Continent.

But he had been in the Heavenly Continent for too short a time. This short period wasn’t enough for him to reach the level where he could fight against them.

Thirteen against one, the advantage was theirs.

They didn’t think they could lose at all.

Qin Chu had finished stretching his limbs. He hooked his finger impatiently, “Why so much unnecessary talk? Are you women?”

Hiss…

Not only was Qin Chu not afraid at all, he even dared to provoke them. This clearly angered the assassins. Although their faces were covered by black masks, their eyes were almost spitting fire.

The next second, one of the assassins flickered and suddenly disappeared.

This was the most basic skill of an assassin: Invisibility.

The smile on Qin Chu’s face grew wider, his eyes narrowed. Two seconds later, his right hand suddenly shot out to the side, his five fingers curved like an eagle’s talons.

Under the streetlight, a figure gradually emerged like ripples in water.

It was the assassin who had just disappeared. At this moment, his neck was grabbed by Qin Chu. With just a little force, the assassin’s face contorted in pain and suffocation.

His entire body was lifted high by Qin Chu, his legs struggling desperately in mid-air.

The dagger in his hand was knocked away by Qin Chu.

Looking up at the eyes filled with anger and shock, the smile on Qin Chu’s face grew even wider, “As assassins, you’re very unprofessional.”

The next second, with a whoosh, the thin body was slammed heavily onto the ground by Qin Chu.

The ground trembled violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.

Cracks spread like ripples.

A cracking sound could be heard. Assassin No. 1’s body was curled up, countless bones in his body shattered, and the mask on his face was quickly dyed dark red by the blood spurting from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

“First, as assassins, you must never underestimate your target. No matter how weak your target appears, you must treat them with caution.”

As he spoke, Qin Chu calmly stepped back.

Two sounds of sharp blades tearing through the air came from in front of him. Assassin No. 2 and No. 3 had launched their attack.

Although both assassins were invisible, Qin Chu could easily see their positions from the faint outlines in the air.

He stomped on the ground forcefully, and an earth spike suddenly erupted from the ground, piercing through one of the assassins’ bodies with a thud.

Assassin No. 2 was hanging on the earth spike like a piece of dried meat, blood gurgling from the wound. He wasn’t completely dead yet, his body struggling like a worm.

“Second, as assassins, after I’ve noticed your presence, your best option is to retreat immediately, not to jump out and attack.”

As soon as his voice fell, Qin Chu suddenly turned around and stretched out his left hand, his palm covered in fiercely burning silver Battle Qi.

With a hiss, the sharp dagger tore through Qin Chu’s palm, making a sound like metal grinding against metal.

There was no trace of a wound on Qin Chu’s palm. The silver Battle Qi completely blocked the blade. Not only that, when Qin Chu’s five fingers gripped the dagger, the Battle Qi spread like a viper along the blade, instantly wrapping around Assassin No. 3’s body.

With a shrill scream, Assassin No. 3 was instantly burned to ashes. Even the steel dagger melted into liquid, scattering on the ground with a sizzling sound.

“Third, as assassins, you should never be easily angered by my provocation. Maintaining absolute rationality is the most basic quality of an assassin.”

He crouched down, one hand pressing on the ground.

“Embrace of the Earth.”

Rumble…

A rumbling sound like an earthquake came from the ground beneath his feet. The ground cracked and trembled violently, and a large amount of sand surged out from beneath the road.

It swirled violently in the air like a whirlwind, instantly engulfing Assassin No. 4, who was about to fire his crossbow from a distance.

With a shrill scream, Assassin No. 4’s clothes were instantly torn apart, his body covered in countless tiny wounds. Then, the swirling quicksand dragged his body and buried it in the ground. The solid road surface returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

“Fourth, as assassins, if you really want to assassinate someone, then you should unleash your strongest power instantly and attack together, not come one by one to die like this.”

The surroundings were deathly silent.

The remaining nine assassins, who hadn’t had time to react, all froze in place, their bodies trembling violently as if they had been electrocuted.

Beads of sweat could be clearly seen rolling down their foreheads, exposed by the black masks, which were almost completely soaked.

Their eyes trembled violently, filled with deep, unconcealable fear…

This… This was impossible.

In just a few seconds, four of their brothers had died at the hands of the Hero.

Each of them was stronger than Horn, yet each of them was almost instantly killed by the Hero.

When did the Hero’s power become so strong?

Magic? They had never heard of the Hero learning magic. This man shouldn’t have any Mana at all. But now, not only could the Hero use magic, he could even cast it instantly, without even chanting a spell.

Battle Qi… They had never seen such a strange silver Battle Qi, which could even melt metal.

They wanted to scream in fear. Even if the Hero had powerful talent and abilities, wasn’t his strength increasing this fast cheating? Even the First Hero couldn’t have reached this level in such a short time.

They had just thought they had the advantage.

They had just thought they couldn’t possibly lose.

The words they had just used to mock the Hero now turned into resounding slaps on their faces, burning with pain.

“Fifth, as assassins, before you attempt an assassination, you must have a thorough understanding of your target’s strength.”

As soon as his voice fell, Qin Chu stood up, his long arms spread out to the sides.

Hum…

A silver light began to burn on Qin Chu’s body.

Dark purple Mana also transformed into a hazy mist, enveloping his body. The Mana turned into countless strange streaks, writhing like tentacles.

Qin Chu’s aura continued to grow stronger.

The pressure became stronger and stronger, and the air seemed to become stagnant.

The nine assassins felt as if they were under the pressure of a mountain, their legs trembling uncontrollably, as if they might kneel on the ground at any moment.

They even felt that breathing had become a luxury, their hearts pounding violently, as if they might explode under this tsunami-like impact.

No… No… No…

The leader let out a strange scream. This was impossible.

Before they took action, they had carefully assessed Qin Chu’s strength. They had even considered the possibility that he was stronger than they thought, but at most, he would be around level 65, it couldn’t be higher.

This was already calculated based on the unprecedented advancement speed in the Heavenly Continent.

But now, the aura emanating from Qin Chu was still growing stronger.

Level 70, level 75?

With Qin Chu’s feet as the center, cracks spread rapidly under the influence of his powerful aura, reaching the feet of the assassins in an instant.

Level 80?

No… This was absolutely impossible.

This was a power only Titled Knights, Valkyries, Grand Mages, and Master Thieves could possess.

Hahahaha… The leader suddenly burst into laughter like a madman, tears and snot streaming down his face.

His laughter gradually turned into a desperate wail!

Your Highness, what kind of monster are you facing?!

Chapter 132: Want to Kill Me? You’re Not Worthy! 

Karen was still chewing her food vigorously.

She was hungry.

So very hungry.

It had been days since she last had a proper meal. Her body was weakened by hunger, and the temptation of food overshadowed even her fear of death. Even facing the gleaming spearhead, she still desperately swallowed the food in her mouth.

Her malnourished, slender neck twitched as she struggled to swallow the meat before she died.

Even with her eyes closed, she could still feel the chilling coldness emanating from the spearhead.

Death might be a release, at least she wouldn’t have to suffer in this terrible world anymore. It was okay, it would only be for a moment, and then she wouldn’t feel any pain anymore.

Karen waited for death to arrive, but after a long time, the agonizing pain didn’t come. She opened her eyes with fear and confusion, her body trembling. The sharp spear tip was less than three centimeters from her eyes, so sharp that Karen felt a stinging pain in her eyes.

What was going on?

She didn’t think these noble lords would be so kind as to spare her life.

Her confused gaze followed the spear, and she saw a hand gripping the middle of the spear. No matter how hard the knight tried, the spear wouldn’t budge. It was a tall figure, wearing expensive clothes. He must also be a noble lord.

Under the moonlight, Karen could see the frost on his face.

She wondered why a noble lord would help a dirty commoner like her.

Seemingly noticing her gaze, the man looked at Karen and smiled.

It was a gentle smile. Karen had forgotten how long it had been since anyone had smiled at her.

The knight’s face was flushed red. He seemed very angry, his contorted face making Karen’s hair stand on end. She couldn’t help but worry if the person who saved her would be hurt by the knight.

The knight was furious. Someone actually dared to stop him, a knight, from punishing a commoner?

“Damn it, how dare you stop me, Royal Knight Zahar! I’d like to see who’s so bold…” The knight named Zahar roared, turning his head to look.

However, the moment his eyes landed on that cold face, Zahar’s body trembled violently.

In just a second, he demonstrated what it meant to change faces.

His expression changed from anger to shock, then from shock to flattery. Even Qin Chu admired his face-changing skills.

His originally straight body quickly bent down, and a flattering smile appeared on his face, “Oh, it’s the Hero…”

Hero? Karen continued to chew her food rapidly, looking at the man with curious eyes.

So this was the legendary Hero?

She had heard that the noble lords, in order to fight the ferocious Demon Beasts, had summoned a Second Hero after the First Hero died… But this had nothing to do with commoners.

In Karen’s eyes, living under the rule of nobles and being trampled by Demon Beasts wasn’t much different. It was just a matter of how quickly they died.

“Your name is Zahar, right?” Qin Chu glanced at the bowing knight, “What are you doing?”

“Reporting to the Hero, I’m executing a commoner who attacked a noble,” Zahar immediately reported.

He didn’t think there was anything wrong with his actions. For a commoner to trespass into the noble district was a capital crime, not to mention that she had even kicked him. Adding the crime of attacking a noble, executing her only once was letting her off easy.

Qin Chu ignored Zahar and squatted down, “What’s your name?”

Karen was stunned. She didn’t expect this noble Hero to talk to her. She was momentarily speechless.

A knight beside her, seeing this scene, immediately kicked Karen’s thin body, “Lowly commoner, didn’t you hear the Hero asking you a question? Answer quickly.”

The tip of the knight’s boot was made of metal, very hard. A look of pain appeared on Karen’s face, but she didn’t dare to hesitate. She knew that if she hesitated any longer, there would be even more terrible torment waiting for her. She quickly replied, “My name is Karen!”

Qin Chu smiled gently, “Karen… What a beautiful name.”

After arriving here, Qin Chu recognized her. Karen was the girl he had helped in the first playthrough.

At that time, Qin Chu had just arrived in this world. Seeing Karen searching for food in a dirty trash can, he couldn’t bear it and borrowed a hundred Mana from Loseweisse to give to her, hoping that she could buy some clean food.

But unfortunately, that hundred Mana was quickly stolen. When Qin Chu met Karen again, her legs had even been broken. Because too much time had passed, they couldn’t even be healed with magic. For a long time, she could only crawl on the ground, living on garbage. Coupled with the painful torment, Karen had become extremely weak and emaciated.

Qin Chu originally wanted to adopt Karen, but Loseweisse told him that he was the Hero, and he had more important responsibilities.

There were thousands of people in the Heavenly Continent who were as miserable as Karen, waiting to be saved. He couldn’t focus all his energy on her. Only by completely eliminating the Demon Beasts could he end the tragedy.

In the end, Qin Chu prepared a wheelchair for Karen and hired someone to take care of her.

When he was executed, only Karen was still defending him. She was eventually killed by Nikles, the patrol captain.

The past scenes flashed through his mind. Qin Chu suddenly reached out and picked Karen up from the cold stone slab. This action made Karen panic, her body instinctively struggling slightly. She was very dirty, covered in filth. If she dirtied the Hero’s clothes, she couldn’t afford to compensate him.

This scene made all the surrounding knights frown, exchanging looks of disdain.

To them, commoners weren’t even considered human.

Contacting a commoner was a humiliation to the upper class, let alone picking one up like Qin Chu did.

Sensing the gazes around him, Qin Chu didn’t care. His eyes swept over Karen’s body. Her right leg was unnaturally twisted, and there were scratches on her knees, ankles, arms, and other parts of her body.

“How did this happen?”

Karen averted her gaze, murmuring softly, “I… I fell when I climbed over the dividing wall…”

A ten-meter-high dividing wall! How hungry must Karen have been to climb over the wall, sneak into the noble district, and search for food in the trash cans?

It must have been very painful when her knee was broken, right?

Qin Chu could easily imagine Karen dragging her injured body, struggling to crawl towards the trash can on the cold stone slabs. The scratches on her body were probably left like this.

Without saying anything more, Qin Chu placed his hand on Karen’s wounds.

“Holy Light!”

A gentle white light spread out from Qin Chu’s palm, enveloping Karen’s small body. The wounds on her body were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Holy Light wasn’t just for illumination. It was the most basic healing magic of the Holy See, and its effect was quite good.

In a short time, Karen was surprised to find that her wounds had almost completely healed, and the stinging pain that had numbed her body was gone.

She shook her head from side to side, looking very cute.

“Hero, with all due respect, contacting such a person is an insult to your dignity,” Zahar frowned, advising him with seemingly good intentions, “Let alone wasting your precious Mana on such a person.”

He didn’t care about Qin Chu’s dignity, but Qin Chu, like him, was a member of the upper class. Qin Chu’s actions also made him lose face.

Zahar wasn’t stupid. He could see that Qin Chu seemed to want to protect this girl, which made him very dissatisfied. After all, she had kicked him and was supposed to be executed by him.

If he couldn’t execute Karen, then he, Zahar, would become a laughingstock among his colleagues and the upper class.

Qin Chu’s expression turned icy cold as he glanced at Zahar, “Shut up.”

The cold voice made Zahar’s breath hitch, and a surge of resentment rose in his heart. I kindly reminded you, but you didn’t take it to heart. Just wait to be laughed at… This damned otherworlder really didn’t understand etiquette, he had no noble demeanor at all.

When he turned to Karen, Qin Chu’s voice became gentle again, “Karen, where are your parents?”

“They died in the battle against the Demon Beasts,” Karen said quietly, her tone flat, seemingly without much sadness.

The torment of hunger had left her no time to grieve. Every day, just struggling to survive had exhausted all her energy.

Qin Chu’s gaze shifted to Zahar, “Zahar, her parents, like you, were soldiers…”

Zahar curled his lips mockingly. He even interrupted the Hero, “Hero, I’m sorry, but please be careful with your words. Although we are all soldiers, I am a knight. We are different.”

That’s right, they were knights, nobles.

Karen’s parents were just commoners.

In the war against the Demon Beasts, Karen’s parents were just cannon fodder at the forefront, fundamentally different from knights like Zahar. Zahar didn’t even need to go to the front lines to fight the Demon Beasts, he just had to patrol the noble district of the Imperial City.

Although he had long known the rules of this world, Qin Chu still couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger in his heart. It was too uncomfortable to suppress this anger in his chest.

But the angrier he was, the calmer his expression became. His face was gentle, without a trace of killing intent.

Zahar didn’t know what Qin Chu was feeling. He saw that Qin Chu was even smiling, thinking that the Hero had taken his words to heart. It seemed that this otherworlder wasn’t completely hopeless. He decided to give the Hero a good lesson on etiquette, to let him know the rules of high society.

“Hero, with all due respect, the title of Hero is extremely noble in the Heavenly Continent, so you must have the etiquette of a Hero… First and foremost, you can’t casually interact with those below you…”

Zahar’s nagging annoyed Qin Chu.

High society?

Was Augustus considered high society?

Was Saint Monique considered high society?

Was Wadsworth considered high society?

But even someone with Wadsworth’s status could still chat with Qin Chu on the street, putting his arm around his shoulder and addressing him as a brother. Was Wadsworth’s status not noble enough? Did Wadsworth not know about noble etiquette?

Suddenly, Qin Chu understood Zahar’s psychology.

Perhaps only the lowest-ranking nobles like Zahar needed this so-called etiquette and dignity to maintain their pathetic and fragile pride.

“Karen, can you close your eyes? It will only be for a moment. I need to clean up some trash,” Qin Chu suddenly said to Karen gently.

This girl, who was willing to speak up for him after he was executed, held a different meaning for Qin Chu.

Karen nodded obediently and closed her eyes.

Qin Chu used his Mana to block Karen’s hearing.

The next second, Qin Chu’s eyes turned silver-white, as if silver flames were dancing within them. His cold gaze swept over them, and Zahar’s incessant chatter instantly stopped. He felt an indescribable pressure, his heart clenching in pain.

His face contorted in pain.

A whimper like a wounded dog escaped his throat.

Not only Zahar, but the other three knights also had the same reaction. They didn’t understand what was happening at all.

At this moment, they heard Qin Chu’s indifferent, emotionless voice.

“Perhaps there’s a difference in status between you and Karen’s parents… You said you are different…”

“But you have to admit, there’s one thing you have in common!”

“That is… you only have one life.”

“Want to try it? See if your status as a knight can give you an extra life?”

At this moment, Zahar and the others finally understood that the pain they were experiencing was caused by the Hero. They opened their mouths, seemingly wanting to scream, but they couldn’t make a sound.

Before their terrified eyes, Qin Chu’s Battle Qi instantly transformed into silver flames, erupting forward with a hum.

An excruciating pain swept over them, and Zahar’s consciousness instantly vanished, their souls disintegrating into nothingness in the silver flames.

A variant of Star Flame Battle Qi, far more powerful than Ekaterina’s original version.

Qin Chu didn’t even use any martial skills, just releasing his Battle Qi was enough to make these so-called knights unbearable.

Karen’s eyelids trembled. After a long time, she finally opened her eyes. The four ferocious knights in front of her had disappeared, only some ashes remained in the air.

“Where are those four knights?” Karen asked cautiously.

“They left in shame after realizing their mistake,” Qin Chu shrugged and said lightly, then placed Karen on the ground, “Karen is very well-behaved, right? Can you continue to close your eyes? This time it might take a little longer. Can you open your eyes only when I tell you to?”

Karen nodded vigorously and closed her eyes tightly.

Qin Chu exhaled, blocking Karen’s hearing, and looked around. The streetlights could only illuminate the road beneath his feet, and the sides of the road were shrouded in darkness.

“Come out.”

He said this out of the blue.

A few seconds later, rustling sounds came from the shadows on both sides of the road. The next second, figures dressed in black, with their faces covered, the standard villain attire, appeared around Qin Chu.

Thirteen auras, thirteen assassins, their auras around level 60, not bad.

Because he now had Violet, this powerful companion, by his side, and because he had also displayed considerable strength, Qin Chu had a bit more freedom of movement and no longer needed to be surrounded by a large number of guards at all times.

But he didn’t expect to encounter so many assassins on the first day without guards.

Qin Chu seemed a little sleepy. He yawned and glanced at the leader in front of him. This guy was the strongest, probably around level 65.

In the Heavenly Continent, he was already considered a high-level expert.

“It was that idiot Lance who sent you, right?”

“It seems I overestimated that waste. I thought he would have some patience.”

Qin Chu’s words clearly angered the assassins. They were Lance’s loyal followers. In their hearts, His Highness Lance was their only god. They didn’t believe in the Goddess of Holy Light, nor the Earth Mother Goddess. Lance was their only faith.

This kind of training method could ensure the loyalty of these followers, but it also had another disadvantage: they were easily angered when their faith was insulted.

The assassins’ eyes turned blood red, and they drew their weapons with a whoosh. Under the moonlight, their sharp blades gleamed with a chilling light.

“Qin Chu, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you’re the Hero. Today is your death day.”

Perhaps because there was no one else around, Qin Chu didn’t need to pretend to be weak.

He grinned, a mocking smile on his face, “Want to kill me? Just you? You’re not worthy!”

Chapter 131: A Filthy World

Qin Chu couldn’t refuse a beautiful woman’s request.

After all, Athena was already drunk. If he left her here, it would be terrible if someone with ill intentions took advantage of her beauty and figure.

Just thinking about that scene was terrifying.

As a gentleman, Qin Chu couldn’t bear to see Athena in such danger, especially since he was the one who invited her to dinner. If anything happened to her, he would feel extremely guilty.

Therefore, both reason and emotion dictated that Qin Chu had to protect Athena’s safety.

Looking at Athena’s flushed cheeks, Qin Chu stood up and wiped his mouth with a napkin, “Of course, beautiful lady, this is my duty…”

He waved to the waiter, paid the bill, and arranged for a comfortable room.

Qin Chu completely ignored the waiter’s ambiguous look. He was only doing this for Athena’s safety, not for any filthy reasons like the waiter thought.

He was a good person.

Athena seemed to be really drunk. Her voluptuous body swayed, and she seemed unable to stand steadily. Half of her body leaned against Qin Chu as he supported her.

At this moment, Qin Chu kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, like a true gentleman.

His upright behavior even made the blushing Athena a little confused. Was this really Qin Chu? Based on her understanding of him, he shouldn’t be like this.

She was already being so obvious, but this guy didn’t react at all?

Could it be that she was even less attractive than Angelica, the bar owner, or even that rough gorilla Ekaterina?

She could lose to anyone, but losing to Ekaterina was something Athena couldn’t accept!

The door creaked open, and Athena shivered.

“Miss Athena, please rest well. I’ll be going now.”

After escorting Athena to the door, Qin Chu didn’t enter the room. As a gentleman, he couldn’t casually enter a lady’s room.

As Qin Chu turned to leave, a small, fair hand grabbed his wrist.

Athena knew what was going to happen next.

It was precisely because she knew that she was even more afraid. A wave of regret surged in her heart, and she had the urge to run out of the room…

She was scared, she was terrified…

This person wasn’t Jie Luo, he was Qin Chu.

Her fingers clenched tightly, suppressing the fear in her heart with great willpower. She knew she couldn’t escape. Once she ran away, Lord Jie Luo’s resurrection would become a distant dream.

The soul fragment was already cracked. She had to help Lord Jie Luo recover as soon as possible.

Endure, she had to endure. As long as she endured for a while, the nightmare would be over.

…

Athena didn’t even have the strength to speak.

After tidying up his clothes, Qin Chu picked up Jie Luo’s soul fragment from the bedside table and put it back into his storage ring.

It was already late at night.

The air was a little cold.

Walking on the deserted street, the night breeze blowing, Qin Chu felt refreshed.

Thinking of Athena, a mocking smile appeared on Qin Chu’s lips. This woman probably still thought she was sacrificing for Jie Luo and was moved by her own actions, right?

Assuming she still had the ability to think.

The lust in his chest had been vented, leaving behind a sense of emptiness.

Gazing at the hazy city under the night sky, Qin Chu narrowed his eyes slightly. What would this city become in the near future?

Ruined walls, corpses everywhere, rivers of blood?

He didn’t know. He had once given everything for this city, for this continent. He had shed blood and sweat countless times, walking on the edge of life and death, but he hadn’t received any kindness from this world. This rotten world repaid him with deadly poison and swords.

Tap… Tap…

Only Qin Chu’s footsteps echoed on the silent street.

“Shaye, we’re on the right path, right?” Qin Chu asked abruptly. Only in front of Shaye and Anthea would he remove his thick disguise and reveal his true self, a side that he didn’t even show to Angelica… His true self… and his weakness.

This was a rare moment of relaxation, precious to Qin Chu.

Shaye’s figure emerged from behind him, her slender arms wrapping around his neck, hanging on his back like a koala as always.

She didn’t answer Qin Chu’s question, but gently caressed his cheek with her slender hand. After a few seconds, her voice entered his ears, “What is right, and what is wrong?”

Shaye knew every thought in Qin Chu’s mind.

“What is your ideal world like? Do you want to destroy this world, or do you want to rebuild it into the ideal world in your heart?”

“It’s easier to just destroy it,” Anthea’s figure also appeared, sitting on Qin Chu’s shoulder, her slender legs dangling against his chest. Hearing Shaye’s question, she gave a straightforward answer.

In Anthea’s eyes, this world didn’t seem to need saving. Although her memories hadn’t returned, she subconsciously harbored ill will towards the Auville Empire.

Qin Chu tilted his head and thought for a moment. This rotten world, even without the Demon Beasts, was still shrouded in gloom and darkness. The humanity here was already twisted, the souls already rotten.

The royalty and nobles were filthy and depraved, the clerics spread false and distorted beliefs, and the commoners were ignorant, numb, and indifferent…

Thinking back, although Loseweisse had made many arrangements in the first playthrough, using the power of the media in her hands to ruin his reputation, those commoners might be easily swayed… But was there really no one who could see that it was a false accusation against him?

Were the people really that stupid?

No… There must have been people who could see the truth.

But they didn’t care.

The Demon King had been killed, the Dark Witch was sealed, and the remaining Demon Beasts were driven back to the abyss. Even if those Demon Beasts could climb out of the abyss, without the Witch, the Demon King, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Seventeen Generals, how much of a threat could the Demon Beast army pose?

Relying on the Imperial Army, the Holy Knights, and the Earth Knights, they could easily repel and slaughter the leaderless Demon Beast army.

Humans no longer needed the Hero, so why would they risk offending those in power to speak up for the Hero?

Moreover, the Hero was just an outsider. What did it matter to them if he died?

Perhaps during the divine war a thousand years ago, when the gods perished, this world had already lost its guidance. Evil had already engulfed the entire world.

The members of the Hero Squad, Saint Monique, Augustus, Wadsworth… those big shots were the culprits, and those ordinary nobles and commoners were also accomplices.

It wasn’t just Loseweisse and the others who had truly murdered him, but almost everyone in this world… They all bore the sin.

A single spark can start a prairie fire… But that was on a grassland.

If it was on a vast glacier, that spark would be instantly extinguished.

In this world, conscience would be corrupted by evil at the fastest speed.

“Indeed, as Anthea said, compared to guiding this world back on track, it’s easier to just destroy it,” Qin Chu nodded, agreeing with Anthea’s answer.

“So, there’s no need to be confused. Just follow your heart,” Shaye said slowly, like a life mentor.

Qin Chu smiled self-deprecatingly. Was this the kind of thinking that came after a moment of passion?

Suddenly, he heard a commotion coming from the street ahead, along with a few struggling figures. Four of them were guards on night patrol, and the other was a dirty girl struggling desperately.

Qin Chu frowned slightly and quickened his pace. As he got closer, he finally saw the thin figure, desperately clutching a piece of steak that a noble had thrown in the trash can, shoving it into her mouth with her dirty hands.

Food discarded by nobles was a delicacy that people in the commoner district couldn’t even dream of during festivals.

Several soldiers were dragging the girl on the ground. For these soldiers, it was dereliction of duty to let people from the commoner district cross the dividing wall and enter the noble district. They had to drive this girl away as soon as possible.

The place where nobles lived would be defiled if trampled by commoners.

The girl’s legs were kicking wildly, her shoes had fallen off. Perhaps… she hadn’t worn shoes for a long time?

Shoes were probably a luxury for her.

Her clothes were tattered, they couldn’t even be called clothes, just a few ragged pieces of cloth, revealing her dark, dirty skin and the bones clearly visible beneath it.

Emaciated, that was the best word to describe this girl.

One of her legs was unnaturally twisted, her knee a mess of torn flesh and blood, even the white bone could be seen.

At this moment, the girl accidentally kicked a guard’s leg while struggling. Seeing the clear footprint on his shiny armor, the knight felt deeply humiliated.

“Lowly trash, you dared to dirty my armor!” The knight’s face instantly became extremely distorted and ferocious, like a ferocious beast.

He was a noble knight, a noble. To be touched by such a lowly commoner was an insult. She wasn’t even worthy of kneeling down and licking his boots.

This kind of lowly creature didn’t deserve to live in this world.

And now, she even dared to kick him.

A twisted, cruel smile appeared on the knight’s face. He raised his spear high, “Those who attack nobles, death!”

Knights were also nobles.

And this girl kicking him was clearly an attack on a noble. He had ample reason to execute her.

Under the moonlight, the spearhead gleamed coldly.

The girl’s eyes were filled with fear. She knew what she was about to face. She trembled with fear, but her mouth still chewed desperately, seemingly trying to swallow the remaining food.

It was a delicacy she had never tasted before.

The spear suddenly thrust downwards, “Die, trash!”

The sharp spearhead, gleaming with cold light, descended rapidly!

Chapter 130: Athena’s Sacrifice

Qin Chu was stunned.

He didn’t know how to react at this moment. All sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind. Could it be the effect of Stunning Love?

Impossible.

Ekaterina’s reaction wasn’t this exaggerated when she used Stunning Love.

Perhaps it was a bloodline issue. Candice had a very pleasant scent that made Qin Chu want to indulge in this tenderness.

However, Qin Chu’s willpower was much stronger than before. He forcefully pushed Candice’s face away. The woman was looking at him with a playful smile.

“Is this some kind of special etiquette? At least I don’t remember any such custom among humans,” Qin Chu sighed helplessly, pretending to be nonchalant.

Candice didn’t answer directly, but leaned closer again. Her soft, jelly-like lips almost touched Qin Chu’s ear as she whispered, “Lord Horus…”

“I look forward to the day you tell me the whole truth.”

Qin Chu’s body instantly tensed up, his pupils constricted, and a helpless smile appeared on his face, “You already knew?”

“Don’t underestimate a spy.”

“Aren’t you angry?”

“No!” Candice rested her chin on Qin Chu’s shoulder, their cheeks almost touching.

A few strands of purple hair fell on Qin Chu’s face, tickling him.

“Can you hold me?” Candice asked softly, with a hint of pleading.

This was a girl who was used to coldness, still yearning for a little warmth.

Qin Chu hesitated for a moment, then finally raised his right hand and wrapped it around Candice’s shoulder.

Candice smiled happily. It was warm, a kind of warmth that she had never experienced before in her life.

“I won’t be angry. If I was angry, I would have died of anger long ago,” Candice said with a sad self-deprecating chuckle. “Whether it’s deception or manipulation, as long as you still need me, it’s fine.”

A typical “need to be needed” personality. Because of her tragic childhood experiences, Candice desperately craved recognition and praise. The things she had been chasing but never obtained, she finally found in Qin Chu.

Perhaps this wasn’t love, it was purely a relationship of need and being needed. Candice might understand this, but she didn’t care.

Because this was the first person who made her feel fulfilled and warm.

As for Qin Chu, it was the opposite. He could unscrupulously manipulate, deceive, destroy, and hurt women like Loseweisse, Ekaterina, and Athena. But towards girls like Candice and Angelica, who had genuine feelings for him, Qin Chu was resistant to getting close. He was afraid that after giving his heart again, he would be betrayed again. He was also worried that some of his methods would hurt them.

“There are many girls around me,” Qin Chu said quietly.

“I know, so… If you could occasionally visit me here, I would be very happy,” Candice replied softly.

“You should have guessed that the things I’m doing are bad.”

“This world is already terrible, isn’t it? No matter what you do, it won’t make this world any worse. No matter what you want to do, I’ll be with you.”

Embracing him like this, Candice breathed in the scent of Qin Chu’s hair, feeling his heartbeat.

She hoped this moment could last forever, but she knew she couldn’t be too greedy. It was enough to have this brief warmth. If she asked for more, she would be hated.

Taking a deep breath, Candice finally pulled away from Qin Chu’s arms, “Then, Lord Horus, can you wear the necklace I prepared for you? Ah, sorry, maybe I should have prepared a more expensive one…”

Candice suddenly panicked.

If the Hero and Horus were the same person, then his status was so noble, that silver necklace was too cheap.

It would even be disrespectful to wear it on the Hero. She knew how much those high-society people valued appearances.

Qin Chu smiled, took out the small box from his spatial ring, opened it under Candice’s surprised gaze, and put the necklace on, “The value of a gift is not determined by its material, but by the person who gave it and their feelings.”

Candice’s eyebrows curved into a smile. She took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Qin Chu, her slender waist slightly bent, “Then, Hero, go do what you need to do. If you’re tired, you can come here, I’ll prepare a glass of fine wine for you…”

…

Across from the bar, Athena quietly watched all of this.

As expected, that scumbag Hero Qin Chu was here for the bar owner. When she was gathering information before, she already felt that this bar owner was very beautiful and exuded a seductive charm.

This kind of woman was definitely good at attracting men.

Now it seemed that she was right. She had hooked up with the Hero in just a few days. When she asked before, Candice said that the Hero just came here to drink and that they had no relationship… Now, she was showing her true colors!

Did this woman think she had a chance to climb up the social ladder by becoming the Hero’s woman?

Dream on, she was not worthy at all.

Even if Qin Chu was bewitched by this flirtatious woman, the soul of Lord Jie Luo in his body definitely wouldn’t be.

Lord Jie Luo was so noble, how could he possibly fall for this kind of woman? Moreover, both in terms of figure and appearance, she was much better than this woman.

But these two filthy and despicable people were truly a match made in heaven.

In the milk tea shop, Athena bit the straw with her white teeth, constantly complaining in her heart. Why was she always seeing this kind of scene?

The image of being with Lord Jie Luo involuntarily appeared in her mind. Although it was still Qin Chu’s body, the feeling was different. It was warm, comfortable, and not at all rough like Qin Chu.

A silly smile appeared on Athena’s face. Compared to Lord Jie Luo, this Qin Chu guy was really terrible.

She wanted to be with Lord Jie Luo…

The thought that suddenly popped into her mind made Athena blush. She shook her head vigorously, her azure, wavy hair swaying. She wasn’t a shameless woman like Ekaterina or the bar owner.

She just wanted Lord Jie Luo to recover quickly.

At this moment, Athena suddenly felt a shadow on the window. She subconsciously looked up and saw Qin Chu’s figure standing outside the glass. Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to hide, but it was obviously too late.

She quickly adjusted her expression and put on a surprised look, “Eh? Hero? Why are you here?”

“Well, this bar in the commoner district is quite good. I came here for a drink. What about you, Miss Athena? Why are you in the commoner district too? This place doesn’t suit your noble status. You should be in more elegant places…”

Just keep pretending, you’re clearly here for a tryst with a woman.

“This shop’s milk tea is quite good…”

Just keep pretending, you’re clearly here to spy on me.

The two of them spoke insincere words to each other. The difference was that one knew everything, while the other thought she was disguising herself well.

Qin Chu looked up at the sky, “It’s getting late. I know a good restaurant nearby. Miss Athena, would I have the honor of inviting you to dinner? Or are you planning to drink milk tea here all day?”

“Sorry to say this, but… Drinking too much milk tea can really make you fat.”

Athena instinctively wanted to refuse, but this was an opportunity to learn more about Qin Chu. After all, she still knew too little about this man. It would be best if she could wait for Lord Jie Luo’s consciousness to awaken.

Placing a bill on the table, Athena walked out of the milk tea shop, swaying her perfect figure. A gentle and charming smile appeared on her face, “Of course, it would be my honor.”

“And I’m very confident in managing my figure,” Athena added.

Women always cared about their figures, even in front of a man they disliked.

They walked side by side, both with faint smiles on their faces, neither revealing their true thoughts. Their aura was out of place in the bustling commoner district.

After passing through the dividing wall, the noisy sounds abruptly stopped, and the air became much fresher.

Whether the food in the restaurants in the noble district was satisfactory or not, the prices were definitely satisfactory. A table full of dishes cost Qin Chu several thousand Mana, which was definitely not a small amount.

A bottle of red wine, said to be two hundred years old, cost over 30,000 Mana.

“Before we eat…” Qin Chu didn’t pick up his knife and fork in a hurry, “I’m sorry!”

Athena, who was preparing her napkin, looked at Qin Chu in surprise, “Why are you apologizing, Hero?”

“That… Last night, it was my fault, I’m very sorry,” Qin Chu apologized sincerely for his actions last night.

Qin Chu was apologizing for threatening her with the First Hero’s soul fragment before.

After a slight pause, Qin Chu continued, “I know, the First Hero Jie Luo was a very outstanding person, right? Many people liked him, and the members of your Hero Squad, who spent day and night with him, naturally felt the same.”

“So, I accidentally heard some nobles say that the members of your Hero Squad were very resistant to summoning the Second Hero, which is me…”

“So, I also have no good feelings towards the members of the Hero Squad, even a little jealous.”

“When we went to rescue Benson before, Karsus even attacked me for no reason. I almost died at the tip of his spear, which made me even more disgusted with the members of the Hero Squad.”

“That’s why I did that to you yesterday. I’m really sorry,” Qin Chu expressed his apology very sincerely.

That idiot Karsus.

So it was true, Jie Luo also said that Karsus had attacked Qin Chu before.

So Qin Chu vented his anger on her as soon as he returned?

Athena cursed the soon-to-be-executed Karsus in her heart, a gentle smile on her face, “It’s okay, it was indeed our fault before. Hero, you don’t have to take it to heart.”

“We still need to work together to fight the Demon Beasts. We can’t let these small matters ruin our relationship, right?”

Qin Chu also seemed to relax, “Hehe, you’re right. And after spending some time together, I also found that not everyone in the Hero Squad is a bastard like Karsus. There are still good people.”

“For example, Saintess Loseweisse, she’s a very gentle person.”

“And Miss Ekaterina… Although we had a little misunderstanding at the beginning, we have a good relationship now.”

More than just a good relationship, you’re practically inseparable from Ekaterina every day, right?

This stupid man really didn’t know anything. Loseweisse’s gentleness was just a disguise, and Ekaterina was only with him to resurrect Jie Luo.

The more Athena looked at him, the more she felt sorry for this man.

From his words, Athena could clearly sense Qin Chu’s admiration for Ekaterina and Loseweisse.

It was no wonder that this man would seek out Angelica and the bar owner… Perhaps only women of this level could satisfy his pathetic self-esteem.

Qin Chu hadn’t spent much time with Loseweisse. Most of what he talked about was Ekaterina. Listening to him, Athena felt an inexplicable irritation in her heart.

Ekaterina was the first one to sacrifice for Lord Jie Luo, so she naturally held an important place in his heart. After that, every time Ekaterina accompanied Qin Chu, she could help Lord Jie Luo recover. If this continued, if Lord Jie Luo awakened one day, it would almost all be Ekaterina’s credit. Her status in Lord Jie Luo’s heart would probably be far inferior to Ekaterina’s.

Athena also wanted Jie Luo to wake up soon, but she couldn’t get past this hurdle.

She instinctively loathed the man in front of her.

Unfortunately, even though the meal was almost over, Lord Jie Luo’s consciousness still hadn’t appeared.

On the other hand, Athena knew that this was inevitable. This was a necessary condition for Lord Jie Luo’s recovery… Otherwise, who knew what accidents might happen in the next few decades? Lord Jie Luo was so fragile now, any accident could lead to him never being resurrected.

Every day brought more danger.

Athena’s mind was in turmoil. Lord Jie Luo’s resurrection, the disgusting Qin Chu, Ekaterina’s sacrifice, that woman’s status in Lord Jie Luo’s heart…

She kept pouring herself wine, her cheeks flushed.

If Qin Chu kept being with ordinary noble ladies, could it also accelerate the awakening of Lord Jie Luo’s consciousness? This thought suddenly occurred to Athena, but… She quickly shook her head. Lord Jie Luo didn’t mention this before, he only said that it could work with Ekaterina and her…

With Lord Jie Luo’s gentleness, if this was really effective, he wouldn’t have let Ekaterina sacrifice herself. He would just have Qin Chu go find those noble ladies.

Perhaps this was the bond she and Ekaterina shared with Lord Jie Luo, as members of the Hero Squad who had spent a long time with him.

Now, only they were left for Lord Jie Luo!

If they were unwilling to sacrifice and contribute, then Lord Jie Luo would never be resurrected.

“Hero, can I see that soul fragment again?” Athena suddenly asked, then she remembered that the soul fragment seemed to have already merged into Qin Chu’s body.

To her surprise, Qin Chu readily took out the soul fragment, “Of course.”

But when she saw the soul fragment again, Athena’s face was filled with shock. It was covered in dense cracks like a spider web, and the feeling of Lord Jie Luo on it was extremely weak.

Qin Chu scratched his head with a slightly embarrassed look, then said as if he had just remembered something, “Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t deliberately damage this thing.”

He didn’t damage it, he just infused it with Star Flame Battle Qi, causing it to crack from the inside.

Athena didn’t suspect that this was Qin Chu’s deliberate act. Whether it was crushed or dropped, it couldn’t have left such uniform cracks. It looked more like it was naturally formed…

“I don’t know what happened either. After you left yesterday, I woke up and it was like this.”

Athena’s expression was extremely gloomy. This was definitely not a good sign. She thought about it and could only come up with one possibility: Lord Jie Luo’s remnant soul was overexerted yesterday.

Athena wouldn’t forget how painful Lord Jie Luo looked when his consciousness revived.

It was obvious that Lord Jie Luo was forcing himself at that time.

If it wasn’t for saving her, Lord Jie Luo wouldn’t have suffered such damage.

For a moment, Athena felt both happy and regretful.

She wanted to make amends.

Qin Chu secretly observed Athena’s expression, “Miss Athena, if you want it, I’ll give it to you. It’s useless for me anyway.”

Athena shook her head and returned the soul fragment to Qin Chu. She couldn’t be sure if something bad would happen if the soul fragment was too far away from the remnant soul, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Moreover, it seemed that Lord Jie Luo’s remnant soul also needed the soul fragment to help him take control of Qin Chu’s body.

Taking a deep breath, Athena finally made up her mind. When only they were left for Lord Jie Luo, she had to make sacrifices for him.

She stood up, her body exuding an astonishing charm, “Hero, I seem to be a little drunk…”

“And a little tired. There seems to be a room upstairs. Can you help me up to rest?”

Chapter 129: The Succubus’ Temptation 

Qin Chu’s expression was strange as he watched Candice down the entire bottle of Stunning Love like it was vodka.

Bold!

This girl was too bold!

Qin Chu had only intended to test her a little. If Candice really wanted to drink the Stunning Love potion, he would definitely stop her.

He had expected Candice to hesitate, to ponder for a long time before slowly reaching for the bottle.

That way, he would have enough time to stop her.

But he didn’t expect that as soon as Candice heard that the potion was brewed by Horus, she didn’t hesitate at all, not giving Qin Chu any chance to react.

After finishing it in one gulp, Candice’s expression remained unchanged. She just wiped the liquid from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, placed the bottle on the counter with a clang, and looked at Qin Chu with her amethyst eyes, “Hero, is this enough?”

“Is this really a potion?”

“It’s a little sweet, not what I imagined.”

Based on Ekaterina’s experience, Stunning Love was indeed a little sweet.

As for normal potions, their taste… how should he put it? Even a latrine that had been accumulating for over a decade smelled better than a potion.

Those who could drink potions were basically warriors.

Candice shook her head slightly, feeling the effects of the potion kicking in. Her head felt a little heavy, her body seemed to be swaying.

Her vision was blurry, and Qin Chu in front of her seemed to have turned into multiple phantoms.

Hmm.

She suddenly felt that this Hero wasn’t bad.

Although his appearance wasn’t particularly handsome, he was definitely not bad-looking. He was the type that grew on you. Moreover, he didn’t have the arrogance that came with his noble status as the Hero. He was quite approachable and had great talent. In a short period of time, his aura had become much stronger.

The current Hero was probably no weaker than her, right?

Of course, compared to Lord Horus, this Hero was still far behind.

Candice found the thoughts that popped into her mind a little strange…

She was a very smart woman. Someone who could infiltrate and work as a spy was definitely not a fool.

Even Shaye had said that this woman had the potential to be a Witch. She had inherited the bloodline of the Vice-Captain of the Holy Knights, a powerful human, as well as the bloodline of the Succubus Queen. Candice could be said to have perfectly inherited the best genes from both her father and mother.

Even without systematic education and training, Candice had achieved her current strength relying on her instincts, talent, and the occasional incomplete magic books she collected.

If Candice was a fool, she couldn’t have done this.

Moreover, she was a mage herself. Although she wasn’t an expert in potions, she at least had some understanding. And she also knew very well what she had just drunk…

Her mind was hazy, but Candice’s thinking became exceptionally clear at this moment.

She keenly noticed that she suddenly had some favorable feelings towards the Hero.

She was infatuated with Lord Horus and couldn’t possibly suddenly develop feelings for another man. In this regard, Candice was very confident.

Towards the Hero in front of her, Candice only had respect. She felt that the Hero, who could be on par with Lord Horus, was a remarkable person, but that was all. Even though the Hero was younger than Lord Horus, Candice’s feelings hadn’t changed.

She was even a little dissatisfied that the Hero, who was younger than her, was actually her senior.

From respect with a hint of dissatisfaction to suddenly having some favorable feelings? Impossible, humans were complex beings, their emotions couldn’t change so drastically in such a short time.

Could it be… Candice’s pupils constricted abruptly.

Was the Hero the brewer of the Stunning Love potion?

It had to be said that this woman Candice was frighteningly perceptive. From the fact that she chose to betray the Demon Beasts without much hesitation, it could be seen that she was decisive in her actions.

The thought that suddenly appeared in her heart made Candice feel a surge of anger. If this potion was really brewed by Qin Chu, then she would forget Lord Horus and fall in love with him instead?

This bastard, what did he take her for?

Actually, Candice’s guess was very close to the truth. These Stunning Love potions were stolen… ahem, taken by Qin Chu from Saintess Loseweisse’s boudoir.

However, Shaye used Qin Chu’s blood and hair to modify them. Because she used materials from Qin Chu’s body, and she was symbiotic with him, the brewer had changed from Loseweisse to Qin Chu.

Filled with anger, Candice had the urge to attack… But soon, she keenly noticed something was wrong.

If the Stunning Love potion really worked as Qin Chu said, then when the potion took effect and she started to have feelings for him, she would also gradually forget about Horus, his appearance, his voice… And she would never be angry with Qin Chu.

But that didn’t happen.

She remembered everything clearly.

Could it be that the potion had expired?

Impossible, Candice could sense that the potion was full of Mana, it couldn’t have expired.

Candice was suspicious.

Her gaze subconsciously fell on Qin Chu. Having done something wrong, Qin Chu lowered his eyelids and instinctively leaned back.

A smile suddenly appeared on Candice’s lips. Looking closely, one would find that Lord Horus, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, seemed to be a little younger than the Hero, but their figures and silhouettes were strangely similar.

His subconscious leaning back, the way his fingers rubbed the wine glass, and the gesture of resting his chin on his hands when they last met… the two figures overlapped in Candice’s mind.

Some people, even if they changed their appearance, some subconscious habits would still inadvertently expose them completely.

If the potion was brewed by Qin Chu, then she should have already started to forget about Horus. If it was brewed by Lord Horus, then she couldn’t possibly suddenly have feelings for Qin Chu.

Then, there was only one possibility.

Of course, she still needed to confirm it.

“Lord Horus, am I qualified now?” Candice asked abruptly.

“Of course…” Qin Chu answered subconsciously, but he immediately realized something was wrong, “Ahem, I mean, Horus will definitely think you’re qualified.”

He felt like this scene had happened before.

“Yes, he will be very satisfied,” Qin Chu emphasized.

Candice seemed to be finally relieved. She placed her fair hand on her ample chest, seemingly trying to calm her heart.

Then, Candice’s alluring upper body slowly leaned on the counter, her face very close to Qin Chu’s. He could almost smell the fragrance from her hair.

Because of this particular posture, Candice’s back and hips formed a captivating curve, and the fabric of her purple dress’s neckline naturally fell due to gravity.

Inadvertently, Qin Chu caught a glimpse of something he shouldn’t have seen.

This made him panic. Whether it was the Hero or Horus, he had to maintain his image in front of Candice, he couldn’t let her see through him.

His gaze involuntarily shifted to the side.

He swallowed slightly. At this moment, Candice exuded an astonishing charm. Her slightly dazed face and watery eyes were extremely seductive.

As expected of someone with the bloodline of the Succubus Queen.

If this woman really wanted to seduce a man, no one could resist her.

“It’s getting late, I should probably go… Oh, right, also, find a way to inform Lomond, tell him to harass the human border for a while.”

“He doesn’t need to attack with all his might, just keep the border conflict going,” Qin Chu quickly instructed.

As long as the humans constantly felt the threat of the Demon Beasts, then his status as the Hero would become higher and higher. Similarly, he would become safer and safer.

After giving his instructions, Qin Chu put down his wine glass and was about to leave.

But before he could stand up, a pair of soft hands grabbed his.

“Miss Candice, what are you…”

Qin Chu instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Candice held on tight, her teary eyes looking at him so pitifully that Qin Chu couldn’t help but soften.

“Hero, I know Lord Horus is currently in the Void, but you can contact him, right? Can you let me talk to him? I really want to hear his voice,” Candice pleaded.

Candice’s behavior surprised Qin Chu. Last time, when this Succubus asked him to give a necklace to Horus, he thought she was just trying to please Horus.

After all, how could there be so much love at first sight in this world?

But now, looking at Candice’s appearance, this woman seemed to have truly fallen for Horus.

Fallen for the fake identity he created… This… What was this? For a moment, Qin Chu felt an extreme headache.

What made him even more troubled was that Horus didn’t exist at all. How could he contact Horus? Was he supposed to talk to himself?

But he definitely couldn’t show this side of himself in front of Candice. Qin Chu quickly regained his composure, “Miss Candice, you know, Horus is currently in the Void. It’s not easy to contact him.”

Candice’s disappointment was visible. Her expression even made Qin Chu feel a strong sense of guilt. Oh my God, did he go too far this time? How could he explain the truth to Candice in the future?

Could he say that Horus died in the Void and that she should find someone else more suitable?

This woman would be heartbroken.

“Is that so? Then… Hero, do you have any more of that potion from before?”

“Yes, I do. What’s wrong?”

“Give me a few more bottles…”

“Huh?” Qin Chu thought he had heard wrong.

“I said, give me a few more bottles.”

“No, no, no, one bottle is enough. I think Horus already knows your loyalty,” Qin Chu shook his head repeatedly.

Stunning Love was very precious. He only had four bottles left, and he was already heartbroken that Candice had drunk one. He definitely couldn’t waste any more.

“No, this isn’t about proving loyalty, I want to prove my love for Lord Horus.”

“Hero, you might not know this, but ever since I first met Lord Horus, I have fallen deeply in love with him,” Candice said, her eyes gazing at Qin Chu with deep affection.

Qin Chu felt his heart skip a beat.

“But Horus only uses you as a tool, you know that yourself, right?” Qin Chu’s fingers subconsciously clenched as he spoke slowly, feeling a strong self-loathing in his heart.

Candice noticed Qin Chu’s reaction. She smiled gently and quickly answered, “I know.”

“How much do you know about him? He might be deceiving you.”

“I know that too.”

Candice smiled, a very, very twisted smile:

“Even if he’s using me, even if he’s deceiving me, I don’t mind.”

“I’m used to being deceived…” Candice placed her hand on her chest, a sad smile on her face, “When I was very young, my father lied to me and said he was going hunting in the forest, then left me there and never looked back…”

“My mother lied to me and said that as long as I provided information to the Demon Beasts, she would acknowledge me as her daughter. But I know she only sees me as a disgrace.”

“Lomond lied to me and said that as long as I worked for him, he would be my backing, allowing me to gain recognition among the Demon Beasts. But I know he just wants a convenient source of information.”

“Everyone around me, they are all using me, deceiving me… My life has always been full of lies.”

This was a very tragic girl.

Growing up in an environment of disdain and disgust, being deceived, fooled, and used since childhood, it must have been very depressing.

Just like him, being played in the palm of someone’s hand.

Qin Chu stopped, and there was even a hint of pity in his eyes.

If it were him, living in such a terrible environment at such a young age, he probably wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

“I’m used to it, but my heart is still filled with expectations and hope. Unfortunately, these expectations and hope have been dashed time and time again. I haven’t gained anything.”

“In my parents’ eyes, I’m a dirty bastard. I’ve heard my father and mother say countless times that it would have been better if I had never been born.”

“In the eyes of the Demon Beasts, I’m a lowly half-breed with human blood…”

“In the eyes of humans, I’m a monster with Demon Beast blood…”

“There’s no place for me in this world, only Lord Horus, he needs me.”

“Although Lord Horus is only using me, he’s different from my parents, from Lomond and those people. You might not know this, but when we first met, Lord Horus gave me a magic spell. It’s a Super-tier magic spell, very precious, right?”

“Although it might make me seem cheap, I don’t know if it counts as good value for money.” She mocked herself.

“But that was the first gift I received in my life.” A happy smile appeared on Candice’s face. Even if it was just being used, even if it was a lie, she didn’t care. As long as he gave her a little response, she would be satisfied.

But this small request, she had never received it from anyone, whether it was her father, mother, or the Demon Beasts.

This terrible environment and her unhealthy expectations had shaped Candice’s almost twisted personality. Even for a little bit of tenderness, she was willing to throw herself at it like a moth to a flame.

“So, I also want to give something back to Lord Horus. That’s why I chose that cheap necklace. It’s very cheap, not worthy of Lord Horus, right? Hero, why don’t you return that necklace to me? I’ll be very sad if Lord Horus throws it away,” Candice seemed a little scared.

For a moment, Qin Chu had the urge to tell Candice the truth.

His lips moved a few times…

But he held back.

“No, he won’t,” Qin Chu shook his head, “Trust me, Horus will never do that. I think he will definitely like this necklace. It’s also a very precious gift for him.”

“Really? That’s great.” Candice straightened up and looked at Qin Chu. She was no longer just speculating. From Qin Chu’s reaction, the subtle expressions on his face, she was completely certain. Her years as a spy weren’t in vain.

Most importantly, it was her heart, beating wildly when she was close to Qin Chu, the urge to have more contact with him!

“One last favor, if you contact Lord Horus next time, please tell him about my feelings!”

Her serious tone gave Qin Chu a strange feeling.

“I will.”

Candice’s expression returned to normal. She stretched her arms lazily, as if she had finally said everything that had been bottled up in her heart, feeling much more relaxed. Her beautiful figure was on full display.

“So, Hero, do we need to put on a show? That lady who has been following you is Athena, a former member of the Hero Squad. She’s been asking around about you lately, she even came here.”

“I think she’s your enemy, right? If she was on your side, she wouldn’t be asking around about you.” This woman was really smart.

“Why don’t we hug, so she thinks you’re just here to fool around?” Candice said playfully. She seemed to have completely returned to normal, “Otherwise, the dignified Hero coming to my little tavern will definitely make her suspicious.”

Qin Chu thought for a moment, it was indeed true. Although he had considered how to deal with Athena, Candice’s method was clearly simpler and more effective.

Seeing Qin Chu agree, Candice smiled gently and walked out from behind the counter. Her graceful figure swayed alluringly, her purple skirt fluttering in the breeze, revealing her fair calves.

Her black, transparent high heels revealed her jade-like feet, pure white and spotless.

Slender and shapely, her figure was just right.

Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked up to Qin Chu and opened her arms like lotus roots.

Qin Chu also smiled gently and opened his arms. Just as he was about to hug her, Candice threw herself into his arms, her arms wrapping around his neck, her soft, jelly-like lips pressing against his.

Chapter 128: Stunning Love, Will You Drink It? 

Everyone had left, leaving only Loseweisse standing there, silently watching Qin Chu’s departing figure.

That resolute figure, walking away without looking back, made Loseweisse feel a sense of unfamiliarity. It seemed like she could reach out and touch the hem of his clothes if she just chased after him, but the distance between them felt increasingly vast.

Recalling Qin Chu’s words just now, Loseweisse’s expression darkened. She knew that her subconscious action when Augustus questioned Karsus had deeply hurt Qin Chu.

Although Loseweisse felt that it was just a small, insignificant matter, this man seemed to be more delicate and sensitive than she had imagined.

Of course, Loseweisse didn’t care if this man was hurt.

What she was worried about was whether this man would distance himself from her because of his hurt feelings, which would be very detrimental to her plan of using the Hero to elevate her status and resurrect Jie Luo.

Although she had planted Ekaterina as a spy by Qin Chu’s side, allowing her to know the Hero’s information at any time and even influence him to a certain extent, this was both a good and a bad thing for Loseweisse. After all, it would elevate Ekaterina’s status and give her more say in the Hero Squad.

Moreover, Ekaterina was too stupid. Loseweisse seriously doubted whether this woman, whose brain was full of muscles, could perfectly complete the task of being a spy.

Although the clever Athena had returned, only Loseweisse knew how fragile the sisterly bond between her and Athena was. This woman was cunning, insidious, and scheming. She wouldn’t be as easily manipulated as Ekaterina.

In the end, she still had to do it herself. Only in this way could she secure her position and win back Qin Chu’s affection.

Hmm… A date?

Although Karsus was about to be killed, Qin Chu hadn’t broken his promise. The date would still happen. Originally, Loseweisse just planned to casually go through the motions, but now it seemed that this might be an opportunity to mend her relationship with Qin Chu. She had to plan it carefully.

Of course, even on a date, she had to set clear boundaries that couldn’t be crossed.

She would never allow Qin Chu to take her virginity. This was the most important gift she would give to Lord Jie Luo.

And kissing was absolutely forbidden. Kissing was sacred and could only be shared with the person she loved deeply.

As for the rest, if Qin Chu wanted to hold her hand, she could accept it. Hugging, putting his arm around her waist… she could endure it… Loseweisse tilted her head, imagining the possible scenarios.

If he wanted to touch her thighs, her buttocks… those places, even Lord Jie Luo hadn’t touched them!

But thinking about how the clerics in the Church looked at her strangely because she had taken the Hero out of the city without permission and concealed Karsus’s massacre of the Holy Knights, no longer as respectful as before, even with a hint of disgust…

They were clearly dissatisfied with her, the Saintess of the Holy See, turning a blind eye to the massacre of the Holy Knights and even protecting the Death Knight.

Her status had been seriously affected.

Alright, even her chest, buttocks, and legs… As long as Qin Chu didn’t go too far, she could grit her teeth and endure it. The most important thing now was to restore her original status.

…

The sorrowful expression Qin Chu casually put on and the lines he came up with on the spot had an effect he hadn’t expected.

Athena had been following Qin Chu and the others from afar. She noticed that Qin Chu, who was supposed to return to the residence, suddenly parted ways with Angelica, Violet, and Ekaterina halfway and headed towards the commoner district alone.

This action made Athena feel a little strange. Ekaterina could be explained by Qin Chu not trusting the members of the Hero Squad, but why wouldn’t he let Angelica and Violet follow him either? What was this man trying to do?

Athena’s expression gradually became serious. Acting so suspiciously, he must be up to something shady. She felt that this time, she might be able to catch Qin Chu red-handed.

Biting her silver teeth lightly, Athena continued to follow Qin Chu.

Along the way, she saw Qin Chu greeting people warmly, whether they were nobles or commoners, soldiers or vendors. He seemed to be familiar with many people.

Although he was wearing expensive clothes, he could hug a sweaty guard at the city gate.

Although he should be wealthy and could enjoy delicious and elegant food every day, he could take a pancake from a vendor with a smile.

He could even squat down and play games with a group of dirty children.

The more Athena watched, the more surprised she became. She had never seen such a strange person. He was the noble Hero, just now he was talking and laughing with the highest-ranking people in the entire Heavenly Continent, and in the blink of an eye, he could perfectly blend in with the commoners.

Qin Chu wandered around the commoner district for most of the afternoon, mostly doing things that seemed meaningless in Athena’s eyes. This made Athena feel that her tailing was completely useless. It would have been better to just go back to the residence and wait for Qin Chu to return.

At least she could take a nap on the soft sofa.

Seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, Athena finally couldn’t take it anymore. She decided to leave.

But at this moment, Qin Chu, who had been wandering aimlessly in the commoner district, seemed to have finally found his target. He stopped wandering and walked straight towards a certain direction.

Athena perked up. If she could catch the Hero red-handed, many things would become much easier. She quickly followed, her ample bosom bouncing, attracting the attention of almost all the men around.

Her fair and delicate skin was completely different from the roughness of the women in the commoner district, and her long, shapely legs were captivating.

Such a beauty was rarely seen in the commoner district. Someone even accidentally bumped into a wall.

The surrounding crowd and gazes made Athena extremely irritated. She didn’t want to attract too much attention. It would be troublesome if Qin Chu noticed her.

Fortunately, Qin Chu was truly a complete blockhead. He didn’t notice the commotion behind him at all. After a while, Athena saw him enter a bar.

From a distance, she could see that the bar owner was a very beautiful woman with an exceptionally hot figure…

Hiss!

Athena shivered, her face full of black lines. No wonder Qin Chu had asked Angelica, Violet, and Ekaterina to leave. He was here to pick up women!

This damned Hero.

He already had three such outstanding women by his side, with both beauty and figure, and even Natia. What else was he not satisfied with?

Were all men like this, always looking for something better while already having something good?

Athena suddenly felt discouraged. If this guy didn’t have the title of Hero, she wouldn’t be the least bit interested in him.

She felt like she had wasted an entire afternoon on Qin Chu. Watching this scumbag Hero flirt with women didn’t seem like an interesting thing to do. But after careful consideration, Athena still didn’t leave. She ordered a milk tea at the beverage shop across from the bar, sat by the window, and quietly observed.

It was daytime, not yet time for alcohol. Qin Chu was the only customer.

Candice was as enchanting as ever. After not seeing her for a few days, her strength seemed to have improved.

As expected of a woman praised by Shaye for having the potential to be a Witch, her talent was truly impressive.

But now Qin Chu knew that becoming a Witch wasn’t an easy thing. Apart from Shaye, who was a natural talent, Witches like Violet had all embarked on the path of Witchcraft by obtaining divine authority and learning the knowledge of the gods. Their strength gradually increased, and they gradually went mad.

Although Candice was talented, she probably couldn’t reach Shaye’s level.

Her purple dress accentuated her graceful figure, and her long purple hair cascaded down her back, almost reaching her calves, swaying gently with her movements.

Her amethyst eyes were lively, and her fair face held a playful smile, “Hero… You’re being followed… Is that woman your admirer? She seems very unhappy that you’re here.”

It wasn’t that Candice was stronger than Athena. Although she had some strength, there was still a considerable gap between her and Athena, who had already reached the Grand Mage realm.

It was just that the commotion outside was too big to ignore.

“Don’t worry about it. Tell me, what’s been happening with the Demon Beasts lately?” Qin Chu shook his head. There were no Eyes of True Sight here, Athena was across the street, and the street was noisy, so he wasn’t worried that their conversation would be overheard.

Qin Chu had to keep abreast of the movements of both the Demon Beasts and the humans in order to plan his next move.

Candice didn’t hesitate. Her fair fingers held the wine glass, mixing a drink for Qin Chu while telling him about the situation with the Demon Beasts.

The general situation was similar to what Qin Chu knew, but there were subtle differences, some of which were even very important.

“Also, because he killed Benson, a member of the former Hero Squad, Lomond’s status among the Demon Beasts has greatly increased.” Candice’s lips curled into a mocking smile. That stupid Seventh Prince didn’t even know that he was just a pawn being manipulated by the Hero and Lord Horus. It was only because he was still useful that he was given some benefits.

Once Lomond’s usefulness was exhausted, it would be his time to die.

“That stupid Demon Beast seems to have become a bit arrogant because of the flattery around him. He’s acting more and more recklessly, even starting to look down on the other princes who are more senior than him.”

“After all, killing a member of the Hero Squad is a first.”

“Recently, Lomond has set his sights on another member of the Hero Squad. He heard from somewhere that a member of the Hero Squad is currently in the Demon Beasts’ territory. He asked me to gather information, to find out who that person is and where they are…” Candice said with some distress.

This Lomond was really too much.

Without any clues, how was she supposed to investigate? Moreover, just like before, he only promised that if she completed the task, he would be her strong backing, allowing her to gain recognition and acceptance among the Demon Beasts, without any substantial benefits.

She had heard countless empty promises, none of which had ever been fulfilled.

“The Noble Swordsman Ronald, his location is in the territory of the Third Demon Beast Princess,” Qin Chu said directly.

Candice was shocked.

The information she had been working hard to gather without any results, the Hero just casually revealed it?

As expected of a man who fought alongside Lord Horus, he seemed to know everything, he was truly amazing.

The admiration in her purple eyes deepened.

Speaking of Lord Horus…

Candice’s face suddenly flushed red. This beautiful and valiant lady also became a little shy, her fingers fiddling with the corner of her dress, seemingly embarrassed. After hesitating for a few seconds, she slowly spoke, “Um, Hero, about… about what I asked you last time…”

“That necklace…”

Qin Chu’s mind went blank. He had completely forgotten about it.

Candice had asked him to give a necklace to Horus… The problem was, who could he give it to? Horus was him!

Although he was a little panicked inside, he remained calm on the surface. He just picked up his wine glass and took a sip, saying calmly:

“Candice… I told you before, Horus is currently in the Void.”

“You know, that’s the Void!”

“Don’t think it’s as simple as visiting your neighbor, nor as easy as traveling from the Auville Empire to the Kalar Duchy…”

“Candice, do you understand what I mean?”

Candice nodded with a bitter smile. She might have been thinking too simply. After all, that was the endless Void. Time in the Void wasn’t calculated in days like normal human life, it might be calculated in months or even years.

“However, Horus and I can occasionally communicate through our minds across the vast Void. Although I haven’t received any news yet, he’s very satisfied with your gift. He asked me to convey his gratitude to you and said that he will prepare a return gift for you,” Qin Chu lied smoothly.

But these lies made Candice’s eyes brighten, and her purple eyes even glistened with moisture.

Her face turned red, her breathing seemed a little rapid, and her curvy chest heaved rapidly.

Lord Horus actually appreciated her gift and was even preparing a return gift for her. At this moment, Candice’s heart was filled with happiness.

Seeing her like this, Qin Chu felt a little guilty. He thought he should find an opportunity to appear as Horus and prepare a gift for her.

Moreover, Candice’s loyalty was also an issue that had to be addressed.

There was no concrete numerical value for loyalty. Currently, he was making Candice work for him by using the fabricated identity of Horus to bluff and create a mysterious and powerful image, as well as giving her some rewards.

This method could work for a short time, but as time went on, Qin Chu’s unease would grow stronger and stronger.

After all, in the first playthrough, even those he had saved, his comrades who had shared life and death with him, could stab him in the back. Only Shaye, who couldn’t exist without him, Violet, who would go mad if she was away from him, Anthea, who was parasitic in his body, and Angelica, who was willing to sacrifice herself for him, could give Qin Chu peace of mind.

The Candice in front of him was clearly not someone Qin Chu could trust completely.

He couldn’t help but wonder, if someone offered Candice more benefits, would this cunning Witch immediately switch sides?

Therefore, it was necessary to test Candice’s loyalty.

“Candice…” Qin Chu slowly spoke.

“You know, the things Horus and I are doing are very secret and important, with far-reaching implications. So we have to ensure the absolute loyalty of every member who knows the truth.”

Candice’s face panicked, and she quickly said, “I am absolutely loyal to Lord Horus.”

“Sorry, we don’t easily trust others. If you had the same experiences as us, you would also be as suspicious as we are. You never know if the person passing by you is a lackey of the Void, and that person might just stab you in the back.”

Candice fell silent, feeling a little sad.

It seemed that the Hero and Lord Horus had been betrayed by someone they trusted and had paid a heavy price for it.

“So, every member will undergo the strictest scrutiny.”

“Horus entrusted me with testing you. If you pass the test, you can become our peripheral member. Although personally, I don’t want that,” Qin Chu said calmly.

A test?

Candice bit her lower lip. Without any hesitation, she replied, “It’s okay, I’m willing to accept any test.”

“Your determination is admirable, but I still have to remind you that this is not an easy task. Even during the test, if you choose to quit, I won’t blame you,” Qin Chu said.

Candice just shook her head, then took a deep breath, “Let’s begin.”

A pink potion appeared in Qin Chu’s palm and was placed on the counter.

Anyone could tell at a glance that this pink potion was unusual.

“This is a potion, Stunning Love.”

Qin Chu said calmly. He didn’t really intend to let Candice drink Stunning Love, he just wanted to test her. After all, this potion was very precious, and Qin Chu planned to use it on someone more important and crucial.

Stunning Love? She seemed to have heard of it. It was a very high-level potion, and few people could brew it.

“Drink it, and the man you once loved deeply will gradually be forgotten. You won’t remember his face, his name, his voice. His place will be completely replaced by the brewer of the potion…”

“You will fall madly in love with that man, willing to give him everything. Even if he asks you to kill yourself, you won’t hesitate. Similarly, you will never betray him.”

“Other than that, you won’t be affected in any other way.”

“This is the potion Stunning Love, Candice, are you willing to drink it?”

Candice’s expression turned strange, “The dignified Hero, actually… actually brewing this kind of thing? Do you want me to fall in love with you? Sorry, that’s impossible…”

Pfft…

Qin Chu almost spat out his drink. He was rejected out of nowhere? To protect his poor reputation, Qin Chu quickly said, “No, no, you misunderstood. I don’t have the ability to brew potions yet. This was brewed by Horus… Only those who drink Stunning Love are worthy of his trust.”

Brewed by Lord Horus?

That made sense. This kind of high-level potion couldn’t be brewed by the current Hero, he didn’t have the ability.

Candice’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Was this really brewed by Lord Horus?” Candice asked for confirmation.

Qin Chu turned the bottle. On one side of the bottle was the mark of the Eye of Horus. Candice knew that was Lord Horus’s symbol.

“Hero, you said that the only side effect of this potion is that I will fall in love with Lord Horus, and there are no other effects, right?” Qin Chu nodded.

The next second, Candice grabbed the Stunning Love potion, and before Qin Chu could stop her… she drank it all in one gulp!

Chapter 127: Athena Desires Guidance

“What I mean is, a public trial.”

“Gather all the nobles, clerics, and even commoners of the Auville Imperial City and put Karsus on trial for his crimes in front of everyone,” Qin Chu said calmly, ignoring the shocked gazes around him. “If the venue can’t accommodate so many people, then use magic projections to broadcast the trial of Karsus.”

“Publish it on the front page of the newspapers, make sure that everyone in the Heavenly Continent knows that Karsus slaughtered 3200 Holy Knights of the Holy See, his crime is unforgivable, and he has been sentenced to death.”

These words shocked everyone!

This was a way to completely ruin Karsus’s reputation, to make him reviled even after death, to make him infamous for eternity… It was truly vicious.

Loseweisse and Athena’s expressions also changed. Their four beautiful eyes all stared at Qin Chu, shaking their heads subconsciously.

They absolutely couldn’t accept a public trial of Karsus. It would be a disgrace to the entire former Hero Squad.

The former Hero Squad was the only legacy Lord Jie Luo left in the Heavenly Continent. They would never allow his legacy to be tarnished and cursed.

“Brother Qin… Did you hear what I just said?” Wadsworth frowned, “Even if this matter is just leaked, it will cause unrest, let alone a public trial… We need peace and stability now…”

“Your Majesty Wadsworth, that’s exactly why we need to do this,” Qin Chu replied calmly.

Wadsworth became interested, “Why?”

When some particularly bad things happened in the past, the Auville Empire’s way of handling them was to cover them up as much as possible. If they couldn’t be covered up, they would downplay them. He didn’t understand why Qin Chu wanted to deliberately make this matter a big deal.

“Concealing it will only breed suspicion.” Qin Chu placed his hand on his chest and bowed in a gentlemanly manner, starting to explain his point of view.

“Your Majesty Wadsworth, do you really think the things you want to conceal can be kept secret?”

“No, don’t treat the people as fools. They know everything, they just don’t say it out loud.”

“The things you want to conceal will only become gossip among the nobles and commoners… The concealment you think you’ve achieved, the stability you think you’ve maintained, is just a false peace.”

Wadsworth’s expression turned a little ugly. This was the first time he had heard this kind of opinion, and it piqued his interest. This man seemed very open-minded and straightforward, “Brother, go on.”

Qin Chu nodded and continued, “Concealing it will only lead to the public not knowing the truth of the matter. This lack of understanding will make people subconsciously speculate and guess what the truth is… You know, once people start to imagine things, they tend to exaggerate. If the trouble you want to conceal is ten, then in the minds of the people, it will become a hundred, a thousand.”

“Trying to avoid panic by concealing things will only lead to greater panic in the end. It’s just that this panic is being suppressed by the people and hasn’t erupted yet. But once it erupts, all the panic accumulated over the years will be like a flood breaking through a dam, uncontrollable.”

“It’s the same with this matter. Can the fact that Karsus killed so many Holy Knights really be completely concealed? There must be others who know about it, and this news will spread and circulate in private.”

“People will speculate why Karsus killed so many Holy Knights. Is there an irreconcilable conflict between the Holy See and the Hero Squad? Will this conflict affect the united front against the Demon Beasts, thus breeding more fear?”

“Only by holding a public trial and calling on as many people as possible to watch, letting everyone know the truth, can we prevent the spread of panic,” Qin Chu said in one breath.

This was the punishment he had prepared for Karsus. What he had endured, he wanted Karsus to experience it too.

These words seemed to make sense.

Wadsworth, Augustus, and the others were definitely not fools. They were very shrewd, but because they had been in high positions for too long, they were out of touch with the thoughts of the common people.

Wadsworth seemed to be persuaded.

Loseweisse and Athena, on the other hand, were full of resistance, especially Athena. Her gaze towards Qin Chu became even more disgusted. If there was really a public trial, the former Hero Squad’s reputation would be completely ruined. This was something Athena absolutely couldn’t allow.

After a brief hesitation, Athena stepped forward to refute, “Hero, your words seem to make sense, but since the people could endure it before, I think it shouldn’t be a problem this time either. At this critical moment, it’s better not to complicate matters and cause unnecessary trouble…”

“Miss Athena, do you know where the people’s breaking point is?”

Qin Chu immediately countered. His attack was very sharp, and under his gaze, Athena subconsciously dodged.

“You don’t know, and neither do I… But who can guarantee that this matter won’t push them to their limit? Most of the Imperial Army is made up of commoners, and their supplies also come from commoners. If there is an outbreak, the chaos among the people will inevitably affect the army. The Imperial Army, the Church’s army, everyone knows that the Death Knight of the Hero Squad slaughtered a large number of Holy Knights, warriors… As the side that was slaughtered, they will subconsciously resist the experts of the Hero Squad.”

“Gradually, they will think that the strong have privileges, that even if they slaughter soldiers fighting against the Demon Beasts, they won’t be punished, and thus they will resent all experts.”

“Human unity will be torn apart by a huge wound. I don’t know much about Demon Beasts, I’ve only seen tens of thousands of Minotaurs… I don’t know how much weight those Minotaurs that were burned to ashes hold among the Demon Beasts, but I know that those Minotaurs are ferocious and cruel, enemies that must be treated with caution…”

“Miss Athena, do you think a divided humanity can still fight against the Demon Beast army?”

“If, in order to protect the reputation of this criminal Karsus, humanity loses in the fight against the Demon Beasts, can you bear this consequence?”

“If humanity fails, becoming slaves, food, or even extinct for the Demon Beasts, can you bear this consequence?”

“Can your Hero Squad bear it?”

Qin Chu pressed step by step, every word filled with aggression.

The pressure on Athena intensified, her face turning pale. She wanted to retort but couldn’t speak…

She saw through Qin Chu’s tactics. It was a very shameless method.

All the scenarios Qin Chu used to attack were things that might happen in the future, and they were the most extreme and worst-case scenarios. He even brought up the possibility of human extinction.

But Athena couldn’t refute his words, because no one could guarantee that such extreme situations wouldn’t happen in the future, and no one could bear the responsibility for human extinction.

This was sophistry, but sophistry was also the most difficult to deal with.

“But a public trial will also lead to the same situation, right?” Athena weakly resisted.

Without pausing, Qin Chu immediately gave his answer, “No, a public trial will be completely different. First of all, the people will know the truth and won’t make wild guesses.”

“For the Holy Knights and the soldiers fighting on the front lines, they will only hate Karsus, not others. The division won’t spread further.”

“Most importantly, the fact that Karsus, as a super expert, is sentenced to death for slaughtering soldiers will also make the soldiers on the front lines feel valued. Their morale won’t be lowered, it might even be boosted.”

Wadsworth and Saint Monique couldn’t help but nod.

“As for the members of your Hero Squad, it’s best for all of you to appear at the trial and publicly condemn Karsus. It’s best to proactively expel him from the Hero Squad. This is equivalent to clearly stating that you have drawn a line between yourselves and Karsus, that you are different. This way, you can protect the honor of the other members of the Hero Squad!”

“Moreover, with Benson’s death, it can be contrasted with Karsus, making the people believe that not everyone in the Hero Squad is a bastard like Karsus.”

Athena still wanted to refute, but she couldn’t find the words.

Moreover, Qin Chu’s words made sense. Benson was already dead, and Karsus’s actions had already been exposed. Since that was the case, minimizing the damage seemed to be the most correct choice.

Besides, Athena didn’t really want to help Karsus, this idiot who had been tainted by the power of the Evil God.

“Then… what about the reason? There must be a reason why Karsus killed so many Holy Knights, right?” Athena was almost persuaded.

“Reason? We can come up with as many as we want. Karsus was tainted by dark power, driven mad by the will of the Evil God, that’s all possible. The Pope and the Holy Maiden tried their best to save him, but they couldn’t bring back his consciousness, so they had to execute him… Isn’t that enough? Anyway, Karsus has done this kind of thing before, no one will doubt it.”

The four old foxes exchanged glances, all feeling that it sounded good. In the end, Augustus spoke, “The Hero’s words are very reasonable, and we agree with him. Since that’s the case, then we will imprison Karsus for now and hold a public trial after we’re ready.”

After a pause, Augustus’s gaze fell on Loseweisse, his expression gradually becoming sharp.

Loseweisse’s face turned pale. She knew what was coming.

“Loseweisse, you knew about Karsus slaughtering the Holy Knights long ago!” Augustus said in a cold voice, “Tell me, were you also involved?”

Loseweisse’s face was pale. Just as she was about to defend herself, Qin Chu stepped forward and shielded her behind him. He bowed gentlemanly, “Your Holiness, you misunderstood. The Saintess wasn’t involved.”

“The Saintess only asked me to keep this matter a secret because she didn’t want to cause a full-blown conflict between the Hero Squad and the Church, leading to a civil war among humans,” Qin Chu explained apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I knew about this matter long ago, but I didn’t tell everyone the truth.”

Qin Chu stepped forward and cleared Loseweisse’s name. Although she was still at fault, it was much less serious now.

However, the implication of his words was much more insidious. See, the Hero Squad wasn’t afraid of a direct conflict with them, and they were even willing to start a civil war. Be careful!

Athena and Loseweisse might not understand, but Wadsworth, Saint Monique, and Augustus, who controlled the army, couldn’t ignore these words.

Loseweisse’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Qin Chu’s back. She suddenly felt that this man wasn’t bad at all.

He was still speaking up for her at this time. If it wasn’t for Lord Jie Luo, she might actually develop some feelings for him.

Of course, compared to Lord Jie Luo, he wasn’t even worthy of carrying his shoes.

But since he helped her out this time, it wouldn’t be impossible to give him some benefits in the future.

This kind of man, with just a little temptation, would immediately throw himself at her, like a dog…

Athena’s gaze was a little pitiful… This poor man, still speaking up for Loseweisse. He didn’t even know what kind of people Ekaterina and Loseweisse were, let alone that they were plotting to kill him behind his back.

What a pathetic man.

Because there was the more serious matter of Karsus to deal with, and because Qin Chu pleaded for them, Loseweisse and Ekaterina’s actions of taking Qin Chu out of the Imperial City without permission and concealing Karsus’s massacre of the Holy Knights were only lightly criticized and then dismissed.

As for Natia, she was also warned that she must stop such things from happening again.

At noon, Augustus entertained everyone, but because they had seen too many bloody heads before, they basically had no appetite.

It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that Qin Chu left.

He hadn’t taken a few steps when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. It was Loseweisse, her hands holding up her skirt as she quickly chased after him.

“Hero…”

Her gentle and alluring call made Qin Chu stop.

Standing before Qin Chu, Loseweisse gently pressed her hand against her chest, which was heaving from running. The glimpse of her fair skin beneath the pure white Saintess attire was like a magnet, attracting Qin Chu’s gaze.

Qin Chu couldn’t help but feel that the neckline of Loseweisse’s Saintess attire seemed to be lower, he didn’t know if it was just his imagination.

Qin Chu’s gaze made Loseweisse feel smug. Although there were Angelica, Natia, and even that rough Violet by the Hero’s side, as long as she was willing to show a little bit of temptation, the Hero’s focus would immediately shift to her.

She, Saintess Loseweisse, was not on the same level as those other ordinary women.

With smug thoughts swirling in her mind, Loseweisse’s expression was as gentle as ever, “Hero, thank you for pleading for me in front of the Pope just now…”

Qin Chu tore his gaze away from her fair skin with great effort and shook his head gentlemanly, “Saintess, I didn’t plead for you. I just told the truth.”

Loseweisse smiled softly. She was very satisfied with Qin Chu’s answer:

“By the way, why did you shout just now?”

Her voice was sweet and coquettish, with a hint of blame, as if she was complaining about Qin Chu shouting just now. If he had kept his mouth shut, many things wouldn’t have happened.

Qin Chu’s expression seemed a little aggrieved. He just stared at Loseweisse silently, his gaze making her heart beat faster for some reason.

After a long time, Qin Chu finally withdrew his gaze with a hint of loneliness, “When I heard Augustus questioning Karsus, you subconsciously looked at me…”

“I’ve always kept my promise to you, but Saintess, you never trusted me.”

“I’m sad.”

He had definitely kept his promise to Loseweisse. After all, he didn’t tell Augustus that Karsus was the murderer. He just wrote a small note. Countless people wrote small notes every day in this world, it wasn’t against the law.

Telling Athena the truth was Jie Luo’s doing, what did it have to do with him, Qin Chu?

What a gentleman who kept his promises, how touching.

After saying those words, the heartbroken Qin Chu resolutely left without looking back!

Athena, after a brief hesitation, followed from afar. She wanted to visit Jie Luo again tonight, she wanted his guidance.

Chapter 126: Weak Death Knight 

Violet stood tall beside Qin Chu, her face icy cold.

An unshakable aura emanated from her entire being.

This was her only reverse scale. The Temple of Storms had been destroyed, and even the Storm Lord she believed in had perished. In this world, the only person Violet cared about was Qin Chu. She wouldn’t allow anyone to harm him.

Even if it was Saint Monique or Augustus themselves, Violet wouldn’t be afraid.

With a hum… black airflow surged around them.

The energy contained within Karsus’s body was forcefully dispersed by Violet’s sudden obstruction, turning into a gust of wind that blew her hair, revealing her slender, swan-like neck. Her blue-gray eyes were filled with killing intent.

Gurgling sounds came from Karsus’s throat. He was never good with words, and now, consumed by anger and resentment, he couldn’t utter a single word.

Violet.

It was this woman again.

The first time he tried to kill Qin Chu, it was this damned woman who stopped him, making him suffer unprecedented humiliation. And now, it was this woman again.

Was she his nemesis or something?

Moreover, Karsus’s broad and sturdy body was right in front of Qin Chu, blocking him from Augustus and the others. They could only see Karsus’s back, not Qin Chu who was hidden behind him.

But Karsus could see him.

That damned bastard, the corners of his lips were curled up. Was he actually smiling at him?

He was provoking him!

Karsus was dull, but it was too easy to provoke him.

His tall body trembled. Dark red flames erupted from his eyes, and the beastly growl suppressed in his throat became more and more ferocious. His mind instantly lost the ability to think.

Killing Qin Chu became his only goal, even forgetting his original intention of just kidnapping him as a hostage.

With a sudden roar, Karsus twisted his body forcefully, unable to free his right hand. He raised his right leg high, and with a sharp whoosh, swept it towards Qin Chu’s neck.

He was certain that if this kick landed, it would directly send Qin Chu’s head flying. This fragile guy couldn’t withstand his power at all.

However, the enraged Karsus had obviously forgotten about Violet beside Qin Chu. And Violet had one characteristic: she was three meters tall, which also meant… long arms.

Violet’s lips moved slightly: True Word Spell.

The next second, her other hand, wrapped in a wind-like halo, shot out with lightning speed, grabbing Karsus’s ankle with a snap.

Karsus’s eyelids twitched. He frantically activated the dark attribute Battle Qi in his body. His entire being was like a Demon King emerging from the darkness, a sinister aura writhing violently around him, like a thick, ominous fog. Only his bloodshot eyes were clearly visible in the fog:

“Violet… You dare to stop me? I’m the Death Knight…”

Then, with a whoosh, Violet’s slender arm exerted a little force, and Karsus’s entire body was lifted into the air. Then, with a bang, he was slammed onto the floor of the sanctuary like a sandbag.

Clang!

His heavy metal armor made intimate contact with the hard floor, the tiles shattered, and the Battle Qi on his body instantly dispersed.

Before Karsus could even move, he was lifted again.

Whoosh… Bang… Whoosh… Bang…

He was lifted again and again, slammed onto the ground again and again. The sound of shattering floor tiles continued, and in a short time, there were hardly any intact floor tiles left in the entire sanctuary hall.

Qin Chu’s expression was even stranger. Watching Violet, like a rampaging giantess, pick up Karsus like a chick and slam him onto the ground repeatedly, he had the illusion of seeing the Hulk smashing Loki in The Avengers.

Karsus wasn’t Loki, but… his fate might be even more tragic than Loki’s. At least Loki was only slammed a few times.

Violet was angry that he dared to attack Qin Chu.

Once, twice, ten times, twenty times…

Qin Chu didn’t know how many times Karsus had been picked up and slammed onto the floor by Violet. He only knew that the hard armor on Karsus’s body was already deformed, and occasionally he could hear strange cracking sounds, as if his bones were being broken.

The flat helmet pressed against his head, blood continuously flowing out from the gaps. At first, Karsus could still let out angry roars, but soon they turned into shrill screams. In the end, he didn’t even have the strength to scream, only whimpering.

The violent scene made Natia, Loseweisse, and Athena’s eyelids twitch. No one expected this woman, who was so gentle just now, to suddenly turn into a female thug.

Augustus’s heart also skipped a beat. The floor tiles! These stones were carefully selected and polished, each one costing a lot of money.

Now he had to redecorate again, which would be another big expense.

But now wasn’t the time to think about this. The four old monsters exchanged glances, and they could all see the shock in each other’s eyes.

Karsus’s rampage was deliberately planned by Augustus.

Actually, Augustus had used a special ability to make Karsus extremely fearful, triggering his beastly instincts. He also deliberately mentioned the word “Hero” several times, just to make Karsus go berserk and attack the Hero.

Otherwise, with Karsus’s dull mind, he probably wouldn’t have thought of taking the Hero hostage.

Their purpose was simple. They just wanted to see how strong Violet was. This was crucial for them to know how to deal with the Hero in the future. But they couldn’t directly attack Violet, so they could only use this method.

But now, the result shocked them.

Although Karsus was stupid, his strength was definitely not weak. Yet, in Violet’s hands, he had no power to resist at all, being tossed around like this.

This woman was far stronger than they had expected. She was probably close to level 90, or even already at that level.

Qin Chu, this Hero, had accidentally brought back an extraordinary character.

While the old monsters were exchanging glances, Violet seemed to have finally gotten tired. She lifted Karsus high once again, and with a bang, the entire sanctuary shook three times, creating a huge crater in the floor.

With a crack, Karsus’s armor finally couldn’t withstand it anymore and shattered into pieces.

The mysterious face that had been hidden under the helmet was finally completely exposed. Unfortunately, no one could tell what he looked like because his face was covered in blood and dirt.

After dealing with Karsus, Violet was finally satisfied. She kicked him in the waist, probably shattering his kidneys, and sent his corpse… no, his body flying towards Augustus.

“Such a weak Death Knight!”

Violet turned to Qin Chu with a sweet smile. The contrast between her previous and current demeanor was so great that it was hard to believe she was the same person.

That expression seemed to be seeking Qin Chu’s praise?

Even in front of so many people, Qin Chu felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn’t disappoint Violet’s expectations. He smiled, “Good job, Violet.”

Violet’s smile became even gentler.

The relationship between the two made the onlookers exchange glances.

Augustus, as the host, took a deep breath to suppress the strangeness in his heart. Looking at Karsus, who was writhing on the ground like a lowly worm at his feet, he couldn’t help but shake his head slightly.

Karsus, the Death Knight, a former member of the Hero Squad.

When he was following the First Hero Jie Luo, even though he was tainted by dark and filthy power, even though his hands were stained with blood, no one dared to judge his crimes.

How glorious he was back then?

But now, he had become so pathetic.

He squatted down and took off Karsus’s storage ring, originally just wanting to see if there was any other evidence of his crimes inside.

However, when Augustus probed the contents of the storage ring, his expression instantly darkened. Then he shook his head and released the contents of the storage ring.

Round heads rolled out, appearing in the sanctuary with its shattered floor.

Over a thousand heads of Holy Knights! They had finally returned to the embrace of the Goddess of Holy Light, but who would have thought it would be in such a tragic way?

Wadsworth, Saint Monique, and Zimmerman also frowned.

No one would feel good seeing so many heads. The entire sanctuary was filled with a strong smell of blood and decay.

If Karsus could still argue that these were all slanders before, now the Death Knight was truly doomed.

Athena’s slender neck twitched slightly. Such cruelty, only a follower of the Evil God would do such a thing…

Loseweisse almost fainted. She didn’t expect that when she asked Karsus to deal with the heads, even if he buried them in a pit, it would have been better than stuffing them all into his ring… He didn’t even bother to throw them away after so long. Now they were caught as evidence, how stupid could he be? You reap what you sow!

“Karsus, do you have anything else to say?” Augustus asked in a cold voice, his face grim.

Karsus’s body just writhed. It was unknown if he heard Augustus’s words, he didn’t respond.

Augustus looked around, “Everyone, what do you think is the best way to deal with this person?”

After all, Karsus was still a former member of the Hero Squad, and Augustus couldn’t deal with him privately.

“Kill him, then bury his body somewhere. Just pretend he never existed,” Wadsworth said in a muffled voice, sentencing Karsus to death.

“After all, a former member of the Hero Squad actually slaughtered Holy Knights who were fighting against the Demon Beasts. If word of this gets out, it will have a very bad impact.”

Saint Monique and Zimmerman also nodded silently, seemingly agreeing with Wadsworth’s opinion.

“No, I have a different opinion.” At this moment, Qin Chu suddenly spoke up.

He could ignore the opinions of others, but Qin Chu was the Hero, after all.

Augustus asked patiently, “What is your opinion, Hero?”

Qin Chu smiled:

“My opinion is… a public trial!”

“A public trial!”

Chapter 125: Want to Touch Qin Chu? Not Without Going Through Me! 

Actually, Loseweisse had only glanced at Qin Chu subconsciously. She had already realized that this was most likely not Qin Chu’s doing. After all, Augustus had just received an Information Magic message and immediately questioned Karsus.

Obviously, the news came from that message.

However, Loseweisse never expected Qin Chu to be so sensitive and react so strongly to a simple glance from her.

It was over.

All the secrets were out.

The Death Knight was probably going to die.

As for Qin Chu, as soon as he shouted those words, he seemed to immediately realize that his reaction was wrong and quickly covered his mouth. Unfortunately, it was too late.

But Qin Chu’s heart was filled with excitement. It was finally Karsus’s turn. On their way back, he hadn’t only planned for Athena, but also for Karsus’s fate. Now was finally the time to pop the champagne.

He would make Karsus experience the same feeling he had felt on the execution platform, being killed under the watchful eyes and cheers of countless people.

In a way, Benson was the luckiest one.

Because Benson’s death was relatively quick. The torment that the others would have to endure would be several times, even dozens of times, worse than his.

Instantly, everyone’s expression in the sanctuary changed. Only Violet had a smile on her face from beginning to end, watching this farce with amusement.

She didn’t care about the death of the Holy Knights.

She didn’t care whether Karsus lived or died.

She was like an outsider, enjoying an opera with decent acting… Of course, as long as the danger didn’t spread to Qin Chu.

Ekaterina’s face was gloomy.

Athena’s eyes widened in shock.

Lord Jie Luo had warned her before to be careful of Loseweisse… Although she believed in Lord Jie Luo without a doubt, it was still hard for her to believe that Loseweisse would dabble in the power of the Evil God and slaughter Holy Knights… After all, she was the Saintess of the Holy See! She didn’t need to believe in the Evil God to gain powerful strength and a high status.

But now, seeing Qin Chu and Loseweisse’s reactions, she had no more doubts.

Loseweisse, the Saintess of the Holy See, and Karsus, the Death Knight, were truly worshipping the Evil God in secret.

They had been corrupted by evil power. In Athena’s heart, Loseweisse was now labeled as untrustworthy… After all, this woman was completely black inside.

Her previous love and affection for Lord Jie Luo, her acting spoiled, was very likely just a disguise.

If anyone in the entire Hero Squad was most likely a traitor, Loseweisse was definitely the prime suspect.

Unconsciously, Athena believed in Qin Chu’s previous performance even more, almost without a shred of doubt.

Perhaps she needed to visit Lord Jie Luo again tonight, hoping that he could give her more guidance. It was just for guidance, not for anything else…

Saint Monique, Zimmerman, and Wadsworth, the three big shots, were also shocked.

These shrewd people could already tell from Loseweisse and Qin Chu’s reactions that Karsus was the one who killed the 3200 Holy Knights, and that both Loseweisse and Qin Chu knew about it.

From the Hero’s words, it seemed that Loseweisse had asked Qin Chu not to tell anyone.

After all, Loseweisse was still a member of the Hero Squad and had years of camaraderie with Karsus. It was normal for her to be unwilling to see him executed.

Moreover, the members of the Hero Squad were centered around Loseweisse. Benson was already dead, and it was understandable that Loseweisse didn’t want to see her power diminish.

And our Hero, facing the request of a beauty like Loseweisse, definitely couldn’t refuse.

For a moment, all eyes fell on Augustus, seemingly wanting to see how he would handle this.

Augustus’s face was extremely gloomy. He seemed very angry, his lips trembling.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his eyes were filled with flames of rage.

Qin Chu even admired Augustus a little. This old man must be overjoyed in his heart. After all, taking advantage of this incident, he could not only deal with Karsus but also weaken Loseweisse’s influence and strengthen his control over the Holy See. There was almost no downside for Augustus.

“Death Knight, I was only suspecting you before. Traces of dark power were found on the bodies of the Holy Knights at the camp. Some people suspected that it was the Demon Beasts, but the power possessed by Demon Beasts is not darkness, but another, more evil and twisted power!” Augustus’s voice was hoarse.

“Among humans, you are the only one who wields dark power.”

Loseweisse’s body trembled. She had also just remembered this major oversight. She only asked Karsus to clean up the Holy Knights’ heads that were piled up into an altar, but forgot to ask him to clean up the camp.

If it weren’t for this oversight, Augustus wouldn’t have suspected Karsus, she wouldn’t have subconsciously stared at Qin Chu, and Qin Chu wouldn’t have been provoked and blurted it out…

One wrong move, and the whole game was lost!

She was extremely annoyed. It was all Qin Chu’s fault. If he hadn’t appeared so suddenly and startled her, she wouldn’t have made such a big mistake.

Nothing good had happened since Qin Chu appeared… But now wasn’t the time to be annoyed. She had to find a way to clear herself of any possible involvement and minimize the punishment she would receive.

As for Karsus, Loseweisse couldn’t care about him anymore.

“The Holy Knights at the border were originally bringing the evidence to the Imperial City, but it seems we don’t need that evidence anymore.”

His voice was long and sorrowful, “Karsus, do you know who those you killed were? They were Holy Knights who had been stationed at the border for a long time, fighting against the Demon Beasts.”

“They were fighting to protect the Heavenly Continent, but they didn’t die at the hands of the Demon Beasts, but at yours.”

“Can you imagine how confused and desperate they were in their final moments?”

“You even cruelly cut off their heads…” Augustus’s eyes were a little red. He seemed truly saddened by the deaths of those Holy Knights.

“Fallen ones tainted by dark power are truly untrustworthy. You are not worthy of being a member of the Hero Squad.”

Augustus suddenly put on a stern expression, “Fallen one Karsus, do you have anything to say? Will you cooperate with the Holy See’s investigation? Please stay at the Holy See for the time being. If you are confirmed to be innocent, I will personally apologize to you.”

Augustus was polite throughout, but his words were aggressive!

He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to take action, but was constantly provoking and pressuring Karsus, pushing the Death Knight to the brink of collapse. This man was doomed, but he could still be of some use before that.

Karsus remained motionless… A gloomy aura emanated from his body, black mist swirling around his hard metal armor like vipers. Anyone could sense the ominousness within it.

He stood there like a statue, only his head turning, his gaze sweeping over Loseweisse, Athena, Ekaterina, and finally stopping on Qin Chu.

His eyes were still filled with hatred, resentment, and malice.

The Hero that Augustus had just mentioned? It was all because of this bastard. If this bastard had just kept his mouth shut, he would still have room to defend himself. But now, it was too late.

Even though he was the Death Knight, it didn’t mean that Karsus wanted to die.

On the contrary, having walked through the gates of hell, Karsus understood better than anyone how terrifying death was.

He feared death, but he was keen on bringing death to other lives because it pleased his soul.

He didn’t want to die, he wanted to live. And now, the only hope for him to survive was… Qin Chu.

The Hero was too important to the Heavenly Continent. As long as he took Qin Chu hostage, even with Augustus, Saint Monique, Wadsworth, and Zimmerman, the four strongest experts present, they could only let him go.

Under Augustus’s pressure, crazy thoughts were churning in Karsus’s mind. The dark flames in his eyes burned brighter and brighter.

Loseweisse originally wanted Karsus to obey for now, and then she would find a way to deal with it, such as arranging for someone to intercept the Holy Knights transporting the evidence, having Qin Chu cooperate with her, and fabricating another lie.

However, the pressure from Augustus, who was pressing step by step, became stronger and stronger.

It was as if countless sharp blades had surrounded Karsus. He was like a beast targeted by a terrifying monster. His beastly instincts sensed mortal danger, and his desire to survive was growing stronger and stronger.

Finally, when Augustus’s aura had pushed Karsus to his limit, and his desire to survive reached its peak, the powerful Death Knight finally moved.

His legs bent abruptly, and the next second, with a bang.

The exquisite floor tiles of the sanctuary instantly shattered. Karsus’s body shot towards Qin Chu like a black meteor, at an incredible speed. His speed was so fast that he even left afterimages on the ground.

The distance was too close, he didn’t have time to summon his warhorse or weapons.

But for Karsus, the Death Knight, even with just his bare hands, he could easily destroy countless lives.

The mere Second Hero was no match for him. Choking him to death was as easy as choking a chicken.

After he escaped from here, he would definitely torture this trash with the cruelest methods.

Vicious thoughts swirled in Karsus’s mind. In an instant, his curved right hand, like a sharp claw, reached for Qin Chu.

Just a few centimeters away from grabbing Qin Chu’s neck, a fair arm suddenly reached out from the side and grabbed Karsus’s wrist with a clap.

Just like the spear that had tried to pierce Qin Chu before, from extreme speed to stillness, in a split second.

That fair hand possessed a strength that Karsus couldn’t resist at all. His wrist was completely immobilized.

His bloodshot eyes followed the fair arm, and a familiar face appeared in his sight once again… Damn it, it was that bitch, Violet.

The gentleness on Violet’s face was gone, replaced by an icy coldness. She stared at Karsus with indifferent eyes:

“Want to touch Qin Chu? Not without going through me!”