Before Kross could process this explosive bit of information, the red-tinted air suddenly grew still, and a frigid current surged in from all directions, causing the temperature to plummet.
In an instant, the smoke-filled, fire-ravaged room was encased in a thick layer of ice, resembling a tundra frozen for a millennium.
The bone-chilling cold seeped into Kaiya’s mechanical frame, and he stiffly turned his head to see Teacher Ai'erlun standing at the doorway, cold energy constantly rippled around him. The chill was so intense it pierced the spirit; not just the body, but even the mind's speed seemed to slow at that moment.
"Kaiya... you really were..." Teacher Ai'erlun’s face was terrifyingly grim, a blue-purple eerie light burning in his pupils like a vengeful spirit crawling out from under a thousand years of ice.
Those ghost-like eyes also held Teacher Ai'erlun’s extremely complicated emotions.
He could hardly imagine that Kaiya would truly be that cultist.
But despite the immense fury in his heart, Teacher Ai'erlun did not immediately end the traitor's life; he only froze Kaiya’s body.
He did not yet know that the Kaiya before him was an alchemical mechanical man sent by the Rubite Kingdom.
Kaiya’s chest suddenly split open, like cracked ice, revealing the blazing core within.
He looked at Kross and spoke with urgent force, "The Diao Cult, they want to resurrect Chaos from the body of the Plague God!"
"Those damn bastards, since they chose to betray me, then they can't blame me for betraying them!"
Amidst Kaiya’s twisted and distorted rage, the red core suddenly made a crisp cracking sound.
Then, cracks appeared all over his body as intense heat erupted from within. Countless mechanical fragments, wreathed in flame, shot out like steel balls from a high-explosive grenade, capable of turning a person into a sieve.
Kross, who was only two steps away from Kaiya, was stunned.
'Bro, if you wanted to take someone down with you before you died, just say so; you really didn't need to talk so much to him to lower my guard.'
'At this distance, only a ghost could react in time!'
...
The Sin Hunting Bureau, the jail.
Bamon’s footsteps echoed as he walked to the door of a cell. Pale moonlight filtered through the cracks, and in the dim corner, Grinya Loran was covered by a thin blanket, her back to the door, seemingly having been asleep for a long time.
Bamon slapped the iron door, the metallic clang waking her up.
Grinya Loran rubbed her bleary eyes.
"Sleeping so soundly even at a time like this, I'm starting to doubt you're a cultist," Bamon said.
"I never was," Grinya Loran grumbled, though she spoke without much conviction.
She was curious; why was Bamon looking for her this late at night?
Could it be... there was news from the King?
At that thought, she sat up straight and listened intently.
"I have two pieces of news. One is good news for you..." Bamon paused, because at that moment, Grinya Loran couldn't help but interject.
"And a piece of bad news?"
"No, another even better piece of news," Bamon said, making a joke he thought was very funny. He smiled smugly, using the corner of his eye to gauge Grinya Loran’s reaction.
Unfortunately, Grinya Loran responded with a look of utter exasperation.
No one understood his wit, alas.
Bamon coughed twice and got down to business.
"The good news is, Hunter Kross was severely injured and is currently being resuscitated in the hospital." After saying that, fearing Grinya Loran wouldn't remember who he was, Bamon added, "That’s the hunter who arrested you and brought you to the Sin Hunting Bureau, insisting you were a cultist—Kross Bard."
"Thank you for the reminder, but I remember him," Grinya Loran said expressionlessly.
"And what kind of good news is that? What does him being in the hospital have to do with me?" She then followed up with a speechless retort.
"Is that so? I thought you'd be happy to hear that news," Bamon shook his head.
"If you could let me out, then I would indeed be happy."
"Sorry, I’m afraid that’s not possible, but..." Bamon shifted his gaze to Grinya Loran and gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "The Deputy Bureau Chief took your words seriously and informed the palace of your request to see His Majesty the King, and they have agreed to your request."
Grinya Loran moved slightly, becoming visibly excited. "Really?"
Bamon nodded and smiled. "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, His Majesty will grant you an audience at the palace. However, if you can't provide any information about Princess Ruiya, I'm afraid you'll die a very miserable death."
Looking at the slightly strange smile on Bamon’s face, Grinya Loran shrank back with a shiver.
She really couldn't say where the real Princess Ruiya was, but she felt that as long as she let His Majesty the King know the truth and made him understand her value, the King would protect her life.
Probably...
Maybe...
In truth, Grinya Loran wasn't very certain. The Evil God hadn't responded all day, as if he had completely abandoned her, so she could only pin her hopes on His Majesty the King.
She hoped everything tomorrow would go without a hitch.
...
"Fuck!"
Lu Xun shouted, his face red, as he watched his crystal get hacked to pieces by the enemy while he could only watch like a helpless bystander.
The comments floating across the screen were all mocking him; they loved seeing Lu Xun’s fits of rage.
"Streamer, just go work in a factory. You can't even carry in Master tier, you're dead weight."
"If you're trash, practice more. If you can't afford to lose, don't play."
"Did the streamer reach King rank with his dick before?"
...
Lu Xun was already annoyed by the losing streak, and seeing these mocking comments made his temper explode.
"Fuck it, I’m done, ending the stream. My giant infant syndrome is acting up."
He cursed and grumbled a few times before directly shutting down the stream.
Outside the window, it was gradually getting light. Occasionally, the sounds of dogs barking and an old man clearing his throat and spitting while doing morning exercises could be heard.
Lu Xun had played all night and had been stomped all night; his mood was at an all-time low.
"If I knew, I would have streamed a single-player game instead."
He leaned over, originally intending to turn off the computer and go to sleep, but his eyes suddenly fixed on a certain game on the screen, and he froze.
He asked himself, "Lu Xun, oh Lu Xun, after being stomped all night, are you really satisfied?"
"With such a depressed mood, can you really fall asleep?"
"At least before sleeping, you have to have one good game!"
He nodded as if to confirm, and then with an incredibly determined look, he clicked on that RPG game he had downloaded a few days ago.
However, it was actually quite strange. Even though he had stayed up all night, he didn't feel tired at all; he was still very energetic.
If he weren't afraid of suddenly dropping dead, he wouldn't want to sleep at all.
Rate on N.U.
