Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 303: From king to peasant

Chapter 303: From king to peasant

Vlad, Jormungandr, Ouroboros, Freya, and the Royal Guards pressed forward, their pace steady but cautious, following the trail of clues left by their unknown target. As they moved deeper into the forest, a sharp sensation struck the three Depravitas, causing them to exchange meaningful glances.

From the beginning of the search, they had been focusing the full power of their A.I. Chips into their scanning force fields, and they had just detected something significant.

Freya, Mirena, Frank, Roman, Clasius, and Amara immediately halted. The group was aware that the Depravitas possessed unique scanning abilities, so they must have detected something critical to react that way. The viking princess and the Royal Guards knew their perception could not compare with the trio’s, and they trusted the Depravitas’ instincts, so they stopped without question.

Vlad, Jormungandr, and Ouroboros had found their target—a group of fifty angels about two thousand meters ahead, near a flowing river. The Depravitas’ faces turned grim as the scene that played in their minds, thanks to the scan of the A.I. Chips, was anything but good.

A pack of monstrous crabs had attempted to confront the angels, but what transpired could hardly be called a fight. The angels were slaughtering the creatures effortlessly.

The leader of the angelic group, a woman wielding a strange, glowing orb, stood at the forefront. The orb seemed to hold a sinister power, and the monsters trembled in its presence. As blood leaked from their eyes and their bodies collapsed, it was clear that their souls were being torn from them, harvested by this powerful artifact.

Vlad’s expression darkened. The realization was immediate—the angels were responsible for the deaths in the town. They were harvesting souls, indiscriminately slaughtering anyone or anything in their path. Whatever their objective was, it was far from complete. They had no intention of stopping, and if they kept going south, they would reach the domain of the Xaos Kingdom.

There was no way Vlad or the others would allow those angels to steal the souls of their people. Cold determination settled in Vlad’s eyes; there was no question now. They had to kill these angels—all of them. But he knew better than to underestimate their enemy.

The group leader was a woman with a Level 14 High Champion cultivation and a Guardian Tier Bloodline, which made her a powerful opponent even for Vlad. Additionally, there were three other High Champions at Level 11, and the remaining angels were all either Level 9 or 10 Champions.

This was an elite troop, not the kind sent to rally human forces but to accomplish a far more dangerous mission. These angels were here to harvest souls, and Vlad was sure they would rather die than fail since the one who sent them on this mission would do something much worse if they did not succeed.

"Fifty angels," Vlad said quietly, his voice sharp with focus. "A Level 14 High Champion, three Level 11 High Champions, and the rest are peak Champions. All of them are well-trained, with powerful bloodlines and constitutions."

A heavy silence fell over the group as they processed the threat before them. Freya and the Royal Guards exchanged solemn glances, acknowledging the danger. The enemy’s power was undeniable, yet there was no fear in their eyes. Instead, their resolve deepened as they clenched their fists. Their cold killing intent surged, ready for whatever lay ahead.

Vlad’s lips curved into a small smile, seeing their determination. He knew his team would not waver, but he refrained from giving the order to attack just yet.

"I am confident in our strength to face them and kill all those angels, but the problem is the orb." Vlad’s words were sharp, and immediately, a flash of dread appeared in the group’s eyes as they considered the orb.

The orb the angels wielded was a significant threat—it had the power to harvest souls, and even though it seemed to struggle with stronger cultivators, Vlad would not take any chances. Even the attempt to forcefully extract a soul could cause tremendous damage, potentially crippling his cultivation if mishandled.

After several minutes of contemplation, Vlad analyzed every move and action the angels had made. His mind raced through potential strategies as he conferred with the rest, trying to find a way. "Unlike with the monsters, the people of the town seem to have died peacefully, but I am sure that angel did not do that out of the kindness of her soul, as they have no such thing."

"Since they seek to capture souls, the more pure and complete they are, the better. After all, a full soul of a Mortal life form is worth much more than even the soul of a Champion Monster," Jormungandr had also been pondering the subject and offered a hypothesis.

"They must have tricked the people in the town into helping the process through some misguidance and ploys, offering them something they desperately wanted," Freya spoke in a solemn voice, and the entire group nodded as it made perfect sense.

When Vlad heard the words of the small yellow cat and the Viking princess, a glint of understanding flickered in his eyes, and a small smile rose on his face as a plan began to form in his mind. Without a word, he began to change his appearance.

The others watched in confusion as Vlad removed his majestic martial robes, replacing them with simple, tattered clothing. He smeared dirt across his face and let his black hair fall loose, effectively hiding the World King Candidate’s mark that adorned his forehead. His once imposing aura—radiating overwhelming energy and physical might—began to fade. Slowly, with the help of the A.I. Chip, he suppressed his strength, dulling his presence until it matched that of an average Level 6 Champion.

While his handsome face and piercing black eyes remained, much of Vlad’s grandeur and regal bearing vanished.

The group stared in silent awe, trying to understand Vlad’s transformation. His powerful energy had all but disappeared, and to anyone unfamiliar with him, he would seem no different from any other low-level Champion wandering through the ruins of the world.

This was exactly what Vlad wanted.