I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 418 - 418 417. Hesitation leads to defeat_1

Chapter 418: 417. Hesitation leads to defeat_1 Chapter 418: 417. Hesitation leads to defeat_1 The ceiling appeared to be melting, drops of cement fell like the entire room had become part of the interior of a monster.

Mr. Corleone remained seated behind his office desk, immovable.

“Mr. Corleone, aren’t you worried that Stone might take us all out together with you, and then claim to the outside world that we killed you, that he must avenge you and eliminate the traitor?”

Cui Siter drew his revolver as he said this.

This was not only for Mr. Corleone to hear but also for Stone.

If Stone and Mr. Corleone were indeed united, it was actually more dangerous for Cui Siter and the others. After all, Shia could hold her own, Lu Ban wasn’t afraid to die, but Cui Siter himself didn’t have that many life-saving skills. If it really came to a massacre, he would be the most unfortunate one.

Therefore, Cui Siter needed to create a rift between Stone and Mr. Corleone to make Stone hesitate.

And hesitation would lead to defeat.

The falling muck seemed to pause slightly, not immediately enveloping the three of them.

Shia had already raised her hand.

The Void Burst Spell of Mistral!

Mr. Corleone’s calculations were perfect; the current power of the Catania Family was something no mere detective could contend with.

Even if Cui Siter killed Mr. Corleone and Stone on the spot and escaped from there, someone would eventually find out what he had done. The remaining members of the Catania Family would relentlessly pursue him until Cui Siter was dealt with.

Therefore, Mr. Corleone believed that Cui Siter would never be desperate enough to make a final stand. His earlier speech had proven this point, as the detective wanted to persuade him to back down. Cui Siter still wanted to live in the Abandoned Capital.

For this reason, Mr. Corleone felt a tremor in his soul when he saw that some extraordinary power was headed his way.

It was the feeling of insignificance, fear, and helplessness that a Mortal has when witnessing extraordinary power, the despair that he had sealed away for many years.

Bang—

The invisible burst of air hit the mahogany desk in front of Mr. Corleone, unleashing its power. The desk exploded abruptly, and the loud noise made the muck ripple as well.

Before Mr. Corleone could draw his pistol, he was sent flying by a powerful force. His back slammed against the wooden frame of the window behind him, and the glass, already shattered, scattered in all directions.

For a moment, the muck surged toward Mr. Corleone as if it wanted to protect him.

At that moment, Lu Ban also raised his right hand, and his silver revolver materialized, firing the Speech Bullet at the muck creeping toward Mr. Corleone.

Bang—

The silent gunfire brought with it a mad babble. The muck was hit and quickly lost its bearings; the entire room contracted and expanded like a person about to cough, spasming uncontrollably.

Thump—

A man fell from the ceiling, it was Stone, his body smeared with mud.

He looked unwell, as if something was growing inside him; beneath his skin, it seemed as though worms were about to break out.

But the muck, seemingly retaining a sliver of its rationale, desperately contracted, pulling itself together from the walls, ceiling, and floor. The exterior of the muck writhed and swelled as if struggling.

The mutations on Stone’s body also subsided a bit. He steadied himself on the wall and got up, casting a glance toward Mr. Corleone, who lay on the ground.

Mr. Corleone twitched slightly, struggled a bit, and then seemed to fall still.

It was unclear whether he was dead or not, but at the very least, he would suffer a lifelong disability. The Catania Family, on the verge of unifying the entire underworld of the Abandoned Capital, had been dealt a severe blow.

“You really are, beyond reason…”

Stone smiled wryly, as if mocking himself.

He had made all sorts of calculations, plotting and scheming, competing in wits with an old fox like Corleone, only for this girl to simply slap away the biggest perpetrator with a single strike. She had entirely disregarded the intricate network of relationships, the intertwined forces within and without the Abandoned Capital—just like a landslide that shatters all shackles.

In this, Stone seemed like a clown.

And it was always the case.

On that bus heading towards the Abandoned Capital, Lu Ban had also charged ahead without any concern, the Ratmen that still appeared in his nightmares, the lush greenery, and the great fish flying in mid-air, all caused Stone’s eardrums to buzz incessantly.

To these people, the rules, authority, and order of the Abandoned Capital—everything that made one feel submissive and fearful—seemed as if they didn’t exist at all.

“It’s all over, everything’s over,” he said.

He slumped to the ground, his emotions complex.

If Corleone had been his enemy, then at that moment, Stone might have felt an immense sense of satisfaction, his great revenge achieved.

If Corleone had been his family member, then he surely would’ve burst into loud sobs, overwhelmed with grief.

But this Godfather was more than just a relative or enemy.

As a child of a single-parent family, Stone lacked a father’s love, and in a sense, Corleone had provided the fatherly love he was missing, at least being strict with him like a father and offering Stone sufficient support. And those brothers and sisters, albeit just pretending, did indeed grant Stone fleeting warmth of familial affection.

But Stone had known from the beginning that Corleone was only using him, that everything was just a facade; in the world of the Gang, there was only interest, no affection.

Perhaps, seeking family within the world of the Gang was indeed a mistake.

Stone forced a smile, then furrowed his brow; he was constantly in such a state of flux, on the brink of collapse.

He felt something within him must have broken, because even at a time when emotions should dominate, his mind was still considering what to do next.

“Put all the blame on Cui Siter?”

“No, I need to survive first, but if I confess, then even in prison, I will be killed by the people of the Catania Family.”

“It’s impossible to confront them head-on, there’s no chance of winning.”

“Damn it, what should I do…”

Only now did Stone truly realize how weak he was before those with extraordinary powers.

He needed power, he craved power, he had to gain power.

It was then that the continuously writhing mud suddenly expanded violently.

Stone heard a voice, soft and yet resolute, whispering in his ear.

“Hurry, leave.”

Stone had never heard such a voice before; unbelievably, he knew clearly that it came from the mass of mud, from that girl, Liz.

The next moment, the mud expanded several times its original size, acting as a barrier between Cui Siter and Stone.

And Corleone, the once-powerful Godfather, lay on the ground, swallowed by the mud, receiving an unwanted form of immortality.

Bang—

The mud burst, and a Glass Flower rose from the ground, blossoming, breaking through the entire building.

Under the rubble, Stone was nowhere to be found.