Reborn as a Transcendent
Chapter 666: Imminent Crisis (part 2)

Leave a comment ⇐ PreviousNext ⇒

Ten kilometers away from the Imperial Docks, on a deserted stretch of expressway…

The road was eerily empty. After news of the quarantine spread, every transport convoy began rerouting, determined to steer clear of the affected region. Now, the highway sat in complete silence.

In the distance, a black-furred horse was making its way forward at a slow and steady pace. Something heavy and unmoving appeared to be slumped over its back. The steady rhythm of hooves echoed sharply across the empty road, breaking the oppressive silence.

"Ugh, it's so hot," came a sudden voice, lazy and muffled. The figure draped over the horse stirred. A pale, thin hand reached out from beneath the heavy black cloth. The hand yanked the fabric away, revealing the gaunt face of a sickly-looking man.

"That failure, Eleven, really went and died in a dump like this. What a disgrace to the rest of us," the man muttered. He straightened up, revealing a face and neck completely covered in black Star Spots. In fact, every inch of visible skin was infected. The pattern of spreading spots gave him a grotesque appearance.

"His jade medallion shattered a few days ago. No idea if he finished the job. How annoying." He shook his head sluggishly, his greasy hair swaying like thick strands of ink.

"Well, guess I’m stuck with it. Might as well treat this like a scenic trip." With a sigh, he reached out and gave the horse a light pat. "Hang in there, my little horse. Just get me to the docks."

At his touch, something thick and dark began to ooze. The horse’s nostrils began to leak black fluid, thick and unnatural. The same oily substance trickled from its eyes and ears, splashing into the dust below.

"Ah, right. I still need to retrieve the Shard. If not, Lord Reaper will punish me too. Eleven really was more trouble than he was worth." With that, the thin man slumped back down onto the horse and closed his eyes, letting the animal carry him onward.

Meanwhile, within the inner district of Jade City, inside the Royal Palace…

In the heart of the throne room, a Level 18 Magician knelt on one knee, his entire body trembling.

Richard sat slouched on the throne, dark circles under his eyes from a sleepless night. He leaned on one hand and looked down with tired disinterest. “So, you’re claiming you saw a woman who might be the succubus… in the wasteland?” he asked flatly.

"Yes, that’s right!" stammered the Magician, whose in-game name was [Mei’s Husband]. Sweat trickled down his temples as he knelt in fear. As soon as he logged in earlier that morning, he had found himself surrounded by a group of NPC soldiers clad in heavy black armor.

At first, he assumed he had triggered a rare hidden quest. He had been correct, but the situation was nothing like what he had imagined. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the Emperor would summon him personally. The sheer honor left him overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

‘What kind of quest reward will I get? I'm so pumped!' That was [Mei's Husband]'s only thought as he followed the guards. But the moment he stepped into the grand chamber, an overwhelming pressure crashed down on him and crushed all fantasies of a reward.

‘I’m going to die!' That thought screamed in his mind, making it hard to even breathe.

"Did you see which direction she left the wasteland from?" Richard asked calmly.

"East… east!" [Mei’s Husband] stammered.

"Are you certain?" Richard leaned forward slightly on the throne. "Would you stake your life on the accuracy of this information?"

As soon as those words left Richard’s mouth, the pressure in the chamber grew even heavier. It felt like a mountain was bearing down on him, threatening to crush him where he knelt.

"I… I swear it's all true!" [Mei’s Husband] didn’t quite give a direct answer. Even so, it was enough to pass.

After a brief pause, Richard signaled to a servant and ordered that [Mei’s Husband] be rewarded with a high-grade Rare Equipment.

The player’s face shifted through five different expressions in a heartbeat. In the end, surprise and delight won out. He hadn’t expected to get a Rare Equipment just for speaking a few sentences. This was a jackpot in his eyes.

"You may leave," Richard said, waving his hand without emotion.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Wishing you health and prosperity!" [Mei’s Husband] bowed deeply and backed away.

"Blei, send word to the main army and all garrisoned forces in the eastern towns. I want a full search of the area," Richard ordered. He turned to the man kneeling at his left, clad in red and black armor.

The commander’s wounds had mostly healed, though his complexion was still pale. "Understood, Your Majesty!"

After Blei departed, Richard was left in silence. "If I had just taken the risk and killed Lili that day, none of this would be happening," he sighed, his eyes drifting toward the entrance of the chamber as regret weighed heavily on his face.

Yet even now, if he were given the chance to redo that day, he still wouldn’t gamble with his life. So long as another path existed, he would never choose risk. After all, Richard cherished his own life more than anything.

"Foolish sister. Even if you’ve recovered, you still won’t beat me," he whispered with a sneer as he looked away. The smirk faded, replaced with a cold seriousness. "But if Lili gets involved… and Alicia’s at full strength… that might actually be a problem. Even for me. I’ll need to start preparing right away."

As his voice faded through the empty hall, the throne sat vacant, Richard nowhere in sight.

In Aoma Village, calm had finally returned. Thanks to the combined efforts of Yaeger and the clergy, the plague was now under control. The cloud of fear and despair that once gripped the village had lifted completely.

However, for safety reasons, the villagers remained under quarantine in their homes until full clearance was given.

At that moment, Yaeger and Angelica strolled through a quiet street, their footsteps echoing softly in the silence.

"Princess, this all feels like a dream," Angelica said softly.

"What makes you say that?" Yaeger glanced at her curiously.

"Because before you arrived, all I knew was despair. The plague felt inescapable, the villagers had turned against me, and my father was on the brink of death. It felt like I was being crushed under an invisible weight, slowly losing my sanity. But just when I reached my lowest point, you appeared like a goddess from legend. You resolved everything with what felt like a wave of your hand. Honestly, part of me still wonders if this is real." Angelica smiled, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"You’ll get used to it," Yaeger replied with a light smile, stopping as they approached a village well.

The well water in the village didn’t come from underground springs, but was diverted through hidden aqueducts from the reservoir. Days ago, the Eleventh Apostle had cast a dark spell to taint the reservoir. Although Yaeger had managed to purify it, the damage had already begun.

Yaeger drew a bucket of water from the well and dipped her hand in, focusing her senses. "Everything looks clean. Seems the virus doesn’t last long without a host," she said quietly.

"That’s wonderful!" Angelica clapped her hands and nearly leapt in joy. If the water was safe, then there was little risk of the villagers being reinfected.

"Wait…" Just as Yaeger was about to speak again, a brilliant flash of gold burst into view, revealing a glowing shard. In the next instant, she felt a familiar energy radiating from nearby—an aura almost identical to that of the [Holy Spirit Shard].

At that moment, Yaeger remembered the shard's description. The shards were drawn to one another like magnets.

⇐ PreviousNext ⇒

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
• More

• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
• Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon

Like Loading...