Chapter 58: Episode Three Continues (End)
The scene shifted once again, returning to that dimly lit little room, where a group of people were, as before, discussing their plans.
From their conversation, the players learned that the goal of the Curse God Cult in this operation was to release the underground evil god Nyastora by sacrificing more lives. Meanwhile, the goal of the Life Alchemy Society was to assassinate Charles VI. To achieve this, they had found a way to take control of the entire Ruins diplomatic delegation and had even prepared an unidentified mystical item for the mission. Members of the Bryston Kingdom's upper echelons were also working with them.
Upon seeing this, Zhou Ning couldn't help but twitch his lips. The Curse God Cult always had the purest objectives—hellbent on destroying the world. Evil, yes, but their commitment was unmatched.
The perspective cut back to the plaza in front of the Withershire Cathedral. When Charles VI arrived and the Ruins ambassador presented the official letter, a line of text appeared on the document:
Unknown Mystic Item: [Pseudo–Book of Blood Sacrifice]: The sixth replica of the Book of Blood Sacrifice. Possesses partial functions of the original, capable of temporarily opening the gates to the Elemental Realm through sacrificial rites. Single-use only.
Viewers weren't especially intrigued by this single-use item meant for destruction. But what happened next stunned everyone who hadn't yet seen the XB video.
The Ruins ambassador drew a dagger from a hidden compartment in the Book of Blood Sacrifice and lunged at Charles VI, only to be shot dead in a hail of bullets. Immediately after, more than a dozen entourage members drew blades and committed suicide. The scene was unimaginably bloody.
Next, the blood on the ground pooled into a teleportation gate. Although Zhou Ning managed to find a way to close the portal, a Blood Worm still crawled out. Feeding on the corpses' blood, it rapidly split into countless wriggling clones. The video was packed with so much information that viewers were completely overwhelmed.
Just as the Blood Worms began to multiply...
Zhou Ning couldn't see a thing.
Not because he had gone blind, but because, at that very moment, the on-screen barrage of floating comments exploded exponentially.
"From XB's side! High energy alert incoming!"
"Here comes the hype!"
"My husband's about to strike. They're all dead meat!"
...
Zhou Ning: …
While his instincts told him he should be utterly embarrassed, he was actually thoroughly enjoying it. Shameless as it was, he honestly thought the players weren't exaggerating.
In the video, the air seemed to distort in an instant as an overwhelming pressure burst forth from Zhou Ning. The moment his piercing gaze lifted—
In a flash—
The entire space seemed to tremble. The swarming Blood Worms were hit by a powerful force, either falling into a stupor or exploding outright.
It was almost a full screen-clearing effect—visually stunning.
Bang! Bang!
The players also noticed that not only were the Blood Worms affected—everyone present, including Kien West and Charles VI, were overwhelmed by Zhou Ning's unleashed aura.
XB, who was the closest to him, didn't even let out a sound before collapsing like he'd been hit with an axe.
A helpful overlay appeared beside Zhou Ning, explaining the skill:
Conqueror's Haki: A trait possessed only by true kings. Emits a forceful presence that can damage and stun enemies within range. A large gap in spiritual strength may cause targets to faint.
How considerate!
Zhou Ning's eyes grew misty. Although this damn AI kept leeching off him time and again, he decided to forgive it—just this once—for such an epic feature showcase.
After this jaw-dropping scene, the barrage of on-screen comments surged even more.
"Tears in my eyes. This is way too strong, too badass!"
"I'm numb from the hype."
Even the typically shy XB couldn't help but sneak in a comment:
"Hubby OP!!!"
By this point in the video, around two-thirds had played, and Zhou Ning's part had mostly wrapped up.
The Sunwatchers moved in to clean up the aftermath. When Kien West spread his glowing wings, using his clan's inherited ability, the players were briefly amazed again. What made Zhou Ning feel awkward, though, was that even after he'd become just a bystander, the damn AI kept the camera focused squarely on his face.
The screen went black, and the next shot cut to the top of the clock tower at Darkland Fortress. A figure in a black alchemy robe and a white hard-shelled mask moved swiftly, dodging the sparse patrolling soldiers, eventually reaching the rooftop and taking out a small hand crossbow.
Two lines of text appeared over his head and weapon:
Phillip Bislok
Professor of Alchemy at Inyek University / Evaluation Committee Member of the Life Alchemy Society
Unknown Mystic Item: [Boudica's Self-Slaying Crossbow]
Fires a highly powerful magic arrow. Killing a target with this arrow extracts and traps their soul inside the weapon. Very low chance of misfire that targets the user instead. A divine weapon once granted to the Hero Boudica after she made a wish to the gods. She rose to fame with it—and perished by it.
So it was him…
Zhou Ning frowned. Of course he remembered this person—Professor Bislok, mentioned in the diary of Holwig Gai. Thinking about it now, Holwig's fate was truly tragic—betrayed by someone he trusted, used like a pawn, and discarded when no longer useful.
A short while later, Charles VI's carriage arrived at the fortress gate. The moment Charles VI stepped out, Bislok pulled the trigger.
A magic arrow silently pierced through Charles VI's chest—a fatal shot.
Moments later, a screaming soul emerged above the crossbow. Bislok took out a glass tube from his coat, carefully sealed the soul inside it, and corked the tube.
The screen cut to black—the video ended there.
Zhou Ning shivered. As a mid-level alchemist, he immediately recognized the glass tube in Bislok's hand—it was a standard alchemical test tube. If he had to guess, those lunatics from the Life Alchemy Society intended to use Charles VI's soul as alchemical material.
That was insane.
What kind of project could possibly require the soul of a king?
An intense sense of foreboding welled up in Zhou Ning's heart.
Thanks to the heavy focus he'd put into Willpower lately, he hadn't had those dreams again for the past few days. But for some reason, an overwhelming unease lingered.
Throw in the unpredictable madness of the Life Alchemy Society, and everything just felt increasingly unsafe.
He needed to ramp up his experience gains—fast.
Maybe... it was time for another jump?
He opened the simulator. Last time, he'd received 12 Traversal Coins from the return trip and another 12 for altering the timeline, leaving him with a balance of 24. Zhou Ning topped up one more coin with 10 Vecktas and immediately initiated a jump!
Third time's the charm! This time, I'm going to clear One Piece!
[Preparing for traversal… Traversal Coins -25]
[Please select a traversal mode…]
1. Direct Traversal
2. Use Parallel World Template
Since it hadn't been 24 hours since his last jump, the three templates hadn't refreshed yet.
Zhou Ning could only select Mode 1 and proceed with a direct traversal.
[You have selected Talents 1, 6, and 9.]
[Your current talents: Mermaid, Medical Doctorate, Grandpa-in-a-Ring. Permanent talent: Tony Stark, Athletic Prodigy]
[Match successful. In this parallel world, you are a charming playboy and a genius in scientific research. You are also exceptionally gifted in many areas, having earned a medical doctorate and a national swimming championship at age 20. You possess an ancient-looking ring—an antique you stumbled upon at a street stall.]
[Current World Exploration: 49.5%. Unlock next map at 66.7%.]
[Boarding time machine… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… Whoosh… Traversal complete.]
[You have arrived on the high seas in the year 1516. From this moment on, the wheels of history begin to turn.]