Nightfall Approached

Facing his master Yosef's question, the Black-robed Figure gave a slight nod:

"The believers successfully infiltrated the residential districts around Sacred Plaza. All fifteen vials of Chaos Essence have been placed!"

The azure liquid that had just been injected into the gray rat's body, causing it to mutate, was Chaos Essence.

It possessed an utterly terrifying corruptive power, capable of directly corrupting any living creature it touched into a dreadful Chaos Monster.

Yosef had spent vast resources to refine those fifteen vials of Chaos Essence.

They were the gift he had prepared for Ron Grant and the Palatine District.

Once the "gift" was unleashed, it would bring immense suffering to the Palatine District!

In truth, Yosef had always kept close watch over the Palatine District. He knew everything about Ron Grant, that useless fool who possessed nothing but his bloodline.

But lately, Yosef had found him difficult to understand.

More precisely, ever since that meticulously planned assassination attempt five years in the making had failed, he had been unable to see through Ron.

Yosef activated a pawn he had buried decades ago—Ron's personal maid.

The maid had conducted an evil ritual in an extremely covert manner, completely plunging Ron into corruption.

The ritual had succeeded.

Yet Ron had somehow survived. It was utterly unbelievable.

How had he resisted Chaos corruption?

Afterward, Ron seemed like a different person, acting without any pattern or logic.

He was practically insane.

With the Palatine District beset by troubles both within and without, he had actually squandered enormous manpower and resources on some Ascension Day of the Emperor?

How foolish!

But no matter what, Yosef had to seize this opportunity.

He would deal the Palatine District a vicious blow and plunge it into panic and chaos.

The plan was proceeding smoothly.

By now, believers of the Shattered Eye cult had brought those terrifying vials of Chaos Essence into the residential districts near Sacred Plaza and hidden themselves there.

More than a hundred thousand citizens lived there. With the Palatine District's current strength, it would be impossible to search them all.

If the Palatine District failed to deal with the believers and the Chaos Essence in time,

then on Ascension Day of the Emperor, the loyal believers would release the Chaos Essence among the crowd, creating vast numbers of Chaos Monsters.

It would be a carnival of suffering!

The Chaos Monsters would charge into the densely packed crowd and slaughter them madly before the God-Emperor Statue.

That would be the most perfect blasphemy.

Bloodshed and suffering would brew even more terrifying Chaos behemoths.

Even if the Palatine District could resolve this disaster, it would suffer devastating losses.

Of course, the Palatine District had another option: launch a complete purge of those residential districts in advance.

Yosef knew that Bayev, the Palatine District's chief steward, would certainly propose this method of swiftly resolving the problem.

That outstanding, iron-blooded steward was well versed in such matters.

But it did not matter. If the Palatine District launched a complete purge ahead of time, the believers would release the Chaos Essence during the purge.

They would let the Chaos Monsters begin their slaughter in the residential districts.

The more than a hundred thousand citizens would become nourishment, likewise giving rise to powerful Chaos behemoths.

He had already made arrangements to spread news that the Palatine District had ordered the massacre of innocent residents.

A Chaos attack, combined with a slaughter ordered by the Governor,

would likewise allow fear and despair to shroud the Palatine District's territory.

Ron Grant's authority would vanish completely.

That was Yosef's plan. No matter how the Palatine District responded, it would remain within his calculations.

The moment the believers successfully evaded the Enforcers' inspections and entered the residential districts carrying Chaos Essence, the Palatine District's defeat had already been foretold.

Yosef seemed to see Ron's troubled expression at this very moment.

He sneered inwardly. That incompetent fool must have been terrified.

Yet this Governor did not know that an even greater disaster was about to descend!

He could barely wait to see the Governor kneeling before him and begging for mercy after the Palatine District fell.

And he—Yosef—would be crowned king!

He would become the new supreme ruler of Earth Planet!

The residential district of an administrative sector.

Rapp's family was saying their prayers before dinner, giving thanks to the God-Emperor and the Governor for the food they had bestowed.

After the Governor announced the restoration of food rations, their family no longer had to rely on Corpse Starch as their staple food.

Devere looked at his smiling mother and younger sister, his heart filled with hope.

Tomorrow would surely be better!

The people in the surrounding residential districts felt the same. Hope had appeared in many of their eyes.

Food rations had been restored, and the portions were nearly double what they had been before.

Though they still could not eat their fill, at least they no longer had to worry about starving to death.

People discussed the Governor's benevolence.

Rumors claimed that the Governor had found endless mountains of Sawdust Bread, and everyone would soon be able to eat as much as they wanted!

Others mysteriously told everyone that they had noticed something different about the God-Emperor's stone statue.

The God-Emperor must have revealed his divine presence!

Some of these rumors had been spread by Ron's people, while others came from the citizens' own imaginations.

In any case, everything was moving in a better direction.

A tiny spark of hope had appeared in people's hearts, along with a faint longing for their future lives.

They did not yet know that all of this was an illusory bubble.

So fragile.

It could barely withstand any impact.

Now, darkness was approaching.

In the gloomy corners of the residential districts, Heretics occasionally darted past.

At times, a faint azure glow could be seen.

The light was so mesmerizing, yet filled with ultimate wickedness.

That was Chaos Essence, a terrifying substance capable of causing immense suffering.

The Heretics remained vigilant. Once the Great Purge began, they would immediately release this great power!

Perhaps tonight, everyone here would face death. None would be spared.

Outside the Governor's office at the Spire.

Bayev waited patiently. He had already organized the armed forces belonging to the Palatine District and prepared a battle plan for a complete purge.

The sacrifice of more than a hundred thousand people in exchange for the Palatine District's peace was undoubtedly worthwhile.

Now, all that remained was the Governor's decision.

Inside the office, Ron watched as the sun fully set and made his final decision.

He could not do this.

He could not launch a complete purge. He could not sacrifice so many lives!

If he truly gave the order to slaughter so many people, he would undoubtedly betray his own beliefs.

It would be an even greater betrayal of the meaning represented by his Warp Essence.

Because he, Ron Grant, represented hope!

He could already feel the scattered Power of Hope coming from the residential districts.

That hope gathered together and drifted into the Psionic Core.

There were now fifty thousand points of Power of Hope.

The Little Sun's power had recovered even further!

Those devout citizens nourished Ron with hope as their sustenance.

In doing so, they had also saved themselves.

Because their Governor had found a solution!

Ron gazed toward the distant God-Emperor Statue. He closed his eyes and used his consciousness to stir the Psionic Core hidden within the statue's head.

As his consciousness merged with it,

Buzz—

A vast psychic consciousness instantly spread outward, covering every residential district around Sacred Plaza!