Starting to Eat Clone Soft Rice from Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 38

PS: I feel like my condition is a bit off today. Originally, Jibril was supposed to wait until the protagonist returned to One-Punch Man later to manifest and fight Boros, but now she's been manifested early to fill a chapter.

Also, the price of the Winged Ones' Spirit Corridor was changed from 7500 points to 15000 points earlier. Readers who subscribed early can go back and refresh.

Chapter 80: Talulah: An Xiu wants to rebel? Who's rebelling against who?

A few days passed quickly. Due to the nobles' earlier obstruction, the Wendigo Legion, which had just calmed down during this period, set out again. Led personally by An Xiu, they used intelligence gathered by the Shadow Troopers to start playing the Nine-Clan Elimination Game against the nobles within Ursus.

It wasn't just the nobles on the previous list who refused to attend the Ascension Ceremony. Throughout Ursus, any noble with dirt on them, once discovered by the Shadow Troopers, would have their door knocked on in the middle of the night by a few burly Wendigos, and then the whole family would ascend together in bliss.

With the Shadow Troopers around, the Wendigo Legion under An Xiu's command was not only fully informed but also fully mobile.

By using the ability to lurk in shadows, the Shadow Troopers could move people quickly through darkness. Using their stronghold, the Shadow Kingdom, which existed in an independent space, as a transfer point, even a large figure like a Wendigo could be transported by ten Shadow Troopers to any place connected by shadows in a short time.

Moreover, perhaps because the Shadow Troopers An Xiu purchased were only the Ninja Troopers, the Shadow Kingdom they inhabited was incomplete. Correspondingly, the erosion effect on outsiders entering the Shadow Kingdom, which existed in the original work, was also weakened. As long as one had a certain level of strength, entering the Shadow Kingdom for a short time would only cause slight physical discomfort. For An Xiu now, this was actually a good thing.

After all, An Xiu no longer needed the Shadow Troopers, especially low-level grunts like the Ninja Troopers, to fight for him. Now that he only needed the Shadow Troopers to gather intelligence and act as teleportation tools, the weaker the Shadow Kingdom's erosion on outsiders, the better.

It was precisely with the mobility provided by the Shadow Troopers that, as soon as a noble's dirt was dug up, a Wendigo would show up at their doorstep, and it would be a direct airdrop right to their front door.

With this process, in just a few days, nobles throughout Ursus, from top to bottom, experienced a merciless purge. At the same time, the few nobles who hadn't yet been visited completely lost their minds.

Faced with the constant news of their colleagues' deaths, the old and new noble factions of Ursus, who had been hostile to each other, united for the first time in history. They formed a new interest group and sent representatives to Holy Steed Castle, while the terrifying Wendigo Legion was still out purging, to negotiate with Talulah, who was about to ascend as the Empress of Ursus, and to impeach the leader of this purge, An Xiu.

"Your Majesty, this man acts erratically, has no respect for rank, treats imperial law as nothing, and arbitrarily slaughters the empire's meritorious officials. Such conduct is by no means virtuous. You must not give him heavy responsibility!"

"That's right, Your Majesty. We are not speaking out of selfish motives, but a person this dangerous, now holding a heavy army, could easily harbor thoughts of rebellion if we are not careful!"

"Please, Your Majesty, quickly revoke his military authority. Do not let the empire's meritorious officials lose heart!"

Listening to the noble delegation below, who had none of the arrogance they showed when refusing to attend the Ascension Ceremony just days ago, and were now crying and shouting with tears streaming down their faces, Talulah, who was bowing her head to handle affairs, wore a strange expression.

Rebellion? Who's rebelling against who? An Xiu rebelling against her? Wouldn't that be pretty much the same as now?

Besides, would An Xiu even need a heavy army to rebel against her? Wouldn't she just surrender obediently with a single word from him?

Oh, these nobles don't know about the relationship between the two. Never mind, then.

In the eyes of outsiders, Talulah had purely relied on herself to overthrow the previous Emperor of Ursus and win the war. After all, she was the legitimate heir to Koschei's Domain. When Grand Duke Bagration transferred the Third Army Group, he handed authority directly to her. The Reunion's infected army needed no explanation—it was her own foundation. And the Wendigo Legion had only ever accepted commands from Talulah from start to finish.

In other words, according to the intelligence of many factions, although Talulah's rise was sudden, no one thought she was a puppet controlled by others. Based on intelligence, Talulah firmly held the Third Army Group, the Reunion's infected army, and the Wendigo Legion in her hands. Add to that the terrifying power she displayed at Holy Steed Castle, single-handedly crushing the empire's capital defenses.

Could such a person be a puppet? No, no. In the eyes of other countries and factions, Talulah was not a puppet but a dictator who had highly centralized power. That was exactly why these nobles had come to cry to her now.

In their view, someone like Talulah would never tolerate her army being freely deployed by others, especially the Wendigo Legion, which she had somehow built and was now her ace force.

After all, the sharpest blade—how could one not use it themselves but give it to someone else? As long as a seed of suspicion sprouted in Talulah's heart because of their words, their goal would be achieved.

"Your Majesty, this man likely harbors thoughts of rebellion. Please, Your Majesty, see clearly!"

Thinking this, the noble delegation below shouted in unison again.

This time, Talulah finally responded.

"Is that so? Then kill them."

Instantly, the noble delegation's faces lit up with joy.

"Kill him when he returns?"

"Why would I need to wait for Mr. An Xiu to return to kill you?"

Pushing aside the handled official documents, the white-haired Dragonewt finally raised her head, but her words sent the nobles below plummeting from heaven to hell.

"I can handle this myself. Guards, take all these people out and throw them into the cells."

"Yes!"

At Talulah's command, guards immediately stepped forward and escorted the entire noble delegation away.

"Your Majesty, no! Every word we said is true!"

"Your Majesty, we are wronged! You can't kill us! You can't!"

"Gwa! Your Majesty, you can't, you can't do this!!!"

The escorted nobles screamed hoarsely, but this time, no matter how they begged, Talulah didn't say another word.

Looking at her indifferent gaze, the hearts of the escorted nobles turned cold. Eventually, dragged by the guards, they disappeared from Talulah's sight.

Such a scene even startled the young Sarkaz girl who had just arrived outside to report for work.

Fortunately, Talulah noticed this talent she had recently promoted to the Civil Engineering Department and immediately spoke.

"Mudrock, is there something to report?"

Hearing Talulah's words, Mudrock snapped back to reality.

"It's a progress report on the city wall reconstruction project. The destroyed walls outside Holy Steed Castle have been initially repaired. It's expected to be mostly restored in five days."

"Mm, well done. Make sure the walls are completely repaired before the Ascension Ceremony and the Military Parade."

"Understood!"

Chapter 81: An Xiu: Elbow, come with me to be the Duke of Ursus and Imperial Prime Minister

Meanwhile, Chernobyl.

"This is the place. The few remaining noble families in the main cities that haven't been cleaned up are all here."

Looking at the rumbling Mobile City in the distance, An Xiu checked the list in his hand, then spoke.

Behind him, several Wendigo following An Xiu stepped forward and, guided by the Shadow Troopers he had summoned, slowly sank into the shadows. Following intel gathered beforehand, they set off to deliver door-to-door service to a few noble families within the Mobile City.

With the Shadow Troopers' assistance, every noble household could look forward to receiving a Wendigo Spear and a heavy fist. Hopefully, the nobles in the city would enjoy this surprise.

"Now then, I suppose it's time I properly tour this Mobile City."

After airdropping the Wendigo, An Xiu, under the respectful guidance of a crowd of Shadow Ninjas, stepped into the shadows and instantly reappeared in a secluded corner of Chernobyl.

At present, Chernobyl had not yet fallen to the Black Serpent's schemes as in the original story. It remained one of the best-developed cities in all of Ursus, run by the New Aristocratic Faction.

Thus, its appearance was naturally different from the chaos and ruin depicted at the start of the original plot. The city was bustling and prosperous, with crowds flowing through the streets.

Still, most people hurried by, busy struggling to make a living. After all, under the rule of Terra's noble lords, how could commoners hope to live easy lives? What kind of dream was that?

Being alive, having a somewhat stable place to live, not being dragged off to the mines for 007 shifts until death, and having enough food for the whole family—that was already something to be secretly grateful for.

Perhaps it was precisely this lack of vitality in the streets that made An Xiu lose interest after only a short stroll. He shifted course toward his true destination.

At the site of an abandoned laboratory, the walls were covered in cracks and moss. Various debris lay scattered on the floor, thick with dust, clearly untouched for a long time.

Inside this derelict lab, An Xiu quickly found his target: a Stone Coffin that powered the entire Mobile City and sealed away the Doctor, the protagonist of the Arknights World.

Gazing at the Stone Coffin, An Xiu rubbed his chin.

"In the original story, there was no description of how to open the Stone Coffin. Probably only Kal'tsit knows the method. Without the right way to open it, relying on Terra's people alone, they'd likely have no way to deal with this thing—probably a relic of the Pre-Civilization."

No wonder Kal'tsit felt confident leaving the Stone Coffin here for so many years without a care. Unfortunately, it had now run into An Xiu, who was no native of Terra.

"Jibril."

At his call, a figure fluttering a pair of pure white wings instantly appeared behind An Xiu.

"What are your orders, my master?"

Thanks to the innate talent of the Winged Ones, even from tens of thousands of kilometers away, Jibril could sense An Xiu's call and appear before him in an instant.

Now, the pale pink-haired Winged One maiden knelt behind An Xiu, one hand holding a bloody, massive beast-shaped head.

"Uh, what's with that head?"

"Because I had a slight interest in the Giant Beasts of this world, while you had no orders for me, I took a little tour around. I happened to find a sleeping Giant Beast, so I defeated it and took this trophy on a whim."

"Still, these creatures are far weaker than I imagined—not worth hunting specifically."

As she spoke, Jibril tossed the head aside with some disdain, then clasped her hands together and smiled up at An Xiu.

"Back to the earlier topic, may I ask why you called me, Jibril, your most loyal slave? Is there something you need me to do for you?"

"If there is anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to command Jibril. If I can serve as a stepping stone on my master's path forward, that would be the highest joy for this body..."

As if lost in thought, the Winged One maiden's gaze gradually grew hazy, and her dignified smile began to twist into a foolish grin.

"Open this Stone Coffin without harming the person inside. Can you do that?"

Hearing Jibril's words, An Xiu paid no further attention to the Giant Beast that had died in vain and stated his original purpose.

"Hmm... open this Stone Coffin?"

A finger wrapped in a black silk glove pressed against her lips. Jibril, now back to her dignified posture, leaned in for a brief inspection, then nodded.

"Please leave it to me."

Dark energy coalesced into a scythe. Jibril swung it lightly.

The next moment, the lid of the Stone Coffin was cleanly sliced off, revealing the frozen person inside.

Seeing this, An Xiu pulled the frozen figure out, placed them on a clean patch of ground, and took out the Horse Talisman he had purchased earlier to begin thawing and restoring the person.

As the power of the Horse Talisman flashed, gradually, the figure wrapped in black clothing began to breathe, and their consciousness slowly returned.

"Where... is this?"

After a moment, a confused voice sounded. The person lying on the ground seemed to have awakened, instinctively trying to sit up. But their hood slipped off, revealing a head of white hair and a pale, delicate face beneath.

"Who... are you..."

Ignoring the fallen hood, the newly awakened Doctor found everything around them unfamiliar. Seeing An Xiu and Jibril before them, they instinctively showed a hint of unease.

"Don't worry. We're here to rescue you."

Looking at the frail-looking white-haired girl before him, An Xiu bent down slightly, took her hand, helped her sit up, and spoke in a calm voice to reassure her.

"Rescue... me?"

Hearing An Xiu's words, the Doctor seemed to calm down a little, but their confusion remained undiminished.

"Sorry, I don't seem to remember anything. If possible, can you tell me who I really am? And why are you saving me?"

"You are the last Pure Human surviving on this land called Terra. You were frozen in this Stone Coffin by an old cat named Kal'tsit and left here. As for why I'm saving you, it's simple—I am also a Pure Human. In a way, we are kin."

"Kin?"

Feeling that, despite An Xiu holding her hand, she felt no disgust—only a strong sense of closeness—the Doctor instinctively believed the man before her.

"That's right. Come with me. When we get back, I'll have Talulah give you a position. From now on, you'll be Ursus's Duke and Imperial Prime Minister. I guarantee, working for me is far better than going to Rhodes Island."

"Okay..."

Out of a sense of familiarity and trust that arose from within, even though the name Rhodes Island felt slightly familiar, the Doctor still nodded, stumbled to his feet, and followed An Xiu and Jibril out of the abandoned laboratory ruins.

Chapter 82: Kal'tsit's Ominous Premonition, Kryptonian Factor Modification Complete

Somewhere on the land of Terra, Rhodes Island.

Inside a medical room, Kal'tsit suddenly had a bad feeling for no apparent reason.

"Strange, why do I feel this way?"

As a guardian of the land, a sage who foresees the end, and an all-knowing wise one, Kal'tsit did not believe her current feeling was an illusion. It was likely that something she had overlooked was causing this unease in her heart.

"Has anything major happened on Terra recently?"

Taking out several reports of external intelligence brought back by Operators, Kal'tsit began to carefully examine them one by one.

Victoria, Kazimierz, Great Yan—none of these nations had any major news. Only Ursus...

"Duke Talulah launches a blitz on Holy Steed Castle, set to hold a Coronation Ceremony and Military Parade soon?"

"From Duke's adopted daughter to the tyrannical, autocratic Emperor of Ursus—a brief biography of Talulah?"

To be honest, Kal'tsit didn't really care much about the change of emperor in Ursus. Even if the intelligence stated that the soon-to-be-crowned new Emperor of Ursus, Talulah, had overthrown the royal family in less than ten days with the Third Army Group and her self-recruited Infected army, in Kal'tsit's eyes, it was merely a sign that the new emperor had slightly stronger military capabilities.

But the events in Ursus suddenly sparked a flash of insight in Kal'tsit's mind.

"Oh no, the Doctor!"

That was it. She remembered now. The Stone Coffin containing the Doctor was still placed in an abandoned laboratory ruin somewhere in Chernobyl, Ursus. Could that sudden feeling of unease she had just now mean something had gone wrong with the Doctor's Stone Coffin?

No, to be safe, she had to send someone to check... No, she should go herself.

Thinking this, Kal'tsit immediately left the medical room and walked outside.