Chapter 155

Eugene and Treya were both stunned by what they saw.

If Treya's stunned silence stemmed from not knowing what had happened, then Eugene hadn't expected Necrass to be so cautious—no, farsighted.

Although both of them were in remote cities far from the capital, and although she was much older than him and had held a position of power second only to the emperor, it was this child who, judging from the current situation, had a clearer understanding of the empire's corruption and ruthlessness than he did.

He never imagined that the Empire would send someone to assassinate him.

After a moment of stunned silence, Eugene immediately called out, "Treya!"

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Liver's reaction was no slower than Eugene's. Before Treya could even mount her horse and leave, he had already leaped over the servant's spear and thrust his sword straight at the horse.

He was indeed very fast, but the servants surrounding the horse were in a more advantageous position and used their bodies to block Liver's longsword.

The blade pierced through his chest. Liver frowned and was about to pull out his sword when he saw something that shocked him.

The 'corpse' that had come back from the dead did not fall again because of the sure-kill attack. Instead, it stretched out its hands and gripped the blade tightly, preventing Liver from escaping immediately. Then, another servant thrust a spear into Liver's head.

If the opponent is an ordinary enemy, his choice would be to turn his head to dodge the attack, and then kick the attacking enemy.

But the heat emanating from these strange corpses made him abandon the idea, and he could only give up his weapon with a dark expression.

Daidas swung his double axes overhead, nearly smashing the servants who stood in his way into a bloody pulp, but as the white-purple flames burned, the dead bodies gathered together again.

No, it's not so much a corpse as it was cut up without any blood flowing out; it must be something else that distinguishes it from a corpse.

"It is an Imperial Arms similar to the one used by the dead to march."

"Liver I said after I retreated to a safe position."

Although they are both corpses, the dead on the march do not have the ability to be resurrected after dying again.

"It doesn't look like it will be that easy to solve."

Niu raised an eyebrow, but didn't suspect that Liver was slacking off. The enemy's situation was unclear, and this wasn't a suitable place for Liver to perform. It was normal for him to suffer a minor setback due to carelessness.

But...

"In that case, it seems it's time for me to come in handy."

Niu took out a seemingly ordinary flute, which was the Imperial Flute, the Imperial Sword Dream Scream.

Known for its ability to freely manipulate the emotions of its audience and boost morale on the battlefield, it can manipulate dozens of emotions, not only enhancing its own side but also putting the enemy into various states that affect combat, such as sleep.

Although repeated listening may lead to a resistance to the music, its power as a weapon on the battlefield and for initial kills is undeniable.

As the flute music played, Treya, who had been calming the frightened horses, suddenly felt drowsy and almost fell off her horse. Eugene almost fell asleep as well, with half of his body already off the horse's back. Fortunately, Treya caught him in time.

However, the servants turned a deaf ear to these voices. To put it bluntly, manipulating emotions and putting people to sleep are essentially stimulating the brain to secrete hormones, but to the servants, this was rather ridiculous.

Our hearts have stopped beating, we've become metaphysical biologists, and you're still playing this damn physics game?

"Protect the master and young lady!"

Captain Henderson of the guards finally completed his transformation into a servant. He was not particularly talented, but under these circumstances, he gained more power, and the transformation time naturally increased considerably.

But in return, he also gained considerable power.

Henderson had previously been unable to withstand even a single blow from Daidas, swung his spear with unimaginable force, sending Daidas flying. Although he did not injure Daidas, the scene stunned Liver and Niu.

"My Imperial Arms are ineffective against them!"

Niu's face turned ugly.

"Let's go together."

Liver's face also turned completely gloomy. Their actions this time meant they could not afford to make a mistake. Not only would a mistake result in punishment from Lady Esdeath, but more importantly, Niu had used a Teigu. Under these circumstances, if the other party investigated carefully after leaving, they could find out that they were the Three Beasts.

Although this may not be a big deal, it has added unnecessary trouble.

Niu nodded, stopping her lullaby, and then began playing a tune to enhance her teammates' abilities.

This gave Treya and Eugene time to recover, but also made the situation seem daunting.

The horses had fallen asleep under Niu's hypnosis. They dared not stray too far from the guards, fearing that leaving the protective circle would give the enemy an opportunity to behead them. However... although the guards had temporarily withstood the attack of the Three Beasts thanks to their immortality, everyone understood the principle that prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat.

Moreover, given the significant gap in combat experience, the guards' coordination was delayed in actual combat.

This is definitely not going to be good!

What's even more frustrating is that even knowing the situation was dire, the two of them were powerless to do anything about it.

Time passed second by second. Although the Three Beasts were humans with limited stamina, their ability to fight continuously was not bad. Their continuous probing had allowed them to figure out the defensive weaknesses of the strange team in front of them.

After exchanging glances, the three worked together seamlessly to create a gap for Daidas, just wide enough for an axe to break through, but that was enough.

A joyful smile crept onto his lips. These guys, who couldn't provide any experience points, had been both boring and infuriating him. After fighting for so long, he was finally able to complete the mission and gain experience points.

Belvak's two great axes activated instantly. With his guards gone, Eugene, the prime target, would face endless pursuit. Even if Treya were willing to take the axe for him, it wouldn't matter; they would have plenty of time to create another opening.

The giant axe that swept through the crowd made everyone's hearts tighten. Just as Daidas had predicted, Treya tried to block the attack with her spear without thinking, but the clear premonition that she could not resist made her resigned to death.

However, just before the axe was about to strike, a spear fell from the sky, its immense force knocking the axe to the ground.

This sudden turn of events made Daidas instinctively stop urging his axe to continue the pursuit and instead look behind him.

Not only him, but the Three Beasts's incredibly keen battlefield intuition allowed them to immediately sense the danger of being locked onto by a powerful life form behind them.

A group of about twenty people had appeared less than 300 meters away from them. Each person in the group was dressed in a neat and tidy white uniform, like that of a sergeant, and rode a tall, muscular horse.

Standing at the head of the group was a mature woman with long Platinum hair and two horns on her head.

One of her eyes was hidden in her drooping bangs, but the green pupil that was exposed was not warm; instead, it was full of coldness and aggression. Combined with the playful smile on her lips, she exuded an astonishing sense of oppression.

Who is this woman...?

Chapter Four: Necrass's Ambition.

"Ella...?"

Upon seeing the figure, Treya became somewhat nervous.

Although she was the daughter of a former minister, Treya had not participated in any key events. She spent her days either practicing martial arts or on her way to practice. Occasionally, she would go to the government office to chat with Necrass to relax. However, her understanding of Necrass was always that she had good physical fitness, but like her father, she was a civil servant.

Unlike Treya, Eugene had a deep understanding of Necrass. He knew Necrass's abilities, had studied the documents of the first Draco, and was even more aware of Necrass's formidable strength and ambition commensurate with that strength.

Liver served as a general in the Empire, but there were quite a few generals in the Empire, and he was not considered a high-ranking official. When he was a general, he did not know much about Necrass.

However, after following General Esdeath, it seems that he heard General Esdeath mention with great enthusiasm after drinking that she wanted to compete with the legendary 'Dragon Duke'. Unfortunately, that duke had been dead for nearly a thousand years, and his only bloodline had been neglected and wasted, turning him into a corrupt civil official.

At this moment, he had to connect the seemingly young girl who had just come of age with the corrupt civil servant Esdeath had mentioned, but he couldn't make any connection at all.

Corrupt civil servants? Really?

As he watched the dragon Dragon Woman riding a fine horse slowly and steadily approach him, Liver felt as if the blood in his body had frozen.

Powerful and imposing, it was as if Lady Esdeath herself was standing right in front of him.

But compared to the wild and fiery oppressive aura of Lady Esdeath, the girl in front of them was more like the tip of an iceberg on a calm sea. She didn't look amazing, but everyone could immediately realize that she was much more than that.

Who are you?!

Niu couldn't hold back any longer and asked through gritted teeth.

"An insignificant lord's agent, or a pioneer who ignites a fire that should have been lit long ago."

Necrass's eyes followed the question to him, and Niu, who was about to rebuke the riddle, suddenly caught her breath.

"Your Excellency... we..."

Liver knew that they had already made enemies with these two teams, and that escape was impossible, as all the opposing teams had horses.

In this situation, I need to find a way to control this Dragon Woman.

As he spoke, he moved closer to the girl in front of him, even though he knew his idea was somewhat far-fetched, and it was his only means at the moment.

"I don't want to hear any explanations now. Your bravery has been misplaced, but it will never happen again."

Necrass's voice wasn't authoritative; rather, it sounded like a gentle woman confiding her feelings. But upon closer listening, one would discover that it was more like a murmur that was gradually taking over one's mind, a delirious murmur that made the prey willingly step into the trap.

Without listening to any nonsense, Necrass raised her black-handled, white-tipped spear, blocking Liver's path. Her smile grew even more mocking, as if she had already seen through his thoughts. "Stop here, jester."

Do you think I'm some kind of clown for your amusement?

Liver's eyes narrowed, and a sharp hook suddenly popped out from the ring on his finger, which he then used to slash his thumb without hesitation.

"The Water Dragon Possession Black Marlin!"

This is an Imperial Arm that can manipulate water, and it can also manipulate its own blood.

Although he had the means to take poison and use his blood to exchange for an enemy, he didn't think he would have the chance to do such a big thing and still survive in front of this Dragon Woman.

The sharp jet of blood is sharp enough to pierce anyone's skin. Once the skin is pierced, the blood can disrupt the flow of blood in the opponent's body, and may even achieve a kill in an instant.

However, the next moment, his eyes widened.

Because his attack, on which he had placed all his hopes, did not achieve the expected effect. Not to mention the expected effect, it did not even reach within half a meter of the Dragon Woman.

The blood that should have pierced the enemy's skin ignited and evaporated at the very tip. The familiar high temperature and purple flames immediately reminded him of the strange phenomenon of the guards coming back to life.

"It's you...!?"

"Don't worry, your abilities won't be buried here. The empire that betrayed you should be regarded as your enemy. Esdeath can only grant you the right to an eye for an eye, but cannot give you true revenge to sever the root of your hatred."

"Is your enemy only the lord who framed you?"

Necrass's smile faded slightly. Facing this dying man, no matter how many sins he had committed, they were all insignificant in the past. In his final moments, Necrass made a promise, "I will give you a higher perspective, let you see the truth of your life's destruction, recognize the reality of becoming a tool of your enemies, and then give you a chance to truly take revenge on your enemies."

Liver had lost all perception of everything; only the burning sensation of the flames and the faint yet deeply ingrained murmurs remained in his world.

Ignoring the three figures engulfed in purple flames, Necrass dismounted and walked up to Eugene and Treya.

"You..."

Eugene's expression was incredibly complicated. Although he had overestimated Necrass's strength as much as possible, she still exceeded his expectations. But what exceeded his expectations even more was Necrass's statement just now.

"As you can see, Count Eugene."

Necrass understood Eugene's timidity and loss of courage due to old age, but she had given Eugene enough time to face reality. "This is the empire as it is today, which has lasted for thousands of years and is now in its final countdown."

"What you want to do... isn't to fight for the throne!?"

Hearing this, Eugene, who had already prepared himself, was startled again.

To say it was a struggle for the throne was actually a plot to usurp power. This crime was extremely serious, a sin that would make him, an old minister, feel ashamed. But even with such a sin, he was willing to do it to save the empire. However... what Necrass said was completely different.

She's not trying to usurp the throne, she's trying to conquer the country.

Although she was the emperor's daughter, usurping the throne and conquering the country are completely different. Once the country was conquered, she would no longer be the "daughter of the previous emperor" but the "founding emperor".

"Eugene, your skill and ability are unparalleled, but your ambition and vision are becoming increasingly narrow."

Necrass was not displeased by Eugene's outburst, not only because Eugene had been her foster father for twelve years, but also because she knew very well how important Eugene's talents were to her.

To put it bluntly, she currently has no manpower to support her. Eugene is competent in both serving as her assistant in handling political affairs at the beginning of her power base and in managing power and resources as her power and talent grow in the future.

Old man, stop living in seclusion. You're only fifty, the perfect age to strive and work hard.

Chapter Five: Cooperation? A case of discarding a useful tool after it has served its purpose!

Eugene did not reply, but his lack of rejection suggested that he was wavering.

Necrass wasn't in a hurry; there was still plenty of time. Even if a battle were to break out, it wouldn't be an immediate one. Although Necrass's control over the Death Fire was far superior to hers due to the Tai Xu Sword Qi, splitting off the flames would still consume her own power.

To make your flame burn even brighter, besides growing your own flame, you can also grow exponentially through 'lending'.

Let the flames burn and grow on others, and let them infect even more people. When you reclaim the flames, you can collect the extra interest from them.

However, that was Necrass's approach in the original story.

As someone with connections, Necrass had many solutions. The simplest was to apply for a core or Spiritron Crystal, but that would be somewhat wasteful. So she applied for something cheaper: the Shen Nong Stigmata three-piece set effect.

This Stigmata, which increases the efficiency of health and energy pack recovery in the game, has been optimized to unconditionally increase health and energy recovery. Although the recovery amount has been reduced, the bonus from the Stigmata itself is already visible to the naked eye.

Pulling herself back to reality, Necrass looked at Treya, who had been suppressing her emotions and remaining silent.

"What does real combat feel like?"

She asked with a smile.

Treya pursed her lips. "I led my team to deal with all the robbers on the road."

She had always been aware of Necrass's excessive maturity and unusual nature. In the past, she often tried to build a good relationship with her, but the results were not optimistic. Although she always considered herself Necrass's sister and subject, this misplaced identity and the smile that Necrass couldn't quite see in her eyes always made her unable to be sure of the other party's thoughts.