Chapter 426
"Shining, it's been so long since we've sat down at the table and had a proper chat like we used to. You have to tell me about what you've seen and heard on this journey."
Once inside the hall, he acted like a younger uncle welcoming relatives home on New Year's Eve, shouting loudly into the hall:
"Chief, Shining is back!"
The Confessors Leader spread his hands, extending an invitation:
"Sit down. This seat was originally yours. It has been vacant ever since you killed those people and escaped with this Experimental Subject."
As he said this, he glanced at Nightingale in the Wheelchair, her face masked so his gaze wouldn't be too obvious.
"Your betrayal back then chilled the hearts of our Tribe Members. But I don't blame you. Please sit down."
Seeing that Shining remained silent, Salus sat to the right of the leader, attempting to ease the tension:
"I've been busy until the early hours of the morning lately and haven't had time to eat, so I'm going to enjoy myself today."
Shining didn't reply, but pushed Nightingale toward the only empty black chair at the Long Table.
Then came a long silence.
It looked like a family feast, but the only sounds during the meal were knives and forks cutting meat and the crisp sound of them hitting the Porcelain Plate.
This awkward silence can't go on.
The Confessors Leader broke the deadlock first, asking Salus, who was showing off his beast meat:
How are the recent experiments progressing?
"Huh? Are we really going to talk about work over dinner?"
Seeing that the Confessors Leader remained silent and didn't seem to be joking, she had no choice but to compromise:
"Well, there's not much to say. The purpose of the whole experiment was to extract as much emotion as possible from memory, and most people couldn't last long."
To be honest, they might have hit a bottleneck. Those old guys wouldn't last more than a few days, let alone be able to extract those distant memories and bring them back to the present.
The Confessors Leader didn't seem to care about the leak of Sarkaz's Core Secret Information. It appeared he was saying it intentionally to Shining, with a hint of boasting.
"Salus, let's call this experiment a day and focus on other projects. Currently, only the Demon King is truly unique. Those ancient knowledge and techniques are like a vast ocean; we need a large enough container to draw water from them."
"Okay, I understand."
Shining remained silent, leading to another awkward silence.
Seeing that she showed no sign of distress, the Confessors Leader gave Salus a sharp look, signaling her to start the conversation.
The latter hesitated for a long time before finally speaking:
"Um, Chief, has His Highness been planning something big lately? He's rarely at the Shard Building lately, and he hasn't come to my lab either."
The Confessors Leader considered for a moment. Although this was a more confidential matter, there was no harm in revealing it:
"Your His Highness's plan has reached a crucial moment; the outcome will be clear in the next two days."
Shining raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, seemingly showing some interest, but remained silent.
The Confessors Leader took in every micro-expression and continued to signal Salus to bring up more topics. This annoyed the latter greatly; having to use his brain even while enjoying a family dinner:
"Speaking of which, why does the chief support His Highness? He's been gathering intelligence for him for so long that now the Sarkaz think we're his personal guards."
The Confessors Leader thought the question was terrible, and it was uncertain whether Shining would respond.
"Salus, I told you. Power comes from bloodline, bloodline inherits memories, memories accumulate sins, and sins form Shackles. Only those who are not bound by history can completely liberate power from these Shackles."
"All right."
Seeing Salus's perfunctory reply, the Confessors Leader knew she couldn't come up with a new topic. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and talk about something Shining could handle:
"By the way, what should we call this Experiment Subject Miss took away, Lisa or Liz?"
The Shining finally spoke, but his words were brief and to the point:
"Liz."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Salus brought up something she was more interested in and asked:
"Has her Originium-related illness infection worsened or improved? As you know, her body is very special. Even with Lord Kal'tsit there, it's not certain they can truly help her. My laboratory still has it; you can take a look at her anytime if you need it."
Shining shook his head slightly, without saying a word.
As for Miss Liz, codenamed Nightingale, her Originium-related illness symptoms have indeed worsened. No matter how many inhibitors she takes, there is no sign of relief or improvement.
After fulfilling her promise to the Confessors, she planned to take Liz with her to Liyue City.
According to Scout, Rhodes Island's number one bell-blower, Doctor Zhongli has successfully cured Originium-related illness.
The truth of this matter does not need to be verified by outsiders.
Just look at how energetic Broca was once terminally ill, is now, and you'll know that Scout's words were true and not an exaggeration.
Doctor Zhongli is kind and compassionate, and he most likely wouldn't refuse to help treat her. Perhaps he's truly the only one in the world who can solve the problem that has been troubling Shining.
The man was shrouded in mystery. Every aspect of him was something she didn't know.
And then there's Doctor Kal'tsit; I don't know why, but I always seem to have a strained relationship with her.
Fortunately, Doctor Zhongli had a good relationship with the Doctor and Amiya, so she wouldn't be neglected when she went to seek refuge with them.
Seeing that Shining was inexplicably distracted at such an important gathering, the Confessors Leader suppressed his anger:
"Is the food not to your liking, sister?"
Seeing that the anger was turning sour, Salus chimed in:
"That's right, don't stay silent. We've gone to so much trouble to host a family dinner, there's no need to be so cold, is there?"
If you're upset because of the experiments on Liz, then I sincerely apologize. You should know very well that she's not an ordinary infected person. And she's not our family, so please..."
It was rather impolite to say that in front of the Nightingale. Shining, displeased, immediately interrupted:
No, she is my family.
"Okay... alright."
Salus was speechless at the other person's words. She shrugged slightly, looking like she was giving up and lying down.
Knowing they couldn't count on it, the Confessors Leader echoed what Shining had just said:
"Sister, you know certain secrets. That's why you answered my invitation, isn't it? This Experiment Subject is just an old cage; if necessary, we can easily weave a new body..."
"Enough!"
Her anger surprised Salus:
"Hey, that's really interesting. Even when you injured countless colleagues and took this Experiment Subject away, we never saw you this angry. You seem to value these outsiders more than your family."
Shining glanced at the untouched banquet, stood up holding his black longsword, and said solemnly:
"Haven't I made myself clear enough? You're not my family. The colleagues I sent to monitor me and Liz have already left. Don't send me any more invitations; I won't be coming. The next time we meet will probably be on the battlefield."
Seeing her pushing her Wheelchair, seemingly preparing to leave, the Confessors Leader put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Are you really planning to just leave like this?"
Shining didn't speak, she just stared at him coldly.
This man, her blood brother and social fiancé, carries the soul of her father within him.
The father used Secret Art to possess his son's body and even called him "sister" according to their relationship. This kind of address, which violates social norms, is truly disgusting.
She doesn't want to say a single word to these so-called family members right now.
"Sister, what if I don't want you to leave?"
The forceful statement pushed the atmosphere to a freezing point. Shining gripped her Black Sword tightly and said succinctly:
You can't stop me.
Seeing that the other party remained unmoved by either soft or hard tactics, the Confessors Leader spread his hands, seemingly wanting to demonstrate magnanimity:
"Very well, I allow you to leave. And you don't have to return to my side for the next few years. But, do not interfere with the Regent's plans. Nor should you interfere with the other Sarkaz moving towards the long-awaited future. No matter how much you despise your bloodline and yearn to break free from those shackles, you can never truly deny it. Denying the generous gifts of this bloodline is meaningless."
Shining didn't even bother to call him "father," pushing Nightingale's Wheelchair away from the Confessors's stronghold. She didn't want any contact with these people; she just wanted to escape as far away as possible.
Speaking of which, Doctor Zhongli and Amiya should be somewhere in the Central City District, right?
June 24, 0:32 am
Because their movements had been discovered, Vigna and the others did not risk going through the Fifth Outpost. To avoid being surrounded by the City Defense Army and reinforcements, they decided to take a long detour and enter the designated area through Pincer Attack path.
"We've arrived. The road leading out from there connects the Royal Palace and the Duke's Mansion."
Alda's tone was light and cheerful, suggesting she was in a good mood.
"I know this place. Many years ago, His Highness appeared here with the Breath of the Kings, causing quite a stir."
Vigna pondered for a moment, but had absolutely no recollection of it:
"Really? I don't remember."
"It is true, Your His Highness. However, you were too young at the time and may have forgotten it after all these years. If you ask some of the older nobles, they should still remember."
"Alda, my search for the Breath of the Kings is not for any title. Rather, it is to use the treasures of the Former Emperor to rally the people and bring peace back."
Alda seemed unconcerned about these things; she was now focused solely on finding the Breath of the Kings.
"Ah, here it is. If we break through this sealed wall, we'll reach the Place Where Hope Sleeps. No matter what the situation is outside, we must obtain the Breath of the Kings. It may be the key to disrupting the Sarkaz plan, and even to changing the course of the entire war."
Morgan was displeased with her riddle-solving manner, but didn't want to say it outright, so he politely asked:
"What exactly is the use of this sword? What do you mean by saying it can turn the tide of battle?"
Shi Lei is now well-read and knows the origin of the Breath of the Kings. Legend has it that it was a sword forged by the Spirit of the Plains for Aslan's ancestors. It was used to win countless battles and cut off the head of the King of Monsters.
Later, Aslan arrived in Victoria, defeated Dolak, and forced them to accept a system of Dual Monarchy. This sword then became a symbol of royal power.
"According to historical records, this sword possesses the powerful ability to cleave through Catastrophe. If it is truly as powerful as the legends say, once we master this power, we can drive all the Sarkaz out of the city!"
Hearing that Alda sought out the Breath of the Kings for such a reason, Shi Lei found it utterly boring.
I thought there was something special going on, but it was all for nothing.
Catastrophe can be overcome without a sword.
Seeing that Alda was speaking with great enthusiasm, Vigna's expression turned somewhat serious:
"You seem to know a lot about the Breath of the Kings?"
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Chapter 504 The Breath of the Kings (4K)
"You seem to know a lot about the Breath of the Kings?"
Alda reacted quickly and didn't reveal any flaws:
"I've seen it before, when His Majesty brought back the Breath of the Kings. It... is beautiful, with a power that stirs the soul. When I saw it, I was deeply moved. Later, I specifically researched information about it, so I know quite a bit about it."
Vigna couldn't find anything wrong with it, so she didn't ask any more questions.
For some reason, her memories of her childhood are very vague. She always feels that she experienced something very important back then, but she can't remember the specifics.
Vigna has been having the same recurring dream lately: she dreams that golden mane has sprouted beneath her. Whenever she reaches out and grasps that warm, golden mane, she transforms into a four-legged beast, and the dream abruptly ends.
"Let's go, it's time to set off."
Shi Lei easily broke through the sealed wall, revealing a pitch-black Cave Entrance. He used his Psychic Power to probe the deepest part and was surprised to find that there were actually living creatures inside.
Judging from the outline, it looks like a human figure.
The only entrance to the Place Where the Kings Sleep is this path. According to the books Shi Lei had read, this place was sealed off 26 years ago after the Lion King was hanged.
If no other food was put in, how have the creatures inside survived until now?
That's interesting.
He can use his Psychic Scan the interior, but others cannot.
Vigna went in first, using her phone's light for illumination. Alda, Dagda, Morgan, Indra, and others followed closely behind, weapons in hand.
Shi Lei shielded everyone with Jade Shield, not in a hurry to go in. He paused at the Cave Entrance for a moment, and soon waited for Ines and the other two to bring Heredrey before him to beg for forgiveness.
Although W could not accept his actions, the deed was done, and the only option was to minimize the damage.