Chapter 185

At this moment, he had completely lost his former majesty, and the sharpness and arrogance in his eyes were gone without a trace. He was only forty years old, but he looked as haggard as an old man in his sixties.

His hair, which used to have only a few streaks of gray, had turned completely white, and his back was no longer straight.

He had no physical wounds, but the psychological trauma he suffered was probably severe.

"Father..." Even though Katarina knew that he had plotted to kill her, she couldn't help but feel a little soft-hearted at this moment—after all, he was the father who had raised her for many years.

She helped the "old man" who looked like he had one foot in the grave, her feelings extremely complicated.

In contrast, Chen Ce was much more composed. "Don't worry, General Du Couteau is fine. He just suffered some mental trauma from spending so much time in the Death Realm. He'll be fine after a rest."

"..." Katarina was skeptical.

But that is indeed the case.

During the time General Du Couteau was imprisoned, Mordekaiser did not lay a hand on him.

To be precise, Mordekaiser actually helped him—if it weren't for the Lord of the Death Realm speaking up, a living person who "stumbled" into the Death Realm would have been devoured alive by the ravenous army of hungry ghosts.

"You came here just for this...?" Mordekaiser spoke again, but this time he addressed Chen Ce. "Just for such an insignificant nobody..."

"Of course not, my esteemed Lord of the Death Realm." Chen Ce smiled and bowed, giving the other party ample face. "That's only one reason."

"And the second one...?"

Secondly, I have something to tell you.

"Explain..."

"You'll be returning to the Immortal Bastion soon, and I hope you'll prepare as quickly as possible."

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Mordekaiser, who had been somewhat indifferent, immediately perked up.

A fierce green light flashed through the gaps in his massive armor, and Nightfall slammed heavily onto the ground.

Thump--!

The earth trembled, and ghosts wailed. Even the high and mighty Aspects —the so-called gods—had to give way to the Lord of the Death Realm's resentment.

"I will make all the traitors pay the price..." Mordekaiser's deep voice echoed across the wilderness, lingering in everyone's ears like a growl from hell, piercing their eardrums and filling them with fear.

"Those lowly savage descendants...those inferior bloodlines...how dare they enjoy everything in my castle..."

"I am the true king of Noxii..."

"I am... destiny!"

Thump!! Another hammer fell, all the black mist dissipated, and the powerful shockwave nearly knocked Katarina and her father to the ground.

Only Chen Ce stood firmly in place, as if Mordekaiser's energy would not cause him the slightest harm.

"You're right, but you might need to face a formidable enemy."

"It doesn't matter who it is..." Mordekaiser didn't take the other person's reminder to heart at all.

The ancient Runeterra was far more terrifying than it is now. Back then, no one could stop his bloody expansion and slaughter—even his final "defeat" was a scheme he orchestrated himself. How could anyone be his match now?

He didn't care at all.

Until Chen Ce uttered a name that piqued his interest even slightly:

"It's Raum. The spying demon, Raum."

Upon hearing this name, Mordekaiser paused for a moment.

Then came a low, hoarse, mocking laugh.

This reaction was somewhat within Chen Ce's expectations.

As expected... Mordekaiser may not have fought the demon that gave Swain power, but he certainly knew about that demon.

Because that demon—the Spying Demon Raum —was found by Swain in some corner of the Immortal Bastion.

Or rather... it took the initiative to approach Swain.

As is widely known, 99.99% of the treasures in the Immortal Bastion were collected by Mordekaiser thousands of years ago.

Without a doubt, the demon Raum's "home"—something like an object—was also brought back to the Immortal Bastion by Mordekaiser.

"You know it." Chen Ce's question sounded like a statement.

"Yes, yes... I know all too well..." Mordekaiser hoisted Nightfall onto his shoulder, his massive body radiating supreme majesty. "That demon... one of the nine demons... it made a deal with mortals... that's so typical of their ruthless nature..."

"Well, it's good that you know it." Chen Ce didn't even ask if the other party was confident in defeating Raum —that question was a bit redundant.

"Well then, that's enough of our small talk, we should be going."

"Do as you please..." Mordekaiser raised his hand, and the thick black mist composed of wraiths swirled around him once more, slowly enveloping him. "Don't keep me waiting too long... humans..."

"Okay, I'll call you then." Chen Ce smiled and nodded, his own magic, originating from the same source as the other's, beginning to circulate. "As quickly as possible."

The next moment, [Realm of Death] was successfully activated, and the Gate of the Underworld opened...

Only one person can be taken away at a time from the Realm of Death, so Chen Ce made two trips to bring Du Couteau and his daughter away from the Death Realm.

The daughter was still shaken, and the father was even more unable to recover for a long time.

Although the great General Du Couteau was not tormented by Mordekaiser during this time—and was even protected—the deathly aura of the Death Realm still nearly drove him to the brink of collapse.

As soon as he returned to the material realm, he collapsed to his knees in agony. His hunched and haggard body and almost bloodless face made him look somewhat insane.

In his current state, let alone "reclaiming" his family, even a random, low-level assassin could easily take his life.

He has a long life ahead of him, so he should just stay home and enjoy his retirement.

After a lifetime of fighting, it's time to enjoy life.

Let the younger generation handle those important military and national affairs...

"Sit down..." Katarina carefully helped her father to the sofa, her feelings even more complicated.

She felt she had committed a terrible mistake... she had actually harmed her own father like this...

Even though the other party once wanted her dead...

All for "promotion and wealth"...

"You feel guilty? There's no need." Chen Ce seemed to see through the girl's thoughts and immediately chuckled, "You saved his life... If you hadn't cooperated with me and I hadn't locked him up, do you know what would have happened in the future?"

"What...?" Katarina was now even more terrified of the young man before her—she couldn't believe that a man her age could make a deal with Mordekaiser ...

In some ways, it even surpasses Mordekaiser...

That was... a terrifying existence that once ruled over an entire era of Runeterra...

"He'll die," Chen Ce laughed. "If we don't do this, he'll foolishly continue attacking Swain and bring about his own death—and perhaps even your entire family."

"..." Katarina pursed her lips, still harboring a sliver of doubt about this claim—after all, it was somewhat unsubstantiated.

Chen Ce could tell that the other party didn't trust him, but he was too lazy to explain.

That's the truth.

The facts unfolded according to the original timeline.

General Du Couteau chose the wrong side, which not only led to the decline of his family but also caused a rift with Katarina, leading her to firmly stand on Swain's side.

Even more ridiculous is that his wife is a Black Rose, and his other daughter, Cassiopeia, has turned into a half-human, half-snake monster.

His early life was glorious, and he was hailed as a legendary hero of the empire; his later life was filled with mistakes, and he was separated from his wife and children.

"Anyway, if you feel guilty, you can always take good care of your father in the future—let him enjoy a life of luxury and comfort in his later years... um, you know what I mean." Chen Ce shrugged and added:

"The important matter comes first."

"Hmm..." Katarina nodded, no longer hesitating—hesitation was an assassin's greatest taboo. She had learned this in her very first lesson. "So, tell me, what should I do now?"

"It's simple, just go and assassinate Swain."

"Um...?"

Yes, you heard me right.

"Assassinate Swain... me?" Katarina's eyes were filled with doubt and disbelief. "You know it's impossible—I've tried. I failed miserably."

"Don't worry, you're alone again this time, but you're not truly alone," Chen Ce said with a smile. "Do you understand what I mean?"

"... Will you lend a hand?"

"Your comprehension skills are quite good."

"..." Katarina pursed her lips. "That sounds a bit too simplistic... I want to know your whole plan. I'm not an outsider."

"Ah, but that's the whole plan."

"...?"

"You need to be flexible, my dear Miss Katarina." Chen Ce chuckled and kicked the Darkin Scythe sitting in the corner of the living room—the latter immediately let out a [Ah↗] sound.

"High-end projects often only require the simplest approach."

PS:

There will be an extra chapter later tonight, please give me some hate mail!

Chapter Fifty-Six: Noxus, Your Emperor Has Returned!

Katarina followed Chen Ce's plan and infiltrated the Immortal Bastion.

Once again... She knew every path and every brick here by heart, and her skillful steps made it seem as if she were leisurely strolling in her own backyard.

But she was still somewhat uneasy.

Swain's demonic wings... that scarlet arm... that body repaired by a demon... the failed assassination attempt from that day was still vivid in her mind, and she had completely lost the confidence to attack that terrifying being again.

Rumors have circulated for years that Swain lost a piece of his patella and an arm during the Battle of Placidium in Ionia, but who knew he had already "recovered"?

He found a power beyond human reach in the shadow of the Immortal Bastion... The mournful cries of ravens echoed in the depths of darkness...

He could see everything through the Raven's Eyes...

Katarina stopped moving forward.

Her slender, graceful body hung from the roof beam, her eyes, trained in the ways of an assassin, fixed intently on the passageway below.

Two guards... they were patrolling intently...

But they may never realize that the target they're trying to guard against is right above them...

Thank goodness, they didn't look up...

This is the best outcome... It's best if the blade forged by Noxus craftsmen doesn't pierce the fragile hearts of Noxus...

Katarina could easily kill the two guards and dispose of their bodies well—they wouldn't be discovered until the morning shift change. But she really didn't want to lay a hand on two hardworking "colleagues."

Mercy? No, it's just basic respect as fellow children of the empire.

She waited quietly for the two men to leave.

She caught a glimpse of the Trifarix Council's medals on their chests... they were soldiers of the Trifarix Legion.

The Trifarix Legion... Swain holds most of the power, while the remainder is in the hands of Hand of Noxus, the Hand of Darius.

That great general who made outstanding contributions to the empire...

Hopefully, he can truly stand firm in his position...

Tap tap tap, tap tap tap... The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

Katarina jumped down from the rafters and crawled around every window sill—many black ravens lurked in the darkness outside, their scarlet eyes silently watching everything... She didn't want to meet their gaze.

She drew closer.

Hundreds of fortress guards failed to spot the figure heading towards the Grand Commander's room.

The path beneath her feet became increasingly familiar, yet increasingly terrifying... The female assassin walked and stopped intermittently, the kerosene smell that filled her nostrils reminding her of everything that had happened that day.

She felt increasingly uneasy.

But there was no turning back for her.

She had no choice but to believe Chen Ce —to believe that the strange man would appear before her neck was snapped.

Click... The sharp dagger slowly sliced through the leather straps; the assassin faced her final test.