Crimson Corona (4k)

The weather is fine in Mondel Town today.

It was another sunny and breezy morning.

Li Mo and the coach were working on a problem when they started chuckling to themselves.

This professor, having quickly gone astray, was also thoroughly assimilated by Li Mo.

It was right around the time classes ended downstairs.

Anna went to talk to Helen.

The two little girls chattered away, one after the other.

Helen, as if she had heard something, covered her mouth and smiled faintly, her small dimples seeming to hold a clear spring.

Many guys fall for this.

I already said that pure earth is the best in the world!

Then he secretly peeked at her through the gap in the book...

That's how teenage crushes are sometimes; often it's just a fleeting glance, and the other person may never know...

Wayne, bored out of his mind, couldn't resist bothering Matthew.

Matthew pretends not to hear, his whole demeanor is deep and somber.

Annoyed by the harassment, he stood up and said, "Hey! Do I have to say that to be satisfied?"

Wayne's eyes were full of anticipation. "Is it coming?"

Matthew sighed, about to speak.

But then he suddenly stuck out his tongue and said, "Hehe, I'm not telling you, I'll just piss you off..."

Wayne could only sigh and rub his forehead, "Master... what's this society like, Grandma..."

This is a variation of Matthew's famous quote, which can certainly be applied to many more fields.

Pass through the college walls.

More people were busy in the town.

Everyone has their own things to do.

For example, the elderly father, Li En, was inspecting the factory with Sarah.

The workers have all returned to work.

Someone, seeing Li En, cleverly said, "Salute to Lord Sixth Class!"

Li En: "Ugh, damn it, what are you saying? Tsk, get up!"

Turning to himself, he thought: This kid has the makings of a foreman...

Municipal Avenue.

The elegantly dressed ladies hurried along, inquiring about the situation and trying to find connections to get their husbands released.

Sheriff Sanders loudly ordered patrol officers to increase patrols in the East District. Solving major cases and cooperating with the Special Envoy's Office to clean up corruption made him stand tall and full of vigor.

Of course, the sheriff didn't forget to thank Li Mo. He remembered everything in his heart and planned to visit him properly to express his gratitude once he was done with his busy schedule.

Mr. Green was in his yard, reading a book. "On Social Etiquette and Matchmaking of Young Men and Women".

He was laughing as he watched, who knows what mischievous idea was popping into his head again.

At the governor's private residence, special envoy Caroline was carefully reviewing encrypted documents sent from the third line of defense outposts and the city hall.

At the town's crossroads, an elderly woman selling flowers arranged several bunches of fresh violets on the edge of her bamboo basket, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the steam train station.

Commoners, merchants, courtiers, and spies.

Everyone travels along a predetermined path.

I wonder how long this peaceful life will last...

That's what everyone originally thought.

Until a loud bang was heard.

Rumble--!

The blast wave came so suddenly.

It swept through the entire town in an instant.

People were shocked, and some stood up.

Everyone is looking in the same direction at the same time. That direction is...

Matthew's family textile factory!

At the college.

Li Mo steadied the desk, exchanged a glance with the professor, and immediately ran to the window to look outside.

A few miles away, at Matthew's house, the largest Oliver Cotton Spinning Main Factory had changed beyond recognition...

Flames shot into the sky, as if to burn the sky black.

What's more troublesome is that there are many small pieces of cotton thread in the textile factory.

The dense dust can easily trigger a chain reaction of explosions within the space.

Rumble--

Explosions continued to be heard.

The tall chimney collapsed, and countless broken tiles and charred fabrics fell like a torrential rain.

"Goddess of the Moon..."

Professor Bryce exclaimed in shock, "That's... the Oliver family's main factory? What's going on? A boiler explosion?"

Li Mo instantly rejected the idea in his mind.

--Where could you find a boiler with such power in this day and age?

More importantly, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me.

The idea that something was wrong was rampant, even more so than the ashes in the sky.

Li Mo took a step back and gathered the calculation papers on the table. "Professor, I'll go back to the classroom first."

Professor Bryce grunted in agreement, then his gossipy, spectator-like personality kicked in, and he turned to his assistant and yelled, "Get me my binoculars! Quickly!"

Li Mo hurried downstairs and returned to the classroom.

Upon entering, all the students were crowded around the windows, leaning out to look.

"My God... half the street has collapsed!"

"Is that Matthew's factory?"

"Look! All the police officers from the station are riding off on horseback, and there are even fire trucks!"

"Send people to rescue them immediately! There are at least several hundred workers inside!"

"The Matthew family has really suffered a lot... Old Oliver was just detained by the city hall, and then the factory was blown up. What kind of karma did they have to do..."

I didn't see Matthew in the crowd; I wonder where he went.

Besides that, the most conspicuous one was Estelle, who sat motionless in her original spot.

The two looked at each other.

Li Mo nodded slightly to her.

Estelle's eyelashes drooped slightly, and she remained unmoved.

There was a sound of running outside the door.

Mr. Hall, the homeroom teacher, rushed into the classroom and said sternly, "Everyone back to your seats! Now!"

The students were startled by the shout and quickly returned to their original positions.

"Due to a major disaster at the East District cotton mill, a large amount of cotton dust has spread with the east wind. The college is now closed and classes are suspended. Everyone, pack your bags and go home immediately. No one is allowed to approach the East District. Do you understand?"

What else is there to say?

Everyone, hurry up and pack your things.

Li Mo found Wayne, Anna, Helen.

A group of people went home together.

On the way back, Li Mo said, "Wayne, do me a favor."

Wayne was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

"Go buy some things and bring them to my house, including the raw materials for flashbangs, remember?"

"I remember, I love flashbangs the most. To be honest, I even secretly made several myself when I had some free time..."

"Well done, Wayne! Bring it all over here, hurry up!"

"Good!"

I'm home.

Li Mo told Anna to get the revolver ready.

Helen seemed a little nervous and asked, "Li Mo... has something happened?"

"It's okay, we're just preparing for the worst."

soon.

Wayne arrived, panting, carrying a pile of things.

Without saying a word, Li Mo started making it.

It took an afternoon.

All materials were used.

Including the flashbangs Wayne had secretly made himself, a total of 11 flashbangs were produced.

Wayne wiped his sweat. "Li Mo, what are we doing? Robbing a bank?"

Li Mo distributed the flashlights and said, "A passenger ship docked at the pier this morning, followed by a dust explosion at the factory. The commotion was so great that it's probably enough to wipe out the entire armed forces of Mondel Town."

"What do you mean?"

Li Mo opened the window and gestured for Wayne to look over.

On the long street, people were busy.

The patrol officers are running frantically.

The Black-Robed Court Guards, along with a platoon of infantry from the Defense Army, were also heading in that direction to provide support.

What if we look at them from the opposite direction?

The opposite direction is the dock...

Although I really don't want to think this way.

But it feels like... a diversionary tactic.

If the other side is indeed using a diversionary tactic, what is their true objective?

"Let's go," Li Mo said, "To the Governor's private residence."

Helen wanted to go with them.

After thinking for a moment, Li Mo still told her, "You stay home with Mr. Green and don't wander off. Wait for us to come back."

"I..."

Helen really wanted to say: I want to go too!

But then she thought again that she probably couldn't really be of any help...

She pursed her lips, deciding not to cause Li Mo any trouble, and turned to go home.

It was sunset.

Helen turned around and saw Li Mo's figure gradually disappearing into the distance.

A thought suddenly arose in her mind:

Li Mo, I wonder when we'll meet again?

Is it tonight, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow...?

The Governor's Private Residence.

Special Caroline and Estelle were together.

Li Mo was used to the two of them always being together, so he didn't think much of it and went straight up to them, saying:

"Your Excellency, regarding the explosion at the cotton mill... I suspect it was deliberate."

How so?

"From a scientific perspective, dust explosions require extremely stringent ignition conditions and concentrations. I know Oliver Company; they are very safety-conscious and would never allow a spontaneous explosion. Even if a spontaneous combustion occurred, it wouldn't cause such a large-scale impact."

"You mean..."

"I suspect this is a diversionary tactic!"

After a moment of silence.

Caroline shook her head. "What was the purpose? Mr. Li Mo, assuming your reasoning is correct, what was Carter's purpose in going to such lengths to lure away the guards? To make contact with [Crimson Corona]?"

"Isn't that enough of a reason?"

"That's not true. I told you last time that without a special key and activation ritual, no one can activate the Seven Ultimate Artifacts. Even if someone gets close to them, it's meaningless."

"Your Excellency, during our last conversation you mentioned that, in addition to Her Majesty the Empress herself, the Chief Elder of the Privy Council also possesses the keys and rituals, is that correct?"

Caroline frowned.

She looked at Estelle.

Estelle nodded slightly.

With permission,

Caroline looked at Li Mo again and said:

"Mr. Li Mo, watch your words. Her Majesty the Queen was raised and educated by the Chief Elder from a young age. The two are like father and daughter. The Elder's loyalty to the royal family is beyond question. He would never betray Her Majesty."

Li Mo didn't know any chief elder.

He didn't care about all that and said, "Your Excellency, no offense intended, but from a mathematical logic perspective, as long as the probability of an event is not absolutely zero, given enough negative variables, it will inevitably happen. I mean—what if?"

Now,

The study became even quieter.

Caroline could not answer that question.

A long time passed.

Estelle said softly:

"That won't happen."

Anna frowned.

Wayne quickly glared at Estelle, as if to say:

--What's it to you, you idiot? Do you even have a chance to answer? Sit down!

Only Li Mo gradually came to his senses.

The issue of the chief elder's loyalty.

Even Envoy Caroline had to weigh the matter carefully.

Where did Estelle get the confidence to answer that?

Scattered fragments of memory are pieced together at this moment:

He always saw her at the governor's private residence; her instinctive aristocratic manners at mealtimes; her impeccable facial expressions; Caroline's subconsciously pleading gaze; and the mysterious Red Moon brand on her back...

Could it be...?

Could it be that...

Meeting Li Mo's gaze, Estelle slowly said:

Let me reintroduce myself.

"I am Charlotte Shio, the current ruler of the Glennova Kingdom of the Fog Capital City."

"Estelle is my nickname."

God knows how long the study had been quiet...

Wayne's cane slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

The clanging sound wasn't loud.

But it terrified him so much he jumped up and down.

Anna was also taken aback. After regaining her senses, she pulled Li Mo to bow to Estelle.

Li Mo was a little confused.

He thought to himself: He knew Estelle had a high status, but he never expected her to be this high, it's a bit too high, isn't it?

Recalling how she used to call him "Xiao Xi" so affectionately, Li Mo suddenly felt a little bit dead...

However, since Her Majesty the Queen is here...

Li Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nothing could possibly happen to Her Majesty the Queen.

Being by Her Majesty the Queen's side, I'm probably quite safe.

at this time,

The sun is setting.

Day and night alternate.

The setting sun had just brushed past the horizon.

The first flames of the town's kerosene streetlights lit up at the street corner.

suddenly--

With a buzzing sound.

The wind has stopped.

The world seemed to have stopped.

Even the flames in the fireplace seemed to freeze in mid-air, even the dust settling on the long table seemed to stand still...

what happens?

Li Mo hadn't reacted yet.

But then, behind Estelle, the expressions of the two high-ranking Black-Robed Court Guards changed drastically.

The two suddenly bit their tongues, and their hands formed a complex and ancient high-level protective ritual!

Caroline and Estelle's pupils contracted simultaneously.

Body...

In that instant, I sensed something that could penetrate the soul.

A terrifying resonance.

call--

A breeze is blowing.

It felt like a gentle breeze.

Subsequently,

A gentle force field passed through everyone.

It cannot be stopped, it cannot be avoided, it is so natural.

In the blink of an eye,

The world within a ten-mile radius was tinged with an eerie red.

Looking up at the sky from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Governor's private residence.

A huge solar disk,

It is slowly emerging.

It's fading.

The outermost flare is collapsing inward, one flare at a time.

24-hour countdown.

Crimson Corona

It has been triggered.

"This... this is..."

Wayne was stunned. He said, "Could this be... that guy...?"

Anna's expression turned grim; she could feel her Mysticism Perception fading.

Li Mo's first reaction was to look at Estelle.

But then a red light emanated from Estelle's body.

When the light faded, Li Mo finally saw the true face of the current empress.

Her long, deep red hair, as brilliant as flames, cascaded down her back. Her black eyes were unfathomable, and her skin was as white as cold jade. Below the corner of her eye was a dark beauty mark.

So young, so beautiful...

Li Mo was momentarily lost in thought.

Then I quickly noticed:

Such a clear emotion was revealed in the Queen's eyes.

This emotion,

It is sadness.

A grief that overwhelmed her completely, like a tidal wave.

I thought there wouldn't be such a thing.

Only two people possess the key.

Why you... of all people...

At the same time.

Mondel Military-Controlled Dock.

Captain Carter was gasping for breath, blood dripping from his chin.

He almost failed to complete the mission.

I withstood three [Mystic Rite Stripping] attacks... Fortunately, I successfully triggered the Corona.

The containment force field has been deployed.

Within ten miles,

All things return to stillness.

The Black-Robed Court Guards, who had initially exerted absolute suppression over them through mystical rituals, were now gradually retreating...

"Hahaha..."

Carter burst out laughing.

He drew his officer's sword and roared at the thirty-odd soldiers around him, who were also covered in blood:

Clear the area!

"Found Charlotte!"

"Sever the Queen's head! The Great Sage will then open the secret path and lead us away!"

"Kill--!!"

Without the protection of the Mystical Ritual, the high and mighty Black-Robed Court Guards were no different from lambs to the slaughter.

The blade sliced through the flesh, and fresh blood flowed in a thin stream.

Carter, clutching his bleeding ribs, watched all this with a blank expression.

The Great Sage?

leave?

That's bullshit.

What Great Sage would come to their aid?

From the moment he uttered the final initiation prayer in Ancient Hers Language, no one could leave.

Of course... except for the Empress.

I wonder if the Empress has any strange methods to protect herself.

To avoid any unforeseen complications.

We must find her and kill her!

Carter exhaled a breath of stale air.

All that could be heard were the incessant wails of the Black-Robed Court Guards as they died.

turn out to be...

You feel pain, you cry, you beg for mercy.

What about the Empress?

Would the Empress do that?

Carter dragged his blood-dripping sword and glanced at the skyline of the capital.

He murmured to himself:

My dearest Elena, I cannot save you, but who says I cannot take revenge on the Queen?

I will cut off her head, pass it through this sword, and offer it to you as a sacrifice, witnessed by the Crimson Corona.