Chapter 24: S-003
Blood dripped from the tip of the blade as Su Xiao had fought his way from the beach area, arriving later than Kingsley, but that was of little consequence.
Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings. This was a corridor over six meters wide, built along the edge of the mountain. Strangely, the corridor had no windows, and there were no torches or lamps on the walls on either side. It seemed the original users of this place disliked light.
About a dozen meters ahead of Su Xiao were the five members of the protagonist team. He paid them no mind; the real threat was Kingsley, who stood deeper inside the corridor.
By revealing himself now, Su Xiao wasn't worried about the protagonist team guessing his identity. Many people had come to seize the mermaid, and the five of them were completely bewildered.
"You are, Doyle Mu? You once tried to join the Eclipse Organization, but you gave up during the final trial."
Kingsley spoke from the other end of the corridor.
"I... I am Doyle Mu."
Doyle Mu looked at Kingsley with confusion. As a Transcendent, his eyesight was good enough to make out Kingsley's general appearance even in the dim corridor. He felt a strange sense of familiarity.
"May I ask who you are?"
Doyle Mu steadied his nerves, making one last effort to save himself and his four friends.
"Kingsley."
Kingsley spoke with a smile. Upon hearing his name, Aichi, the white-haired youth, and the others froze in place.
They now understood why Kingsley looked familiar. How could they not recognize him? They had seen him in the newspapers. Every time this big shot made the headlines, he dominated the front pages of every major newspaper.
"The Alliance Parliament colluded with foreign races to seize the dangerous object S-006, causing the deaths of over a hundred thousand of our compatriots. I came here to investigate this matter. You young people are too reckless."
Kingsley's expression showed displeasure, but mixed with a hint of approval.
"The dangerous object S-006, the mermaid, is the evidence of this crime. Hand her over to me. As for you, come with me aboard the steel warship back to the Southern Continent. This is not a place you should be right now."
Kingsley's words made Aichi, the white-haired youth, and Nainai all breathe a sigh of relief. Nainai, in particular, felt like she was about to lose control of her bladder. It seemed it was all a false alarm.
Aichi's gaze turned to the white-haired youth. The youth hesitated internally. The mermaid was tied to the whereabouts of his mother, but it was also connected to the deaths of over a hundred thousand innocent Alliance citizens. Thinking of this, the white-haired youth nodded to Aichi, agreeing to hand over the mermaid.
"Mr. Kingsley, I can give you the mermaid, but... could you have your subordinate withdraw?"
The white-haired youth glanced at Su Xiao. Hearing this, the smile on Kingsley's face faded. He had been secretly grooming the white-haired youth for a long time. If the youth died here, it would be a significant loss.
Boom!
A sonic boom erupted. The hiltless rapier form of Banishment pierced through the air, arcing around before striking toward the white-haired youth.
The sudden sense of crisis nearly suffocated the youth. Banishment was used by Su Xiao against enemies of equal rank. Facing its sudden assault, the only reaction the youth could manage was to instinctively raise his hands, crossing them in front of him.
His plan was to let the enemy's weapon pierce through his palms. At that moment, he would forcefully raise his arms, deflecting the weapon's trajectory.
Banishment broke through the afterimages and stabbed into the youth's palms. Just as he prepared to lift his crossed hands, barbs sprouted from Banishment.
Pfft.
"Ah!"
Banishment pierced the youth's chest, pinning his hands against it.
At a moderate speed, Banishment slowly sank into his flesh. After piercing a rib, its tip touched his heart.
The youth's idea of defending against Banishment wasn't bad—full of clever maneuvers—but in the heat of battle, it fell apart instantly.
"Heart..."
The youth pressed his back against the wall, gritting his teeth so hard that blood seeped from between them. He felt death vividly, a sharp pain at his heart.
"Hand it over."
Su Xiao pointed his long blade at the crystal coffin containing the mermaid. The main reason he hadn't taken it himself was Kingsley across from him.
The situation was deadlocked. Whichever side the protagonist team threw the crystal coffin to would gain the advantage. This was a test of Charm Attribute and public reputation.
Though Su Xiao's Charm Attribute couldn't match Kingsley's, he had a more direct and effective method.
Undoubtedly, Kingsley was a formidable opponent. His abilities gave Su Xiao a sense of déjà vu, and combined with the dangerous object S-003 (Black Emperor) in his hands, the difficulty was clear.
All dangerous objects with a rating above S-010 had powerful traits, let alone the Black Emperor at S-003.
When it came to single-target effectiveness, S-003 (Black Emperor) far surpassed S-002 (Death Grail). The Death Grail's strength lay in its large-scale danger, the Death Domain. In this regard, S-003 (Black Emperor) was far inferior.
Against a single target, S-003 (Black Emperor) was more dangerous than S-001 beneath the Agency Headquarters. S-001's danger lay in its ability to overturn world order. The end of the Kingdom Era, the fall of the Athos Family, and even the formation of the Alliance were all influenced by S-001.
It could be said that S-003 (Black Emperor) was universally recognized as the most dangerous single-target object. Its known ability was Submission.
Anyone directly opposing the Black Emperor, if weak-willed, would immediately lose their fighting spirit. For a time, the holder's words were absolute commands, even if it meant death.
If the will was strong, the Submission effect would transform into Exile, like defying a king's order and being banished.
Those subjected to Exile would suffer absurdly bad luck. There were even rumors that someone, after being Exiled by a previous holder of the Black Emperor, was crushed by a massive meteor falling from the sky.
That was just one aspect. If Kingsley unleashed the Black Emperor's full effect, all living beings nearby would have their minds forcibly altered for a time, viewing the Exiled as a mortal enemy, swarming in without rest until death.
Of course, Kingsley wouldn't easily amplify Exile to that extent. This involved another trait: Enslavement, a constant property of the Black Emperor.
All holders of the Black Emperor risked being Enslaved. An Enslaved holder would have their mind completely devoured. The Black Emperor's will would descend, resurrecting the dead from recent years, bringing war and chaos.
Why was the Southern Alliance on the verge of splitting from the Eastern Alliance? Because the Black Emperor's will had descended once in the Eastern Continent. Fortunately, the Eastern Alliance's military was extremely strong. Their confrontation with the Black Emperor's army was still recounted to this day.
As the holder of dangerous object S-003 (Black Emperor), Kingsley was not affected by it. He was the second person in history to use the Black Emperor in battle. The first was Athos III of the Athos Family.
Inside the corridor, Banishment pierced the white-haired youth's chest. His back pressed against the wall, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, on the verge of death. As for his companions, anyone who moved now would have their head severed by a blade, including Aichi. Su Xiao didn't need a troublesome Devourer host.
Charisma and physical force clashed at this moment. Doyle Mu, holding the crystal coffin, didn't hesitate long before tossing it toward Su Xiao.
At this moment, charisma appeared utterly powerless against physical force.
"We surrender."
Nainai raised her hands. This girl was indeed clever. Knowing that tossing the coffin to Su Xiao might offend Kingsley, she quickly declared surrender, subtly implying that the leader of the Eclipse Organization shouldn't bother with small fry like them.
Su Xiao caught the crystal coffin with one hand. The mermaid was his.