Chapter 76: The Banquet
Within the alternate space, several large splashes of blood stained the street, a severed arm and arm-blade cut into over a dozen pieces mixed in with the blood.
On the steps beside the street, the faceplate of Lone Remains Lancelot's helmet was cracked, the center of his chest caved in, shattered armor embedded in his flesh like scales, and around it, several curved ribs jutted out like blooming flowers.
"I am, Lone Remains, Lancelot."
Lone Remains Lancelot spoke with a faint breath, unwilling to die obscurely like some small fry in tonight's major incident.
In truth, Lone Remains Lancelot needn't have worried.
Su Xiao slashed off Lone Remains Lancelot's head with one stroke, took a dart-like syringe from his storage space, flicked it, and it stuck into Lancelot's corpse. Don't underestimate this thing; though the blood-drawing needle looked small, it was actually a piece of high-tech, capable of drawing about 300 milliliters of blood at a time.
[Tip: You have killed Lone Remains Lancelot.]
[You have gained 2.71% World Source.]
From the amount of World Source obtained, this was at least a minor boss-level enemy. Killing such an enemy, yet no treasure chest dropped.
Su Xiao clearly felt that his luck had been mediocre lately. This made him worry: if the plan went smoothly and he successfully killed the Blazing Sun Lord, would that boss also fail to drop a chest?
If even a major boss like the Blazing Sun Lord didn't drop a chest, that would be a huge problem. Thinking this, Su Xiao became more eager to change his luck—that is, to catch the Goddess of Fortune.
Wiping the blood spots off his arm with a wet towel, Su Xiao put on his clothes and the alchemist's white robe, then removed his head covering. He walked over to Lancelot's corpse, pulled out the blood-drawing needle, and began the second phase of the plan's conclusion.
...
Royal Palace, Grand Banquet Hall.
As the start time of the banquet approached, the food, drinks, and everything else were ready. The number of servants in the hall had greatly decreased, and their attire was more dignified.
At a table in the corner, Molei and Yueshitu ate with much more ladylike manners. The [Insight Eye] floated in front of them, and the Apocalypse sisters had switched from an escape-style livestream to an eating broadcast.
The two of them were thoroughly satisfied with this grand meal. In the Void Arena, over a hundred thousand viewers watching the broadcast grew hungry. Everyone had thought the battle royale broadcast would be about clashing steel, heavy armor, and battles raging until the sky went dark, but who would have guessed that the audience in the circular stands would now all be hungry? The arena's food and beverage department let out a joyful wail.
"Completely satisfied."
"No regrets even in death."
Yueshitu and Molei both leaned back in their chairs like salted fish. It wasn't without reason that they had become close friends.
Seeing this from the main seat, the Blazing Sun Lord first inwardly criticized Yueshitu and Molei for lacking ladylike grace, then secretly felt pained. If he had known these two would be here, he wouldn't have had the ingredients prepared so lavishly. Originally meant to reward his subordinates, and now...
Just then, black smoke rose on the wall, and a door formed by dark gold metal skulls opened, with wisps of black smoke rising from within.
Pale skeletal arms reached out from the edges of the door, gripping the frame as if struggling to emerge from the mist.
Seeing this, Yueshitu and Molei felt their own entrance had lacked style. Why had they just happily walked in? No sense of presence at all.
The black mist spread, accompanied by the ticking sound of a clock, and a figure in a suit walked out from within the door. Fearing him, the skeletal arms at the door's edge all retracted.
Wude was still his usual self, his skull inlaid with rice-sized gems, making it completely black. The green flame in his eye sockets, combined with his expression, made him look like he was always smiling.
Wude had come alone. He found a seat at a table, sat down, picked up a wine glass, then frowned. Dissatisfied, he poured out the wine, opened a bottle he had brought, and poured himself a glass, which finally eased his demeanor.
Seeing this, the Blazing Sun Lord made no reaction. His thought was: Be arrogant now; soon you won't be able to.
"Lord, save me..."
A bald man a dozen meters away knelt, clutching his throat. Black tentacles emerged from his mouth and nose. He let out a pained whimper, then black tentacles also protruded from his eye sockets and ears. Finally, his entire body was burst apart by the tentacles.
The black tentacles coiled on the wall, forming a tentacle passage that opened, emitting a decadent sound as if from the underworld. Just hearing this sound was enough to drive one mad.
"Blazing Sun Lord, I didn't hurt your people, did I?"
Zuiyasi walked out of the tentacle passage, stepping on and crushing half of a broken skull along the way.
"This disgusting trash."
Zuiyasi appeared in white clerical attire. Suffice it to say, opposing this guy required a strong heart. Don't forget, in his youth, Zuiyasi had been quite arrogant.
The Blazing Sun Lord remained silent. He knew this tentacle man was deliberately provoking him. For now, he had to endure. It would be soon. These people, who thought they had the upper hand and had their subordinates infiltrate Saint Dan City, would soon pay for their arrogance.
Today's banquet was the best plan the Blazing Sun Lord could think of. If only one of Zuiyasi or Wude came, he would negotiate. If both came, he would activate the mechanisms within the palace to wipe them all out.
These mechanisms were remnants of the 'Dynasty,' and only the Blazing Sun Lord, who had inherited the royal bloodline, could activate them. No one else knew of their existence.
The Blazing Sun Lord intended to seize final victory in a way no one would expect. He had realized that in terms of strategy, he was far inferior to these people, so he took a different path, relying on his trump cards and strength to defeat them.
The Blazing Sun Lord's predetermined elimination order was: Wude → Zuiyasi → Water Brother → Su Xiao → Kaisa → Molei, Yueshitu.
Just as Zuiyasi arrived, a female servant let out a startled cry. The glass of water in her hand swirled into a tornado shape, the volume of water surged, and an arm reached out from the water. Water Brother appeared.
Drip, drip~
Water droplets fell from the tips of Water Brother's hair. His eyes were closed, and in his hand was a blind man's staff.
"Madam, sorry for startling you."
Water Brother nodded apologetically to the female servant, leaving her bewildered. In the past, the strong here didn't treat her as human; being bossed around was the least of it. With this world heading toward its end, the oppression of the strong over the weak was unimaginable.
After Water Brother's arrival, everyone thought the banquet was about to begin when Lilim, arms crossed, walked in following the aroma. Judging by her expression, she had been having a rough time lately.
Lilim was now a 'big shot' in the Trace King Hall, with considerable say—for example, deciding where to search for the Trace King, or which direction the Trace Seekers should all go together. Please don't laugh; in the Trace King Hall, which direction to search for the Trace King was a top priority.
Lilim was now questioning her life. The idea that the Trace King Hall was a hidden force now seemed utterly foolish to her. Even a wild boar in the wilderness wouldn't fall for such a scam, yet she had believed it.
In the banquet hall, seeing Lilim's lack of entrance style, Yueshitu and Molei felt like they had found kindred spirits. The good-aligned companions were reunited.
"Come quickly, this is delicious."
"Waiter, another table."
"?"
Lilim's face flushed, but she was truly too hungry. Following the Trace Seekers, she had discovered they didn't eat.
Soon, with Yueshitu and Molei's cover, Lilim tried to maintain her ladylike composure as she ate. In the Void Arena, seeing Lilim's state, the old-timers of the Demon Race felt a pang of heartache. She was their precious one, watched over since childhood. Seeing her so disheveled, how could they not feel pain? They say grandparents dote on grandchildren; here, it was several generations removed.
Pairs of old eyes, as if magma were burning within, turned to Lilim's father. Lilim's father, with his curled goat horns, appeared expressionless but was actually a bit panicked.
In the banquet hall, the Blazing Sun Lord on the main seat wore a stony expression. His inner thought was: Another one?
The Blazing Sun Lord glanced at Wude drinking alone, Zuiyasi resting with eyes closed, and Water Brother eating an apple. He suddenly felt that these three weren't as detestable as before. At least they weren't treating him like a fool; they just wanted his life.
Just as the Blazing Sun Lord was thinking this, a voice reached his ears. The speaker called out: "Waiter, the food here is pretty good. After I finish eating, pack some up for me. Waste is shameful."
Hearing this, the Blazing Sun Lord's expression froze.