Chapter 35: The Duke
In front of the two-story building, Cain surveyed his surroundings. He was currently suffering 20 to 35 points of soul damage per second, along with a negative status called "Foul Corruption," whose duration was determined by the enemy's stamina attribute.
This disgusting status wouldn't kill anyone; the stronger the enemy, the stronger it became, and vice versa. No matter the opponent, it always left them a sliver of hope for survival.
Cain couldn't fathom what kind of person would possess such an ability. But compared to that, he was more eager to leave this place.
Suddenly, Cain broke free from the shackles of his flesh, transforming into his Ghost King form and splitting into countless dark soul skulls that scattered in all directions.
As Cain dispersed into thousands of dark soul skulls, the Snow Monster fled into the distance.
On top of a tower half a kilometer away, Zuiyasi, who had been standing on the railing, jumped down. Mid-air, he transformed into a writhing mass of intertwined black tentacles. The next instant, he arrived near the two-story building, reverting to his original form. Upon arriving, his gaze gradually grew serious.
"Ugh."
Even though Zuiyasi was holding his breath, he still felt an indescribable stench assaulting him.
Zuiyasi's sudden appearance made the fleeing Snow Monster nervous. But then he thought, compared to Cain, the enemy probably wouldn't bother chasing him.
The Snow Monster turned to look back, and Zuiyasi, leaping across rooftops behind him, came into view.
Clearly, the Snow Monster was overthinking things. First, Zuiyasi had no grudge against Cain. Second, before the plan began, Su Xiao and Wood hadn't said they absolutely had to eliminate Cain. Finally, the Church Tablet wasn't in Cain's hands—it was with the Duke.
Thus, Cain, whose strength was at the top tier of the eighth rank, wasn't the primary target for pursuit. The Snow Monster clearly didn't understand the modus operandi of the "good teammates." When it was time to fight, they wouldn't hesitate, but at times like this, they would definitely pick the softest target.
The two-story building shattered with a boom. The collapse kicked up dust and smoke, and the indescribable foul stench that had permeated the area vanished.
Click-clack, click-clack~
The steady, mechanical sound of footsteps on the ground came. A figure with red light glowing from its eyes walked out of the dust. The person was draped in a dark gold robe. After exiting the dust, they pulled down their hood, revealing a face composed of metal mechanical components. At first glance, it was the Duke, but some facial details had changed compared to before.
The Duke's electronic eyes scanned the surroundings, emitting the characteristic sound of precision electronic components operating. Finally, his gaze locked onto the top of a small church, where a figure stood.
The mechanical core in the Duke's chest glowed a scorching red. As the temperature rose, the dark gold robe on his body ignited and fell away, revealing his torso. His alloy ribs were tightly arranged, protecting the wires, prosthetic organs, and circulatory systems inside.
On the roof of the small church, Su Xiao jumped down, his gaze fixed on the Duke, who was a dozen meters ahead.
"Chosen One, aside from this tablet, I can't think of any other motive you might have."
The Duke opened part of his alloy torso and retrieved the Church Tablet from inside.
"I don't want to fight you over this. This tablet means nothing to me—take it."
As he spoke, the Duke tossed the tablet in his hand.
Clang!
A blue blade flash streaked by. The flying tablet was cut in two, a few sparks of electricity sputtering out before it fell to the ground. From the cross-section, the electronic structure inside was clearly visible. This wasn't the Church Tablet—it was an electromagnetic bomb shaped like one.
Although Su Xiao wasn't particularly skilled in the tech side, when it came to tech-based explosives, it was a different story. As a Hunter of Reincarnation Paradise, he might not excel in everything, but identifying various explosives was top-tier among his rank.
It wasn't that Su Xiao had a hobby of studying this area; rather, when facing enemies from the same paradise, a moment of carelessness could mean the enemy pulling out an explosive before dying. If he wasn't proficient enough in this, he would have been blown up long ago.
A faint sense of danger came from ahead. In Su Xiao's perception, the Duke's attack methods were even sharper than the Saint Choir's, and while not quite reaching the perverse level of the Wolf Cavalry Captain, it wasn't far off.
This was very abnormal. The Duke's strength wasn't weak, but in High Wall City, the Duke was strong in a comprehensive sense. Now, however, his aura was completely different.
Su Xiao took out a test tube and crushed it in his hand. With a crack, red powder scattered and dissipated into the air.
"Poison? You actually think you can deal with me using poison? How... laughable."
The Duke spoke in a synthesized electronic voice, seemingly mocking Su Xiao, but actually probing.
"Think carefully with that brain of yours, which has already been replaced by prosthetic tissue. Why did the Duke lose to you, and so thoroughly?"
Su Xiao rarely spoke before a fight. Not only that, but he hadn't even drawn his blade.
In this situation, if the enemy knew Su Xiao well enough, they would only have two choices: turn and run, or immediately attack. Su Xiao, who was usually silent in battle, hadn't drawn his blade and was even talking—this alone was something to be wary of.
Hearing Su Xiao's words, the powerful enemy across from him suddenly fell silent.
"Let me ask another question. Why did the Duke flee from this body? This is his body—he spent decades modifying it, transforming it from flesh and blood to its current state."
"You..."
The powerful enemy across from him had just started speaking when his red-glowing electronic eyes flickered.
"One more question. Given the Duke's temperament, why would he let his disobedient offspring, his eldest son named Kranck, live? What right did Kranck have to be his enemy? Even with my covert support, Kranck wasn't qualified to be the Duke's enemy."
When Su Xiao said this, the powerful enemy across from him emitted a strange clicking sound from his entire body.
"Final question. Guess why I'm wasting time talking to you."
As Su Xiao spoke, he stepped forward and drew his long blade mid-stride. The reason he was talking was to deliberately stall for time, letting the catalyst take effect.
The long blade in Su Xiao's hand pierced through the "Duke's" chest with a steady, undeniable force—no, it pierced through the Steel Apostle's chest, penetrating his core.
"You..."
The Steel Apostle's mechanical body emitted clicking sounds. He tried to move, but his alloy-based body had already begun to rust. Some parts had even rusted to the point of weathering, turning into red dust that floated away.
Until his death, the Steel Apostle couldn't understand. He had only been dormant for many years, but why had the world changed so much? So much that he woke up only a few days ago and now closed his eyes forever.
[Notification: You have killed the Steel Apostle.]
[You have gained 11% World Source.]
[You have gained Mechanical Core (Half-Damaged).]
[You have gained Steel Emblem (Sinner Emblem).]
...
Seeing the last notification, Su Xiao was puzzled. He really hadn't expected that killing the Steel Apostle would yield a Sinner Emblem.
As one of the five founders of High Wall City and one of the twelve high-ranking members of the old Healing Church, why did the Steel Apostle represent a sinner? He should have represented steel or machinery instead.
Su Xiao had a guess: the Sinner Emblem was different from other emblems. Other emblems represented status—holding one meant you were recognized by its owner, allowing you to claim corresponding resources from the treatment center.
The Sinner Emblem, however, was more like a bounty.
This wasn't Su Xiao's random speculation. He had seen in the exchange list before that the [Wolf Cavalry Emblem] could be exchanged for Wolf Blood, the [Hunter Emblem] for Technique Soul: Darkness, and the [Outcast Warrior Emblem] for Outcast Warrior Soul Blood. Each had its corresponding item.
Unlike these, the Sinner Emblem could be exchanged for Origin Stone: Chaos Flame. The Steel Apostle had no direct connection to Origin Stone: Chaos Flame; this Origin Stone was more like a bounty reward offered by the old church.
From this perspective, during the old church era, the Steel Apostle had already been expelled from the Healing Church and branded a sinner.
Later, when High Wall City was established, the Steel Apostle founded the Steam Church, which opposed the Healing Church's philosophy. If the times hadn't desperately needed the Steam Church's existence, the Archbishop and the Holy Priestess would have definitely acted to try and wipe it out.
At the end of the Divine Era, which was the peak of the Healing Church, the Steel Apostle, as one of its twelve high-ranking members, held immense power—until he decided to break away.
In fact, this was inevitable. The Steel Apostle had always wanted to develop toward the tech side, but unfortunately, he was a member of the Healing Church. No one cared how he modified himself, but he couldn't openly declare "flesh is weak" within the church. The Healing Church's Stigmata cultivated the body and soul.
While others used Stigmata to strengthen their bodies and souls, the Steel Apostle suddenly proposed abandoning the flesh. More critically, no one cared if he abandoned his own flesh, but he also demanded his subordinates do the same.
If the Dead Silence hadn't erupted so thoroughly at that time, the Steel Apostle would have almost certainly been finished. What was certain was that the Steel Apostle, who was frantically modifying himself back then, was already not quite right.
By the time of the Catastrophe Era, only five of the old church's twelve high-ranking members remained. Among them, Snake Lady had suffered a severe loss of combat power, leaving only four capable of shouldering the burden. Although the Steel Apostle was branded a sinner, no one brought it up at that time.
When High Wall City was established, the Steel Apostle finally founded the Steam Church. Seeing this, the Archbishop, Holy Priestess, Snake Lady, and the Old Monster conspired to trick the Steel Apostle into attacking the Sin God.
The result was that, under the deliberate "care" of these four, the Steel Apostle didn't die, but his Mechanical Core was severely damaged. He then fell into a long slumber, which made his already unstable thinking even more unpredictable.
A few days ago, seeking a way to save himself, the Duke implanted the Steel Apostle's Mechanical Core into his own body and awakened him.
Why did the Duke do this? The reason was that, a few days before the "Wadi Family Incident," he had frequently schemed against Su Xiao and even drank with him.
Drinking with an alchemist while in a semi-hostile relationship required caution, even if the Duke had undergone multiple modifications and most of his body was mechanical.
The problem was that alchemists also understood mechanical structures and often needed alchemical compounds to soften and dissolve various metals.
For the Duke, this type of alchemical compound was more terrifying than poison. Replacing the mechanical structures inside his body wouldn't help either. Unless the Duke could remove all the metal structures from his body at once, this microbial alchemical compound would keep splitting.
Before the entrance to Dead Silence City opened, the Duke discovered this. This old schemer naturally wouldn't wait to die or allow this risk, which could be triggered by Su Xiao at any moment, to persist. So he remembered the Steel Apostle and deliberately implanted the other's Mechanical Core into his body, allowing the Steel Apostle's powerful soul and consciousness to bind and "quantify" his own soul and consciousness.
"Quantification" was the Steel Apostle's unique method—integrating the soul into mechanical structures, achieving a state where as long as the core wasn't destroyed, he wouldn't die.
Things developed exactly as the Duke had envisioned. After the Mechanical Core was activated, the Steel Apostle's consciousness awakened and took over his body.
To avoid soul-to-soul combat damage, the Steel Apostle "quantified" the Duke's soul into the mechanical prosthetics within the body, turning it into a "Duke Core," to be dealt with later.
This was exactly what the Duke wanted. But this wasn't enough. Having a "core," he also needed a vessel. This vessel had to have high compatibility with him, contain no alchemical compounds, and preferably have undergone some mechanical modification.
Who was this target? It was obvious—the Duke's eldest son, Kranck. To make him more suitable as a vessel, during the father-son duel before entering Dead Silence City, the Duke deliberately let him live and destroyed half of his body, forcing him to replace that part with mechanical prosthetics.
This led to the current scene. The Steel Apostle, who had been dormant for a long time and had a slightly confused mind, thought he had dealt with the Duke. In reality, he had been tricked by the Duke into coming to Su Xiao to die.
In other words, no matter whose soul or consciousness was inside, as long as they dared to come to Su Xiao in a body filled with alchemical compounds, they were doomed.
This was also why, when they met in Dead Silence City earlier, Su Xiao didn't pursue the "Duke." There was no need. He had originally planned to cooperate with the Duke to some extent, but this "Duke" was becoming increasingly dangerous. Now it was clear—this wasn't the Duke at all, but the Steel Apostle.
Su Xiao looked at the debris on the ground and picked up a Church Tablet from it.
Meanwhile, near the "Saint Ten Church" area, inside a well-preserved building, Kranck, sitting on a wooden chair and looking out the window, had his left pupil rapidly constrict. His face twisted in pain, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out before his head drooped heavily.
A few seconds later, "Kranck" raised his head again, his gaze deep as he looked out the window.
"Kranck, what's wrong? You look... a bit strange."
The Moonlight Maiden, who happened to be nearby, spoke.
"It's nothing. Just still not used to the implants."
"Kranck" stood up and flexed his mechanical right arm. Seeing this, the Moonlight Maiden snorted and ignored him.
...
The battle quickly subsided. Near the shattered two-story building, Luge was still lying on the ground. Nearby, Wood sat on a pile of rubble.
During the previous fight, Wood had clearly slacked off. The three members of the Crow Team weren't in the vicinity. Earlier, Su Xiao and Zuiyasi had wondered why Wood was willing to actively approach the Crow Team, who carried the Necronomicon. Now it seemed this guy had known all along that the Crow Team wasn't nearby and had deliberately found a legitimate excuse to slack off.
"This guy can really run."
Zuiyasi, who had returned, threw a head to the ground. It was the Snow Monster. This guy, who liked to play the fool and had strong survival abilities, had finally met someone who could kill him. Zuiyasi, who possessed an undying trait, naturally knew how to deal with such enemies.
"Bai Ye, have you heard of the Primordial Temple? This Snow Monster had ties to the Primordial Temple. It seems I've been 'marked' by that organization."
Zuiyasi spoke.
"I've heard of it."
"What's it like over there?"
"An organization formed by several high-ranking evil gods."
"Oh?"
Zuiyasi frowned. High-ranking evil gods were not to be trifled with. But since he had already provoked them, he would definitely have the organization behind him eliminate them. This was called preemptive prevention of retaliation.
Knowing Zuiyasi's style well, Su Xiao said, "They won't retaliate against you."
"How so?"
"Several pillar gods of the Primordial Temple are either dead or have been brought back by me as ingredients."
"Ingredients?"
Zuiyasi and Wood both looked at him, their gazes seeming to say, "As expected of you."
"The second tablet is in hand."
Su Xiao took out the Church Tablet he had obtained from the Steel Apostle.
"Over here."
The door of a shop by the street was pushed open. It was Gulu. Seeing that the building she was in was decent, the group walked inside.
This place had originally been a tavern. Su Xiao and the others sat around a wooden table. Among them, Zuiyasi said, "The Duke's team is dealt with. Next, the Crow Team or the Worm Team?"
"Deal with them together."
As Su Xiao spoke, he took out a gray crystal block, which made the others around him alert.
"What's that?"
Wood asked.
"I'm going to temporarily summon the Necronomicon."
Hearing this, Wood immediately stood up and walked out, his steps unavoidably hurried. He said, "I need to use the restroom."
"Cough, I also need to pee."
Zuiyasi also walked out. Seeing this, Gulu found an excuse to slip away too. Only Kaisa remained calm and composed.
Previously, Su Xiao had caused the Necronomicon to form a causal link with Arcane Eternal Star. In this matter, the Necronomicon owed him one. Now was the time to collect.
If the Necronomicon, as a "Daddy-level" artifact, ignored this, then there would be no more joint fishing for evil gods in the future.
Sure enough, not long after Su Xiao crushed the gray crystal block, the Necronomicon appeared in front of him. He folded a note and tossed it to the Necronomicon. The note turned to ashes. After the Necronomicon probed its contents, it faded into the air.
Half an hour later, Zuiyasi, Wood, and Gulu returned. Su Xiao began to briefly explain his plan.
Dealing with them one team at a time was too slow. Moreover, during the fighting, the Church Tablet might get damaged.
Su Xiao's plan was to use the two existing Church Tablets to propose a joint effort with the Crow Team and the Worm Team, saying they should combine the four tablets to decipher their contents.
Given everything the "Good Teammate" squad had done before, the Crow Team and the Worm Team would never agree to this proposal. But what if it were the Duke's team making the offer?
Remember, the Duke's team had already prepared for this and had successfully allied with the Crow Team, even reaching preliminary negotiations with the Worm Team. The problem was that even with the alliance, they were still missing one tablet. Now, that problem was solved.
Su Xiao could use the Primordial Mask to disguise himself as the Duke, and with Luge, just the two of them could represent the Duke's team.
As for meeting "Kranck" of the Crow Team, if the other had been taken over by the Duke's consciousness, that was fine too. The Duke wouldn't step forward or expose Su Xiao's disguise unless he wanted to die completely.
"Luge, are you willing to cooperate with us?"
Su Xiao looked at Luge, who was tied up and leaning against the wall.
"Impossible."
Luge had his pride. He had been caught last time, and now he was attacked again.
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. He took out three "Mercy Thorns."
"Brother, I was just joking. Why are you taking it seriously?"
Luge immediately backed down. He had heard the Snow Monster describe the feeling of being stabbed by those things.
Su Xiao put on the Primordial Mask. Crimson tendrils clung to his clothes, and in an instant, he transformed into the Duke, draped in a dark gold robe.
The rest was simple. Kaisa and Wood's abilities worked together to locate the positions of the Crow Team and the Worm Team.
The Crow Team was located first. Su Xiao took out a capsule and tossed it to Luge. Luge caught it and, without hesitation, threw it into his mouth and swallowed.
He had fallen for this trick before. That time was in the Treeborn World, where he ate a "poison" Su Xiao gave him. He was terrified until he returned to Apocalypse Paradise, fearing the poison would activate. After returning, he underwent numerous checks and found out he had eaten a vitamin.
Luge's current thought was to slip away at the first opportunity. He wouldn't be scared by vitamins again.
"You don't have much time. About five hours."
As Su Xiao spoke, he took out a capsule identical to the one Luge had swallowed and tossed it out the window.
Boom!
A muffled explosion came, and a burst of Solar Flame erupted. The capsule contained liquid ordinary Apollo. Being hit by this wasn't too serious, but if it exploded inside someone's chest, that was a different story.
"Go inform the three members of the Crow Team. We'll meet at the stone tablet in Wolf Grave in three hours."
Hearing this, Luge hurried out the door without a second word.
"Bai Ye, can't he spit out that capsule?"
Zuiyasi asked, showing interest in the capsule.
"No."
Su Xiao took out another capsule and crushed the crisp-skinned water-soluble capsule with a snap. Even if Luge tore out his stomach, he wouldn't find the explosive capsule, because what he swallowed wasn't an explosive capsule but a crisp-skinned water-soluble one, which dissolved as soon as it reached his stomach.
Over 40 minutes later, Luge returned. His slightly breathless appearance showed he had been traveling at full speed and had encountered the People of Death.
"Go here and inform the Worm Team to meet at Wolf Grave."
Su Xiao took out a Church Tablet and continued, "Give this tablet to Worm. Tell him it's the Duke's sincerity."
"Alright."
Luge took the tablet and left. Seeing this, Su Xiao walked alone toward Wolf Grave. Since he was disguised as the Duke, he naturally couldn't go with Zuiyasi and Wood. Only Bubu Wang, who blended into the environment, accompanied him.
Two hours later, in the Wolf Grave district, inside the area surrounded by a ring of bone walls, Su Xiao was here, where he had fought to the death with the Wolf Cavalry Captain.
Su Xiao sat in front of a several-meter-tall stone tablet, his eyes open, watching the three figures approaching—Crow Woman, Moonlight Maiden, and Kranck.
Su Xiao and Kranck locked eyes. Kranck—no, this was already the Duke. Kranck might not be dead yet, but he was no longer the dominant consciousness in this body.
A flicker of extraordinary brilliance passed through the Duke's eyes. He looked at the person disguised as him in front of the stone tablet and, after forming a rough guess, decided to wait and see.
Su Xiao also watched the Duke. As he had guessed earlier, the Duke didn't expose the fact that someone was impersonating him.
"Duke, have you found the last tablet?"
It was Crow Woman who spoke. She was holding a Church Tablet.
"Yes, he found it."
Five figures in white robes with loose hoods walked over. The leader was Stigmata Mentor Worm. His sharp gaze inevitably gave off an aggressive feeling.
Stigmata Mentor Worm didn't waste words. He directly took out two Church Tablets, seemingly sincere. In reality, he had already arranged that once the four tablets were assembled, they would immediately act. Neither the Stigmata nor the Divine Imprint could be replicated. Only by possessing the complete Church Tablet could one master these, so there was no possibility of sharing.
The ten people present formed a loose circle.
"Less talk, let's begin."
Stigmata Mentor Worm tossed out the two tablets in his hand. Seeing this, Crow Woman looked at the Moonlight Maiden beside her. The Moonlight Maiden nodded, meaning that although this was her item, Crow Woman was in charge now.
Crow Woman tossed out her tablet. Now, everyone's attention focused on Su Xiao, disguised as the Duke.
Su Xiao tossed out his tablet. With this action, Stigmata Mentor Worm shouted, "Now!"
Gray light flashed. Before anyone could act, the Necronomicon appeared. Semi-transparent tendrils extended from within it, binding the four Church Tablets and pulling them back. Finally, the Necronomicon faded and merged into Crow Woman's body.
The atmosphere nearly froze. Everyone's eyes were on Crow Woman. But no one noticed that the four tablets had appeared inside Su Xiao's golden robe behind him and had been stored in his inventory.
Stigmata Mentor Worm and his four companions all stared at Crow Woman. Their gazes were no longer just unfriendly—their killing intent surged.
"Well done. Let's retreat."
The Moonlight Maiden's gaze held a hint of surprise. She really hadn't known that Crow Woman had such a plan.
Not only did the Moonlight Maiden not know, but Crow Woman herself didn't know either. She was now very curious—where had those four Church Tablets gone? Somehow, this confusing situation felt familiar. A feeling of being set up surged uncontrollably in her heart.