Chapter 0: Turning Point (1)
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As the Emperor of the Empire, Bel was well aware of the significance of the Four Warriors.
The legend from four thousand years ago has been passed down to this day; it was like air and water—something you never think about until it’s gone.
But once you lose them, you instantly realize just how precious they truly are.
Destroying the statue of the Four Warriors was like chopping off the spiritual pillar of the people. Without the common faith of the Four Warriors to lean on, the Empire would quickly splinter into factions, not even needing a war for that to happen—just a little clash between the faiths of the gods and the Church of Light would be enough to send it spiraling downwards.
Lilith sighed, “You know, I’ve wanted to do this for eight hundred years.
Unfortunately, this desire has only been realized today. But hey, I’m satisfied; after all, the future Imperial Capital won’t need the Four Warriors anymore, and certainly not the Church of Light.”
Bel was trapped in subspace, and mages were generally at a disadvantage against assassins. Without anyone to help him, he feared he wouldn’t last much longer.
But as the Son of God, he was under the watchful eyes of a bunch of Church of Light cultists. If he were to lose in front of all of them, it would seriously tarnish his divine image.
Luckily, he had finished all his preparations two days prior.
As long as he could escape with his life, it wouldn’t affect the bigger picture.
He stared at Lilith, pondering how he could possibly escape from subspace.
Bel knew that maintaining subspace wasn’t as easy as it seemed. It wasn’t like what Lilith had just said—showing up meant eternal existence.
That just didn’t make any sense.
So there had to be a flaw in this situation; he just hadn’t spotted it yet.
Stay calm; he had to remain calm. This was a pivotal moment; he couldn’t afford to mess up now.
Lilith walked toward him with a smile.
“Now, it’s time to deal with you!”
The moment she finished her sentence, her figure vanished from his sight.
Bel hurriedly cast a temporary shield that could defend against all damage.
This was a traditional skill of mages used to escape harm, usually mastered due to their fear of close combat. Plus, he still had a bit of faith power left, so for at least two minutes, he wouldn’t have to worry about Lilith breaking through his defenses.
“Boom! Boom!”
The clash of blades and shields sounded like he was crammed into a constantly shaking train car, his heart and guts vibrating alongside it.
At that moment, he noticed a slight wave at the edge of the subspace.
It was as if subspace underwent a fleeting self-checking process every so often.
In other words, the stabilization of subspace wasn’t constant; it came in waves with highs and lows.
And the lows were the most vulnerable moments for subspace.
He had to seize the moment when subspace was at its weakest to escape alive.
“What, the mighty Emperor of the Empire has turned into a turtle, scared to fight head-on?”
Bel clenched his teeth and remained silent, focusing intently on the edge of subspace.
“One, two, three…”
He counted silently in his head, and just as a brief ripple appeared at the edge of subspace, a beam of golden light flashed into existence.
That was his last remaining faith power.
“Boom!”
The golden light shot through the thinnest part of subspace like a spear.
With a tremendous explosion, not only Bel, but even Lilith flinched.
“Oh no! That brat actually found a way to escape!”
Lilith kicked fiercely at Bel, hoping to trap him in subspace before it shattered entirely. This way, she’d have time to fix it.
Even if he had a shield, it could only absorb damage, not the force that would throw him off balance.
At that moment, both of them were giving it their all.
In the end, Bel was just a step quicker and awkwardly rolled his way out of subspace.
Lilith was right behind him, relentlessly pursuing.
This scene unfolded before the eyes of all the citizens, especially the followers of the Church of Light, who were left dumbfounded.
At first, the majestic arrival of the Emperor, Son of God, slaying beasts made them cheer enthusiastically.
But in the ensuing fight, although the Emperor unleashed a powerful move, it didn’t harm the enemy at all, and the statue of the Four Warriors had already been wrecked. Now he was almost defenseless against the relentless attack.
Could the Church of Light really boast about saving the world in the face of such defeat?
Many minds were racing with this very question.
“Earth Escape Technique!”
The Emperor was suffering from excessive mana drain and couldn’t afford to get tangled up in close-quarters combat.
With his shield about to collapse, he made a decision.
Initially, he had intended to fight back, hoping that his status as Son of God would attract more followers to fortify his plans.
But now, it seemed he no longer needed those new followers.
After all, in recent years, the Church of Light had cultivated many devout followers; just having them around was enough to keep his plans afloat.
So, it’s game over for you guys!
The Emperor instantly vanished beneath the ground, rapidly heading toward the palace in a nonsensical manner.
The beast horde would soon come crashing down, and he had to execute his plan quickly.
Just two hours!
Surely those beasts would be lured by the millions of fresh flesh in the city, and even if Lilith made it to the palace, she wouldn’t uncover anything amiss in such a short time.
“Boom!”
Lilith stomped on the ground where Bel had escaped, cracking it, yet she still couldn’t find his trace.
“d*mn that b*stard!”
Lilith cursed under her breath as anxious Imperial Capital residents appeared before her.
Many wanted to flee immediately, but with their greatest hope, the Son of God, thoroughly defeated, they figured even if they managed to escape, they couldn’t dodge the incoming beasts’ gnashing and hunting.
“So, will you kneel to your new master?”
Lilith asked from a lofty height.
As if cheering her on, the beasts outside the city suddenly howled in unison.
The overwhelming might sent shivers down countless spines.
Gradually, some people began to kneel.
In the face of d*ath’s threat, this leading role became even more pronounced, and soon, nearly three-quarters of the residents submitted.
The remaining folks exchanged glances, seemingly undecided.
“Demoness, don’t tell me you forgot all about us.”
Janet, flanked by a dozen battle-hardened Harpists, stood before Lilith with a serious expression.
Because she knew that if she didn’t take action soon, the entire Empire would really come apart at the seams, shifting gears right then and there.
Lord Messenger, the Imperial Capital needs you, the Empire needs you!
In that moment, Lin Nan flashed through her mind.
