“Don’t worry, I’ll help you offer the most precious gift!”
Hearing Ye Chui’s words, Linda could not help but freeze. She lowered her head and looked at Ye Chui in puzzlement, not understanding what he meant. As the envoy of the Rock Empire, Between, Empire, the gift from the new emperor represented the empire’s dignity. How could she let someone else help present it?
Just as Linda was about to voice her doubts, a sudden shriek rang out. “Aaaah!” It was the voice of a noble female guest. With that scream, the Garden of Stars instantly descended into chaos. The guests who had been standing quietly on both sides of the red carpet fell into panic, as though some dreadful accident had occurred. However, Ye Chui did not turn around. He already knew exactly what was happening.
Linda’s gaze shifted from Ye Chui’s face to the area behind him. She stared in shock as a terrifying dark shadow emerged among the guests. Nima had already taken out the black scripture page. The sealed demonic monster from the Dark Bible began to slowly release a chilling aura. A hideous, frightening figure appeared on her body.
The people who had been standing beside Nima fled in all directions, screaming in terror. Yet Ye Chui had long prepared an “evacuation plan”. Members of the Alpaca Team and Husky Team rushed to the guests’ sides, pulling away those who were too panicked or frozen to move. Very quickly, a wide empty space opened up around Nima.
Nima held the black scripture page with both hands and bowed her head, chanting the words written upon it. As she chanted, more and more black mist poured from the page and wrapped around her body.
Whether from excitement or pain, her body trembled slightly. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down her forehead.
“Nima, you…” Lance, the black, armoured guard protecting Prince Geller, saw her state. His face twisted with anger.
“She is summoning the Church’s… Apostle!” the thin envoy from the Tide Empire shouted in horror.
Apostles. They had once caused enormous devastation across the Castro continent and were eventually sealed by the Church (though in truth the Apostles had been created by the Church itself as a trump card). Yet many terrifying legends about them remained. Afterwards, Apostles had been summoned, intentionally or accidentally, on several occasions. The incident in Stan Town was one example. Each time brought catastrophe.
For the people of the Tide Empire, Apostles were an especially fearful memory. The legend of the “ghost ship” in the Tide Empire was inextricably linked to Apostles. The envoy from the Tide Empire had once accidentally encountered a ghost ship and felt the terrifying aura carried by an Apostle, so he instantly recognised what Nima was summoning.
“Stop her! Hurry and stop her!” he cried out in terror, his face contorted with fear.
Lance was stunned that the woman he loved would do such a thing. A deep sense of guilt overwhelmed him. He had never imagined that the lover he treasured hid such malicious intent. He reacted first. His body shot forward, he drew the longsword at his waist and slashed straight at Nima. However, Nima, now enveloped in black mist, could no longer be interrupted by ordinary attacks.
By reciting the scripture from the Black Bible, Nima had already turned herself into an altar. She was using her own life to summon the Apostle’s descent. Lance was highly skilled and powerful, but his strike was effortlessly blocked by the Apostle.
With a loud bang, Lance’s body was swept aside by a dreadful tentacle that condensed from the black mist and crashed heavily into a large tree.
The remaining black, armoured guards and gold, robed near, guards sprang into action, forming a tight defensive line in front of the many envoys, imperial ministers, and the new emperor. This was the new emperor’s coronation ceremony; carrying weapons was forbidden, except for those assigned to security duties. Ye Chui’s security teams were armed, but for some reason the Alpaca Team members, though they had drawn their swords, did not attack the Apostle that was about to appear. Instead, they protected the guests, moving them as far as possible from the Apostle’s attack range.
Within the black mist, Nima suddenly let out a shrill, agonised scream. Her near, blind faith finally shattered under unbearable pain. She seemed to awaken at last. The life force in her body was being drained away. The terror of slowly falling into an abyss destroyed the beautiful illusion she had held of sacrificing herself for her god. This was not what she had imagined…
She began to struggle desperately, trying to break free from the black mist’s bindings, but it was already too late.
“Lance… my love…”
It was hard to know what she was thinking now, but her rapidly paling face happened to see Lance standing with sword in hand. She reached out with a withered hand that seemed to have aged countless years in an instant, stretching towards Lance. Her voice was thick with regret. Then her body completely lost all signs of life, turning to ash that merged into the black mist.
The page of black scripture floated within it and began to burn.
When the scripture had completely burned away, a fully formed Apostle would have been summoned.
The Apostle had already revealed a vague outline. It was a strange, twisted, eerie figure. This Apostle was not the First Apostle Adams that the old nun Rosia had summoned in Stan Town. It resembled a cross covered with bizarre tentacles at all four ends, while at the centre of the cross was a huge eyeball. Its body, formed from thick mist, was rapidly turning solid. The writhing tentacles gave people a spine, chilling sensation.
From the moment Nima took out the black scripture page, only about a dozen seconds had passed. After the initial panic, countless people quickly realised what this meant. How could the Church possibly allow the new emperor of the Star Empire to ascend the throne smoothly? They had indeed played a hidden hand, having a loyal believer infiltrate the ceremony and summon a terrifying Apostle.
An Apostle was a fearsome existence capable of wantonly slaughtering and destroying an entire nation!
No one present would escape!
Prince Karl of the North Ridge Empire nearly collapsed to the ground in terror, completely losing his usual princely decorum. Seventh Princess Mia let out a shrill cry and tried to flee. The others were little better. The envoys from the Yellow Sand Empire were born warriors, yet even they frowned with grave concern.
As Ye Chui had expected, although Linda looked shocked, this female warrior from the secret order of Victoria quickly readied herself for battle after the first moment of panic. Her eyes stared coldly at the terrifying cross, shaped Apostle that was rapidly taking form.
“Mr Ye Chui, what should we do now?” she asked.
Ye Chui had been standing calmly to one side the entire time. He turned around, looked at the Apostle that was swiftly growing stronger, and revealed a faint smile. He suddenly waved his hand. A greatsword appeared in his grasp, and he offered it to Linda.
Linda paused, then accepted the sword. “Mr Ye Chui, this…”
At that very moment, the cross Apostle let out an extremely shrill, ear, piercing roar. Its many tentacles suddenly stretched out like venomous snakes lunging at prey, shooting in all directions as black shadows.
Ye Chui’s Alpaca Team security personnel were already prepared for defence. They swung their swords, cutting down the approaching tentacles. Because they had prepared in advance and cleared sufficient space for the guests, the Apostle’s first wave of attacks caused no casualties. More tentacles rushed towards Jacob, Prince Geller, other imperial ministers, and the envoys from various empires. But to reach them, those dreadful tentacles first had to pass Ye Chui’s position.
Seeing several tentacles speeding towards him, Linda, now holding the greatsword, instinctively moved. She swiftly stepped in front of Ye Chui, brandishing the sword. Sword qi surged, severing the disgusting tentacles.
“Thank you,” Ye Chui said to Linda with a smile. His eyes swept over the terrified envoys, then he gave a light cough and said loudly, “The Church actually went so far as to summon an Apostle to disrupt the new emperor’s ascension. Their methods are truly too cruel!”
Hearing Ye Chui’s words, the panicked crowd looked at him in surprise and confusion. At a time like this, instead of dealing with the Apostle, the strongest omnidisciplinarian mage was still talking?
“This is the Star Empire! How could you let an Apostle appear here… What kind of security arrangements are these!?” Prince Karl of North Ridge shouted angrily, trembling as he hid behind several black, armoured guards.
“That’s not the point,” Ye Chui replied, glancing at Karl. He seemed completely unconcerned by the rampaging Apostle, radiating strong contempt. He turned his back to the Apostle once more, leaving it to Linda. Linda swung the greatsword, continuously cutting down tentacles that lunged at them. Ye Chui continued, “The Church wishes to sabotage the new emperor’s ascension by summoning an Apostle at the ceremony. Prince of the North Ridge Empire, you should understand what this means. They don’t only want to kill the new emperor; they want to kill everyone here, including you, Prince of North Ridge. If the envoys of various nations are killed during the new emperor’s coronation, that would be enough to spark hatred between the Star Empire and other empires.”
This was an extremely obvious truth, but when Ye Chui stated it aloud, especially with an Apostle already summoned, those who had still harboured any illusions about the Church felt their hearts jolt. They realised just how ruthless the Church could be to achieve its goals.
Some of them revered the Church’s power, but they absolutely did not wish to sacrifice their own lives for the Church’s aims.
They personally experienced the Church’s cold, bloodedness.
“Sooner or later, if you unintentionally block the Church’s path, they will ruthlessly eliminate you,” Ye Chui continued.
More than half of the black scripture inside the Apostle had already burned away. The Apostle’s body was growing larger and even more terrifying.
“Mr Ye Chui, it’s getting stronger…” Linda was an outstanding warrior, but by now she was struggling somewhat. Her voice carried slight weariness.
“Yes, hold on just a little longer. My speech is almost finished,” Ye Chui said in a low voice to Linda.
Linda: “…?”
In Ye Chui’s original plan, once the Apostle was summoned he intended to have the flying magical vehicles on standby in the sky use firepower to pin it down while he delivered a speech about “whether to live trembling under the Church’s intimidation or to stand up and resist together”. However, after meeting Linda, he changed his mind and let her temporarily block the Apostle’s advance.
The greatsword was a weapon Ye Chui had long stored in his magic guide book, originally intended for Cass. Knowing Linda was a greatsword swordswoman, he handed it to her.
While the other envoys were terrified and helpless, only Linda stepped forward to fight. This was the gift Ye Chui gave her. Compared to the priceless treasures the other envoys had offered, Linda’s battle would shine especially brightly and be far more valuable.
“What the hell are you still talking about!” Iraq, clan leader of the Barbarian Bull clan from the Tide Empire, roared irritably at that moment. He pushed aside several black, armoured guards blocking him, a Barbarian Bull phantom beast appearing around his body as he prepared to charge the Apostle. He continued shouting, “The Apostle will only grow stronger! We must kill it immediately! Omnimagus, if any envoy dies here today, the Star Empire will bear full responsibility for inadequate protection.”
“This is the Star Empire. My guild undertook the security for this event, so naturally I am responsible for everything here,” Ye Chui replied with a smile. At the same time, Alpaca Team leader Green stepped forward, holding the vibranium brick Ye Chui had recently spent a fortune to forge for him, and blocked Iraq’s path, preventing him from taking matters into his own hands.
Ye Chui then raised his voice and declared, “The Church is not to be feared, nor is an Apostle. If you once held awe for the Church, let me tell you now: the Church is not invincible. Even their strongest method is only this.” He pointed at the ferocious Apostle. “I can finish a thing like that with a single punch!”
Facing an Apostle so terrifying that even the rugged warriors of the Yellow Sand Empire found it immensely troublesome, the young omnimagus actually made such a bold claim. For a moment everyone was dumbfounded. Most of them knew Ye Chui possessed a fighting style that could unleash tremendous attack power in an extremely short time. Ye Chui himself called that power “one punch”, meaning one punch was enough to deal with any opponent.
But this was an Apostle. And he was going to finish it with one punch?
That was exactly the reaction Ye Chui wanted.
He had said everything he needed to say. The timing was perfect.
The magic guide book floating beside him slowly merged into his body, allowing him to enter Divine Guardian armour mode. Then he turned around, patted Linda’s shoulder to have her step aside. Several tentacles immediately rushed towards him with a whooshing sound. Ye Chui raised his fist. Overwhelming power instantly surged from his body, causing those snake, like tentacles to shrink back abruptly. They did not retreat because they had been attacked, but purely because they felt fear.
Fear of Ye Chui’s fist.
The countless tentacles of the cross Apostle stopped attacking in all directions. Instead, they rapidly coiled around its own body, twisting together to bolster its defences. It let out another shrill roar.
Then Ye Chui’s punch came down.
