Chapter 79: Sixty-five, do you dare to come?
A pair of enormous illusory wings sprouted from Corey’s back, and with just a light flutter, he severed all the Magic Chains surrounding him; then he leapt up, quickly putting distance between himself and Bai Wei.
At this moment, Corey had lost the nobility and calm that came with being an Archbishop; his once pure white bishop robe was now nearly destroyed, rendering him as disheveled as a beggar unable to afford clothes.
But that was all the damage he sustained. He had not suffered any serious injuries. The Magic Chains that had previously engulfed him like a tidal wave had at most left only minor scrapes on his body; most had not even left a mark, thanks to him still being under the “Divine Blessing,” with the Rhein God’s power enveloping him.
The mortal world’s forces could not affect a god, a firm rule of this world.
While under the effects of “Divine Blessing,” Corey couldn’t fully inherit the Rhein’s power, but just a small part was sufficient to make him immune to over ninety percent of damage. Hence, the attack that seemed fierce only resulted in some bloody marks and abrasions on his body.
Even so, there was not the slightest hint of relief in Corey’s eyes, but rather they were filled with horror.
Because his “Divine Skill·Blessed Land” had been canceled… No, describing it as canceled wasn’t quite accurate.
To be precise, it had been erased!
Up until now, he couldn’t recall how to execute that Divine Skill—the snap had stripped that skill right out of his memory.
But the rule sealed within that finger, “Termination,” was not supposed to have such an effect! This was an effect not even documented in the Taboo Book, an entirely unknown phenomenon!
Staring at Bai Wei not far away, Corey’s pupils quivered incessantly.
That terrible conjecture from before,
Apart from himself, no one could have elevated that finger’s rule to this level!
It could only be him!
The undead who should have perished a thousand years ago!
“Oh?” Noticing the change in Corey’s expression, Bai Wei smiled slightly, “It seems you’ve figured out something after all.”
Corey pursed his lips tightly, unable at this moment to utter any harsh words.
He once possessed that eye, so compared to ordinary people, he understood far more about how powerful its owner had been. Time and time again, he had felt regret, for not having witnessed that person’s elegance and felt that person’s power.
But now, here he stood before him, and Corey could muster no more thoughts.
He only wanted… to escape.
Yes, despite being surrounded by the power of Rhein, despite not suffering any real harm, and even though the other party was using only two Corpse Blocks and what appeared to be a body about to collapse at any moment, he could not summon the courage to face his opponent.
Because this was Visas.
Corey bent slightly forward, already deciding to flee immediately, then to inform the other three major branches of Rhein, or even the other three major Orthodoxies, about the return of Visas.
Corey suddenly noticed Bai Wei’s left hand.
Only four fingers remained on the left hand; the thumb was missing.
His eyes slowly widened.
Bai Wei noticed where Corey’s eyes were fixated but showed no concern, even lifting his left hand curiously in front of his eyes to show Corey the four remaining fingers.
“It seems you’ve noticed it, too… Indeed, this body cannot bear my power without a price, not even by burning the soul.” He paused, then slightly curved the corners of his mouth, “So, how about we play a little game? Just like… a moment ago.”
“Before the soul of this wretched body burns out.”
A flash of lightning streaked across the night sky, turning Somo City to day in an instant, followed by the rolling thunder, sweeping up the sudden rain and fierce wind, roaring wildly at this city that should have been asleep.
Tonight, many would find sleep elusive.
The girl, holding onto the woman whose breath was like a fragile thread, cried inconsolably, “Auntie, Auntie, please don’t die, please don’t die, the gentleman will be back soon!”
The woman looked at the girl, wanting to lift her hand to touch the girl’s head, but she no longer had the strength to do so.
Across the street in a small alley, an elderly man laid a white cloth over the man who had just closed his eyes, with the man’s wife, who had passed away two minutes earlier, lying beside him.
Sharp cries of distress rose up, seemingly overwhelming the sound of the rain outside.
The stooped elder picked up the baby from the other bed, gently patting its back while whispering softly, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, you still have grandpa…”
But his murky tears kept flowing down relentlessly.
Further away, a weak mother embraced her child who had fallen unconscious, repeatedly knocking on the tightly shut doors along the street.
“Is anybody there? Can anyone take my child to the church?”
“He’s sick, he needs treatment!”
“Please, I beg you, anyone will do!”
Seldom did anyone open the door, and even when they did, they just shook their heads: “It’s too far, and the rain is so heavy, many roads are flooded, there’s no way to get there without a vehicle.”
The mother, drained of strength, could only hold her child and weep openly in the pouring rain.
Then, a horse carriage stopped in front of her, and with the sound of metal grinding “click clack,” the mother felt the rain stop above her head.
She looked up to see a middle-aged man, half of his body made of metal parts, standing beside her, holding a black umbrella.
“Madam,” the man offered, “take my carriage.” He pointed to the carriage behind him, “Don’t worry, it’s fast.”
The Rhein Knight who was driving the carriage blinked in slight astonishment, “Gerard Sir, Lord Bishop is still waiting for you…”
The middle-aged man helped the mother onto the carriage, then pointed to his half-mechanical leg, seriously telling the Rhein Knight, “Don’t underestimate the craftsmanship of Lyra… it’s waterproof.”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Rest assured, I’ll get there on time.”
As the middle-aged man was speaking, he noticed that the child in the mother’s arms had awakened, looking vaguely at his chest.
It was a metal plate.
Gerard blinked his eyes, then gently tapped the metal plate with his finger, emitting a clear sound.
“Don’t worry.” Gerard said, “Though it is metal, it is with a human heart.”
With those words, he turned around, holding his umbrella, walking alone toward the Great Cathedral standing in the torrential rain, but looking as if it might collapse at any moment.
“This rain… is really heavy,” he murmured to himself.
“Corey Obot, I want to play a game with you.” Bai Wei looked at Corey, a smile spreading across his face, “Before the soul in this broken body burns out, if you can survive, you win.”
“If you win, this finger, this eye, they are yours. The rules they contain have already been upgraded by me; you can use them directly once you’ve claimed them. But if you lose… then you’ll have nothing.”
“How about it, are you in?”
Corey stared intently at Bai Wei, then, clenching his teeth, he said, “This isn’t a game between you and me.”
“Ah, hahaha, you’ve figured it out.” Bai Wei’s smile grew wider, “This isn’t a game between you and me, but a game between you and the owner of this broken body. It’s a matter of seeing who dies first, you or his soul that is burning out.”
“Do you dare to play?”
Corey’s body trembled continuously.
He looked at Bai Wei’s remaining four fingers, feeling the soul in the broken body dissipating steadily.
Finally, he took a deep breath, the Holy Light surrounding him growing brighter.