I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 96

I need to take a day off, I'll make it up tomorrow...........................................................................................

Chapter 251 The Reincarnated Snake

After a brief pause, Mario subtly stopped the flow of magic within him, examined the dismembered Roya, took a deep breath, and raised his hands as if resigned to his fate.

"I can give you anything you want."

As a soul that has survived for a thousand years, Mario will stop at nothing to live. Kenneth's power is undeniable, and Arcueid is also eager to fight. Mario, unwilling to take risks, decisively backs down. Having already obtained the magic of reversing aging from Roya, Mario, seeing hope, doesn't want to die here.

"Interesting. Your body grows in a way that defies common sense. Although you can still be considered human, this kind of magic that goes against primates means you're almost turning into a Dead Apostle."

Ignoring Mario's conditions, Kenneth, intrigued by the transformation process, scrutinized Mario. Not all Dead Apostles are transformed from vampires; magic and curses can also convert primates into Dead Apostles. Under Roya's magic, Cardinal Mario had become, in effect, an incomplete Dead Apostle.

When Kenneth saw through his secret, a flicker of panic flashed in Mario's eyes. Although the Church and the Burial Agency both belonged to the Holy See, unlike the Burial Agency, which actively recruited the supernatural and hunted the Dead Apostles, the Church, which was on the surface, had an extremely strong resistance to non-human beings. Once Mario's situation was exposed, he would be forever barred from the position of Emperor.

“What are you talking about? I am the adopted son of a cardinal, a pure human being.”

Almost instantly, Mario, with his millennia of experience, adjusted his emotions. After severing the connection between this body and Lord Laurentius, Mario immediately rejected Kenneth's analysis.

"Damn, I really can't get along with you guys. You can never forget those little tricks."

An invisible wave emanated from Kenneth's palm. His severed arm lay on the ground, and in Mario's severed hand, the magical artifact that was clearly a communication device was still radiating a faint magical power.

"Honestly, you bunch of rotten things should just die already. There's no place for you on the ship of this era."

Clang! Clang clang! The attacking black key was casually knocked away by Kenneth, and the sudden burst of light filled the basement. Flames erupted from Roya's corpse, and Arcueid, who had subconsciously closed her eyes, also showed an expression of disgust.

"Huh? It got away! Sniff...sniff, the scent is still there, over there!"

Grabbing Kenneth's arm, Arcueid tried to lift the floor above his head to chase after him. He didn't react much to Mario's disappearance. Pressing down Arcueid who kept peeking out, Kenneth flicked out a beam of white light from the Moon Spirit Essence in his hand and disappeared into the realm that was detached from the material world.

"No need to chase, just walk slowly."

He added fuel to the still-burning corpse, walked out of the basement through the collapsed door, and at the same time, Mario, who had already escaped the school, fled towards the area where the church was located without stopping.

"Lord Bestino, what is this?"

Noel, who had brought Hiel with him, appeared in front of him. Seeing Hiel holding the Seventh Holy Scripture, Mario's pounding heart finally calmed down a little.

"The reincarnation of the Serpent of Akasha has been erased. Your next mission is to defeat the True Ancestor..."

Suddenly, as Noel became terrified, the hatred that had surfaced in Hiel because of Roya froze on his face. Noticing the gazes of his two subordinates, Mario, who wanted Hiel to stop Kenneth, suddenly looked behind him. The empty street was deserted. Just as Mario was about to question Noel about what he saw, his vision began to drop.

"What's going on! What's happening! My hand, what happened to it?!"

The skin surface solidified, and the flesh that carried the soul shattered along with the alienation of the flesh and blood tissue. There was no pain, no warning. All that remained before Hiel's eyes was a pile of silvery-white sand. Only a few pieces of clothing on the ground proved to whom this crystal, which did not belong to the material world, belonged.

"This, this, this..."

Unlike Noel, whose legs were trembling and face was pale, Hiel, who had seen the world, examined the sand in front of him. Black Key picked up the buried clothes, and several scrolls with bloodstains rolled out.

"This magic is... Roya! This is yours!"

Suddenly standing up, leaving Noel to deal with the chaos, Hiel pulled out the Seventh Holy Scripture that was stuck in the ground and rushed directly towards the dark-shrouded Zongye Middle School. Shortly after Hiel left, Kenneth walked out of the school, stepped over the trembling Noel, and collected the dust from the test tube.

While speculation is inevitable, Kenneth never imagined that the product of humans having their souls erased would be something like this: Osiris Sand, a degraded Philosopher's Stone, the crystallization of soul and body sought in alchemy.

"Is it a lack of vitality in the body, or a deficiency in the quality of the soul...?"

As the crystals throbbed in healing, and Kenneth sensed the depletion within the Sands of Osiris, he felt he needed to brush up on his alchemical theories.

"You, you, you! Don't come any closer! I'm very strong!"

Ignoring Noel, who was struggling to even hold the Black Key, Kenneth patted Arcueid, who was trying to materialize the Sands of Osiris, and walked into the street. In the basement filled with the smell of burning protein, looking at the burning corpses at his feet, Shiel, with mixed feelings, took out the Black Key and cut a deep, bone-revealing wound on his arm.

The gushing blood quickly stopped, and the outward-turned flesh healed at a visible speed. In just a few seconds, apart from the remaining bloodstains, there was not a single scar left on Hiel's arm.

Even knowing this, Hiel's spirits still plummeted. Only the body of this generation of Roya was killed; the curse of the snake still clung to her soul.

"Next time, will I be able to wait for another chance...?"

Hiel didn't know how long she would have to wait for Roya's next reincarnation, but she had a premonition that she wouldn't last much longer. The Blood Ring of Principle, the power of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, and Hiel, who had incorporated the Blood Ring of Principle into her body to hunt down her disciples, had to endure the erosion from the Blood Ring. Every time she used the power of the Blood Ring of Principle, a part of Hiel's consciousness would be burned away. Perhaps in a few years, Hiel would become an empty, mindless lump of flesh.

"That person, he should be able to solve this problem..."

His thoughts drifted uncontrollably to Kenneth, the Kenneth who had so confidently claimed he could solve his problems. After adding fuel to the fire of the corpse beneath his feet, Hiel, whose balance had completely tipped, left the basement.

Inside the hospital's intensive care unit, the medical equipment beeped rhythmically. As the young man, who had fallen into a deep coma, opened his eyes, the shadows in the room writhed and coalesced into a human shape.

"It seems you're not having an easy time, Michael."

With a rip, he ripped off the detection device attached to his body. Relying on Tono Shiki's 'fusion', Roya transferred his consciousness into the body connected to Tono Shiki the moment he was completely crushed. Opening his eyes, the black lines in his vision caused Roya's fragmented soul to tremble indescribably.

"This! These eyes are! Hahahaha!! Hahahaha!! Aphrodite, we've got this one! We're going to win this time!"

The maniacal laughter echoed through the empty corridor through the door, leaving only Roya's voice in the deathly silent hospital. Nero Chaos suddenly looked up and, upon meeting Roya's eyes that shimmered with iridescent light, instinctively took a few steps back.

"So that's how it is. It's those demonic eyes. It seems you've gained quite a bit this time."

"Let's go. The princess should have lowered her guard against me by now. Let's continue with the unfinished ritual."

Roya tore off the bed sheet and wrapped it around himself before heading toward Chaos, who had been waiting for him for a long time.

Chapter 252 Hier's Deal

After wandering aimlessly all night, Kenneth returned to his apartment, where Hierle, who had been waiting there, focused his gaze on Arcueid, who was hopping around.

"Roya is dead. Did you do it?"

"Hmph, of course I did it. That guy won't escape my hunt!"

With her hands on her hips and head held high, Arcueid looked down at the expressionless Chiel with an air of 'I'm not that awesome'. After receiving Arcueid's affirmation, Chiel took a deep breath and turned her gaze to Kenneth.

"Mario, why did he become like that?"

As the reincarnation of Roja, Chiel possesses all of Roja's magical knowledge. The ability to turn people into dust is something Roja could never have. Arcueid is a fool who only knows how to use brute force. Therefore, all the blame points to Kenneth.

"You mean that guy? What, you want to avenge him?"

Kenneth opened the door and walked back into the apartment. He casually admitted to Hiel's guess. As Arcueid rushed into the room, only Hiel remained standing in the empty hallway. Looking at the open door, Hiel took a few deep breaths and resolutely walked in.

The room was quiet. Apart from Arcueid turning pages occasionally while lying on the sofa, no one spoke. Looking at Kenneth, who was fiddling with the silver-white crystal with his back to her, the confused Shier asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Why kill him? He didn't get in your way, did he?"

"Does killing need a reason? If you want, I can give you one. His soul reminds me of some guys, and I hate that rotten smell."

He slowly channeled the magic of the Third Law into the Sand of Osiris, and the shimmering white light grew even brighter. With a muffled thud, the sand-grain-sized crystal exploded in flames and vanished from Kenneth's hand. Faced with Kenneth's undeniably arrogant reply, Hiel's chest heaved violently.

"I don't think you came here for that guy. Just say what you want to say. I don't like beating around the bush."

Enraged by Kenneth's attitude, Hier still managed to keep his temper in check. He didn't care about Mario; the scroll that appeared in Mario's clothes already spoke volumes. His anger was simply a result of Kenneth's indifferent attitude towards human life.

"Can you break the curse of the Blood Ring?"

Upon hearing Hiel's request, Kenneth, who was fiddling with the sands of Osiris, stopped what he was doing, turned around and looked at Hiel. Slightly intrigued, Kenneth took off his gloves and sat down opposite Hiel.

“Those things in your body, of course I can take care of them, but the question is what price you can pay.”

Kenneth had already studied the principle behind the Blood Ring within Hiel's body on their last visit. Although he hadn't tried it before, Kenneth was confident he could solve it. With free research material delivered to his doorstep, Kenneth had to make the most of the girl in front of him.

Seeing Kenneth's relaxed expression, Hier remained silent, clearly not trusting him. Faced with the guinea pig's questioning, Kenneth turned to Arcueid, who was sprawled on the sofa, grinning foolishly at a comic book.

"Arquette, explain this to this young lady."

"Huh? Explain? Explain what?"

Kenneth's brow twitched a few times. Realizing he couldn't have any expectations of Arcueid, he gathered his thoughts and traced lines in the air with his fingertips. Under the shimmering white light, Hiel suddenly opened his eyes. He sensed an aura similar to the Blood Ring from the magic before him.

"The Principle Blood Ring, the original precepts engraved on the souls of the twenty-seven Dead Apostles, is what distinguishes their blood from that of ordinary Dead Apostles. It is the unique point that allows them to reverse the laws of the planet. The reason why they are called ancestors is because of this curse flowing in their blood. Do you understand what I mean?"

With a 'snap', the ball of light in mid-air shattered. Staring at the dissipating magic before him, Hiel, who was carrying several Blood Rings of the Principle, clearly realized how terrifying Kenneth was. Constructing a Blood Ring belonging to the Ancestor with a human body, even if it was just a facade, was enough to shake Hiel's resolve.

Suppressing his racing heartbeat, Kenneth placed a self-mandated statement before him. Realizing that Hierer had come prepared, Kenneth immediately focused his attention on the essay. As Kenneth read through it line by line, Hierer, sitting opposite him, grew increasingly nervous.

“Black Barrel, it seems you’ve made up your mind.”

“I have submitted an application to the church to enable Black Barrel, but your research on Black Barrel must be conducted in my presence.”

Seeing the resolute look on Hierle's face, Kenneth casually wrote his name on the self-mandatory certificate. To Kenneth, the certificate was just a piece of paper. Kenneth, who adhered to the spirit of the contract, would not break his promise. However, since Hierle wanted to go through the process, Kenneth did not mind moving his fingers.

Kenneth's decisiveness rendered Hierle's carefully prepared explanation futile. Cautiously picking up the document that had passed through Kenneth's hands, Hierle carefully read the contract in his hand. After confirming that he had not taken the wrong one and that Kenneth had not made any changes, Hierle, who felt that things had gone too smoothly, finally signed his name with some trembling.

The parchment burst into flames in mid-air. Sensing the contract with Kenneth, Hiel exhaled and left the apartment without looking back after leaving a specific time. Just as Kenneth was pondering how to take advantage of the delivered Hiel, Arcueid, who was lying on the sofa, suddenly jumped up and darted to the opposite side of Kenneth.

"Hey, partner, why did you agree to that woman's offer? She's so annoying."

Arcueid and Hierre were fundamentally incompatible; if Kenneth hadn't invited him in, Arcueid would have rolled up his sleeves and thrown him out. Seeing Arcueid practically shoving his head in front of him, Kenneth habitually chopped him down with a chop.

"Ouch! Why are you hitting my head again? It'll really make me stupid!"

Arcueid, her face clearly showing her anger, angrily shook Kenneth. Looking at the fuming idiot, Kenneth couldn't quite admit he was used to hitting her. After thinking for a moment, Kenneth decided to skip the topic and said:

Arcueid, has your missing power returned?

"Huh? No, that guy is as troublesome as ever. Next time, next time I will definitely take care of him completely!"

No longer needing to suppress her vampiric urges, Arcueid felt much less wary of Roya. Brandishing her fist at Kenneth, Arcueid confidently made a bold statement.

"If he didn't come back, it means that guy didn't die. Did he reincarnate or find a spare body?"

Realizing that Kenneth wasn't paying attention to her, Arcueid, feeling inexplicably annoyed, grabbed Kenneth's clothes and continued shaking him.

"Partner! Partner! What are you thinking about? I'm so bored! Let's go out and investigate!"

The swaying interrupted Kenneth's thoughts. After glancing at Arcueid, who was becoming more and more like a brat, Kenneth was helplessly dragged out of the apartment by Arcueid.

Chapter 253 Chaos's Operation

In a hotel in Misaki City, a primate assassin rested with his eyes closed on a desk. Behind the desk, Altruchi, guarded by the Black Knight, sized up the uninvited guest before her.

"Is this all the magnanimity you have? You who bear the name of Chaos dare not appear before me? Are all the people in the Autenroche faction like you?"

Seeing Nero Chaos appear before her in the guise of the dead, Altrouge withdrew her gaze with little interest and began grooming the primate killer's fur. Unconcerned by Altrouge's disdain, the dead, controlled by Nero Chaos, continued to maintain his humility.

"You want me to cooperate with you in dealing with my foolish sister? Aren't you being a bit too presumptuous?"

The crimson eyes beneath her eyelids revealed a chilling aura. As Altrouge's aura expanded, Stuart, who was guarding Altrouge, also placed his right hand on the demonic sword. Facing Altrouge's killing intent, Chaos, who knew the temper of this ancient red woman well, replied calmly and confidently:

"It's not about cooperating. Your Highness, you only need to act according to your own ideas, and we will clear any obstacles for you."

Everyone knew about Altrudge's relationship with Arcueid, and as one of the most powerful figures in the Dead Apostle faction, Nero Chaos believed that Altrudge would meet with him. As things stood, his gamble paid off; Altrudge wouldn't bring her grudge against the Whitewing Lord into this matter.

"Clear obstacles, ha, I don't recall anyone in this tiny Far East that could be considered an obstacle. Aren't you all underestimating me?"

"I will block that man for Her Highness. Her Highness will only have to face the princess of the True Ancestor."

With a smirk, Eltrauge set down the primate killer and looked down at the dead being manipulated by Nero Chaos.

"So you want me to deal with my foolish sister? And then you'll gather your strength to defy me, is that how it is?"

Altrudge knew Nero Chaos's thoughts, and Chaos knew he couldn't fool Altrudge, but that didn't matter. Whether he came or not, Altrudge would cause trouble for Arcueid and be wary of him. Since that was the case, he might as well make his stance clear to Altrudge and lay his thoughts out in the open; perhaps he could gain some unexpected benefits.

"How laughable that you still don't dare to face me directly. That's the extent of your magnanimity. Well, you're a bunch of corrupt bastards who only dare to play your petty tricks in the shadows. Let's go, I don't want to dirty the carpet."

After staring at Chaos for a long time without the man raising his head, she walked back to her seat with some disappointment. Altrouge waved her hand, signaling Nero Chaos to disappear from her sight. With Altrouge's permission, Chaos, having achieved his goal, left the study with a bow.

"Your Highness, should I deal with that guy?"

Retracting his right hand from the hilt of his sword, Stuart appeared before Eltrucci on one knee. Looking at Stuart, Eltrucci lifted the knight with a flick of her fingertips.

"It's alright. After a thousand years, it seems those guys have forgotten my authority. It's time to remind those traitors of the prestige that Brunsstadt represented. Lord Stulbitt, contact Brad and have him return as soon as possible. I'll have to have a good talk with that guy next."

The guy Arcueid was referring to was Kenneth. The contract between them had been made, and Arcueid was really looking forward to Arcueid's expression after she took Kenneth as her pet.

Looking down at Altruic, who was surveying the streets below, Stuart, who had remained silent, obeyed Altruic's orders and contacted the White Knight, who was obsessed with men. At the same time, severing his connection with the dead, Nero Chaos appeared in front of the workshop occupied by Flöf.

"The reincarnation of this generation of Roya was executed by that princess."

A sudden chill spread, and frost climbed the walls at a visible speed. Nero Chaos shattered the ice crystals that were trying to cling to his legs as he lifted his foot. He turned to leave the alley, but a whooshing sound rang out. As Nero Chaos stopped, his lance, forged from frozen earth, pierced straight into the concrete in front of him.

“Zongye Middle School, basement. If you move quickly, you might be able to find his ashes.”

"what do you want to say in the end!"

Although his mind was not very clear, his intuition told Flovchaos that he definitely had other intentions. He drew his lance and blocked the way. As the temperature continued to drop, ice spears that gleamed with cold light quickly separated from the surrounding air.

"Leave here and don't cause me any trouble. Wait until you've controlled the Blood Ring of the Nineteenth Ancestor before considering facing that True Ancestor!"

Black Tide tore through flesh and burst forth, and countless beasts roared, shattering the ice spears in the air. Nero Chaos, his words full of disdain, vanished into the alley.

After Floff discovers Roya's body, Floff, who craves warmth, will inevitably shift his focus to Arcueid. Without any deliberate guidance, Floff, acting on his own, can divert Kenneth's attention from Chaos.

Preparations for the ritual took time, and the Ancestors who would participate had not yet arrived in the Far East. Before the 'poison that would kill the world' was completed, Nero Chaos and Roa, who was still recovering his power, needed to wait. Altrudge was, and so was Flöf; everything was merely a delaying tactic.

Only after Chaos completely disappeared did Floff, who was tense all over, turn his gaze toward the direction of Zongye Middle School, put away his lance and step out of the shadows. The sunlight falling in his face made the Dead Apostles, who had become accustomed to the darkness, feel an instinctive disgust.

An undercurrent is about to surface, and Kenneth, at the center of the vortex, is accompanying Arcueid, who has evolved into a glutton, as she vents her urges. Noticing that Arcueid's aura is increasing as she indulges her appetite, Kenneth's gaze subconsciously falls on Arcueid.