"Aren't you afraid that fish princess will betray you later?"
After leaving the room, Bai Zemin walked through the stupidly long corridors of the villa in search of Kali.
Lilith was walking beside him using her Sense Alteration skill so Bai Zemin was the only existence able to see her since she wanted it that way. It was precisely she who asked the above question while looking at him with interest.
"Leaving aside you, my family, taking out my Loyal Followers from the list, and not including Bing Xue, Yijun, Xiao Xiao, Luo Ning, Kali, and the Wen twins..." Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "The next living being on that surprisingly long but at the same time pitifully short list who is least likely to betray me in the entire world is Xian Mei'er."
"Oh? I'd like to know how you came to that conclusion." Lilith now seemed more interested in his next words.
What Bai Zemin had asked Xian Mei'er in exchange for helping her solve her current problem and even solve any possible similar problems in the foreseeable term was no small thing in terms of value speaking.
That thing was something even Lilith wished she could have not to mention other Lower Existences.
"The answer to your question is very simple, my little succubus." Bai Zemin had a smile that wasn't a smile on his face as a blue-colored flame flickered within his blood-red eyes, "My flames can overcome any water with ease... Xian Mei'er has already seen what I can do if I put my mind to it. It would be stupid of her to betray me after knowing the kind of man I am."
"A lolicon?"
"..."
...
In his room, Bai Zemin looked at Kali resting with her back against the rest of the bed; his bed.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the current situation.
"I knew it, you are a lolicon after all." Lilith wiped away her fake tears and said with a fake sorrowful expression on her face, "I knew it was only a matter of time before you brought out your sharp wolf claws... But I didn't expect that the first victim would be little sister Kali."
"For heaven's sake." Bai Zemin rolled his eyes and sat at the foot of the bed as he put the earring Kali had modified in his left ear.
He wisely said nothing at Lilith's words, that woman would one day be his undoing.
"Nevertheless, this earring is truly a marvel.... Kali, your ability to comprehend and draw runes is monstrous. " Bai Zemin sighed as he looked at the defenseless girl with genuine admiration.
Kali was the first existence in the entire universe to get Bai Zemin's admiration in terms of personal ability; this was something that even Lilith had not achieved despite her great power.
However, it was no wonder considering that the modified earring was an item valuable enough to rival a Legend grade treasure.
[Unhindered Earring -]
[Type: Accessory]
[Rank: 4]
[Magical Attack Power: +1200]
[Magical Defense: +700]
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})[Durability: 3500 / 3500]
[Characteristics -]
[1) Allows the user to understand any language on a universal level after spending at least 5 minutes in a different world. The language(s) learned will remain recorded forever in the user's records up to a maximum of 10 without obstructing master comprehension of any language beyond the 10 recorded.]
[Description: An accessory which was forged by a blacksmith without skill or thought upon which mid-level runes were drawn several centuries ago. A monstrously talented rune-encryptor outdid herself during the modification and addition of runes, creating a godly object whose Rank does not live up to its true value because of a useless smith.]
The Eventide Earring had now become an object that even the Soul Record described as "godly" under the small, pale hands of the physically challenged 15-year-old girl.
"As the description rightly says, even I didn't expect the earring to end up being so good." Kali said in a flat voice and without any sense of pride. "I just wanted an earring that would allow me to understand Earth languages, but it looks like I ended up creating something quite a bit bigger somehow."
Bai Zemin gave a wry smile and shook his head at the girl's words. If not for the fact that he knew Kali at least well enough to understand her personality he might have thought she was boasting.
Without another word, Bai Zemin opened a laptop computer and connected an auxiliary line to the device that King Philip Di Gales of the Gales Kingdom had given him before he left Eventide World.
Because so much had happened including the fact that Kali needed the earring to be able to understand the words of this world, Bai Zemin had not had time to pay attention to the small device.
There was too much information in the device, so much so that Bai Zemin was sure that on his own he would not finish studying it completely without 1-2 years of time. However, this was understandable considering that what was there was the information of an entire world.
Information on how to form Soul Contracts with mutant beasts, detailed steps to build air-powered vehicles that ran on Soul Stones as the main energy source, energy towers with great attack-defense capabilities, energy shields, mana grenades...
The more Bai Zemin read, the more his eyes lit up and the more his heart pounded.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})With this information added to the books his faction had found in the ancient library, the Transcendent faction would be able to make a great technological leap within 1-2 years if they worked really hard!
"Mm?" Bai Zemin blinked in surprise as he came across a video recorded approximately 1 month before he opened his eyes after falling into a comatose state following his battle to the death against Demon Lord Ar'gon.
Curious, he opened the file and it soon began to play.
"... Princess, are you sure it's recording?"
"Stupid, I told you to hurry! You think recording crystals are cheap!"
"Ha- haha... Sorry, it's just that my family can't afford one of these so-"
"Gu Lim!"
Bai Zemin couldn't help but smile as he saw Gu Lim on the screen with Princess Bianca standing not far away. She was looking at him with eyes about to spit flames and gasping in indignation.
"Ahem..." Gu Lim cleared his throat and looked to where the recording crystal was before he began to speak with a smile, "Yo, big brother Bai. This is super-mega-ultra-ultra-giga handsome Gu Lim, I hope you did not forget about me."
"This guy..." Bai Zemin shook his head while chuckling.
"Super-mega-ultra-giga stupid you should say instead!" Princess Bianca snorted.
Gu Lim coughed and wisely ignored her before continuing, "This video I'm recording to give you a summary of what happened after you handed me the power of your stats, right after you ended the life of the Demon Lord. I'll be joining the main army to annihilate the demon race so we probably won't be able to see each other for a while... Although knowing big brother Bai you will surely come to the battlefield when you recover so there's nothing to worry about."
A glint of apology shone in Bai Zemin's eyes as he listened to the recording silently.
According to Gu Lim's narration, after a fierce battle between him along with the few who then decided to stand with Bai Zemin against those who coveted the Demigod grade treasure, Gu Lim managed to lead everyone to victory thanks to the power of his armor and that of Bai Zemin's All For One skill.
Even Orc King Zilug and Snake Queen Mei Lin were not spared by Gu Lim. Although they had been allies before at that time they were mortal enemies, therefore, they were both mercilessly killed.
Bai Zemin was not too surprised by this and did not particularly feel anything. Allies who became enemies were enemies who needed to be finished, nothing more and nothing less. It was them or him, and Bai Zemin was not generous or stupid enough to choose them.
After explaining everything, or almost everything, Gu Lim lowered his head a little embarrassed and said in a low voice: "Big brother Bai, I'm sorry...". At that time, even though the King of the Lidora Kingdom was among the enemy ranks... I couldn't kill him and didn't let the others kill him."
King of the Lidora Kingdom? Bai Zemin blinked in puzzlement before a glint of understanding shone in his eyes. He looked at the beautiful princess Bianca who looked into the crystal with an expression filled with shame and anger as she said softly, "Big brother Bai Zemin, I know my royal father did not do right... and I know it is selfish of me. But, I hope you can spare his life, I am willing to kneel before you and beg if necessary."
"Well... He is your father at the end of the day..." Bai Zemin whispered softly.
"Big brother Bai, the princess will soon take her father's place and become Queen of the Lidora Kingdom." Gu Lim quickly stepped in trying to help. "Although the princess is still very young and her strength is not fully developed, her talent is not bad at all and she will one day break into the Third Order. With the support of King Philip Di Gales, Queen Eloise... The princess's father has no choice but to surrender the throne by hook or by crook."
Princess Bianca stared at the recording crystal as if looking into bai Zemin's eyes and held a hand to her heart before saying in a serious voice, "Big brother Bai Zemin, when the coronation ceremony takes place in the future I will become the youngest Queen in the history of the world. Both, I and my Lidora Kingdom, will be willing to listen to you... Just forgive my father. He had limiters put on him, he will not be able to use his full power ever again as punishment."
"Girl, who is this big brother you speak of..." Bai Zemin shook his head not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
He was not angry with Gu Lim or Princess Bianca. In the past, he might have been.... But slowly, Bai Zemin began to realize some things that his previous self would have overlooked.
If instead of killing a weakened enemy who could never get back on his feet he could gain a great ally in exchange for not doing so.... Then Bai Zemin could also give it a try.
"Ah, the crystal is fading."
"Ah! This is all your fault!"
"What!"
"W- Whatever." Princess Bianca looked up at the recording crystal and her face flushed slightly as she shyly said, "I hope to see you again soon."
"Oh, big brother Bai! Remember that you still owe me a drinks meeting!"
Immediately afterwards, the connection seemed to cut out as everything went black and in front of Bai Zemin appeared the option to replay the video he had just watched.
What Princess Bianca and Gu Lim surely never thought was that the next time they would see Bai Zemin would not be as soon as they thought.
In a fit of anger and fear of what would happen if he continued to be absent, Bai Zemin left Eventide World the very day he opened his eyes after falling into a coma. There were many things that had been left unfinished there, but he could not afford to risk his home.
Bai Zemin smiled a little wistfully and said quietly, "See you later."
... and so, time passed.
... and the conquest for the country became extremely fierce.
With Bai Zemin to the north and Shangguan Bing Xue to the south, the two pushed their forces eastward with overwhelming force while Wu Yijun took it upon herself to secure the seized territory with iron hands.
Exactly 2 months later, the conquest of China was just around the corner.
* * * * * * *
3/3 chapters chapters before reset
