Chapter 263: "The Return of the Emperor"
Bai Yan held his phone and calmly saw a new message notification on it.
"Game tip:"
"The first part of the mission was completed, and the 'Seven Steps of Calamity' was eliminated."
"Got the first clue for the final boss of the adventure!"
Bai Yan saw that the so-called first clue for the adventure was actually just a sentence.
It was placed on the screen in bold black font.
"The path I have walked has been filled with numerous hardships. All I see before me is disaster, sorrow, adversity, misfortune..."
This sentence, it seems like something a very important historical figure once said.
Bai Yan always felt like he had seen it before in the Demon Hunt Agency's library.
Who could it be, exactly?
"Well, for a moment, I couldn't remember."
Bai Yan paused for a moment, then instantly activated the power of "Connection" to try and figure out who had said these words.
Yes, now Bai Yan can effortlessly connect all kinds of clues, hints, and memories together.
Soon, he found the source of these words in a corner of his memory.
She is... none other than a woman whom Bai Yan, who was once a Night Watcher, was extremely familiar with.
"The Demon of Justice"
In the Eyes of the Empire, Kessel, the pure white emperor's wife.
The founder of the Demon Hunt Agency.
Ailsa, who passed away over two hundred years ago.
That guy was incredibly powerful and scary!
"This kind of thing, it couldn't possibly be the current stage's boss, but in 'Babel Tower' it's not impossible. Suddenly having a very powerful boss appear has happened before, and not just once."
But Ailsa was really too powerful!
Bai Yan still remembers from various descriptions that the Demon of Justice was the pinnacle of the era over two hundred years ago, and was known as the strongest being at that time.
Without her, the Air Alliance wouldn't be able to exist at all.
"This strange problem, could it possibly be related to her?" Bai Yan muttered to himself. After making this judgment, he had no idea how to solve it.
He only knew that he needed to find a way to solve the remaining three strange creatures.
Only by doing this, can they find all the remaining clues from the Babel Tower.
Now, Bai Yan stands in front of another black letter.
Above it, there is a thick black mist swirling, and Bai Yan can sense a clear sense of distortion and chaos emanating from it.
This thing and the black mist of the Babel Tower are definitely not the same kind of power. The black mist of the Babel Tower possesses a more indescribable and mysterious aura.
Their only common trait is that they are both black.
At this very moment, where Bai Yan is, it is the bustling main street of Tatsumi City. And there, hovering in mid-air, is the mysterious black letter, continuously emitting a twisted and chaotic aura.
"If we don't open it, we won't be able to complete the mission."
Bai Yan had already made sure of this.
He even confirmed it ahead of time by playing the "Babel Tower" game that opening this black letter would release something strange.
A few hours ago, after Bai Yan opened the black letter on the main street through the "Babel Tower" game, the strange power inside the game instantly began to spread.
That was a terrifying "feeling of hopelessness."
The first person who is affected will immediately feel deep despair, and they will try everything possible to end their own lives. No matter what anyone does to stop them, it will be in vain. And at the moment of their death, everyone who witnesses this scene will also be consumed by the same overwhelming sense of despair, and they will be driven to madness, desperately wanting to destroy themselves.
Later on, everyone who sees them attempting suicide will also be affected... one after another, until all people end up destroying themselves.
"It was a very crazy power, but as long as no one was affected, it was fine."
Within a few hundred meters around the main street, Bai Yan used his mind power to completely clear the area. There was not a single person left. The Demon Hunt Agency and Maryse were working to disperse people even further away.
Now, there was no way for the feeling of hopelessness to spread anymore. Bai Yan, using his intuition, could be sure that he wouldn't be affected by this feeling of hopelessness.
Intuition, it is the foundation of extraordinary power. Compared to raw strength and skills, it may not seem useful most of the time, but there are moments when it proves to be incredibly valuable.
Bai Yan believed that many people would rely on intuition at critical moments to survive, and he also knew that most of the extraordinary individuals who didn't believe in intuition would meet a tragic end.
"There was no way to spread it... Let's begin."
Open it! He was curious to see how this strange game would do if no one was nearby!
Bai Yan didn't directly touch the black mail, instead he activated his power called "Power Possession - Mysterious Magic."
He used the Fire that Burns Everything on it.
It would be even better if it could just burn this thing down!
The black mail immediately started burning. After a few seconds, a sound of intense wailing came from inside it.
However, there was no one around.
Even if strange powers appeared, it didn't matter because they couldn't affect anyone.
If they continued to follow the events of the "Babel Tower" game, this strange power might truly end up at a disadvantage, easily vanquished and destroyed.
However, things weren't as easy as they seemed.
Inside the black mail, a sudden surge of creepy gray mist arose, shooting off in three different directions.
These gray mists are the actual manifestation of the strange feeling called "desperate impulse." Bai Yan understands this very well because he has the ability of "Insightful Linking".
His body suddenly started to split apart, as if tearing itself apart, revealing an "incarnation" emerging from within.
Afterwards, the original form and the incarnation flew in two different directions at the same time, while Bai Yan continued to wield the Fire that Burns Everything.
He wanted to burn away the two paths of gray mist.
The black flames gradually caught up, accompanied by an unstoppable force, the speed of the gray mist was incredibly fast, yet still unable to escape the destined destruction and end.
Powered by the Lord of Ashes, once it takes hold, there is no possibility of escaping its relentless grip.
The gray mist wailed and screamed, as if trying to break free, but in the end, it was completely consumed by fire.
Bai Yan knew that there was still a final portion of the gray mist trying to escape, but he didn't chase after it. Instead, he understood that someone would help him take care of it.
Because, in the previous situation in the "Babel Tower" game, it was exactly like that.
Of course, in the game, there is no Bai Yan. The only one who can deal with it is the Core Operator "Psychic Dancer".
Maryse, not Bai Yan himself, was the one who unexpectedly encountered the arrival of the "helper".
He had long been able to confirm that he was the "only variable."
So, something similar happened in the Babel Tower game before. As long as they didn't make any changes, it was certain that it could happen in reality too.
As expected.
That person arrived!
A pure white figure appeared in front of the last haze of gray mist.
His eyes grew enormous, as if towering in the sky, radiating a divine and awe-inspiring presence.
[I command you...]
[Bring destruction.]
Terrifying power descended, and even the strange, gray mist at that moment felt genuine fear.
But it was because of fear that it couldn't resist the absolute power of the "Emperor."
In the end, the gray mist self-destructed and crumbled away. It seemed like a creature taking its own life, the act of its own destruction being both unreasonable and incredibly surprising.
The young man with silver scattered hair and pure eyes, dressed in a fitted white suit, with a teardrop birthmark beneath his left eye... but his expression was completely different from what Bai Yan remembered.
Incredibly cold-hearted.
"The Emperor"
The Imperial Guard, Kessel, once again arrived in Tatsumi City.
In fact, when Bai Yan saw him, he didn't relax his guard in the slightest.
Even though Kessel's arrival in the "Babel Tower" game was meant to be friendly, theoretically, he was still the main person in charge of pursuing the Babel Tower. This gave him every reason to suddenly launch an attack.
However, he didn't really see Kessel as an enemy.
Because Bai Yan knew that a few hours ago in the "Babel Tower" game, Kessel had proposed an alliance with the "Psychic Dancer".
As expected, just as Bai Yan had anticipated, Kessel immediately expressed his desire to form an alliance.
"People of Babel Tower, I want to form an alliance with you."
Kessel looked at the "Profligate" standing in another place without showing any emotions. His attitude towards Profligate was completely different from how he had treated Bai Yan before.
Bai Yan had already known before.
Kessel is a person who is very similar to the "Queen of the Scarlet Moon," and even more extreme.
When dealing with his own people, he would be very close and familiar, often offering important help without being asked.
However, when dealing with strangers and enemies, his attitude would noticeably decline by one level and even three, four, five, or six levels.
When seeking revenge for his comrades, Kessel would without hesitation kill the entire enemy's family, even if there may be innocent people among them. He would not show any mercy.
"Why?"
Bai Yan didn't immediately agree with the other person, instead, he naturally asked why, while activating "Connection" to access Kessel's relevant information.
"Person to contact: Kessel"
"Title: Emperor"
"Gender: Boy"
"Plane:Formation Realm"
"Level: Crown (Potential Apocalypse)"
"Race: Human species"
"Milestone: Founder of the Demon Hunt Agency, Exterminator, Imperial Guards of the Empire"
"..."
After reading all the detailed information, Bai Yan fully understood Kessel's situation.
"Because, this time, the thing happened because of her, so I have to personally come and solve it... In this world, only I am still remembering her existence."
"I won't leave her situation unattended."
Kessel said, seeming unwilling to explain to the members of Babel Tower who exactly "she" was.
But Bai Yan glanced at the new clue he obtained in the game and immediately figured out who "she" was referring to.
"Game tip:"
"The first part of the mission is complete, the 'Seven Steps of Calamity' has been vanquished."
"Got the final clue for the second activity's boss!"
"I saw in everyone's eyes a mix of hopelessness and impulse. They no longer desired to stay alive, even considering abandoning their lives."
Hmm, these were the words she had said again, the main founder of the Demon Hunt Agency...
Without a doubt, Kessel was referring to his wife "the Demon of Justice", Ailsa, when he said that. Since these peculiarities are all connected to her, it is only reasonable for Kessel to come and handle the situation.
Although Bai Yan remembers that Kessel was criticized at the Hundred Kings Assembly, he should currently be in a state of being not allowed to leave the "highest city".
He secretly returned to Tatsumi City, leaving the "Supreme City" without permission was definitely a serious offense.
Now that the "Emperor" was caught, it seemed like they would probably be locked up for several years.
"Is the person you mentioned, Ailsa?"
Kessel's face changed slightly, surprised by where the information Babel Tower got came from, and could only nod gently in the end.
"You're right."
"It's Ailsa, she...forget it, I don't want to talk about her with strangers. Since you also want to protect Tatsumi City, we have a common goal. Let's work together to defeat the remaining monsters."
After speaking, Kessel turned around to leave, but Bai Yan didn't move at all.
"Just getting rid of the strange creatures is not enough."
Bai Yan continued, "We still need to find and stop where the strange creatures are coming from. And if Ailsa is the cause of all this, can you handle it?"
In the first playthrough, Bai Yan had never seen the founder of the Demon Hunt Agency, Ailsa, after all, she had been dead for several hundred years.
But the current hints are all so obvious.
Perhaps Ailsa has really come back to life. In a world like this, even resurrection is not an impossible miracle. But if that's the case, then this task becomes incredibly challenging.
"The Demon of Justice" was the pinnacle of that era two hundred years ago, a powerful individual who single-handedly destroyed nations. In theory, a single strike from her would cause the entire Tatsumi City to crumble and collapse.
Bai Yan couldn't help but feel that it was unlikely for such an outrageous super boss to suddenly appear.
"That's impossible! How dare you slander her?" Kessel suddenly became very excited and passionate. Even if Bai Yan just casually mentioned a possibility, it still angered him!
"I warn you! If you dare to say anything harmful about her again, I will absolutely crush you into tiny pieces!"
When taking care of his wife, Kessel's eyes showed an unprecedented madness and hysteria, completely different from his usual pure and innocent self, like two different people!
This person has a problem.
If it were the old Bai Yan, he probably wouldn't be able to see it, but now, with his "Insightful Linking," he immediately saw it.
In Kessel's eyes, there was also a great fear and guilt, uneasiness.
He definitely kept something hidden and didn't tell it to himself.
This might be the key to perfectly solve the mission!
Bai Yan, deep in thought, didn't immediately press for answers. In fact, he knew that the "Emperor" wouldn't easily succumb to questioning.
"Okay, let's solve the other two strange creatures."
As he spoke, he walked forward.
"As long as we take care of all the strange things, we can hide everything..."
Bai Yan, getting closer and closer, approached the other person.
And at that moment, he suddenly reached out his hand, as if wanting to gently pat the Emperor's shoulder, just like an old friend.
Bai Yan wanted to use "intelligence gathering" on Kessel, just like knowing the secret of Sylve's ancestors, knowing the secret about Kessel and Ailsa!
If the person in front of him was an ordinary superhuman, then it was very likely to succeed.
The average person didn't even realize that Bai Yan's casual pat on the shoulder was actually a way for him to unleash his extraordinary powers.
However, Kessel is not an ordinary person.
He had lived from over two hundred years ago until now, enduring countless battles as an Imperial Guard of the empire, surviving many desperate situations, and being an immortal old warrior!
"What do you want to do to me?"
Kessel suddenly backs away and looks at Bai Yan's face with caution, then attacks the man without hesitation!
