Chapter 206: Section 206: When I Wake Up Again


    Alchemy Factory, Central Tower, third floor.


    A group of people cautiously huddled near the mysteriously suspended blood-red Demon Core. Only in this place could they find temporary safety.


    Apart from this, lightning would often violently strike down without warning.


    The points from which the lightning appeared and struck were completely random. This was the result of the previous power struggle between Jia Sha, Zi Di, and the Tower Spirit for control of the weather, which ultimately spiraled out of control.


    The crowd was on edge, with some loudly calling out the names of Zi Di or Jia Sha, but there was no response.


    “Damn it…” Zong Ge was in the midst of the crowd, frowning deeply.


    ...


    Even though he was not adept at strategizing, he also felt that the situation was very grim.


    “Jia Sha and Zi Di’s fight seems to have quieted down. Who won in the end? Why is there no more commotion?”


    “Regardless of who won, would they really come to our rescue?”


    Zong Ge was worried about this, and many shared his concern, but they were trapped.


    To rush out was to risk being struck dead by lightning.


    And they dared not get too close to the Blood Core.


    When the substitute fell unconscious, someone had boldly tried to take the Blood Core. As they got closer, they were blasted by the bloodlight and turned into a heap of carbonized dust.


    “What should we do now?” Zong Ge scanned his surroundings.


    The big guy remained unconscious.


    Cang Xu hung his head low.


    Sanda was lost in confusion.


    Lan Zao knelt next to the substitute’s body, his gaze completely vacant. He had once dedicated himself to following the substitute, in hopes of using the substitute’s glory and virtues to redeem himself for killing his own younger brother.


    However, the revelation of the substitute’s identity made him realize that the person he had been following was nothing but a fake.


    This truth hit him hard, causing him to become even more dispirited.


    The rest maintained their silence, with somber expressions on everyone’s face.


    Many sat on the ground in panic, holding their heads as if they had given up the struggle, simply waiting for an outcome from the fourth floor.


    It was at this moment that Zong Ge suddenly heard someone scream in horror.


    Zong Ge’s pupils contracted sharply, almost believing he was hallucinating. He saw the substitute slowly sit up.


    “He… wasn’t he dead?”


    “He’s alive again?!”


    “Lord Zhenjin…” Lan Zao’s mouth gaped open, being the closest to the substitute, he was utterly paralyzed.


    But immediately, someone disputed Lan Zao’s address: “No, he’s not Zhenjin! He’s just a substitute.”


    “Are you… are you a man, or an Undead?”


    The crowd was horrified, and those sitting on the ground quickly stood up.


    In an instant, everyone’s gaze was focused on the young man.


    The young man sighed, half-kneeling on the ground, bracing himself on one knee as he slowly stood up.


    He looked around, meeting the gaze of those around him.


    In their eyes, he saw wariness, terror, confusion, anxiety, and many complicated emotions too complex to articulate.


    The young man sighed again, lamenting in his heart: “This moment has finally come.”


    In the past, people worshipped him, respected him, adored him, willing to follow him, but now many regarded him with anxious suspicion.


    It was completely understandable.


    Because he was not Zhenjin, he had deceived everyone. Even his resurrection was seen by all as a sham!


    Just as Zi Di has regretted deeply, when Zhenjin revealed his identity, the intangible loss was immense.


    “He’s actually alive! He was clearly struck dead by lightning before. Could it have been feigned death? Could he be the hope that supports Zi Di?” Jia Sha’s expression changed subtly.


    The situation on the third floor, of course, could not be hidden from him.


    With the substitute’s resurrection, Jia Sha’s unease immediately escalated, and he hastily informed Lord Zhenjin.


    Lord Zhenjin was also shocked, “He can even resist lightning, what should we do if he charges at us?”


    “Steady him! I’m about to succeed, as soon as the Teleportation Gate forms, we’ll leave with the Divine Artifact ‘Mermaid’s Fairy Tale’. After we leave, there will be no residual mana to sustain a new Teleportation Gate, and these people are doomed!” Jia Sha sneered.


    “Isn’t there another mysterious Crystal Core on the third floor?” asked a Guardian Knight.


    Jia Sha shook his head, “It’s a pity, but there’s no way, we have to abandon it. The lightning is striking randomly and chaotically, using up too much mana, we simply can’t take that mysterious Demon Crystal with us.”


    Thus, under Jia Sha’s manipulation, Lord Zhenjin’s voice quickly conveyed below, “Substitute! It’s even better that you’re alive, you are my man. Perhaps you still don’t know your true identity, but in fact, I am Lord Zhenjin. As long as you continue to serve me, I swear on my noble’s honor, I will forgive you, let you live, and give you the opportunity to achieve great things.”


    The substitute boy looked up at the fourth floor, his face tightening slightly, “So, Zi Di has failed, and you’re standing with Jia Sha?”


    Lord Zhenjin’s heart jolted, his mouth agape, unable to understand how the substitute had grasped the situation on the fourth floor in an instant.


    He was just about to deny it, but by then the substitute spoke, “If Zi Di were winning, she would speak for herself, not arrange for you to talk.”


    After pondering for a moment, the substitute continued, “She can’t even make a sound now; she’s probably dead.”


    Lord Zhenjin looked at the girl lying in the pool of blood at his feet, about to refute the substitute’s guess, when Jia Sha interjected, “Her death is not far off. But she still has a chance to live, with your cooperation.”


    “Cooperation?” The substitute boy laughed and raised an eyebrow, “How do you want me to cooperate with you? Kill these people so that all the credit goes to you?”


    Everyone was startled, stirring slightly, many taking a step back, with more fear and wariness in their eyes.


    Of course, Jia Sha wasn’t fooled; he laughed, “You don’t need to provoke, I am a priest, and I will do my utmost to take them all from here. I need your cooperation only to calm you down and let you see the situation clearly.”


    “Zi Di has already passed out; only I remain to control the permissions and form the Teleportation Gate.”


    “You have already lost, there’s no need for other thoughts.”


    “You are indeed guilty, but not to death; furthermore, the bigger guilt lies not with you, but with Zi Di. Essentially, you are just a pawn that has been deceived.”


    “I don’t believe you harbor no resentment towards Zi Di.”


    “She tricked you, made you work for her willingly. Though young, this woman is deep in understanding of the human heart, crafty and venomous, extremely dangerous.”


    “She is the Chairman of the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce, and the Purple Vine has been swallowed by many nobles of the Empire; her resentment for the Empire, the fury for revenge has made her lose her mind. Playing with fire will inevitably lead to self-destruction.”


    “If you choose to stand with her, to be our enemy, then you are opposing the Holy Temple Knights, as well as the Great Emperor of the Empire, which is very unwise.”


    “Just now, with just one sentence from Lord Zhenjin, you guessed the situation on the fourth floor, proving you are a clever young man.”


    “Do you remember the time you confessed to me?”


    “Young man, I know you have a heart that yearns for kindness, a soul that longs for light.”


    “You do carry sin, undeniable.”


    “But the road to redemption is at your feet, if you choose to walk it, to take that step.”


    “As a priest, I promise to redeem you. But the true redemption lies within you. This truth, you must know well.”


    The young man chuckled, “So… you’re scared?”


    “I return from death, and you can’t tell my reality, so you want to steady me?” Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Your control over the weather seems to be lost, if you could call down lightning, you would not hesitate even a bit, just like you killed me previously.”


    Jia Sha said sternly, “Young man, you’re overestimating yourself, don’t let your cleverness lead to your own downfall! I struck you previously because you were charging to the fourth floor, clearly with ill intentions, a threat to us…”


    But before he could finish, the young man interrupted, “So, you’ve found you can’t kill me, and now you want to temporarily steady me?”


    “Divine Power not enough now? I suppose your own state is quite poor?”


    “The Magic Beasts are no longer a threat, yet you haven’t used Divine Arts against me, instead, you want to steady me. You’re trying to buy time, to secretly open the Teleportation Gate, to escape with the Divine Artifact, right?”


    “You don’t seem to be worried about me following… Could it be that there’s not enough mana in the Mana Pool to open a second Teleportation Gate? After all, the lightning has been striking for so long, the already scarce mana must have been depleted considerably.”


    Hearing the young man’s speculation, the surrounding crowd became agitated again.


    Jia Sha’s face turned ashen, “Young man, I am considering this for you. You want to charge up here, then do it, the lightning along the way might give you another taste of death. Even if it doesn’t, arriving on the fourth floor would only be falling into a trap, receiving our ‘warm welcome’. But if you choose to believe me, to choose the path of redemption, you might gain a longer life and a brighter future.”


    “Haha.” The young man sneered, “You want me to believe you? How? Just before, you struck me dead. And even before that, you chose to send the Divine Artifact first instead of your comrades who have been with you all along.”


    “I will make my way past, but it won’t just be me alone.”


    After speaking, the young man looked towards the crowd around him.


    Everyone looked at him guardedly, with no sign of response.