Chapter 49: The Empress Sharpens Her Blade, Su Mu Faces Imminent Danger!

"The dark tide originally scheduled for seven days later has suddenly been moved up to three days later. Humans will definitely not have time to prepare; these foolish humans are always played in the palm of Catherine's hand."

"That pathetic little kid Su Mu is about to become a dog at Catherine's feet, exactly like that vicious hound crouching to the east."

A cold sneer hung on the corner of Bloody Mary's lips as her mind conjured the image of that boy who had slaughtered all directions last night, now kneeling like a dog at Catherine's feet.

At the same time, her gaze drifted toward the east, the mockery in her eyes growing even more intense—

***

At the far eastern edge of the Rhine River, amidst a dense shroud of black mist, the corner of a blood-red cathedral loomed faintly. Above its giant bell tower, a black crucifix hung upside down, exuding an intensely evil aura.

Countless dark nuns, dark knights, and dark priests bustled in and out of the cathedral with lowered heads, each of them radiating a chilly, eerie aura.

This was the residence of the third Dark Lord of this domain, Saint Hero—the Dark Cathedral!

Passionate, soaring piano music continuously echoed from within the dark cathedral, resembling surging, violent ocean waves. Every note felt like a giant billow, carrying an overwhelming, earth-shattering momentum.

The Dark Godfather Saint Hero played the piano before him with manic intensity, his entire body enveloped in a thick plume of black fog. His face still retained the youthful appearance of forty years ago, but his crimson eyes deeply betrayed him.

He had been tainted by the darkness and had become a member of the dark creatures.

Whenever Saint Hero felt agonizing pain in his heart, he would play the piano frantically to relieve the pressure.

The root of his pain was betrayal!

He had once been a human lord with tier-six strength, who came to this dark land with all his believers and guardian knights, intending to spread the light.

Unfortunately, he failed. He was captured by Empress Catherine, and then he betrayed—betraying humanity, and betraying the light.

Of course, he was not afraid of death. Having advanced to a tier-six lord, having experienced countless battles, he had long since cast aside thoughts of survival.

The primary reason for his betrayal was Empress Catherine. The very first time he laid eyes on Empress Catherine, he became infatuated, even utterly captivated.

What a perfect female; even every single strand of hair radiated a sacred aura. That feeling was something he had never experienced in any human female—it was an overwhelming suppression originating from a higher species.

Empress Catherine merely raised her gaze to look at him, and he completely sank into the empress's black eyes. In a mere hundredth of a second, he betrayed his faith and all of mankind, willingly kneeling at the empress's feet to become her hound.

Whomever the empress told him to bite, he would bite; whomever the empress told him to kill, he would kill.

"Even if I am looked down upon by pure-blood dark creatures, even if I am called a traitor by all humans, as long as I can catch a glimpse of the empress, I do it willingly."

Saint Hero often comforted himself this way.

***

Yet betrayal remained betrayal. Whenever he recalled his former faith, his heart felt as though it were being roasted in a wok of boiling oil, causing him excruciating pain.

Especially today, after being scolded as a spineless dog by the vampire Bloody Mary, the sensation felt like a fire burning ever brighter.

"Damned female vampire, I really should nail you to a cross."

Saint Hero angrily pounded upon the black and white keys!

A light screen suddenly materialized, and the figure of Empress Catherine appeared within it.

The music in the cathedral stopped abruptly. Saint Hero’s eyes suddenly flushed red, as if he had unexpectedly beheld a long-lost treasure he had painstakingly searched for through countless ages; he nearly wept with joy.

"Your most loyal servant Saint Hero pays his respects to the Empress."

Saint Hero immediately prostrated himself flat on the ground, his entire body trembling with excitement. Two hundred years—it had been two hundred years! Had Lady Empress finally remembered his existence?

"Three days from now, when the blood moon is full, I command you to lead all your troops, together with Bloody Mary, to attack all human lords residing in the northeast corner of the Dark Forest."

"I cannot control other territories, but within my territory, Catherine's territory, absolutely no humans are permitted to survive."

The empress's voice was as cold and ruthless as ever, yet in Saint Hero's ears, it sounded far more melodious than the most exquisite symphony.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I guarantee that this time I will sweep clean all humans within Your Majesty's territory."

Saint Hero replied with utmost piety, paused for a moment, and continued to ask, "Is my opponent Ji Haoyue? Let me be responsible for attacking her, and the rest can be left to Bloody Mary to handle."

In Saint Hero's eyes, the only one worthy of his intervention was that tier-four lord named Ji Haoyue.

Of course!

Ji Haoyue did not reside here, but rather in the Moon Canyon forty miles away, which was the territory of another lord.

He had heard that Ji Haoyue had been running wild over there. Having arrived for less than three years, she had already slain over a dozen minor lords, and even the three great lords of that region were somewhat unable to suppress her. She was practically a rising star among human lords.

If such a rising star could be submerged in darkness, the empress would surely look upon him, Saint Hero, with special favor.

As for that human Su Mu, with his pathetic strength as a mere Diamond II, Saint Hero simply couldn't be bothered to spare him a glance.

This dark tide involved over a dozen lords under the empress attacking together, distinguishing no boundaries.

"No, I will dispatch other Dark Lords to attack Ji Haoyue."

"You and Bloody Mary are to focus on attacking Su Mu's territory. If you fail to conquer it, I will open a portal and send other lords to assist you."

***

"When necessary, I will dispatch the Void Warriors to assist you!"

Catherine's words were like a basin of cold water, instantly shocking Saint Hero back to sobriety. Was he truly that useless in the empress's eyes, deemed worthy only of attacking the territory of a Diamond II lord?

Furthermore.

The Void Warriors were the most powerful combat units under the empress, as well as her personal bodyguards. The weakest among them were Throne-tier One, and the commander of the guards might even be a peerless Throne. To send such supreme experts to deal with a Diamond-tier competitor—

Saint Hero felt that the empress was making a mountain out of a molehill.

As a good hound, he naturally had to safeguard his master's interests.

Muster up his courage, Saint Hero voiced his perspective.

"Your Majesty, could there be something wrong with that human Su Mu? A mere Diamond II—my personal guards could easily dispose of him."

"Why must Your Majesty deploy the Void Warriors? It seems to be making far too much of this kid."

"Are you questioning my decision?"

Catherine's frigid gaze suddenly descended upon Saint Hero.

It felt like a giant mountain pressing down.

Saint Hero immediately pressed his body flat against the ground, his voice carrying a hint of tremor.

"Please appease your wrath, Your Majesty. I harbor no intention of questioning you, I merely had some confusion."

Saint Hero's posture of humility earned the empress's forgiveness. She did not punish him, but merely said indifferently:

"A little Diamond-tier fellow is not worth my attention. This is primarily to deal with that terrifying entity who killed Wang Yu."

"That fellow possesses formidable strength, but I have yet to track down his whereabouts. He is very likely to manifest during this great battle, and everything is prepared for him."

"You need not concern yourself with the rest; just attend to my bidding with peace of mind. Once you have completed this task, I might transfer you to my side to serve as my bodyguard."

"By the way, do not kill that boy named Su Mu. Bring him to my palace; I wish to bestow a personal baptism upon him."

With an indifferent tone and a proud countenance, after delivering these instructions, the golden screen vanished from Saint Hero's field of vision, naturally leaving Saint Hero unable to gaze upon his beloved empress any longer.