Capítulo 134: Dimensional Turbulence: Lady of the Night
Buzz~
Two massive auras surged simultaneously, triggering the city defense machinery atop the walls of Dongwu City. The various legions swiftly assembled, bracing for an invasion as the city itself began to mobilize.
Bai Yi sensed the surge of magical energy and spoke calmly, "The legion remains on standby. There's no need to assemble."
With that, his formidable mental power propelled him into the sky, where a giant mechanical dragon soared to meet him. The dragon shot forward at Mach 5, its sonic boom echoing throughout the night, rousing the sleeping city.
In thirty seconds, Bai Yi reached the city wall at the East Gate, hovering above the darkness that engulfed the land, where even the moonlight struggled to penetrate.
Eric and Heidinger soon joined him. They remained cautious, refraining from any rash attacks, aware of the ominous presence of the White Plague that resonated through the city.
"Mr. Eric, Mr. Heidinger," Bai Yi greeted them, bowing slightly from the dragon's head. "This is Charles, favored by the ancient god. He is here to see me."
Heidinger frowned, sensing the gravity of the situation. Eric was unaware of all the details regarding the nightmare world, limiting what Heidinger could share with the Federation.
"Heidi, you know the Federation prohibits diplomatic relations with the Ancient Gods, right?" Heidinger asked seriously.
"We're not friends, but we did cooperate to defeat an ancient god last time. You can ask Mr. Eric about the rest," Bai Yi replied, urging the bone dragon closer to the encroaching darkness.
The players behind them buzzed with excitement, but the East Gate closed swiftly, preventing them from witnessing the unfolding scene. Only a few players outside the city caught a glimpse.
Heidinger glanced at Eric, seeking clarification.
"Don't worry about it. Bai Yi is young and has his own ideas. He's grown up now; he won't simply abandon the Federation for the Ancient God," Eric said casually.
Heidinger paused, reflecting on Eric's words. The Federation's restrictions stemmed from fears of pollution and betrayal. The ancient gods and abyssal entities posed risks of corruption, and the Federation had suffered losses before.
If someone possessed SSS-level potential, erosion was a concern, but betrayal was less likely. They understood that the least they could achieve in this life was a seat in parliament, and once they broke through to the Legendary Federation, it would be theirs. No mere promise could sway a young person with such a bright future.
With that thought, Heidinger fell silent, observing Bai Yi's determined stance.
Bai Yi hovered above the encroaching darkness, his expression solemn. Charles's aura now radiated at the upper golden level, and Bai Yi sensed a hint of divine energy emanating from him.
In recent months, Charles had grown stronger than Bai Yi had anticipated. This was why Bai Yi refrained from sending Heidinger and Eric into action; beings like Charles surpassed the current level of combat power.
Confronting such a force directly without absolute certainty was unwise. Dark powers embodied a level of evil and unpredictability. Defeating Charles might be feasible, but killing him would be another matter entirely.
"Come out," Bai Yi called, his voice steady. "Otherwise, I won't hesitate to rain artillery fire upon you."
"Don't be so hostile, Bai Yi. We had a good understanding when we worked together last time," a voice echoed from the darkness, stirring it. A cool, dark throne emerged from the void, and Charles appeared, looking pale and somewhat unwell.
His hair had grown long and hung loosely behind him, giving him a softer appearance, yet an unsettling aura surrounded him.
"Long time no see, Whiteblight," Charles smirked, crossing his legs. "I said I would come, and here I am."
Bai Yi, sensing a shift in the atmosphere, unleashed a soul-based ultimate move, channeling eight hundred points of terrifying mental power that spread out rapidly.
In an instant, a faint blue light enveloped the darkness. Within this soul realm, everything slowed, even Charles, who seemed to sink into the shadows.
Bai Yi raised his hand in slow motion, summoning a faceless, transparent figure behind him, wielding a massive gun aimed directly at Charles.
Anxiety flickered across Charles's face.
With a smile, Bai Yi pulled the trigger. The dark blue figure shattered, and the area restricting movement fractured as well. Yet one transparent blue bullet remained, hurtling toward Charles at incredible speed.
Buzz~
The darkness roared as Charles sank deeper into the shadows.
Puff.
A faint sound echoed as the soul bullet pierced through the darkness and struck Charles forcefully. His body stiffened, and the vast darkness around him recoiled, engulfing him.
Bai Yi glanced at his panel, noting the change:
You are under the curse of death. Plague Doctor Set I has resisted 30%, and you lose 7% of your health per second.
You used the Soul of Accumulation to hit the Dark Walker Charles, causing significant soul damage. Charles's health has decreased by 30%.
You drank three gold-level curse removal potions, neutralizing the effect of the death curse.
"Well, that was just a little joke. Why are you trying to kill me?" Charles reappeared, still smiling, though the seriousness in his eyes betrayed his amusement.
That exchange was a test—a measure of Bai Yi's strength after his journey through nightmares. Charles now recognized Bai Yi's power exceeded his expectations. If he had faced a few more bullets like that, he might have met his end.
Bai Yi, satisfied with the result of his new skill, toyed with an empty potion bottle. "Enough of the pleasantries. What do you want from me? If you're not willing to share, I won't hesitate to keep you here indefinitely."
"Ahem." Charles coughed twice, downing a bottle of pure black potion. "Have you heard of the Lady of the Night?"
"Night Rose?" Bai Yi's surprise was evident. Instantly, he realized Charles's visit coincided with his own objectives.
"Huh~" Charles sighed, feeling his soul regain some strength. He glanced at Eric and Heidinger outside the city wall, bowing slightly before continuing, "It seems you have heard of her."
"The Lady of the Night is what the ancient gods call the organization you mentioned. You may not know, but she is not an ancient god, though she resembles one."
A dark throne materialized behind Charles, elevating him. "She represents mystery, enjoys the game of power, and seeks to create a new order."
"In this order, the ancient gods cannot interfere. All beings must wear masks and abide by specific rules she establishes. This brings her pleasure and facilitates her schemes. People's fears, destinies, and the vast futures tied to certain choices feed her."
"For this reason, she integrates her power into your Federation, gradually attempting to seize control. She relishes this process."
Charles smiled, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. "And you, Bai Yi, have disrupted the Lady of the Night's enjoyment. While no one can definitively say it was you, I suspect she suspects it, hence her desire to stop playing."
"Her remaining power aims to create evil gods to destroy your Federation, shattering it to rebuild a new one, thus starting a new cycle of erosion."
Bai Yi frowned. "Not the ancient god?"
"Correct. I believe you recall [Evil Secret: Black Death]," Charles replied, grinning. "As for the current rules, you cannot meet without a disguise, cannot reveal your identity as a hunter, and must erode the order in every way possible."
"One of the Lady's agents was among those who entered the nightmare with us. He was dead by the time he arrived."
Charles continued with keen interest, "It seems she wants to project more power through the God's Window. That's all I know."
Bai Yi's heart sank. The horror of dimensional turbulence was interested in the order, treating Dawn as a mere plaything.
As Charles spoke, Bai Yi recalled strange tales of rules, but the thought faded. If Charles's claims were true, the Lady of the Night posed an extreme danger—perhaps even greater than the gods themselves.
Ancient gods could not destroy the nightmare world, but using the God's Window, they could sacrifice dangerous entities to the evil secret Black Death, obliterating it.
While these beings might not be stronger than gods, their unpredictability made them far more perilous—things even the gods feared to touch.
"If what you say is true, why not keep an eye on the other two federations? There are more than just us, and no Night Rose presence has been spotted elsewhere," Bai Yi inquired calmly.
"Who knows? Perhaps she's in the east or something else is drawing her attention," Charles mused, propping his head with one hand, appearing bored.
The ancient gods were wary of each other but not afraid. If Night Rose fully invaded Dawn, other ancient gods might abandon their plans for conquest.
To them, the Dawn Federation was simply a rich resource, a mine of souls and despair. They desired those 800 million souls, aiming to create a nightmare world from which to extract an origin stone.
Bai Yi resolved to get straight to the point. "What's your purpose, Charles? I'm open to collaboration."
Charles grinned, recognizing the shift. "It's the same crew as before. Though there's no freedom in the Abyss, the resources are plentiful. That guy is thriving there; if it weren't for your mask backstabbing him, he might have become a lord by now."
Bai Yi pondered. "I can let Lord Luo Men join us."
"It's better not to," Charles replied, still smiling, his chin resting on his hand.
Bai Yi paused, uncertain of Charles's intentions. Perhaps he feared that involving a legendary figure would complicate matters, or perhaps he was deliberately leading Bai Yi to summon the legendary Berserker.
"I don't want to kill you right now, but you must go to Nanling City. Are the news I have the same as yours?" Bai Yi took a deep breath and smiled.
Charles remained unfazed. "Yes, it's indeed Nanling City, but different from the nightmare world. This time, it revolves around the rules of the Lady of the Night. To obtain her treasures, you must engage in a game. Let's not dwell on it; the game starts in a month. I'll be waiting there for you."
As the darkness receded, Charles vanished.
Bai Yi's mind raced with thoughts. Charles had known about the evil god three months ago and sought something after his breakthrough. Initially, his strength may not have sufficed, prompting him to make promises in the nightmare world. Now, at the upper golden level, he still felt inadequate, leading him to seek Bai Yi's aid.
There was much to unpack from their exchange, and Bai Yi needed time to reflect on all the implications.
As he pondered, the bone dragon turned and soared back to the city.
"What happened?" Heidinger inquired, eyeing the departing darkness.
"It's about the Night Rose. They're stirring trouble again. I need some death row prisoners. I'll fill you in once I understand the situation better," Bai Yi replied as the bone dragon flapped its wings, accelerating toward the inner city.
Uncertainty loomed about what else Charles might be concealing, but Bai Yi was sure of one thing: in the game trailer, the Mouths of the Abyss had unleashed the cat, granting the evil god significant power. This hinted that Pu Sheng had ultimately triumphed, but the future of the dark side lay with the evil god. This trip was crucial—he needed information about the evil god, even if he couldn't retrieve the cat.
These two objectives were paramount; everything else could be secondary. Perhaps it was time to consult the players about the God's Showcase, and some capable death row prisoners could provide valuable insights.
The God's Showcase connected to the dimensional turbulence, facilitating transactions that required the other party to perform tasks based on difficulty. What if they simply asked questions instead? Could it absorb a player's fate? Which was more powerful, the God's Showcase or the panel?
Bai Yi contemplated this as he resolved to relocate the God's Showcase. He feared it might be destroyed and cause collateral damage to others.
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