Chapter 279: Job Done, Pack Up

PS: Got dragged out by family on holiday today, the May Day chain reaction, you know how it is.

PS2: So the update is late, my bad, Chapter 2 will be late too.

"Ahem, ahem—byd Constantine."

Just as Constantine was smoking in front of Ma Ma Zhaodi's corpse, silently grieving, Ma Ma Zhaodi let out a yelp and sat up; this sudden turn of events nearly made the scumbag Constantine drop the cigarette from his hand.

"Holy f—ing Jesus!"

"What the hell are you 'holy'ing about?" Ma Ma Zhaodi shot up, spat out the cigarette butt, rubbed his head, and frowned, complaining: "Keep it down—didn't I tell you I don't smoke? Are you Erdlong?"

Constantine looked at the newly seated Ma Ma Zhaodi with disbelief; only then did he realize his friend's originally shriveled skin had plumped up again, his withered eyeballs held moisture once more, and his hoarse, hollow voice had returned to normal speech.

This was normal; the Totem of Immortality has a healing effect after resurrection.

【Totem of Immortality

Price: 250,000 USD Asset Points

Note: When you die, simply hold this item, and it will activate automatically.

Restore your life to one point, clear all status effects on your body, grant you Level 1 Fire Resistance, Level 2 Life Regeneration for forty seconds, and Level 2 Damage Absorption for five seconds (five seconds of extra health cap)—the icon popping up before your eyes means it has activated.

Note 2: Don't know which little genius made it into a phone charm, but to be honest, at least it's on your hand every single moment.】

"You smoked yourself back to life?"

"I smoked myself to death," Ma Ma Zhaodi corrected: "I never said I was dead; why were you in such a rush to light a cigarette for me?"

"You didn't even have a pulse; how crazy would I have to be to ask again?"

Constantine wore an expression of barely acceptable shock: "And what is going on with you? The Holy Son descending? The resurrection miracle after seven days of suffering?"

He raised his hand to check his watch; the time had already passed twelve o'clock—exactly Sunday.

"If I resurrected in three days, you'd say it was the three days on the cross again," Ma Ma Zhaodi shrugged: "How many miracles are there in the world? Besides, I'm an atheist, Constantine, I'm Chinese—if someone like me can be the Holy Son, it only proves God really has no one else to use."

"Isn't there a Hong something... Heavenly Father killing Heavenly Brother over there?"

"Ah, damn, stop! I don't want to start a war!"

While talking, Constantine unlocked the basement door; he looked closely at Ma Ma Zhaodi, confirmed there was no halo behind his head, and still asked hopefully: "In that instant you died, did you see anything special? Like a guy with a halo behind his head, or a winged bird-man or something?"

Ma Ma Zhaodi rolled his eyes: "In that instant I died, I could only smell the smoke in my nose."

The two walked up to the first floor and ran into Lester carrying cigarettes and alcohol into the house from outside; seeing the two walking out of the basement, he immediately froze.

Three pairs of eyes looked at each other, then at themselves, falling into a brief and eerie silence.

Finally, after the silence lasted less than half a minute, Lester's scream nearly blew the roof off.

"Ahhh—holy f—ing Jesus!"

"... There's a reason you two can be life-and-death friends."

Constantine helplessly shook his head; after this commotion, this safe house was probably ruined, and would have to serve as ordinary housing from now on.

Lester finally stopped screaming; he had gone to see Ma Ma Zhaodi at noon, thinking he was already dead. Moreover, previously in Sudan, that old shaman had told him the "Vessel" would surely die, so the scene before his eyes now made him feel like he was witnessing a legend.

"Are you a saint?" He knelt on the ground with a devout face, asking Ma Ma Zhaodi: "Did God send you to save me?"

Ma Ma Zhaodi sighed; he was already tired of explaining, so he simply stopped explaining and instead asked: "Did you see the news? The one from Texas."

"Didn't see it, what's up?"

"The night of the Wednesday two weeks ago, the roof of a church in Texas fell down; at that time, there were 34 believers inside the church, singing hymns."

Hearing this, Lester was speechless for a moment, then silently stood up from the ground: "... You're a bit too extreme."

"Or maybe he's just a few Satans who turned from God fans to God haters," Constantine added a cutting remark from the side: "Ordinary people wouldn't like going against God so much—but I've seen Lucifer; he really doesn't have an Easterner's face."

"Believing in something beautiful and real is one thing; being superstitious about something authoritative and empty is another," Ma Ma Zhaodi replied: "I don't hate worshiping gods; I just hate fake authority, and scammers who use the name of gods to seek their own private gain."

"Well said," Constantine agreed: "Next time I'll take you to meet that snobbish scumbag Gabriel, let that bird-man taste being scolded by a saint."

"Don't mess around; putting aside character for a moment, at least he has authority in terms of combat power."

Ding-a-ling—

Constantine's phone suddenly rang; he checked the caller ID, didn't hide it from the others, and answered the call directly.

"Constantine, seven days have already passed," the voice of Midnight sounded over the phone: "Has Namos not self-annihilated yet?"

Ma Ma Zhaodi immediately made an "OK" sign to Constantine, signaling that Namos was thoroughly dead.

"Dead, thoroughly dead, you can rest assured—we can all rest assured," Constantine replied: "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."

"Constantine," Midnight continued on the other end of the phone: "We are all people with power; grief is a luxury—being a mage, one must discard one's own humanity, otherwise one will eventually suffer a mental breakdown."

"I don't want to hear your damn theories, Old Man Midnight," Constantine retorted: "Lester is alive; as I said, that old shaman's ancient magic has some tricks; on his turf, his magical power can completely exceed your and my imagination."

"Oh, so that junkie was saved by him?"

"Yeah, if you die next time meeting some demon, he can even lay flowers at your grave."

"I'm too lazy to argue with you, Constantine; no one can be lucky forever; you will eventually understand my advice."

"Midnight, I'd rather die than become a heartless bastard like you."

Constantine hung up the phone right then and there, then proudly shook his phone at the two beside him: "See? The master of deception's moves."

"Not bad either," Ma Ma Zhaodi shrugged: "Since things here are over, I should head back to Gotham."

【Ding】

【Side Quest Completed: Tears of the Wicked】

【Special Skill Obtained: Smuggling】

(End of Chapter)