Chapter 687: Untitled

Immortal body and seer…

Though both are equally sneaky abilities, Joshua can still see the future—would he do this unless he was certain he could kill you?

As expected, amid the anxious glances of the rebels, the middle-aged Joshua did not immediately agree, but instead voiced a demand.

"You cannot leave the thermos behind—you must take it all with you!"

Having already banned Pionier's relic, the prepared middle-aged Joshua continued:

"Just like you've made countless choices before, next is a slightly worn broom—you must hand it over so they can take it, along with the pendant around your neck, a puppy with yellow fur on its head, and…"

"No."

After refusing the middle-aged Joshua, Li Ang coldly warned:

"Don't try to trick me—I know exactly what conditions you'd expect me to accept. Aside from the thermos and the broom, I won't hand over a single other thing."

"Hmph, dying struggles."

Likely having tested this outcome across countless futures and knowing Li Ang would immediately fight to the death with him, the middle-aged Joshua did not press further, but pointed toward a door at the other end of the secret harbor:

"I've already opened the door in advance. Once they pass through it, they'll reach the mountains on the other side of the capital. But don't expect them to carry a message for you."

"I won't leave such a stupid loophole. This door is cursed with a mental-disrupting anomaly that suppresses everyone who passes through—neither they nor the things inside the thermos will have time to find help for you."

"…"

"Besides that…"

…

With time to prepare, the ability to foresee the future is truly deceitful.

Following the middle-aged Joshua's "instructions," Li Ang handed over the broom and thermos to the rebels, then performed a series of other assigned tasks, before silently praying that the version of himself Joshua saw in the future held the same intentions as he did now.

Based on the information he'd touched from the 【Gate of the Other World】, if he only reached one or two days into the future, Joshua could enter and exit repeatedly—but reaching a more distant future demanded staggering costs and energy, making consecutive openings impossible in a short time.

So the only way to deceive this half-baked seer was to create a major commotion and fake his death for a short while, betting that with insufficient information, Joshua would see him "dead" and leave without reopening the gate to view a further future.

As for the possibility of failing to deceive him…

The odds were very low.

Glancing at the 【Drunken Immortal】 badge in his panel and sensing the lamb's heart and horns linked to his own aura, Li Ang quietly relaxed.

With his current cards, he couldn't possibly kill that many guards—but he could absolutely ensure his survival. The chance of dying here was far too low; the version of himself Joshua saw, killed by the trap, was almost certainly faking his death.

After all, beneath the boarding tower was completely open—no trees, let alone any doors for him to enter or exit. As long as he chose a spot far from any door, preventing Joshua from inspecting his "corpse" up close, the chance of deceiving him was nearly guaranteed.

Yet while Li Ang felt confident in his survival, the rebels had no idea of his true plan.

After receiving the broom and thermos from Li Ang, watching their new leader choose to sacrifice himself so they could escape safely—even the most hardened Oliver's eyes turned slightly red. The more emotional Lucy sisters bit their lips white, tears rolling down their cheeks in large drops.

Naturally, they had doubted this new leader, whose origins were suspicious and who clearly didn't match "Little Baggins." But after Li Ang's description, they had glimpsed a future path for the first time, and chose to follow him temporarily. Yet after this moment, facing a leader who willingly stayed behind to "die heroically," even smiling as he comforted them, all lingering doubts among the rebels vanished completely.

What pained them most was that this new leader—whose courage, wisdom, vision, and character were nearly flawless—would be sacrificed by the old leader, a tool-wielding scoundrel, merely to prevent war.

The two leaders they had known: one young, passionate, pure, and radiant like a newborn sun; the other sly, secretive, beneath contempt, whose soul rotted faster than his flesh.

Now, this young, passionate soul was about to be killed by a creature whose soul was already rotten—because of his inner conviction and noble beliefs. Such a brutal contrast made the rebels' hearts ache with unbearable pain.

…

"You will always be our leader."

Oliver cast a cold glance toward the middle-aged Joshua, said nothing, but memorized the faces of both leaders, then bowed deeply to Li Ang.

One by one, the rebels followed suit—some with furious expressions, others filled with hatred, glancing at Joshua before bowing to Li Ang, their faces etched with genuine sorrow.

"…"

Damn… this feels like a funeral…

Uncomfortable under the rebels' solemn demeanor but unable to reveal his plan to fake death, Li Ang activated 【Master of Performance】 and politely returned each bow.

With the enhanced emotional power of 【Master of Performance】, his gentle yet resolute gaze deepened the rebels' grief—and even the middle-aged Joshua, who had already witnessed this scene, couldn't help glancing over, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

Too bad… but like you, I have no choice either.

As Joshua sighed over their similar fates, Li Ang suddenly turned his head toward him and asked calmly:

"Joshua, those people on the airship…"

"Fine."

Before Li Ang could finish his request, the middle-aged Joshua, having "rehearsed" this moment several times and knowing exactly what he'd say, answered directly:

"The people on the airship don't have to die. You can carry them out and let them be taken away—but they must be imprisoned, and not allowed to contact the Kingdom of Corock."

"Good."

Li Ang, the man who faced death with calm dignity, of noble character, brave sacrifice, kindness and benevolence, nodded, even smiled at Joshua, then re-entered the airship.

As his figure vanished behind the hatch, Joshua, under the rebels' furious stares, pulled out a small signal pistol and fired a red flare into the sky with a bang.

"Hurry up."

Beneath the crimson glow of the flare, Joshua coldly urged:

"For his sake, I won't kill you rebels today—but if you're still here when the guards arrive, don't blame me if you get shot dead!"

(End of Chapter)