Chapter 693: Blessing and a Touch

It's over.

Gazing at the power armor squad rapidly approaching, then glancing at Liang, who had suddenly collapsed far away and couldn't rise for a long time, the middle-aged Joshua took a deep breath, turned away with a hollow look, and walked out the door without a single backward glance.

The events about to unfold, he had seen countless times before.

This man who had stolen the rebels, just as he broke free from the encirclement and his mental guard was at its weakest, was bitten by the Snake Spirit of Chengjin Sect—his mental shield shattered, his immortality temporarily sealed, leaving him with no last resort left.

Facing the arriving power armor squad, he would struggle to rise, barely topple two power armors, then be riddled by machine-gun fire, reduced to a shapeless pile of unrecognizable flesh, crushed into the soil by a falling power armor, leaving nothing behind.

Goodbye, you bastard who nearly ruined my plan—or rather… never again!

…

"You goddamn black maggot!"

Watching the small black snake injecting pale gold "venom," and the veins on Liang's arm gradually glowing, the Black Goat muttered angrily:

"If it wanted to poison you, we could've saved you in an instant—but this black maggot's playing dirty! It didn't even attack you; instead, it granted you a blessing, directly injecting a portion of the Holy Spirit's primordial essence into your veins!"

Fuck! My power clashes with its power—until these primordial essences settle, both my heart and I are crushed to the bottom, and your life-saving pendant got eaten by it too!

Kid, take it easy from now on!

My heart's power is suppressed—I can't detect criminals tens of kilometers away, and my Death Substitute ability no longer works. Though my Blood War Eternal still functions, its effect is crippled—if you lose an arm or leg, it'll take four or five minutes to regrow…

Damn it! This goddamn black maggot! When I was still a Great Demon, it wouldn't dare even fart in my presence—now it dares play dirty right before my eyes! If I'd known, I should've crushed it back then…

So that's how it was…

Amid the Black Goat's furious curses, Liang, writhing in searing pain across every vein, unable to stand, his eyes gleamed with sudden understanding.

Joshua's arrival here wasn't just his own will—there must've been a hand behind it: the Aquarius Director's.

My 【Holy Spirit Pendant】 and 【Heart of Ambition】 are both registered anomalies in the Clearance Bureau—the Aquarius Director must've reviewed my file and devised a targeted strategy.

He likely paid a heavy price to summon a fragment of the Chengjin Sect's Snake Spirit's power: first breaking the Holy Spirit Pendant's defense, then granting me a blessing to bypass and seal the Heart of Ambition's Death Substitute effect, shattering my immortality.

I never reported the repair of my 【War Opposite】—and the Black Goat was originally smashed by the Director himself, so the Bureau never recorded its true ability—he never prepared for this…

"Stop cursing and get to work!"

Sitting up from the ground, Liang grabbed the Black Goat's forehead and gasped through the agony:

"Where's Joshua? Is he still here?"

"Huh? Why are you looking for him?"

"Because I can't tell if I'm in the real 'now' or the 'future' he saw! If I'm not in the 'now' but in the 'future,' then him seeing me alive might make him devise a new plan—I must ensure the loop closes!"

…

What now? What future? What plan? What loop?

Confused by Liang's words and too proud to admit he didn't understand, the Black Goat grumbled reluctantly:

"Ah, I see… That bastard's already gone—I didn't see him at all." He left before witnessing my death? That's not how someone who briefly glimpsed the future would act to gather information. So the 'timeline' I'm in now must be the real 'now.'

Confirming the loop was fully closed, Liang exhaled deeply, then struggled to his feet, eager to leave this place as soon as possible.

But he'd barely taken a few steps when the searing pain spreading through his veins surged through his entire body, sending him reeling and crashing to the ground.

【Chengjin Sect's Holy Spirit "Life-Swap Black Snake" consumed part of its primordial essence to personally bestow upon you a blessing from the Holy Spirit. You have obtained the Silver-Rank identity badge: "Chengjin Chosen (Devourer of Wealth)"】

【Chengjin Chosen (Devourer of Wealth): A human favored by the Snake Spirit of Chengjin Sect, a Chosen of the Devourer of Wealth lineage】

【Effect: Status equivalent to Chengjin Sect's Candidate Abbot; eligible to compete for the position of Abbot of the Devourer of Wealth lineage; may directly ascend to Abbot if the position becomes vacant】

【Advancement Path: None】

Hidden Trait (No need to wear): As a human favored by the Snake Spirit, when purchasing life, health, talent, or other items from the Snake Spirit by paying money, you receive a discount.

…

Though he knew the snake wouldn't grant any good blessing, the sheer uselessness of this one still exceeded his expectations.

After struggling through the agony of his veins nearly burning through, Liang stared at the new badge's traits and effects, and let out a silent, exasperated "tch."

To become an Abbot of any lineage, one must gain the Holy Spirit's approval—but I'm Chengjin Sect's enemy. For it to recognize me as Abbot? Impossible. Even if I killed an Abbot and took his place, the snake could erase me with a single thought.

As for the discount on buying things from the snake? Even more absurd.

Never mind how insane this damn snake would have to be to sell anything to its enemy—the prices Chengjin Sect demands are far beyond what a lowly civil servant like me can afford. Unless I'm willing to blackmail the old steward of the Ryan family… or just throw myself at the Princess's feet… Wait, what's that?

As Liang regained mobility and prepared to leave, a glint caught his eye.

When he turned curiously toward the sparkle, he saw that the shining object was two gleaming silver buttocks—and just beside them lay the thermos borrowed from the neighboring office, used to store Senior Pi'oni's hot water.

"…"

Huh… maybe just give it a quick feel?

Staring at the metallic-gleaming buttocks on the grass, Liang hesitated briefly, then extended his right index finger and cautiously poked the side, well away from the buttocks and the gun-like protrusion.

"Sssss…"

【Name: Mayebis Curse-Silver (Curse, Flesh, Metal)】

【Appearance: Lustrous silver metal with extreme toughness and hardness; capable of flowing freely under willpower; once fully fused with flesh, grants the body identical properties to the curse-silver】

【Abilities: Curse Amplification, Flesh Assimilation, Metal Body】

(End of Chapter)