Chapter 948: 546 Master Li

「……」

Watching Li Ang before him fabricate something out of nothing, then clutching this newly invented leverage to threaten him, Atifil 00’s brain, located over ten miles away, suddenly throbbed with pain.

This man is even more troublesome than André; I must’ve been completely stupid to think of coming here just to greet him.

After silently cursing under his breath, Atifil 00, his face dark with resentment, said:

“I’ve already told you: between you and André, I hope you win—even if you don’t do this…”

“If you don’t do this, you’ll keep wavering between both sides and never truly commit your full strength to us.”

Interrupting Atifil 00, Li Ang said with firm certainty:

“Moreover, as the ‘creator’ of Atifil 01, the fact that you weren’t destroyed despite André’s wrath proves you’re useful to him—possibly even irreplaceable.”

“So until now, even if we hadn’t subdued André, you wouldn’t have been truly destroyed by him—you’d merely have lived in mediocrity, since you had a fallback with him. But now it’s different.”

As he spoke, Li Ang reached into his pocket, fumbled twice, then pulled out an ear whose tip had frayed into countless threads, waving it before Atifil 00.

“This is Elder Alger’s ear. He has been listening to every conversation we’ve had so far.”

As Atifil 00’s expression changed abruptly, Li Ang spoke calmly:

“Elder Alger won’t participate in what comes next—he’ll stay as far away as possible. If we lose to André, he’ll immediately relay everything he heard, word for word.”

“In other words: if we win, you might still be safe; if we lose, you’re certainly dead. So you know what you need to do next, right?”

「……」

This is really… I just came to say hello—how did I suddenly get bound with a whole circle of iron chains and nailed to the front of his war chariot?

After hearing Li Ang’s naked threat, Atifil clenched his teeth in frustration, then took a deep breath and said coldly:

“That’s true, but as I told you before, my control lies entirely in André’s hands—if I betray him, I’ll be shut down immediately, so…”

“Then you can help me without actually betraying him.”

Li Ang stared at Atifil 00 and demanded:

“First, tell me what orders he gave you: which messages you mustn’t reveal that could harm him? Which of his secrets you mustn’t expose?”

“The wording’s a bit different, but both restrictions exist.”

Atifil sighed:

“Besides that, he ordered me to constantly monitor for any sign of your targets attempting to leave the Kingdom of Krook—once detected, obliterate them with heavy firepower until nothing remains.”

Thank goodness I didn’t run then—otherwise, I’d have been relentlessly bombarded. Even if I, the Wine Immortal, might survive, the others would’ve been wiped out for sure.

After a brief pause, Li Ang asked:

“So he never ordered you to report all of Krook Kingdom’s affairs to him, correct?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Atifil 00 shook his head.

“André’s brain isn’t good at processing information. Krook Kingdom may be small, but it’s still a nation—so many things happen daily; he can’t handle it all.”

“Good.”

Li Ang raised an eyebrow and said:

“Because of this morning’s broadcast, André is now locked inside Research Zone 1 and can’t come out—he’s cut off from outside information. You’re his only channel for news. Am I right?”

“Correct…”

“Then it’s simple.”

Li Ang nodded, then began rummaging through the Mirror World while instructing:

“The districts of Krook Kingdom can move, right? Without touching Research Zone 1, shift all other zones away—push Zone 1 to the very edge.”

“You plan to go straight to Zone 1 and attack André?”

“Who knows?”

Without true control over Atifil 00, Li Ang wouldn’t be foolish enough to reveal his full plan.

He smiled at the confused entity, then pulled a camera larger than a human head from the Mirror World, stepped forward, and snapped two photos of the old king’s skull, then ordered:

“Help me—open everyone’s skull caps so I can take pictures.”

“Okay…”

Under pressure, Atifil 00 had no choice but to comply.

Soon, under his control, all the sub-bodies in the Preservation Hall raised their hands, pressed the mechanisms at the lower back of their skulls, and lifted their upper skull caps like hatches, revealing the tender, gelatin-wrapped brain tissue inside—each sight sending a shiver down the spine.

“Are you planning to release these photos and fully confirm this morning’s broadcast?”

Watching Li Ang, camera in hand, frantically photographing Atifil’s sub-bodies in the Preservation Hall, Atifil 00 considered and suggested:

“If so, I can subtly adjust their expressions—should I make them look more pained, more desperate?”

“No.”

Without hesitation, Li Ang refused, continuing to snap photos as he replied casually:

“Pained and desperate expressions are good—they only inspire fear. The impact now is strong, but as static photos, they’re merely passable.

But their current blank, vacant, puppet-like stares directly into the lens—human yet not human—will make viewers feel an instant chill, a cold dread rising from within… Oh, by the way.”

Here, Li Ang paused his photography, frowned at the surroundings, then ordered:

“The lighting’s too bright now. Replace these lights with dimmer ones—preferably cold blue, the kind that makes faces glow unnaturally white.”

“Once that’s done, adjust the angles of the lights and the bodies—tilt their heads slightly so their lower faces are half-shadowed, highlighting those dull, lifeless eyes… Yes, yes, exactly like that!”

「……」

Wait… you’re a pampered Prince of the Blood—how are you so good at this kind of thing?

Watching Li Ang, now standing in the dimmer, more sinister Preservation Hall, snapping photo after photo of the exposed brain tissue of Atifil’s sub-bodies, Atifil 00’s mouth twitched, then he gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, volunteering:

“I have evidence of André controlling the legion commanders—do you want to photograph those too?”

“Yes!”