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Chapter 169 - 168: Curse and Gifts (Seeking Collection, Subscription, and Recommendations)

Chapter 169: Chapter 168: Curse and Gifts (Seeking Collection, Subscription, and Recommendations)

At the moment when Li Changhe and the others were about to take action, the tallest and grandest building in the heart of Sun King City, the Sun King Temple.

Thousands of soldiers guarded this place closely, allowing only the closest followers of the Sun King to enter.

Within the highest room of this place.

Grand Priest and General Tudah were standing on the balcony, gazing at the view below their feet.

At this angle, they could see the entire night scene of Sun King City.

Unknown to people, this place, deemed the holiest by the people of the Sun Kingdom, now reeked of blood.

"Has ’he’ contacted you yet?" General Tudah took a porcelain bowl from the table beside him,

At this moment, he bore no resemblance to his previous domineering and majestic appearance at the city gate.

Instead, he looked exhausted, his once dark curls now gray. His once robust body even appeared somewhat withered.

"I was instructed to send the offerings into the Sun King’s tomb tomorrow. There was no other information besides that." The Grand Priest looked even worse off, his shriveled body resembling a skeleton.

With trembling hands, he picked up a porcelain bowl and gulped down the scarlet liquid inside.

Both men satisfiedly set down their bowls, emitting a low groan of pleasure. Their bodies seemed to fill out a bit more.

"The blood from these offerings isn’t enough. With ’his’ interruption of the God Sacrifice this time, the blood we gathered isn’t sufficient to sustain the two of us for long," General Tudah glanced at the empty bowls on the table. "At least you don’t have it too bad, I need to go into battle. Each time after a battle, I age rapidly."

"Stop complaining!" The Grand Priest greedily licked the last bit of blood at the bottom of his bowl before reluctantly putting it down. "You’ve been given the most! You can still extract blood from your enemies on the battlefield, albeit poorly. At least you don’t have to sneak around to consume offerings like Ludes and me!"

"Don’t think I’m stupid. As ’his’ servant, it’s only from those ’high-grade offerings’ that we can regain our vitality. The blood of ordinary soldiers who die on the battlefield, containing barely any power, is insufficient for me to recover." General Tudah’s hair color restored to its original state, and his body appeared even more robust than when they had met at the city gate: "And you’ve been holding back the offerings I’ve brought back with great effort, secretly swallowing quite a few. Do you really think I wouldn’t know?"

"And you’re also reaping the benefits of all this. To shut you up, I even gave you more!" The Grand Priest sneered, pointing at the table. His previously aged and withered body now seemed robust and even younger, with his hair turning black once more.

General Tudah narrowed his eyes and reached for the curved knife at his waist, while the Grand Priest gripped the bone staff beside him.

"Do... you... want to die? If you act against me now, you’ll definitely attract ’his’ attention," The Grand Priest chuckled. "Would the Sun King forgive his offerings-stealing servant? Does the feared reputation of God’s Whip still apply in His presence? Do you still have the courage to lead your cavalry in a charge against the Sun King?"

General Tudah’s veins bulged, and ultimately, fearfully, he let go of the knife handle.

Helplessly, he said, "It’s been thirty years! ’He’ granted us power and rebirth, but also trapped us for thirty years. My soldiers have been fighting for the Sun King for thirty years as well. When can we break free from his curse? Ordinary blades no longer hurt me, and it’s only occasionally that the Extraordinary can manage to injure me. Over the past decade, all the Extraordinaries in this region have been offered up as sacrifices. Back then, I betrayed Attila to submit to ’him,’ just so that I could continue enjoying the thrill of battle. But now, none of the surrounding kingdoms even have someone worth fighting! Maybe fighting the Sun King again wouldn’t be such a bad idea."

"Perhaps you could head east. We haven’t offered too many sacrifices from the Eastern bloodlines. If you can capture their nobles or Extraordinaries, ’He’ will certainly be pleased!" The Grand Priest suggested since it was becoming harder to obtain offerings.

The appetite of the Sun King was growing larger and larger. Animals sufficed at first, but later, he demanded humans. Then, he wanted nobles and Extraordinaries.

Although they grew stronger as a result, it became increasingly difficult to source their offerings. If one day, they needed the blood of a great empire’s ruler, they would be utterly powerless.

This power was a gift, but also a curse.

"They’re not like the Western countries; they are too strong," Tudah pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Unless the Sun King grants me power once more, I will not approach the east."

"Then continue to collect offerings for ’him.’ However, since ’He’ demanded that the offerings be sent to the Sun King’s tomb directly, ’He’ must have noticed we’ve been withholding them. Let’s just be careful in the meantime. There’s no telling when ’He’ might strike at us. It’s not yet time. We’ll consider it once the three of us have grown stronger." The Grand Priest whispered.

Tudah nodded slightly.

"Speaking of Ludes... Where is he? His time should be up soon."

"Hahaha, young people love to have fun. He’s just setting up a little secret feast for himself," The Grand Priest laughed. "He should be ’entertaining’ those ’offerings’ right now. If any die accidentally, it’s also convenient for him to handle."

"Won’t he be discovered?"

"Not to worry, missing one or two offerings simply..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

A blinding lightning explosion occurred in the night view of the city below their feet.

"Boom"

The intense thunder echoed through the night.

Both men tensed, recognizing that it was the stone house where the ’high-grade offerings’ were kept.

"What’s happened?" General Tudah immediately stood up.

"Has ’He’ discovered us? Or has an Extraordinary from another country infiltrated us?"

"I don’t know! But something’s definitely gone wrong!" The Grand Priest grabbed his bone staff. "Ludes has only been a servant for a short time. His power isn’t yet complete. Go and help him quickly!"

Just a second before the flash of lightning,

Ludes watched as the black-haired girl approached, he stopped the soldiers who wanted to intercept her.

He stared at the girl as she got closer.

Already imagining how he would make her cry and beg, then devour her in despair.

To his surprise, the girl’s laughter, though gentle,

it contained a chill that was more terrifying than his own...

"Let me show you something precious!" The girl laughed as she reached out her hand towards Ludes.

Space shimmered on her palm.

Ludes sensed a deadly threat and immediately raised his bone staff.

Along with it, an Array, filled with strange runes, appeared. This was the power bestowed upon him by the Sun King, strong enough to block the charge of a bull.

His body also changed instantly, with mysterious patterns spreading over it. His eyes even emitted a purple glow.

The next second, fierce lightning filled his entire field of vision, and the Array which held such promise shattered like sand and stone.

"Boom!"

All Ludes saw was a sphere flying towards him. Then he knew nothing more.

[Side Task Complete]

[Player Ability Unlocked: Player Attributes]

"Pah! You only gave me attributes, not a new body?" The girl, seeing only half of a leg remaining of the wreck and the soldiers shattered by the blast, spat unhappily.

She called out to the ’offerings’ behind her, "Let’s go, everyone! Time to escape!"

"Damn!" Moon God watched and shouted, "What did you use?"

"Old Lead!"