CHAPTER 376: 0318 REPORT OF A DEAD CROW_1

"Caw! Caw!"

After hearing the mournful cawing from above, Leon instinctively looked up in response. However, instead of the familiar blue sky and white clouds, what met his eyes was an entire expanse of hollow, deep gray filled with the essence of death.

A sun devoid of any warmth, resembling the dying gaze of an old man, hung quietly over the sky shrouded in dark clouds, gazing at the turbulent, murky river below.

Above this yellow and noisy great river, a road paved with countless ancient bones, tinged faintly in yellow, bore one mourning soul after another, winding toward the Depths of the Realm of the Dead.

"This is the Realm of the Dead, where everyone comes after they die."

After glancing at Leon, who was carrying Emma out of the crocodile’s mouth with eyes full of awe as he observed the Realm of the Dead, the Red-haired Director monitored the situation of the three before advising,

"After you come out of the crocodile’s mouth, it means your body has entered the Realm of the Dead. At that point, you might see some crows flying over. Remember, don’t attack those crows; just stand still in place."

"Ah, okay!"

Nodding somewhat bewildered, Leon quickly sought help, remembering Senior Emma, who was still unconscious on his back,

"Director, Senior Emma is very badly wounded..."

"Don’t worry; she’s not in serious trouble."

Looking at Emma’s emerald-green soul, the Red-haired Director let out a sigh of relief,

"Although the blow dealt by the Goddess of Fortune was heavy, Emma’s soul is remarkably resilient. She’ll be fine after a period of rest. Only the partially emeraldized body is somewhat problematic... How about you? How do you feel?"

"I’m fine."

Upon hearing the Red-haired Director’s words, Leon slightly shook his head, then subconsciously reached out to touch two small bald patches on his head.

Although he suffered several injuries during this operation, he had already used the [Plague-Infected Blood Band] to treat them. The only exception was the two small patches of hair that had been displaced after the horns grew, which the [Plague-Infected Blood Band] couldn’t restore. Hence, this was probably his only injury this time.

...

"Director, he’s fine, but I have a problem. A big one!"

Just as Leon was touching his hair, a head suddenly rose from the depths of the crocodile’s mouth. Lying on the Crocodile God’s Tongue, the lethargic young man looked full of misery,

"I’ve lost more than half of my bones. Right now, only my neck and butt can move. Could you..."

"You call that an injury?"

Glancing at Tom, the Red-haired Director waved dismissively,

"You must have already set up a return ritual in advance, right? Wouldn’t reviving yourself once fix such an injury?"

"It would, but it hurts a bit..."

"Oh, just a matter of slitting your neck. Don’t be so delicate!"

After dismissing the lethargic young man with a few words, the Red-haired Director retrieved the hair tied around the Crocodile God’s neck, then walked behind Leon to take Emma from his back, cradling her horizontally before urging,

"Come on, come on, don’t stay inside this crocodile’s mouth. Let’s move outside!"

"Oh..."

Per the Red-haired Director’s request, Leon walked out from the mouth of the Crocodile God, which had brought him to the Realm of the Dead. Before he could speak to ask why she wanted him to come to the Realm of the Dead, a cacophony of shrill cawing erupted once more.

Unlike the few sparse cries earlier, this time the cawing was chaotic and dense. As Leon focused his eyes, he noticed around six or seven hundred red-eyed crows flying from the distance. Unlike other crows before, which all flew directly into the depths of the Realm of the Dead, these crows began circling above the trio.

"These birds are called the Crows of Death Report, pets kept by one of the rulers of the Realm of the Dead. Every time a new dead soul appears, they fly up from their resting place, all the way to the deepest part of the Realm of the Dead, announcing the birth of the deceased."

After briefly explaining the significance of these crows, the Red-haired Director continued with a tone full of meaning,

"And if a living person with an intact body enters the Realm of the Dead, their Crow of Death Report won’t fly into the depths but will instead find the person it’s focused on, circling persistently overhead, or even landing directly on their shoulder."

"Isn’t that wrong?"

After looking up at the red-eyed crows circling in the sky, Leon remarked with some surprise,

"There are only three of us, even counting Senior Tom, who hasn’t come out, that’s only four. But aren’t there almost seven hundred crows up there?"

"To be precise, there are six hundred and sixty-six of them."

Taking a look at Emma in his arms to ensure she wasn’t awake and couldn’t hear him, the Red-haired Director quietly explained,

"You’ve probably heard about Emma’s origins before. Her people launched a coup, intending to overthrow the current royal family. However, someone tipped them off, and her entire clan was executed, except for Emma herself. The execution ground was set at the entrance of Treasure Flower Manor, staining the redwood tree red.

Her Undying Body was born out of that execution.

Over six hundred clan members were executed, leaving her with over six hundred lives to replenish. She must be killed six hundred and sixty-six times in a single day to be completely killed.

While inheriting her clansmen’s lives, she also inherited their Crows of Death Report. The crows flying above us were actually drawn to her."

"..."

*I see...*

After hearing about Senior Emma’s past experiences, Leon fell into a brief silence. Although he had long suspected something similar about Senior Emma’s Undying Body, hearing such a blood-tinged fact still left him utterly shocked.

During Leon’s silence, the Red-haired Director attentively observed him, scanning him from head to toe repeatedly. Her intense scrutiny made Leon feel all kinds of uncomfortable, prompting him to ask proactively,

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on me?"

"No, the reason I’m looking at you like this is precisely because there’s nothing on you."

Giving Leon a meaningful glance, the Red-haired Director asked,

"Leon, where is your Crow of Death Report?"

"???"

Slightly stunned by the Red-haired Director’s question, Leon puzzledly asked in return,

"There are so many Crows of Death Report flying above us; isn’t mine among them?"

"As I just mentioned, all the Crows of Death Report above us were drawn by Emma; neither yours nor mine is among them."

Locking her gaze on Leon’s eyes, the Red-haired Director deliberately slowed her speech, saying with utmost seriousness,

"When my Leon Value reached 60 points and my Hierarchy equaled that of the True God, my Crow of Death Report lost its ability to sense my death, flying straight into the depths of the Realm of the Dead with its eyes closed.

But your Leon Value is only around 6 points, with no ability to escape the death perception of the Crow of Death Report, so your crow should still be roosting at the entrance of the Realm of the Dead."

"..."

*Leon, can you tell me why, even though your body has entered the Realm of the Dead, your Crow of Death Report has never come looking for you?"*