CHAPTER 358: CHAPTER 223: SWEEPING AWAY ALL OBSTACLES, BLOOD AND CARNAGE

"Yes," Bernardo said, "it has always been me."

A large swarm of skeleton heads suddenly rose from behind him, like a serpent slithering towards the sky, forming a black tide. A deathly resentment poured forth, sweeping like a storm.

In the eye sockets of each skull were embedded bloodshot eyeballs, each pair turning restlessly. The mouths of the skulls opened and closed, producing a crisp "clack-clack" sound as their jaws collided.

"These are the skulls of those who died from the Black Death. ’Black Death’ might not be the strongest generational-level, but it’s definitely the most influential generational-level... The more people die from the plague, the more power I can wield. And now... savor their grudge, Laine."

Laine stood dazed, looking up in shock at the tide of skeletons, hoarsely saying:

"All these years... what exactly have you done?"

"I don’t have time to entangle with you. My target is the Royal Court Hall."

Bernardo knew well that the Royal Court Hall housed the generational-level Anecdote Fragments used by past Royal Court Team members.

As long as he seizes the opportunity during the chaos to gather these fragments, he would become the strongest Anecdote Envoy in the world.

Even if the fragments refuse to acknowledge him, he could corrode them one by one with the ’Black Death’.

By then, even if Jack the Ripper crushed the heart she’d stored for herself, he would surely find a way to survive.

The Royal Court Hall stored so many generational-level Anecdote Fragments, surely there would be one that could regenerate his heart.

This way, he wouldn’t fear the White Crow Travel Brigade’s revenge and could simply sit back and reap the rewards.

With this thought, Bernardo crushed a common-level Anecdote Fragment - "Death Carriage."

A white streak of light flashed through the sky, followed by a fierce horse engulfed in ghostly flames pulling a carriage from the horizon.

"Goodbye, Laine... catch your breath here for a moment, and I’ll come for all your lives later."

With that, Bernardo placed a hand behind him, drew the curtain, boarded the carriage, and headed towards the Imperial Palace.

Laine swung the Sword in the Stone, cutting through the skeletal tide with ripples of golden light, while shouting up, "Don’t run, Bernardo! Come back to me—!"

"It’s too late..." Bernardo said gloomily, "If you had said that to me years ago, I might have turned back."

He drew the curtain closed, not sparing a glance at the island’s scenery as the Death Carriage ascended into the sky.

...

...

At the same time, on the other side of the island.

The 11th member of the White Crow Travel Brigade, Anluns, slowly approached Royal Court Team member Lewis at the island’s edge.

Their feet trod on the grassland, pale green grass blades swirling like a peculiar snowfall.

Lewis suddenly removed his round-frame glasses, scratched his brown curls, and couldn’t help but sigh.

While wiping the lenses, he said, "Are you challenging me alone because you think we just fought with the Red Dragon and our strength is depleted, so you’re here to pick up the scraps? You underestimate the Royal Court Team."

"Well, it depends... If the Goddess of Luck favors me, then I’m not challenging you alone."

Anluns said lightly, a strange gleam in his eyes as he summoned a massive slot machine, leaning on its side and patting its metal top.

"Wouldn’t you agree?"

He said, turning to look at the slot machine’s prize interface.

"A superpower that is a slot machine? It’s typical of your brigade, such a lowly ability."

Lewis chuckled dryly, tossing aside his round-frame glasses.

Then, he crushed the generational-level Anecdote Fragment in his hand – "Tower of Babylon."

Lewis chose another way to utilize the generational-level Anecdote, by merging with the Anecdote itself.

Generational-level and above Anecdotes allow the user to merge with the Anecdote itself, rather than simply releasing the Anecdote to fight.

This approach has many benefits.

One of them is to protect the Anecdote Envoy, which is why Li Qingping always chose to merge with Red Dragon Wales in every battle.

Lewis lowered his face, and from his body, the massive tower started to rise layer by layer, with the ocean and sky trembling under the thunderous roar.

After a while, Lewis’s body was enveloped by the towering monolith. The spire reached the heavens, its end unseen, just the sunset-stained clouds above.

"Come, let’s see what your broken slot machine can do?"

Lewis smiled slightly, his provocative voice resonating from within the giant tower.

Anluns, hands tucked in his suit jacket pockets, looked up curiously at the tower.

In his mind, he slowly recalled the intel provided by the captain: twenty seconds after the "Tower of Babylon" Anecdote Fragment is constructed, if the tower is not destroyed, it will bring forth a "divine punishment."

Lightning from the skies will strike indiscriminately at enemies close to the Tower of Babel. Only Lewis, hidden within the tower, will be spared.

But the downside is that during this period, Lewis cannot leave the tower since he has already merged with the Anecdote.

At this moment, Lewis stood within the tower’s shadows,

through the gaps in the tower, unwaveringly gazing at Anluns, who was leaning crookedly against the slot machine.