Chapter 369
This time, he could only rewind a little over five hours... This was something he had never encountered before.
In the past, while the rewind time was often random, it would at least exceed 24 hours...
Qiangyin quickly drew a delicate dagger, aiming it at his own cheek, beginning to guide the direction of his flesh and blood's disappearance.
【Protect】【Wensha】.
With only 24 grams of flesh and blood to work with, the information he could leave behind was limited; he needed to ensure it was precise enough...
Qiangyin swiftly left Wensha Palace and mounted his horse again, racing towards the Russell Duke's residence. However, when he arrived, he found Duke Russell already standing at the entrance, calmly watching him approach.
“Your Excellency Qiangyin, welcome back... You seem to be in a hurry?” Charles greeted him with a formulaic smile.
Damn Charles... He must have figured something out.
“The Wensha Palace has been breached. This is your responsibility to protect,” Qiangyin said, his half-burned face making him look particularly terrifying.
“Our guards prioritized your safety, Your Excellency Qiangyin. Your life comes first,” Charles replied, a hint of regret on his face. “By the time we realized someone was trying to draw us away, it was too late.”
“Who did it, Charles?” Qiangyin forced himself to remain calm, suppressing the rage boiling within him. The burns on his face reminded him that time was running out.
“You're too anxious, Your Excellency Qiangyin. You should focus on healing first; we will investigate slowly...”
“Who was it! Charles!” Qiangyin's fingers twitched slightly; he desperately wanted to unleash a sonic blast at Charles's head.
But that was the “Eye of Scrutiny”—the more eager you are to attack, the harder it is to break through the opponent's defenses, whether physically or mentally.
Qiangyin gritted his teeth against the pain in his lungs, took a deep breath, and said, “I will relinquish command of the Royal Symphony, allowing you to lead one-third of the troops. At the same time... you can place someone inside the Symphony as a ‘reviewer.’”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Charles raise his right hand. A piece of paper, glowing faintly blue and marked with the Eye of Order, appeared in his hand.
“Please sign, Your Excellency Qiangyin.” Charles smiled as he extended the contract bearing the Eye of Order.
This time, his smile was genuinely heartfelt.
What a load of crap.
Qiangyin cursed inwardly, raising his hand to glance at the pre-prepared text. After a quick swipe across his face, he pressed his bloodied handprint onto the document.
The Russell family had coveted the power of the Symphony for a long time. Even without the command of the Symphony, inserting a “reviewer” meant they would gain access to the “performer's” potion formula and the ritual for its recreation—through legitimate means.
This not only divided Qiangyin's authority but also deepened the Russell family's ties to the royal family—because Charles would never do anything to threaten the monarchy; he only sought stability for his family.
This was something Charles had been plotting for a long time, and Qiangyin had always known. But now, at this moment, Charles had finally found an “opportunity.”
Of course, this “opportunity” was merely a figment of Charles's imagination.
Once he rebooted, everything would become void, and the ambitious Charles would continue to be nothing more than his own lapdog.
“Who was the intruder...” Qiangyin gritted his teeth and asked.
“Actually, I don't know if you've checked your residence,” Charles said leisurely, “but your estate was also breached, and all the servants inside are dead...”
“From our investigation, we initially ruled out some organizations within the city, as many of the deaths were too peaceful.”
“Based on the footprints left at the scene, there were no fewer than five intruders, including at least one physically powerful individual, an ‘Invisible Hunter,’ ‘Frenzied One,’ or ‘Judicator’ type of extraordinary being, at least two ‘Dream Thieves,’ and one ‘Blood Painter’ type of mental control extraordinary being.”
“Preliminary deductions suggest... you have been targeted by a high-ranking member of the Pleasure Society, Your Excellency Qiangyin.”
At this point, Charles paused briefly before continuing, “The reason for this deduction is that we captured one of the ‘Dream Thieves’ and pried a name from her.”
“Who?” Qiangyin pressed.
“The Key Person, Your Excellency.” Charles spoke slowly, “They are not dead; the Dutton Group was played.”
The Key Person! It’s them again!?
“Cough, cough...”
The excruciating pain in his head made Qiangyin arch his back, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He half-kneeled on the ground, trembling as he drew the carving knife, continuing to guide the phantom scars on his face.
【Protect】【Wensha】.
【Title】【Key】【Person】.
【Subverter】
【Pleasure Society】.
In addition to these, a symbol of the Holy Order and a symbol of the Savior Goddess Church intertwined, which Qiangyin carved onto himself.
【Otherworld】【Monster】
Finally, the intense pain caused Qiangyin to black out momentarily, nearly losing consciousness.
“Your Excellency Qiangyin! What’s wrong? Quick, get the ‘Newborn’ from the Royal Medical Society!” Charles half-kneeled, supporting Qiangyin, quickly directing the nearby “Crown Guards” to fetch help.
Though he sought to seize some power, he did not want Qiangyin to die.
Princess Vita was already dead, and the Queen could not keep the Symphony and the Queen's Sword in check for long; Charles would not allow the Queen's regime to fall into chaos.
At least on this point, Qiangyin and Charles's interests aligned.
Half-conscious and half-awake, Qiangyin saw a silver chain looping in an “∞” shape, writhing before him.
A strong impulse drove him to muster the last of his strength, looking towards the park in the distance.
In his bloodshot eyes, amidst the marching soldiers, a strange figure sat on a park bench, holding a pocket watch, seemingly leisurely watching the time.
Though it was just a silhouette, with hair of the common brown found in Ansu, in Qiangyin's heightened perception, it stood out glaringly.
The Key Person...
How dare you...
Qiangyin spat out another mouthful of blood, the last remnants of his vitality dissipating as he fell to the ground, his eyes still fixed on the direction of Charles, but his breath had already ceased.
His body was growing cold rapidly.
“Your Excellency Qiangyin! Your Excellency Qiangyin! Damn it... he’s dead!”
“Quick, go find someone from the Redemption Society! Don’t bother with the Royal Medical Society anymore! Hurry!”
A violent commotion erupted in front of the Russell Duke's residence.
Meanwhile, sitting on the bench, Charles looked at the pocket watch in his hand.
He frowned slightly, glancing back at the distant corpse of Qiangyin, then checking the system time.
Did he not have time to use the rewind?
No, that feeling of “uniqueness” was so strong just now, almost locked onto him. Even now that Qiangyin was dead, that sensation had not faded, and it intensified as time drew near, accompanied by a rising hum.
She had originally intended to follow the severely injured Qiangyin, to see how he left marks and used the “uniqueness” item, but now it seemed, Charles had missed his chance.
The scene she dreaded the most had unfolded.
Having rewound so many times, Qiangyin would certainly not die so easily.
But the hum of “uniqueness” still echoed in Charles's mind. She stood up and directly looked towards Charles.
At that moment, sensing her gaze, Charles finally turned to look at her, his brow furrowed as he said, “Miss, please leave this place...”
But at that moment, Charles's attention was completely drawn to the silver chain hovering above Qiangyin's forehead.
“Is that... Your Excellency Qiangyin? Oh my...” Charles's phantom “collapsed” to the ground, a look of sorrow crossing her face.
Meanwhile, her true self rushed forward, half-squatting in front of Qiangyin's corpse, quickly reaching out to grasp the chain—but she grasped nothing.
Her fingers passed right through the phantom chain, closing around empty air.
At that moment, a sword pressed against her neck.
“‘Subverter’?” The illusion could not deceive Charles for long. He frowned at the woman before him, a wave of doubt washing over him.
Could she... be the mastermind behind this?
From the Pleasure Society?
“This is bad...”
Charles murmured.
Just like the situation with the “Touch of Fate’s Betrayal,” back when the feather pen was involved.
Only by achieving “uniqueness” in reality could all instances of “uniqueness” across time and space collapse into the real world.
Table of Contents
