Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1551: Chapter 278: God and Man (Part 1)

Pressing his ear to the floor, Yiben was concentrating intently, listening to something… After a while, he got up and quickly ran back to Guardian Otto’s side.

On the Miniature Temple square.

Guardian Otto was organizing the equipment he had brought—most of the metal equipment had been attracted by the strong electromagnetic force on the square, but now that the electromagnetic force was gone, these pieces of equipment could be used.

The equipment was what he had brought when he explored the Oasis Temple ruins over half a year ago. Later, he got trapped in the City of the Sun without any supply, so the usage of these pieces of equipment was limited.

In this dangerous place, where one did not know how long they would be trapped, seeing that bullets and other resources were running out, Guardian Otto couldn’t help but plan a last-ditch effort… He certainly didn’t want to be stuck in this City of the Sun forever.

His life had been exceedingly long, so long that he had traveled the entire mainland; how could he now be trapped in this tiny place?

“Sir, what are you doing!”

“Using up everything left to make something with a bit more power.”

Yiben naturally didn’t know what it could be, he just felt it must be something powerful, and quickly nodded, then hurriedly said, “The commotion outside seems to have stopped, I can’t hear anything anymore… I don’t know what happened just now, it was like being besieged by a monster!”

“Stopping is normal, I didn’t originally intend to cause much chaos,” Guardian Otto said calmly, “I just let a monster hidden in the Royal Palace loose, more people dying is still manageable.”

The way he mentioned more people dying so casually made Yiben shiver, realizing this gentleman was truly a cold-blooded and emotionless guy.

At this moment, Guardian Otto pulled up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and looking at the Miniature Temple ahead, said, “Yiben, if we can’t get out this time, prepare to spend your life stuck in this ghost place!”

“What about you?” Yiben subconsciously asked.

Guardian Otto didn’t answer, merely glanced at Yiben indifferently and suddenly said, “Do you know, you actually have another name, which is your original name… who you originally are.”

“What is it?” Yiben opened his mouth, “Why don’t I know?”

“Your name is Aria,” Guardian Otto patted Yiben’s shoulder, “And just like now, you are someone who values wealth above all else.”

This Guardian gentleman is actually a guy with a screw loose, right… Yiben silently guessed in his heart.

But just then, a huge gunshot echoed across the wide square, startling Yiben to raise his hands, only to see a figure stride into the square, none other than… the Princess!

Holding a Divine Artifact handgun, the Princess’s gaze was fierce as she stared at Yiben and Guardian Otto in the square, coldly saying, “This is a key area inside the Temple, who are you two! Why are you here!”

The Guardian said nothing but frowned, seemingly contemplating something.

Yiben was stunned for a moment, opened his mouth and said, “You… you really are the Princess, not the impostor…”

“Impositor?” the Princess was momentarily taken aback, frowned, and then solemnly asked, “You’ve seen her?”

Does the Princess know about this?

Yiben suddenly panicked, instinctively sensing danger, he quickly waved his hands and shook his head, “No, no! I don’t know anything!”

The Princess, however, fired another shot at Yiben’s feet, scaring him greatly and causing his body to shake, “Trespassing in the Temple is a capital crime… I, in the name of the Royal Palace Princess, will execute you both!”

Hearing “execute,” Yiben immediately became more panicked, subconsciously looking at Guardian Otto, but saw that Guardian Otto did not care at all, with his backpack on, turning and walking straight into the Miniature Temple.

The Princess snorted coldly, aimed her gun again, and intended to fire, but at this moment Guardian Otto suddenly raised his arm, and with a flash of cold light, the Divine Artifact handgun in the Princess’s hand was knocked away!

A flying knife, the size of a palm, accurately knocked the handgun out of her grip!

The Princess was internally shocked at the opponent’s skill and contemplated a countermeasure, when Guardian Otto calmly said, “You are not qualified to execute me, I am not from the City of the Sun… Then even if I am, you may not necessarily have this qualification, whether you are the true Princess or not remains uncertain.”

“What did you say?!” the Princess frowned.

Guardian Otto, however, while walking, said, “You have no intention to kill us, if you wanted to, you could have aimed at our vital spots from the start instead of warning us… There is confusion in your eyes, you seek answers. Indeed, you’re merely looking for answers.”

“Who… who are you?”

Guardian Otto calmly stated, “I’m just a wayward traveler who wants to go home… Inside here, someone wants to prevent me from going back, I intend to kill him.”

“Wait… wait a minute!” the Princess hurriedly called out.

But Guardian Otto ignored her, walking straight into the Miniature Temple… Yiben remained where he was, awkwardly looking at the Princess, then tiptoed to slip away quietly—starting from this point, he no longer planned to follow this Guardian gentleman!

The wealth promised by the Guardian, he hadn’t seen any, instead, he had nearly lost his life several times… A lifetime stuck here?

He grew up here, what’s wrong with spending a lifetime here… The outside world was full of temptations, he wanted to go, but was also afraid… afraid of never being able to come back.

He always felt he was someone unwilling to leave his hometown for far journeys, always felt the numerous attachments in his hometown… Yet evidently in the City of the Sun, he was just a homeless orphan with no family.

“Stop! One more step and I’ll shoot you!”

BANG—!

The Princess, who had unknowingly picked up the Divine Artifact handgun from the ground, fired at Yiben again, who had barely taken two steps; terrified, he raised his hands in dismay and said, “Why is it always me??”

“You, come in with me!” the Princess commanded coldly.

Yiben felt the playful twist of fate… So was he destined not to escape entry?

…

…

The flying curtain swiftly arrived at the Temple deep within the Royal Palace, landing.

The Little Maid jumped down, looked around, her face puzzled, “Why isn’t there anyone here… the lamps aren’t on, could it be due to evacuation?”

“Woman, you haven’t been to this place before?” The Red Lamp Spirit asked casually.

The little maid Arian shook her head, “There are rules in the Royal Palace, we are not allowed to approach the Temple casually… Previously there were many White-robed Guards guarding here, but now not a single one is seen.”

She saw many piles of sand on the ground and couldn’t help but remember that the city people who were bitten to death by monsters also turned into sand. Some kind of guess formed in her heart, but she felt the thought was too frightening and quickly shook her head to discard it.

“Lord Lamp God, what are you doing?” the little maid suddenly widened her eyes.

The Red Lamp Spirit suddenly started digging the ground… Red Lamp Spirit pried open the floor of the Temple surroundings piece by piece and then pulled out something from the underground, a long thing resembling a rope.

“It really is here…” Red Lamp Spirit directly broke the rope it pulled out from the depths of the ground… Sparks and electricity crackled at the broken end of the rope.

In a world that hasn’t reached the electric civilization, looking at this abnormal electricity with reverence… Little maid Arian’s face turned white and quickly hid behind the Red Lamp Spirit.

“This thing is under the entire City of the Sun, like a spider web,” the Red Lamp Spirit touched the broken end of the rope with its finger and got shocked, “Hmm… Quite pleasant.”

It wanted to press the broken end directly against its shoulder and hummed softly, “Oh… Just right to treat this stiffness in Lamp God’s shoulder, nice, nice… Woman, do you want to try it?!”

“No… no need!” Little maid Arian shook her head in fear, “Lord Lamp God, we still have to find the Princess!”

“Oh… right.” The Red Lamp Spirit nodded and then threw down the broken rope, muttering: “But the electric power isn’t tickling enough… There’s a larger one underground it seems, wonder if the effect might be better.”

Because in its perception, these black thick lines in the whole city all converge at this Temple… Uh, might find time for a soothing massage here.

The Lamp God ascended the flight curtain once more, intending to start again when it suddenly changed its expression inexplicably… It looked at the Temple ahead in amazement, feeling an ominous aura emanating from something.

It couldn’t determine the strength of this aura, it might be very weak, not even a tenth of its own power — but just this aura, like overlooking from the top of a pyramid, while it was just the one crawling midway down, making its heart pound!

“Here it comes again… This terrifying sinister presence!”

“Lord Lamp God, what’s wrong with you?” The little maid asked curiously at this moment: “Why do you look like you’re very scared?”

“Sca… scared of what!” The Red Lamp Spirit snorted at the moment: “I am the greatest Lamp God in the world… Yes! This Lamp God is great, nothing can make this Lamp God sca… scared! Hold on tight, this Lamp God is going to accelerate!”

No joke, how could this Lamp God be looked down upon by a woman… Woman ah ah!!

…

…

One streak, two streaks, three streaks… The Eagle-headed Pharaoh tore through the speed of light, moving faster and faster — finally, the last two streaks holding Yamana’s body were ripped open under its frenzy!

It held the incessantly bleeding Yamana in its bosom.

Not understanding how to heal, it merely pressed its palm against Yamana’s abdomen at this moment… No further actions, standing entirely still.

Yet miraculously, Yamana began feeling her strength seemingly recovering, the pain from the wound in her abdomen slowly dissipating, even starting to heal.

But she remained weak, needing to lean on the Eagle-headed Pharaoh to stay upright.

“So long… Since I was last in Father’s embrace,” Yamana muttered, lowering her head: “How long has it been since you held me in your arms… since that night.”

That night, the Pharaoh holding the sword of royal power personally killed his Queen… Since that night, he hadn’t embraced her.

He said his hands no longer deserved to hold his daughter… he was merely a sinner.

Then came estrangement, less words, gradually unfamiliar, meeting only for quarrels… since that night.

“You’ve become like this.” Yamana’s voice was hoarse, holding the fierce eagle head in her hands, “Even so… no matter what, I will restore you… That’s why I ventured into the outer world.”

For this reason, she listened to the advice of the High Priest, went to the world where Gods dwell, to learn the Knowledge of the Gods — after that night, the High Priest appeared before her.

——Yamana, you must inherit your mother’s will, like her, to find a way to save the City of the Sun in the world where Gods reside.

She turned into Claudia, became Professor Xie Jiatu’s adopted daughter. Every once in a while, she would return to the City of the Sun, bringing back the knowledge she learned outside — keeping all her memories intact throughout.

While the other one… The one split by the Scales each time acted as a substitute, could only retain one side of the memory — but now it seemed that Yamana was not even clear if she was the real Yamana, or Claudia.

Perhaps in the past ten years, amidst countless exchanges of identities, she’s no longer the original self.

Just like all the residents of the City of the Sun, like her father, like the behind-the-scenes… She has always been playing a part in the High Priest’s game, serving as the material for his creation of The Vessel.

Suddenly, she felt that the man lying limp on the ground was so terrifying — more terrifying than the monsters outside the city.

The ground… the ground?

Yamana jolted in surprise, seeing that the High Priest, who should have collapsed on the ground with broken bones, had somehow crawled… Crawled to the front of the Scales of Good and Evil!

“You!” Yamana exclaimed!

Astonished by the High Priest’s terrifying perseverance — what kind of strength of will does it take to drag on such a body, broken in every part, with chest and abdomen even pierced?

A trail of horrifying blood marks on the ground… Crawling forward, he dragged this streak of blood.

The Eagle-headed Pharaoh sensed Yamana’s agitation and turned — looking at the High Priest on the ground reaching for the Scales of Good and Evil, his gaze flashed.

“Yamana… Which do you think I am…”

The High Priest revealed a smile to Yamana… The Eagle-headed Pharaoh also acted at this moment, spewing a mass of fierce fire directly from its mouth!

The High Priest suddenly roared at the instant the flames arrived and lifted the Scale, tossing it out — amidst furious laughter, the High Priest’s body was incinerated into ashes by the fierce fire… Instantly!

The thrown Scale directly smashed against a distant vitreous column… Inside the container, stored, was the very same body resembling the High Priest!

Or rather, this was his original body, before being split by the Scales of Good and Evil.

The High Priest inside the cylindrical container… Xie Jiatu suddenly opened his eyes.