Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 318 We are Team Rocket
"There are many kinds of villains in this world. Some rely on manipulating power to burn anyone who opposes them at the stake, with Julius, the former Pope of the Empire, being a prime example. Others rely on fanatical faith to control people's hearts and spread their doctrines through cruel and unconventional acts of sacrifice, with Old Ba being a prime example. Of course, there are also those who use pure violence to imprint fear in people's hearts, with Winter being a prime example... Hey, what are you doing!"

Unsurprisingly, such remarks drew a rebuttal from Winter. Although Rowena had already prepared to run away after her playful remark, the cat's reaction speed was superior to that of the bat. Before she could flap her wings and take off, Winter leaped off Ethan's shoulder and arrested Rowena with the ferocity of a tiger pouncing on its prey.

"I thought you were going to say something."

Winter bared its teeth and claws at Rowena menacingly, "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth."

"I am a bat!"

The little purple bat struggled, sending a distress signal to Ethan, who was watching the battle, "Old Ethan, help—!"

Ethan was all too familiar with this scene. Rowena had repeatedly failed in her dealings with Winter, and her spirit could be described as indomitable. Although she never gained any advantage, she always persisted in provoking Winter by bringing up topics. Through Ms. Rowena's tenacious efforts, she even left people with the stereotype that Winter liked to breathe in the sun.

But...

Winter's breath does occur frequently, but nine out of ten times it's directed at Rowena. Ivy, Higan, and Chloe, who are also her partners, are rarely affected by Winter's breath.

What did that sentence say?

Ethan looked at the little bat struggling under the cat's paws. "Sometimes you should also reflect on your own problems."

"Okay!"

The little bat couldn't believe it; she never imagined that even the kind-hearted Ethan would betray her. "You two, you're truly a united couple, your strength can break gold!"

Huh?
She was stunned for a moment after she said it.

This phrase doesn't seem to be used to insult people.

Winter, who was pulling at her wings, also paused for a moment, tilting her head to think for a moment, and then loosened her grip a little.

Sometimes, this bat can actually speak in human language.

"In short, what I'm trying to say is, can you imagine Old Sen being like the three representatives mentioned above?"

Unable to break free, Rowena simply lay flat on her back. Anyway, Winter knew how to control her strength; the claws she showed were just to intimidate her and would never leave any wounds. The more time she spent with Winter, the stranger she felt she was becoming—if she didn't get his hissed by the cat for a day, she always felt that something was missing from her life.

Rowena's shout prompted several other onlookers to reflect.

"When you say that, it's true."

The other side spoke first, and the black wolf wagged its tail and circled Ethan.

The question is, if you met Ethan on the street, what would your first impression of him be?

The answer is a sunny, cheerful, and enthusiastic young man who would proactively help an elderly woman cross the street—this is also the impression that the people of the capital have of Ethan. Although the new cabinet, led by Ivy, compiled "Imperial Truth" after taking office, and tried its best to promote Ethan's divine side in it, after the people of the capital had spent a long time with him, they would affectionately call him "Old Sen" when they met him on the street.

According to an anonymous survey conducted last quarter, Lao Sen is particularly popular among middle-aged and elderly people over 45 years old in Beijing. Among the citizens surveyed, 99.5% were willing to send their children to Lao Sen for study.

It's worth noting that even at the height of Henry's royal prestige, their public approval rating never reached the level of Ethan.

After thinking for a long time, she found it hard to imagine Ethan becoming a villainous leader.

"Right! And what about you, Old An? From your different perspective, what are your thoughts on Ethan?"

"I?"

The little octopus seemed to be deep in thought, and then spoke his mind: "A trustworthy psychologist, I feel very at ease entrusting my child to his care."

After saying that, Eliom also picked up a tentacle, which is how the octopus clan expresses "+1".

"So my core point is that Lao Sen cannot follow the traditional villain route. Forcibly imitating him will not only fail to create a sense of villainy, but will also make him look ridiculous."

Rowena said, "Old Sen, you don't want the people of this country not to see you as a villain, do you?"

Ethan nodded, but he felt there was something odd about the way Rowena was saying it.

Like a seasoned comedian giving advice to young people who haven't yet entered the industry based on his own experience, he almost immediately understood the other party's good intentions through Rowena's current image in his mind—Rovina, the former Archmage of the Astrology Guild, one of the core members of the Dream Eclipse Organization, with a bounty of up to six figures, was a nightmare for the residents of the Empire, especially the nobles, for a long time.

When Ethan was working as a clerk for the Adventurers' Guild in Riverwood, he saw the daily report from Gear City. Judging from the crime scene alone, Rowena absolutely deserved her infamy.

And now?

Theoretically speaking, Rowena obtained the power of the fake god of trickery and officially ascended to the rank of saint. Looking at the entire empire, how many people can rival Rowena in terms of strength?

But when Ethan looked at Rowena, he found it hard to sense any ruthlessness about her. She often seemed like a small animal, making very loud noises, and then becoming docile when a cat pounced on her.

If the real Kadra had known that the person who inherited His power was like this, he might have immediately abandoned the idea of ​​passing on the knowledge and power.

Very good, Rowena has been a great help to Ethan.

Whenever he had doubts about "villains" and "presence," he could learn from Ms. Rowena and avoid following in her footsteps.

Rowena was completely unaware of this. She lay flat until Winter lost interest in her, rolled on the ground, and then sat up again. "Anyway, with a seasoned villain like me as your advisor, you can rest assured—once we get to the city, just follow my lead."

……

However, the atmosphere of the conversation on the other side was not so relaxed and leisurely.

Hours after the mechanical locusts migrated, the people of the capital finally left the cellars and underground waterways, only to find a post-apocalyptic scene on the surface. Most of the houses had been "eaten" by the locusts, their structures and conditions drastically altered. Those who hadn't managed to escape underground during the first locust invasion were still wandering the city.

These people, whose skin is covered in strange metals and who resemble zombies, exhibit strong aggression. What makes the survivors even more terrified is their highly infectious nature. Citizens who are caught in the siege are quickly assimilated, and even their monster companions are no exception.

The wanderers became something between humans and monsters; they possessed the power to fight ordinary monsters without needing to command monsters to attack.

The citizens who survived the first wave of attacks were not elite summoners. They were all people who answered the call to enlist after giving a speech in the square of Felrock. However, they never received any monster eggs issued by the army, and the monster companions who followed them were mostly engaged in daily life.

The kingdom also has a large number of residents who are not interested in fighting, while the true elites of the Royal Summoner's Guild were wiped out after leaving the city with the royal family.

The surface of the capital city is no longer suitable for human habitation. At least until the wanderers infected with the mechanical plague are completely eradicated, they must prepare to live in underground waterways or cellars for a long time. Fortunately, the wanderers are far less aggressive and faster than the mechanical locust swarms, which provides the survivors with the possibility of transferring supplies underground.

At the lowest point in morale, Charlotte stepped forward and delivered a speech in an open space in the underground sewers.

It was stifling and hot here, with an unpleasant smell permeating the air. She also witnessed the fall of the Crimson Queen, which almost became the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing the survivors to completely lose hope.

This time, the Scarlet Queen will not save them as she has before.

"The fall of the Scarlet Queen is certainly heartbreaking, but life must go on!"

Charlotte's appeal was far less effective than Minister Firrock's speech. This wasn't just because she was inexperienced and had never spoken in front of so many people before, but also because everyone present had been deeply hurt by Firrock's speech. What had the royal family and ministers done when they had mustered the courage to answer the call for the kingdom and their families?
They fled with valuables and their most elite summoners.

Few people who love to talk big are good people!

Charlotte overheard the murmurs in the crowd and was immediately rendered speechless.

"I plan to go to the surface to collect some supplies before dark. Anyone want to come with me?"

After a long while, she made the suggestion again.

Since this is a protracted war, they must be well prepared. They need not only supplies, but also to transform the underground waterways into shelters suitable for people to live in within a short period of time.

The fall of the Crimson Queen signifies the breaking of the world's rules. The concept of "death" will return to this world, and people will no longer be able to live to a ripe old age as before. If they remain in such an environment for a long time, they will quickly fall ill. Before the mechanical monsters can take over the entire world, the remaining survivors will die from infectious diseases.

However, there were very few responders. One was a patrol member who had survived the first search, and the others were adults with elderly people and children to support. They had all witnessed the horrors of the wanderers, and each of them was prepared to die.

"Come with me."

Charlotte composed herself.

Something is better than nothing, she immediately convinced herself. Sensing her unwavering will, the white baby dragon returned her gaze with the same determination.

"That troublesome guy is finally gone."

After Charlotte's makeshift search and rescue team left, the few people hidden among the survivors exchanged glances.

They felt they really had to thank Charlotte, who, despite giving some nonsensical speeches, at least took away a lot of troublesome people.

Before long, a woman's cry broke the oppressive atmosphere of the underground sewers. When the bewildered people looked in the direction of the sound, they saw several adults kicking a dusty little boy away. Some of them were then snatching the two boys' food without regard for others.

"What are you doing?"

A question came from the crowd.

Before the questioner could even stand up, a ferocious-looking gray wolf blocked their way.

"Isn't it obvious?" the leader said with a sneer. "There are only two of them, yet they have taken up so much food. It's such a waste."

His gaze swept over everyone present. "Of course, so do you. Hand over your grain."

"You are...poachers!"

Someone recognized them and their behavior. These coyotes and bats are the poachers' favorite monsters, as they are inherently ferocious and adept at attacking in packs.

"Stop them! There are more of us than they can outnumber them. If we fight back together..."

Before he could finish speaking, the gray wolf pounced on the man and knocked him to the ground, its claws tearing open the skin on his shoulder. This scene immediately silenced everyone.

Attacking a summoner with a monster is a crime in the kingdom. What terrified them even more was that the man was injured, and he looked badly injured. His face was pale, and blood kept gushing from his wounds.

The monster's attack shouldn't have caused such obvious wounds to humans.

"Don't you understand yet?"

The poacher who gave the order to the gray wolf sneered, "The Crimson Queen is dead, all the rules she set are disappearing, and poachers? That was just our past identity. The situation has changed now."

The man's gaze swept over everyone present. He looked down at those who were itching to rebel and said loudly, "Do you want to go against Team Rocket?"

These words instantly extinguished the flames of resistance in everyone's hearts.

Rockets...

Even the Scarlet Queen was killed by them, so what can ordinary people like them do?
"If you know what's good for you, hand over all your supplies."

The poacher leader raised his voice, "And remember this, this city has been taken over by Team Rocket!"

"Stop it."

A voice rang out from the silent crowd.

It was a man with a white headscarf. Even though he wasn't carrying any monsters with him, he still got up and walked out of the crowd.

"Oh, I've heard of you."

The poacher leader said, "You're the Whitebanda from Moonforest City, how about it? You want to join Team Rocket? Our screening process is very strict, but we can be lenient with you, as long as you pay us five people's worth of supplies—"

"I told you, stop."

The white-turbaned man glared fiercely at the gray wolf, who took a step back and also stared warily at the white-turbaned man, letting out a series of low growls.

The man in the white headscarf said, "Even poachers must never get involved in this kind of behavior."

“I understand, so you don’t intend to join us.”

The poacher leader smiled. "You're here to play the hero, but I've heard some other things... like how you lost monsters and manpower in Moonforest City, and all your former followers have deserted you."

"Yes, it seems your information is quite accurate."

The man in the white headscarf stopped his left hand on the cuff of his clothes and walked step by step toward the poachers. "But what you don't know is that there's more to this than meets the eye."

The poachers were also taken aback by his strange actions and demanded, "What do you want to do?"

Have you ever heard of sludge disease?

"...Mud disease? What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Oh, that's a more terrifying infectious disease than the mechanical plague on the surface. Once you get infected with this disease, your whole body will fester within a few days, eventually turning into a lump of stinking mud. The initial symptom of this disease is that the body will emit a smell similar to stinking mud."

The white headscarf had torn a slit in the cuff, and even in the underground sewer environment, the strong smell still reached the poachers' noses.

"I'm doomed."

He laughed wildly and quickened his pace. "So, do you want to become like me too?"

(End of this chapter)