In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 73 The Emperor Falls into Madness, Destruction and Death Arrive
"You, you—how is this possible?!"

The Ursus envoy stared in disbelief at the mace before him, its face deathly pale from being pierced by the demonic blade, yet its consciousness remained uncorrupted by the demon.

As a reserve member of "the Emperor's Blade," this Ursus envoy knew all too well.

The only thing capable of resisting this demonic invasion on this land should be the "Emperor's Blade," a powerful and resolute force that has undergone fusion and transformation with the demonic fragments!
Moreover, "The Emperor's Blade" requires a complete set of equipment in order to barely maintain the will to fight against evil.

Others, once corrupted by evil spirits, unless they are extremely powerful individuals, will inevitably succumb to the fate of being corrupted by evil spirits.

But the woman in front of me—

She was not wearing the equipment that "the Emperor's Blade" should have.

It is not some naturally powerful race.

How could she possibly possess such a powerful will to fight against evil?!
But the next moment, before the Ursus envoy could figure it out...

Lappland and Texas followed up with sharp blades that pierced through his head and chest!
"exile!"

As the Ursus emissary passed away, fragments of the demon were scattered once more.

Under Fremont's spell, the falling demonic fragments were quickly banished into the void.

But this still couldn't change the fate of the mace.

The mace, corrupted by the demonic consciousness, held on until the very last moment when the danger was over, thanks to its own willpower.

Only when she witnessed firsthand the banishment of the demonic fragments did her willpower finally reach its limit, and her body involuntarily leaned backward...

But soon, a reliable and warm chest caught her as she fell, powerless.

"Mace..."

Unconsciously, Chen Qi knelt down, seemingly forgetting that he was the emperor, and used his thighs as a pillow for the mace.

And his slightly trembling voice, which revealed little emotion, gently rang in Jian's ear.

"...Don't get so close to me, Inori."

“I don’t want you to get infected by this weird thing like I did.”

Sensing that his consciousness was rapidly fading away, Jian mustered his last bit of strength and smiled as he gazed at the face that was so close yet becoming increasingly indistinct.

"But, how should I put it?"

"It feels so good to be able to hear your voice again."

Perhaps sensing that his time was coming to an end, or perhaps because he no longer had the energy to continue concealing his thoughts and intentions.

What made Jian smile bitterly was that this should have been her last chance to tell the man in front of her what was on her mind.

But the thought that the more she said, the more wounds she would leave in his heart only made her more anxious.

Even if she racked her brains, she couldn't come up with any mushy or affectionate words.

All she could do was tremblingly take out the scalpel Chen Qi had given her from her belt and utter her final request.

"pray."

"While I'm still conscious, before I turn into a monster."

"Please, use this scalpel to kill me."

"—I won't let you die, Mace."

Faced with Jian's final request as she collapsed into his arms, Chen Qi simply reached out and tightly grasped her hand that was holding the scalpel.

His voice was unexpectedly calm.

Beneath the calm surface lurks a chilling danger.

Just like a minor earthquake before a volcanic eruption.

Before all of this happened, no one could have predicted the devastating and terrifying effects this disaster would have.

"I will not allow you to die. I will not permit you to die."

"This is my order, Jian, you are not allowed to disobey."

"I have reminded you... you know the crime of disobeying an imperial edict."

Chen Qi's voice was extremely gentle in Jian's ear, but his words were as cold and piercing as a biting wind.

"If you die, I will make the Ursus people who committed all these sins pay the price in blood."

"I will use the entire Ursus, all the people of Ursus, to be buried with you."

"—You dare?"

As expected, as soon as Chen Qi finished speaking calmly yet frantically, Jian's eyes widened and his voice unconsciously rose a little.

The next second, supported by an unwavering will, Jian, whose consciousness was about to be devoured by the demon, miraculously stood up.

Under the horrified gazes of the others, the scalpel in Jian's hand was already pressed firmly against Chen Qi's throat.

Even as the power of the mace gradually slipped out of his control.

A thin line of blood had already been drawn from Chen Qi's throat.

"His Majesty?!"

However, Chen Qi remained calm in the face of the terrified cries of others.

He simply raised his hand slightly, and everyone's actions were immediately halted.

His gaze never left the mace in front of him from beginning to end, not even for a second.

"You promised me that you would help me protect... your humanity."

Relying on his last remaining belief and constantly fighting against the demonic consciousness in his mind, he was speaking with each word accompanied by a gasp for breath.

But she still forced herself to stand up and looked directly at Chen Qi, just as before, using her own methods to awaken the remaining humanity in this monarch's heart.

"And you also said..."

"The day you lose your humanity, let me take your life."

"That's what I said."

Chen Qi's answer remained calm.

"But what if even the woman who protected the last shred of humanity for me dies?"

"The only one left alive in this world is an emperor named 'Qi'."

"You want to take my life, mace?"

"Now, this is your last chance."

Facing the scalpel pressed against his throat, a scalpel that, despite the passage of time, remained remarkably sharp, Chen Qi showed not a trace of fear in his eyes.

"If you die, I will definitely start this war against Ursus and slaughter all the Ursus people."

“I will apply all the punishments that I have not used on the Casimirs and the Victorians to those Ursussians.”

“In the future, I may even spread these wounds to every single person on this land.”

"If you think that after your death I will be a cruel and tyrannical emperor who only brings disaster to people."

"Use this knife to take my life."

"Just like we agreed."

"..."

silence.

When responding to Chen Qi, Jian's hands trembled and his eyes were red and swollen. He remained silent for a long time without uttering a single word.

With a slight exertion of force from the mace, the bloodstain on Chen Qi's throat became increasingly noticeable.

If the mace had been used just a little more force, his throat would have been slit, causing him to bleed to death.

But, just before that final moment.

The mace's hand, as if all its strength had been taken away, slowly fell to its sides.

"Bang."

I can't bring myself to do it.

Even with all her might and the last ounce of her will, Jian couldn't kill the man who had pulled her out of the abyss.

She already knew this outcome beforehand.

But only when that moment actually arrived did Jian realize that killing a person was such a difficult thing for her.

"...Don't go."

Leaning against Chen Qi's chest, utterly exhausted, Jian could only plead in a soft voice in Chen Qi's ear:

"Don't seek revenge for me... and don't do anything stupid that will bury your empire."

"You are the emperor, half the emperor of Terra..."

"Compared to me... your people, your country... all of that is far more important..."

"--Yes, I won't go."

Facing the woman who had collapsed into his arms, utterly powerless, Chen Qi patiently whispered his agreement in her ear again and again.

"As long as you are alive, I will not do any of this. As long as you are alive, I have no need to avenge you."

"So, promise me, mace." "You mustn't die until I find a way to save you, understand?"

"……Um."

Finally, with a barely audible clang, she drifted off to sleep.

She did not die, nor did she exhibit any signs of being corrupted by evil spirits and transforming into a "collapsed body" that spreads evil influences.

This is enough to prove that the mace is still alive.

Moreover, her will continues to struggle against the evil spirits in her mind.

For Chen Qi, this was enough for the time being.

He silently picked up the hammer's body, which was not soft but muscular. Under everyone's gaze, after a long while, he calmly spoke:

"...Lappland, Texas."

"Take the mace and go get some rest."

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

After exchanging glances, the two wolf girls seemed to keenly sense the anger that was about to erupt beneath their emperor's calm exterior.

They knew that the person standing before them now was not "Qi" who had just spoken softly with Jian.

He was the emperor of the Holy Empire of Letania.

They dared not stay where they were, and reluctantly agreed before carefully taking the body of the mace from their emperor's arms.

Under the watchful eyes of the two wolf girls, even though Jian had fallen into a coma, he still mumbled in a very soft voice, "Don't go" and "Don't seek revenge."

Chen Qi watched until the bodies of the two wolves and the mace disappeared from his sight before slowly taking a deep breath.

In an instant, everyone present felt a chilling sensation suddenly creep up their spines!

That was the aura that belonged exclusively to the emperor they served.

At this moment, even though Chen Qi didn't say a word, everyone present could clearly feel it—

Their emperor was truly enraged this time.

"—Gestapo!"

"exist!"

At Chen Qi's stern command, the Gestapo members who had been unable to react before and were protecting their emperor rushed to Chen Qi's side and knelt down in fear.

They are afraid.

They feared that this emperor, who had now transformed into a devil, would regard them as worthless and, in a moment of desperation, have them all perish with him.

But the next second, Chen Qi's icy gaze shifted to Liselotte beside him, and he roared in a hoarse voice:

"Take this good-for-nothing who has no father, no ruler, and has abandoned his country and family away and have him torn to pieces!"

"His Majesty?!"

Before Liselotte could react, she felt her power being completely sealed once again.

The next second, the Gestapo officers, who immediately obeyed the order, dragged Liselotte's body toward the underground prison of the tower.

This time, a look of fear finally appeared on Liselotte's face.

"Your Majesty! Don't kill me! I'm still useful to you!"

"Your Majesty's expedition to Ursus will inevitably encounter fierce resistance from the Ursus legions, and may even be met with a demonic uprising!"

"Having me by Your Majesty's side is beneficial to Your Majesty!"

This was the first time Liselotte had ever lost her composure and begged for forgiveness, because she sensed that Chen Qi's intent to kill her was real.

This was completely different from the tacit understanding that Chen Qi had just overthrown in the tower.

This time, the man was truly going to die!

"—You have lost your last chance to prove yourself useful, Liselotte."

However, faced with Liselotte's pleas for mercy, Chen Qi's eyes turned colder and more ruthless than ever before, and a cruel sneer appeared on his lips as he spoke:

"I have given you countless chances, but you have not cherished them."

"I do not need a useless tool."

"Drag it!"

"Yes!"

Having received clear instructions, the Gestapo dared not slacken or show any mercy, and slowly dragged away the former empress who was struggling and pleading for mercy with all her might.

Until Liselotte's last plea for mercy completely disappeared from the tower's hall.

The hall was filled with officials, nobles, and even those very close to Chen Qi.

No one dared to beg for Liselot's life, nor did anyone dare to persuade the bloodshot-eyed emperor to calm down.

They simply knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, awaiting the next decree from their emperor.

"Issue my decree."

"Army, assemble!"

"I, the Emperor, will personally lead the campaign against Ursus!"

"I will make Ursus pay the price in blood for their actions!"

With the mace no longer by his side, Chen Qi, no longer able to conceal his surging emotions, completely erupted!

His voice was ferocious and hoarse, as if it had come from hell, and his pair of blood-red horns seemed to be burning with intense anger, turning even more blood-red!

"Kid, don't be impulsive!"

Upon hearing this, Fremont, who was standing nearby, couldn't sit still any longer.

He realized that the fate of the mace had caused the emperor, who held the most powerful and influential forces in all of Terra, to lose his usual rationality and composure.

He had forgotten just how terrible the price would be to conquer Ursus.

He even forgot whether, if Ursus were to perish, the remaining military strength of Letania would be sufficient to resist the increasingly restless "demons" in the North.

Conquering Ursus would be a decision that would send his hard-earned great empire to its grave in an instant!
But just as Fremont was about to stop him, a single glance from Chen Qi froze the lich lord who had lived for a thousand years.

There is no other reason.

Fremont knew that look all too well.

That was the calm madness that Helhunzoren displayed at the moment he discovered the deepest knowledge in this world!
But unlike a madman, a madman is very clear about what he is doing.

He was even more aware of the consequences of his actions.

But he still made that choice.

Once someone is caught in this kind of emotion, no one can dissuade them or pull them back.

Even if their decision plunges them into an abyss, they will still have no regrets!
"Your Majesty, I must report this."

The Gestapo members, whose legs were already trembling and weak, asked in trembling voices, as if they were begging for death:
"Your Majesty, how many troops are needed?"

"--all."

However, in response to the trembling questions from the Gestapo, Chen Qi delivered the most terrifying answer in a cold voice.

"Whether it's the Leitanian Army Group, the Armored Corps, the Artillery Corps, the Air Force, or the Warlock Legion..."

"It's still the conquest knights reorganized by Casimir, the steam legion incorporated by Victoria, or Bolivar's army."

"Even Colombia, Gaul, Tara, and even the Sarkaz!"

"All nations and armies that submit to my supreme rule!"

"All of you, come with me to conquer Ursus!"

"I will make Ursus tremble."

"I will make every inch of Ursus' land filled with howls and suffering."

"I will make the Ursus legions shed their last drop of blood in this war!"

"I will use the blood of the Ursus people to tell every nation and every person on the continent of Terra!"

"Those despicable ants who dared to offend me and defy the imperial majesty, what price will they pay for their foolish actions!"

"Their fate is only destruction and death!"

Within the magnificent, golden tower, the emperor's furious and mad words echoed.

Inside the vast palace, all the officials were so terrified by the emperor's thunderous wrath that they knelt on the ground, not daring to raise their heads even slightly.

People kept collapsing to the ground, their faces turning ashen and foaming at the mouth, completely unaware that they were uncontrollably spitting out their excrement.

Faced with this scene, only Fremont silently closed his eyes.

The scene he least wanted to see finally happened.

...This bloodthirsty demonic sword has finally lost its scabbard that bound it.

Now, this demonic sword is unrestrained and unstoppable.

He will use the indelible blood and wounds on this land to show the world his ruthlessness, brutality, and madness.

(End of this chapter)