"Nothing is over. How can anything be over!"
Silas slammed a newspaper onto the table, roaring.
The newspaper read:
"According to preliminary statistics, 20,000 people died directly in the Great Smog, while the subsequent plague claimed an additional 40,000 lives..."
"The Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee has announced that the root cause of the smog was excessive waste gas emissions.
Through the implementation of relevant legislation, we have reason to believe such tragedies will not occur again..."
"Calm down."
Across from him, the Queen said with a grave expression.
The Queen could see that this Shepherd's condition was extremely dangerous.
The crimson robe on his body surface rippled like liquid, his spirituality overflowing wildly, just like the fury he couldn't suppress.
"..."
Silas fell slightly silent.
This wasn't because he had controlled his rage, but because he was making a decision.
A moment later, he suddenly raised his head and looked at the Queen.
"Your Majesty, there's something I want to ask of you."
As he spoke, he pointed toward the black cat sitting quietly in the corner of the room.
"Please help me look after my cat."
His voice had returned to calm, but his blood-red eyes proved his madness hadn't disappeared.
"What are you planning to do?"
The Queen frowned slightly, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition.
"I'm going to seek justice for my flock, for everyone in the East Borough."
Silas said coldly.
"Seek justice..."
The Queen's eyes sharpened as she suddenly understood what he was planning. "You're going to make an enemy of the Loen royal family?"
"That's right!"
Silas answered proudly.
"Do you truly understand what you're doing? This is practically suicide!"
The Queen said.
"I understand perfectly."
Silas sneered.
In truth, this idea had begun to take root when he first learned the truth, and it had only grown stronger with everything he'd witnessed over the past few days.
His flock had died because of this despicable emperor, and his heart could not find peace!
To George III, these people were just simple numbers, but to Silas, these people were his flock, an important anchor for his soul.
If he couldn't seek justice for his flock, what kind of Shepherd would he be!
"The direct culprit of this matter has already been killed."
The Queen sighed inwardly, pointing to Panatiya's Beyonder characteristic on the table, a shriveled, blackened, semi-transparent heart, and tried to persuade him.
"As for the mastermind, you can wait until you've advanced to a higher level before making plans..."
"No, I can't wait. I won't wait."
Silas shook his head. "I've already understood. This is my destiny, and also my opportunity for advancement."
If he chose to retreat today, if he didn't dare face the Loen royal family directly, then how could he face the True Creator at the True God level? Would the vow of revenge he'd made still count?
He couldn't retreat a single step!
"Your Majesty, I asked you before, and your answer was that advancement ceremonies can be performed in advance, correct?"
He suddenly asked this.
"The essence of an advancement ceremony is to offset the side effects in the potion.
As long as it takes effect when consuming the potion, it can be performed in advance."
"Very good."
Silas wasn't certain what the side effects of the Black Knight potion were, but this was already reason enough not to back down.
"I'll ask one more time. Have you thought this through?"
The Queen said in a deep voice.
Silas nodded without hesitation.
"Very well."
The Queen stood up abruptly.
An invisible servant floated to the corner and carefully picked up Luna.
"I'm returning to my ship. If you can come back alive, you can find me in the waters near Pritz Harbor."
Military Intelligence Division Nine and the royal family were hunting her; she couldn't stay too long either.
"Meow."
Luna lay in the invisible servant's arms, looking over its shoulder at Silas.
Being held by an unfamiliar strange thing, she didn't resist or hiss, but only watched Silas with her moist, azure eyes, until she departed with the Queen in the carriage.
Silas quietly watched the direction the carriage disappeared.
Ma'am M's figure appeared silently beside him.
"When do we begin?"
She parted her crimson lips softly, asking gently.
"Right now."
Silas answered, pushing the door open and stepping onto the streets of the East Borough.
December 30th, 1349. The night before year's end.
The disposal and burial of corpses hadn't yet finished, and new patients continued to die.
Still lingering over this slum was the inescapable presence of the dead's remnant souls.
Scattered points of firelight illuminated the streets; that was the glow from the cremation furnaces.
His sharp hearing let Silas hear the suppressed sounds coming from the surrounding buildings.
That was the weeping of the East Borough's survivors.
They couldn't understand why, when life was already so difficult, fate still made them bear even greater suffering.
Tonight in the East Borough, no one slept.
Silas walked, and walked.
"Come here, everyone come here..."
Beside him, Ma'am M spoke in a gentle, loving voice, calling to the lingering souls of the deceased.
Actually, their main resentment had already been soothed by "Soul Assurance," leaving only wisps of unwilling extreme emotions.
Normally, even if ignored, these remnant souls would disappear in a short time.
But Silas had come.
"Whoosh..."
The remnant souls were attracted by Ma'am M's "soothing" and swarmed over, following behind Silas.
If someone could see them, they would probably be shocked by this terrifying scene.
Behind him, countless remnant souls mixed together like an enormous worm-like beast, filling the street and following Silas closely.
And even more remnant souls were constantly being attracted by Ma'am M, gathering over.
After roughly circling the East Borough once, a massive number of souls had already gathered behind Silas.
"Estimated around thirty thousand."
Ma'am M told him. "Should we make another round?"
"That's enough."
Silas said.
The "Black Knight" advancement ceremony required the corruption of more than ten thousand people, and even if remnant souls weren't as effective as the living, three times that number would suffice.
He signaled Ma'am M to step back, then stepped forward himself, walking before these lingering spirits of the dead, and directly summoned the illusory sea tide in his mind.
"Splash..."
Seawater overflowed his body, flooding his spirit.
His soul body became heavy and solid, and at the same time, an invisible authority began to form.
"Buzz!"
Silas's eyes turned brilliant gold.
He used the Spectator pathway ability, directly making a voice carrying strong emotional suggestion resound around all the remnant souls:
"Your king betrayed you. He's the one who killed you!"
After hearing this, the remnant souls all let out shrill wails.
"He's a despicable beast, unfit to be king!"
Silas continued.
The remnant souls' pain deepened further.
They resonated emotionally with Silas, making him feel their pain as well.
They were desperate, they were cold, they needed solace, they wanted justice!
"Don't be afraid. Come to me."
The terrible pain made veins bulge on Silas's forehead.
Enduring the urge to scream, he said in a deep voice.
Under the streetlight, his long shadow suddenly changed, simultaneously emitting an aura of corruption and madness.
"I will bear your pain, your anger, your sins... We will become one!"
"Whoosh!"
The remnant souls moved.
One took the lead, the others quickly followed, all plunging into Silas's shadow.
Silas's complexion rapidly turned pale.
The remnant souls' pain, despair, and various extreme emotions were borne by him as they merged into his shadow!
And at the same time, those remnant souls completely fell into corruption, becoming part of his madness!