Chapter 1382: Chapter 1382
1382: Chapter 1378: Alive 1382: Chapter 1378: Alive Lu knew that this Siberian journey was destined to be his calamity.
As he stepped into the research institute with Chris’ semi-public identity, it meant he had to shoulder his identity as the “Inheritor of Disaster Beast legacy.” He needed to prove he had the strength and potential not to be dragged to the dissection table, needed to impress the many watchers with an impressive debut.
His official identity and firm “stance,” even the protection of Lin Nu’s Church, were his greatest reliance… In fact, if he had not allied with Lin Nu, she might have possessed some Saintess to trouble him.
“That will be your greatest challenge, after all, she and I really don’t get along.
She won’t watch my legacy fall into the hands of trash.
If she takes action personally, it’ll be your nightmare…”
Hearing this, Lu Ping’an himself felt a subtle sensation, this relationship between you and Lin Nu seemed overly complicated.
But since it had come to this point, there was no possibility for Lu Ping’an to retreat.
He had made mental preparations for any opponent, but this time, facing the being before him, suspected to be eighth-tier, he was truly struggling to cope.
“Chris… you really are a bit of a failure as a person.”
This time, Lu Ping’an wasn’t joking or laughing, but instead showed some undisguised sympathy.
And to “sympathy,” “pity,” Chris was utterly intolerant, but this time, she could only respond with silence.
The first to speak was the person blocking the path.
“Your Excellency, if you are willing to join our Church and become our Saint, we can discuss everything.”
Still the Mother Goddess cult?”
“No, the Father God Church.”
“…You’re not joking?”
The other party was completely serious, apparently not spouting nonsense.
He, too, was why Big Cat’s mood was so complicated, even being teased by Lu Ping’an, he had no mood to retort.
“Bane, what do you seek?”
Indeed, the person standing before Lu Ping’an, seemingly a tall, thin middle-aged man, was through his Eye of Truth, Lu Ping’an’s old acquaintance, Wanjing’s Bishop of the Mother Goddess cult, the “World Devourer” Bane.
He was the highest leader of the Mother Goddess cult in the Eastern Country, in a sense, could be considered the second most powerful “Pope.”
During their previous encounters, whether in words or deeds, Lu Ping’an could tell she held considerable respect for him, even…
“Was it Kerdalais who asked?
Ha, she still hopes to use her odd grammar to add a so-called sense of authority…”
This eighth-tier old man laughed warmly, as if seeing a familiar junior.
But his appearance here, and the previously blasphemous “Father God Church,” undoubtedly signified the reality of his betrayal.
Anxiety, anger, frustration, and sorrow…
for the first time, Lu Ping’an received so many negative emotions from Chris.
Not to mention Chris wanting a reason, even Lu Ping’an was a bit curious.
After all, he had heard from Big Cat explaining this “Supreme Pope”… Even the highly knowledgeable Big Cat held him in high esteem, even showing considerable trust.
Bane had joined the Mother Goddess cult later, in Beast Taming, and the culinary Path, he had the accumulation fitting a century-old veteran strongman…
In a sense, he and Big Cat were more like partners, without his help, the ill-tempered Chris was unlikely to have developed her influence to this extent.
Chris could not understand because Bane, who had once risked his life to fight for her, even had multiple chances to kick the nonchalant Chris aside and become the sole “God” of the church.
“… What if I want to be the sole God, how about that reason?”
The elderly man, smiling, presented his reasoning.
Perhaps, it indeed made sense, after all, the easiest and best way to progress on the same path was to “devour” both predecessors and successors.
And the blasphemously named Father God Church was the best proof of that.
At this point in the conversation, it should have been enough—it was just a fight to the death…if it had been Chris in her earlier days.
Yet now, she fell silent for a while before finally asking an additional question.
Hearing this, Bane showed a surprised expression, but the next moment, he could only smile bitterly.
The fake human skin turned into fragments, and a silver-haired old gentleman appeared, silently discarding his coat, revealing twisted tentacles and a mutated human face underneath.
“Actually, it had already come.
Perhaps I should have been more honorable, but as you know, I have a large family, and several adorable little granddaughters…”
He looked at Lu Ping’an with a mix of admiration and tolerance, some compassion, and some helplessness, and ultimately, his speech ended as if it were devoid of emotion.
Yes, he wanted to live, even if the chances were low, he wanted to survive.
This was the professional’s nightmare, even if breaking through to Rule-level came later, the inevitable still arrived.
Again, progressing further on his path directly meant to “devour” a being on the same path…though it couldn’t help him break through to Quasi-God, it could still prolong his life.
But, both Lu Ping’an and Chris knew that what the other sought wasn’t just a few more years of life but a longer life after breaking through to ninth-order.
Would killing Lu Ping’an and seizing the potential “legacy” allow him to advance?
A 99% chance was not enough; as a complete professional, he was quite stable even after death, and the left behind “Treasure” was uncertain…
at the moment of death, the “Contamination” constrained by life would break free, and what it ultimately became was hard to tell.
What could be steadily absorbed were usually orderly products such as “rules,” “Order,” and “Decree”…most of which would mutate and get damaged.
Most of the time, it was just a pile of possibly useful but most likely useless trash to you.
But, like Fang Wen and the others who were driven mad by the Decree upheaval, they had no other way left…Faith?
They sought a way to survive, trampling upon everything from their past.
Chris appeared in front of Lu Ping’an; she too knew there was no room for further concession.
Was it wrong for the other to want to survive?
“…I want to live too.” Lu Ping’an then stood before Chris, blocking the old man’s view.
Yes, no one was wrong, it was merely one of the desperate choices of life and death, survival was always the first instinct of any life form.
Bane wanted to live, to find a glimmer of hope here…and Lu Ping’an, the “glimmer of hope,” also wanted to live, thus, he had to kill the person before him to eliminate future threats.
Chris, shielded by Lu Ping’an, fell silent; decades of friendship eventually turned into a faint smile, and she clenched her fist.
At this moment, words were meaningless, in this icy forest, only one survivor would walk away.
Both parties, upon engaging, immediately employed their full power to kill each other.