Six-Armed Serpent Demon

Page 131

“I am not rejecting you, Governor of Otucan Territory, I am rejecting everyone.”

Ivy Beatrice said calmly, "The reason I gave up my public office and chose to go to sea is because I want to live for myself. Because I've awakened. I like this nomadic life of wandering around, and I don't want to be tied down by anything, whether it's marriage, status, or territory. That's also why I'm not fighting you for this island."

Ellen Otucan was speechless. She moved her mouth several times before finally organizing her thoughts: "I hope you won't regret this in the future!"

Ivy Beatrice smiled.

“I might regret it in the future, but I don’t care,” she asked. “Is there anything else you need? I’m waiting for a fish to bite.”

Gullerian bowed to the crystal ball: "I won't bother you any longer."

The next moment, ignoring Juan Gielello who stood there dejectedly, he dragged the cursing Ilún Otucan straight out of the main hall.

“Juan,” she called his name, “is there anything else you’d like to say?”

Juan raised his head and looked at her with a complicated expression.

He had a lot to say, but in the end…

“I have a question,” Juan-Gieriro said wearily. “You say you’ve awakened, and I’d like to know, what’s your view on life?”

"life?"

“Yes,” Juan said, as if muttering to himself, “I don’t know how I’ve survived these past six months… I feel like my life is meaningless, like I’m just a walking corpse every day… So I want to know what you think, what is the meaning of life?”

Upon hearing such a profound question, Ivy Beatrice instinctively leaned back tactically.

This filial son's ultimate question: You have the potential to be a Hokage, Juan... Will this kid go back and kill his whole family in the future?

On the other side of the crystal ball, Juan simply watched her calmly, waiting quietly.

Finally, Ivy Beatrice spoke up.

"You ask me the meaning of life. In my opinion, life itself has no meaning."

She said, "I am life, you are life, the goblin Maui is life, the half-ogre is life, the worms underground are life, and the fish in the sea are life. So, can such diverse life forms possess the same meaning?"

"The reason we survive, understand hunger and fatigue, compete, mate, treat our children well, and nurture our young is because of the primal instincts that all life possesses, which drive each life to prolong its individual existence, continuously reproduce, and perpetuate and strengthen each species."

The light in Juan's eyes dimmed, and he said softly, "I see..."

“But our lives are meaningful,” Ivy Beatrice said. “The universe has no meaning, and life itself has no meaning, but our ideas, beliefs, and pursuit of life can shape and achieve ourselves on the basis of our own meaningless lives, thus giving meaning to this meaningless life.”

She wasn't speaking without feeling.

Reincarnated as a demon, her life was now infinite. Especially after defeating Zaire and initially resolving her survival crisis, as a rational and thoughtful being, she unconsciously became more focused on experiencing life and exploring philosophical questions such as "why she exists."

Juan is gone.

He may have understood, or he may not have. But when he left, he stood tall and straight, full of renewed energy.

Ivy Beatrice returned to the highest point of the island, the ruins of the Four Symbols Tower.

She stood there gazing at the bay until, after an entire afternoon, she was pleased to see the two bronze dragon warships set sail and depart from Beate Island.

At this time, Governor Ilún-Otucan of Otucan had just inspected the entire town and expressed his satisfaction with the port's prosperity.

This is his island now.

He thought to himself with a smug satisfaction.

However, the anger from being rejected by that woman still lingered in his heart, causing him to feel hurt and irritable.

Iren-Otukan walked back to the distinctive courtyard alone, leaving two lower-ranking paladins guarding the entrance.

Before he even reached the main hall, he was stunned to see the red-haired woman who should have been in Kyog leisurely walking out of the main hall's main entrance.

Ilhan Otucan couldn't help but ask, "Where are you?"

Ivy Beatrice walked right up to him before stopping, tilting her head playfully.

"I already said that I'm waiting for the fish to bite."

Iren-Otukan felt a chill run down his spine, instinctively sensing the danger. He cast a protective spell while shouting, "Guards! Guards!"

No response.

The space inside the courtyard seemed to be isolated from the world.

Not only that, even the paladin magic cast by Iren-Otukan was completely neutralized.

"Anti-magic field..."

The thought had barely formed when he felt a chill on his neck. His vision spun, as if he had lost gravity, and that headless body looked so familiar…

Ivy Beatrice was quite satisfied with the results of the sword trial.

The black sword with green runes was incredibly sharp, and when it sliced ​​through the neck of the bronze dragon paladin, it seemed to encounter no resistance whatsoever.

She raised her hand and caught Ilhan Otucan's falling head.

She lifted his hair and stared at him.

The newly appointed governor of Otucan still wore an expression of disbelief and terror. But the sword strike was too fatal; he was already dead before the legendary Soul Reaper's "binding" effect could activate.

Holding a mangled, bloody head, Ivy Beatrice uses her "Mortal Skin" ability, and her body and face begin to change.

In less than a second, she became him.

Two identical faces stared at each other. "Iren-Otukan" gazed into Iren-Otukan's dull eyes and smiled ironically.

"Now you know why I won't argue with you, right?"

—Because I can be you.

Whether it's the Otucan Territory or the Beiat Territory, everything here will always belong to her; there's no difference.

Nothing will change in the past, present, or future.

Chapter 172 Ivy Beatrice's "Hive"

Ivy Beate, transformed into the likeness of "Iren-Otukan," carried Iren-Otukan's head and corpse and used "Advanced Teleportation" to reach the dungeon directly beneath the main hall.

This underground city, like the one directly beneath the Geor Ancient Tavern, was the result of Raphael's diligent excavation over the past six months.

When Ivy-Beate designed the underground city structure beneath Beate Territory, she referenced "The Hive," the Umbrella Corporation's secret research facility beneath Raccoon City in the movie *Resident Evil*, which she had seen in her previous life. However, this "Hive" was not connected to her own governor's residence. After the Deinonychus finished excavating, Ivy-Beate ordered Raphael to block and compact the passage leading to the surface with mud. Then, using a purchased "Turn Mud to Stone" scroll, she cast a spell to reinforce it.

A layer of frost had formed on the stone walls of the "Hive," and a chilling mist settled below the tunnels. Apart from the ghostly Raphael, the Devilclaw monster, who wandered like a ghost through the various tunnels, there were no other creatures here. Ivy-Beate had left the Devilclaw monsters here to act as guards and stewards.

"Iren-Otukan" handed the corpse over to the Devilclaw.

[Same as always]

She telepathically communicated with Raphael using her natural voice: 【Keep him safe】

Then the Deinonychus recognized its master. Without a word, it used its large claws to hook onto the dead Iren-Otukan and dragged the body deeper into the "hive".

"Iren-Otukan" followed leisurely behind the Devilclaw monster, strolling through the dark tunnels of the "Hive." He listened to the echoes of his own and the monster's footsteps as he walked. Transparent mycelium hung from the tunnel ceiling, emitting a faint white light that illuminated the bluish faces lining the tunnel's sides.

Unlike the secret research facility of the Umbrella Corporation in the movie, this Hive doesn't have such complex functions. Each of its floors is like a low-temperature greenhouse where the Umbrella Corporation's top executives sleep, except that they are all morgues, with hundreds of corpses of various races standing at attention inside.

Among them were refugees who had fled to Keogu and local gangsters, fallen sailors of the Invincible Fleet, halflings and lizardmen from the city of Flame Earth, sava fishmen from the sea, harpies who perished in the storm, serpent demons and casta lizardmen who were killed in the original Blacksail Town, the already deceased dragon race Gululos, "Red Assassin" Patrick, the mind sorcerer Zonko, and... the dragon head of the Red Dragon Lord Hesladi, which had lost its divinity.

This is Ivy Beate's identity repository.

The Mortal Hunter's ability, "Mortal Skin," allows him to transform into any mortal life form, but wielding this ability requires consuming the flesh and blood of that life form.

By establishing this identity repository, Ivy-Beate could freely use his or her flesh and blood to become one of them, silently blending into the population of any city.

"Iren-Otukan" watched as the dinosaur Raphael placed Iren-Otukan's corpse among them, then teleported back to his dwelling with satisfaction.

Looking at the familiar Chinese style, she felt very comfortable.

Then Iren-Otukan stepped out of the courtyard and gestured for the two lower-ranking paladins guarding the gate to follow. She was going to inspect her territory for the second time.

The territory of Beiat has already taken shape, covering an area about half the size of the Keogu port area.

Everywhere is a scene of prosperity.

The once deserted harbor is now filled with all sorts of merchant ships, and the newly built warehouses at the docks are piled high with goods awaiting trade. This small island was originally a haven for pirates and smugglers, who only came here to replenish their food and fresh water supplies and repair their ships. Since the establishment of the Beiat Territory, it has gradually developed into a distribution center and transit point for bulk goods.

For example, imagine a merchant who buys local specialties from Fireburn Harbor, ships them to Keogu for sale, and then buys Keogu specialties to sell back in Fireburn Harbor. He has to travel back and forth between Keogu and Fireburn Harbor. However, now, he can simply transport the Fireburn Harbor specialties to Beate Island, sell them directly to Keogu merchants visiting the island, and then buy Keogu specialties from them before returning home. His profit margin will be slightly lower than traveling back and forth between the two locations. However, his route is halved, his travel time is halved, the risks at sea are halved, and his speed and efficiency are doubled. The same applies to merchants coming from Keogu.

This only includes the maritime merchants of Huoshaogang and Keogu.

The truth is, with the Blacksail Town pirates eliminated, the shipping route became safe. After six months of development, the Beate Territory's reputation as a "maritime trading hub" has spread throughout the Western Sea, attracting merchants from various coastal city-states to trade. The newly built taverns and inns are packed every day, and the markets are filled with a dazzling array of local specialties from various city-states.

The sand-yellow Casta lizardmen are responsible for maintaining order at the dock.

Their heads were crowned with bone like those of a Triceratops, they wore shoulder armor made from the skulls of other races, carried round shields on their backs, and roamed around with "birth knives" at their waists. Whenever they spotted tax evaders or thieves, they would draw their knives and mercilessly behead them.

These lizardmen thugs are numerous and grow quickly, and have already reproduced into large groups again.

They used to believe only in the spirit of fighting to the death, the lizard god Sethinnek, and the glittering gold. Now they have also learned to obey their new master who holds the power of life and death—anyone who dares to disobey the will of the six-armed serpent master will only face death.

The "Ilhén-Otukan" circled the dock twice before turning back.

The once dense jungle separating the docks and Blacksail Town is now replaced by rows of brightly colored, uniquely styled brick houses built into the hillside. This is because the new inhabitants come from all directions—Medusa's sister, Steo, has used the tensions of the Northern Federation's internal strife to spread the Beate Territory, attracting nearly ten thousand refugees fleeing from various northern city-states. Many other residents are merchants from other city-states, eager to settle and acquire property here.

Walking along the road and looking up at the sky, you can see harpies circling in the air from time to time.

After Ivy-Beart destroyed the Invincible Armada, she captured several surviving harpies. After some interrogation, she followed the trail and destroyed the harpy's lair. After killing about a dozen unruly ones, the remaining four hundred-plus harpies obediently built their nest on the cliff below the Four Symbols Tower ruins. Their mission was to serve as Ivy-Beart's eyes and ears, monitoring the entire city and the surrounding seas, and as a reserve force for her bomber squadrons.

Yes, Ivy Beate reorganized the bomber squadron, and now Beate's air strike force has expanded to 160 men.

The new bomber crew consisted entirely of harpies, and Ivy Beate had transplanted their breath reservoirs from Captain Sink and Vice-Captain Edra. The two half-red dragons, Grandal, possessed incredible regenerative abilities. Only a day after their breath reservoirs were removed, new ones had already grown back.

Like the first batch of bomber crew members, the harpies also had Ivy Beate's sloughed demon skin transplanted, and all of them became demon skin priests covered with jet-black scales.

Just then, three members of the Harpy bomber flew low overhead, almost brushing past the "Iren-Otukan" group.

The two lower-ranking paladins following the new governor felt offended and angrily drew their swords, only to be stopped by Iren-Otukan raising his hand.

“Don’t bother with these savage, inhuman creatures,” she said in Iren-Otukan’s voice. “After all, we’re not in the City of Flames now.”

The lower-ranking paladins of the Bronze Dragon took their rank very seriously, and upon hearing this, they immediately sheathed their swords.

【Owner】

We have detected two armies approaching.

Three harpy shamanic acolytes hovered above the three bronze dragon paladins, their voices mingling as they telepathically communicated "Iron-Otukan." They could sense whose shamanic skin they had transplanted belonged to.

[A flag that came from the west, bearing the golden dragon of the west coast]

The other group, without a flag, came from the north.

But they've circled our island quite a distance, and now they're coming from the south.

Chapter 173 The Arrival of the Enemy

[You landed.]

Ivy-Beate telepathically communicates with three harpy priestesses: "Kneel before me and report this matter verbally. Be sincere and remember to address me as 'Governor.'"

The harpies did as instructed.

Their courtesy greatly eased the attitude of the two lower-ranking paladins towards them, but also made them very nervous about the enemy they faced.

After hearing this, "Iren-Otukan" nodded slowly.

“Well done, three little birds. I will reward you for your loyalty to the Bronze Dragon and to me. Now go down.”

She spoke with feigned arrogance, while simultaneously giving them a telepathic command:

【You three. One, go and inform the goblin Maui to lead the ogres and serpent people to hold their ground in the town hall and not leave; another, go and inform the Casta lizardmen that I have ordered them to immediately evacuate the docks, patrol the streets of the city, and execute any groups of more than three armed individuals on the spot, driving them toward the docks; the last one, you are responsible for informing Sink to gather the bombers and attack those golden dragon warships, trying to lure them toward the flagless fleet.】

The three harpies obeyed and flew away.

She then turned to her two paladin subordinates: "Since my brother left, all sorts of demons and monsters have appeared... What do you two think?"

One of them was very worried.

"My lord, should we send a request for assistance to the warships of the mission led by Lord Gulerian?"

Both of these lower-ranking paladins came from families that were vassals of the Otukan family, so they held "Iren-Otukan" in high esteem and regarded her as their lord.

"Iren-Otukan" shook his head helplessly.

“What I mean is, there are traitors and rebels in my city,” she said. “Otherwise, why would these two armies appear just as our mission’s warships left?”

The two lower-ranking paladins looked at each other in bewilderment.

One person asked, "Are you saying they're coming for us?"

She shrugged: "Hard to say."

Another indignant voice said, "Was it the work of those old officials from the bear goblins? They're pirates; they can't possibly submit to the rule of the bronze dragons."