Chapter 447: Chapter 445: Trouble with the Flock of Crows

Within the long, pitch-black corridor of the valley,

clanking endlessly, the sound of iron chains hitting each other resonated,

a man and a woman traveled through, their wrists linked by iron chains to prevent separation.

Originating from the man’s body, and atop the woman’s head was a white candle in a burning state, truly befitting for exploring the Extremely Dark Land as a Candle Puppet, capable of sustaining its white glow even after a prolonged stay in the Original Tomb.

At that moment, a pitch-black hairball, covered in scorch marks, emerged from a shoulder, standing with arms akimbo.

With the mouth containing an eye structure, it produced a complex blend of voices, “William, why does it feel like after so long down there, ‘Heart’ has also changed… Those things you had completely sealed away seem to have leaked out quite a bit.”

“Really?” Yi Chen responded with a smile, turning his head.

“Quite so~ even now, I feel like you could even kill me.”

“I suspect it’s the Death from the Original Tomb infiltrating your soul invisibly, or perhaps during your battle with the Abyss Death Image, the ‘Deep Death’ that seemed to have no effect on you was actually penetrating deep in your brain, destroying your ‘Memory Safe’ you imagined.”

Since little grape had gone this far, Yi Chen’s smile turned icy, his voice crystalline as it flowed from his frozen lips.

“Is that so… no wonder Stephen and the craftsman had slightly sensed it. It looks like I will need to spend more time fortifying the safe again. The ‘nature’ inherited and from the Orphanage is indeed hard to completely lock away.

My current strength is still insufficient to reveal my true self.

By the way, little grape, didn’t you always like it here in the Original Tomb? Staying here might even give you a chance to activate all the ancient corpses inside you, finding the ‘Tombstone Path’ that suits you, but you never mentioned this to me throughout.”

Little grape spoke disdainfully, “You’re heading to the Skin Factory next, aren’t you? Without me as your eye, could you really see through the things hidden?

If you could keep that pervert Stephen close and make full use of his ears, I certainly wouldn’t be coming along.

Too bad he’s not willing, so your Lordship will have to keep you company… As for activating the ancient corpses mixed within me, one step at a time~ Just remember to kill more enemies later and provide me with some grapes.”

Yi Chen resumed his normal smile and continued his journey through the valley.

As soon as the city gate, heavily laden with the hanged, came into view, it signified their exit from the valley and departure from the realm of the dead.

Simultaneously, the light from the mountain campfire shone down.

Hissing~ the intense campfire light hitting Yi Chen unexpectedly caused wisps of white smoke to rise.

The prolonged stay at the Original Tomb seemed to have partially assimilated Yi Chen, leading the campfire to regard him as one of the dead, prohibiting his departure.

After standing for over ten minutes, once the white smoke ceased rising from his body and ‘identity recognition’ was complete, he continued forward… during this time, Yi Chen also removed all iron chain masks, replacing them with the scarf of ashes transformed by little grape, and changed into a more conventional high-collared trench coat.

The hanged dead began to rotate, and the city gate opened for them.

Just as Yi Chen was prepared to directly pass through the fortress and head to the plains to catch the Black Worm Train,

Caw!

The mournful cry of a crow,

a knight with pitch-black wings and a crow mask descended heavily, blocking his path… along with this knight’s arrival, the entire sky above Black Mouth City was filled with a swarm of crows.

Renato Battis,

the temporary City Lord stationed at Black Mouth City by the Death Plague Knights, also known as the Mourning Crow, a knight in the Order specialized in frontline reconnaissance and stealth attacks,

although ranked lower overall in strength, his reconnaissance was still very critical for the Knight Order.

Renato immediately noticed the skull pendant on Yi Chen’s chest and teased, “Oh, have you reached the status of ‘Upper-Class Dead Citizen’ in less than a month? You seem not planning to stay, or did you fail the Knight’s exam and have to leave?”

“Mr. Renato, my journey in the Original Tomb has now ended, and I am ready to leave this place.”

Although Yi Chen was well aware that this man had once lured him to touch the mountain campfire, he responded respectfully, as there was no need to make enemies when he was about to leave.

“A journey? You mean to say, you simply came to have a look around here, treating ‘Original Tomb’, this region symbolizing the origin of death, as an ordinary scenic spot? This won’t do!

Otherwise, what will we do if this place really becomes a tourist attraction? What if all sorts of sick people come over for a look, bringing boundless risks into the Original Tomb?

As the guardian of this narrow passage, I absolutely will not allow such an event to happen.”

Upon hearing this, Yi Chen also realized that the other party was purposely picking a quarrel, probably in relation to the last bonfire incident. However, not only was he not at all displeased, but a wicked smile appeared at the corner of his mouth instead.

Yi Chen slightly moved his head forward, maintained the wicked smile, and asked with a slight tilt, “What would Mr. Renato like to do then?”

“Since you’ve come here, you obviously can’t leave so simply… I’ll give you two choices, as long as you can meet one of them, I will allow your complete departure, and I might even dispatch my crows to escort you out.

First, stay inside Black Mouth Fortress as one of my direct subordinates for a period of twenty years.

Second, go to the mountain range to the bonfire, and try your best to harvest its Fire Core, weakening the bonfire’s strength by 10%.

Make your choice now, outsider of the dead.”

Yi Chen still kept his smiling face, but did not give an immediate answer, walking with relaxed and easy steps, coming all the way to Renato’s side.

Snap– a friendly right hand gently landed on the other’s shoulder, even caressing the crow feathers on the spaces between the knight armor.

His lips came as close as possible to Renato’s ear, his Madness Brain vibrating and speaking simultaneously, a voice that couldn’t be refused or counteracted, penetrating directly into the other’s brain:

“I choose the third option… get the heck out of here!”

The last word, combined with the effect of the Madness Brain, exploded like a bomb in Renato’s brain, even causing him to shake his head, with black blood flowing from all seven orifices.

Caw caw caw~

At this moment, the crow army above Black Mouth City pressed down furiously, nearly covering the whole city, their black eyes glaring deathly at Yi Chen as if viewing him as a mortal enemy.

The great battle seemed about to be triggered right here.

Renato was completely taken aback that an ordinary person from Open Source would dare publicly provoke him, a Death Plague Knight, in the domain of the dead,

just as he was preparing to kill this reckless fool.

Hiss hiss hiss~ From the shoulder where Yi Chen’s palm rested, a great amount of white smoke rose, and he also felt the intense grip of five fingers and the torment of thorny iron chains digging in.

Turning his head, he saw that Yi Chen’s palm had suddenly become covered in embers.

Renato exclaimed, “Evil Sun!”

At that moment, the bonfire burning in the mountains seemed to sense ‘the presence of its father’. It suddenly shot out a white beam, piercing through the crows, striking both Yi Chen and Renato.

Like a spotlight on a theater stage, focused on the two main characters of this drama.

This burning from the bonfire made Renato suffer unbearably, all his attributes severely weakened.

“Mr. Renato, don’t mistake your target… I didn’t immediately strike to kill you only because the time spent in Original Tomb has been quite pleasant, and the dead have treated me well.

If you dare do anything sneaky while I’m leaving Black Mouth City, I’ll deal with you directly!

“Thirteen, let’s go.”

Yi Chen, maintaining his state of Restriction Removal, with his hem full of ember particles fluttering in the wind, led Thirteen across Black Mouth City, with no one daring to stop them.

Renato, known as the Mourning Crow, was stunned the entire time, only regaining his senses after Yi Chen had left the city… furious, ashamed, yet helpless.

As a dead person, he actually felt a true sense of impending death.

As the crows dispersed,

Renato, retreating back to the attic, began to furiously torture the dead civilians imprisoned in the secret chambers, venting his impotent rage.