Again, Olrich's consciousness faded, but before it could, despair filled his mind and awoke him. The realization that his lifetime's cultivation had just collapsed devasted him. All the ploys and schemes, the sacrifice of his most beloved child, the refinement of one-thousand infant souls! All he endured, the prices he paid, were rendered worthless in merely two blows.
Lost!
All lost, never to return.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Olrich howled, his body and soul sinking in horrendous pain while warm tears trickled down his eyes. This…was worse than death!
Bearing witness to his soaring despair, Nils was undisturbed.
"If only you could treasure us the way you treasure power, perhaps, it wouldn't have come to this."
She whispered while pulling her fist from his guts. Now mortal, Olrich couldn't endure such a terrible wound, and before he could drop onto the ground, Nils held him by the collar and shoved a restorative pill down his throat.
"However, you can't die. I want you to live. To spend the rest of your miserable life a helpless mortal without any means to change your fate.
Forced to accept the reality of your permanent inferiority. Henceforth, you can only bow and scrape, submitting to the whim of the mighty. Moreover…"
Without warning, Nils kicked Olrich's crotch, shattering his balls, before shoving another restorative pill down his throat.
Her hand muffled his squeals, not giving him the right to scream.
"…a man like you shouldn't have the right to sire children. It is unfair to all the potentially good fathers deprived of the ability. Being a eunuch suits you best."
Nils spat with tears trickling from her eyes, and rancor lacing her voice.
Shattered dreams, destroyed cultivation, castration, the succession of blows was too hard to bear. So hard that Olrich started believing that this was nothing more than a nightmare.
"Hahaha…a nightmare, it must be a nightmare. Hahaha…"
Olrich burst into maddened laughter, expecting the scenery to return to the days when he occupied his mighty throne, ruling the Holy Continent's number one country.
Alas, the staggering pain filling him testified to the reality of his circumstances.
Shaking his head, Konrad stood up and appeared before Olrich.
"Reality is sometimes hard to accept. And for those of us that pursue the summit, your end, is indeed worse than death. From now on, you can serve as one of my mortal court eunuchs. I'm curious to see…how many decades you can endure."
Konrad began while extending his hand toward Olrich's forehead.
A strand of silver light flew from it to hover within his left palm. Then, a blood light orb emerged from Olrich's chest and stopped beside the silver light strand.
"No…no…I'm not willing!"
Olrich howled but to no avail. Konrad pressed his right index on Olrich's forehead and rewired him. With the evolution of his abilities, rewiring the mortal Olrich was simplicity incarnate.
Rebellion left Olrich's mind, and he surrendered to his fate.
Thus ended the last von Jurgen emperor. With his fall, after one-hundred-thousand years of reign, the von Jurgen dynasty collapsed, and the Holy Flame Empire would soon follow it into oblivion to make way for the new world order.
Konrad sealed the silver light strand in his soul gourd, and locked the blood orb in a space treasure, then alongside his ladies, descended upon the imperial palace. They met no resistance and were welcomed with open arms.
Led by Anke and the tenth von Jurgen elder, the imperial consorts and remaining imperial kin knelt to welcome their new master.
"The von Jurgen dynasty has reached the end of its destiny. As the highest-ranked, surviving member of this house, and with the consent of all imperial kin, I, Anke von Jurgen, beseech you to take the throne, and offer you our allegiance."
Knowing that absolute surrender was their only path to survival, the von Jurgen imperial kinsmen didn't dare hesitate and kowtowed before Konrad.
"The von Jurgen dynasty has reached the end of its destiny, and the country requires a new regime. You, Lord, are mighty, and able to suppress all under the heavens!
Only you can bring back prosperity and restore the peace. Please accept the throne and establish a new dynasty!"
They exclaimed in tandem, desperately hoping their lives would be spared.
Seeing this, Konrad nodded.
"Having been adopted into the imperial family, I cannot stand and watch the inheritance of one-hundred-thousand years collapse in such a wanton manner.
Though the country changes surnames, you shall still have a place. Elmar von Jurgen will be sealed as Grand Duke, and new house head to carry on the von Jurgen legacy. And a new mansion will be built for you all."
He said toward the kowtowing imperial kinsmen. And as soon as his words echoed, they felt free of the invisible weight crushing their shoulders.
Alive! They would escape this tribulation alive! At this juncture, they asked for nothing more.
"Thank you, your majesty, for your grace! Your majesty is benevolent, treasures the common people, and is incomparably brilliant. Your reign shall stretch across eternity!"
They flattered. And unwilling to spend more time on them, Konrad dismissed them all. Then, escorted by his consorts, he walked into the throne room and stopped before its stairs.
His eyes locked upon the throne, and he recalled the first time he stood beside it. Unlike that time, there weren't any rows of officials. Olrich no longer occupied it, and none could dare show him contempt.
Now, it was his. And as soon as he sat upon it, the first step of his grand aspiration would reach completion.
But as he stared at the throne with a faint smile, Else's voice echoed.
"When shall we hold the coronation ceremony?"
"No hurry. We first need to wait for the Celestial Church and Infernal Cult to dispatch their troops. In three days, we shall publicly execute Erhardt, Bayiz, and the third cult elder's son. At that time, I will meet their armies in battle and slaughter them all.
Afterward, we can hold the coronation ceremony."
Konrad explained.
"And what about the new dynasty and country's names? Or you can always let the von Jurgen name survive through you. It's not like it would be improper."
Yvonne jested, and hearing this, Konrad's smile brightened.
"Not a bad idea. A pity that I don't have an official surname."
Konrad replied in kind.
In the Holy Continent, commoners and slaves didn't have a right to surnames. Therefore, the original Konrad didn't bear one. Meanwhile, in his past life, he was an orphan and bore a name assigned by the orphanage.
As for Serkar or the house of Talroth, he naturally didn't feel any sense of belonging to them.
"And don't forget that you also have to choose a name for your new race. Your status screen is currently cluttered by X's."
Selene's voice echoed.
"Gods don't need family names. I am a Primogen, the first of my blood. And will soon become the faith.
Let's use the Higher Realms' naming conventions and make it…the house of Konrad. And considering my current true form, there are not many viable race names. Let's go with…World Devourer.
As for the country's name, that's simpler. Since jade is the new symbol of my blood, let it be the Jade Dynasty. And I shall be…the Jade Emperor."
"You really know no shame."
Selene directly replied. Jade was a symbol of purity and perfection. How was Konrad qualified to stand beside those words? If anything, he should be the Depraved Emperor!
