"How long do we have?"
Yvonne directly asked. And hearing this, Konrad shook his head.
"That depends on several factors. Once we leave the Chthonian Realm, as long as she's aware of it, Blood Nether will spare no effort to track us. Although our Devil Bridge can elude her sight, her attention alone is a ghastly problem.
Moon and Cloud are not pressing issues, but if he manages to break the shackles of his heart demons, Night will become one."
Konrad began in a measured tone while Yvonne leaned on his right shoulder and Else on the left. His sober drinking carried on unimpeded, and he pursued:
"As for Regretless, that's hard to say. Though his disposition possesses glaring flaws, the fact of the matter is that Regretless is the most outstanding talent of the Omniverse. Were it not for his flawed heart, he would have undoubtedly succeeded in becoming the Almighty Supreme.
Heart Demons can trap him, but counting on them to destroy him is a pipe dream. At best, a few centuries, at worst, a few thousand years. But regardless of how long it takes, he will return. And to be frank, I can't say with certainty that he won't come back stronger."
Konrad explained, and naturally, such words rang with pictures of future calamities. However, the ladies' faces showed no ripple.
"As for Celestial Slaughter, only Regretless and his folks know the exact time, but the day will be the very instant of his past death. That, I know. For now, the best strategy is to build the strongest force we can here while I carry on a complete integration of the Realm. Once I accomplish that, the Chthonian Realm will fuse with me, and follow us wherever we go. The strength of an entire Realm will be a formidable boon in future battles.
Next, I want to retrieve the God Executing Immortal Sword. The people of the Three Realms see it as a mere, nine-stars God Artifact. I can't blame them, for only I possess the ability to unleash its True Might. Although that alone won't be enough, it will undoubtedly become one of our most reliable cards."
Konrad rationalized, causing the dup to nod in approval.
"Very well, you seem well prepared. Now the only thing we can do is…cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate some more. Even if our odds don't seem promising, we shall turn into the 0.0001% variable even Fate can't control."
Yvonne replied, and hearing this, Konrad burst into a peal of brash laughter.
"Hahaha! Beloved, this is my era, and none can thwart it. Regretless? Celestial Slaughter? I accept all challenges and shall squash them through all means at my disposal.
At the end of it all, only I, Konrad, shall remain standing as the sole Immortal Sovereign. And when that day comes, you will be by my side to enjoy this glory, throughout eternity."
Konrad pledged while pulling their head against his, dazzling smiles curved their lips.
"That is natural. If we do not stand by your side, who will?"
Else chimed in and Konrad had nothing else to say. And at that time, Wolfgang's voice echoed.
"Your majesty, the Chthonian Realm is pacified. Feel free to transform it as you see fit. I've also prepared an interesting gift for you."
Hearing this, Konrad arched his eyebrows.
"Oh? A gift? How considerate of you. If it's as interesting as you claim, I will multiply your rewards. But if it's not, off with your head."
Konrad jested, and Wolfgang who stood at the other side of the universe burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Boss, how dare I cheat you? Worry not, if it's not up to standards, I will first cut off my head!"
He candidly replied, and Konrad nodded in approval. As his oldest male servant, father-in-law, and companion of misfortune through the times of ploys, Wolfgang would always remain one of Konrad's most esteemed retainers. Time couldn't change that fact.
With alcohol flask still in hand, Konrad stood up, and locked his eyes on the Profane Prince Church's headquarters. The Church's hierarchy had the Matriarchs at the top, then the Grand Priestesses, and finally, the Blessed. The male priests' status was fairly low.
In the past as long as a woman successfully offered herself to an Orchid Altar, she would automatically rise to the Holy Rank and become one of the Blessed. But in the last two years, things had considerably changed.
To avoid making Devils out of those unable to stomach it, Konrad created a False Bridge identical to the Three Realms' and used it to reward those unable to grow as Devils.
Now, the Blessed directly became Minor Goddesses. The Grand Priestesses, True Goddesses, and the Matriarchs, Void Goddesses. But at the same time, due to the root of their cultivation, they couldn't grow without more of their lord's blessings. Not that it mattered.
"It's been a while since I visited the Church."
Konrad stated, before vanishing in icy-blue haze. Yvonne and Else remained behind, lying on the roof with their hands cupped beneath their head, and their eyes flashing a mixture of complex emotions.
…
As the headquarters of the faith, the Profane Church was a marvelous succession of cathedrals, gilded palaces, and mansions stretching across exactly 666 acres of floor space and housing more than one-hundred thousand residents.
One his typical visits, Konrad only toured the mansions and palaces of the Blessed, Grand Priestesses, and Matriarchs. But on this particular occasion, his eyes locked on a cathedral where a single woman stood on her knees.
With a step, Konrad appeared within the cathedral. But though he stood behind her, that woman could not feel his presence. Of course, with his senses, even from behind, Konrad could fully appraise her. Dressed in the plain white robe of a Devout, with neatly combed, shoulder-length black hairs, and green human eyes, that girl appeared no older than eighteen.
Still, even the large, plain robe failed to conceal her massive bust and rear that stood among the biggest Konrad had seen in his life. And if not for that human bloodline and facial features he'd never seen before, Konrad would have mistaken her for someone else.
But though of unordinary beauty, based on looks alone, that woman couldn't compel his eyes for long. However, for some reason, he felt a familiar scent emanating from her. And seeing her heartfelt prayers toward the Profane Prince, Konrad's lips curled into a smile.
With a wave of his hand, his appearance morphed into that of a handsome, emerald-haired youth, and he landed beside the devout girl.
"A Female Devout within the Church's headquarters? What a rare sight."
If the noiseless fall didn't grab her attention, then the echo of his words undoubtedly did, and alarmed, she spun to face him.
"Who…who the hell are you? How can you stand in this place?"
The Devout girl asked. Devouts were the lowest-ranking members of the faith. Typically, only men filled that position. Although from time to time, and in more remote corners of the globe, finding female Devouts wasn't impossible, it still remained an oddity.
This was the first time Konrad saw one within the Jade Capital. But likewise, the girl was astounded by his presence. After all, his clothes showed his belonging to the secular world. No such individual was allowed within the Cathedrals at this time of night. The defensive formations should have knocked him out!
