Chapter 322: Not Pretending, I Am Pride

Su Mu headed for the General Law Enforcement Bureau. He planned to use the training rooms inside to accelerate the digestion of his Follower of Strength path.

As the largest militant branch of the Chiyan Empire, the General Law Enforcement Bureau boasted training facilities at the absolute pinnacle of the world. It would be a waste not to use them.

The bureau was currently recruiting a new batch of Nightmare Apostles in preparation for their next expedition into the Nightmare World. That process would take time, giving him a window to focus on his training.

As he neared the bureau, Su Mu spotted a familiar figure.

She wore a loose cream hoodie with pale pink drawstrings, two fuzzy white pom-poms dangling from the ends, and a simple bear graphic printed across the chest.

Paired with slim light-blue jeans and white canvas shoes, the outfit was simple and cute. Combined with her delicate, well-behaved features, she gave off the strong vibe of a sweet girl next door who had just come of age.

Provided, of course, that one ignored the cigarette dangling from her lips.

Sensing someone watching her, Su Qing turned her head. Her mouth dropped open, and the cigarette slipped to the ground.

"Pride!"

She stared at Su Mu in shock, her entire body tensing.

Su Mu walked slowly toward her. Su Qing braced herself as if facing a mortal enemy, but as the distance closed, a flash of doubt crossed her eyes.

"Wait, you aren't Pride."

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Su Mu's indifferent voice echoed from behind his Silver-White Mask.

Su Qing scrutinized him. "Pride is a little taller than you, and his shoulders are broader. You're Su Mu!"

Su Mu smiled faintly. His build did indeed differ from Pride's, as he always altered his physical appearance slightly whenever Pride made an appearance.

"Have you met Pride before?" he asked mildly.

Recognizing Su Mu's normal voice, Su Qing relaxed slightly. "Of course... I haven't."

She quickly corrected herself, having almost let it slip.

"If you haven't met him, how do you know I'm not Pride?"

"Tch." Su Qing waved a hand dismissively. She stepped closer, feeling the fabric of his tailcoat, and casually snatched the Silver-White Mask off his face to inspect it. "The craftsmanship isn't bad. But how could you possibly be Pride? You and I are both Silver-tier Transcendents. What kind of figure is Pride? He has to be a Gold King at the very least.

"If you're Pride, then I'm King Chi!"

Brimming with wicked amusement, Su Qing declared exactly that.

Su Mu could never guess that my real identity actually is King Chi. Once we find Supreme Heaven, I'll tell him. That will definitely scare him out of his wits, hehe...

"Then may I ask what brings King Chi to the Law Enforcement Bureau today?"

Su Qing laughed so hard she practically doubled over. It took her quite a while to catch her breath. She knew Su Mu was joking, but there was something incredibly amusing about exposing her own identity and having no one believe her.

"This King had nothing to do and was just taking a stroll, checking up on the newly recruited Nightmare Apostles while I'm at it. What about you, Sir Pride?"

"I feel like I'm about to break through to Silver 2, so I came to the Law Enforcement Bureau to train."

"Hahaha..." Su Qing laughed uproariously, her large eyes curving into crescents. "Pride... is Silver 2? Hahaha... How did I never notice you were this funny before?

"Honestly, setting aside strength, you actually do resemble Pride quite a bit.

"Who knew you were so trendy? The Seven Deadly Sins have become a massive craze worldwide lately, so you decided to join the fun and cosplay as Pride."

Su Mu slowly shook his head. "I'm not pretending. I am Pride."

"Hahaha... you... stop making me laugh. Fine, if you say you are, then you are. But I'd recommend you don't wear Pride's mask into the bureau, or you won't even make it past the front gates."

Wearing a cryptic smile, Su Mu put the Silver-White Mask away and walked into the Law Enforcement Bureau alongside King Chi.

He headed straight for the training rooms to begin his session, while Su Qing wandered the premises to observe the newly recruited Nightmare Apostles.

...

...

Blood Moon Empire.

The Blood Moon Imperial Palace, which had once stood at the pinnacle of the world, was now reduced to ruins. Countless members of the Blood Clan were currently enslaving humans and forcing them to rebuild it.

Here, the Blood Clan were the absolute upper class, while humans belonged to the bottom rung. Naturally, the noble vampires would never deign to do such grueling physical labor themselves.

Countless construction workers waded through floodwaters that had yet to fully recede, continuously clearing away the architectural debris.

Near the edges of the palace grounds, a few halls remained standing, and the Undead King was inside one of them.

Within the hall.

The Undead King stood beside a throne, his expression deeply respectful.

Seated upon that throne was a woman.

She was coldly beautiful and bewitching. A waterfall of white hair cascaded smoothly over shoulders so pale they were nearly translucent. Her exquisite features looked as though they had been crafted by the world's most brilliant painter, and her deep, blood-red gemstone eyes were so profound a person could instantly drown in them.

Not only was her hair as white as snow, but her eyebrows and eyelashes shared the same hue. The most bewitching touches of color on her were her scarlet lips and the gorgeous red gown she wore.

Her gown was incredibly long. The hem cascaded down from the throne, completely carpeting the steps. The edges of the fabric were especially miraculous—they resembled a blood-red mist rather than anything solid. That crimson fog continuously rose, churned, and vanished in an endless cycle.

"Progenitor, you have finally awakened," the Undead King said reverently. Before the Blood Clan Progenitor, he was as meek and obedient as a student standing before a strict teacher.

The woman in red remained expressionless. "The sudden appearance of that God's aura earlier stimulated my chaotic soul."

The Undead King hurried to explain. "It was my incompetence. I failed to stop Pride of the Seven Deadly Sins, allowing him to open the Two Worlds Passage..."

The woman in red raised a hand. "I am already aware of the situation. There is no need to say more. My time awake is limited. I called you here because the stimulation of the God's aura allowed me to recover some of my memories. Furthermore, I need you to do something."

The Undead King quickly leaned in to listen. "Please give your orders, Progenitor."

"Kill Pride."

At the mention of Pride, intense murderous intent surged across the Undead King's face. "Progenitor, I wish nothing more than to hack Pride into a thousand pieces. But that man never reveals his true body, and he possesses the ability to summon a God. If it weren't for the sake of the Blood Moon Empire, I would rather die than compromise with him!"

"You were deceived by Pride. The entire world was deceived by him."

The Undead King froze. "I... was deceived?"

The woman in red nodded expressionlessly. "Exactly. Because a God simply cannot enter reality."

"What!?" The Undead King was horrified. "But that God's aura inside the Two Worlds Passage earlier..."

"That was merely an aura. The God's true body cannot cross over."

The Undead King's eyes flickered. He was somewhat skeptical of the Progenitor's words, as she spent most of her time in a muddled state. No one could say for certain if the Progenitor was completely lucid right now.