Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 1228: Chapter 938: Value

The brief silence was broken by the sound of a coughing fit.

On the ground, dust rose into the air.

”Hiss... Oh dear... You truly haven’t changed a bit since those days...”

Luo Su lay on the ground, struggling, turned over and scrutinized Yekaterina’s cold demeanor: ”Despising all weak emotions including love and tenderness, yet you became the Gaia renowned for love and mercy... Kaja, when will you be able to face yourself honestly?”

Boom!

A large hole appeared in the floor where Luo Su’s head had been.

Luo Su had mysteriously risen from the floor, standing steady again, while opposite him, Yekaterina seemed motionless, merely saying calmly:

”Of course, it’s when I can face you calmly—”

Luo Su sighed: ”I understand your resentment and misunderstanding towards me, but didn’t we part peacefully back then?”

”Peacefully?” Yekaterina asked in puzzlement: ”Are you referring to the time before the secretary selection when you framed me and caused me to lose my eligibility?”

Luo Su’s expression froze, and after a long time, he said solemnly: ”That was an accident!”

”An ’accident’ involving you?”

Yekaterina shook her head, ”Luo Su, you never get involved in accidents, you are the accident itself—once, I even believed in your innocence and promises, but how did you repay me? More lies, more deceit—you sensed the fall of the Heavenly Kingdom in advance, yet you said nothing, instead you lured me into the Current Circumstances!”

”Because besides saving you, everything else was already too late.”

”That’s no reason to stand by and watch!” Yekaterina sneered: ”You have truly shamed your teacher.”

”Ah, he does say so, but I too have my difficulties, you know.”

Luo Su sighed, rubbing his nose, distressed: ”I guess I really can’t clear my name?”

”Do you need to clear it?”

Yekaterina stepped forward, the stern nun stretched out her neck, and whispered in his ear: ”Do you really think I don’t know what you’re hiding, Mimir of Dusk?”

Luo Su was silent.

For a long time, he helplessly raised his hands: ”I give up, can we not discuss this topic anymore?”

”Then how about we discuss how you’ll compensate for my losses?”

The female Bishop sat on the chair that grew from the ground, her posture upright and groomed: ”How about a public apology? Admit your former framing and conspiracy? And then step down, give up those things you’re not fit to have.”

”And then, hand it over to you?”

Luo Su laughed heartily, spreading his hands: ”Look, Kaja, such a fervent desire for control and such stringent moral standards, you can’t tolerate an unstable element, nor a stain—I can responsibly tell you, even if you pass the selection, you can’t become the Secretary.”

He shook his head, lightly sighed in helplessness: ”Why are you unwilling to admit, you are a person abandoned by Fate, just like me.”

”Then what are you doing now?”

”Me?”

Luo Su thought for a moment, shrugged: ”I’m just accepting my fate, as you should do.”

”Look, Luo Su, you who once treated everything as a game, beginning to fear Fate? Seems aging truly increases virtues—but isn’t drifting with the tide your mission? Why appear in front of me now?

”Perhaps the big waves are coming?”

Luo Su responded enthusiastically, unfazed by the other’s mockery: ”Not to hide from you, even a floating weed like me is riding the tide of Fate. Want to know? Want to know why? But I won’t tell you...”

Yekaterina’s expression grew ever colder.

”The Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy can’t possibly be rebuilt, you should know.”

”And who is telling me this?” Luo Su retorted, ”Yekaterina of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy? Or the old matriarch of the Russian Federation?”

”Both,” Yekaterina said indifferently: ”You need to answer cautiously, this not only determines the Russian Federation’s next decisions but also the stance of the God Marrow Series.”

”You can’t represent the Road of God Marrow entirely, Kaja.” Luo Su smiled smugly, ”Isaac is still working for me.”

Yekaterina shook her head: ”Come on, Luo Su, although I don’t know what kind of picture you painted to entice my unlucky student, do you expect him to defy me?”

”As long as he stands with me, that’s enough.”

Luo Su said: ”Even without the support of the Russian Federation, I can reorganize the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, Kaja, you’ve got it wrong—the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy has never been something that can be rebuilt with help.”

”No one can help us rebuild the Heavenly Kingdom, only we can. Rome can’t, Dongxia even less so. Even without America’s stake, I’d still go my own way.

You’ve grown accustomed to power, thinking power can achieve anything, indeed, power can do anything, but this is beyond everything else—weren’t you once attracted to this irreplicable value and joined the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, Kaja? Why can’t we join hands?

You and I, the two of us teaming up, the rebuilding of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy will be a foregone conclusion!”

”Sounds wonderful, Luo Su, for a man like you, no matter what happens, you can always tell such irresponsible words to people, as if forever living in a dream.”

Yekaterina sighed lightly: ”Promise a lifetime, promise happiness, yet not understanding what marriage and forever means to a woman.”

”I once loved you deeply, Kaja, more than I loved myself.”

Luo Su said solemnly: ”You ought to understand that.”

”But this is the Church, Luo Su, four hundred years ago, speaking such words to a chaste nun here would have been enough to put you on the execution pyre.”

The old matriarch shook her head coldly: ”I have converted, Luo Su, whether the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy is rebuilt no longer concerns me, this is not an excuse, you should understand.”

Luo Su said nothing more.

He once deeply loved the woman before him, just as the woman before him once loved him so.

Regrettably, they are the same kind of people, each with something they treasure more than love.

Whether it’s Luo Su’s inherent nonchalance or Yekaterina’s desire for control, both are insurmountable walls between them.

Love may be important, but it will never be the main theme of life.

It is precisely because they believe that life can hold more value that they went to Utopia, met each other, and would never compromise.

It was for this reason that conflict erupted during the selection of the secretary of fate.

The so-called accident was merely a trigger.

Both parties were well aware that unless the other withdrew, only they would fall at the gates of ideals. Even for a lifelong love, there would not be a shred of concession.

After Utopia fell, Yekaterina, who was deceived by Luo Su into the current circumstances, had lost heart, chose to convert, became a chaste nun, and joined the Russian Federation Genealogy.

This was also something she detested about Luo Su’s inactivity—being constrained by current circumstances was never an excuse for inaction. If he really wanted to do something, the situation could change regardless.

He failed his duty.

One’s talents must realize their value, and if this path does not work, then another path should be taken.

From that day on, for seventy years, she never relaxed a single day, until today, from the followers she baptized, she nurtured 191 Templar Knights, and led over a thousand priests and nuns. Every Sublimator who received her kindness willingly called her godmother.

Even as a woman, her influence was no less than that of a patriarch; she was a saint directly blessed by the God of Nothingness, and even the capital of the Ural Region was named after her.

And here at the Church of Blood Drop was where she once dealt with traitors.

In the Russian Federation, she was called Gaia by everyone.

She had already achieved so much, and could not easily abandon everything, change her course, and rejoin the fragmented Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy.

”You should understand, even if the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy could be reorganized, it would be meaningless. You’re so old now, what could you do?” Yekaterina asked, ”Rebuild Utopia? Don’t dream.”

”I originally thought you’d tell me, what’s done is done, one must always strive to do something.”

Luo Su shook his head, ”After wasting so many years, nothing left to accomplish, but as a teacher, I must set an example, mustn’t I? Kaja, even if I’m unable to, there will be students to carry on the mission from my hands.”

”The young man you brought along?”

Yekaterina understood, with a soft sigh of pity, ”A pity, to have chosen the wrong teacher. To be called the Sword of Disaster, perhaps in the future, he’d achieve even greater things.”

”He is my personally chosen heir, Kaja, do not underestimate him.”

Luo Su laughed heartily, ”He will far surpass me.”

Just as he finished speaking.

A low, muffled sound erupted from beneath their feet, distant yet resonating.

The two of them exchanged a knowing glance.

Yekaterina’s expression was nuanced.

While Luo Su appeared somewhat awkward.

And beneath them, in the far distance, came the startled shouts: ”It’s started!”

”... Uh, youth, you know.”

Luo Su scratched his face, coughed a couple of times, ”A bit of combativeness is normal.”

Yekaterina looked at him deeply, and calmly said, ”Just hope that the Sword of Disaster does not cut off anyone’s head in front of me, the godmother.”

.

.

Ten minutes earlier.

Underground the Blood Drop Cathedral, in the bustling training ground.

Aleksey guided Huai Shi, quietly introducing the newcomers in the field. Though referred to as newcomers and young ones, in reality, they were about the same age as Huai Shi, some even quite a bit older, nearly thirty. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

No matter who they were, blessed by whatever saint, coming here, they were all just called newcomers, preparing for the day they would become Templar Knights.

And on the field, the Sublimators in training sensed those at the sidelines.

A robust young man, just off the platform, wiped the sweat from his face, nodded respectfully to the priest, ”Mr. Aleksey.”

”Continue, don’t mind me.” Aleksey genial said, ”I’m just here to show a guest around.”

The young man paused, casting a puzzled look at the guest seemingly younger than himself, as if recalling something, suddenly raised his eyebrows, undying fighting spirit revealed, ”Is he Huai Shi? That Huai Shi from the Astronomical Society?”

Huai Shi’s heart suddenly tightened.

With doubt but also anticipation.

Could this be the legendary entrance test of intimidation?

Wonderful, it’s finally my turn to experience the ’wolf in sheep’s clothing’ plot...

”Indeed.” He nodded reservedly, suppressing his excited emotions, adopting an air of calmness.

The robust man paused, his sharp eyes assessing Huai Shi for a moment, then he stepped forward, bowed ninety degrees, his back of the head facing Huai Shi.

Huai Shi instinctively stepped back, wary if this was the fabled Russian Federation headbutt technique, then he heard him, along with all the hulking men behind him, speaking with respect and a plea.

”——Please guide us!”

???

Huai Shi was dumbfounded.