Chapter 218: Doesn’t Matter — I’ll Make a Move

Changshi God knew that he could no longer stay in Tokyo.

The apartment, filled with the stench of trash and takeout boxes, had once been his safest divine domain.

It was the command post from which he manipulated everything behind the scenes.

But now, in his eyes, those four walls seemed to be seeping blood.

Every shadow appeared to hide the gaze of that girl with the blood-red pupils.

It was as if she knew everything.

‘I see you, Changshi God. Your real name is… your registered residence is…’

It would only be a matter of time before she tracked him down.

He had to escape before those blood-red pupils found him!

Without packing much, he stuffed a few changes of clothes and all the large-denomination cash he had accumulated over the past six months into an unremarkable backpack.

At 1:00 PM, wearing a baseball cap, Changshi God blended in with the crowd on a long-distance bus headed for the deep mountains of Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture.

There weren’t many people on the bus; most were elderly residents returning home or tourists going hiking in the mountains.

Changshi God huddled in the corner of the last row, pulling the brim of his hat extremely low and clutching his backpack tightly with both hands.

As the wheels rolled, the scenery outside shifted from bustling skyscrapers to low-rise residential houses, finally turning into continuous green mountains.

As he distanced himself from the massive whirlpool that was Tokyo, the heart that had been stuck in Changshi God’s throat finally settled a little.

‘As long as I hide in the mountains… even the DRG won’t be able to flip over every inch of land, right?’

Once Pluto arrived in Japan, who would have the time to worry about catching him?

However, as the bus entered Saitama Prefecture and stopped at a remote station called Ashigakubo, Changshi God’s rat-like instincts suddenly screamed a sharp alarm.

Someone was following him.

It wasn’t an illusion.

Through a gap in the bus window, he used the corner of his eye to glance at the side mirror — a nondescript black car was trailing three car-lengths behind the bus.

It neither overtook them nor turned around.

‘Has the DRG found me? Or… the Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu? Or perhaps something else…’

Changshi God narrowed his small eyes, which were squeezed into slits by his fat, and a glint of ruthlessness flashed in them.

Since it wasn’t a large force, things would be easier to handle.

Though he looked like a useless, shut-in, dead fat otaku, he was an Archbishop of the Saints.

Possessing three God-bestowed Abilities, he could still bite back if driven into a corner.

The bus finally stopped at a small station called Kagemori.

Surrounded by mountains with few signs of human life, it was a perfect place to bury a body.

Changshi God carried his bag and clumsily squeezed off the bus.

He didn’t head toward the village but instead walked straight toward a path leading to an abandoned shrine deep in the mountains.

Sure enough, the sound of an engine cut out not far behind him.

Then came the sound of a car door closing, followed by footsteps treading on withered branches and fallen leaves.

Ten minutes later, Changshi God arrived in front of a long-abandoned shrine.

A decaying torii gate lay toppled on the side, and the stone lanterns were covered in moss.

Changshi God stopped, threw his backpack onto the dust-covered steps, and slowly turned around.

He took off his mask, took a deep breath of the moist mountain air, and sneered at the empty forest.

“You’ve been following me the whole way. Why don’t you come out and get some air?”

A deathly silence lasted for several seconds.

Clap… clap.

Accompanied by the sound of lazy clapping, a figure slowly stepped out from behind a thick cedar tree.

It was a man wearing a gray trench coat and a white mask with no facial features.

He looked exceptionally eerie in the gloomy forest.

“As expected of an Archbishop of the Saints, your sense of smell is indeed sharp.”

The masked man’s voice had been processed by a voice changer, giving it a distorted, metallic quality.

“Who are you?”

Changshi God secretly gathered energy within his body, a faint purple light flickering at his fingertips.

“Don’t be nervous, Mr. Changshi God.”

The masked man spread his hands to show he had no ill intent.

“I’m not here to capture you, nor am I here to kill you. On the contrary, I am here to provide you with concealment.”

“Concealment?”

Changshi God scoffed.

“Where could you possibly hide me? Mars?”

“The Curtain Cluster has the ability to make a person completely ‘disappear’ from this world. Even the DRG’s intelligence network wouldn’t be able to find you.”

The masked man pulled a black card from his pocket and flicked it between his fingers.

“We can provide you with sanctuary and even help arrange a way for you to leave Japan.”

‘The Curtain Cluster? Why would those power-hungry freaks help me?’

“The conditions?”

Changshi God asked coldly, without lowering his guard.

“It’s simple.”

The masked man took a step forward, and it felt as though a pair of greedy eyes were watching from behind the mask.

“We want the complete process of the sacrifice, as well as… the technical data on how to stably convert humans into Semi-Devourers.”

“That is a ‘God’s gift’ and a core secret.”

Changshi God narrowed his eyes until they were completely shut.

“Aren’t you underestimating me by trying to take advantage of my situation?”

“This isn’t taking advantage; it’s a trade.”

The masked man’s tone remained calm.

“You are currently a stray dog. Other than us, no one can protect you.”

“Words are cheap.”

Changshi God deliberately stalled for time, his gaze scanning the surroundings for the best escape route or a chance to counter-kill.

“How do I know that after I give you the technology, you won’t just turn around and sell me to the Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu or the DRG?”

“We guarantee it with our reputation—”

“Reputation? How much is that worth?”

Just as the two were at a stalemate, a sudden whistling sound of something cutting through the air came from deep within the woods.

“Who’s there?” the masked man shouted, spinning around.

A flashbang landed between the two, and a blinding white light and deafening roar instantly exploded.

“Action! Capture the target!”

Around the woods, more than a dozen soldiers in black uniforms suddenly rushed out.

Following close behind was a swordsman holding a bamboo sword, wearing black clothes designed with a battle skirt.

The DRG Dark Crow Unit.

The masked man cursed under his breath and retreated rapidly.

With a wave of his hands, an invisible barrier formed in front of him, deflecting the dense hail of bullets.

The situation instantly turned into a three-way standoff.

Caught in the middle, Changshi God looked at the Curtain Cluster on the left and the Dark Crow Unit on the right.

Instead of fear, a strange smile appeared on his face.

“How lively… it seems my head is quite valuable.”

“Shut up! Come with us!”

Right then, the ground vibrated slightly.

Thump.

A dull, heavy sound rang out, as if some massive weight had fallen from a high altitude, crashing behind the shrine.

A suffocating, tyrannical aura mixed with a thick scent of blood instantly swept across the field.

Everyone stopped their movements simultaneously and turned their heads stiffly.

In the decaying shadows of the shrine, a tall figure slowly stood up.

He wore a set of cheap sportswear that had been torn open, and he stood nearly 2.5 meters tall with muscles bulging like rocks.

While his head mostly maintained a human silhouette, his lower jaw was split all the way to his ears, revealing two rows of interlocking sharp teeth.

A single green eye grew from his forehead.

On his back, four sharp bone spurs, like spider legs, pierced through his clothing and waved slowly in the air.

“Archbishop.”

“Apologies. I’m late.”

A Semi-Devourer!

***

“What do you mean the Curtain Cluster tried to protect Changshi God and then got killed?”

Jiang Jian Yue had only been asleep for a short while before she was shaken awake by Akimoto Miki.

Filled with the rage of interrupted sleep, she was so angry she could barely speak clearly.

“The team sent for the capture was wiped out. The Ability User ‘Swordsman’ was seriously injured and escaped… The report states that the strength of that Semi-Devourer is extremely formidable, and… Changshi God also possesses other abilities that cannot be underestimated.”

‘Semi-Devourers…’

‘Changshi God…’

‘Seriously, why do you Saints have so many Dual-core Cicada Molt Bodies? This is the third one!’

Jiang Jian Yue, who currently lacked information regarding the ‘God-bestowed Abilities,’ wondered if the Saints had some kind of setting that attracted Dual-core Cicada Molt Bodies.

Even Saori Saiyonji, who had connections with the Saints, was one.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Jiang Jian Yue temporarily suppressed the doubts in her heart.

She stretched her limbs, a flash of killing intent crossing her eyes.

They dared to kill her people?

‘I will take action.’