"Heh, everyone's life is nothing more than pieces on the gods' chessboard. Even as an angel, one is just a bigger piece..."
Thinking of those high and mighty deities overlooking the entire world from the astral realm, Nimrod felt something more terrifying than capitalism shrouding the entire world.
It was called divine authority - irresistible divine authority!
For capital, it could be solved with red methods - this had already been proven. But for these deities who could destroy planets and star systems, what could possibly counter them...
"Sigh," sighing once, he waved for Dean to leave. Nimrod walked briskly into another room.
The room still had dim lighting and simple bedding, but the person bound was different - it had changed to a handsome man with blood-red hair.
Casually moving a chair to sit down, Nimrod looked at the unconscious blood-red haired man and said:
"Stop pretending if you're awake. I have questions for you. If you continue pretending in front of me, I'll consider making you never wake up again."
Hearing Nimrod's words, the unconscious Vahar Soren immediately opened his eyes and struggled to sit up from the bed.
His sapphire-like eyes stared intently at Nimrod sitting in the chair, and he asked in a resonant voice:
"I never expected that the Rose School of Thought would directly deploy an angel to deal with us. Since you didn't kill me immediately, you must have some purpose. Tell me, what conditions do you need to let me go?
Wealth, land, or extraordinary characteristics? As long as it doesn't exceed certain limits, the Soren family can satisfy you. After all, even if you don't need them, your subordinates surely do."
"Clap, clap, clap." Hearing the conditions offered by this Iron-blooded Knight, Nimrod smiled and applauded.
"Worthy of being a member of the Soren family, the former royal family of Intis. Even after being comprehensively suppressed by Roselle years ago, you still have sufficient resources. Ah, the heritage of you angel families that have been passed down for thousands of years is truly enviable.
However, should I say you overestimate yourself, or are you sufficiently narcissistic? Why do you think the Soren family would pay a sufficient price for you?"
Adjusting his monocle, Nimrod smiled and said:
"If you were a War Bishop, I could believe the Soren family would pay a sufficient price to ransom you. But you're just an Iron-blooded Knight - you probably don't have sufficient weight.
I think it's better to kill you. If I send your head to those Intis people, I can not only get the Iron-blooded Knight's extraordinary characteristic but also further intimidate them and damage those guys' morale."
Speaking thus, a complex symbol suddenly lit up in Nimrod's eyes, and a burning spear of pure white and extreme heat immediately condensed in the void.
"Lightless Spear!"
This was one of the abilities he had copied from that Lightless One. The reason he hadn't immediately solved these two guys was to copy more skills.
It was somewhat laughable that he, an angel, initially had no attack skills except for using starlight and space for attacks.
"The characteristics on me weren't obtained from Mr. Door, were they? How come I didn't inherit any of the skills he copied? As the strongest Angel King of the Fourth Epoch, the skills he copied must have been very strong - he might have even copied some True God level abilities."
In the cell, Nimrod, who was preparing to control the pure white spear to nail Vahar to death, couldn't help but shake his head at this thought. This angel he was being - apart from spatial isolation, he was simply a large-sized Traveler...
"No, don't kill me! I am a direct bloodline descendant of Simond Codron Soren, the first member of the Soren family to advance to demigod in nearly a century, and I have sufficient voice within the family.
Your Highness, whatever you want I can give you, even Sequence 3 characteristics. In the treasury I manage, there's even a War Bishop characteristic. I can dedicate it to you - just spare my life!"
Seeing the gradually approaching blazing spear aimed at his chest, Vahar Soren seemed to smell death's scent. While begging for mercy, he struggled to crawl backward.
"Mm?" Hearing Vahar Soren's words, Nimrod stopped the approaching pure white spear and smiled:
"Tell me about that Simond Codron Soren's intelligence. If it's useful, I can consider sparing you."
Seeing the spear stop its advance, Vahar struggled to sit up and said fearfully:
"He is my ancestor, a 'Weather Warlock' who advanced during the Pale Disaster, and one of only two remaining angels in our Soren family. If he knew I met with misfortune, he definitely wouldn't let it go.
Conversely, if Your Highness spares me, whatever you want I will do my utmost to provide, and Your Highness will gain the Soren family's friendship."
Hearing Vahar's words, Nimrod couldn't help but be surprised and asked curiously:
"Your Soren family has two angels - how did you still get your power usurped by Roselle?"
Hearing Nimrod's inquiry, Vahar opened his mouth but didn't know how to answer.
What could he say? That his family's two angels were beaten down by Roselle, the Steam Church, and the Eternal Blazing Sun Church? That out of compromise and political power games, they announced their abdication and let Roselle control Intis?
This was too damn embarrassing! If the family's two angels hadn't yielded so quickly, their extraordinary characteristics might have been left there long ago.
"I can see that was a very sad story."
Seeing Vahar's expression, Nimrod sighed with some melancholy, then dispersed the Lightless Spear and took out a slender black shadow from his chest.
It was a slender wooden puppet inlaid with withered grass and dried flowers, giving an evil feeling at first glance.
The puppet was draped in rich but illusory crimson moonlight, rippling gently like tides, seeming to penetrate thick soil and connect with something high in the sky.
At this moment, this crimson moonlight was silently spreading, seemingly about to envelop the struggling Vahar...
His lips curved upward slightly, and he let out a sinister laugh under the other's horrified gaze:
"Although your family's former glory is long gone, I can help you envision future magnificence!"
"You! What do you want to do? Take that away!"
Looking at the panicking, struggling Vahar, Nimrod shook the moon puppet in his hand and smiled kindly:
"Just helping you gain new life. This is an honor that countless people couldn't obtain. In a moment, you'll thank me!"
Looking at the puppet with curved eyes and curved mouth like the crimson crescent moon in the sky gradually approaching, tears flowed from Vahar's eyes.
He closed his eyes tightly, stopped struggling, and let his body be enveloped by that crimson moonlight, falling unconscious...
In the cell, as all the crimson moonlight poured into Vahar's body, Nimrod's mind moved, and the strange and ugly moon puppet burst into flames, burning to ashes and dissipating into the void within seconds.