Meanwhile, in a place untouched by time, where a colossal artifact loomed in silence, a scene from the human realm played out in perfect clarity.
"Puffs… hahahaha."
A childlike laugh echoed through the grand palace.
A girl with a deceptively innocent face wiped tears from her eyes, which shimmered like flowing galaxies. She leaned closer to the monitor, utterly fascinated by Olivia's behavior.
"Ha… so satisfying. Really funny. This girl is just too entertaining," she said between giggles, as if watching someone turn into a rat was the height of comedy.
Her attendant stood silently nearby, face unreadable. Yet something shifted in her gaze. As if sensing a ripple of change, she tilted her head slightly.
"The Demon Realm seems to be moving toward the human realm. Princess, are you going to take those two geniuses to serve you?" Her tone remained flat. Yet beneath that calm surface, there was a faint trace of concern. Letting such rare talent be destroyed by those who feared it's potential would be a loss too great to ignore.
Hearing that, the princess gave a small nod, though her expression remained still. She wasn't particularly fond of those who surpassed her, but she was undeniably curious.
The two geniuses who nearly overtook her rank as third in the Primordial Youth Rankings had caught her attention. Though she hated to admit it, she wanted to befriend them early. If she could save them now, perhaps they would remember her kindness when it truly mattered.
"They're lucky," she murmured, eyes half-lidded with a mix of contempt and reflection. "Normally, geniuses on my level wouldn't survive without a powerful background. As unfair as it is, those timid supreme gods fear being replaced. They cling to their thrones by eliminating any threat to their rule, dreaming of remaining rulers forever."
She leaned lazily into her majestic throne, her voice trailing into a sigh.
"I really hope the rulers of the Ninetieth Heaven crush those corrupt bastards."
Her gaze shifted back to the projection of the human realm There was no time to waste.
"Go and save them. I doubt the Demon Realm is the only one that has figured out their location. You need to move quickly."
Her attendant remained expressionless, but nodded without hesitation.
"I understand, Princess. Please wait for a few hours. I will return."
With that, the attendant vanished, her speed so swift that even the princess could not perceive her departure.
Left alone, the princess turned her attention back to the ancient artifacts. Her fingers lightly tapped the armrest as she muttered to herself.
"It would truly be their fortune if they survive. I doubt the demons will send someone careless."
She narrowed her eyes and continued to watch, her curiosity sharpening by the second.
—
Back in the human realm, the Dark Emperor wore a solemn expression.
He hadn't expected Olivia to hand him a sinister object and command him to smash it against his own head. He couldn't help but stare at her with a cold gaze, thinking she was making a fool of him.
Although he didn't feel humiliated, as his mind had already been tampered with enough to disregard unnecessary shame, he was still angry.
He truly hated being commanded. It was the one thing he despised the most, and the reason he had killed countless gods who sought to control and order him.
"You…"
With an ugly expression, he could only endure for now. He had no choice, as he lacked the strength to resist.
Even though he was sure he could endure any pain that might unfold, he hadn't expected them to attack from a different angle—by ordering him around like a servant and trampling on his dignity as a former powerhouse.
His previous status meant nothing to them.
He stared at Olivia, struggling to suppress his burning anger. He nearly lost his composure. But as the Dark Emperor, he reminded himself that he must remain calm and find a way to turn the situation around.
"Fine. Give it to me," he said.
Without thinking much, he didn't bother sensing the artifact's grade. He assumed it was only at the legendary level, which was far from enough to harm him, so he didn't care.
This surprised Olivia.
"Really? Then take it and do it," she said in anticipation, her tone suddenly shifting into that of a cheerful young girl.
Seeing this, the Dark Emperor almost cursed in silence.
This girl was too infuriating.
Olivia slightly weakened the kneeling authority just enough to allow one of his arms to move.
The Dark Emperor reached out and took the artifact. The moment it was in his hand, he felt a tingling sensation at his scalp. The terrifying curse emanating from its runes carried a power that could genuinely hurt him.
Although he sensed the dangerous threat, he dismissed it, believing it to be an ordinary curse that wouldn't affect him much.
Without much thought, he exerted the slightest strength in his arm. Without hesitation, he tightened his grip on the solid rod, the veins on his arm bulging. Then, he immediately swung it at his own head, a sharp cracking sound ringing out as it struck his scalp.
Crack.
He didn't react at all. The pain wasn't even significant to someone as familiar with agony as he was. Staring at himself, he saw no change whatsoever and let out a sigh of relief.
Still, he had already anticipated that the power of the curse would take effect. He waited, ready to endure it, believing it was just a weak curse.
Olivia also curiously stared at the scene. She didn't see any change in the Dark Emperor and couldn't help but mutter,
"Hmm? What's going on? Did it have no effect?"
She was about to ask the system, but before she could, the anonymous black rod in the Dark Emperor's hand suddenly began to shrink, surprising both Olivia and the Dark Emperor.
"What?" the Dark Emperor said in surprise as the black rod dissolved into countless particles that resembled sand.
Confusion spread across their faces as they watched, and then the black particles were instantly absorbed into the Dark Emperor's right hand, scattering throughout his entire arm as if nothing had happened.
With interest, the Dark Emperor stared at his right arm where the black particles had vanished. He showed little emotion, thinking the curse had been nullified.
After all, even higher-tier curses had failed to affect him in his prime, so he assumed this one would be no different.
He was about to dismiss it entirely when his expression abruptly changed, and he muttered,
"What… my origin?"
He turned his gaze to his right arm, now etched with various strange runes, as though something unseen was being absorbed.
"Damn. Not only my origin, even my soul is being slowly consumed, second by second," he muttered in shock.
The curse of the artifact ran deeper than he had expected. Still, it posed no real threat. His origin was immeasurably vast, and his soul had long been imprinted with his Dao. Even if it were devoured, he could recover.
Yet the sensation left him uncomfortable.
His eyes shifted to Olivia, and a trace of curiosity stirred within him as he pondered the artifact's source.
"You. This is a divine artifact. Where did you get it?" he asked, his tone calm but filled with complicated thought.
Olivia gave no response. She only waited, watching the curse continue its course.
As for the artifact's true nature, she found his words amusing.
The system hadn't given her a divine artifact. What she held was a primordial-grade artifact.
Without hesitation, she waited for its effect.
The Dark Emperor stood motionless, lost in thought, his expression unreadable.
Then, without warning, something within him shifted.
Olivia's eyes narrowed with anticipation, sensing that the curse might have finally taken hold.
—
Meanwhile, one and a half miles away, Ella's clone neared its limit.
Only nine minutes remained before it would dissolve. If not for her unique physique, she would have already been erased. The forbidden sacrificial technique she used had steep consequences, causing her clone to gradually crumble with each second.
All she could do now was endure the disintegration and observe.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings. The kneeling had stopped. The thunderous noise that had once echoed for thousands of miles had gone silent. It was likely they were all retreating, attempting to recover from their injuries.
She shifted her focus back to Olivia, then to the Dark Emperor. A knot of concern formed in her chest.
Olivia was too close. Too exposed.
Ella could only watch, trapped by the suppression that weighed heavily on the space around her.
As she quietly pondered a way to shatter the spatial constraints, a sudden ripple in the air drew her gaze back toward Olivia's position.
Her breath caught.
Olivia was standing still, her gaze fixed downward.
Following the line of her sight, Ella's eyes landed on an impossible sight.
A black rat.
Large, sleek, and silent, its size rivaled that of a housecat.
It stood where the Dark Emperor should have been.
Ella's voice trembled in disbelief.
"What the actual fuck?"
The rat lifted its head. Its eyes locked with Olivia's.
And then—
It wore an ugly smile.