He became the White-Haired Evil God after wearing the Seven Curses Rings.

Orion knelt down with a thud.

The atmosphere at the scene reached a very delicate balance.

"..."

After a long while, Roland spoke first.

"Your Majesty...is that you?"

Seeing Roland's terrified expression, the blonde loli sheathed her crimson greatsword and glanced at Orion beside her.

"It looks quite lively here."

"What, are you all hoping I die?"

Instantly, Orion broke out in a cold sweat.

"Bang!"

Before the other party could say anything, Orion crashed heavily to the ground.

"No, Father Emperor! Absolutely not! We are all loyal to the Emperor and patriots. How could we possibly sentence you to death? Besides, the news of your death is far too heavy for the Empire. I still haven't recovered from my grief!"

At this moment.

Orion was now 100% certain that the blonde loli in front of him was his father, Emperor Atoris.

Although it sounds a little absurd.

But the fear emanating from his very being was genuine.

The fear of being oppressed by Atoris for 150 years was deeply etched into his soul.

Even if Artorias were to change bodies, the fear etched deep in his soul would not change.

"Alright, Orion, all you want is to inherit the throne, right? I've already decided that the next throne will be yours. What are you so afraid of now? I don't think I look as scary as I used to be, do I?"

As he spoke, Atori unconsciously glanced at his little hands.

A hint of confusion appeared on his otherwise expressionless face.

"Hey, Father, didn't you come back to take control of the empire again?"

It was at this moment that Orion noticed that Atoris was no longer referring to himself as "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "I"), but as "我" (wo, meaning "I" or "I").

Hearing Orion's question, Atoris couldn't help but show a hint of weariness.

"I have dedicated three hundred years to the empire; it is time for me to retire. Besides, the empire's constant warfare is taking its toll, and it can no longer withstand the strain of being an emperor."

Now, compared to me, you, with your skill in governing, are more suited to assume the role of emperor, Orion. I have witnessed your contributions to the empire over the past century.

I've always understood the grievances you've been harboring, but the weight of your imperial status has been too heavy, and I haven't had the chance to let you confide in me about your feelings.

As he spoke, Artoris walked up to Orion and patted the other's head.

"Okay, get up."

Suddenly, Orion felt a lump in his throat.

It was as if all the grievances that had been building up inside him for 150 years were about to be released at this moment.

"Hmm... Father..."

"Alright, stop calling me Father. It sounds too stiff. Besides, I'm not the emperor anymore. Call me Father."

"Uh... okay, Father..."

At this moment, facing a petite little girl who is only 1.4 meters tall asking him to call her father, Orion admitted that he still found it a little difficult to say it.

Orion actually wanted to ask something else.

Why did the other person's tone suddenly become relaxed and cheerful after they finished talking about refusing the throne?!

Doesn't Father Emperor know that speaking like that makes her sound even more like a child?

"Damn it, why do I feel like I'm committing a heinous crime..."

Just as Orion was still struggling with his inner turmoil, Roland spoke up.

"Your Majesty... uh... Lord Artoris, if your return this time is not to reclaim the throne of the Empire, then may I ask what other purpose you have?"

"What's the purpose?"

Atoris turned to look at Roland.

"Of course, the empire's crisis hasn't been resolved yet, so I came back to help."

"Is the empire's crisis not over yet?"

Upon hearing this, Roland was taken aback.

"But the threats from the Zerg and the Chaos Cult have all been eliminated. What crisis could the Empire possibly face now?"

Atoris shook his head upon seeing this.

"No, things are not that simple. The Chaos Cult has not given up yet."

"Has the Chaos Cult not given up yet?"

"Yes, actually when I was being devoured by the power of chaos, I sensed that there was a seed of chaos lurking in a person's body in the distance, and that person was the Grand Marshal of the Empire, my second son, Leon."

Upon hearing this, Roland instantly understood the seriousness of the problem.

"You mean, the commander-in-chief has rebelled?!"

……

Void Hive.

It was unclear how long Xie Bai had slept before he finally poked his head out from under the covers.

"Ugh... I'm so hungry..."

Xie Bai, who had just been woken up by hunger, looked somewhat bewildered.

It was as if they had no idea how long they had been asleep.

Just then, an enticing aroma wafted past my nose.

"Whoosh!"

"What is this... ugh... smells so good..."

Upon smelling the aroma of food, Xie Bai slowly rolled around in the blanket until he rolled off the bed.

After rolling to the doorway, Xie Bai struggled to his feet and opened the door.

"flutter!"

Thanatos was caught off guard when Xie Bai suddenly collapsed at his feet.

After a brief moment of confusion, Thanatos quickly grasped the situation.

"My lord! Please hold on! The food is here, you should hurry... wait a minute!"

As soon as Thanatos put down the bag, Xie Bai hugged it and buried his head inside.

Before long, Xie Bai had devoured all three large bags of pastries.

"Hmm...not enough...but at least I have some strength now..."

After groggily getting up from the ground, Xie Bai could see who it was.

"Thanatos, when did you get here?"

Thanatos looked at Xie Bai's somewhat messy hair and spoke.

"Reporting to my Lord, I arrived here eight hours ago."

"Eight hours? Did I really sleep that long? I only dozed off for a little while..."

As he spoke, Xie Bai's voice unconsciously became softer.

For her, the idea of ​​almost starving to death while trying to take a nap in bed was just too embarrassing.

"Ugh, I definitely can't sleep this long next time."

Thinking of this, Xie Bai looked up at Thanatos.

"So, what brings you here today?"

After Thanatos saw that Xie Bai had recovered, he began to report on the recent events.

After listening to Thanatos's explanation, Xie Bai gained a general understanding of the current situation.

"So, the Chaos Cult is hiding a bigger one, right?"

"Yes, my lord, based on Julius's reminder, I sense that this matter is not simple..."

"We don't need to worry about this; let Atoris and the others handle it themselves."

Thanatos was suddenly taken aback.

"My lord, shouldn't we pay attention to this...? Wait, what did my lord mean by Artorias just now...?"

Xie Bai nodded.

"That's right, it's the emperor who fought you before. After I killed the Chaos Demigod, I obtained his original soul."

She infused him with some soul energy, reviving him, though his appearance might be slightly different from before. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be back in the palace by now.

"When I infused her with soul energy, I secretly added a little extra, so her strength is slightly greater than before. I estimate she can easily handle the threat from the Chaos Cult."

Thanatos was deeply shocked as he listened to Xie Bai's unremarkable narration.

"Our lord, who currently only possesses the rank of a demigod, easily killed a Chaos demigod."

It also precisely captured Atoris's soul from the chaotic forces of chaos and resurrected him.

So, does this mean our lord has already regained some of his power?

Thinking of this, Thanatos replied respectfully.

"Then, according to our Lord, what should we do now?"

Facing Thanatos, Xie Bai casually pulled something out of his backpack.

"Here, take this."