CK Simulation, Creating the Style of Tsukino Fumi

Page 118

"But beasts are born from the evil in human nature. As long as humans do not exterminate them, beasts will eventually be reborn. The Beast of Sodom has set its sights on you, simply because, like you, its power originates from the rise and fall of human civilization. The stronger you become, the stronger the Beast of Sodom will become. This journey is your only chance to conquer beasts and defeat your nemesis. If you miss this opportunity, the Beast of Sodom will haunt you for life, and wherever you go, ferocious beasts will roam."

Quinn remained silent, his cheeks twitching slightly.

Originally, he was wondering why he would run into the Sixth Beast again, but now he understands everything.

One's power comes from creating history and writing stories that will be passed down through generations. The simplest way to achieve this goal is to go back in time and establish an empire that can influence the course of history, like Britannia.

The Sixth Beast... It appears during the historical turning point of a dynasty's decline. It is the beast that enjoys human desires the most among all beasts and is keen to interfere in human history. Its power is proportional to the rise and fall of human dynasties. In a sense, this beast does have a common origin with Quinn himself. When Quinn establishes a prosperous dynasty, it enjoys the pleasure that this prosperous dynasty brings it.

Thinking about it, Quinn felt a dull ache in his stomach.

None of my family members understand what's going on; I've been targeted by a pervert!

You have a new objective—hunting the sixth beast.

The beast despised by the one true god has set its sights on you. It seeks to devour all the great achievements you have made, to parasitize you. It is time to deal with this monstrous beast and let the world know who the true strongman is.

Chapter 281 Idiots Can Beat Experts

[To help you better deal with the Sixth Beast, the One God who favors you has prepared all the tools to help you defeat the beast. The relics from the Holy Son have the power to attract and restrain the Sixth Beast. The contract He made with Jupiter keeps Jupiter on the surface and prevents him from going to the Inner Sea. Now, you only need to find Jupiter's whereabouts to grasp the power to defeat the beast.]

In this regard, Mary once again proved her extraordinary relationship with the Son of God, claiming that the Son had met with Jupiter and requested that the great god-king go to the sacred peak—Mount Sinai.

The emulator's pop-up window brought a relieved smile to Quinn's face.

No wonder even Zeus couldn't find Jupiter's whereabouts until now. Now everything makes sense. If they could find Jupiter's whereabouts, Quinn would think it was Zeus who opened the floodgates.

After all, that's Mount Sinai—the place where God and man made their covenant, the sacred place where the one and only God personally descended to the mortal world to establish a covenant with mortals. In a sense, Mount Sinai, like Mount Olympus, is a true abode of the gods. And as everyone knows… you Lin didn't sing, you want to empty your Lin, are you…

People cannot be generalized, and neither can gods. Just as Zeus was the undisputed invincible king of the gods in the Mediterranean, able to subdue all the other Greek gods with one hand, far surpassing any other deity, so too can a certain unique god.

Both being extraterrestrial visitors, Jupiter, with the most followers and the most powerful religious leader on Earth in later generations, is of paramount importance. He is a god far superior to Zeus, firmly holding the top spot on the Type-Moon power rankings. If Zeus were a super Zeus who had gathered the power of all the Machine Gods, he might have had a chance to compete with the One God. But now, it is Jupiter who has gathered the power of all the Machine Gods.

For Zeus, relying solely on his own power, to find Jupiter in the territory of the One God would be far too difficult, especially since Jupiter seemed unwilling to be found.

You have obtained a clue about Jupiter, the King of Gods.

Having obtained all the information you wanted, you felt your journey had been successful. After bidding farewell to Maria, you left the village accompanied by Metatron. Before parting, Metatron once again expressed his respect to you and emphasized that he was always ready to answer your call and assist you in your battle against the Sixth Beast.

You thanked the angel for her kindness, and as you left the Christian community, Mordred appeared beside you. She looked unwell; clearly, something had happened to her when you visited Mary. When you asked for details, Mordred told you something unexpected.

After Mordred parted ways with you temporarily, she wandered around this settlement. It was during her wanderings that Mordred discovered that you weren't the only two who had come to this small village, and that your smooth journey wasn't just a matter of good luck.

You are being followed. The person following you is neither a magician nor a highly skilled assassin, but a secret agent from the Roman court.

These individuals, essentially equivalent to the Ming Dynasty's Imperial Guards, have been following you closely since you left Rome. They utilize the intelligence networks established by the former Roman emperors for centralized rule to gather information about your journey and analyze it to deduce your itinerary and destination. This method of tracking ensures they are always one step behind you, but it is precisely this lag that allows these ordinary spies to avoid your detection range.

[If Mordred hadn't been so bored as to wander around the area like a carefree street urchin, she probably wouldn't have noticed these spies who were tracking you on foot and with information provided by governors from various places. And when she caught them, she naturally began interrogating them.]

However, after Mordred pried the spies out of their purpose in following you, she heard a name that infuriated her.

[Agrippina the Younger, the mother of the current Roman emperor]

The Empress Dowager somehow learned of your existence, but unlike Nero, who was already aware of your identity, this venomous woman clearly hadn't. Her orders to her spies were to track your movements and find an opportunity to assassinate you. Her reason for doing this was simply because you were the 'prophet' spoken of by the Christians, and the recent prophecies spread by them had displeased her. Therefore, she decided to kill you, this so-called 'prophet,' to teach the Christians a lesson, so that they would spread fewer words that offended imperial authority.

Mordred was unaware of the existence of these spies, or whether the current Roman emperor knew of them, but the fact that their aim was to assassinate you was enough to enrage her.

As for you...

[You certainly never expected this to happen. After all, although Nero had questioned your identity deep down and wondered if you were truly the founding god of Rome, she wouldn't openly express such suspicions. She knew one thing very well: whether you were real or not, it would create a situation advantageous to her. Therefore, you trusted that Nero wouldn't interfere with your actions in Rome.]

However, Agrippina the Younger was different. Whether in real history or in the pan-human history of the Type-Moon universe, this woman was extremely insidious, ruthless, and narrow-minded. All her schemes served her own selfish desires. Before Nero became emperor, this woman could still consider normal political rights, but after she successfully helped Nero to the throne, she made almost no attempt to hide her lust for power and her desire to see Nero as a puppet, which ultimately led to Nero's inability to tolerate her any longer and her poisoning of her.

Now, do you think this scene will happen sooner?

[While you acknowledge that arranging an assassination attempt on you is indeed something Agrippina Jr. would do, and it's consistent with her personality, that doesn't mean you can tolerate such behavior. You have a premonition that if you let her do as she pleases, this woman will eventually bring trouble and ruin your plan to hunt the Sixth Beast. In a sense, Agrippina Jr. might be a more unstable factor than Ayaka Sajou, who has yet to reveal her true intentions. Therefore…]

You decide to return to Rome immediately, go to the Roman court, and let all Romans know that the true master of the Roman Empire has returned.

Chapter 282 Facts prove that family factors outweigh personal choices.

Rome.

While Quinn and Mordred were still on their way back, the ancient city had already descended into a frenzy of celebration. All this stemmed from the reopening of the long-closed gates of the Temple of the Patronus. The ancient image of the serpent goddess, once again wandering the seven hills under the night sky, was witnessed by a Roman poet on a chance night stroll. This news was a powerful boost to the morale of all Romans. (The last sentence appears to be unrelated and possibly a fragment from another text.)

The rumors that the gods had abandoned the Romans, which had originally circulated among the common people, vanished, and almost all Romans spontaneously requested to hold a celebration to welcome the goddess's return.

If the common people were so excited, the nobles in the Roman court were naturally even more thrilled, especially the Senate. These powerful senators demanded that the emperor hold a grand banquet for the goddess and volunteered to bring out their family treasuries—wealth hidden away in their homes that even the Roman emperor himself was unaware of—to celebrate. It seemed that all of Rome, all the Romans, were already indulging in this hard-won joy.

However, not everyone in Rome was happy about this; at least, Nero himself did not feel any joy.

Nero had just received some news.

"You mean, my mother bribed your men and secretly allowed those traitors to leave Rome without your knowledge?"

The emperor's question made the general of the Imperial Guard tremble. "It is all my fault, Your Majesty. Little Agrippina has long since won over many Imperial Guards in your name. Because of her status, many Imperial Guards thought she represented your will."

"Utterly ridiculous." Nero was furious, but she couldn't bring herself to criticize this officer, one of the few who were loyal to her, because she had very few people she could rely on in the court. "Have you found out what orders those traitors were receiving?"

“Agrippina the Younger wanted them to assassinate the Christian prophet.”

hum.

Upon hearing this news, Nero's heart nearly stopped. She instantly thought of the resurrection of the goddess of the nation and the legend of the Roman god. At that moment, only one thought remained in her mind.

Kill that woman who only causes trouble.

"Didn't I say that there's no need to care about those heretics? Doesn't anyone take my words, the Emperor's words, seriously?"

Nero angrily rebuked him, and the general of the royal guard kneeling beneath the throne lowered his head, not daring to look him in the eye. Only after Nero had almost vented his anger by cursing Agrippina the Younger to the point of being worse than a pig in a pigsty did he continue to ask, "Is there any news about those traitors?"

"They're dead. Some governors who had relatively good relations with the Christians kept a close watch on them after discovering their whereabouts. About two days ago, the bodies of the traitors were found. It's clear that the Christians were the ones who killed them. Your Majesty, I know you've always been tolerant of infidels, but... this is no longer a typical court struggle. Little Agrippina is your biggest worry, and there's no doubt that she betrayed you. But the problem now is that those Christians are different from before."

The Praetorian general expressed his concerns. As an officer who had served in the Roman court for many years, he was already accustomed to the dirty political infighting within the Roman court, and had even personally experienced the last court turmoil. In his eyes, the Romans' internal strife had little to do with the Praetorian Guard. Who the emperor was was not important; as long as the emperor could make the Praetorian Guard stronger, the Praetorian Guard would always be loyal to the emperor. Therefore, he did not intend to get too involved in the problem between Nero and Agrippina the Younger. After all, what Nero could promise the Praetorian Guard, Agrippina the Younger could also promise in a certain sense.

But when the Praetorian Guard soldiers died at the hands of Christians, everything changed. Previously, the Romans didn't care about the existence of Christians because, compared to the Jews, the Christians' beliefs and ways of doing things were particularly harmless. Even when they were oppressed, most Christians would choose to swallow their anger. Therefore, the Romans could completely allow Christians to walk on Roman soil.

But now, the Christians are actually capable of killing several well-armed and skilled guardsmen, something even Jews wouldn't dare to do lightly. This is no ordinary Christian; in the general's eyes, they are someone who must be dealt with severely.

"Shut up."

Nero covered her forehead, feeling utterly exhausted. She found it difficult to explain to the other person the strange fact that the Roman gods were considered prophets and saviors by Christians.

She even felt that if she were to speak out about this, she might be seen as a heretic and used as a supporter of Christians. But that was exactly the case. However, how the Guards viewed her was a minor matter at the moment.

Her biggest worry now is how to face Quinn.

If her mother's actions angered the other party, how should she appease their anger? Although she was certain that this ancestor was not the type to get angry easily over trivial matters, and had even shown considerable tolerance and understanding towards her, that was before, and things were different now.

Anyone who is inexplicably assassinated will feel angry.

Yes, there's no chance of anything going on; without a doubt, her mother must have angered the other party.

Nero didn't expect his mother to survive Quinn's wrath. In fact, it would be better for her if Agrippina died. What Nero feared was whether Quinn would take his anger out on him. After all, he was the Roman emperor. If an emperor couldn't even manage the people around him, how could he govern the country?

These thoughts gave her a splitting headache, and a look of pain appeared on her face. Her behavior caught the eye of the guard general, who actually preferred her to be in power rather than the ruthless and vicious Empress Dowager Agrippina. But that was all he felt was pity.

Because, as a general of the Praetorian Guard who should have been loyal only to the Roman emperor, his rise to power was, like Nero's, shrouded in secrecy.

This general was promoted by Agrippina the Younger through various means in order to support Nero's ascension to the throne. Therefore, after the death of the previous Roman emperor, the Praetorian Guard immediately supported Nero to become emperor. It was also because of these reasons that Agrippina the Younger was able to bypass the emperor and this general and privately use the Praetorian Guard to do things for her. In return, he also knew a lot about the dirty deeds that Agrippina the Younger had done.

This includes the fact that the previous Roman emperor did not die a natural death from old age, but rather from a slow poison administered by Agrippina the Younger over many years.

It was a kind of magic potion that could subtly influence a person's mind, making them obsessed with the person who administered it and willingly obey their commands. Agrippina the Younger used this magic potion to bewitch the previous Roman emperor. Not only that, but even the current emperor, Agrippina the Younger's own daughter Nero, was given this magic potion. This is the root cause of Nero's frequent headaches.

Normally, he should have revealed the truth directly to Nero, but he didn't. He acquiesced to everything, after all, in his eyes, this was ultimately just an internal matter for the Roman emperor, not an external interference, and the Praetorian Guard had no right to interfere.

Of course, more importantly, although he was closer to Nero in terms of stance, rationally he found it hard to believe that Nero could defeat Agrippina the Younger and emerge from a puppet to become a powerful emperor.

Amidst these complex thoughts, the general pondered and decided to try to soothe Nero's anxiety and pain in another way. He carefully considered his words and said, "Well, Your Majesty, I will ensure that the Janissaries do nothing to the Christians before you give the order. In addition, besides this bad news, I actually have some good news to report to you."

"Good news?" Upon hearing this word, Nero, who had a headache, rubbed his head and looked at the other person. "I can actually hear good news?"

"It concerns the goddess. Your teacher was summoned by the goddess when he went to the temple to pray today. According to him, the goddess asked many questions about Agrippina the Younger and you. When discussing Agrippina the Younger, the goddess showed disgust towards that woman, but when discussing you, the goddess seemed hesitant. There may still be a chance that the goddess will not recognize your throne, which you are worried about. Perhaps, after some time, the great goddess will accept your audience."

Now, Nero's head was throbbing even more.

Her eyes were completely lifeless, and her expression of wanting to die left the general, who had just delivered the message, completely baffled.

Just then, a series of footsteps sounded, followed by Seneca's voice from outside, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"

Nero looked up at the sound and saw his teacher walking into his study from outside. His face was flushed with excitement, as if he had been rejuvenated. This gave Nero a bad feeling.

"Teacher, what is it now?"

“It’s the goddess.” Seneca was panting, clearly having run all the way to the palace as quickly as possible. “The goddess Medusa has just issued a divine decree, blessing you for your succession as emperor and intending to bestow blessings upon you at the celebration.”

These words finally brought a glimmer of light back to Nero's eyes. The dark cloud that had been hanging over her head for so long finally dissipated. Nero immediately stood up from her seat and exclaimed excitedly, "Really?"

"Yes, that's not all. The goddess has also appointed a new high priest of the temple. It was the new high priest who told me this news. The goddess intends to put you through a trial, just like the emperors of the past. As long as you pass the trial, not only the goddess, but all the gods will personally attend and crown you with a laurel wreath."

Gods, trials, coronation...

These words ignited Nero's passion. She excitedly spun around, "Excellent! Indeed, I am the most suitable person to succeed as emperor. Teacher, did the high priest mention the contents of the trial?"

Seneca's nod made Nero even more hopeful, but the next second, he said something that broke Nero's heart.

"The high priest said that when the celebration begins, the Roman patriarch will have a gladiatorial contest with you. You need to demonstrate the qualities of the Romans to the patriarch and gain his approval."

It’s over.

This isn't a trial! It's clearly an excuse to collect debts and beat someone up!

Chapter 283 Proving Yourself

Good news? Bad news?

Nero had no heart to listen to the reports from her two close ministers. Before Seneca had finished speaking, she dismissed her teacher and loyal guards, citing a headache. Only when she was alone in the study did Nero let out a low moan.

The series of news reports had brought her migraines to their peak, almost robbing her of her basic thinking ability. She could only curl up in her chair and press her head against the cold table in an attempt to relieve the pain.

She was not a weak person. To be able to grow up in such a family environment and become someone who could quickly win over various forces and sit on the throne, Nero was undoubtedly a talented, courageous, and determined successor.

The Senate and the Praetorian Guard were willing to support this "illegitimate" emperor, which, in a sense, proved that Nero was the most outstanding among all the candidates for emperor. However, no matter how outstanding she was, she was not an iron woman and ultimately had a vulnerable side. Not showing this side to outsiders was her last act of stubbornness.

Once the throbbing in her head subsided slightly, Nero slowly raised her head. Her pale, bloodless face was full of weariness. She looked out the study window at the increasingly late sky, gritted her teeth, stood up, and walked to the bookshelf in the study. She took down a round shield that looked like it was just a decoration, and a pull ring was exposed to the air.

The Royal Palace of Rome today is no longer what Quine built. Over the long course of time and through the renovations of successive Roman emperors, the palace is filled with various secret passages connecting different rooms. These passages were originally intended to allow the emperor to monitor the councilors and dignitaries in the court, but with the infighting within the royal family, they also served to facilitate the emperor's escape from the palace during military rebellions.

In Nero's hands, these secret passages became one of the few safe havens where she could escape her mother's spies.