CHAPTER 642: CHAPTER 578: REPUTATION

???

After hearing Leon’s words, Prince Andre couldn’t help but be stunned, his emerald eyes full of doubt.

After all, when it came to going on a "suicide mission," Leon had already tricked him once. Before pulling his soul out, Leon was full of talk about "connections," "having many acquaintances," and "don’t worry."

But once Prince Andre gave up resisting, those promises immediately changed to "don’t say you know me," "just say I killed you," "tell others we are sworn enemies,"—it’s obvious which of these two statements is more trustworthy.

And in the Underworld, where Leon had enemies everywhere to the point where even mentioning his name could get someone implicated, he claimed to be confident that in spite of the White Serpent’s revenge, he could still get him to the City of Regret? Seriously, this isn’t a joke?

"Relax, I’m not teasing you this time."

Feeling a bit awkward under Andre’s doubtful gaze, Leon coughed slightly and explained:

"Besides, in the Underworld, I do have quite a lot of connections and acquaintances—just that my acquaintances might not be the kind you understand... forget about it, I won’t go into that.

In any case, if you’re absolutely determined to make it to the City of Regret no matter the cost, then I do have a way—might even help you slip through... so don’t move just yet."

Under Prince Andre’s shocked gaze, Leon’s "reddish" soul quickly detached from his body, and he began to rub his hands on his body, smearing those yet-to-dry bloodstains.

"You... uh... what are you doing?!"

"Don’t move, although this thing may be a bit dirty, it’ll ensure you pass through the Gate of the Deceased."

After dipping his hands in the endlessly liquid blood of the Three-Headed Canine Deity and smearing it over Prince Andre, turning him into a "little red person," Leon nodded in satisfaction and explained to the bewildered Andre:

"Once you reach the entrance of the Underworld, if the reaper guarding the Gate of the Deceased wants to take advantage of your weakened state to consume you, just tell it you were sent by a guy named Leon.

If it dares to eat even a strand of your hair, once I’m done with my business, I will find time to sneak into the Underworld and devour it alive, along with its kin and descendants, and every moving thing in its domain. I will eat one for each one there is."

???

"Umm... are you sure this method will work?"

"Rest assured, the reapers, most of them have seen me... uh... have seen me dining, and all you need is to say what I’ve taught you, it’ll work for sure!"

"..."

So, what exactly do you look like when you’re dining? Enough to frighten those emissaries of the Death Dominators?

"Moreover, aside from the gatekeeping reaper, the biggest trouble for you would probably be the corporeal doe among the Overlords of the Dead Realm."

Without addressing Prince Andre’s confusion, Leon continued:

"That doe is the holder of the [Lake of Hidden Garb], the [Corpse Soil Black Forest], and the Baigu Palace, also a member of your Slaughter King Association. As a traitor to the Slaughter King Association, when you go there, it certainly won’t let you pass and will kill your soul at the locations it holds."

"The Overlords of the Underworld... how powerful are they?"

"The difference in levels among the Overlords of the Underworld is quite large."

Leon pondered for a moment and then replied:

"There are many special locations in the Underworld, like the City of Regret, the Nest of Crows of Death Report, and Baigu Palace. Those True Gods of the Netherworld who can control these special locations are called the Underworld Dominators. Among them, the weakest are equivalent to the Three-Headed Canine Deity who used to guard the Gate of the Deceased, True God—lowest level;

And the strongest among them are about the level of the Pillar God, almost impossible to kill when alongside their controlled special locations. The corporeal doe alone controls three special locations, making it the most formidable among the ’non-Pillar God’ level ones."

So... the cream of the True God crop?

Upon hearing this, Prince Andre couldn’t help but give a bitter smile, a trace of barely detectable despair flashing in his eyes.

At his strongest, with the aid of the world’s fragments, he barely crossed the threshold of a True God. Now, with his soul decomposed by seventy to eighty percent, he probably can’t even handle a Second-level Cleaner, let alone meddle in the affairs of top-tier True Gods.

"Don’t worry, you shouldn’t need to confront it directly."

After signing his name in dog blood on Prince Andre’s chest, Leon let go of his overcoat, and began a vigorous scribbling on the moon-white midcoat, then opened the midcoat, smearing the deep blue innerwear with dog blood.

Feeling uncomfortable from Leon’s strange actions, Prince Andre managed not to dodge but still inquired with difficulty:

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving a message."

While doodling with his hand, Leon instructed without lifting his head:

"When you reach the corporeal doe’s territory, if it gives you trouble, open your overcoat to show it the midcoat, telling it that if it kills you, the director of the Virgin Branch will immediately get drunk again, and like last time, will vent his drunken trouble on it.

If any other Overlords of the Dead Realm come by following your scent and intend to cause you trouble, just follow my original advice, tell them you’re killed by me, and we have a deep-seated enmity, if that makes no difference, show them your underwear."

"..."

If denied entry, show others my underwear? Sounds... truly perverted...

Nodding awkwardly, Prince Andre curiously asked:

"What did you write on my inner... underwear?"

"Just a little threat."

Leon chuckled and said:

"If they don’t let you pass, I’ll off myself before the Canine Deity resurrects, taking its place to guard the Underworld gate and gorge on whatever’s in its domain on a daily basis."

"Ah?"

"It’s just a last resort, not guaranteed to work, so unless it’s critical, try to avoid stripping."

After buttoning up the blood-lettered clothes on Andre, Leon pulled him up and then, amidst a fog full of deathly aura, gave him a strong shove towards the distance where the Gate of the Deceased stood.

"Go on! Safe journey!"

"Wait! Why do you... whoa!"

As Andre started to question again, Leon pushed him off balance, and when he steadied himself, he found himself standing outside the opened Gate of the Deceased, lined up with a group of wailing deceased souls.

And outside the tall, blood-stained gates, an extraordinarily large fish tank stood, with several hideous fishes possessing huge eyes growing out of their mouths and mouths where their eyes should be. They soaked in the murky water, nagging truculently through the tank:

"Move along! Don’t dawdle!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Annoying! So many reapers, why are we on duty!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Say, we wouldn’t run into that feeding maniac like that stupid horse did, would we?"

"Shut up, shut up!"

"Uh... wait! Seems like a powerful soul is coming!"

"So fragrant, so fragrant!"

Here it comes!

Under the piercing gaze of dozens of singular eyes growing out of mouths, feeling the immense pressure, the extremely weakened Prince Andre felt a chilling sensation run down his spine, silently praying in his heart that Leon’s method would work.

However, before he could speak and relay Leon’s "threat," the monstrous fishes who recognized the blood on his body all screamed, broke out of the tank with a crash, and fled rolling and scrambling away while sprinting with two fish fins like humans.

"Run! The Food God is hungry again!!!"

"Help, help!"