Records of the Weakest Emperor

Chapter 171: Frantic Escape

"Fear is defeated by courage. In the Goddess, we trust!"

Heisenberg made the sign of the All-Encompassing Light on his chest as a burst of divine light surged from his body. The divine light also covered Ricardo who immediately recovered from his trance upon sensing the warmth of the Goddess's compassion and light.

But before he could even react, Heisenberg dragged him by his arm, and the two of them made a break for it.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." Heisenberg was running at full speed.

He didn't care if Ricardo couldn't match his pace, he was now relying on his survival instincts to run.

Fortunately, Ricardo was far more battle-hardened than he had expected. When he woke up from his trance, he had immediately summoned his Aspect and aimed an arrow directly at the Witches chasing at them from behind.

"Water Anchor Arrow!" Ricardo unleashed a skill and an arrow made out of water flew towards one of the Witches. Water Anchor Arrow was a skill that could temporarily immobilize those that were hit by it.

However, since this was a single-targeted skill, it could only stop anyone that was struck by it.

Ricardo knew this skill far too well and he also knew how to take advantage of it.

He aimed his arrow at the Witch that was the closest to them in hopes that the Witch's sudden stop would cause the other Witches behind it to stumble onto the ground.

That would buy them enough time to widen their distance from the Witches and hopefully escape.

But unfortunately, the Witches weren't feared by the common people and the Judiciaries alike for nothing...

They were incredibly agile, and Ricardo's fast arrow didn't even manage to touch even the hem of their clothes.

It couldn't even cause any disturbance as it slipped past the Witches.

In fact, the attack even further intensified the anger that the Witches had for these intruders.

To think that they would dare to interrupt their dancing?

These Witches were out for blood, and they wouldn't stop until they saw one.

"We've got to split... We can't keep running like this. If we do we'll reach the village center, and that is where the danger concentrates."

Heisenberg suddenly broke the silence. It was surprising enough that he was able to keep up with Ricardo despite his old age, but he was also proposing for them to split?

It has to be known that even though Priest's were more than qualified to deal with Corpse Eaters.

Their attacks needed to be chanted and chanting needed time to prepare. What's more, once the Priest started to chant the gospel of the subject of their faith. They would definitely attract the attention and hate of the impure beings that they were trying to annihilate.

In other words, Heisenberg was saying that he would lure these Witches to his side so Ricardo could escape on his own.

But how could Ricardo accept that?

"Old man, you bastard... What the fuck are you talking about? We're all in this together! How can I escape without you?" Ricardo grumbled.

"Don't make me laugh, Ricardo. I know that you also want to live. We're all in this together? What a joke. If you're that principled, then why did you decide to leave Calvin alone?" Heisenberg coldly mocked.

Ricardo's face fell. His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he bit his lips out of frustration.

The village center was slowly becoming closer and closer in Ricardo's eyes.

They had to make a decision.

They couldn't possibly go to the village center since the repulsive aura that the place was radiating alone made it obvious that the village center was where these Corpse Eaters slaughtered human beings for their consumption. The amount of resentment there was enough warning sign for them to steer clear from that place.

A decision must be done.

"Damn it all!"

Ricardo was done.

He had already embarrassed himself once by leaving Calvin alone in that house, yet was he still going to shame himself by abandoning Heisenberg?

Ricardo couldn't take it anymore.

He turned around and faced the Witches with an arrow placed on the strings of his bow.

"Shit, what the fuck are you doing, you punk?!"

Heisenberg noticed the change and he couldn't help but let out a curse.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around only to realize that Ricardo wasn't going to make it.

His arrow was already on the bow, but the Witches were just too fast.

"You fucking brat!"

Heisenberg bit his lips and spat a mouthful of blood onto the crystal ball that he was holding.

The divine white light radiating from the crystal orb abruptly turned crimson, while Heisenberg's expression paled.

A resolute light shone in his eyes as he raised the crystal orb into the air and mumbled, "Quagmire!"

"Ah!" The Witches in the distance simultaneously fell onto the floor as the ground they were running on turned into mud. The mud that Heisenberg had created seemed to be similar to quicksand as the more the Witches struggled, the more they sunk deeper into the mud.

"WAAAAAAHHH!!!" The Witches let out a soundless shriek.

But before the sound waves could reach both Heisenberg and Ricardo, the latter had unleashed his attack.

"Water Arrow of Piercing!" Ricardo fiercely grunted and an arrow of water flew towards one of the Witches in the front.

But while the arrow was in mid-air, it suddenly stopped for a moment before it separated into three separate arrows, each going into the foreheads of the three Witches that were stuck in the mud.

Puchi!

The sound of flesh being penetrated audibly rang out.

"Got'em!" Ricardo cheered when he heard this sound.

"No! Not yet! They're still alive!" Heisenberg warned.

As the smoke settled, Ricardo's pupils constricted upon seeing that his arrow had indeed pierced through the foreheads of the Witches...

But they were still alive.

And that wound was visibly recovering right in front of their eyes.

Fear flashed across Heisenberg's face when he noticed that not only Ricardo's attacks were ineffective. It only increased the anger that the Witches had for them.

While the two of them were standing there in confusion, the Witches were doing their best to crawl out of the quagmire.

When Heisenberg recovered from his initial shock, he noticed that one of the Witches was already halfway through getting out of the mud.

"Shit, we've got to run..." Heisenberg turned around only to find Ricardo placing another arrow onto his bow.

"Ricardo, we need to run! Now!" Heisenberg cried out.

"Give me a moment, I will stop them here..." Ricardo frantically placed another arrow on the strings of his bow, and as he took aim...

He was about to unleash another Water Anchor Arrow when the Witches standing the closest to them got out of the mud, then leaped into the air.

The Witch's goal was clear.

It was to knock down Ricardo and devour him alive.

"No..." Ricardo despaired.

But while the Witch was in mid-air, a figure stood in front of him.

It was Heisenberg.

"You troublesome brat." There was a smile on his face.

A smile that looked so dazzling, and heroic, yet full of bitterness at the same time.

"Evil is in their hearts..."

"Oh, Goddess of Compassion and Light."

"Give to them according to their works done by their hands..."

"Render to them their reward."

Heisenberg took a stance with his fist and even abandoned his crystal orb as he dropped it onto the ground.

"WAAAAAAHHH!"

The Witch in mid-air seemed to have been agitated by Heisenberg's chanting as the black veins scattered throughout its entire body convulsed.

It raised its hand and revealed its claw.

The Witch's attention was now on Heisenberg.

As it neared the two, the Witch stretched its hand above its head, ready to cleave Heisenberg into two pieces the moment it was near enough.

"Hear my humble supplication..."

Heisenberg smiled.

The Witch was finally in range and it sent an attack so fast that Ricardo couldn't even see it.

But Heisenberg was even faster.

Divine light converged in his glabella as he stepped aside and effortlessly avoided the Witch's attack.

Then, he caught the Witch's arm in mid-air and chanted.

"The Goddess is my strength..."

"And my protector."

Power surged throughout Heisenberg's body as his right arm doubled in size.

A crunchy noise then followed as he crushed the Witch's arm with a single hand before kicking the Witch away, back towards its two companions.

"WAAAAAAH!"

The Witch let out a sorrowful and pained shriek as it collided against its comrades.

With Quagmire still in effect, she was once again back and sinking into the mud. Her comrades that were about to escape were also forced down deeper into the mud.

Heisenberg was still standing there, with his body radiating the divine light of the Goddess.

"Heisenberg...?" Ricardo was still in shock.

Heisenberg trembled.

"Why are you still here...?" He turned around and when Ricardo saw his face, he was shocked to find Heisenberg slowly being covered by black veins that seemed to be spreading from where the Witch's blood made contact with his body.

"Run..."

"You've got to run, Ricardo..."

"A-Are you okay?" Ricardo asked.

To be honest, at this point, Ricardo didn't even know what he was talking about. It was obvious that Heisenberg wasn't all right, but he had no idea what to say. He was speechless after seeing Heisenberg's display of courage and bravery.

"Hehehe, do you think that a mere corruption is able to stop me in my tracks now that I am in Combat Form?" Heisenberg's bald head seemed to have transformed into a mirror at this moment, "You have to run before I run out of time in my Combat Form. Once my Combat Form expires, we will surely die."

A serious look was on Heisenberg's face.

"No, I will not." Ricardo declared.

"What? Are you trying to waste my efforts?" Heisenberg was getting angry.

"I'm sorry, Heisenberg. But I will not run anymore."

"I've already abandoned Calvin. And I've had enough." An indifferent look appeared on Ricardo's face.

He picked up his bow and aimed at the Witches.

"Hahaha..." Heisenberg started laughing. He was now starting to like Ricardo and the development that he was undergoing. However, a sorrowful look briefly appeared on his face for a moment since he knew that they couldn't possibly leave this place anymore.

It was so unfortunate that they would most likely die in this encounter, but Heisenberg was still hopeful.

He turned to look at Ricardo and stared at the young man's eyes.

"Are you up for a drink once we make it out of here alive?"

Ricardo was stunned for a while before he responded, "What the fuck are you asking me out for? Do you swing that way?"

Heisenberg rolled his eyes, "Do you think I'm Old Zhong? I like women, my friend. I'd rather die than look at a guy."

"Hahaha..." Ricardo was also laughing now, "Say no more, old man. I understand. If we get out of here alive, we'll drink to our deaths."

"Yeah, we'll make sure to get Calvin to come with us too." Heisenberg smiled.

"All right..."

Ricardo nodded his head as he briefly looked at the direction where they left Calvin.

A melancholic light appeared in Ricardo's eyes for a moment but it was quickly dispelled and replaced by a resolute light that was determined to defy the odds and escape from this village alive.

Ricardo soundlessly placed an arrow on the strings of his bow.

Heisenberg stood in front of the Witches with his body enhanced by the Goddess's blessing and his Combat Form.

"Tonight..." Heisenberg smiled.

What followed afterwards was a roar...

"We dine in hell!"

... a roar of defiance.

Heisenberg raised his fist and was about to pulverize the Witch's head in front of him when he suddenly stopped.

"Water Anchor Arr-" Ricardo also abruptly stopped.

Their ears trembled as their sharp senses enabled them to hear the whispers of a woman calling their name somewhere far away.

The Witches stuck in the mud showed fear on their faces.

They turned around and started to make a frantic escape as they tried their best to crawl in the opposite direction.

The survival instincts of the three Witches seemed to have been ignited as their strength soared, enabling them to break free from the mud in just under five seconds.

The Witches quickly fled the scene.

Heisenberg and Ricardo also took advantage of this opportunity to run and hide in a nearby alleyway. 

"W-What was that...?"

"Yeah..." 

As the two desperately tried to catch their breaths, their expressions were complicated as they thought about what just happened.

The departure of the Witches meant that they had successfully avoided a battle to the death, but since the voice of that woman was enough to scare those despicable Corpse Eaters away...

It was obvious that the woman was an existence far scarier than the Witches. 

"Shit... Those bitches are already so strong that we couldn't even handle one of them. Yet, a woman's voice that was so faint was able to scare them away from attacking us?" 

"We can't do this anymore... We can't..."

"We have to escape."

"The evil lurking in this place isn't something that we can handle..."

"It's not our place to intervene with what's going on in this village."

"We have to go back to Calvin and tell him about what just happened."

Heisenberg declared amidst his bated breaths.