Chapter 542 - I Am

I Am

Seeing as though Apollo was about to shoot his flame arrow, it wasn’t just Abbess Yun Miao and the rest who closed their eyes, but also Sargeras and Lilith who had been standing their ground.

As far as they could see, this was a baffling, tragic ending...

At this point, other than the cold wind rushing around, the island was dead silent.

They didn’t understand why Yang Chen would kill off the Vatican four so carelessly, or how he could still be so unmoved. That Apollo impersonator was aiming flame arrows, which no mortal could withstand, at Lin Ruoxi.

For they couldn’t bear to see such a beautiful body turned to ash before their eyes...

After some time, they finally forced their eyes open as they hadn’t heard any noise from the monitor, making them puzzled.

As they took a closer look, they were immediately struck dumb.

They saw that, around the area where Lin Ruoxi was lying on the deck, there was somehow a translucent, golden-red hemisphere shield. The splendor of molten flames were swirling around on the shield gorgeously.

As for that destructive scarlet flame arrow—it was blocked by the shield. It looked as if it was swallowed from the tip as sparks flew everywhere!

“What… is that thing?”

Everyone’s mind immediately asked this main question.?

Where did a shield, able to engulf that terrifying arrow, come from?

But no matter what, everyone was relieved inwardly. As they noticed Yang Chen’s faint smile, they finally realized that Yang Chen was so calm because he had predicted that something would happen.

On the deck, Apollo stepped back disbelievingly, shaking his head as he muttered, “It’s impossible, how could this be? This… What’s this darn thing?!”

A new variable had disrupted something that was under his control, making Apollo enraged as he raised the golden longbow in his hand and fired another flame arrow.

“I refuse to believe that it can’t be penetrated!!”

An even more destructive flame arrow was released once more. But like before, once it reached the golden-red shield, it disappeared uselessly!

“It can’t be done. Although you’re very strong, and the weapon in your hand is comparable to a divine weapon, you’re still no god.” Yang Chen finally spoke with a grin.

Apollo turned abruptly, shivering all over with rage. “What’s this?! Tell me, what is this?!!”

As he was brewing up a raging storm inside, Apollo’s voice started to distort. The thundering voice caused the haggard Fodessa on the island to be shocked!

“Di—director?!”

Fodessa cried out in surprise, and he stood up as he questioned angrily. “You’re the director?! You’re not Apollo! You’re Director Depney?!”

‘Apollo’ became visibly panicked, but also turned resentful and ruthless.

Yang Chen smiled cheerfully and rubbed his ears. “Oh, so it’s Director Depney. I wonder how you are so free to play dress up as Apollo. Now it’s useless even if you yell at us. You could say your plan has fallen through.”

This reveal made Abbess Yun Miao, Sauron, Sargeras, and the rest shocked to the core. Of course they knew who Depney was—he was the director of the French Security Seventh Bureau. They had assumed that Fodessa had organized this meeting as the deputy director due to some work issues, but never in their life would they have guessed this. The director was actually ‘Apollo’?!

As if he knew it was useless to keep pretending, Depney took off the Roman helmet which had the golden sun totem and threw it to one side of the warship, revealing a charred, severe face. The head of gentle curls was slouched, and the sharp eagle-eyes no longer had the charm or brazenness they used to have—all that was left was deep resentment and oppression.

Fodessa, who had known him for many years, was almost unable to recognize such a Depney.

“Director… it’s really you, no wonder… no wonder you had suddenly asked me to host such an important meeting… so it’s… why…” Fodessa’s heart sank—he had been fooled by Depney from the start! It was like the world had crashed around him. His completely lost his energy and stopped mid sentence.

Depney’s mouth twitched coldly as he snorted. “I shouldn’t have supported trash like you. You talk about the glory of soldiers, but you’re just a mixed bastard, and you still want to talk about glory… Humph!”

Fodessa’s eyes were red and he didn’t make a sound.

Depney couldn’t care less about his subordinate and said darkly, “Pluto, I admit that I underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to see through me so quickly. But this doesn’t change a thing. The detonator is still in my hand—even if I can’t kill your woman right now, I can still blow up the island. Thus, eliminating your chances of winning.”

Yang Chen patted his chest and made a frightened face, sighing. “Director Depney, you’re too cunning, how could I have forgotten that you still have the detonator? But it’s also cause I’m so dumb. I guessed long ago that the so-called ‘Apollo’ was in fact an important insider of France, but didn’t think that a nuclear bomb would be in play.”

Depney laughed coldly. “Oh? You guessed that? Now I’m interested to know how you would guess that. Since I’m in no hurry to detonate the bomb, just think of this as your final words.”

As he spoke, Depney raised the longbow in his hand. “As you’re explaining, I’ll shoot a few arrows as my parting gift to you. Although I’m not sure exactly how you protected your woman from my arrows, but I guess… if you’re dead, then she doesn’t need to die… To be honest, it’s a shame that I’d have to kill a woman of this quality…”

Laughing sinisterly, Depney pulled back the longbow again—

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

This time, Depney had fired three consecutive arrows!

Yang Chen said calmly, “Actually, I had my suspicions when we were kidnapped and brought to Romilly. The city was so close to Paris that no matter how hidden the warehouse was, France’s Security Bureau couldn’t possibly have been unable to recover the nobles after losing them. What I felt was the biggest possibility was that the Security Bureau was actively not looking in that location.”

As he spoke, three flame arrows descended from the sky ferociously, each heading for a person in Sauron’s group!

Without looking, Yang Chen extended a hand, and the surging Xiantian True Qi rolled up like a wild wave, destroying those terrifying arrows in midair!

In the monitor, Depney had grown ashen. Although he didn’t think that the weapon would cause Yang Chen much injury—which was why he directed them towards the others—he didn’t expect the arrows to be no threat at all!

As if nothing had happened, Yang Chen continued. “Besides, the first target of the so-called ‘Realm of Gods’ as well as the timing of their operation were suspicious. If they were really such a powerful organization, why wouldn’t they have gone for another country with a more formidable power like the U.S. or England to pick on? Won’t it be more effective to threaten the U.S. President? If they’re a real god, would they be afraid of Blue Storm? And everyone knew that the French Security Bureau wasn’t very strong. Picking on a pushover like them doesn’t really provide the respect needed to the lofty goal of world domination.

“So I guessed then that the reason for choosing France was because this Apollo imposter had no other choice. And the reason for waiting until now was because in this half-year the French President would take his turn as the chairperson of the European Council. At a time like this, choosing France as a target seemed like the best option, and won’t arouse suspicions that it was because Apollo was an inside job in France.

“One more important point: the fashion week in Paris is the only time where the world’s famous nobility and rich merchants meet. If something bad happens, the other governments won’t dare to openly forbid their nobility and merchants from coming to France. So the kidnappings and extortions not only exerted pressure on other countries, but also allowed for the funding of weapons…”

Up until now, Depney’s face had changed, and his temple was throbbing. Yang Chen guessed that his guesses were mostly right.

As for Abbess Yun Miao and the rest, they slowly came to understand the whole plot. No wonder when the Realm of God was causing havoc in France, the Security Bureau seemed so helpless. Turned out it was embezzlement!

Yang Chen sighed. “When I saw the weapons of those guys in black, which were the high-tech light machine guns from the German company Heckler & Koch, fitted with the body gear of special forces soldiers, I was almost certain that the Realm of God wasn’t seperate from the government. Otherwise, how would these terrorist knock-offs have so much money? And a proper arms manufacturer wouldn’t sell off these equipment so easily.

“I could only say that your plan had some flaws, but to many people it was still too impenetrable. Your mistake is in overestimating your power, and what’s more, overestimating the power of your ally, the Vatican.”

“So what?!” Depney yelled. “So what if you’ve guessed it all?! All this will be sunk along with the island, forever buried at the bottom of the sea!

“Just wait until I kill you and bomb all those idiots from different countries into smithereens. The world will be thrown into chaos and every country will second-guess each other! Just wait till I kill the French President, and a few European leaders. The European Union will listen to me obediently, and even the Sword in the Stone wouldn’t be able to defeat my divine weapon!

“I will be the ruler of the European Union, and light the flames of war, and become the ruler of the world! No one can stop me!!”

Looking at the deranged Depney, the audience on the island couldn’t help but grit their teeth.

“What a madman. What made him think that such a flawed plan would work?” Lilith said indignantly. As a proud member of the blood race, it was hard for her to accept being fooled by a human.

“No, this plan seems to be about ruling the world, but it’s just as much about causing global wars, as if he’s taking revenge on the humans…” Sargeras said softly.

Depney laughed wildly for a while, before stopping for breath. “Sorry, but my time to chit chat with the dead is limited. Since I can’t kill Pluto’s woman, I’ll kill a few others first. Fodessa… my deputy director, I’ll send your wife and child down to hell first to wait for you!”

“No!! Please don’t kill them!!!” Fodessa roared in rage, clambering on to the monitor.

Depney couldn’t be bothered. He turned away and raised the bow once more, aiming at the sleeping Harry and his mother, and formed two great flame arrows.

But just as he was about to release the arrows, Stern, who had been motionless and deep in coma, suddenly raised his head and got up slowly from the ground.

Looking at Stern who was suddenly awaken, not only were the guys in black surprised, but even Depney frowned. As far as they knew, the sleeping chemicals they used on the hostages were quite potent and should have kept them out for a long long time!

After Stern stood up, he stretched lazily and glanced at Depney who was holding the golden longbow loaded with flame arrows. Stern shook his head almost sorrowfully, and then turned to the monitor and spoke to Yang Chen. “Hades, you’ve blabbered on for long enough. Are you even aware of how cold this deck actually is? How is it that one person can spout out so much nonsense? Persephone isn’t like us non-humans—if she gets a cold then whom should she complain to?

“I’ll tell you why she won’t go to bed with you: you’re too chatty and not straightforward at all. Can’t you just tell this pig that he’s lost? What’s done is done—don’t you know we’re in a hurry to eat? Once it gets too late, all of the good eateries will be closed. What are we to do then? ”

Yang Chen didn’t seem surprised that Stern had gotten up, and rolled his eyes. “Seems to me like I’m not the only one who is talkative.”

Depney saw that Stern and Yang Chen were chatting as if he was just air, and yelled in anger. “Bastard! Who do you think you are? Die then!”

With that, Depney changed his aim and shot both arrows at Stern!

The two flame arrows, which could crush even steel, at such close range—it was unavoidable!

“Idiot.” Stern didn’t even move, and muttered something with a curl of his lips.

A golden-red shield shining with liquid light appeared once more, this time in front of Stern, and swallowed the two arrows!

“Don’t you get it? The one who stopped your arrows is not that fellow on the island, but me.” Stern looked at the Depney’s helpless eyes.

Hearing this, Depney took two steps back as his heart shivered, sensing something was wrong. He said lowly, “You… You’re not Stern! Who are you really?!”

Stern began laughing uproariously and almost couldn’t catch his breath, pointing at Depney with a shake of his head.

“You want to start a world war with a sad excuse of a brain like yours? You’re more likely to die from your own stupidity than from war. You use my name, and wave my banner, while fooling the masses. You should have come up with a plan if you were to be exposed.”

At these words, Depney’s mind clicked, and his eyes widened as he said shakily, “You… you are… you are…”

“So you finally got it.” Stern rubbed his golden curls with a grin. “That’s right, I am—A… po… llo.”