Chapter 1343 Black Hole

The performer's heart nearly stopped.

"AH!"

He immediately threw himself forward.

Fortunately, years of catching his monkey during performances had given him excellent reflexes, and he managed to catch the baby just before it reached the ground.

However, the force of his desperate movement caused him to lose his balance.

Thud!

The performer fell backward, landing heavily on his bottom.

The baby remained safely cradled in his arms.

"…"

Silence.

The entire audience stared at him. The performer stared at the baby. The baby stared back.

For a moment, neither seemed capable of understanding what had just happened.

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"AMAZING!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause erupted.

"INCREDIBLE!"

"He turned a monkey into a baby!"

"How did he do that?!"

"I didn't even see him use a technique!"

"That was wonderful!"

The crowd went wild. Several children began jumping excitedly.

"Again! Again!"

"Do it again!"

"Turn the baby back into a monkey!"

"…"

The performer remained seated on the ground. Cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Turn it back?

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TURN IT BACK?!

He had absolutely no idea where the baby had come from.

Judging from the baby's appearance, it couldn't have been more than a few months old.

What the hell is going on?!

The performer swallowed.

He looked toward the applauding crowd, then at the baby.

Fortunately, the infant appeared unharmed. In fact, after observing his face for a few seconds, the baby suddenly smiled.

"Gah!"

"…"

The performer nearly cried.

Please don't smile at me!

Where are your parents?!

⸻

Meanwhile, as chaos spread throughout the Imperial City, many citizens also noticed that something seemed to have happened within the imperial palace.

In fact, the situation there was even more alarming.

Several months had passed since the battle for control of the empire.

During that battle, a considerable portion of the imperial palace had been destroyed, with numerous buildings reduced to rubble.

Fortunately, rebuilding such structures wasn't particularly difficult in a world where supernatural abilities existed.

With the resources available to the empire and the assistance of supernaturals, the reconstruction had been completed in a short time.

The new palace was even more magnificent than before. Even ordinary citizens could admire its grandeur from a considerable distance.

Unfortunately, the newly rebuilt palace had suffered another disaster.

A large section of the central complex was missing.

Not merely damaged, with debris scattered around, but completely missing.

Where several magnificent buildings had previously stood, there was now an enormous, dark hole.

The surrounding structures had been torn apart, and the ground seemed to have collapsed inward.

However, what made the sight particularly disturbing wasn't the destruction itself.

It was the darkness lingering within the hole.

Even under the sunlight, the interior remained pitch-black.

Strange fluctuations spread from its depths, accompanied by an oppressive energy that made anyone who approached feel deeply uncomfortable.

It was almost as though something vile had taken root beneath the palace.

Floating above the destruction were dozens of supernaturals.

Most were Rank 2, while a smaller number had already reached Rank 3.

These were among the most powerful individuals currently within the Imperial City.

At this moment, the expressions of these dignified beings were pale.

"What exactly happened here?!"

An elderly man wearing an elaborate robe stared at the enormous hole beneath him.

His expression was extremely ugly.

Only moments earlier, he had been having a discussion with some old friends when a terrifying fluctuation suddenly spread through the city.

It was a strange sensation that ordinary people might not even notice, but for the truly powerful, it was chilling.

By the time he arrived, a considerable section of the central complex had already disappeared.

And that included the Emperor's office.

"Has anyone contacted His Majesty?"

"No response!"

"What about the imperial guards stationed nearby?"

"They don't know anything, and most of them are scattered around the city.

Based on their accounts, there is reason to believe that something terrible happened here, and the Emperor went to escort those nearby out of danger.

However, the problem now is that His Majesty is nowhere to be found."

The elderly man's expression darkened.

"This is very troublesome. Why can't we just have a moment of peace? I guess even the Emperor can be affected," someone muttered worriedly.

After all, the Emperor wasn't an ordinary person.

Many of them still remembered the battle that had brought him to power, and the strength he had displayed during that conflict had left a deep impression.

"Could it have been an assassination attempt?"

A middle-aged Rank 3 supernatural spoke with a grim expression.

"Who would dare?"

"Do you think His Majesty has no enemies?"

"That's not what I meant!"

The two men exchanged angry looks.

"Enough!"

The elderly man interrupted them.

"Arguing here won't solve anything."

He glanced toward the darkness beneath them.

"Has anyone investigated the hole?"

"…"

An uncomfortable silence followed.

The elderly man looked down again. The darkness appeared almost motionless.

Yet the more he examined it, the more uncomfortable he became.

As a Great Mage, his perception was considerably stronger than that of ordinary supernaturals at the same level.

Right now, every instinct he possessed was warning him against approaching the hole.

His expression grew increasingly gloomy.

Although he respected the Emperor's strength, his concern wasn't entirely born from loyalty.

In fact, that was true for most of the supernaturals gathered above the hole.

After all, they had served the previous imperial family.

Their loyalties naturally differed, but they all understood that the stability of the empire currently depended heavily on its new ruler.

Putting aside the need for stability within the empire, if something were to happen to the new Emperor, their neighbors might have some sneaky ideas.

⸻

Meanwhile, as panic continued to spread throughout the Imperial City, a painful groan escaped from deep within the enormous hole beneath the palace.

"Ugh…"

Contrary to what many of the supernaturals floating above believed, the hole wasn't empty.

There were two figures inside.

*

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