Chapter 522: Chapter 522: The first blood
Eren made the Holy Priestess an offer. In exchange for the information on the completion of the dagger, she could receive her life.
It was still unclear if Eren actually meant what he said, or simply he was simply trying to scam her even in the last few days of her life.
He could use soul search on the Holy Priestess to read her memories. However, her soul had already been damaged, becoming more unstable in the process of possession.
She didn't just lose her lifespan but her soul was also damaged. If he tried searching her soul in this statement, he wasn't even sure if her soul was going to survive until he finished looking for the information that he wanted.
If the Holy Priestess could help him out of her own volition, then the risks were minimised.
"Without my help, you will die in two days. If you help me complete this dagger, I can help you live longer," Eren told the Holy Priestess, whose eyes revealed a little interest.
"So you were the one who stole the dagger. If it wasn't for that, then maybe I..." She couldn't even complete her sentence as she started coughing repeatedly.
Eren walked closer and used some of his holy essence to stabilize her condition temporarily.
The Holy Priestess looked at Eren, her thoughts being incomprehensible. She couldn't believe Eren's words.
Even if he was to take a heavenly oath, it was useless. She knew that he was someone that even the Heavenly Oath couldn't bound. If that wasn't the case, the tragedy of the past wouldn't have happened.
He has already broken a heavenly oath when he caused a massacre across the four continents in his wrath.
If a normal person broke the heavenly oath, their souls were destroyed. However, even the heavenly punishment had failed to hurt Ren's Soul.
If the Heavenly Oath had stopped him, then everything would have been much different. Maybe 'they' wouldn't have arrived. The Four Overlords wouldn't have appeared either.
Until now, she had thought that those beings had arrived in this world because of the broken heavenly oath. However, with what happened with the goddess, she came to realise that the reason might have been somewhat different.
She couldn't trust Eren's words. There was no force in this world that could make sure that Eren wasn't going to go back on his words.
Despite that, she still agreed with him.
A vicious gaze appeared in her eyes as she nodded, "I will help you."
The goddess had abandoned her. The other Overlords had also become an obstruction in her path all these years. She didn't want to be the only Overlord to die.
She was just as vicious. Even if she was to die, she wanted the others to suffer even more.
She wanted the other Overlords to be destroyed, worse than she was. Although a little childish, it was her last effort to protect her dignity as the best Overlord of the four.
Eren was surprised that the girl agreed so easily. She didn't even ask him to make a heavenly oath. Was she really this naive to believe that he was going to keep his words?
Even though something felt out of place, he couldn't put his finger on it.
"Hundred Million..." The Holy Priestess said abruptly.
"A hundred million what?" Eren asked the Priestess, confused about her meaning. Why was she suddenly talking about such a large number?
"Kill a hundred million people, and make that dagger absorb the blood. As long as they are pure souls, the dagger will be completed," the Holy Priestess said without the slightest change in her expressions.
It was as if she wasn't talking about a hundred million lives but a few thousand only.
Hearing her, Eren was also at a loss of words. To complete this dagger, he needed to take a hundred million lives? They also needed to be innocent souls, which meant people who had never committed any vile crime.
Was this the reason the author was so hesitant about telling him anything about this dagger? Was he worried that he might actually go with this method?
"Were you really going to kill so many people to complete it?" he asked the Holy Priestess.
"The people of the Northern Continent... I was going to use the enemy's life to complete a weapon that would have decimated them," the Holy Priestess answered. "It was stolen before the war could even happen..."
She even wondered if it would have been better if she had used the lives of her own people. It would have been easier, and faster.
Unfortunately, she couldn't get herself to kill her own people. Even if they weren't useful in the war, they were still those who believed in her.
Even when they lost their faith in her and cursed her at her face, she didn't ask to have them killed. Although she was cold, she wasn't ruthless to her own people.
Even the ones that she killed across the Western Continent, like the previous Holy Emperor, were only out of necessity.
If she could have been more cruel, she would have long completed the weapon. Unfortunately, it was all spilled water now. She couldn't turn back time.
"I don't need you to increase my life. I don't believe you would do that in any case. However, can I ask another request from you before I die?" she asked, reaching out her hand to hold Eren's hand.
"What?" Eren asked. The girl didn't want her life to be extended, so what else could she want? Did she want him to take revenge on the goddess for her? He had no interest in keeping that promise even if he was made to make one.
"If you want to complete this weapon, please use the lives of those in the north. Even if I won't be here, I don't want my people to suffer," the Holy Priestess said.
"Also…" She pulled his hand closer, bringing the dagger closer to her chest. "I brought this weapon into this world. Can you let mine be the first blood that this dagger tastes?"