After making a mental note to hold a grudge against the third generation old man, feeling the increasingly "thin" death authority surrounding him, Leon couldn't help but rack his brains for a moment and then loudly persuaded again:
"Stop it! Think about Ellie!"
Upon hearing her daughter's name, Emma paused slightly, a hint of hesitation appearing in her eyes.
Sharp to notice this change, Leon's eyes lit up, and he quickly continued to shout:
"Think about it! She's only got you left as family. If you just leave her like that, what will that child do?"
"..."
This family emotional blackmail trick, although a bit old-fashioned, really worked well on Emma. Her once stable soul immediately wavered, and the efficiency of her seizing the death authority instantly dropped.
Just as Leon was overjoyed, ready to continue the momentum, the third-generation old man, who had been ducking his head, raised his head a little and murmured softly behind his hand:
"Don't worry, you two were already involved, and this time you took over the matter of the Dead Realm for him. When he returns, he will certainly treat your daughter as his own, perhaps even better."
"..."
You bastard?!
Although Leon didn't know what the third-generation old man had said, seeing his sparse hair waving in the wind on top of his head, and Emma's spirit suddenly calming down again, Leon immediately understood that it must have been his doing again.
"Emma!"
After mentally tying the third-generation old man up and beating him ten thousand times, considering that scolding him now would only have side effects, Leon had to swallow his anger and pretend not to see, then continued to speak earnestly:
"Emma, don't forget, that child is waiting for you to come home!"
"..."
"Imagine, if you stay in the Realm of the Dead, how sad would she be to never see you again?"
"..."
"Don't worry, don't worry, that can be easily arranged! I've already thought about it for you."
Glancing at Emma's soul, which was once again wavering, the third-generation old man sneaked a peek at Leon, then quickly shrank his head back and said with a grin:
"If you can't go back, why not have your daughter come to find you?"
"Really?!"
"Really."
Seeing Emma's expression of surprise and joy, the third-generation old man bared his teeth in a cheerful manner and said:
"Listen, when you were lying in my coffin, I took a little peek at your memory and found that the child's talent is no worse than yours, and she's naturally as close to death as you are.
I can assure you through the mentorship relationship with that boy, in just a few years, your daughter will be able to enter and exit the living world and the Realm of the Dead freely, like those great mediums, and can visit you anytime she wants.
Moreover, considering the special bond between you and her, she might not even need to wait several years. Maybe she'll come to you in a dream tomorrow night, so it's all good."
"This..."
"And think about it, that boy is also half the Lord of Nightmares, he's quite adept at this, even if your daughter can't actively control dreams, he can easily help out, and after he's done helping, he can follow your daughter's dream and come to see you~"
"..."
Leon... When Ellie wants to see me, he'll come too?
"Shut your mouth!"
Seeing Emma's face turn slightly red and her soul suddenly "solidify" like a diamond, Leon realized he couldn't persuade her anymore. He lost his composure and gritted his teeth, pulling out The Cutting Silver Dagger, slashing at the third-generation old man aimlessly.
However, the entire Realm of the Dead was currently in a state of suspension, the authorities belonging to the Six-faced Elephant Deer and the Crafter had already been returned, even with Leon's current True God level of 60 Contamination Value, these strikes had no effect, not even a sound.
After instinctively dodging a couple of times and realizing that Leon couldn't attack him, the third-generation old man, who had been hiding his head the whole time, finally relaxed.
He stood up with a grin, then used both hands to make a trumpet shape around his mouth, shouting toward Leon:
"No need for thanks, just do a good job with the cleanup crew when you return, don't disgrace me!"
"..."
Holy shit!!!
...
Under Leon's gaze, which seemed like he wanted to devour the third-generation old man alive, the "gaze" from death itself completely shifted its target, infusing the remaining 50.1% of the authority into Emma's soul.
With the birth of a new overlord, the completely stalled Realm of the Dead finally resumed operations.
The dead on the No Return Path began to march again, the silt-laden Yellow Spring surged forward, panic-stricken death crows flew up into the sky, the gray fog outside the Gate of the Deceased resumed drifting, and Leon's shoe pierced directly through the third-generation old man's backside, kicking the ebony coffin on the ground flying!
"No, no, no! Don't do it!"
It seemed he hadn't expected the Realm of the Dead to recover so quickly. Looking at Leon's grim face standing in front of him, the third-generation old man, who hadn't had time to crawl into the coffin, showed a hint of regret in his eyes, then straightened his pants that nearly slipped down and cleared his throat:
"I can explain... Even though either of you could take over the death authority, becoming one of the dead might limit your potential and cause a void in the living world, whereas if she takes over the death authority... Help! Someone save me!"
"Leon, I'm okay."
After calling out, Emma gently touched Leon's arm, stopping his fist he intended to throw, then soothingly said:
"The third generation lord is right, having me take over the Realm of the Dead is indeed better than having you do it."
"But you..."
"Think about it, what would happen to Anna and the others if you stayed behind? You just asked if I've thought about Ellie, but did you think about them when you decided to take over the Realm of the Dead?"
"..."
"Leon, you... Oh..."
As she instinctively held Leon's palm, feeling it become scaldingly hot, Emma couldn't help but pause, then with a bit of loneliness, withdrew her hand which no longer had warmth, and steeled herself again, gently reminding with a warm gaze:
"Leon, you don't need to worry about me. If no new overlord for the Realm of the Dead appears in the next two hundred years, Ellie, with her medium talent, can still often see me. However, if it's Melanie and William, they might really have to wait until death to see you.
So even though the third-generation lord has some ulterior motives, his suggestion is right. Whether it's to ensure the safety of the living world or for Anna and the others, me staying in your place is the best choice."
"..."
The best choice... is it?
Recalling the icy touch from just now, Leon's lips moved slightly, unable to suppress the urge to pull Emma's hand into his grasp, tightly holding her hand that could not warm up, and said with a full sense of guilt:
"But for you, this..."
"It's okay, I don't feel that it's unfair at all... In fact, now is the fairest."
Leon hadn't spoken yet, but Emma had already guessed what he would say, and shook her head preemptively, then held the slightly searing hand in reverse, turning to look into Leon's guilty eyes with a smile, her gaze as gentle as water, she said softly:
"I'm already one of the dead now, so the living you belong to that princess. I won't fight over that, but in fairness, when you die, she can't fight over you with me either!"
"..."
＼(º□º l|l)/?!!!
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