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Page 285
Who wants to be the next one?
Child brushed away the remaining dust in his hand, then turned his gaze to the ochre-white dress and Prince Gunther beside him.
Without a doubt, the strength he displayed far surpassed that of ordinary high-ranking priests, and the oppressive feeling he exuded was even equivalent to that of incomplete apostles who had not yet achieved their transformation. This level of "external force" intervention almost instantly reversed the balance of power between the two sides.
Gunther licked the corner of his mouth with slight difficulty, his breathing and heartbeat slowing down. (∧零″≈5．■)
This young "Grantham" possessed power far exceeding his expectations, reducing Bernhard to ashes in the blink of an eye. And besides him, the Six-Eyed Raven's remaining eye had not yet made a move.
What's more, Viktor chose to desert his post.
Thinking of this, Gunther looked at the woman in the ochre dress beside him with a hint of suspicion.
He knew all too well the nature of those priests in the Misty Society. These guys would form alliances with you driven by self-interest, but would also betray you just as readily when those alliances ended.
At this moment, the woman in the ochre dress was pressing her lips tightly together, and her usual indifference and calmness seemed to have quietly vanished.
However, her unease was not due to the young Grantham's power, which was comparable to that of an incomplete apostle. Rather, it concerned the woman who had just emerged from the veil of mist, clad in a Unifying robe, and who called herself "The Hermit."
The clothes that guy was wearing belonged to a deceased person whom the woman in the ochre-white dress was familiar with.
The high-ranking priest who betrayed the Lamp Moth Unification Faction was once hailed as the "Flame Rose," the highest-ranking member of the cult who was closest to the Lamp Apostles since the beginning of the millennium. Even though she had been dead for more than a decade, Ochre-White Dress still clearly remembered the dazzling and intricate patterns and carvings on the hem of her dress.
“Ochre dress, prepare to retreat… Bernhard is dead. Without Melvis, breaking through the Six-Eyed Raven’s Sanctuary is no longer possible.”
Gunther spoke, interrupting the woman in the ochre dress's reverie.
Although the Moth Priestess raised her head after hearing this, she remained deathly silent.
"Damn it, you too?"
Her noticeably lifeless eyes and expression made Guntherlin realize something, and he couldn't help but reach out to try to touch her, but her figure immediately vanished like a shattered mirror.
Clearly, both Victor of the Ant Scale Gate and Ochre Skirt of the Misty Society are well-versed in the rules of the hidden world.
This means "if the situation gets out of control, prioritize your own safety and don't take any unnecessary risks." These are ancient beings who have existed for over a century; for them, seeking advantage and avoiding harm has almost become an instinct.
As long as it doesn't involve advancement to apostle, no benefit can compare to one's own life, and it's not worth gambling for it.
His gaze never ceased its observation of the situation, and he immediately noticed the departure of the woman in the ochre dress. He hesitated for a moment, then retrieved two curved blades forged from pure shadow from the shadows on the ground.
Jude bought himself enough time at the cost of his injuries, while Grantham dealt with the Marquis of the Moon from the Murdoch family. It seemed he hadn't even had a chance to act, essentially just taking advantage of the chaos…
There was nothing else he could do but finish up the last bit of work.
Black raven feathers fell with the shadows in the wind, and in an instant, Yi Mu's figure passed several squads of armed Listeners and arrived at the guards of the Garonsen Royal Court.
“The Ant Scale Gate, the Obscure Society, or even vampires… none of these despicable and lowly fools can be trusted. We have no choice but to activate the ‘Living Corpse Protocol’ ahead of schedule.”
Gunther gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, then crushed the gem ring on his index finger, triggering some kind of invisible fuse.
Or, to put it another way, "medium".
As a certain command was activated, the surrounding ranks of Tide Listeners, initially silent, gradually began to stir. They were astonished to find their comrades and colleagues, with whom they had spent every day, tearing at each other's cheeks and letting out rough and frantic growls.
Before the shock could even rise, some of the listeners with milder symptoms also noticed the strange sensation surging within their bodies.
Their heartbeats slowed, their blood thickened, and a chill seeped deep into their bones... Accompanied by itching and excruciating pain, scales, tentacles, or the shells of crabs began to grow on their skin.
Soon, the lives of all those who listened to the tide ceased to be vibrant, transforming into something akin to a mutated evil being. 8
"Stop everyone here at all costs!"
After giving the order, Gunther, escorted by the royal guards, began his escape from the oak forest at top speed.
But will leaving him with his last wish grant him his desire?
Obviously, the answer is no.
Despite being blocked by countless undead, the Raven Priest's pursuit of Gunther seemed unaffected.
Each swing of his Shadowforged Sword tore apart the bodies of several living corpses; these resilient inhuman beings were like fragile paper targets to him, crumbling at the slightest touch.
"Living corpses? The Star Abyss Society is still obsessed with the desecrating art of decaying corpses. Utterly stupid and unrepentant, so dull and repulsive."
Looking at the Tide Listeners, now all turned into living skeletons, Childe narrowed his eyes, his expression showing visible disgust.
However, he didn't seem to intend to pursue the fleeing Gunther.
Jude was somewhat puzzled by this, but since the two were old acquaintances, he asked without hesitation.
"Grantham, why didn't you use the gravity spell to stop Gunther from escaping?"
"The 'gravity interferometer' can only alter the gravity vector within a certain range. Gunther is too far away, outside the effective range. In fact, Bernhard would have noticed this if he had flown a little further away."
Child pursed his lips and offered an explanation.
"Besides, my current energy consumption is too high, making me only suitable for short-term annihilation operations. Now that Bernhard has been confirmed dead... the rest is up to you."
"I need to switch back to energy-saving mode."
As he spoke, he raised his wrist and glanced at his pocket watch. Only three minutes had passed from the moment the combat mode was unlocked to the moment Bernhard was annihilated with overwhelming force.
As Grantham's personality simulation ended, the deep emerald hue in Child's eyes faded. His expression and demeanor returned to their previous almost harmless state, and he looked around with some confusion.
Outside Oak Nest, the covert clashes between various sects are nearing their end.
Meanwhile, under curfew, Mordway was completely dark, and only silence remained in the houses and streets. But compared to the usual tranquility, some invisible and intangible influence seemed to be quietly spreading...
Suddenly, several hysterical, piercing screams rang out, followed by a brief silence. If one were close to the gate of the courtyard, one might faintly hear the sounds of swallowing and chewing.
Under the pale, crescent moon's pale light, panic began to spread like a contagious disease.
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soup!
Chapter 187 Ancient and Profound
Although Jude is currently in poor condition, the Noralian Moon Clan he brought with him has not suffered too many losses, enough to complete the clearing of the living skeletons outside the Oak Shadow Nest.
In addition, some of the raiders also stepped out of the Six-Eyed Raven's Sanctuary Oak Nest to participate in the cleanup work.
"Both the physical strength and the speed of wound healing are comparable to those of the evil offspring, and they are equally devoid of reason. The only difference is that the contamination is weaker... and the symptoms do not spread as easily."
Supported by Edros, Jude coughed a few times, looking somewhat weary as he observed the living corpses transformed from the Tide Listeners.
"If it were just about processing corpses, that would be one thing, but using this technique that directly deprives living beings of their life, what's the difference between you and those freaks like the Decaying Crown whose brains are filled with nothing but mycelium?"
Although he wanted to deal with these inhuman beings bearing the characteristics of Hyel himself, the Marquis of the Moon was becoming increasingly weak.
This was, after all, an injury caused by the Ant Scale Sacred Relic [S-055. Sharpness of Wounds] and the second-class superior secret technique [Dawn Velvet Sacrifice]. Even with Jude's extraordinary physical qualities, he could only barely maintain the stability of his physical condition.
"call……"
He had to rely on Edros to slowly recover his physical and mental strength.
“Assistant Teacher Child, give me instructions to those kids… to clear out the living dead in the least casualty way possible, and preferably without physical contact, since nobody knows what’s inside those living dead’s rotting flesh.”
"Ah."
Although somewhat confused about the situation, out of respect for his ally in the Order, Child readily agreed to Jude's request.
The Living Corpses' advantages lie in their strong shells, self-healing abilities, and the Hyel characteristics that appear on their bodies due to atavism. However, all the Living Corpses in Oak Forest were transformed from the Tide Listeners, and nearly half of them had been lost in the previous battles with the Moon Familiar, so their numbers are small.
Under these circumstances, the four newly transformed living skeletons were mostly in a chaotic state of sanity depletion and had lost the command of their restrainers. At this moment, they were like mad beasts, indiscriminately tearing apart everything around them, including their own "kin."
This is good news for the Six-Eyed Raven's Scavengers and Moonkin.
This means that they are not facing the fully armed disciples of the Star Abyss Society who can wield secret rituals, but a group of frenzied evil creatures who have abandoned their weapons and are left only with the instinct to eat... What was originally a "war" between people has now become a "hunt" between humans and beasts.
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Royal Court of Geronsen, Chapel of the Blue.
This is a majestic and towering ancient building, with its window frames adorned with magnificent and colorful stained glass paintings, and its pillars, carved with plaster reliefs, seamlessly integrated into the doors. Even a glimpse from afar reveals the solemn and dignified weight of history emanating from its intricate and classical decor.
The spire is openwork and spiral-shaped, like a bone wedge buried deep in the earth, and this architectural form... is a very obvious style of a lost era.
The Chapel of Delan is the most central and important secret sanctuary of the royal family in Mordway. In addition to the most elite guards of the Geronsen Royal Court, there are also several high priests who listen to the tides to assist in patrolling.
"Huh, huh..."
Prince Gunther, panting heavily, staggered to the church. Only a few knights remained by his side, most of them badly wounded, their armor, practically relics, riddled with jagged cracks.
The prince himself was pale, and his expensive robes were soaked with blood, with warm, sticky liquid dripping onto the ground from time to time.
His expression at that moment was so complex it was almost bizarre.
On one hand, there was anger, rage, and malice, but deep in his eyes, there was also a hint of relief at surviving a calamity.
Despite paying a heavy price, including the lives of his bodyguards, a left arm, and several trigger-type relics, Gunther finally managed to escape from the clutches of the Relics and reach the safe zone.
If it weren't for using the "medium" to create a large number of usable living corpses within Mordway City, I probably would have been intercepted and killed on the spot by that damned raider before I even saw the Cathedral of Desmond.
Gunther had witnessed the Shadow Manipulation techniques of the Six-Eyed Raven Order more than once, but most were merely flashy tricks to obscure vision and conceal oneself. However, in the hands of the Remnant Eye, who was nearing the Apostle level, this ritual resembled a deadly art of slaughter imbued with a fatal beauty.
The loyal guards surrounding him might suddenly appear or disappear without his noticing. The leaves of the surrounding oak trees rustled and blinked like eyes. And the dim shadows at his feet might silently draw a dagger… and plunge it into his “master.”
"Your Highness!"
The captain of the guards in charge of the church's defenses felt a chill creep into his heart upon seeing Gunther's disheveled state. However, duty called for it, and he respectfully and efficiently stepped forward to greet him, then ordered his men to scout the surroundings and prepare for an enemy attack.
"May I ask, who exactly is this arrogant scoundrel who dares to overstep your bounds..."
After leading Prince Günther quickly back into the church, the head guard, head bowed, inquired about the current situation.
"We encountered an unexpected situation at Oak Shadow Nest, pursued all the way from the outskirts to here by the remnant of the Six-Eyed Raven. We activated all the secondary rituals in the church's wide area to prevent that fellow from sneaking in unnoticed; those lowly thieves are masters of this kind of trick." (Lin)
Gunther's face was pale from the massive blood loss caused by the severed limb, and his steps were unsteady. However, his physical abilities seemed to be extraordinary, and his mobility was not significantly affected.
Only after entering the Dark Blue Church and being surrounded by layers of nearly a hundred elite guards and ceremonial formations did his panic and unease gradually dissipate.
If Gunther hadn't already entered the fourth tier through the forbidden ritual of the Garonson Royal Court, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape the surrounding woodlands of Oak Shadow Nest before being intercepted and killed by the Remnant Eye, even though he carried a large number of precious relics that were consumable.
"That old bastard Melvis didn't even show up, otherwise we wouldn't be in this ugly situation..."
Despite his complaints, Gunther was able to understand Melvis's thoughts.
The Heil Undead, the Tidecaller troops, the Royal Guard, plus Victor, Ochre Skirt, and Bernhard, the three high priests who have already reached the fifth tier... if only looking at their strength on paper, they have an overwhelming advantage over the Six-Eyed Raven's Raiders.
Even with Jude's assistance, it would be futile; there was absolutely no chance of reversing the situation.
But who could have imagined that a young "Grantham" would suddenly step into the battle of Oak Forest and kill Bernhard almost effortlessly? That was the Marquis of the Moon, known for his resilience, who was reduced to ashes in just a few breaths and fell into oblivion.
"Lereira".
Slowly calming his chaotic emotions, Gunther called for a waiter.
"Your Highness, I am here."
Laerella, with the head of a serpent, emerged from the shadows of a pillar and approached Gunther with concern. She seemed to want to gently touch the wound where his limb had been severed, but feared that it would cause him pain.
"There's no need to worry about it; it's just losing an arm. However... I do need your 'assistance' now."
冈瑟的蒐｜°索QｕN:948$2≥〔4≌_330℃5目光平静而沉郁，隐含些许惋惜。
“Your Highness Gunther, ever since I came to your residence, I have been prepared to offer you everything. Whatever you need, as long as that thing exists within me, it belongs to you.”
Leireira seemed to realize what was about to happen.
However, she was not afraid because of this.
On the contrary, an almost pathological excitement and enthusiasm silently surged up along with a sense of anticipation, causing the heart to pound even more violently in the chest. It was difficult to calm down and impossible to suppress.
Gunther did not respond, but simply nodded slightly, his eyes showing a hint of unspoken relief.
A moment later, the two of them tacitly peeled off everything covering their bodies, revealing their naked skin underneath.
Pale moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of the dark blue church, their patterns of dreamlike flowers mingling with the soft glow of candlelight, casting a warm glow upon the sanctuary. The summer night was deep, insects chirped incessantly, and the panting from the altar grew increasingly urgent.
A "copulation" then began, accompanied by biting, swallowing, pleasure, pain, and ecstasy.
In contrast to the tranquility inside the Blue Chapel, Mordway, the capital of Gormouth, is now plunged into the worst chaos in a century.
In the hearts of most residents of the Abyss Kingdom, this city is almost synonymous with safety... Learn to guard it; where the royal court is located, neither evil nor war will be kept at bay. It is a high tower that guides ships on their way, and also a dwelling place that countless border tribes dream of.
Now, Modwell's downfall came without warning.
The calamity spread throughout the entire capital as soon as it appeared, with only the sanctuaries of some secret sects remaining unaffected. As for the ordinary people who were unable to seek refuge... all they could do was stay in their homes, do their best to remain silent, and let fear fester like rotten fungi.
However, this is the only way to survive until the long, dark night comes to an end.
Beneath the billowing mist, Fran's slender figure gradually emerged. She was still draped in a long robe made of Ahanta silk, concealing her face and the white doctor's coat beneath, with only a braid visible on one side of her cheek.
At this moment, Si was inside the "Abyss Corpse Laboratory" at the headquarters of the Star Abyss Society, examining a living skeleton on the dissection table with great interest.