Chapter 957 [Goddess of Love and Beauty] Aphrodite (4k)
A command suddenly echoed from within the ranks of the Holy Church.
The few paladins still gathered around the two chariots, though their minds were muddled, instinctively straightened their bodies and closed their eyes in prayer.
Their prayers synchronized, emitting a sacred light. However, this prayer support lasted only for a few seconds before it waned. The paladins, with their eyes closed, muttered softly as they walked toward the flower bed.
The two chariots in the Holy Church’s ranks were opened, and two nuns and two priests emerged from them.
Inside the chariots, only one person remained.
That person urgently chanted a spell, activating a magic card. A curtain of light descended from the sky and rapidly expanded, forming a huge circle beyond the flower bed.
She had thought that this would prevent those entranced by the statues from entering the flower bed.
However, the people each used their abilities; some leaped over from above, while others directly attacked the light curtain.
The four golden-armored paladins who stayed behind fiercely attacked, shattering the light curtain!
As one person after another approached the statue, the statue gradually emitted an ethereal glow.
A divine aura silently spread. The person sitting in the chariot was drawn to this aura, abruptly stopping their voice and falling into silence.
She was clearly greatly affected, struggling全力地对抗, neglecting the protection of others.
—Originally, this should have been a gradual process.
But due to Eralganie’s intervention, they didn’t feel the strength of the previous statues. This sudden appearance of a statue capable of breaking through Eralganie’s interference caught them off guard, affecting everyone.
This included several individuals from the Mana Academy.
Professor Metia sat down, holding a crystal ball in her hands, concentrating her utmost effort on it just to barely resist the statue’s allure.
Olivia, beside her, was even more helpless.
Her mental fortitude was strong, but her resistance was slightly lacking in this area.
In the pumpkin carriage, only Eralganie and Chris remained calm.
Ophelia struggled similarly to Professor Metia. Professor Lily was slightly better, occasionally smiling at Ophelia. Aurora and Angrey, however, were completely defenseless, with the latter subconsciously putting on the Golden Sacred Armor.
It was Triena from the “Lion’s Palace” whose spirit and will were unbreakable. Nevertheless, they weren’t worried.
Because Eralganie was here. “This is an opportunity!”
When Ophelia realized the statue’s allure exceeded normal limits, she issued a warning.
Eralganie understood and patiently waited until almost everyone was enchanted by the statue. Then, she quietly activated the “Brain in a Jar,” planting seeds in the minds of all Holy Church and Northern Territory personnel except for the last person in the chariot and the female guard “Gwen.”
Afterward, she pushed open the carriage door and stepped out slowly. Although the last person in the chariot and Gwen were struggling, they clearly wouldn’t truly be lost.
Eralganie judged they still had some strength, choosing to hide for some reason.
Regardless of why they did so, it wasn’t within Eralganie’s consideration.
She looked up at the circular flower bed, where someone had already entered the center and seemed eager to touch the statue.
But beneath their feet, vines like snakes sprouted, coiling up their legs, binding them tightly, rendering them immobile.
Their eyes remained vacant, but their faces revealed a strange joy, as if they had seen something they longed for.
Following this, the second, third…more and more people approached the statue and were bound by the vines, staring at it with a dazed expression.
Eralganie wanted to continue watching, to see what the statue could do.
But the life force of the first bound person suddenly dropped, causing her to frown.
“No more waiting.”
She regretfully thought, then focused her energy, activating her authority—[Chastity]!
What is meant by “chaste” is not “firm and principled,” but rather having “the chastity of a rock.”
[Chastity] is the [Lock of Chastity].
Her eyes glimmered, as if wanting to cleanse all impurities, and she swept her hand horizontally. The area within her sight was enveloped by her divine power.
Under this divine power, even the most promiscuous person would instantly turn into stone.
All inner desires caused by the statue’s allure were suppressed in that instant.
Almost immediately, their minds returned to complete clarity. Although the statue of Aphrodite was still beautiful in their eyes, it was merely admiration for beauty.
After all, a normal person wouldn’t have strange thoughts about a stone… presumably.
The silver-armored paladin closest to the statue, upon regaining consciousness, attempted to cut the vines off his body with his sword.
But although the statue’s allure was broken, the power of the vines did not diminish.
He was paralyzed, unable to move even slightly.
Fortunately, someone behind him used a magic card with an “Escape from the Cocoon” effect, freeing him from the vine’s grip.
Even so, half of his life force was lost, leaving him weak and unable to recover quickly.
Similar situations occurred with several others.
But surviving such perilous circumstances was already fortunate.
If not for Eralganie, they would all have become fertilizer for the flower bed.
“Cursed.”
Professor Metia forcefully slapped her head, dissatisfied with her lack of mental resilience.
But she quickly recovered, summoning Eralganie and heading toward the flower bed. In her eyes, the statue in the flower bed had reverted to a regular stone statue. Aphrodite’s true form combined elegance with seductive charm.
Her face was filled with a sentimental smile.
But as Eralganie approached, the corners of her smile seemed to droop.
She gradually stopped smiling.
Her facial expression gradually became cold and hard, more fitting for stone.
[Finally finished writing this chapter at noon. Please give me some free tickets and free blades. Wuwuwu.]
