Chapter 491: Backfire
In Adis, within Baruk Palace, the forces of the Savior Faction, which had been lying in ambush throughout the palace, waiting for the command to launch a surprise attack, suddenly suffered an unexpected blow. Amidst the thick ominous clouds that filled the sky, sudden thunderbolts struck down, and the bright lightning accurately hit the hiding spots of the Savior Faction forces, electrocuting them mercilessly, resulting in several casualties within mere seconds.
The ambushers became the ambushed. Under the incessant lightning strikes, many among the extraordinary beings of the Savior Faction continued to perish, with even the Black Earth Tier entities unable to withstand these thunder strikes. Anyone struck by the lightning faced certain d*ath. The immense power of the thunder, accompanied by dazzling flashes and violent sounds, overwhelmed the psychological resilience of the Savior Faction forces. Under this god-like might, even the normally fervent and devout zealots wavered. Initially, they could maintain some semblance of discipline, but as one after another fell to the strikes, and faced with the inability to retaliate, chaos ensued, leading to mass panic and retreat. If this continued, the ambush team, composed of hundreds from ordinary people to White Chalk extraordinary beings, would be obliterated by the relentless lightning.
At this moment, a strange ability emanated from the negotiation hall within the palace, rapidly spreading outward until it enveloped the entire palace. The Savior Faction members affected by this ability suddenly underwent a transformation; they stopped their panic and fear, their immense self-control overtaking their minds, leaving no room for a semblance of panic.
In this instant, chaos and disorder became their absolute taboo. They ceased their shouting and fleeing, quickly returning to their positions, forming ranks, and casting their gazes toward the distant negotiation hall.
“Lord Muhetar has signaled! Charge! Exterminate the heretics! Purify Adis; Adus belongs to the Lord!”
“Adus belongs to the Lord!!”
With this rallying cry, the Savior Faction forces, regrouped from chaos, began to loudly chant slogans and marched toward the negotiation hall. Though the sky still unleashed thunder at an alarming rate, striking down the Savior Faction members constantly, this time, regardless of the power of the lightning, the forces on the ground were completely unfazed. Despite the terrifying lightning continuously falling around them, taking down comrades one after another, their will remained unshaken. Armed with weapons, they advanced towards the negotiation hall, soon bursting through its grand doors and into the vast hall. Inside the hall, Muhetar, seeing more of his subordinates rushing in, issued a stern order.
“Eliminate the heretics, leave none alive!!”
Pointing towards the church’s envoy group within the negotiation hall, Muhetar shouted. To him, although these mysterious lightning strikes were said to be cast down by the Judge of Heaven’s priest, he concluded that the envoy group must be the culprits behind it. Otherwise, why would that priest have conveniently appeared at this critical moment?
Determining the church envoy group as the prime suspects, Muhetar wasted no time, immediately buffing all his subordinates and commanding them to act despite the lightning. For him, irrespective of whether the priest of the Judge of Heaven was real or whether it had any connection to the heretics, he had to deal with the heretics in front of him first before confirming any further. In any case, exterminating the envoy group was Muhetar’s top priority; everything else could wait.
Upon hearing Muhetar’s command, the descending warriors of the Savior Faction surged with their weapons towards the envoy group, while the envoy group, already prepared for battle, activated their abilities to confront the incoming waves.
“Nun Vania, you must leave! We will hold them off; find a way to escape Adis! Report the situation here to Sacred Summit!” The leader of the envoy’s guard team, Gaspare, his expression grave, urged Vania as he ignited flames on his sword. Although he and Vania belonged to different factions within the church, he steadfastly chose to fulfill his duty at this moment of crisis, fully committed to protecting Vania’s safety.
Hearing Gaspare’s words, Vania hesitated for a moment, then resolutely responded, “Then I leave it to you, Cleric Gaspare… Please hold on… I will find a way to get everyone out…” While murmuring, she quickly ran backward, leaping out of an open window to escape the negotiation hall. Gaspare, relieved to see Vania leave, took a deep breath and countered with a fiery slash at a Savior Faction warrior who surged toward him, turning the foe into charred remains as they screamed in agony on the ground.
Next, Gaspare looked around at the many enemies closing in on him, his expression heavy as he muttered, “At this rate, there’s no need to save anymore…”
Having said that, Gaspare continued wielding his flaming sword, leading the elite guards in a fierce battle against the incoming Savior Faction forces, and soon, the negotiation hall was engulfed in chaos.
In the midst of this melee, Muhetar stood at the center, scanning the chaotic scene around him. With the sharp insight of the “Lamp,” he quickly spotted Vania escaping through the window. Upon observing this, he coldly sneered, then began to levitate off the ground, quickly exiting the negotiation hall.
Inside the negotiation hall, Shadi, after witnessing Muhetar’s departure, scanned the battlefield, and then whispered to his trusted aide beside him, “Once the opportunity arises, you all join the fray… Understood?”
“Understood…”
After issuing his orders, Shadi swiftly left the scene and exited the negotiation hall. Once out of sight, the emaciated figure of the mummy materialized by his side. Looking at the apparition, Shadi spoke, “I’ll be counting on you this time… Setute…”
“When have I not been relied on by you…”
Setute teased lightly, and then his spectral form drifted toward Shadi, merging into him.
In Shadi’s eyes, the edges of his pupils began to glimmer with a ghostly blue-white light. He suddenly took on a solemn and cold demeanor, and the breath escaping him contained a chilling white mist.
…
Meanwhile, Muhetar, having exited the negotiation hall, floated across numerous corridors and hallways until he caught up to Vania in a splendid garden, lush with greenery. Crossing through this garden would lead directly to a side door out of Baruk Palace.
“You cannot escape… heretical nun…”
Murmuring this, Muhetar floated toward the seemingly fleeing Vania, then with a wave of his hand, he proclaimed anew, “Commandment… No one may leave Baruk Palace.”
Muhetar declared a new commandment, and the rituals he had hastily set up around the palace the night before began to activate, summoning a large ritual that enveloped the entire Baruk Palace through the discreetly placed small magical circles.
At the same time, Vania reached the edge of the palace garden, where she spotted a side door leading out of the palace. As she dashed toward the door, the unexpected happened.
Suddenly, the white fabric of her nun’s robe tore open along several long slashes, revealing deep bl**d marks beneath, as if lashed by a cruel whip.
Having violated the commandment, stepping outside the palace, Vania was punished. Without any weapon striking her, the gruesome wounds appeared seemingly out of nowhere, causing her to gasp in pain and retreat two steps, astonished.
At that moment, Muhetar had already caught up from behind, extending his hand forward and aiming the white jade ring on his finger at Vania. A faint yellow ray shot out, almost certainly about to hit her.
In that instant, Vania deftly sidestepped, a swift maneuver allowing her to dodge the unseen ray coming from behind. She quickly turned back toward Muhetar, now brandishing a sword that had miraculously appeared in her hand.
Advancing with the sword raised, Vania aimed her blade at Muhetar’s body. Due to the distance between them, Muhetar had ample time to react. As he perceived Vania’s attack, he intended to utilize some ability. Just at that moment, a gust of cold wind rushed in from behind him, leaving Muhetar no time to prepare. In an instant, he was enveloped by the chilling breath, thick ice rapidly forming all over him. The small creek in the garden froze at the incursion of the cold, with countless leaves coated in frost.
As he was encased in ice, Muhetar turned to see the source of the chilling wind, where stood the familiar figure of Shadi.
“Shadi… truly… a traitor…”
Seeing Shadi, an expression of anger crossed Muhetar’s face, but soon his features were frozen over by layers of ice, immobilizing him completely. Just then, a brilliant lightning bolt split the sky and struck down upon Muhetar, shattering the frozen statue of him and tearing apart his flesh with the immense force.
After enduring the dual torment of electricity and shattered ice, Muhetar’s body was riddled with wounds, bl**d soaking through his tattered robe. In this moment, Vania, now arriving from a distance, seized the opportunity and lunged forward with her sword, driving the blade directly into Muhetar’s chest and piercing his heart.
For a typical person… or even an extraordinary being, this should mean d*ath. However, Muhetar was different. After his heart was pierced, he cried out in pain, then pointed his ring at Vania, unleashing another ethereal ray. Using her Mind’s Eye, Vania managed to evade the ray, withdrawing the sword from Muhetar’s chest. Muhetar stumbled back, maintaining distance, yet both Vania and Shadi were taken aback to see him still alive despite the fatal wound. Shadi mused internally,
“Not dead even after piericing the vital organ… I thought this ability had its limits, but it seems this soul-anchoring power is far too terrifying…”
“At this state, he’s primarily sustained by his soul, with the body as a secondary concern, relying on the strength of his spirit to uphold his physical form. Essentially, he has become a half-undead. Thus, it’s impossible to k*ll him off in one go. The key is to keep attacking, continuously inflicting damage until his soul can no longer withstand the strain and collapses. Any injury to his body is effective!”
Communicating through Shadi’s body, Setute clarified these points to address Shadi’s confusion. After hearing this, Shadi prepared for the next attack, while Vania, quicker than him, had already rushed in with her sword.
Facing Vania, now radiating a completely different aura with her sword drawn, Muhetar remained unmoved. As she closed in, he threw a glass vial glowing with a faint light. Upon shattering on the ground, it erupted into a dazzling flash of white light. The brilliance dazzled Vania, momentarily halting her movement as she instinctively shut her eyes. However, using her Mind’s Eye, she detected Muhetar’s intentions and swiftly swung her sword.
Yet, that slight moment of hesitation was sufficient for Muhetar to carry out his intended action.
In the blinding light, Muhetar silently uttered a solemn proclamation using his soul voice.
“Commandment, do no harm. Anyone who injures me shall be repaid tenfold!”
Muhetar made his declaration, activating his ability. Hearing the declaration—one that ordinary humans could never perceive—caused Shadi, as the extraordinary being of “Silence,” to feel a wave of foreboding rise within him. He shouted desperately,
“Stop!”
Shadi’s urgent shout urged Vania to halt as well. However, by this point, Vania’s sword was already poised against Muhetar’s neck, and the force had already begun to be released; it was too late to withdraw.
With all her might, Vania swung the sword, enhanced by the second-tier “Cup” buff, the power behind her strike could cleave through any number of heads in one blow. The short response time deprived her of the chance to pull back effectively. In a split second, she could decapitate Muhetar. Vania’s eyes widened in shock as she grasped this terrible reality.
At that moment, a different power surged through the Puppet Mark on Vania, coursing through her body. This strange force completely took control of her, compelling her to halt the strike. With this influence, she finally managed to suppress the overwhelming power she had unleashed, withdrawing her sword without severing Muhetar’s neck but inevitably drawing a line of bl**d across it.
Instantaneously, ten interwoven bl**d streaks appeared on her own pale neck, bl**d flowing freely. Vania’s eyes widened in terror as she clutched her wounded neck and staggered back several steps.
