NOVPUBThis afternoon, Lanci spent some time rescuing the Grand Priest of Destruction and obtaining the Three Phantom Demon Flowers. At night, sensing the disappearance of the city-state barrier, he rushed to the source of the battle in the northwest region.
"This prick dares to mess with Talia, fuck him!"
"Just let me out, and see if I don’t take him down!"
At this moment, an angry female voice echoes in his mind.
While in the Northern Continent, Lanci got a noble Pink Holy Magic Card [Forbidden Curse Mark] from the Herram Endless Library, and had the [Great Love Poet] combine it with the principles of the [Poem of Pity] to modify it into a new magic—
With the target’s consent, one can enter into a temporary subordinate contract with the Demon Race, transforming them into personal servitor summons and establishing a faint telepathic connection.
Once they possess the properties of a summon, they can be sealed into magic card by the [Nuclear Fusion Wolf].
Before, during the bishop’s election, Lanci lent the Three Illusion Demons to Sigrid. Now, the three Great Demon Clan members have returned as Lanci’s servitors.
The corresponding issue is that after forming a contract, they keep talking to him, especially Antanas, who is particularly noisy.
Lanci’s mind is filled with her voice now.
Although Antanas wanted to assist in advance, Pranay advised Lanci not to use their power unless necessary. However, if it was a critical moment, Pranay was willing to launch long-range attack magic.
Becuase if the three of them take action, after today, the enemies may confirm the existence of these eighth-order beings.
The higher the degree of their combat power’s information gap, the better it would be to keep them hidden.
In the end, Lanci agreed to Pranay’s advice.
"Why... did you trick the Saint of Destruction into escaping?"
Hyperion looked up, nervously asking Lanci.
"The Three Illusion Demons are my trump card for rescuing Duke Migaya and Duchess Isatia in the Cerryti Empire. It’s too early for them to be exposed on the battlefield."
Lanci responded with a helpless smile.
"..."
Hyperion abruptly grabbed hold of Lanci’s clothes, unable to find the words to say.
She had said thank you so many times, she was running out of words.
All she could do was keep everything in her heart until the day she could repay him.
Like this, time passed.
Finally, she slowly let go of his clothes, as if she had realized something:
"Uhm... can you put me down now..."
A blush bloomed on Hyperion’s face as she mumbled.
Before she knew it, Lanci had been holding her for a long time. At first, Solomon hadn’t left and she might not have fully recovered from her shock. Now that Solomon had completely left, there was no reason for Lanci to continue holding her.
"Can you stand? Are you injured?"
Lanci did not move, instead he asked.
"Uhm..."
Hyperion hesitated for a moment,
"I think... my leg might be a little twisted, can you just..."
She felt a bit bashful to continue, worried that her lie might be too obvious.
"Then I’ll take you to a safe place."
Lanci responded.
"Thank you."
Hyperion, feeling even more embarrassed after hearing Lanci’s agreement, responded with her head lowered.
"No problem, you’re very light, it’s not hard at all."
Lanci chuckled.
"..."
Hyperion should have been pleased by such a sincere compliment, but she just felt scared.
How did he manage to avoid mentioning but not forgetting...
Nevermind, she didn’t want to think about it.
Hyperion simply closed her eyes and leaned against Lanci’s shoulder, pretending to be asleep.
...
Meanwhile, somewhere else.
In the central area of Main City of Nanwantina, near the southern district, turmoil and anxiety filled every corner, and the rumble of the ground coming from the far south could be heard occasionally.
On the street, the officers in shiny armor hurriedly passed by, the sound of their heavy armor echoed in the silent night sky, reminding the inhabitants of the city that the danger of this night was not yet over.
Amidst this tense atmosphere, a solitary figure quietly moved through the dark alleys.
He was clad in a dark cloak, his steps were light and agile, as if he merged with the night.
In the narrow alley, the decrepit stone buildings cast mottled shadows under the moonlight. The intermittent streetlight flickered sporadically from the windows, revealing the residents’ worry and unease about this unsettling night. Every so often, a cat’s cry or the creaking of a wooden door echoed from a corner.
Solomon quickly used life magic to clean the blood from his face, not wanting anyone else to notice his present precarious state. His steps seemed well acquainted with this road, or it could be that someone was directing him at the present. He adeptly navigated through the shadows, avoiding the occasional patrolling soldier. Even in such turbulent times, he remained composed.
Finally, after crossing a street, a faint firelight and a familiar figure appeared ahead.
"Lord Saint, please follow this path."
The Grand Priest who came to his assistance guided him.
Solomon nodded and veered into the corner, once again entering an even darker alley.
He had one by one notified this group of loyal Grand Priests of Destruction about the next course of action.
The Grand Priest in the East District was preparing for the final attack.
Stationed in the Northwest District, once Loren is drawn away, they would immediately attempt to assassinate Duchess Hyperion!
Those in the South District would be responsible for aiding his retreat.
When the time came, even if an enraged Loren pursued, he would first prioritize rescuing those civilians threatened by the Grand Priests. Or to put it another way, the civilians in Nanwantina City were all Solomon’s hostages now.
Solomon was eager to see Loren’s furious yet impotent anger.
Loren was indeed powerful.
But it was a shame that it came with a price on his wisdom.
From the story told by Ivanos, Solomon had analyzed that Loren was a person who couldn’t make the right choices, especially when it came to choosing whom to protect, individual or the crowd. Trying to protect both and being indecisive, Loren would end up protecting none!
"Though I don’t know who the guy fighting Somerset in the south is, Loren, you’re still too naïve."
Solomon chuckled sinisterly.
Suddenly.
Solomon felt a chill at his lumbar region, followed by a pain that felt like draining him of all his strength, spreading from the cold spot to all over his body.
He couldn’t quite believe it.
At this moment.
The Grand Priest who was behind Solomon jabbed a knife into his lumbar area.
Solomon turned around in confusion, only to see the Grand Priest who had stabbed him receding, his demeanor extremely cold.
"You..."
Solomon flashily fell on his knees, trembling in disbelief.
What terrified him was not the sudden change in the Grand Priest behind him.
But the fact that a host of Grand Priests were emerging from the end of the alley.
They were all Grand Priests of the Destruction Branch, assigned to launch a surprise attack at the appropriate time today, and after the successful assassination of Duchess Hyperion, they were to attract firepower to cover Solomon’s retreat.
However.
The gaze of this group was chaotic, as if they had been thoroughly brainwashed, they took heavy steps, advancing towards Solomon.
"Solomon, you’re so cruel..."
"As he said, you only want us to die, only he would love us."
"You are the obstacle to our road to happiness…"
"You must die here today!!!"
Some of them had their eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets in excitement, their pupils expanding eerily. Some had crescent-shaped grins, the eerie atmosphere they exuded, combined with their creepy laughs, made them seem like serial killers only emerging in the night.
Under the faint crimson moonlight, their stretched shadows lengthened on the alley floor. Their strained facial muscles twitched from the long-held tension. Reciting phrases like "love," "happiness," "Lady Goddess" with every breath, all accompanied by an eerie tremor.
Then.
It felt as if time began to speed up.
All of the Priests of Destruction rushed towards the wounded Solomon as if they had gone mad.
Solomon was stunned throughout.
What unspeakable evil had struck this group of people to change them all?
Solomon’s heart pounded like a drum, his blood surged rapidly through his vessels, and an invisible sense of fear spread within him.
No, he had to get away, flee to the south!
Seeing as Loren was in the northwest, the one fighting Marquis Somerset in the south would probably be that mysterious Cardinal Bishop.
They shouldn’t be fighting as the Blood Clan and the Rebirth Church were not mortal enemies.
He must get the news of an "Evil God in Nanwantina" out!
As long as he could reach the south of the city, locate Somerset and that Cardinal Bishop from the Northern Continent, there was still hope of survival!
