Chapter 127: A Follower of the Lord of Nightmares
Everyone was stunned.
Divine Arts? Why was a soldier behind the princess using Divine Arts? Was the Church involved?
And the princess was an imposter? What was going on?
The soldiers, who had been eagerly listening to the princess’s promises of rewards and benefits, were now confused and uneasy.
The light on the stage intensified, bathing the platform in a brilliant white glow. But it wasn’t a comforting light. It felt cold, unsettling, radiating an unnatural chill. This wasn’t the Divine Arts of the Church. The power of Hai-Teweru’s native gods was harmonious with the world, their Divine Arts emanating a natural, comforting warmth.
The source of this power was obvious.
“Damn it, can the Lord of Nightmares grant his followers Divine Arts as well?” Leona exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise.
She was about to charge onto the stage and eliminate the imposter when Rebecca grabbed her arm.
“Leona, wait. Abyss thoroughly angered the Lord of Nightmares. He might have new tricks up his sleeve. Don’t fall for his trap.”
“Let me handle this,” Flora said, her voice soft but firm, also concerned. “I won’t let him harm anyone.”
Reassured by Flora’s words, Leona abandoned her plan to punch the imposter’s lights out.
Givia stood frozen, her body encased in a shell of light, the magical energy slowly peeling away. The guards tried to protect her, but they couldn’t move, their bodies paralyzed, even their eyelids frozen in place. The crowd below also found themselves immobilized, their bodies locked in place as they approached the stage.
“Shoot him! Shoot him!” Commander Hunter shouted, his voice urgent. The nearby archers, tasked with protecting the princess, immediately nocked their arrows, aiming at the imposter, who continued chanting, his hand glowing.
Several arrows flew towards him, carefully avoiding Givia, but they, like the approaching soldiers, froze in mid-air, unable to reach their target.
Givia’s body remained motionless, her form encased in the shimmering light, slowly being revealed.
Meanwhile, the imposter’s body began to contort, as if collapsing from within. He twitched uncontrollably, his mouth spewing blood, then black blood mixed with chunks of flesh and organs. Blood gushed from his nose, his eyes losing their focus, but his chanting continued.
He wasn’t a Shadowling, but a follower of the Lord of Nightmares, a living human.
Flora discreetly cast a protective spell, preventing any further disruptions, while Leona and Rebecca watched intently. The imposter Abyss simply stared at Givia. The guerrillas waited anxiously, helpless, until the imposter collapsed, his chanting ceasing, the spell broken.
The suspended arrows clattered to the ground, and several guards rushed forward, surrounding Givia, their shields raised.
The shell of light encasing Givia shattered, revealing her unharmed, her brow slightly furrowed as she glanced at the fallen man.
“Look! She’s a fake… She…” the soldier who had exposed the “imposter” shouted, his voice still filled with conviction, but his words were cut short, as if someone had choked him.
Because the person standing on the stage was still Givia. She was unharmed, her expression calm, as she looked down at the man who had used the Divine Art.
He was dead. His body seemed to have been crushed and hollowed from within, his organs and flesh scattered around him, only his skin remaining, spread out on the ground like a gruesome tapestry.
Givia turned to face the stunned soldiers, her voice clear and strong, echoing across the training grounds.
“He tried to expose me as an imposter, using a false god’s power, but he failed! I am Princess Givia! I never hid in Shodo Town! I stand before you now!”
The soldiers, after a moment of stunned silence, erupted in cheers.
They didn’t understand what had happened, but they had witnessed the imposter’s attempt to expose the princess, and his failure!
“Impossible! Why didn’t you enter the dream realm?! You’re not Givia! He used Divine Arts on you! Why didn’t it work?!” the possessed follower of the Lord of Nightmares shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. His outburst confirmed his humanity. As they had deduced earlier, Shadowlings couldn’t maintain their forms in an environment saturated with faith.
The imposter, who had infiltrated the guerrilla ranks, was dragged away, his cries of despair echoing through the air. He would be interrogated and executed.
“You damned rebels!” he shouted, struggling against his captors, his body bursting with Dou Qi flames, as he tried to attack them. But Commander Hunter, a skilled Dou Warrior, swiftly shattered his shoulders, silencing him. “Damn you, Givia! You think you can escape our god’s wrath? Your cowardly princess, hiding in Shodo Town, is already on the verge of death!”
“Silence him! Don’t let him spread his lies!” the commander shouted.
A soldier grabbed a discarded piece of cloth and stuffed it into the imposter’s mouth.
The crowd, confused, didn’t understand his words.
“Do you see the enemy’s desperation?” Givia asked, a triumphant smile on her face. “They’re bluffing, grasping at straws. Kevin’s days are numbered!”
The soldiers cheered again.
“They have another plan?” Leona asked, turning to Rebecca, her expression calm. “Should I return to the town?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Rebecca said, shaking her head, smiling. “Abyss doesn’t need our help. And the task he assigned us for this trip requires your presence.”
“Let’s act now. There’s no time to waste,” Flora said, her voice low. “Abyss’s suspicions were correct. We can prevent a lot of future problems.”
The three girls exchanged knowing glances.
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