Category: Miss Luo Yan’s Feet Are Buried With Corpses

Witch’s Night: Chapter 21 This Time It Will Definitely Work!

Actually, this was the same principle as why Chris’s detection version of “Siren’s Song” didn’t work on ordinary followers of the Church of the End Gods. The souls of the followers, including Hamid, were no longer human.

This was why the Church of the End Gods didn’t suspect any traitors among themselves. All humans who witnessed the truth would become their fellow travelers.

However, this didn’t mean that the followers of the Church of the End Gods were immune to all mental abilities; it was just that ordinary mental abilities could no longer affect their souls.

Hamid didn’t pay much attention to Granny Zoya. In his opinion, while another powerful fellow traveler was certainly important, bringing back the oracle from the Gods was the top priority.

When Granny Zoya’s desperate interception faltered, Hamid waved his hand casually, and her already aged legs instantly exploded, blood spraying out.

“You stay here, Zoya. When we welcome the oracle of the Gods back, we will naturally become fellow travelers.”

Hamid said softly, slowly and unstoppably walking towards the boundary of Restricted Zone Seven.

“Heh, don’t even think about it…”

Granny Zoya struggled to stand up and use her ability again.

But at this moment, not only were her legs destroyed, but her consciousness had also suffered a severe blow. She could only watch Hamid leave, powerless to stop him.

……

“Praise the Gods!”

“The Gods grant destruction, errors and deviations will finally be corrected!”

“The returning Gods, the coming Calamity, descend amidst our eager anticipation… Redeem our sins, walk the path of the Gods!”

“Praise the Gods!”

“…”

Throughout Lannister, people suddenly looked up at the sky and began praying, muttering these mad words with pious expressions.

Countless thoughts converged, and a new demonic avatar seemed to be about to descend upon Lannister.

At this moment, all the hidden followers of the Church of the End Gods began praying desperately, even if there were city guards nervously patrolling nearby.

At the same time, even more severe Calamities erupted again, and roaring calamity phenomena appeared throughout Lannister.

The assembled ability user squads had already dealt with most of the Calamities before, but these Calamities seemed to be endless, surging again.

What was worse, the ability user squads had previously connected to the “Ember Formation” for energy support, but at this moment, the connection was silently cut off.

Without the support of the “Ember Formation,” Lannister’s home advantage would be completely erased… no, it was even worse.

Because a considerable portion of the ability user squads were mercenaries and weren’t familiar with Lannister’s districts.

And most of the followers of the Church of the End Gods had been lurking in Lannister for years, even decades. From this perspective, the ability user squads were actually in a more difficult situation.

After accepting Norian’s commission, Hua Qingling left Spencer Manor directly. The reason she hadn’t said goodbye to Luo Yan was that Norian had done so on her behalf.

And Norian hadn’t explicitly stated the situation. Coupled with Lannister’s powerful strength, Hua Qingling thought it was just a more urgent commission, nothing too serious.

But only now did Hua Qingling realize the severity of this incident.

“Phew…”

Hua Qingling extinguished the wind spirit in her hand, looked up at the surrounding ruins, and her expression became serious.

Just now, a follower of the Church of the End Gods had suddenly appeared here, and his prayers and chants had brought about a “Ruin” level Calamity phenomenon.

If Hua Qingling hadn’t been nearby and used her ability to evacuate the surrounding people as much as possible, what appeared here wouldn’t be ruins, but a horrific pool of blood.

As for that cultist, he was naturally dealt with by Hua Qingling.

“How many is this now?”

Hua Qingling looked around. The situation outside of this ruin wasn’t good either. Panicked people were running around, and the personnel maintaining order were exhausted.

“The third, Ms. Qingling.”

A gentle and refined voice sounded behind her. A blond young man looked at Hua Qingling with a warm smile.

“…There’s no need to address me so formally, Sivir.”

Hua Qingling felt goosebumps all over her body, although many nobles addressed her like this when she attended the banquet.

But… they were on a battlefield now, and this form of address made her scalp tingle, subconsciously making her maintain her elegant demeanor.

“As you wish, Qingling, or… Sister Qingling?” The blond young man maintained his smile throughout.

This blond young man called himself Sivir and was one of the few “Ruin” level ability users assigned to Hua Qingling’s squad in this crisis commission. He seemed quite young.

Besides Sivir and herself, there were six other people in Hua Qingling’s squad. It was considered a relatively high-level, standard Calamity response team, even in Lannister, there weren’t many like this.

“Just call me Big Sister Hua like the others…”

Although some members of the squad were older than Hua Qingling, in this New Era of messed-up seniority, it wasn’t uncommon to address those stronger than oneself, but younger, as older brother or older sister.

“Alright, Big Sister Hua.” Sivir nodded.

“A ‘Ruin’ level Calamity phenomenon would be enough to trigger a city-wide alert in my hometown, a super-powerful Calamity,” Hua Qingling turned to look at the tragic scene left by the Calamity, a bitter smile appearing on the corner of her mouth. “But now, they’re everywhere in Lannister.”

Dealing with this “Ruin” level Calamity phenomenon wasn’t easy for Hua Qingling’s squad, and after dealing with three in a row, the members were exhausted.

But it was far from time to rest. More Calamities were about to, or were already appearing in Lannister, threatening the safety of this ancient city.

Since she accepted this commission, Hua Qingling would shoulder this responsibility.

“Let’s go, there’s another ‘Ruin’ level Calamity fluctuation 1200 meters southwest.”

Hua Qingling composed herself and looked into the distance.

Her team members silently stood up and continued to rush into this war between humans and demons with her.

The powerful Lannister stood tall, seemingly unshakeable by any number of Calamities.

But… the giant itself seemed to have many cracks.

……

The Oak Council Chamber.

Norian looked wearily at the constant stream of messages from all over Lannister. Even though these messages had been processed beforehand, they were still overwhelming.

The alarming casualty reports constantly assaulted his mind. Every change in the numbers meant the loss of countless lives.

From the concentrated outbreak of Calamities until now, the casualties, including those of the ability user squads, had exceeded four digits.

Lannister… was facing an unprecedented crisis.

“I said we shouldn’t have brought… her back!” An Elder said angrily. “If these things weren’t her doing, I’ll be the first to jump from here!”

“Elder Kenya, calm down, the matter hasn’t been resolved yet, there’s no need to rush to assign blame.” Another Elder, who looked like an elderly noblewoman, said slowly and methodically, looking at Norian in the main seat of the council. “But… Magistrate Norian, I’m afraid we need to give the people of Lannister an explanation.”

“Madam Susan Moira, we do need to give an explanation, but the explanation isn’t about this little girl.” Norian said in a deep voice, picking out a few messages. “Look at these, everyone, we are facing a real crisis.”

A real crisis… Norian’s description made the Elders scoff.

Even though the situation was so critical, all the Elders present remained calm, because they believed this was just a small ripple in Lannister’s long history.

There would be losses, there would be casualties, but the Calamity would eventually pass, and the great Lannister would continue to stand tall on this land.

In the face of Lannister’s powerful strength, no crisis could be described as a “real” crisis.

The Elders were still in the mood to apportion blame, still considering the aftermath of the crisis, precisely because they had this confidence.

However, Norian saw things differently.

“Everyone, yes, our Lannister is indeed powerful.” Norian said in a low voice. “No enemy can defeat us, even if the true body of a Primordial Demon descends, we have the confidence to fight to the death.

“The only ones who can defeat us are ourselves.”

The Elders keenly sensed the displeasure in Norian’s tone and frowned. Kenya even said directly,

“Magistrate Norian, if you have something to say, say it directly.”

“There’s a traitor among us… This is already obvious.” Norian handed the messages to the Elders. “The Ember Formation was forcibly shut down, and all ability user squads have lost their energy support.”

“We all know about this. Those cultists used Calamity phenomena to damage the mechanical devices of the Ember Furnace, attempting to weaken our strength in this way.”

Kenya snorted coldly and continued, “But we have the best craftsmen, and we can quickly repair these mechanical devices. The cultists are nothing to be afraid of!”

“No, I stopped the craftsmen’s repair work,” Norian glanced at Kenya. Seeing the other party’s increasingly angry expression, about to curse, he continued, “The Ember space has been contaminated. Someone secretly brought the Primordial Demon’s offering into the Ember space.”

This was terrifying news. The energy produced by Embers contaminated by demonic power was no longer Ember energy, but demonic power.

If Lannister, unknowingly, repaired the mechanical devices and then all the ability user squads reconnected to the Ember Formation… the consequences would be unimaginable.

So far, no human could withstand the direct infusion of demonic power. The best-case scenario was falling into endless madness, and the worst-case scenario… was triggering a Calamity with their own power.

“What!”

Hearing this news, almost all the Elders stood up, shock and disbelief in their eyes.

“Th-th-th-th… how is this possible!”

Kenya’s voice trembled. He looked around at the expressions of every Elder, then stared fixedly at Norian again.

“Magistrate Norian, you are responsible for what you say.” Madam Susan Moira frowned. “Only we can enter the Ember space. Are you saying there’s a cultist among us?”

“That is exactly what I mean.” Norian nodded and said calmly, “Therefore, I have sealed off the entire Oak Council Chamber.

“From now on, none of us, including myself, can send messages to the outside. Lannister will be completely handed over to the subordinate council… including the authority to awaken the ‘Slumberer’.”

“If that’s the case, I have reason to suspect… Magistrate Norian, that you are the cultist.” Madam Susan Moira said calmly. “Based on this assumption, your actions are intended to isolate Lannister’s high-level decision-making, thus throwing Lannister into chaos and achieving your goals.”

“It’s a good suspicion, but it’s useless. I give up my right to explain, but I will not change my decision because of this.” Norian waved his hand indifferently and said,

“Since things have come to this, everyone, please wait patiently with me here… Don’t worry, I’ve issued the highest order. If anyone among us dares to step out of this Oak Council Chamber, including myself, they will personally experience the power of Lannister’s super weapons.”

All the Elders saw Norian’s determination. Years of experience with him made them understand how strong this man’s resolve was, even if the price was having to bury his own family with his own hands.

“Very well,” Norian looked around at the silent Elders and nodded. “There will be a result.”

Then he opened the information access on his device, allowing all the Elders to understand everything that was happening outside.

Norian had only cut off outgoing communications, not incoming information.

The war-torn Lannister was presented in one cold message after another.

……

“…So you’re lost?”

Luo Yan finally couldn’t help but ask Chris.

“I, I… alright, I’m lost.”

Chris said dejectedly.

She also had the right to connect to the “Lannister Ember Formation.” After so many years of development, the Ember Formation wasn’t just about energy support.

Navigation and sensing were also part of its functions. It could be said that it was far superior to the broken thing in Yan City.

But now that the connection was cut off, Chris couldn’t find her way.

It couldn’t be blamed on her; she hadn’t been to Lannister often, and Lannister wasn’t small.

Due to the establishment of the Lower District to accommodate refugees, Lannister ranked among the top three in size among all mega-cities.

Chris led Luo Yan around in circles in the Lower District, and it took them a long time to get out, but then they arrived at a completely unfamiliar place.

“How about… I use Void Traversal again?” Luo Yan touched her chin. “Don’t worry, I’ve memorized the node near Spencer Manor. This time it will definitely work.”

“…Please allow me to refuse.”

Witch’s Night: Chapter 20 A Flashback Ride…

Weary gasps, the sweet smell of sweat, accompanied by violent shaking and jolting. Warm liquid dripped onto her cheek, carrying a pungent, foul odor.

Chris slowly opened her eyes, looking blankly at the scene before her.

A few bright stars dotted the dim yellow sky, hanging above, as if eternally watching over this land.

She was gently wrapped in a warm, soft embrace, and a rapid heartbeat echoed in her ears.

Thump, thump…

So real.

Where was this? Why couldn’t she remember anything…

Mom, where was Mom…

Tears welled up in Chris’s eyes, and childish cries followed.

“Alright, alright, don’t cry, I’ll take you out soon.”

A gentle voice sounded. Despite its heavy weariness, it was like a warm spring flowing through Chris’s heart.

Was this… Sister Qingling’s voice?

Wait… she knew where this was…

Chris struggled to turn her head and saw a pair of gentle eyes gazing at her, filled with pity and wonder.

“Wake up, wake up… why did you suddenly faint?”

Another light and indifferent voice sounded, and the gentle eyes instantly disappeared, replaced by a pair of cold, light blue eyes.

Luo Yan held Chris, who was about the same height as her, her expression a mixture of helplessness and… something else.

The moment they stepped into the Void, Chris collapsed.

The helpless Luo Yan could only pick her up in the simplest way, in what was commonly called a princess carry.

Then the unconscious Chris instinctively wrapped her arms around Luo Yan’s neck, but because they were in the Void, and Luo Yan was carrying someone, she could only let Chris hold her like this.

It wasn’t until they left the Void through a spatial rift that Luo Yan freed a hand and shook the unconscious Chris.

Finally, Chris slowly woke up and met Luo Yan’s eyes.

She was so startled that she jumped out of Luo Yan’s arms, stumbling to steady herself, but slightly averted her gaze.

The shadow cast by the previous experience was quite heavy; Chris still didn’t dare to look directly into Luo Yan’s eyes.

“I… what happened to me?”

Chris was a little confused. Her memory only lasted until the moment before they entered the Void; after that, it was as if she had entered a dream.

A very familiar dream, the scene when she first met Sister Qingling many years ago, when she was only seven or eight years old…

Wait, carrying someone through the Void?

After a long moment of confusion, Chris finally came to her senses and realized that this unbelievably terrifying act had happened to her.

“Did I just have a flashback…”

Chris broke out in a cold sweat. Could this be considered a brush with death?

But it was understandable. Even the powerful Rhine, with his strong will, and Lin Cheng, had almost the same reaction when they first encountered the Void.

The reason they hadn’t fainted directly was that they had been mentally prepared, but the discomfort after leaving the Void still made them vomit for a long time.

Chris had been spared from vomiting because she had a flashback…

“Are you alright now?”

Luo Yan asked with concern, although her tone was still as indifferent as ever.

“Mm…”

After casting “Siren’s Song” on herself several times to adjust her mental state, Chris finally recovered.

She looked up and saw Luo Yan staring at her, but this time, there was no fear like before. A dreamy aura flowed in her light blue eyes.

Wait…

What appeared before Chris was no longer a black-haired young man, but a stunningly beautiful girl with long, silver-white hair.

Her ethereal beauty was beyond words. Unlike the fleeting glimpse before, Luo Yan’s silver-white hair now had a few strands of ice blue, almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Moreover, her figure was somewhat translucent, very similar to Chris in her Shadow Guard uniform, but even more so, as if she was hovering at the edge of the present world.

“Are you now…”

Chris said blankly.

“This is what I look like when using ‘End’.”

Luo Yan nodded. When she used the power of “End” with all her might, she naturally shed the guise of her Life Hacks.

“En-en-en-en… End?”

Chris’s eyes widened. A second demonic power!

My goodness… even Lannister’s records didn’t mention this, right?

Luo Yan hadn’t revealed her identity and used “End” until the final moments of the Yan City war. At that time, the rescue teams from other mega-cities had already retreated a certain distance. They only knew that something had happened on the battlefield, but not the details.

Therefore, Lannister hadn’t recorded this aspect either, only knowing that Luo Yan could enter the Void. But being able to enter the Void didn’t necessarily mean using demonic power.

If they learned about this… Luo Yan’s danger level would probably be even higher.

“Yes,” Luo Yan nodded. “Don’t mind it, I’m not very proficient in using it, I can’t use it as freely as ‘Envy’.”

Actually, Luo Yan also had a third demonic power, “Absolute Death,” but she used it even less, because its only function so far was to cause instant death.

“Miss Luo Yan, being able to… stay conscious like this while mastering two demonic powers is already remarkable.” Chris twitched the corner of her mouth.

Forget it, Miss Luo Yan was already outrageous; being a bit more outrageous didn’t matter.

Thinking of this, Chris composed herself and focused on observing the surrounding environment.

Although this Void Traversal was relatively short, and the distance wasn’t far, and Luo Yan’s deviation was relatively small, there was still some deviation.

Spencer Manor was located in the core district of Lannister, but Luo Yan and Chris were now surrounded by refugees in ragged clothes and with sickly complexions.

“This should be… the Lower District, about seven or eight districts away from the core area.”

Chris exhaled. The surrounding air was filled with a foul odor, but unlike most noble ladies, she didn’t show any discomfort.

“Lower District?” Luo Yan tilted her head, puzzled.

“The place where Lannister accepts refugees. It’s not covered by the energy of the ‘Ember Formation,’ and most of the resources it receives are discarded garbage from other districts. But… at least it allows these refugees, who should have perished in the Endless Wasteland, to survive.”

Chris said in a low voice, an unreadable glimmer flickering in her eyes.

Lannister’s Lower District was somewhat similar to District Nine in Yan City.

But the difference was that Yan City’s District Nine was the result of a planning error during the city’s construction, while Lannister deliberately built such a district to accommodate refugees.

As long as they passed the Calamity test, confirming that they didn’t pose a risk of triggering a Calamity outbreak, they could enter Lannister’s Lower District.

However, they had to wear a specially issued refugee permit… But this wasn’t really necessary; the characteristics of a refugee were obvious and could be recognized at a glance.

Unless they were like Anna, but Anna had already reached a certain level and couldn’t be considered a refugee anymore.

Because the Lower District basically had no public security or sanitation management, the smell of decay and a faint smell of blood permeated the air, and everything in sight was a mess.

Although the refugees on the road were thin and haggard, their eyes held a fierce glint; they didn’t look like good people.

Wherever there were people, there would be conflict, but usually these conflicts were limited by certain rules, either self-restrained by morality or suppressed by the law hanging overhead.

But the Lower District didn’t need these. Here, pure strength was the most powerful truth.

However…

“There seems to be no trace of Devil’s Minions anymore?”

Luo Yan withdrew “End” and used the power of “Envy” again, enveloping herself and Chris in a barrier of cognitive distortion.

When they first emerged from the Void, they attracted many curious gazes, but then these gazes, upon touching Luo Yan’s face, turned into pure malice.

To avoid trouble, using Life Hacks was the most convenient method.

Soon, these gazes were replaced by confusion and incomprehension, and finally, they all turned away.

“The Church of the End Gods… They wouldn’t come to this kind of place.” Chris said in a low voice.

“Why?” Luo Yan asked.

“Because… they’re not worthy, I guess.” Chris chuckled mockingly. “They want to destroy human civilization, and the Lower District… and the refugees, have already been abandoned by human civilization.”

Without the mega-cities, organized one after another through civilization, only refugees struggling to survive in the Endless Wasteland would remain. Then, although the human species wouldn’t be extinct, civilization would be.

“I will disappear, but ‘Hope’ (true name) will live forever.”

“Civilization may be destroyed, eras may be annihilated, but this world… will never give up its struggle.”

Luo Yan looked up at the dazzling starry sky faintly visible in the dim sky.

She thought of Her, and the words She had spoken.

The Church of the End Gods… it seemed they weren’t just a simple cult; they could actually contact their Gods, the Malice of All Worlds, the Primordial Demons.

“What?”

Chris was still observing the surrounding environment and vaguely heard Luo Yan muttering something.

Although she couldn’t hear clearly, she still couldn’t help but shudder.

“Nothing, just thinking about something the ‘Witch of Envy’ said. Perhaps I understand what She meant now.”

“Don’t scare me, sis,” Chris broke out in a cold sweat. “Seriously, stop it, if you understand any further, I’ll be finished too.”

She truly believed Luo Yan’s words, but it was precisely because she believed that she felt so terrified.

“Don’t worry, I know my limits, and I don’t think Her path is the right one.” Luo Yan nodded. “Anyway, let’s find Magistrate Norian and regroup first… Should we do another Void Traversal?”

“…Please, no.”

Another trip, and it might not just be a flashback…

“Oh.”

Luo Yan’s tone was somewhat disappointed. She still wanted to try Void Traversal more, otherwise she would always make mistakes.

But since Miss Chris didn’t seem to like being in the Void, she could only give up.

However, what Luo Yan didn’t notice was that, when she silently recited the words of the “Witch of Envy,” the dazzling starry sky above dimmed slightly for a moment.

……

All the followers of the Church of the End Gods looked up at the starry sky at this moment, each recalling the truth they had witnessed behind the stars.

A familiar feeling emerged in the minds of all the followers, including Bishop Hamid Surian.

“This is… an oracle from the Gods!” Hamid stared at the sky, his voice trembling. “Are They… about to return?”

This feeling… Yes, it was almost exactly the same as when he witnessed the truth.

In the current Church of the End Gods, only Hamid had truly come into contact with the Gods and learned the truth from them. The images other followers saw were relayed by him.

Therefore, Hamid’s feelings were even more profound.

“It’s time to welcome the Gods.”

Hamid sighed softly and gradually withdrew from his demonic avatar state.

His appearance visibly aged, his gray hair seemed even messier than before. Using the power of a demonic avatar, even a Devil’s Apostle couldn’t avoid paying the price.

Hamid hadn’t used his demonic avatar to deal with Granny Zoya.

To put it arrogantly, Granny Zoya wasn’t worthy of Hamid showing this form. Back then, she was the straggler among the Saint candidates of the same period, while Hamid had always been in the top three.

Until a certain someone, who had come in through the back door, rose to prominence, Hamid had been one of the most promising contenders for the next Saint “Shadow.”

The reason for such a big fuss was that Hamid wanted to use this to sense the presence of “Miss Luo Yan.” This was why he had been absent-minded during this battle.

But until the end… it still ended in failure.

Even the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror” couldn’t sense or summon her, and the faint divine words Hamid sent out with all his might didn’t receive any response.

But this was to be expected. Even the Witch of Envy had to pay the price of her consciousness dissipating to barely manage to use divine words to awaken Luo Yan’s divinity, and she ultimately failed.

With Hamid’s half-baked demonic avatar, and his even more half-baked divine words, it would be a miracle if he received a response from Luo Yan.

However, the current result wasn’t unacceptable. Luo Yan had appeared, and clearly brought the oracle of the Gods.

Seeing that Hamid was about to leave, Granny Zoya was startled and immediately used her own soul node to expand her spiritual domain, trying to pull Hamid in and delay him for a while longer.

However, when Granny Zoya touched Hamid’s soul, her ability suddenly stalled and she couldn’t use it anymore.

“How could this be…”

It was a broken soul, pieced together from many fragmented thoughts, forcibly squeezed together.

As if someone had clumsily tried to mold the shape of a living being, but could only create a distorted, monstrous thing.

This was… Hamid’s soul.

It was the only part of his soul that remained after he encountered the truth.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 19 Taking Someone for a Ride… in the Void!

Unknowingly, Spencer Manor had been filled with the eyes and ears of Devil’s Minions.

They were just like ordinary people, moving around the manor inside and out, alongside the other servants.

Even if the nobles, chatting and laughing beside them, brushed past them inadvertently, they would never know that these inconspicuous servants were the objects of their fear.

What a chilling scene…

Chris held her breath. Her first thought was to immediately inform Count Spencer of the anomaly in the manor, but after a moment of reflection, she suppressed the urge.

“From now on, no one in the manor can be trusted… except for you and me.” Chris said in a low voice. “Miss Luo Yan, it seems it’s time for us to leave the manor.”

These Devil’s Minions wouldn’t appear in Spencer Manor for no reason. Given that even Luo Yan had sensed the anomaly, this was definitely not a small matter.

The only possible guess was that they were after Luo Yan.

Although Spencer Manor was luxurious, it wasn’t particularly conspicuous in Lannister. It was just a pretty bauble built on a whim by the Spencer family and held no value that would attract Devil’s Minions.

Let alone the fact that these Devil’s Minions were running around the manor, as if searching for something.

No wonder Miss Luo Yan had such an intuition…

Since that was the case, they could only leave.

“I promised Magistrate Norian… However, this seems to be an unforeseen circumstance.” Luo Yan scratched her cheek. “Magistrate Norian will understand, right?”

“…Even if he doesn’t understand, it won’t make a difference. Besides, if Uncle Norian knew about the situation in Spencer Manor, he would make the same decision as me.”

Chris whispered, then quickly changed into her Shadow Guard uniform.

It had to be said that, although the appearance of this night suit, modified by Shadow herself, wasn’t great due to its creator’s sense of aesthetics, its practicality was top-notch.

The material used to make the Shadow Guard uniform was naturally not ordinary cloth. It was made from the Shadow Abyss in the Endless Wasteland, combined with the shadow power infused by Shadow herself, making the wearer seem to blend into the shadows after putting it on.

Not only that, another feature of the Shadow Guard uniform was that the wearer didn’t need to take off their clothes underneath; they just needed to put it on to achieve the effect.

In an instant, a shadow-like figure appeared beside Luo Yan, almost intangible, as if she didn’t exist in this world.

“Miss Luo Yan, are you… still going to maintain your current appearance?”

Chris asked nervously. Actually, seeing Luo Yan in her black-haired young man form, she admitted that this young man was indeed much more handsome than she had imagined.

Judging solely from appearance, Chris even felt a slight flutter in her heart.

But after learning that it was Luo Yan’s disguise, Chris had a vague expectation, looking forward to what Luo Yan would look like after removing the disguise.

“Is it necessary?” Luo Yan tilted her head and asked. “I don’t mind… anyway, it doesn’t consume much energy.”

Because this disguise wasn’t a change in her physical appearance, but rather a change in how others perceived her, Luo Yan didn’t feel anything different. In her opinion, she still looked the same as before.

Still with troublesome and cumbersome long hair…

Luo Yan really wanted to just cut it off, but unfortunately, she couldn’t find hairdressing scissors that could cut her silver hair… or a weapon?

Anyway, in this situation, Luo Yan didn’t care whether she looked like a black-haired young man or not.

“I think… forget it, Miss Luo Yan.” Chris composed herself and looked towards the exit of Spencer Manor. “The most urgent matter is that we have to leave Spencer Manor immediately.”

Given Luo Yan’s identity, it was best to limit her to a controllable range of activity.

But the current Spencer Manor had clearly and silently become a nest of Devil’s Minions. If they stayed any longer… Miss Luo Yan would only become more endangered.

“What about your butler?”

Luo Yan frowned. She didn’t immediately follow Chris, but thought of the mature young woman who always appeared beside Chris.

“Liv? Don’t worry, I left a message for Liv before I left. If I lose contact, she will go to a safe place as quickly as possible.”

Chris waved her hand and said, but her tone was somewhat weak for some reason.

Because what Chris didn’t say was that the purpose of her message… was actually aimed at Luo Yan.

If, because of Luo Yan, she lost contact, Liv would go directly to her mother, Tina, for help.

Chris was a Saint candidate, yes, but Saint candidates were evaluated based on their character, talent, willpower, and a series of other comprehensive abilities, but not their current strength.

Although Tina had narrowly missed the selection, her strength was undoubtedly powerful. At only fifty-eight years old, she was considered a strong figure among “Peril” level ability users.

Anyway, the situation wasn’t much different now, and it was too late for Chris to call Liv over.

To escape this quagmire of Spencer Manor, they had to avoid wasting any time; any delay could easily lead to accidents.

As for the other nobles attending the banquet… they could only pray for their own safety. Chris didn’t dare to inform them.

Devil’s Minions could only be identified one by one. Who could guarantee that there weren’t Devil’s Minions hidden among these nobles?

Having made up her mind, Luo Yan didn’t hesitate. She immediately grabbed Chris’s small hand, startling her.

“Ah!”

Chris subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Luo Yan gripped it even tighter.

“Hold on tight,” Luo Yan whispered. “If we want to leave here quickly and avoid being discovered by these cultists, we can go through the Void.”

After One’s sacrifice in the Yan City war, Luo Yan had mastered another demonic power, “End,” which had the ability to traverse the Void.

But actually, the essence of “End” was to tear space. Luo Yan’s Void Traversal was entirely her own ability. She had a very high adaptability to the Void and could sense the nodes within it… although there were occasional deviations.

One, who also possessed the power of “End,” couldn’t do this. One could at most perform short-distance Void jumps based on herself, and couldn’t fully enter the Void, nor could she bring others along.

Luo Yan couldn’t be sure whether these cultists had set up domains or barriers around Spencer Manor. The safest way to leave was through Void Traversal.

“Vo-, Void?”

Chris was stunned, just like Lin Cheng and Rhine’s reaction when they heard Luo Yan’s words; her first reaction was complete bewilderment.

Who would have thought that Void Traversal could be done with another person!

However, Luo Yan didn’t give Chris time to think. A spatial rift silently opened, and the terrifying aura of the Endless Void rushed towards them.

“Holy shit, you’re really doing it!”

Chris cursed in an extremely unladylike manner, then, with the instinctive fear of the Void that all living beings possessed, she was dragged into the Void by Luo Yan.

In less than a breath, the spatial rift closed, and everything returned to normal.

……

Restricted Zone Seven.

Two aged figures stood facing each other in mid-air, seemingly in a standoff.

But the actual situation… was not like that.

Granny Zoya was no match for Bishop Hamid Surian. Even though both were at “Destruction” level, there were still differences within that level.

However, at least Granny Zoya wasn’t completely defenseless. She had the “Ember Formation” supporting her, and for some reason, Hamid hadn’t attacked with his full strength.

But even so, Granny Zoya’s defeat was only a matter of time. The barrier she maintained quickly shattered under the aftershocks of the battle.

Fortunately, Lannister had made preparations before the barrier shattered. A super spiritual energy shield, powered by the “Ember Formation” as its core, enveloped the area around Restricted Zone Seven.

And Granny Zoya’s purpose in maintaining the barrier had been to buy time until the spiritual energy shield was deployed.

After summoning the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror,” the aged Hamid gradually regained his youthful appearance.

His messy gray hair was once again dyed a dazzling gold, his aged face rejuvenated, returning to his appearance hundreds of years ago, overlapping with the Hamid Surian in Granny Zoya’s memory.

Of course, nothing romantic had happened between Hamid and Zoya back then. If there were a story between a top student and a straggler, that would be truly unbelievable…

After hundreds of years, seeing the Hamid Surian from her memory again, Granny Zoya only felt a sense of nostalgia.

Nostalgia aside, she still had to stop him. Granny Zoya knew very well that she couldn’t let Hamid enter Lannister under any circumstances.

The consequences of a malicious “Destruction” level ability user entering a mega-city would be catastrophic, causing damage no less than a small-scale “Destruction” level Calamity.

As the pinnacle of the mystery system, the power of the “Sovereign of Terror” was related to causality and was extremely difficult to deal with.

If Hamid’s desire to attack hadn’t been so weak, it would have been very difficult for Granny Zoya to stop him as easily as she was doing now, simply by burning some spiritual energy.

The black-haired Hamid hovered in mid-air, slightly raising his head as if looking into the distance.

Mental power and the power of causality collided around them, invisible ripples spreading through Restricted Zone Seven, forming a true forbidden zone for living beings.

“Zoya,” Hamid’s gray-white eyes lowered slightly, and he said softly, “Long time no see, you’ve aged.”

“At least I can still move.”

“After the peak of prosperity, comes gradual decline… The body slowly becomes disobedient, and things that were once easy now require a thousand, ten thousand times more effort… We, are walking towards the abyss of death, welcoming our destined demise.”

Although Hamid’s appearance was now much younger, his voice was still raspy. “We are like this, humanity is like this, this season of civilization is also like this… Struggling on the path of decline will only lead to more serious consequences.”

“I don’t understand.”

Granny Zoya curled her lip. These cultists always liked to speak in riddles, it seemed even Hamid was no exception.

No, Hamid seemed to be the most cryptic among these cryptic people, and he was even a leader.

“You don’t understand because you haven’t seen the truth, the truth about the Lord… and the Gods.”

Hamid looked at Granny Zoya and slowly extended his hand,

“Come, closer, I’ll show you… the truth of this world. Then, Zoya, you will understand everything.”

Granny Zoya moved away with disgust and waved her hand,

“No thanks. Although I really want to see the ‘Witch of Envy’ and glimpse the scenery at the pinnacle of the mystery system, I’m not stupid.”

Witnessing the true form of a Primordial Demon was taboo. This was the first warning from the War of the Witch of Absolute Death hundreds of years ago, and Granny Zoya naturally remembered it clearly.

Like Hamid, after witnessing the true form of a Demon, his temperament had changed almost overnight, and he conspired to kill many Saint candidates who had been his classmates for many years.

Even now, Granny Zoya couldn’t be sure whether the current Hamid was still the Hamid she knew, nor could she be sure whether she would become like Hamid after encountering the true form of a Demon.

“…Your thinking is still wrong, Zoya. Power is meaningless; everything is on the path of destruction.”

Hamid shook his head in disappointment. But at this moment, he suddenly looked towards a certain direction.

As if a faint blue light soared into the sky and then vanished in an instant, so brief that it was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

But in this blink of an eye, Hamid sensed the long-lost… aura of the Gods, although it was only an extremely faint trace.

“It seems we weren’t wrong. She has indeed seen the Gods with her own eyes.” An unconcealable joy appeared on Hamid’s face. “The slumbering Gods are about to return, and our mission of these long years… is finally coming to an end!”

“Who? Miss Luo Yan?”

Doubt surfaced in Granny Zoya’s heart, but then she became alert.

However, Hamid didn’t try his best to break through her blockade as Granny Zoya had expected, he even stopped attacking and just stayed where he was.

“Stop, Zoya, your injuries are serious.” Hamid said softly. “I can sense your thirst for knowledge and yearning for the Gods. When you witness the truth, we will become fellow travelers.”

“…Wishful thinking.”

Although Granny Zoya was still putting up a brave front, she was indeed seriously injured in this invisible confrontation.

Facing a “Destruction” level Devil’s Apostle with a demonic avatar, Granny Zoya, the straggler, was still a bit outmatched.

“Very well, let’s wait for her arrival together, to bring us the oracle bestowed by the Gods.”

Hamid said softly, as if reciting some kind of rhythmic poem,

“She will follow the guidance of fate, as if listening to the divine words from the heavens above, humming softly as she walks towards her destination, no one can stop her steps.”

“She will carry all the malice of the world, walk the path paved with countless corpses, wander the land of suffering, and the end of her journey is the end of civilization.”

“Because she is the eyes through which the Gods peek into the world, she is… the Eye of Malice.”

At this moment, Granny Zoya felt a chill run down her spine.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 18 Manor Transformation

Initially, Luo Yan had only changed into men’s clothing at Hua Qingling’s request.

Only later did she discover that this banquet was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and her Life Hacks, which had been foolproof in Yan City, repeatedly failed.

Tina and Chris aside, Norian’s nervous appearance also forced Luo Yan to undo the masking effect.

Fortunately, she had also changed her appearance, so she wasn’t overly conspicuous.

Luo Yan’s straightforward admission was somewhat unexpected for Chris, but she quickly recovered. Seeing Luo Yan looking at her with questioning eyes, seemingly waiting for her next question, Chris subconsciously turned her head away. Luo Yan said softly,

“Miss Chris, have you met me before?”

Logically, with Luo Yan’s current level of control, she didn’t have to worry about losing control of her power for at least three or four months.

In other words, the problem of something possibly happening when she looked directly into someone’s eyes wouldn’t occur in the short term, unless she deliberately used her ability.

But Chris’s reaction was as if she had been looked at directly.

“No…”

Chris immediately denied it.

“Mm.”

Luo Yan simply nodded indifferently at the answer and didn’t pursue it further.

Whether they had met before wasn’t important; Luo Yan had just asked casually.

After politely bowing, Luo Yan turned and left the room, leaving Chris alone.

“…Indeed a bit scary.”

Chris slumped slightly in her chair and breathed a sigh of relief.

Luo Yan hadn’t shown any malice from beginning to end, but Chris knew her identity and had faced her eyes directly, which was why she felt so much pressure.

At the same time, Chris could also understand why Luo Yan had maintained an indifferent attitude, seemingly uninterested in her appearance.

Although it had only been a fleeting glimpse, she had been captivated by Luo Yan’s eyes, but that silver figure had left a deep impression on Chris.

“She is indeed more beautiful than me…”

Chris sighed, but then became nervous.

Wait, Sister Qingling… had been living with such a beautiful and charming person all this time!

Chris had always regarded Luo Yan as a non-human existence, but after interacting with her, she found that, aside from her identity, Miss Luo Yan was a very ordinary girl.

Innocent, liked to be alone, very polite when interacting with others, and more importantly, very beautiful, even more beautiful than Chris.

This way…

“Could something have happened between them?”

Chris suddenly became restless, thinking she still had to go find Sister Qingling.

Although Sister Qingling was currently carrying out Magistrate Norian’s commission and was on a mission.

But as a Shadow Guard, she also had the ability to participate in this unknown operation.

The distraught Chris just wanted to stay by Hua Qingling’s side; only this could give her a sense of security.

Just like many years ago, Sister Qingling, holding her young self, had fought their way through a Calamity…

Chris took out the Shadow Guard equipment she carried with her and opened the door with a serious expression.

…Then she saw Miss Luo Yan, who was just about to raise her hand to knock, staring blankly at her.

“…Hmm?”

Luo Yan’s gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on the somewhat familiar clothes in Chris’s hand, and she suddenly realized,

“So it was you.”

Discovered!

A look of panic appeared on Chris’s face. She immediately stepped back several steps, hid the clothes behind her, and exclaimed,

“It wasn’t me! You’ve mistaken me.”

“…”

Luo Yan’s eyelids twitched.

…Miss Chris seemed particularly fond of deceiving herself.

Of course… in the end, she still had to admit it; she was caught red-handed with undeniable evidence.

Chris sat obediently in the chair, waiting for Luo Yan to reprimand her.

She was the one peeping; she was in the wrong.

“So you were there to see Sister Qingling?” Luo Yan thought carefully about the scene at that time and nodded thoughtfully. “I see… There’s no need to go to such lengths. You could have just knocked on the door and come in. She’s quite fond of you and wouldn’t shut you out.”

Fond of your money.

As for you as a person… that’s unclear.

Anyway, every time Hua Qingling mentioned Chris, she would focus on the meals Chris treated her to and her extravagant spending, making Luo Yan’s impression of Chris only that of a rich person.

Actually, Chris had wanted to go through the main entrance, but at that time, she didn’t know what kind of existence Luo Yan was, so she could only check on Hua Qingling in this way.

“Miss Luo Yan, aren’t you angry?” Chris asked tentatively.

“Not angry. Aren’t you Sister Qingling’s little fan?” Luo Yan touched her chin. “Peeping, stalking, drugging, aren’t these all things a little fan would do? In Hua Qiling’s storybooks, the younger sister always likes to do these things to the older sister…”

(Background: Hua Qiling had a large collection of Yuri manga.)

“…I think Miss Luo Yan must have misunderstood something.”

Chris broke out in a cold sweat. She wasn’t that kind of perverted fanatic, okay? Besides, what was this about a younger sister and older sister?

Wait, Hua Qiling?

She seemed to have heard Sister Qingling mention that it was her younger sister…

Suddenly, it seemed rather terrifying.

Of course, this irrelevant small talk didn’t last long. Luo Yan hadn’t come back specifically to run into Chris; there was another reason.

“I just walked around and found that many unfamiliar faces have appeared in Spencer Manor.” Luo Yan’s expression became a little serious. “I know some of them are Magistrate Norian’s people, but besides them, there are others… who give me a very uncomfortable feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?” Chris asked.

“Like the feeling Sister Qingling would have if she suddenly learned that a little fan was secretly peeping at her with ill intentions?”

Chris: “…Please, don’t.”

“No, I’m just purely describing the feeling. I always feel like these people are looking for me… Although they can’t detect my presence because of my Life Hacks.”

Luo Yan’s expression was serious. “I don’t know the situation in Lannister, but I instinctively feel that something’s wrong, so I came back to find you, Miss Chris.”

“But I don’t know either.” Chris widened her innocent eyes. “I’m just an ordinary idol.”

“An idol can’t…”

“But I’m also the second daughter of the Lequista family, and I’ve mastered our family’s inherited ability!”

Looking at Chris’s aggrieved expression, Luo Yan felt like a creepy old man from a storybook who liked to blackmail innocent girls, although the old men in the storybooks she read usually met tragic ends.

“I just want to confirm what happened in Spencer Manor,” Luo Yan sighed. “I have a strange intuition that they’re after me… Hopefully, it’s just an illusion.”

Hearing this, Chris also realized that something wasn’t right.

Thinking about it calmly, Sister Qingling suddenly taking on a commission from Magistrate Norian and leaving the banquet was quite suspicious in itself.

What kind of urgent commission would make Magistrate Norian trouble Sister Qingling, who was attending the banquet?

Lannister wasn’t Yan City. Its strength ranked among the top five in the entire Free Federation. Several powerful “Peril” level ability users resided in the city, and coupled with the abundant energy of the “Ember Formation,” they were enough to deal with all Calamities below “Destruction” level.

If it were truly a “Destruction” level Calamity, Lannister wouldn’t be as calm as it was now, and the banquet wouldn’t still be going on.

Unless… the number of Calamities was so large that even Lannister didn’t have enough manpower and was forced to hire additional adventurers.

Now that something strange was happening in Spencer Manor, Chris didn’t think Luo Yan was lying and believed her intuition.

“I’ll go with you, Miss Luo Yan.” A determined look appeared on Chris’s delicate face. “Moreover, if something unexpected really happens, and you have to leave Spencer Manor, I must go with you.”

“Suit yourself.”

Luo Yan shrugged and walked out.

……

“Still haven’t found her? Could it be… that she left?”

“I think it was Count Spencer’s misjudgment.”

“Count Spencer wouldn’t send unnecessary information to fellow travelers, and I can sense the aura of the Gods spreading in the manor.”

“The Bishop has summoned the projection of the Gods, and the aura of the Gods is enveloping the entire Lannister, including Spencer Manor… This has no direct connection to whether she’s in the manor or not.”

“No, I feel the favor of the ‘God of Hope’ here… I am Her loyal follower, please trust my judgment.”

Several figures whispered, uttering vague words in strange syllables. If ordinary people heard their conversation, they would instantly fall into confusion and lose themselves.

If Luo Yan were here, she would be able to understand these words and would discover that these people were using a language similar to “True Names,” but the amount of information contained was far less vast than that of “True Names.”

At best, it could only be considered encrypted and accelerated information exchange, after all, a whole sentence could be completed with just two or three syllables.

They only exchanged information when passing each other, uttering a few syllables. This made it very difficult to distinguish the followers of the Church of the End Gods from the numerous servants in Spencer Manor.

On the other hand, with Count Spencer as their inside man, and since these members of the Church of the End Gods already had Lannister identities, they didn’t need to use any force to come to the banquet and take Luo Yan away.

While Calamities created by the Church of the End Gods were erupting all over Lannister, Spencer Manor remained peaceful and undisturbed.

The disguised followers of the Church of the End Gods shuttled through Spencer Manor, searching for a phantom that was clearly right beside them, yet nowhere to be found.

“The sixth one…”

Chris opened her eyes and watched an indifferent servant pass by without even glancing at her.

This novel experience amazed Chris. She would never have thought that “Envy” could be used for this.

In current human records, “Envy” was considered a highly dangerous demonic power, involving the distortion of souls and wills.

Just like during the Yan City war, when Qin Wen touched “Envy,” she instantly fell from a steadfast demon slayer into a Devil’s Minion.

Silently changing a person’s thoughts and ideas, even reshaping their soul and body, this was the most terrifying aspect of “Envy.”

…But Miss Luo Yan was only using this ability to reduce her presence and change how others perceived her appearance, making Chris, who was also a mental ability user, feel the absurd sense of using a cannon to kill a mosquito.

“Unable to be attracted by your singing… their minds have been corrupted.” Luo Yan exhaled, her expression serious. “Are they Devil’s Minions? But they’re not as crazy as the Devil’s Minions I’ve seen before…”

Even as the pinnacle of mental abilities, “Envy” wasn’t omnipotent.

When it came to discerning abnormalities in people’s minds, Chris’s “Siren’s Song” was more effective.

The healing effect of “Siren’s Song” on the mind wasn’t “treatment,” but “guidance.”

Those affected would be immersed in this gentle singing, the restlessness of their souls calmed like never before, and their mental trauma and fatigue would gradually heal in this process.

On the other hand, Chris could also use a weaker version of this singing to distinguish between ordinary people and ability users, and between ordinary ability users and Devil’s Minions.

Ordinary people would be instantly immersed in the singing upon contact, while the minds of ability users would show slight ripples. But Devil’s Minions would only hear a series of incoherent noises, perhaps not even noticing them.

Luo Yan couldn’t do this. If she sang, she would probably be buffing these Devil’s Minions…

Using this method, Chris and Luo Yan had identified six suspected Devil’s Minions among the servants along the way, but these people weren’t like the Devil’s Minions in common perception.

Or rather, on the surface, they looked exactly like ordinary people.

How could this be…

“I’ve heard of a cult that once spread across the land, almost covering the entire sky.” Chris said in a low voice. “These people, called the ‘Church of the End Gods,’ were a lingering nightmare for humanity during the barbaric era.

“But now, they are gradually disappearing… That’s what we’ve always believed.”

“But is it really the case?”

Chris looked at another servant slowly walking past. Her weak “Siren’s Song” had no effect on this servant at all.

The seventh one.

“Is everything we once believed in true? Or is it what they want us to see?”

“Perhaps the Church of the End Gods never disappeared,” Chris whispered a terrifying guess. “They were just waiting, waiting for… the return of the Demons.”

Chris wasn’t just a national idol, not just a descendant of an ancient noble family, not just a Shadow Guard.

She was also what the Church of the End Gods called an Errant.

One of the current Saint candidates.

This was an achievement even her mother hadn’t attained.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 17 Shadow and the Shadow Guard

Slumberers and Ice Coffin Weapons were undoubtedly two completely different kinds of power.

Not to mention that Slumberers started with “Destruction” level combat power, and for various reasons, could use all kinds of extremely powerful techniques with severe consequences without any hesitation.

Forbidden Techniques, powerful moves rarely used normally, could be unleashed at will by Slumberers during their awakened period, as if they were free.

After all, once they reached the limit of their awakening, they would completely disappear, not even a trace of their soul or consciousness remaining.

As for Ice Coffin Weapons… not all Ice Coffin Weapons were like “One.” Most Ice Coffin Weapons’ destructive power could only reach “Peril” level. Compared to ordinary “Peril” level ability users, their advantage might only be their wider attack range.

Lannister did possess “Destruction” level Ice Coffin Weapons, but using them… wasn’t very convenient.

Compared to unconscious Ice Coffin Weapons, Slumberers with self-awareness were more controllable. There was a fundamental difference between the two from the moment they were created.

The severity of the incident in Restricted Zone Seven was obvious to all, and Norian’s firm stance was approved by most members of the Council of Elders. The order was quickly conveyed.

All of Lannister’s forces were mobilized to extinguish this raging fire.

……

Tina had already left before Norian sealed off Spencer Manor.

However, bypassing a lockdown targeting nobles wasn’t a difficult task for her.

“I didn’t expect him to choose this time to act…”

Tina took a deep breath and looked towards Restricted Zone Seven.

Hamid Surian, a former Saint candidate, had been a classmate… or even a senior… of the current Saint Shadow.

The current Saint Shadow had been brought back to the Noah Holy Church by Saint Illusion during the War of the Witch of Absolute Death hundreds of years ago.

Although it was unknown what had happened between the two Saints back then, their relationship was clearly quite good.

Thus, Saint Shadow became a Saint candidate… through connections?

Actually, Granny Zoya was also a Saint candidate of that generation, but she unsurprisingly lost the selection.

Later, she became a “Destruction” level ability user due to her own opportunities, but her path only reached the starting point of “Destruction” level and then almost permanently stagnated.

Saint Shadow was just an ordinary person back then, but after being selected as a Saint candidate, she made rapid progress, and finally, under the instruction of the previous Saint Shadow, she became a Saint ranked eleventh as a “Peril” level ability user.

Of course, the current Saint Shadow was already a “Destruction” level ability user, and not a weak one among them. More importantly, her path hadn’t reached its end yet.

And Hamid Surian, who was currently confronting Granny Zoya in Restricted Zone Seven, was one of Saint Shadow’s strongest competitors back then.

However, no one had expected that a Saint candidate would choose to betray all of humanity, becoming a cult Bishop overnight, and even backstabbing his classmates.

Hamid used the trust of other Saint candidates to kill more than thirty of them through conspiracy. These were all geniuses with the potential to become “Destruction” level ability users, and were extremely important to humanity, which had been severely weakened after the War of the Witch of Absolute Death.

The Twelve Saints were furious, and Saint Illusion personally severely injured him, but failed to kill him.

Thousands of members of the Church of the End Gods, appearing from nowhere, rescued Hamid by sacrificing countless lives. Coupled with the fact that Illusion had suffered hidden injuries from the War of the Witch of Absolute Death, Hamid ultimately escaped.

After so many years, the Noah Holy Church had never given up on searching for Hamid’s traces. It wasn’t until recently that they received news that he was in Lannister, but they couldn’t confirm it.

Therefore, to confirm this news, and also to avoid alerting him, the Noah Holy Church secretly sent the Shadow Guard most skilled in concealment to Lannister, namely Tina.

Chris had come because of Norian’s invitation; she hadn’t known that her mother was also in Lannister beforehand.

Now, Tina finally confirmed that Hamid was in Lannister, but unfortunately… it was too late.

Tina herself only had “Peril” level strength, and she was better at lurking and assassination, or using “Siren’s Song” to buff her teammates, than direct combat.

Tina couldn’t participate in the battle in Restricted Zone Seven. All she could do was inform Saint Shadow.

It couldn’t be said that the Noah Holy Church was completely unprepared, but these preparations were also too late, unless Granny Zoya could hold on until Saint Shadow’s shadow avatar arrived.

Unfortunately, that was unlikely.

Shadow had complained to Tina more than once that Zoya Sivir was the most infamous straggler among the Saint candidates of that generation, a complete pretty face (yes, Granny Zoya was very beautiful when she was young), who had somehow gotten lucky and reached “Destruction” level.

Of course, this also showed from the side that every Saint candidate was extremely talented, even the straggler had the potential to become a “Destruction” level ability user.

Let alone Hamid Surian… He was originally more talented, and he had also chosen to convert to the Malice of All Worlds. His strength could only be higher than Granny Zoya’s.

Sure enough, not long after, violent fluctuations came from Restricted Zone Seven, and the barrier instantly shattered.

A raging malicious aura spread out. Even though Lannister had prepared a spiritual energy shield in advance, it couldn’t completely block it. The aura itself was constantly eroding this ridiculously thick shield.

“Tina, lower your head.”

Just then, a cold voice sounded in her mind, and Tina quickly lowered her head.

“Yes, Saint Shadow.”

The shadow on the ground squirmed, rising slowly and gradually seeping into Tina’s eyes.

Tina’s beautiful azure blue eyes were completely filled with darkness at this moment. Shadow, through Tina’s eyes, saw the situation at the scene.

“It seems it really is too late. Damn it, Sivir, that straggler…”

Shadow’s voice was somewhat gritted. Half a continent away, it was a bit difficult for her shadow avatar to arrive quickly, unless she used the Void for teleportation.

Even now, Shadow couldn’t help but complain about Granny Zoya’s past performance.

“Saint Shadow, I remember Saint Illusion should be arriving in Lannister soon…” Tina couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s Elise, not Illusion. Her strength is only at ‘Ruin’ level. Counting on her is worse than hoping Hamid will change his mind and atone for his sins.” Shadow said casually, her gaze still serious.

Tina really wanted to say that Elise was Saint Illusion’s avatar, but thinking about it carefully, there was a difference between a puppet and a shadow avatar.

Although both were avatars, the shadow avatar had a closer connection to Saint Shadow and could exert nearly thirty percent of her strength.

The puppet, on the other hand, was more like an independent individual, albeit controlled by Saint Illusion’s consciousness. Its strength was limited by the body itself.

However, if the shadow avatar was damaged or killed, it would affect the main body, but the puppet didn’t have this concern. Even if Elise died, Illusion wouldn’t be affected at all.

“Why not try letting Luo Yan meet him?” Shadow suddenly said. “Maybe if Miss Luo Yan says a few nice words, Hamid might stop.”

“…Saint Shadow, this is not the time for jokes.”

Tina’s eyelids twitched wildly. She had served this Saint Shadow for quite some time and was already quite used to her eccentric behavior.

“I was joking, but thinking about it carefully, it might actually work…”

Shadow pondered for a moment, and Tina felt numb.

Hamid had originally intended to go to Restricted Zone Seven to find Luo Yan. Tina didn’t believe he would risk exposing his identity just to visit his new neighbor.

The tragedy hundreds of years ago was still vivid in her mind. Humanity had lost an entire generation of experts because of traitors, including Hamid, and no new “Destruction” level ability user was born in the lost twenty years.

In the worst-case scenario, Hamid might even be planning to use Luo Yan to summon the true body of a Primordial Demon, and not just a toe or something.

Moreover, Miss Luo Yan…

The image of a black-haired young man appeared in Tina’s mind. He, in his disguised appearance, was quietly staying in the corner of the banquet, mixing cocktails by himself, seemingly unconcerned with the surrounding hustle and bustle.

Seeing this scene through the cognitive distortion, Tina had to admit, she was somewhat touched.

“Are you worried about her?” Shadow sensed Tina’s nervousness. “It seems you’ve already met. What kind of person is she? Illusion refused to tell me, only saying that she can’t let her meet me.”

“She’s a good person, I guess.”

Tina sighed. Saint Illusion didn’t let you meet her because she was worried you would corrupt her…

“Giving her a good person card so soon? Did something happen between you two… Tsk, you’re a married woman, Auntie Tina.”

“Saint Shadow, this is not the time for jokes. Let’s focus on the matter at hand.”

A rare look of helplessness appeared on Tina’s face. Only Saint Shadow could make her, who was always expressionless, show such an expression.

“Heh… Tina, didn’t I just say it?” Shadow’s voice became a bit more serious. “Why not try letting Miss Luo Yan meet Hamid?”

“…”

“I know what you’re worried about, Tina, but what if I told you that Miss Luo Yan faced the true form of the ‘Witch of Envy’ in the Void and successfully returned to the present world… what would you think?”

Hearing this, Tina’s pupils constricted, and her expression darkened slightly.

Luo Yan had indeed said that she had seen the Witch of Envy with her own eyes and even talked to her, but no matter what, this was quite unbelievable.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Luo Yan, but this kind of situation was common. Many people claimed to have seen the Primordial Demons with their own eyes, including the Devil’s Apostles of the Church of the End Gods.

But the truth was… they hadn’t. They had at most seen avatars, or fragments of consciousness.

This could be evidenced by the War of the Witch of Absolute Death hundreds of years ago.

This was the only war recorded in the history of the New Era where humanity directly faced the complete form of a Primordial Demon. Almost all humans who witnessed the Witch of Absolute Death’s form fell into madness, even the Devil’s Apostles.

War, madness, betrayal…

That was the era when human civilization was closest to destruction, apart from the transition between the Old and New Eras.

To this day, the details of that war had been completely erased, for fear of similar situations occurring.

Miss Luo Yan was indeed special, but no matter how special, she was still human, at least she was now.

…If she weren’t human, Lannister wouldn’t have brought her back no matter what; Norian wouldn’t have agreed to Illusion’s request even if he were beaten to death.

“This is Lannister, not Noah… Magistrate Norian should be the one to decide.” Tina said after a moment of silence.

“Oh, that cowardly old man? Then there’s no hope.” Shadow said with a hint of regret. “I originally wanted to see Miss Luo Yan’s reaction when she encountered these cultists…”

Tina resisted the urge to retort about Shadow’s way of addressing Norian. What cowardly old man? Magistrate Norian was hundreds of years younger than you.

And the “Auntie Tina” just now too…

I’m not even sixty yet, okay!

Of course, ever since ability users in the New Era broke through the limits of human lifespan, seniority had been a mess…

“The current situation is still under control. That straggler seems to be doing alright, although it’s hard to say whether she can hold on until my shadow avatar arrives.” Shadow’s tone became a bit more serious, although it was unclear how much of it was genuine. “Don’t worry about Luo Yan, she’s stronger… and more reliable… than you all think.”

After her voice fell, the trace of shadow power also dissipated.

Tina frowned slightly, pondering Saint Shadow’s words.

But in the end, she could only shake her head and continue to retreat, seeing if she could help in any way without revealing her identity.

……

Luo Yan and Chris sat facing each other.

An awkward atmosphere permeated the space between them.

“Miss Chris, I think I understand what you misunderstood,” Luo Yan said with a serious expression. “I asked a few people who seemed easier to talk to and learned a few things. But I’m curious, why does ‘a commission that can’t be spoken about directly’ specifically refer to that kind of thing?”

Luo Yan’s expression and tone didn’t seem like she was joking, so serious that Chris felt a little ashamed.

She had specifically come to explain to Chris, which wasn’t considered wandering around, as long as she didn’t leave Spencer Manor.

“Be-, Because…”

Chris stammered for a long time, but couldn’t give a coherent answer.

Because she didn’t know why either… Maybe it was human nature?

“Forget it, as long as Miss Chris can clear up this unnecessary misunderstanding, it’s fine.”

Luo Yan nodded and stood up.

“Wait!”

Seeing that Luo Yan seemed to be about to leave, Chris suddenly called out in a hurry.

“Hmm?”

Luo Yan paused.

“Actually, you’re not Mr. Luo Yan, but Miss Luo Yan, right?” Chris asked through gritted teeth. “Why are you hiding your identity at this banquet…”

Was it because she discovered that she was the peeper?

“I’m not hiding my identity,” Luo Yan replied directly. “I just don’t want to attract attention.”

It turned out that this disguise was still useful, as her reduced presence had been broken through several times.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 16 The Oak Council Chamber

The Church of the End Gods, a cult believed to be on the verge of extinction. For a thousand years, traces of their activities had been gradually decreasing.

Especially after the War of the Witch of Absolute Death hundreds of years ago, they had almost vanished, leaving only sporadic, small-scale attacks that posed little threat.

Almost everyone believed that the Church of the End Gods had reached its end, meaning humanity was about to be free from the fear brought by the Primordial Demons, who would be lost in the long river of history, becoming a distant legend.

But… this was just wishful thinking.

The Church of the End Gods hadn’t perished; on the contrary, it had grown stronger, only hiding deeper.

Their traces had spread throughout the mega-cities of the land, and almost all the upper echelons of every mega-city had been infiltrated.

Unless it was a newly established mega-city like Yan City, still in its pioneering phase, the shadow of the Church of the End Gods existed to some extent.

At least so far, no one had discovered this.

Norian hadn’t either, which was why he felt at ease leaving to deal with the sudden Calamity after sealing off Spencer Manor.

“How… could she?” The voice from the hovering coin was surprised. “Was this Norian’s deliberate arrangement? What’s the point of him doing this? Could it be… that he foresaw our actions in advance?”

The matter of Luo Yan being confined to Restricted Zone Seven had been revealed by an Elder in the Council of Elders, and its credibility was very high.

If there were any changes, it could only be Norian’s private arrangement…

As for Luo Yan’s own will, the Church of the End Gods made the same mistake as Norian, not treating her as an ordinary human and directly ignoring it.

“What should I do now?” Count Spencer was a little nervous. “Should I reveal my identity to her and ask her to return to the Church?”

Even if he revealed his identity and could no longer be “Count Spencer,” he didn’t care.

The ultimate goal of the Church of the End Gods was to destroy all of current humanity, including themselves.

Under this premise, wealth and status were just fleeting clouds.

The reason Count Spencer hadn’t abandoned his identity as a Lannister noble was simply to better fulfill the will of the Gods.

The voice in the hovering coin pondered for a moment and said,

“No, doing so is too risky. We don’t know if Norian has other arrangements. To deal with him… we have to be fully prepared.”

Amid Norian had always been one of the most important targets of the Church of the End Gods.

He had single-handedly created Lannister’s prosperity and established various reform treaties, taking many rights from the nobles and returning them to the commoners, even allowing refugees to work in Lannister, which was unprecedented.

It could be said that because of his actions, human civilization in the New Era had taken a small step forward.

Even a small step was unacceptable to the Church of the End Gods, so it was not an exaggeration to consider Norian a mortal enemy.

“Maintain the status quo for now, Count Spencer. The will of the Gods requires you… and your current identity, to carry it out. It’s not the final moment yet.”

The voice in the hovering coin continued, “As for ‘Luo Yan,’ our other fellow travelers will take action to bring her back to the Church.”

“Mm.” Count Spencer nodded. “May we walk with the Gods, until the end of civilization.”

“Praise the Gods.”

The hovering coin made one last sound before falling from mid-air.

Count Spencer caught the coin and carefully put it away again.

To avoid suspicion, Count Spencer didn’t dare to be alone for too long, even if he was surrounded by servants his family had kept for generations.

The Church of the End Gods never trusted these ordinary people who hadn’t witnessed the truth. They operated with the utmost caution in all parts of human civilization, waiting for the moment of the Gods’ return.

After straightening his clothes and confirming that he was presentable, Count Spencer put on a faint, elegant smile, no different from any other noble.

He opened the door and re-entered the ongoing extravagant banquet.

……

Chris, who had been dragged away by her butler, sat in the room Count Spencer had specially prepared for her, stunned for a long time.

Seeing Chris like this, the butler couldn’t help but feel distressed and said angrily,

“Miss, don’t listen to that person’s nonsense. Sister Qingling is a good person, how could she…”

“No… I’m not thinking about that.” Chris interrupted the young butler’s complaint in a low voice, finally regaining her senses. “You can leave now, Liv, I want to be alone.”

Liv opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

But she finally nodded and said,

“Miss… please rest well.”

“Mm.”

Liv stood up and walked towards the door, looking at Chris worriedly before leaving.

“…You don’t need to know about these things, Liv.”

Chris murmured to herself, then breathed a sigh of relief, her expression becoming serious.

Liv was her butler. To be honest, Liv was more like her manager, her friend, her childhood companion…

This was because every descendant of the Lequista family had a butler of the same age accompany them as they grew up. The butler was chosen from the Lequista’s servant families, and that was how Liv became Chris’s butler.

But Liv wasn’t a member of the Lequista family after all, and she absolutely couldn’t know the Lequista’s secrets.

“It’s actually ‘Luo Yan’… Why did she come here? Is she looking for me?”

Chris was in turmoil. The fleeting glimpse that morning had cast a long shadow over her, one she still hadn’t escaped.

Caught off guard, and because Luo Yan hadn’t realized anyone was outside, Chris had practically faced the Luo Yan from Ghost Town.

That was a level of mental influence that even “Ruin” level ability users didn’t dare to touch lightly.

Given that the black-haired young man was “Luo Yan,” Chris had directly ignored everything he said, including the so-called “slander” against Hua Qingling.

“No, I have to go find Mother.”

Chris made up her mind. Just as she was about to use the family’s unique communication technique, there was a polite, rhythmic knock on the door,

“Excuse me, is Miss Chris there?”

It was Luo Yan’s voice.

Chris’s pupils constricted violently, and a look of panic appeared on her face.

“Not here!”

“…”

Luo Yan outside the door was once again bewildered.

Should she assume Miss Chris was there, or not…

……

In the highest Council Chamber of Lannister, several Elders sat in the Oak Council Chamber with serious expressions.

The Oak Council Chamber was built from a single giant oak tree felled when Lannister was founded a thousand years ago. It was the only decent building during the pioneering era.

For a thousand years, many important decisions in Lannister had been discussed within the Oak Council Chamber.

It used to be jointly managed by members of the Council of Elders and representatives of the nobles. However, after the Constantine rebellion a hundred years ago, all nobles were deprived of their political power, and only the Council of Elders could use the Oak Council Chamber.

“Three traces of the Church of the End Gods have appeared in the Z District, and at least six civilian buildings have been destroyed in the south of the Treleri District… So far, there have been over a hundred deaths and countless injuries, not to mention the missing…”

Although Lannister was far stronger than Yan City, it was far inferior in one aspect, and that was the public’s acceptance of Calamities.

Powerful Lannister could withstand most Calamities, and no Calamity had been able to infiltrate the city for hundreds of years.

But now, countless Calamity incidents were occurring throughout Lannister, causing widespread panic among the public, and maintaining order was extremely difficult.

And Lannister couldn’t evacuate its citizens like Yan City could at any time, because the residents of Lannister weren’t like those of Yan City, who had to face sudden Calamities every other day…

Norian rubbed his temples. Actually, he wasn’t too worried about these things. Although the sudden attack of the Church of the End Gods had indeed caught Lannister off guard, Lannister was powerful enough.

Even without counting hired adventurers like Hua Qingling, Lannister had more than twenty “Peril” level ability users, and more than two-thirds of them were combat-capable.

In other words, even without counting Norian, whose “Peril” level had some water in it, Lannister’s top-tier strength was equivalent to dozens of Yan Cities.

Not to mention that Lannister was so rich that they could hire “Peril” level ability users at will, and had all kinds of powerful weapons and military equipment, even several “Ice Coffin Weapons,” and even a Slumberer sleeping within the city.

These attacks by the Church of the End Gods were, at best, just minor actions.

What Norian was truly worried about was the Bishop of the Church of the End Gods who was fighting Granny Zoya.

This was the first time in so many years that Granny Zoya had reported the situation to Norian in such a serious tone. Even she wasn’t completely confident in defeating Hamid Surian, who was at the same level as her.

“I never thought that the Church of the End Gods would still have an expert above ‘Destruction’ level,” Norian felt a pang of fear. “When did he come to Lannister? Why was there no sign at all…”

If he had decided to come to Lannister because of the incident in the forest outside the city, Granny Zoya couldn’t have been completely unaware.

To prevent further incidents, when Luo Yan was brought to Lannister, Granny Zoya’s spiritual energy had been connected to Lannister’s Ember formation. It was very difficult for any anomaly occurring in Lannister to escape her detection.

Moreover, Granny Zoya knew Hamid, so there couldn’t have been an accidental oversight.

The only explanation was—

Hamid Surian, this Bishop Hamid Surian, had been in Lannister from the very beginning, silently lurking.

This speculation was truly terrifying… How many more members of the Church of the End Gods were hidden in the shadows, unnoticed? Norian shuddered at the thought.

The other Elders also knew the gravity of the situation. Almost none of them bothered to look at the detailed casualty reports on the table.

These were insignificant losses. If Granny Zoya couldn’t contain Hamid, or even worse, was defeated in battle, that would be the worst-case scenario for Lannister.

But now Lannister was powerless to influence this battle. Unless they were also “Destruction” level ability users, even the most powerful “Peril” level ability users could hardly help in a “Destruction” level battle.

“I’ve already reported these matters to the Noah Holy Church. The Saint has been informed, but…”

An Elder said hesitantly, not finishing his sentence.

This was because…

“It’s too late, they must have calculated this.” Norian stared at the constantly incoming messages, his eyes grim. “Even after all these years of decline, the Church of the End Gods hasn’t lost its ability to create panic…”

Almost all the locations where Calamities occurred were the places most likely to trigger panic.

The impact of the Calamities themselves wasn’t significant, but the ensuing public panic put tremendous pressure on maintaining order.

What did the Church of the End Gods want to do?

What was their purpose?

An answer emerged in Norian’s mind, but he quickly breathed a sigh of relief.

It could only be said… that Miss Luo Yan’s act of leaving Restricted Zone Seven without permission had inadvertently become the key to breaking this puzzle.

Except for Norian and a few others involved, no one knew that Luo Yan was at that brightly lit banquet, disguised as an inconspicuous black-haired young man.

This was the only good news so far.

“Anyway, first suppress this chaos, then gather all the available combat power at Restricted Zone Seven, including the ‘Ice Coffin Weapons’.”

Norian hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. “And the Slumberer, be prepared to awaken them at any time.”

The Slumberers were a tragic legend.

They were “Destruction” level ability users of the past, and even former Saints.

When their lifespans reached their limit, or when they were about to run out of energy for various reasons, the Slumberers used special methods to confine their souls and consciousness within their bodies, falling into a long slumber.

It was said that this method was created by the Saint, but she herself hadn’t used it before she passed away.

These Slumberers didn’t choose to become Slumberers to cling to life, but to protect the future of humanity, preserving the last embers of hope and strength.

Each Slumberer only had one chance to awaken. When they awakened, they would reach the limit of their abilities from their previous life, gaining unprecedented power.

But this power couldn’t last. When they burned out the souls and consciousness in their slumber, it was the time of the Slumberer’s complete demise.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Lannister absolutely wouldn’t awaken the “Slumberer.”

Not only out of respect for the Slumberer predecessors, but also to ensure that this power, which could only be used once, was used at the most critical moment.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 15 A Coin

This wasn’t Chris being narcissistic; it was her lived experience.

Chris’s appearance was indeed stunning, attracting countless admirers, and many noble children pursued her.

However, Chris didn’t like these people, regardless of gender.

This wasn’t a matter of sexual orientation. Among those who pursued Chris, there were quite a few women, but these women were no different from other pursuers.

They had the same fervent, invasive gazes, which couldn’t be concealed beneath their polite exteriors.

Some valued Chris’s beauty, some her family background, and others, more vulgarly, her money.

In short… very few people saw Chris simply as Chris. In their eyes, Chris had many identities, but being “Chris” herself was the least important one.

—Except for Hua Qingling.

Hua Qingling could almost be said to be the first friend who treated her purely as Chris, not as the second daughter of the Lequista family, or a national idol, or anything else.

Of course, Chris wasn’t so attached to Hua Qingling solely because of this. Something had happened between them that even Hua Qingling herself had forgotten… which wouldn’t be mentioned here for now.

But this wasn’t important. In short, Hua Qingling was Chris’s only true friend.

And this young man…

Chris knew that if Sister Qingling liked him and chose him as her partner, she had no right and no need to stop her.

Sister Qingling would have her own happiness; she knew that very well.

However…

She still couldn’t help but feel hostile.

Now it seemed, as expected of someone Sister Qingling favored, he remained calm even when seeing her true appearance. It seemed she could approve of him a little…

But definitely not completely!

In Chris’s eyes, Sister Qingling was the most perfect woman in the world, elegant, gentle, and very powerful, even the Saints in their youth were nothing more than this.

No one was worthy of her, not even herself.

If Luo Yan knew about Chris’s messy thoughts, she would probably give her a look of “Are we talking about the same Hua Qingling?”

It had to be said that Hua Qingling’s public image management was too good; even her younger sister was fooled. Only Luo Yan had seen through her.

“Since it’s Magistrate Norian’s commission, then… it seems there’s nothing that can be done.”

Chris said dejectedly. The reason she had so readily agreed to attend the banquet, besides giving Norian face, was mainly because of Hua Qingling.

Unfortunately, Sister Qingling had left early, and she could only continue to deal with these decadent and unbearable nobles.

“Did Magistrate Norian say what the commission was?”

Chris was still holding onto a sliver of hope. She secretly planned to find an opportunity to sneak out.

Even if she would be questioned by her mother and butler afterwards, and punished or something, she didn’t care. She couldn’t stay in the banquet hall without Sister Qingling for even a moment longer.

Luo Yan thought for a moment and replied, “It’s a commission that can’t be spoken about directly.”

Judging from Norian’s attitude, he didn’t seem to intend to tell these nobles, who were still enjoying themselves, about the Church of the End Gods, at least not before the matter was resolved.

Therefore, Luo Yan wouldn’t presume to reveal the information, even to Chris.

Chris: “?”

What… was a commission that couldn’t be spoken about directly?

Chris quickly thought of some unpleasant things, and her pretty face instantly flushed red, even her ears turning pink.

“You, you dare to play me!” Chris exclaimed in a rare loss of composure, glaring at Luo Yan. “How could Sister Qingling do that kind of thing! She, she…”

Chris stammered for a long time, but still didn’t say what she thought the “commission that couldn’t be spoken about directly” was.

Luo Yan: “?”

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. Was such a strong reaction necessary?

As an adventurer, wasn’t it normal for Sister Qingling to take commissions?

Moreover, Magistrate Norian’s offer was indeed generous, and Sister Qingling, who was short of money, naturally wouldn’t miss it.

Furthermore, the experience of dealing with such large-scale Calamities was also very valuable. Who knew, Yan City might encounter similar situations in the future, and these were all valuable experiences.

After a moment of thought, Luo Yan suddenly realized why Chris was so nervous.

So that’s how it is…

Miss Chris, like herself before, thought Sister Qingling was just an ordinary tailor… oh no, a fashion designer!

When she first heard about her sister from Hua Qiling, Luo Yan’s impression of Hua Qingling was only that of a “gentle and kind tailor.”

Although the later Hua Qingling was completely different from this impression, clearly, Chris only seemed to know Sister Qingling as a tailor.

“Don’t worry, Miss Chris,” Luo Yan said in as gentle a tone as possible to soothe Chris. “Everyone has another side, and Sister Qingling is no exception. She also has a side you haven’t seen… She does do that kind of thing.”

“That kind of thing” referred to taking commissions.

“Nonsense, Sister Qingling… how much does she charge per time?” Chris asked inexplicably, then immediately stamped her foot and said angrily, “Impossible, absolutely impossible! Sister Qingling… impossible!”

“I remember she said, from one hundred to ten thousand Nos, she’s taken them all.”

Luo Yan recalled, mainly depending on the difficulty of the task.

However, generally speaking, Hua Qingling only took on Calamity-related tasks. She never took on escort missions, which other adventurers often accepted.

But Chris was already enraged and rushed over to attack Luo Yan,

“Shut up! Sister Qingling wouldn’t be that cheap… no, she wouldn’t do that kind of thing!”

Seeing this, the butler, who had been secretly watching, immediately rushed over and held Chris back, preventing her from further losing her composure.

The surrounding nobles watched the scene with interest. After all, it wasn’t often that they saw nobles from Noah quarreling, especially Miss Chris. This was the first time she had lost her composure so badly in public.

Fortunately, this banquet was relatively private, and no one would go around gossiping, but some rumors were unavoidable.

“Shocking! National idol Miss Chris publicly loses her temper at a man, and the reason is this!”

This kind of news would definitely appear.

“I’ll kill you! Kill you!”

Chris was furious, and Luo Yan was bewildered.

Although the butler held Chris back, preventing her from rushing over and beating up Luo Yan, the look in her eyes towards Luo Yan clearly showed displeasure.

She had heard Luo Yan’s words. Because of Chris’s relationship with Hua Qingling, this butler, also a young woman, had a very good impression of that well-mannered and elegant older sister.

Hearing these “slanderous” words, the butler also felt angry. How could Sister Qingling do that kind of thing!

The small interlude at the banquet seemed to be escalating. At this time, the host of the banquet finally stepped forward.

“Alright, alright, this gentleman, and Miss Chris, you two seem to have some unpleasant dispute… But the banquet is still going on, you can’t disturb everyone’s mood, can you?”

Count Spencer, wearing a monocle, stepped forward, nodded to Luo Yan, and then looked at Chris,

“Miss Chris, would you give me some face?”

“Hmph!”

No matter how temperamental Chris was, she knew her limits at this time and could only suppress her anger.

“Thank you for your understanding, Miss Chris,” Count Spencer smiled slightly, then looked at Luo Yan. “As for this gentleman… by the way, how should I address you?”

He sized up Luo Yan through his monocle, hiding his surprise.

Because even he hadn’t noticed Luo Yan’s presence until Norian appeared just now.

This was definitely some kind of special ability.

“Luo Yan,” Luo Yan was quite straightforward and didn’t want to make up a fake name. “Just call me Luo Yan.”

It seemed like an ordinary name. The nobles watching thought that perhaps there was a prominent family with the surname Luo, but after careful recollection, they couldn’t find one.

However, two people’s expressions changed when they heard this name.

“Luo, Luo Yan?”

Chris was stunned. She stared blankly at Luo Yan and rubbed her eyes.

“You’re Luo Yan?”

Chris murmured in a daze.

“You know me?” Luo Yan looked at Chris and asked curiously. “Or did Sister Qingling mention me to you? No, that’s not right, when she met you, she shouldn’t have known me yet.”

She didn’t know her, but she knew of her.

Chris knew who Luo Yan was.

She knew.

But… wasn’t Luo Yan a woman?

Why did she appear at the banquet in this form again…

The scene slowly emerged in Chris’s mind. The silver-haired girl quietly opened the window, a look of surprise on her beautiful face, her pale red eyes like autumn water, gazing at her as if to drown her in the deep sea.

An unspeakable fear welled up in her heart. If she continued to look, a permanent mental scar might be left, and she would never be able to escape the fear brought by those eyes for the rest of her life.

But fortunately, another voice sounded, allowing her to break free from this fear and escape.

Indeed, the mysterious shadow who had been peeping at Luo Yan outside was Chris.

Besides the few identities known to the public, she had another identity that could never be revealed, that of a Shadow Guard.

A secret guard belonging only to the Eleventh Saint, “Shadow.”

In fact, the Lequista family had been hereditary guards of “Shadow” for generations, serving several generations of Saints “Shadow.” The current “Shadow” was the sixth generation.

Chris’s intention in acting secretly wasn’t to monitor Luo Yan; her target was Hua Qingling… but not because she was a pervert, but out of concern.

The fact that Hua Qingling was with “Luo Yan,” the source of the incident in the forest outside the city, wasn’t a secret to the Shadow Guards.

In Chris’s view, this was very dangerous for Hua Qingling, but no information could be transmitted from Restricted Zone Seven, which was completely isolated, so she could only act secretly.

The special Shadow Guard uniform could erase all her aura and hide any features that might reveal her identity. Coupled with years of secret training, Chris was able to approach the apartment without Luo Yan and Hua Qingling noticing.

Unfortunately, due to a series of coincidences, Chris was still discovered by Luo Yan.

At that time, Luo Yan couldn’t recognize Chris; she was just curious why Chris had such a strange reaction when she heard her name.

Luo Yan couldn’t understand Chris more and more…

On the other side, there was another person who reacted to Luo Yan’s name.

Count Spencer.

His pupils constricted violently, and after staring at Luo Yan for a while, he inconspicuously looked away.

“Alright, Mr. Luo Yan,” Count Spencer used the reflection of his monocle to conceal where his gaze fell. “Please continue to enjoy the banquet. The Spencer family will do its utmost to satisfy every guest… including you, of course.”

“Mm.”

Luo Yan had heard this kind of polite remark many times, so she just nodded and didn’t say anything more.

Count Spencer bowed slightly and retreated again, but his steps seemed somewhat hurried.

On the other side, the stunned Chris was easily dragged away by her butler, without even resisting.

After this little interlude ended, the gazes falling on Luo Yan suddenly increased, but… as long as no one with a strong presence continued to talk to Luo Yan, it was still easy for her to hide.

Soon, the black-haired young man once again disappeared from everyone’s sight like an illusion, no matter how hard they searched, they couldn’t find him again.

……

The smile on Count Spencer’s face quickly faded as he returned to his room with a serious expression.

He dismissed the servants in the room and told everyone not to approach, then solemnly took out a coin.

It was an ancient coin, engraved with characters not belonging to this era, and strange patterns.

A bizarre mechanical flying machine, and a dazzling starry sky.

This was the common currency of the Old Era. In the New Era, due to the Calamity Tide, the sky had become an absolute forbidden zone. The current humans had neither the ability nor the resources to research how to travel above the stars.

Count Spencer looked at the coin, took a deep breath, and flicked it with his finger,

“When the truth is revealed, the day the Gods return… Praise the Gods.”

The coin hovered in mid-air, and a hoarse voice came from it,

“What is it, Count Spencer.”

“…I’ve seen her.” Count Spencer said in a deep voice. “She wasn’t in Restricted Zone Seven. She’s at the noble banquet I’m holding in Spencer Manor right now!”

Norian hadn’t expected… no, no one would have expected that Count Spencer was also a member of the Church of the End Gods.

No one could, or would dare to believe, that Count Spencer, a descendant of a thousand-year-old noble family, would actually join… a cult.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 14 A Flurry of Anomalies

Back at the noble banquet, while Luo Yan and Tina were chatting pleasantly, Tina’s expression suddenly changed.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Tina?”

Luo Yan noticed Tina’s unusual expression and asked with concern.

“They’ve started? Why would they choose this time…”

Tina murmured in disbelief.

“Hmm?”

Luo Yan blinked.

“…Apologies, Mr. Luo Yan,” Tina took a deep breath and steadied her expression. “There’s an emergency I need to deal with. I enjoyed our conversation today, and I look forward to our next meeting.”

After quickly finishing the remaining pleasantries, Tina hurriedly left without even waiting to say goodbye to Luo Yan.

Her close-fitting suit dress didn’t hinder her movements at all, and soon, her figure disappeared among the nobles.

“So… sudden?”

Luo Yan picked up her glass and took another small sip.

It had to be said that, although she hadn’t been used to the slightly bitter and burning taste at first, after drinking more, it seemed acceptable.

However, Luo Yan still couldn’t understand why anyone would be obsessed with this stuff. She was just trying it out of curiosity for new things.

Compared to “drinking,” she was more interested in the process of mixing drinks. Using techniques and combinations to create different flavors with the same ingredients was very interesting.

Unfortunately, before Luo Yan could continue mixing the next cocktail, Norian hurried over.

He paced around the bar counter, his anxious expression suggesting he wanted to jump off a building, even with a hint of panic, but he still couldn’t find Luo Yan.

The “Envy” threshold Luo Yan used to hide her presence was set very high. Even if someone deliberately searched for her, before she spoke, no one would be able to notice her.

“Magistrate Norian, are you looking for me?” Luo Yan said softly, finally allowing Norian’s diverted attention to focus on her.

At the same time, the nobles who were secretly observing Norian saw Luo Yan for the first time. They were puzzled by this mysterious young man who had appeared at the banquet at some unknown point.

Not only because Norian had rushed over to find him, but more importantly… the banquet had been going on for a while, and no one had seen him before!

Feeling the intense gazes of so many people for the first time, Luo Yan felt a little uncomfortable, but she still didn’t use her ability.

Because her presence was too strong now, if she forcibly weakened it, she would have to actually use “Envy” on everyone present.

This was a demonic power that distorted souls and wills. It was hard to estimate what would happen if she used it, so Luo Yan could only endure it for the time being.

…Sister Qingling wasn’t having an easy time just now either.

Luo Yan, who empathized with Hua Qingling due to the coincidental circumstances, thought so.

“Hmm?!” Norian looked over and saw that Luo Yan was still obediently staying near the bar counter as before, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Miss Luo Yan, it’s good that you haven’t left.”

“What happened?” Luo Yan asked curiously. “Just now… someone else was also in such a hurry. Did something happen in Lannister?”

She didn’t mention Tina. Clearly, from Norian’s words earlier, when Chris was giving her closing remarks, he clearly didn’t know that Chris’s mother, Tina, had also come to Lannister.

Since Tina didn’t intend to reveal her presence, Luo Yan naturally had to respect her wishes.

“Who… was in a hurry?” Norian was stunned for a moment, but didn’t pursue it further. Instead, he composed himself and replied, “Indeed, a very serious incident has occurred… I kept suspecting you were involved, but from the looks of it, you really weren’t.”

“What…”

Norian didn’t explain immediately. He looked around, and his voice sounded directly in Luo Yan’s mind,

“Miss Luo Yan, have you heard of… the Church of the End Gods?”

When he said the name of the church to Luo Yan, Norian was a little nervous, worried that something unexpected would happen to her after she heard it, after all, her existence was too special.

Moreover, there were many people at the banquet, and Norian didn’t dare to directly say the name that put the nobles on edge, so he could only use this method of mental communication to talk to Luo Yan.

…He was a “Peril” level ability user, after all, although this “Peril” level had some water in it, and he might not even be a match for a stronger “Ruin” level ability user.

“What?” Luo Yan was a little puzzled. “It sounds… like a cult?”

“Yes, they refer to the ten Primordial Demons as ‘Gods’ and have been trying to destroy the entire world, even in the nearly thousand years since the Primordial Demons have all fallen silent, they haven’t stopped trying.”

Seeing Luo Yan’s reaction, Norian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then explained to her.

It was good that Miss Luo Yan hadn’t come into contact with the Church of the End Gods, otherwise something might really happen…

Thinking of the terrifying aura that had appeared in the forest outside the city, if that thing were to appear in the core area of Lannister, it would really be the end.

“Gods…”

Luo Yan suddenly recalled the Witch of Envy’s title for her, and her expression immediately turned strange.

“Anyway, they suddenly started taking action in Lannister, and reports have come in from various districts,” Norian didn’t notice Luo Yan’s expression and continued seriously. “Granny Zoya, whom I entrusted to investigate your residence, has already encountered their Bishop-level figure and can’t get away now.”

Now he was glad that Luo Yan had secretly left Restricted Zone Seven. If she hadn’t left, Granny Zoya definitely wouldn’t have gone to investigate there, and wouldn’t have encountered Hamid head-on.

What was even more terrifying was that Hamid would have directly encountered Luo Yan. The consequences of that situation were unimaginable.

At this moment, Granny Zoya’s battle with the Bishop of the Church of the End Gods in Restricted Zone Seven was deliberately confined to a certain range by her to prevent it from affecting Lannister.

However, Bishop Hamid Surian was from the same era as Granny Zoya, and his strength back then was even greater than hers.

Coupled with the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror” descending upon Hamid, even though Granny Zoya had the support of Lannister’s “Ember Cluster” and had reached the “Destruction” level, the pinnacle of human limits, this was all she could do.

When Hamid decided to unleash this destruction, the followers of the Church of the End Gods, who had been waiting for a long time, appeared one after another. Several “Ruin” level Calamity warnings were issued from various districts in an instant, and even “Peril” level warnings near the core area.

“Apologies, Miss Luo Yan, due to these incidents, you cannot leave here for the time being.” Norian continued mentally. “I will organize a team to deal with this trouble. Since these matters have nothing to do with you, please don’t interfere with Lannister’s actions, even help is unnecessary.”

Luo Yan herself was a risk. The situation in Lannister was different from Yan City. They weren’t lacking in powerful forces and didn’t need to desperately send out even Luo Yan.

“Mm, I understand.”

Luo Yan nodded. Actually, since a while ago, she had vaguely sensed a familiar aura appearing in Lannister.

Now that she thought about it, it was somewhat similar to the Witch of Envy; it should be another Primordial Demon.

“I’ve already commissioned Miss Hua Qingling. Her combat power is very important to Lannister. This is a very standard employment procedure,” Norian continued. “I’m informing you of this to avoid any misunderstandings.”

“What misunderstandings?”

“…Forget it.”

Looking at Luo Yan’s puzzled expression, Norian felt like he had wasted his breath. She didn’t seem to care about Hua Qingling.

“Sister Qingling is short of money, it’s normal for her to take commissions, I know.”

Seeing Norian’s choked expression, Luo Yan knew that this old gentleman was once again treating her as someone with a strange temper.

But this was understandable. Norian was cautious by nature and always considered everything as thoroughly as possible.

“Mm, since Miss Luo Yan is so understanding, Lannister will express its gratitude.” Norian nodded and said, “The situation is urgent, I have to leave immediately to deal with this matter.”

Norian didn’t continue with the pleasantries and turned to leave after explaining the situation.

These conversations were all done through mental communication. To others, it looked like Norian had just exchanged a few glances with Luo Yan before turning to leave.

Of course, these nobles weren’t ignorant; they knew about mental communication.

What was so important that the Chief Magistrate of the Lannister Council of Elders needed to convey it in such a secretive manner?

The nobles became serious. They didn’t know what was happening outside at the moment. Norian had quietly sealed off the entire banquet hall; no information could enter or leave.

This was a lesson learned from the previous incident in the forest outside the city. Never trust these nobles; they were the first to run when something happened, which would only cause more serious chaos.

Lannister was far from its demise, and now they had to unite to face this difficult situation.

Just as these nobles were puzzled and planning to find an opportunity to talk to the black-haired young man, they found that he had disappeared.

Within the hall, they couldn’t find him anywhere.

……

Of course, Luo Yan hadn’t left the banquet hall; she had just found an opportunity to use “Envy” again for cognitive distortion.

She wasn’t used to attracting attention; over the years, Luo Yan had become accustomed to being alone.

Luo Yan sat back at the bar counter, but she was no longer in the mood to mix cocktails.

The “Church of the End Gods” that Norian mentioned made her inexplicably think of the Witch of Envy. In the Endless Void, she had revealed her true name.

“Hope.”

Regarded as the culprit behind the destruction of the world, one of the creators of the Calamity Tide, the true name of the conceptual entity of the Witch of Envy actually represented hope.

“Gods…?”

Luo Yan pondered the meaning of this title. Coupled with the words the Witch of Envy had declared to her, she vaguely grasped some unclear information.

“It seems that this cult called the ‘Church of the End Gods’ might really know something.”

However, Luo Yan didn’t intend to look for them.

Admittedly, perhaps these commonly perceived cultists didn’t devote themselves to the Primordial Demons just for selfish desires or the pursuit of power.

They had their own ideals, their own pursuits, that led them to side with the so-called “Gods.”

However, these motives or reasons didn’t change the nature of their actions. The Church of the End Gods was indeed acting to destroy human civilization, and the countless tragedies recorded in the archives proved this point.

Just as Luo Yan felt she was lost in thought, a figure unknowingly approached her, its gaze finally focusing on her with great effort.

At this moment, the uncomfortable feeling of being the center of attention descended once again, and Luo Yan shuddered involuntarily.

“Hey, you… where’s Sister Qingling?”

A familiar, arrogant voice rang out. Luo Yan turned her head and saw Chris looking at her with her arms crossed, a hint of difficulty and obscurity in her eyes.

…Chris had barely broken through the cognitive distortion set by Luo Yan, and because she herself had been under the close attention of other nobles, Luo Yan was once again exposed at this moment.

“Huh?”

Luo Yan was a little surprised. She was quite confident in “Envy”; this was the first time it had been broken through… the second time?

Tina seemed to have broken through it once just now.

It seemed that the Lequista family’s inherited ability did have something unique about it.

“I want to ask, where did Sister Qingling go? I still have something to ask her.” Chris suppressed her displeasure and asked again in a deep voice. “And didn’t you go back? Why are you still… here?”

After quickly ending the tedious and uninteresting socializing with those nobles, she wanted to find Hua Qingling.

It was a rare encounter, and Chris wanted to spend more time with Hua Qingling.

But for some reason, she couldn’t find her. Chris even secretly used her ability, “Siren’s Song,” to search for Hua Qingling, but to no avail.

However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.

In the feedback from “Siren’s Song,” an abnormal mental fluctuation appeared in the banquet hall, forming a strange void.

So, Chris came looking and, using the soul perception commonly used by mental ability users, finally discovered Luo Yan’s presence.

“Something happened at my residence, so I can’t go back for now.”

Luo Yan replied, looking curiously at this famous idol and young lady of the Free Federation.

Even though the other party clearly had hostility towards her, for some reason, she still hadn’t expressed it directly.

…Luo Yan didn’t know what was considered proper aristocratic elegance and upbringing, although most of the time, it was just for show, and in private, these nobles weren’t exactly clean.

“As for Sister Qingling, she took a commission from Magistrate Norian and left earlier.”

“Le-, Left?”

Chris immediately deflated, then glanced at Luo Yan, who still had an indifferent expression, and frowned slightly.

Wait, wasn’t this guy a man?

When ordinary men saw her face, shouldn’t their reaction be different…

Witch’s Night: Chapter 13 The Sovereign of Terror

When did it begin?

Cecilia opened her eyes. After the medicine took effect, the burning pain in her body subsided slightly.

But when she moved her limbs, Cecilia could still feel a faint stinging pain in her blood vessels, as if boiling magma was flowing through them.

“Bishop… Grandpa?”

Cecilia struggled to sit up from the bed, her skin an unhealthy pale white, and her thin, petite body made her look frail.

There was no one in the room; Grandpa Bishop seemed to have left.

“Grandpa Bishop, has he gone to destroy civilization…”

Cecilia supported herself against the wall, slowly shuffling forward step by step, each step as if walking on the tip of a blade.

A piercing pain shot through her body, which was constantly crying out in protest. Cecilia’s small face was almost crumpled in pain, but she didn’t cry.

Because Grandpa Bishop had said that crying… would make it hurt more, and become more serious.

Actually, Cecilia knew Grandpa Bishop was lying to her, but she didn’t want to disappoint him, so she persisted and didn’t cry.

Cecilia walked to the window. Near the window was a high chair with a small ladder attached, specially prepared by the Bishop for Cecilia, so she could look out the window whenever she wanted.

The Bishop hadn’t deliberately confined Cecilia, but due to her constitution, not to mention going out, even the ten to twenty meters from the bed to the window was extremely difficult for her, especially when she was having an episode.

The crowds outside the window were still bustling. The three-story house the Bishop bought was located in one of the most inconspicuous districts of Lannister, and he had specifically chosen a location near the market.

Therefore, the surrounding environment looked no different from Yan City.

Cecilia skillfully climbed onto the high chair using the small ladder and looked out the window, resting her chin on her hand.

The hawkers’ cries, the chaotic noise, the aroma of food mixed with the stench of various livestock wafted in. Cecilia observed all this with a hint of yearning.

In reality, she didn’t understand the concept of destroying civilization and saving the world that Grandpa Bishop and the strange uncles and aunts talked about.

But Grandpa Bishop was a good person, and he was very good to her, so Cecilia thought it must be a good thing.

She hadn’t received any education and rarely saw the outside world, having spent more than half of her seven or eight years of life in pain.

Cecilia always felt like she was going to die, but Grandpa Bishop always said no, as long as Cecilia was obedient, everything would be alright.

Would it… really?

Cecilia tilted her small head back, looking into the distance, extending her small, childish hand towards the unknown.

She seemed to be trying to grasp something.

But she couldn’t grasp anything.

……

“Bishop, is it really alright to leave Cecilia alone at the base?”

Cronin, who was accompanying him, frowned. “Her body is like a lit bomb, ready to explode at any moment… But the place she’s in is the least important part of Lannister.”

Cronin wasn’t worried about whether Cecilia would lose control, but rather that the location of the loss of control wasn’t important enough to cause unbearable damage to Lannister.

“Cronin, please watch your words.”

The Bishop glanced at Cronin with his hands behind his back.

“Cecilia doesn’t belong to you or me, nor was she born for the Church of the End Gods. She is her own person.

“She is just a fellow traveler who seeks the will of the Gods with us. We cannot control her at will; her power should be used according to her own wishes.”

“Apologies… Bishop, I was reckless.” Cronin quickly lowered his head. “But, she…”

“Cecilia will take care of herself. Please put away your unnecessary worries,” the Bishop said in a deep voice, his expression serious. “And don’t forget the purpose of our trip… She may be the only person in this world besides me who has seen the Gods with her own eyes.”

The Bishop and Cronin were hurrying along the road, heading towards Restricted Zone Seven.

Clearly, they were going to find Luo Yan.

Through their inside contact within the Lannister Council of Elders, the Church of the End Gods was actually more aware of the inside story of this matter than most Lannister nobles, instead of mistaking Luo Yan for some illegitimate daughter. It had to be said that this was quite ironic.

As they got closer to Restricted Zone Seven, the number of pedestrians gradually decreased, and they occasionally saw Lannister city guards on alert, and fully armed ability user squads patrolling.

But no one noticed the Bishop and Cronin. It was as if they were shrouded in some strange force field, deflecting everyone’s gaze.

—”Sovereign of Defilement.” This was Cronin’s belief, also known as the “Saint of Fortitude” within the Church of the End Gods, the counterpart to the “God of Hope,” the “Witch of Envy.”

Similar to “Envy,” the power of “Defilement” was also mental, but it took a completely different path.

The essence of “Envy” was to rewrite the soul and will, while “Defilement” was another extreme, erasing the soul and will, leaving only an empty shell, a walking corpse.

To be precise, it was more like Grifres’ type of mental ability, more offensive.

However, even so, Cronin could still use some techniques common to mental abilities.

If Luo Yan were here, she would discover that the effect of Cronin using the power of “Defilement” was almost the same as her Life Hacks.

The difference was that Cronin used “Defilement” to erase his and the Bishop’s presence, rather than distorting others’ perceptions like Luo Yan.

In short, with Cronin’s ability, the two quickly arrived at Restricted Zone Seven.

Before they started their operation, the Bishop had already consulted their inside contact in the Council of Elders. Restricted Zone Seven was under Norian’s highest order, meaning even he himself couldn’t enter.

The only way to lift the restriction was when the Saint arrived in Lannister.

But this situation, on the contrary, created an opportunity for the Church of the End Gods.

Since there wouldn’t be anyone else in Restricted Zone Seven, they could more confidently contact this mysterious girl named “Luo Yan.”

The Bishop believed that Miss Luo Yan had already seen the Gods and should also be aware of the truth behind the Gods.

And everyone who had seen the truth had become a fellow traveler of the Church of the End Gods, acting to destroy civilization and save the world.

Even the senior Elder of the Council of Elders, after witnessing the terrifying and tragic truth of this world, had made the same correct choice and abandoned the current erroneous prosperity and continuation.

Because there was a mole in Lannister, the Church of the End Gods had long ago grasped Lannister’s most important city defense deployments.

This included the defensive forces of Restricted Zone Seven, which had been delivered to the Bishop immediately.

They avoided the patrolling guards as much as possible, and when they inevitably encountered them, they managed to evade them with the demonic power invoked through Cronin’s prayers.

Cronin’s use of demonic power was far inferior to Luo Yan’s; it was best not to use it continuously for too long, otherwise it would be easy to be detected.

If it were Luo Yan, she could dance in front of these guards, and no one would see her. Only mental ability users above “Peril” level or “Destruction” level ability users could break through her cognitive barrier.

Just like that, the Bishop and Cronin finally stepped into this restricted zone, barred to all. Not far ahead was an apartment building, not luxurious but quite refined.

“Bishop, something’s strange.” Cronin looked up at the apartment, a flicker of black flashing through his eyes almost imperceptibly. “I don’t sense the presence of the Gods here, only some faint residual power scattered around… Did she leave?”

“Could it be, as we thought, that the Lord has already descended upon this world through her? Is that why… she secretly left?”

The Bishop’s perception was exactly the same as Cronin’s, but he was equally puzzled.

“No, the Lord couldn’t have secretly left Lannister. As long as She descends, the tens of thousands of followers in Lannister are Her source of power, more than enough to destroy the entire city.”

With the Lord’s power, even a tiny fragment of it could cause at least a “Peril” level or higher Calamity, let alone the terrifying aura sensed in the forest outside the city before.

Coupled with the followers who had been rooted in Lannister for many years, annihilating a mere Lannister was nothing.

No matter what, even if the Bishop and Cronin had more questions, this trip was in vain.

“Let’s leave for now,” the Bishop had a bad premonition. “This place isn’t safe. If we can’t see her, leave quickly… Don’t be discovered by Lannister.”

But as soon as the Bishop finished speaking, a cold, raspy voice sounded from beside them,

“Too late, Hamid Surian, it really was you causing trouble.”

“We’ve been discovered!”

Hearing this voice, Cronin didn’t hesitate to attack.

His eyes were like black smoke, and he chanted in a low voice,

“I pray to my Lord… for a miracle…”

As the prayer sounded, thick, almost solid black smoke formed in Cronin’s hands, and then, with lightning speed, dozens of black arrows shot out, directly at the source of the voice.

Somewhat similar to Grifres’ Soul Spear, this was an attack targeting the mind, impossible to defend against.

Cronin’s ingenious attack using the power of “Defilement,” even experts above “Peril” level could be instantly killed if they were careless.

Unfortunately… he was facing a “Destruction” level ability user, far stronger than a “Peril” level one.

A withered hand waved seemingly casually, and these deadly black smoke arrows instantly vanished into thin air.

“…Zoya Sivir, how many years has it been since we last met?”

The Bishop—Hamid Surian—looked at the equally aged figure in front of him and said in a deep voice.

“Two or three hundred years, I can’t remember clearly anymore.” Granny Zoya slowly walked out, her slightly cloudy gaze falling on the shocked Cronin. “Unorthodox methods, using the evil power of the ‘Demons’ in this way, I’m afraid your days are numbered.”

Even those born as God’s Chosen could hardly bear the innate demonic power, let alone Cronin, who forced demonic power into his body using special methods.

The last one to do this was called Frick.

“To realize the hopes of the ‘Gods,’ it’s just a mere life.” Cronin said in a low voice, not shaken by Granny Zoya’s words.

“The followers of the Church of the End Gods are still as crazy as ever… And you, Hamid,” Zoya looked at Hamid. “You were the most talented among us back then, and the one with the most hope of competing for the position of Saint.

“I thought you took this evil path because you were bewitched by demons, but even now, after hundreds of years… you seem very lucid, lucidly mad.”

“Zoya, if your eyes had witnessed the truth above the starry sky with me, you would have taken the same path as me.” Hamid sighed. “This season of civilization has been going against the proper course for too long. If it continues… we will only face a future of despair.”

Zoya sneered and said coldly,

“Hamid, you’re crazy, and you have your reasons, but that doesn’t mean I’ll go crazy with you… Since you’re here, don’t even think about escaping.”

Invisible mental waves spread, enveloping the entire Restricted Zone Seven.

She had been entrusted by Norian to investigate the situation in Restricted Zone Seven, but she encountered this old acquaintance whom she hadn’t seen for hundreds of years.

She had previously judged that the inexplicably appearing peeper was from the Church of the End Gods. Now that even Hamid had appeared here, it was most likely their doing.

“It seems you’ve been waiting for me… Is this a trap?”

Hamid sighed deeply, slowly raised his hand, and created a safe area within this zone filled with mental waves.

“Forget it, whether it’s a trap or a deception… Since I’ve already come this far, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a new wave of destruction according to the Gods’ hopes.”

As his voice fell, Hamid’s cloudy eyes lost all their luster, leaving only an indifferent coldness. Almost all his emotions and feelings disappeared at this moment.

“Sovereign of Terror… you really have devoted yourself entirely to the Primordial Demon, Hamid.” A sharp glint flashed in Granny Zoya’s eyes, and her pupils constricted violently. “And, you’ve actually become a Devil’s Apostle… Are you the only Devil’s Apostle left in the world today?”

But the current Hamid could no longer answer Granny Zoya’s question. The moment he released this state and merged with the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror,” he had transcended humanity, becoming more of a conceptual existence.

Before this, Cronin, who had been accompanying Hamid, had been sent away in advance, to gather all the followers of the Church of the End Gods in Lannister, to welcome this destruction offered to the Gods.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 12 …An Illegitimate Daughter?

“This song is dedicated to the esteemed Chief Magistrate of the Lannister Council of Elders, Magistrate Norian. My mother asked me to send her regards.”

Chris lifted the hem of her skirt and elegantly curtsied to Norian.

It could be said that the reason she appeared at this banquet and offered her most precious healing song was entirely due to Norian’s considerable influence.

The other nobles here were merely basking in Norian’s reflected glory. Without Norian, even if Chris accepted the invitation to attend the banquet, she would absolutely not have used her ability in this way.

After all, Chris wasn’t just an ordinary idol; her background was more substantial than most of the nobles present. Being an idol was purely a personal hobby.

“Please send my regards to Ms. Tina and the Lequista family as well,” Norian said with a smile. “May the friendship between Lannister and the Lequista family last forever.”

The other nobles in the banquet hall also began their aristocratic greetings, and Chris responded to each one with a proper and elegant smile.

On the other side, Luo Yan and Tina were still making small talk.

“However, I’m more curious about how Miss Chris knows Sister Qingling,” Luo Yan asked. “Sister Qingling said that Miss Chris especially likes the clothes she designs, and that’s how they met, but I always felt something was strange.”

“Is there such a thing?” Tina replied subconsciously.

“Huh?”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Tina looked puzzled. “What clothes, what designs… Chris never told me about these things.”

“Sister Qingling is a fashion designer.”

“…Ah?” Tina paused for a moment before continuing, “Isn’t Hua Qingling… a ranger?”

“She… sort of is?”

For a moment, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed, not knowing what the other was talking about.

“Chris always tells me about her ranger exploits, I’ve never heard of any designing or clothes…”

Tina exhaled and said, “But I don’t know the specifics. She’s my daughter, not me.”

“Oh, I see.”

Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully. This matter really wasn’t that simple; Hua Qingling and Chris definitely had something going on.

Meanwhile, Chris’s formal performance had ended, and many nobles quickly surrounded her, wanting to build a good relationship with the second daughter of the Lequista family from Noah.

Unfortunately, Chris had no interest in them. After a hurried response, her eyes quickly searched the banquet hall.

Soon, she saw Hua Qingling chatting with Norian, the two looking like they were having a pleasant conversation.

“Sister Qingling!”

Chris immediately lifted the hem of her skirt and ran over.

Her cheerful call once again drew everyone’s attention to Hua Qingling. They quickly recognized her as the young woman Norian had excused himself from the other nobles to meet earlier.

Hua Qingling was happily chatting with Norian about the details of the “Norian Reform” when she heard a familiar call from beside her. Turning her head, she saw Chris running towards her, completely disregarding her image.

“Oh, you know each other?”

Norian was a little surprised, because he knew Hua Qingling’s background, which was why he was surprised.

“Mm-hmm, hello Uncle Norian,” Chris didn’t have to address him as “Magistrate” in private and could be more natural. “Sister Qingling, what are you talking about? And…”

She looked around vigilantly, but didn’t see the strange black-haired young man again.

At this moment, Chris looked just like a small, alert bird, making Norian chuckle.

“Since you’re old friends, I, an old man, won’t disturb your rare reunion, little girls.”

Norian said cheerfully, then looked at Hua Qingling. “Qingling, I’ve taken note of your questions. I’ll explain them to you in detail when I have the opportunity next time.”

“Thank you, Magistrate Norian. Please take your time.”

Hua Qingling didn’t press the matter and nodded.

After Norian finished speaking, he hurriedly left. The banquet would continue for a while longer, and he still wanted to chat with a few more of Lannister’s outstanding young talents.

“Did… I interrupt your conversation with Uncle Norian?”

Looking at Norian’s back, Chris shrank her head. She just wanted to find Sister Qingling, but she didn’t expect Sister Qingling to be busy…

“It’s alright. Since I’ve already met with Magistrate Norian, this opportunity isn’t so important.” A proper smile appeared on Hua Qingling’s face. “Moreover, accompanying Miss Chris is just as important as talking with Magistrate Norian.”

“Eh, really? Hehe…”

Chris smiled, looking like a silly deer.

However, every time Hua Qingling saw Chris, she always liked to smile like this, so she was used to it.

But the nobles who occasionally glanced over were all shocked. In an instant, more gazes focused on Hua Qingling, secretly speculating about the identity of this petite woman.

Hua Qingling: “…”

Why did she feel a chill again?

“By the way, where is the gentleman beside Sister Qingling?” Chris’s small face tightened as she looked around. “Did he leave?”

“She… ah, he left temporarily, yes.”

A fleeting panic flashed across Hua Qingling’s face; she almost let it slip.

But it was almost the same… Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have any intention of concealing her identity from the beginning.

“Phew, Sister Qingling, what’s your relationship with him? You seem quite close.”

Chris sniffed, discerning a scent on Hua Qingling that didn’t belong to her.

But… it seemed quite fragrant?

A faint, refreshing fragrance.

Damn it, weren’t men all smelly?

“We’re very good friends,” Hua Qingling replied. “What’s wrong, Miss Chris?”

“No-, Nothing… just curious.”

Chris immediately put away her expression, slightly turning her face to hide the blush that appeared.

“There’s nothing to be curious about. Mainly, his situation is rather complicated, it’s not convenient to say more.” Hua Qingling said with a chuckle. “If you have the opportunity to meet him, you’ll also find him very pleasant to be around. He always gives people around him a sense of security.”

“Humph… no way.”

Chris pouted in displeasure. The more Hua Qingling praised that young man, the more annoyed she felt.

Moreover, these gloves of hers had held his hand… She had to remember to throw them away when she got back!

No, she had to burn them in the furnace until they were completely gone!

Chris thought fiercely, a look of resentment appearing on her face, making Hua Qingling a little confused.

“Did… he offend you?”

After several times, even if Hua Qingling were foolish, she could see that Chris disliked Luo Yan very much.

Hua Qingling thought that Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have appeared in that form before, let alone the fact that Miss Luo Yan didn’t know Chris at all before this. How could they have such ill fate?

—The ill fate stemmed from Hua Qingling.

“Um… Sister Qingling, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Chris also realized that her hostility was a bit too obvious and quickly changed the subject. “When will Sister Qingling have time to make me some more clothes? I want to wear new clothes again!”

“…I just made ten sets for you three months ago, right? Are you tired of them already?”

Hua Qingling was a little troubled. At that time, she had been extremely short of money, even more so than usual, so she had forced herself to find time to take Chris’s order.

Even for her, designing ten sets of clothes in different styles was quite exhausting, and it took her half a month to complete Chris’s order.

Although the reward afterwards was quite generous, and the meal Chris treated her to at the high-end restaurant was so expensive that she still trembled slightly when she thought about it.

Well, thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t bad, and her current financial situation wasn’t much better than it was back then…

“No, no, I’m not tired of them,” Chris opened her arms and patted her Lolita dress. “Look, I’m still wearing them. I just want to wear more clothes designed by Sister Qingling, so… another hundred sets!”

“…How about five sets?”

“More, Sister Qingling, I have money!” Chris patted her slightly puffed-out chest, although her money wasn’t kept there. “Not to mention the Lequista family, I myself am very rich!”

As a top idol, the second daughter of a super prominent family, and with the special healing effect of her mental singing, Chris’s appearance fees were high enough to make Hua Qingling faint at least ten times.

But even so, getting Chris to appear was a rare opportunity, requiring considerable influence.

So… Miss Chris, rich woman, food, hungry.jpg

“I know,” although Hua Qingling was inwardly groaning, her expression management was impeccable. She just said indifferently, “But I don’t have time.”

She had only heard of asking clients for more orders, not clients begging to place more orders…

Moreover, Hua Qingling wasn’t rich; she was desperately short of money.

Traveling the world sounded carefree, but food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all cost money; it was a bottomless pit.

Not to mention that Hua Qingling was unlucky and had never not been short of money.

However…

Earning money was one thing, but Hua Qingling had a mission more important than earning money.

“Five sets, no more, Miss Chris.” Hua Qingling’s heart was bleeding, crying for the money to come back, but she said calmly, “I have other things to do, please forgive me for being unable to help.”

“Okay, five sets is five sets,” Chris didn’t mind, anyway, she was just looking for an excuse to give Hua Qingling more money.

“After that, let’s do the same as before and find a place to eat, shall we? I remember there’s a very good thousand-year-old restaurant in the Lannister core district…”

“As Miss Chris wishes.”

Hua Qingling nodded reservedly, thinking how expensive it would be to eat at a thousand-year-old restaurant…

However, Hua Qingling was already used to it.

At first, out of politeness, she had wanted to refuse Chris, but Chris insisted, so she had no choice but to agree.

It had become a custom by now.

After settling this matter, Chris looked very happy.

However, unfortunately, she was, after all, invited to attend this noble banquet, and didn’t have much personal time.

Before they could chat for long, Chris’s butler hurried over and dragged her away.

Before leaving, the butler apologized to Hua Qingling. Chris still had to continue socializing. She represented the Lequista family’s image in public and absolutely couldn’t leave the impression of being arrogant and disrespectful to other nobles.

Hua Qingling watched the butler and Chris leave, sighing that it was good to be rich, and then turned to see a group of nobles staring at her intently.

“Esteemed Miss Hua Qingling, the Monte family sends their regards to you and your family. May the friendship between the Noah Holy Church and Lannister last forever.”

“…The Easton family…”

“…The Rockla family…”

Similar greetings echoed one after another. Although these nobles still maintained their aristocratic elegance and weren’t as noisy as a marketplace, it wasn’t much different.

“…What’s going on?”

But Hua Qingling listened with a bewildered expression. Apart from the names, the more she listened, the stranger it became.

She did have a family, but they had parted ways long ago.

And for the so-called prominent families of Yan City to come to Lannister… whether their noble status would be recognized or not, they would probably only be considered slightly well-off families here, not prominent enough to be called a “family.”

Let alone the Noah Holy Church mentioned later. Please, she hadn’t even been to Noah.

She wanted to go, but because it was too far, Hua Qingling didn’t have enough travel expenses…

However, Hua Qingling was completely unaware that, because of everything that had just happened, she had been given an identity that almost had nothing to do with her.

—The rumored illegitimate daughter of a certain Bishop in the Noah Holy Church.

This was a conclusion drawn from speculation and deductions based on Norian inexplicably designating Restricted Zone Seven and implementing the strictest management some time ago, along with some internal information revealing that it was to receive a mysterious girl.

This identity speculation, originally belonging to Luo Yan, had now, due to various coincidences, fallen upon Hua Qingling.

…Although it was a coincidence, it was ultimately Luo Yan who had implicated her, without either of them knowing.

“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you must have mistaken me for someone else…”

Hua Qingling could only reply truthfully, but unexpectedly, these nobles all showed an “I understand” expression, then repeatedly said that they had indeed mistaken her, but the greetings still continued from time to time.

Because the rumor was about an illegitimate daughter, an illegitimate daughter… These nobles understood very well; such a person couldn’t be publicly acknowledged.

But judging from Magistrate Norian and Miss Chris’s attitudes, this “illegitimate daughter” was definitely not simple, and it was always right to build a good relationship.

Thus, Hua Qingling could only continue to deal with these nobles with a bewildered expression, until Norian suddenly appeared in front of her and said with a serious expression,

“Something’s happened, Miss Hua Qingling.”