Chapter 541

Chapter 163: Dark Fire in the Long Night Part 10

My steps suddenly paused.

…What did this thing say?

He knows…

My mind went blank for a moment.

With several dull bone-cracking sounds, the monster in front of me reconnected its spine, using both arms as support to stand up straight. Its massive body cast a shadow over me, engulfing my petite figure with flames.

“Interesting… This is truly… an unexpected surprise… I want to change my mind…”

“…What are you—”

After a brief moment of mental blankness, an even stronger intent to kill surged within me.

“What are you talking about!”

Before the echo of my shout had faded, my body shot forward like an arrow, instantly appearing in front of the monster. My frost-covered fist struck again, sending white mist exploding in front of me and dispersing the flames burning on the monster’s body. In an instant, he was sent flying into the air, narrowly avoiding the punch.

In the midst of the swirling ice crystals, I lifted my head. My dress fluttered violently. Just as I prepared to continue the attack, the monster spoke again, “The power of the abyss, a human… How interesting, how interesting, how interesting—”

“Shut up!”

A thick ice column rose from beneath my feet, propelling me into the air. My eyes flashed red for a moment before turning blue. I closed the distance between us once more, extending both palms. Two loud bangs echoed, and extremely cold frost mist erupted, enveloping the horrifying creature. Then, I rushed into the frost mist and leaped onto his back again.

In the next moment, the large, strangely twisted deer head, covered with a bit of white frost, turned almost a full half-circle, facing the back. Its blood-red eyes stared directly at my face.

“Twisted… pitiful life…”

The jester turned into a monster, staring at me with a voice as if gritted with gravel, speaking words that sounded like a sigh. Fiery flames, like blood, dripped from his disgusting, gaping mouth, burning against my face, neither scorching nor painful.

But for some reason, my heart clenched sharply at these words.

“I suddenly feel a little sympathy…”

“Shut up!”

After the heart-wrenching moment, immense pain, as if even breathing were difficult, and an indescribable hatred surged within me.

It’s all because of you…

“Ahhhhhhhhh—”

I became what I am now, crawling out of the abyss… not quite human… a monster…

All because of the Gate of Truth!!!

My fists, wrapped in tyrannical order, pummeled the monster’s ugly head, smashing his mouth and cracking his eye sockets. The terrifying freezing aura enveloped his entire head, only to be melted by the intense heat. Suddenly, the monster stretched out a huge hand, grabbing my waist.

In an instant, intense flames burned through my body along his arm, turning everything in my vision to crimson, then obscured by rising steam. I felt the immense force from my waist, as if my internal organs were being squeezed together. I couldn’t help but spit out blood, the more furious my hatred, the more violent my attacks became.

Boom boom boom boom boom—

Die…

All of you…

Huh huh huh!

Fierce winds gathered abruptly ahead, scattering the frost and steam in front of me. Through the blurry vision, the monster opened its enormous bloody mouth, spewing a large fireball from its throat. In the next moment, dazzling light forced me to close my eyes. I felt a sudden warmth, and before I could react, an irresistible force sent me flying, the sound of burning fire filling my ears.

“Uh uh…”

I tightly closed my eyes and mouth, hurtling backward in the fiery currents. It felt like a piece of fabric caught in the eye of a hurricane, struggling in vain despite my utmost effort. I rolled and tried to resist with frost power, spraying ice mist from my palms. After an unknown amount of time, I escaped the burning currents, feeling a chill before starting to fall.

Winds howled, and cold air circled around me. I squinted one eye open, amazed to see a massive stream of fire like a thick beam shooting toward the distant mountains, exploding atop the peaks. The rumbling sound came after a second, and the wind grew even fiercer.

I struggled to adjust my posture in mid-air, continuously spraying ice mist to slow my descent. Soon, I landed with a “bang,” rolling several times to dissipate the impact, then “thunked” against a rock.

Ouch…

This impact hit my lower back first, causing a tingling sensation followed by excruciating pain. I gasped, struggling to get up. Holding my waist, I hadn’t even managed to steady myself when there was another deafening explosion. Dust flew as the jester-turned-monster descended from the sky, landing in front of me.

“You’re losing control.”

He said, not immediately launching another attack, but lowering his head, looking at me with apparent interest, despite his gruesome wounds still healing.

“Why is your attack rhythm off?”

“…”

I gnashed my teeth, unwilling to answer him, unwilling to hear anything else from him. Frost power gathered beneath my feet as I stepped towards him, each step creating countless tiny ice spikes around my feet.

“I have an interesting idea…”

Interesting my ass!!!

“Ugh ah—”

A melodious voice, filled with intense emotion, resounded across the land. I leaped high, using the Moon Step technique, holding the short ice scythe in my hand, aiming for the monster’s head. He raised his massive blood-red palm, pressing down with fierce flames. In the next second, the impact spread through the thicket again.

Rumble rumble rumble…

…..

At the edge of Deer Town, the young man in clerical robes had messy hair. His originally handsome face was now covered in comical blackened patches. There were several holes in his robe, revealing noticeable but not severe burns underneath.

He tossed the heretic, whose flames had dispersed and whose body was beginning to wither, to the ground. He looked down for a moment, then kicked the body far away, sending it rolling to the fence of an orchard. Then he clapped his hands and turned to the woman nearby, saying, “Done.”

“Done with what?”

The woman looked at him indifferently, pursing her lips, clearly unimpressed by his pride. She pointed to the south side of the town, “Didn’t you hear the commotion over there?”

The sound came from afar; it was where the young maiden battled the powerful heretic. The fierce clash of ice and fire had transformed the area within nearly a kilometer into a death zone no one could approach. The tremors occasionally reached this place, making the priests and knights standing even further away pale with fear, their bodies taut and never relaxing for a moment.

Upon hearing Olivia’s words, a man named Karl tilted his head in thought, then leaped onto the roof of a dilapidated house beside him. Crouching down, he shielded his eyes with one hand and gazed at the battlefield where light was bursting forth.

Boom—

In the distance, a huge frost mist exploded again. A monster cloaked in infernal flames charged into the night sky from within the mist. From here, one could vaguely make out its silhouette. Soon, the wind blew over, and the man squinted his eyes, unable to hold back an exclamation: “Hey hey hey… Is this real… This is something else…”

A flash of golden light, and Olivia appeared beside him.

Her face was cold as she looked at the distant scene, not uttering a word for a long time.

Boom! Boom! Boom—Boom!

Dull sounds like the collapse of a mountain kept coming. The two of them crouched and stood on the rooftop, watching silently. After a while, Karl glanced up at the woman: “Did you see that…”

“See what?” she countered.

The man combed through his messy hair, his expression slightly excited: “Although I’ve heard about this for a long time, seeing something like this in person is still my first time…”

“…the angel of the Sin Goddess.”

The woman fell silent for a moment.

“It’s an incomplete form, just like the one that appeared in the royal city.”

“Even if it’s an incomplete form, it’s still an angel…” Karl’s voice grew more excited, his tone trembling.

She turned her head, looking at him with a cold gaze: “Can you speak louder?”

“Huh?”

“So that those clerics behind us can hear that the ugly thing outside the town is actually called an angel, a messenger of the gods, the same kind that assisted humans in defeating the dragons a thousand years ago… You might as well go whisper it in their ears, making sure they understand clearly, because I’m afraid they won’t get it or won’t believe it.”

“Oh…”

The man shrank his shoulders, turning to glance behind him, responding somewhat awkwardly.

When this taciturn woman started talking a lot, it meant she was very angry, and Karl knew this well, so he dared not speak any more.

“In any case, she has kept that thing outside,” she said after a moment, “On our side, both heretics have been dealt with. We will wait for the actions of the woman in the town next.”

“Tsk…”

Karl clicked his tongue.

She glanced at him with displeasure: “What?”

“No, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

The man quickly raised his hands and smiled: “I was just thinking… Even if it’s an angel, in front of our Miss Silvija, it seems hard-pressed to gain the upper hand…”

“…”

“Do you remember the news a few months ago? When the sudden appearance of the angel killed many people in the city, Miss Silvija needed to work together with the queen of Ethenbel to barely defeat it. It’s said that both were seriously injured, but how much time has passed since then…”

“That’s only a half-angel,” the woman frowned slightly, her tone impatient, “What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing nothing… ” The man smiled even more brightly, “I suddenly got curious, wondering who that angel in the city… Oh, half-angel, is. Olivia, have you heard anything?”

“No.”

The woman stopped looking at him and turned her gaze back towards the battlefield: “And, put aside your damned curiosity. I don’t want to wrap your decaying, stinking corpse someday in some dark alley.”

“Got it got it…”

Karl patted his knees and stood up, glancing back once more, then waved his hand. After a moment, a flash of golden light appeared, and an elderly priest appeared before him.

Karl nodded and asked him, “How is Daniel doing?”

The old priest answered quickly, “The townspeople are temporarily stable. A knight group has been organized to assist the faith group and nuns in setting up several makeshift treatment points. Work to calm emotions is also underway, and the performances have stopped. The townspeople heard the commotion here…”

“Has the Pope arrived?” Karl interrupted casually, without waiting for him to finish.

The old man paused, hesitating slightly: “This… I haven’t received any news yet…”

“Mm.”

The young man nodded again: “The battle outside hasn’t ended, and everything remains uncertain. Be prepared to fight at any time… Inform the faith group, gather here when the woman in the town takes action… No, gather now. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Rochester.”

The old man gave him a standard gentleman’s bow.

He liked young men with great talent who were also courteous and respectful of others.

After the old man shimmered away, Karl ran his fingers through his hair, noticing the woman looking at him with a strange gaze. Turning his head, he asked in puzzlement, “Is there something on my face?”

“You’re being too perfunctory.”

“Huh?”

“The attitude toward the civilians in the city should be more serious and solemn. We are representatives of the Holy Church, and wherever we go, we carry this identity.”

Hearing the woman’s plain but earnest words, Karl was slightly stunned, then laughed: “Do you care about those people?”

“…Karl.” Olivia emphasized.

“Alright alright, it’s my mistake. I’ll pay attention next time.”

Though he apologized, his expression showed he was indifferent. The woman, of course, saw this, her face turning angry, about to scold him when suddenly, a fiery light streaked across the night sky, roaring like a wind, and shot towards the distant battlefield like a meteor.

“…It’s here!”

After a brief moment of daze, Karl suddenly reacted: “Olivia, let’s prepare.”

He straightened his tattered robe, turning to jump off the rooftop, but his hand was grabbed, causing him to turn back in surprise. In his line of sight, the woman’s clear eyes and composed, elegant face were visible.

“This evening, no one dies,” she told Karl, seriously.

“…Okay.”

The young man’s gaze softened.