Chapter 58: The Enveloping Shadow |
At this moment, Isabella poured all of her Mental Power into the sacred fire.
The raging flames roared to life, using the Cathedral''s floorboards, walls, chairs, tables, and a severed rope as a medium to spread rapidly in all directions.
Massive energy fluctuations further shattered the Old Priest''s illusion manipulation.
His figure materialized a short distance away, completely surrounded by the blazing inferno. Such a widespread expanse of sacred fire could no longer be warded off by a simple aura of isolation.
"Since you still call me Teacher even now, I shall give you one final lesson," the Old Priest declared. He showed no signs of panic despite being engulfed by the sea of flames, maintaining his absolute composure.
"The most vital aspect of a Spellcaster is not merely knowing Spells or casting Spells, but the connection!"
The sacred fire surged toward him, but in the next instant, the Old Priest''s body began to ripple and distort. The flames that touched him simply vanished without a trace.
"The essence of Spells is using Mental Power to connect with other forces and channel them into reality."
"Priests use Mental Power to connect with Shen."
"Curseweavers use Mental Power to connect with Disasters and suffering."
"Therefore, beyond the connection made during the actual casting, the connection maintained in everyday life is far more important. This is precisely why one should never give a Spellcaster time to prepare for a fight."
"And I have stayed in Finback Village for twenty years..."
"This is..." Isabella stared at the scene in sheer disbelief before vomiting a mouthful of blood and collapsing into unconsciousness.
Whether out of admiration for Isabella or sheer self-preservation, the Old Priest had forcibly interrupted the massive scale of the sacred fire. Although this caused Isabella to suffer a severe backlash, it also severed her suicidal attempt at mutual destruction, ultimately sparing her life.
The Old Priest manipulated threads of blackness to wrap securely around Isabella. He then briefly closed his eyes, and fragments of her recent memories surfaced in his mind.
The message Nemus had left for Isabella was subsequently read by him as well.
"Nels... why go to such lengths?" The Old Priest turned around, a massive swarm of black threads writhing and trailing behind him.
As he and his writhing black threads exited the Cathedral, the structure behind him—already half-destroyed when Big Black charged out and further consumed by the sacred fire—completely collapsed into ruin.
Standing before the rubble, the Old Priest tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky.
The Sun was currently preparing to rest.
A lingering afterglow illuminated the clouds above.
Reflecting the residual flames on the ground, the golden-orange clouds made everything look as though they had been placed within a sacred divine kingdom.
"Shen is guiding me!" Everything around him resonated perfectly with the Old Priest''s heart.
He had overcome yet another obstacle, taking one step closer to washing away all his sins and entering Shen''s divine kingdom.
However, an instant later, his vision went completely black.
The light retreated from him, jolting him awake from his self-righteous reverie.
The Old Priest looked at the shadow enveloping him, tracing the elongated darkness up to its source.
On a small hill in the direction of the setting Sun stood Nemus, resting both hands on the Divine Holy Sword he had taken from him.
The fading light cascaded over him, stretching his shadow so long and wide that it perfectly blanketed the Old Priest.
Soon after, multiple figures crested the other side of the hill. Purr, Downs, Opper, and the Watchman took their places on either side of Nemus, adopting various combat stances.
Their combined shadows merged together, threatening to swallow everything in darkness.
"Nels, and Opper too!" the Old Priest muttered, using the identity Nemus had taken, before shifting his gaze to Opper, who was wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief beside Nemus.
He had assumed Nemus had killed Opper and the others, never expecting that the demon had actually incited them to rebel.
Rage, intertwined with murderous intent, began to ripple outward alongside fluctuations of Mental Power.
The shadows enshrouding him were instantly overridden by an illusion as a radiant golden light bathed the surroundings.
Sensory Spell: Illusion Manipulation — Ideal Divine Kingdom!!
Building upon the foundation of the illusion, he poured his most unwavering convictions into it, holding absolute faith that his ideal divine kingdom would inevitably become reality. This method fortified the illusion, skyrocketing its authenticity. Immediately after, this majestic scenery completely engulfed Nemus and his entire group.
Yet, unlike before, the Old Priest did not conceal his own figure.
Because this ideal kingdom was a destination he was destined to reach. He was bound to wash away his sins and take his rightful place within heaven.
Here, there was no need to hide his existence!
What greeted him, however, was a volley of incoming arrows.
A dense cluster of light rays lashed out in front of him, swatting the projectiles away.
Towering behind the Old Priest were two Angel Supplicants.
Those protective rays of light had radiated directly from the bodies of these two angelic entities.
Of course, Nemus was naturally unaffected by such interference.
Before being swallowed by the illusion, he had seen exactly what kind of wretched monstrosities those things truly were.
"The Old Priest''s obsession has driven him to the brink of utter madness," Nemus declared. He leaped down the hillside, charging forward with his sword in one hand, his assessment of the Old Priest''s mental state becoming crystal clear.
Right behind Nemus, Purr, Downs, and the others joined the charge, though the Watchman immediately fell back.
Opper swiftly began casting his very first Spell.
Since he had chosen the path of betrayal, he had to see it through to the bitter end!
No matter what, the Old Priest had to die bearing the identity of a Sinner.
In his heart, Opper knew full well that with things escalating to this degree, he was already in too deep. It was practically impossible for him to absolve himself of guilt.
Thus, there was only one single way out.
And that was to assist Nemus. As long as Nemus succeeded in killing the Old Priest, he could use the deed to secure an Advancement and claim a much higher status within the Church.
Only then could Opper continue to receive protection under Nemus, just as he had previously been sheltered by the Old Priest.
"So, just die already!"
Summoning System Spell: Feather Sky Serpent!
A swarm of invisible serpents plummeted from the sky.
The Feather Sky Serpents rapidly slithered and spread across the battlefield.
For illusionary Spells, the most critical aspect was overlaying the truth with a fabrication.
It heavily tested the caster''s own sensory and perceptive abilities.
If the enveloping illusion missed a single object, that object''s movements would instantly become a glaring flaw in the mirage.
Opper had not summoned the Feather Sky Serpents purely for their combat strength right now, but rather to utilize their formless existence to disrupt the illusion.
This was exactly why he had chosen the Feather Sky Serpents. Having clashed with the Old Priest in the past, Opper was well aware of how terrifying the man''s illusions could be.
Although these countermeasures still fell significantly short, Opper had indeed been preparing to rebel against the Old Priest for a long time.
And now, after meeting Nemus, he was putting every ounce of that preparation to use.
At the very forefront of the vanguard, Nemus was already exchanging blows with the beams of light.
While continuing to prepare his next Spell, Opper placed all his hopes squarely on Nemus.
''Let me see it, Nels, or whatever entity is currently calling itself Nels,''
''Let me see if you truly possess the abilities you claim.''
''Let me see if you are worthy of making me fall into The Abyss and offer my true loyalty!''