The enormous shadow behind the clouds drifted and gradually faded, finally disappearing after more than ten minutes.
Everything that had just happened felt like an illusion.
"Goddess, what... what was that?" Kalasios held both hands against his chest, his lips slightly dry. "That evil and enormous..."
Hao Ren's expression remained blank as he answered without turning his head. "That was Lockmadon—or part of it."
All the monks and Church Knights drew in sharp breaths at once.
"But it looks like it hasn't completely broken free of the seal yet." Hao Ren turned around and spoke calmly, doing his best to steady the others. "That should have been a projection it produced in the real world. The barrier left behind by the Goddess is still holding it back, so those were only shadows just now. But regardless, the restraints on the Forgotten Abyss already seem to be on the verge of collapse. It could happen at any time."
"We should head for Asuman immediately," Kalasios said swiftly.
Hao Ren nodded, his gaze slowly sweeping across the dim Grand Cathedral.
The exhausted monks, the tense Guardian Knights, and the terrified refugees—because the Underground Palace could accommodate only a limited number of refugees, quite a few had also gathered in the aboveground buildings of the church.
These people were already utterly spent. More importantly, their mental exhaustion had reached a dangerous threshold. They were facing nightmare forces that defied common sense, and with Lockmadon's projection already descended and the dark shadows roaming the city growing stronger, they would not last much longer. So before leaving, they had to find a way to keep them alive.
He rubbed his chin and muttered, "We need to find a way to leave some kind of barrier or other protective measure around this Grand Cathedral..."
The moment