Can't I Raise Myself? Chapter 41

The two exchanged glances before quickly looking away. Adler scanned the surrounding security and then spotted Jonathan in the crowd, his expression immediately turning cold.

If it weren't for that persistent leech Jonathan, he wouldn't have had to take such desperate measures. Jonathan had also interfered with the train station attack before. Damn Jonathan, damn the Burning Covenant.

His thoughts flashed by, and Adler quickly resumed his smiling demeanor, following the crowd into the church.

Inside the church, the attendees of the mass were already seated. Father Peter stood beneath the statue of Janus, holding a book. Ryan was positioned in the upper-left corner of the church; he wasn't participating in the mass, while 'Lin Qi' had already ambushed the place Caslathdi was headed.

Jonathan was guarding the church's exterior, and members of the Burning Covenant were also lying in wait.

"...May we be bathed in the glory of Janus, may all beings be free from suffering and enjoy eternal peace."

Father Peter's steady voice echoed through the church as the mass began precisely on time, filling the entire building with profound silence.

The masses of the Gate of Janus were primarily focused on promoting ritual and solemnity, with the simple goal of spreading the faith of Janus.

Across the entire Rhea Continent, Janus's followers accounted for over half of the total population. This was not only due to Janus's own fame but also to the Gate of Janus's years of diligent cultivation.

"In the name of Janus, we walk forward under His glory."

"May the love and blessings of the Divine Lord be with you all."

"..."

"..."

"Now, please confess your sins and repent them with devotion."

"I confess before the Almighty Divine Lord my transgressions in thought, word, and deed..."*N

Ryan: (_ _)( - . - )(~O~)……( - . - )

The mass was solemn and grand, but for Ryan, it was quite boring. He didn't believe in Janus. Perhaps when he was broke, he might have said 'Thank you, Janus' after taking two copper coins from the donation box, but now he had money, and a lot of it.

Bored, he opened his game. Last night, 'Shally' had visited the altar again and discovered that the Blood Cult's rituals were still ongoing. Ryan was relieved to see that they hadn't noticed any abnormalities with the Sword of Ares.

Currently, 'Shally' was exploring other exits from the labyrinth according to Ryan's instructions, specifically the correct entrance leading to the lower level from the dungeon. Since she had dug her way down from the prison cell, it was clearly not the 'correct' path.

As soon as Ryan opened the game, 'Shally' successfully found it.

Although the process had started last night, Ryan was startled by how quickly she had managed to map out the labyrinth. This AI was too amazing! Apart from being unable to speak, it was worlds apart from the useless system he was familiar with on a certain cat-themed website.

"I don't know where this leads."

In the game interface, 'Shally' stood at the entrance of the labyrinth. On the other side was a passage leading upwards, presumably to the dungeon level, but Ryan wasn't sure which location it would lead to upon ascending.

To avoid detection, 'Shally' returned the way she came and burrowed back into the prison cell.

Edward next door merely glanced at 'Shally' before closing his eyes and continuing his sleep without a second thought.

Ryan quietly closed the game interface and waited for nearly another hour until the long mass ceremony finally concluded.

"Uncle Bill, I need to leave for a moment," Caslathdi whispered to Bill.

"Your Highness, where are you going? Do you need me to send someone with you?"

"No, I've asked Captain Ryan to escort me. If all goes smoothly, I might join you for lunch in Aideburg this noon."

"Very well, I will have lunch prepared."

Caslathdi nodded with a smile and then signaled to Eiko nearby. The two walked over to Ryan.

"Captain Ryan, I'll be counting on you."

"It is my honor."

Ryan followed Caslathdi out through a side door.

Adler had been secretly watching them. Only after the three figures had completely disappeared did he quietly say to Bill beside him, "Mayor, the mass has ended. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving..."

Bill chuckled, "You've been busy lately. Go on back. I'll stay here and chat with some old friends."

"Understood."

Adler bowed slightly and quietly slipped away from the crowd.

Ten minutes later.

In the Central District, an alley on Saint Ning Street.

Members of the Hand of Darkness, led by Kasa, were rapidly heading in one direction.

"Lord Kasa, the other cultists have been deployed."

A Supernatural Being rushed over to meet them.

Kasa nodded and asked, "Where is Caslathdi?"

"She's on the second floor of a coffee shop, seemingly meeting someone."

"How's the defense?"

"We've only seen a few Magistrates so far, but there are definitely Supernatural Beings hidden.

"Have the cultists go in first and draw them out."

Kasa had no intention of storming the coffee shop. The situation inside was completely unknown, just like the train incident back then. There was definitely an ambush, but rushing in headfirst would be idiotic, especially since he didn't have many people available.

The outside personnel who joined the Hand of Darkness but did not become Supernatural Beings were clearly the best tools, and more importantly, these tools had guns!

To ensure the plan went smoothly, Adler specially prepared a batch of guns to equip the outside personnel. Although these people had not received formal firearms training, with guns in hand and following orders, their combat effectiveness directly soared.

When a group of fanatics armed with firearms charged towards the cafe, the entire Saint Ning Street was plunged into panic in an instant.

Bang!

Bang bang! Bang!

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"Protect the princess!"

The moment the gunshots rang out, the Magistrates guarding the cafe entrance immediately rushed into the store, using the window cover to fire outwards. However, there were twenty to thirty cultists, and one shot each turned the doors and windows into sieves.

The gunfight didn't last long before a few members of the Burning Covenant broke out and began to encircle these mad cultists.

On the second floor, Caslathdi, hearing the commotion, immediately retreated through the back door of the cafe.

"Go!"

Seeing her appear, Kasa waved, signaling the Supernatural Beings behind him to swarm forward.

Boom!

The first attacker was sent flying by Eiko's punch. At this moment, Eiko was wearing a pair of silver-white gauntlets, and with the surge of magic, the gauntlets unleashed a terrifying might.

The first few attackers were successfully blocked by her, but she was only one person. Even a fierce tiger couldn't withstand a pack of wolves, and soon someone bypassed her and rushed towards Caslathdi.

"Only two people?"

Kasa, from the rear, frowned slightly. Even for an ambush, this small number seemed too lax... a quick victory was needed.

There was no turning back once the arrow was loosed. Kasa decisively acted, summoning shadows to pursue Caslathdi.

But before he could get close, a staff emitting a scorching light struck from the side. It was Jonathan.

"I knew you were ambushing!"

"You knew there was an ambush and still came? Aren't you fools! Haha!"

Jonathan laughed heartily, but his strength did not diminish. The staff swung with a whistling sound, and the air let out bursts of explosions.

In terms of raw power, the Son of the Sun was outstanding among many professions. The advantage of the Whimsical Shadow lay in its shadow attacks. In a head-on confrontation, Kasa was inferior to Jonathan in a one-on-one fight.

However, when he and his shadows worked together, their strength could suppress Jonathan.

But Kasa didn't want to waste a second on Jonathan. He tried to break through and chase Caslathdi several times, but was blocked by Jonathan each time.

Seeing Caslathdi about to disappear at the end of the street, Kasa took out a withered branch and threw it into the air, quickly chanting a spell.

The next moment, the withered branch rapidly enlarged, like giant tree roots constantly growing and spreading, piercing the earth, and finally weaving a massive cage on the street.

The cage separated him and Jonathan, and also blocked the other Burning Covenant members who had just emerged.

This was a Tier 3 Supernatural Item!

He had wanted to use it at the train station before, but at that time, the disparity in numbers was too great, and Caslathdi's sudden display of Tier 3 Supernatural Being strength had caught everyone off guard.

Even with this item, he couldn't have taken Caslathdi alone.

As for now... wasn't Adler himself making a move?

The opponent's strength was not weaker than his.

Taking advantage of Jonathan being blocked by the spreading branches, Kasa pursued Caslathdi's figure.

The central district was large, but most areas were occupied. Fortunately, today was Mass Day.

Caslathdi ran all the way, finally arriving in front of the Clock Tower in the central city square. Here, she stopped running and instead activated her Inner World barrier.

A huge barrier instantly enveloped the entire square. As Kasa chased in, his mind immediately felt discomfort, and a discordant sound drilled into his mind.

"Not good!"

He immediately realized he had been hit.

This kind of mental attack usually came from the influence of a Supernatural Item. How could Caslathdi, as a princess, not have some good items on her?

"With you, you think you can kill me?"

Caslathdi's cold voice echoed.

At this moment, she was no longer a noble princess, but more like a cold and stunning assassin. Wielding her magic staff, magic condensed into a sharp blade and stabbed towards Kasa.

At the critical moment, Adler rushed out.

He blocked the magic dagger with his bare hands. Black mist coiled around Adler's palm, actually dissolving Caslathdi's magical attack.

Caslathdi frowned, "Soul Eater?"

"Your Highness is indeed very knowledgeable."

Adler said with a smile.

He was very happy now, extremely happy.

All the troublesome people were gone. Even if Caslathdi was not weak, with two against one, no, three against one, with the Dragon Riding Face, how could he lose?

"Be careful, she hid a relic here." Kasa shook off the mental influence, looking around with a wary expression.

The Inner World was set up by Caslathdi, which put them at a disadvantage.

"Don't worry, take this."

Adler handed Kasa a pill.

"This is..."

"Something that can resist mental attacks. Don't ask, just eat it quickly."

If it weren't for catching Caslathdi, he wouldn't have been willing to take out such a precious item. He only had five of these, and each one used meant one less.

"Adler, you are indeed colluding with the Hand of Darkness." Caslathdi said coldly, "As an Imperial official, colluding with heretics to attack this princess, who gave you the guts!"

Adler sneered, "Your Highness, your deceptive tactics are truly pathetic. You want to know who is behind me, but do you think it's possible? Or, if you're willing to come with me, I can introduce you."

"I choose to capture you. Then I'll have a hundred ways to make you talk."

Caslathdi raised her Magic Staff, and magic power rapidly gathered.

"With just you?"

"Hey, hey, hey, can you not just ignore me?"

A discordant voice intruded. Adler and Kasa turned their heads and saw Jonathan walking towards them, carrying a stick.

"How can you!" Kasa exclaimed in surprise, "You were clearly trapped by me!"

"Oh, that thing. It was indeed powerful, and it took me quite some effort to get out."

In fact, as soon as Kasa used the item, Jonathan had already escaped. He knew an escape technique that left a temporary magic clone in his place to confuse the opponent, which is how Kasa mistakenly believed he was trapped inside.

As for why Jonathan could escape in advance, it was naturally because he learned of Kasa's plan from Ryan. To ensure the attack went smoothly, Adler had specifically explained the entire process to Ryan in meticulous detail that day, including the use of Kasa's item.

Adler's original intention was to give Ryan confidence. If they succeeded, Ryan wouldn't need to reveal his plan to attack Caslathdi.

If they failed, Ryan could then act as a trump card.