Chapter 363
But before Russell could make his next move,
The fear that made the entire body tremble and boil with dread, accompanied by a cold whisper, swept over the soul like a raging fire burning the sea.
"If I were you, I would stay away from her."
"Aren't you right, you lowly rat?"
Volume 1: 336. When did you get the illusion that I didn't use the illusion of a mirage? (5K)
The courtyard is filled with Full Bloom, accompanied by the chirping of insects and the clamor of birds. The summer sun shines like spilled paint, staining the white sheets and hair, bringing a warm and comfortable feeling.
Iris Tiffany slept peacefully, like an innocent child.
Chu Yuanqing looked at this "little sister" who was even younger than her own daughter. Her exquisite and beautiful face was filled with maternal glow. She reached out and stroked the little girl's forehead. Her golden eyes were gentle, and her gaze was filled with shimmering light.
But when the gaze fell upon this uninvited guest, that gentle emotion, like bubbles rising and falling in magma, boiled with dangerous heat as it arose and died, causing a surging and violent majesty to burn fiercely.
--[The Killing Karma of Annihilation].
That burning Heart Tide, imbued with the murderous intent manifested through magic, nearly engulfed the entire courtyard in flames.
The Archbishop almost instantly regained his senses. The authority of the Supreme Calamity Beast within his body, like an awakened ferocious beast, pumped out a frenzied power, fully activating his distorted flesh and blood, twisting it into an illusory pitch black.
This appearance resembles the static-like signal on an old television set—grotesque and abstract, a distortion resulting from the forced insertion of the shadow dimension into normal space.
But at that moment, Russell, displaying his true BOSS nature, completely disregarded the Dragon Witch was right in front of him. Without hesitation, he flashed backward, infiltrated the shadow dimension, and instantly retreated outside the ancestral home, making a complete escape.
There was no hesitation, nor was there any need for thought.
His power stems from the various distortions brought about by the calamity, and the power of Erebus bestowed upon him by [Chaos].
Therefore, since even these very means of survival are issuing warnings that send shivers down one's spine, it means that the enemy's terror far exceeds that of a typical Captain-Class Witch.
Most importantly, that aura that shakes the soul and brings fear is vaguely similar to the Miracle High Wall that suppresses the supreme ruler!
This means that his trump card—the Seed of the Fallen—may very well not be effective against his opponent. If that's the case, then the risk of leaving him alive would be too great.
Moreover, the tide is now in the hands of the Cult of Disaster Gods; as long as they wait patiently, they will achieve final victory.
In a situation like this, wouldn't it be idiotic for the headstrong Magical Girl, protected by the planet and unlikely to die in the ideal world, to fight each other to the death?
Russell was able to Archbishop for so many years because of his extreme caution. He used to hide in the shadows, staying with that giant god, and only went out when things were going well. He would retreat as soon as things went wrong.
Even when developing his own downline, he only sent his subordinates or shadow clones. In order to preserve himself as much as possible, he managed to develop his Chaos Cult into the largest and most populous of the Thirteen Sects, with the goal of ensuring his own survival.
Therefore, the Countermeasures Bureau has not yet obtained much information about the Archbishop's abilities. Even after interrogating his followers, they can only extract a few classic quotes from the cult.
As for mental magic? For believers whose souls have been distorted and catastrophized, enduring it will only drive them even more insane. The images manifested from their memories will contain many errors, or they may even be nothing more than abstract graffiti.
The only time Russell revealed information was ten years ago when he was discovered by a Primal Witch — Astrid —who had not yet become Super AI. He was forced to borrow the power of the giant god to barely retreat.
From then on, he completely disappeared, becoming nothing more than a rat in the gutter.
In comparison, the Thousand Faces who live openly and honestly in real society, and some Archbishop live even more recklessly and arrogantly, are clearly living much more comfortable lives.
Russell raced on relentlessly, as if diving into the dark depths of the sea. To be on the safe side, he made no attempt to "take a breath," traversing the Geltigu City in one breath through the shadow dimension until he reached the border, where he finally emerged and stopped.
The Archbishop looked back at the ancient city, now lost in the distance and its outline no longer visible, and murmured with lingering fear:
"Just as the Supreme Lord chose me, did that Miracle High Wall, on the verge of collapse, also select a proxy in its final moments?"
"Did Thousand Faces foresee this? No, once [Pure White] is involved, even his vision of the future cannot be entirely accurate."
Besides, even a pariah wouldn't casually flip a table just because someone is in a good mood.
If he truly knew that [Pure White] had chosen a proxy and was lying in wait among the Dragon Witch, then informing them of this information, gathering all thirteen Archbishop to swiftly and decisively eliminate the opponent, and then leisurely enjoying the spectacle afterwards, would be the optimal solution.
Russell shook his black robe, reverting to his human form, temporarily suppressing the thought that the entertainer had betrayed him, and walked towards Saint Roland.
The Dragon Witch is likely a bait chosen by the Countermeasures Bureau, with the aim of having the [Pure White] agent assassinate or capture an Archbishop to fill the information gap.
The Archbishop said with malicious sarcasm:
"Astrid, if you were here in your prime, this plan might actually have a chance of succeeding."
"Unfortunately, having voluntarily relinquished your physical body and abandoned your original name, you are no longer qualified to use magic."
Russell was in a good mood. Although he hadn't sacrificed the Dragon Witch, he hadn't been injured or revealed much information on this trip, but he had learned of a trump card that the Countermeasures Bureau had been hiding, which was a huge gain for him.
It is time to convene parliament to discuss countermeasures collectively.
Once the [Pure White] agent is dealt with, the time to overthrow this high wall will be accelerated once again.
Russell was not worried that his Combat Power would be outmatched by the enemy.
The power granted by the Disaster God is constantly increasing, and the black tide sweeping the world is also breeding Calamity Beasts to serve as their subordinates.
Even the Magical Girl's home-based advantages are being eroded one by one by them.
This one-month head start provides a significant advantage.
Thousand Faces is only one step away from turning Duke Tiffany against him. After obtaining the Oath Ring, the Imperial Council will be unable to use the privileges of the Divine Sentient Body.
Confined by the short lifespan of humans and gripped by the weakness of aging, the Lord of the Black Sun Tower, yearning for the power of the Disaster God, has already begun his descent into corruption.
Chloe is making a massive sacrifice as the price for releasing her authority. With the cooperation of the other Archbishop, she will use the authority of the [King of Salt] to launch a surprise attack on the Lord of Mori Moon Tower, and the probability of killing him is extremely high.
Even the most overpowered Blade of the Empire, with the cooperation of Thousand Faces and the other Archbishop, obtained the secret of Golden Blood at the cost of erasing the Alien Race nations on the continent's borders from reality, and deduced a strategy that could absolutely kill the opponent!
This is the power of Thousand Faces. Like Chloe, he is special, having directly inherited the direct authority of the Disaster God.
That authority, originating from [Herdi], can not only deceive and fool reality, but also weigh all things on a scale.
Therefore, the history, past, and existence of the Alien Race nations that were erased that day will gradually fade and be replaced by illusory bargaining chips, which he can use to "equivalently" tamper with the world.
This power is extremely terrifying; it can peek into the future, uncover secrets, distort the past, and stifle existence. It involves fate, cause and effect, time and space, concepts... It is the most powerful of all powers.
That supreme ruler named [Herdi] could probably destroy the world and then recreate a completely different world with a different trajectory, development, and future. He is an ultimate being that humanity cannot comprehend.
Therefore, many believers in the Thirteen Sects firmly believe that [Pure White] never suppressed the thirteen supreme lords.
The Supreme Lord will fall silent only to give these believers a trial, so they willingly submit to bondage, just like Jesus nailed to the cross—a great act of divinity.
On the other hand, while the ability to use Thousand Faces seems like a bug, it's only really useful in Historical Echo.
Because the reality he interferes with is ultimately a product of illusion, the difficulty has been reduced from twisting metal to crushing a wisp of cloud, making it easy to tamper with the Tiffany Family's past history and uncover Freya Birth's secret.
On the other hand, in reality, the Countermeasures Bureau never gave them the opportunity to massacre cities and destroy countries, so they couldn't gather these bargaining chips.
Otherwise, the simplest way for the Cult of Disaster Gods to pass the test would have been to send Chu Yuanqing some money a few months ago to cover the insurance premiums, thus denying him the chance to become Magical Girl.
Russell's mind raced, going through almost all the important recent intelligence in his head. His features, hidden beneath his black robe, contorted, and the thousands of tentacles emerging from his robe trembled as he suddenly sensed an extremely terrifying sense of unease.
It was as if the whole world was deconstructing, about to step into eternal nothingness.
Strangely enough, the scenery before me had not changed. The sky, as if washed by water, resembled a blue gemstone, with a few wisps of clouds drifting lazily in the bright sunlight, stretching out in the wind.
Smell, sight, temperature, senses...
Everything is the same as usual.
But a strange anxiety welled up inside him, making it impossible for him to suppress this unease and terror.
Russell's body twisted again, plunging into the shadow dimension.
But this time, he felt like a prisoner struggling to swim from the deep sea to the shore. No matter how far he crossed, he couldn't be satisfied until he reached the shore in his heart and breathed in the oxygen that filled him with a sense of security.
"It's not safe enough."
"Is this Astrid's scheme? What exactly is she plotting this time?"
"We can't stop. We need to be more cautious and rendezvous with the other bishops!"
Such thoughts continued to multiply and expand in the mind, squeezing out all other confusion, ideas, and doubts into a corner, unable to send out any signal to control the body.
Unbeknownst to him, a dark shadow gradually enveloped his brain, and his thoughts became increasingly chaotic and confused. He began to think uncontrollably about more information and secrets about the Cult of Disaster Gods, and he stammered out his thoughts.
During this process, a strong sense of drowsiness and exhaustion also welled up in my heart, causing even the extremely strong will that had been so intensely driven by madness to begin to crumble.
In the instant before its end, the heart of the Supreme Calamity Beast, Erebus, pumped wildly with instinct, and the concept of darkness, carrying a massive amount of calamity energy, surged straight into its soul and limbs.
The next second, the excruciating pain of having my brain crushed suddenly struck.
The gift from the Disaster God completely shattered and restored the Archbishop's soul and body from head to toe. He let out a desperate yet maniacal wail, and in his daze, he heard a deafening crash of shattering.
At this moment, the dimension of shadow shattered, the scene before my eyes distorted, the ground beneath my feet collapsed, all my senses were reassembled, the veil of my soul's perception was lifted, and my brain's nerves seemed to reconnect...
Russell stood blankly in the warm sunlight. He had returned to that courtyard where Full Bloom bloomed and harmony prevailed. The ancient banyan tree swayed in the wind, its green shade exuding the scent of summer.
Not far away, one can also see swaying white gauze curtains.
The Dragon Witch he longed for still lay alone on the bed, like Sleeping Beauty in a fairy tale. The Magical Girl, regarded as the agent of [Pure White], had vanished, as if she had never existed.
"Has it broken free? It seems this technique isn't quite mature enough yet."
Russell felt as if he had entered an ice cellar; his soul seemed to be possessed. The tentacles writhing beneath his black robes ceased their movement. He stiffly turned around, looking at the figure behind him who seemed detached from nature, integrated into the world, and serene. He whispered in disbelief:
"How could it be an illusion?"
This is a method that exists outside the blind spots of logic.
Theoretically speaking, mental magic is much less effective against souls corrupted by calamity energy. It has absolutely no effect on someone like him, whose soul coexists with calamity energy and is linked to Supreme Calamity Beast, thus possessing the authority to protect him.
The Pure White Witch's expression was indifferent. She glanced at the magic mirror in her hand. Its frame was made of mercury, but the mirror surface was like a lake reflecting sunlight, so clear that it reminded people of the cleanest sky.
This is a profound technique developed by combining the blessing of the [Silver Mirror] with the performance of a certain Mythical Weapon belt before fully comprehending the Martial God Skill.
In order to extract more information, this experience and the past are intertwined and fused together in a unique new technique, temporarily using the nature of [Pure White Aria].
Although I didn't get the full picture, I at least got a general idea.
For a spontaneous action, this has already yielded considerable success.
After all, unlike Russell's assumptions, Astrid had no idea that the Dragon Witch would be attacked.
The reason this person would ask her to come over is probably because of Lucy Tiffany's status as an alchemy master; perhaps she can come up with a way to alleviate the illness.
As fate would have it, Chu Yuanqing had just returned to the Geltigu City using the teleportation array when, relying on his irrational intuition, he sensed Russell hiding in the shadow dimension. Following Russell's trail, they met in the courtyard.
As for Russell walking to Iris's bedside, taking out the wrecked remains, and suddenly seeing fragments of himself, these all happened within the illusionary world.
Chu Yuanqing wasn't so careless as to allow the other person to be so close to the patient. She looked at Russell and said softly:
"Astrid told me that you worship [Chaos], right?"
Russell seemed not to hear, his fanatical and extreme faith, and his twisted madness, transformed his fear of the unknown into hatred and anger.
No one in the Cult of Disaster Gods fears death; his caution stems only from the fear of failing to accomplish the Lord's great work.
However, having been tormented by illusions once, her already unstable mind has become even more "fragile".
The Archbishop opened his arms as if embracing the omnipresent Lord. His features were distorted, his flesh bulged, and he let out a sharp, piercing laugh. His black robe made a ripping sound as it stretched and tore. On the head that emerged from it, pitch-black, lifeless eyeballs occupied the entire face.
The Supreme Calamity Beast within this monster's body began to rage, causing its breathing to become like slowly passing thunder. Its cold gaze fell upon Chu Yuanqing, and the light of the dome was swallowed by darkness, instantly creating a zone of no light.
The space near Russell was distorted, swallowed by the dimension of shadow, and the deafening sound of massive fetal movements emanated from its cavity, blasting out roars that robbed vision and devoured souls.
"Mortal, you are not worthy to call my Lord by name!"
The bishop, shrouded in a black robe and barely retaining a human form, was devoured by giant tentacles that writhed like a raging dragon. Endless darkness, like blood, gushed from the center like a fountain, forming a thick, viscous layer of keratin.
Chu Yuanqing watched this scene calmly and indifferently. She was already used to this scene that seemed like the descent of an evil god. Unlike Xiaoxiao, who actively controlled the Calamity Gene to piece together the complete puzzle, she was on the path of a knight.
The so-called Archbishop is Chimera made of human souls, stitched together with various things; the only difference is what's inside.
This results in it turning into this chaotic mess whenever it loses its mind or uses power beyond balance. It's a high-end consumable, but one that nobody uses.
Because in the first playthrough, the Disaster God never actively cultivated any sects. These followers and bishops were all products of people rushing to fawn over him and dying one by one.
But it seems that because the [Pure White] suppressed them too harshly, these Archbishop and believers finally became tools used by the Disaster God.
Chu Yuanqing meticulously listed the abilities the other party had displayed at this moment: 17 types of A-Class calamity remains, 89 types of B-Class Calamity Beasts limbs, 481 types of unknown flesh and blood tissues, and a vital organ of a Supreme Calamity Beast, and even its authority.
It's fair to say that he was a very competent powder keg.
Because within this shadow dimension, the abilities and powers that bloom in an instant are simply too numerous to count. Even [Quicksilver Blood] cannot withstand this damage; it is enough to blow up the entire Demon City and take away two Captain-Class Witch without any problem.
But...
"How stupid! You could have let me finish what I was saying."
Clatter
With a crisp snap of the fingers, the world before my eyes collapsed and shattered once again.
Whether it was the terrifying, world-destroying, dimension-tearing attack, or the bizarre, Chimera shape with its eyeballs stacked to the size of skyscrapers, all vanished with the roar of the shattering mirror.
Outside the ancient city, high in the sky.