Chapter 348
Goddess... what should I do... how can I escape the crisis before me... please, guide me...
Buzz—
A faint hum echoed in Yulisi's mind, and the statue she held in her palm began to warm slightly. Before her, the void of darkness was pierced by a silver light she had never seen before.
It was just like the countless prayers she had uttered before; a brief buzzing in her brain, fragmented whispers burrowing into her consciousness, yet she could never quite grasp the goddess's oracle.
But this time, the whispers in her mind were strikingly clear.
"Follow me, Yulisi."
For the first time, Yulisi truly heard the goddess's words. She opened her eyes wide, but the light did not return; all she could hear was the calm breathing of the girl standing before her.
How is this possible...
Yulisi's legs buckled, and she slumped against the wall, feeling utterly powerless.
At that moment, Yulisi was in a state of near existential collapse, lost and directionless.
The necklace slipped from her fingers, and the increasingly terrifying whispers began to invade her mind once more. Just then, a warm hand took hers, placing the pendant back into her palm.
"Yulisi... relax..."
Xia'er spoke slowly, "Take me to see Eleanor. You know where she is."
Eleanor, the "Punishing Saint" she had encountered in the simulation, the one who had witnessed the arrival of the Dark Worm.
Though she often sabotaged the actions of the Holy Church, and was labeled by Tara as one of the most disloyal to the Mother Goddess and the most gullible regarding the teachings of the Savior Goddess... Xia'er could sense Eleanor's intense inner turmoil when she had seen the Dark Worm.
Eleanor was the archbishop of the Savior Goddess Church and one of the heads of the Tribunal, with many followers within, and an external reputation as the "Preacher of the Dark Worm."
If she could be swayed, Xia'er's plan for church integration would be halfway to success.
Now, the most important thing was to find Eleanor.
Xia'er wasn't sure if she could successfully sway Eleanor; she might even be judged or killed as a "heretic" by the Holy Church... but Xia'er had no better options.
In such extreme circumstances, extreme measures were necessary.
If it weren't absolutely necessary, Xia'er didn't want to use the Spiritual Summoning. It wasn't out of compassion for Tara's students, but rather to find a way to persuade Eleanor without summoning.
After all, in reality, she couldn't possibly use Spiritual Summoning in such a large city; it would not only endanger her own mind but also make her a target.
Yulisi swayed as she stood up, and at that moment, Tara, who had been silent, finally spoke:
"Don't disappoint the Mother Goddess's expectations of you, Yulisi..."
"It is not your piety that has moved the Mother Goddess, but rather that the Mother Goddess has chosen you... You must show the utmost respect in gratitude to the Mother Goddess, not this display."
As Tara spoke, her tone grew increasingly urgent, seemingly unable to comprehend why the Mother Goddess would choose someone so lacking in reverence as her envoy.
Yulisi, who had been silently wavering, lowered her head and slowly said, "I... will take you to Lady Eleanor. She will decide for herself..."
Yulisi was now completely confused; she needed a prominent figure to clarify her muddled thoughts and judge whether everything was appropriate—Eleanor was a good choice.
Yulisi led the way, while Xia'er watched her back with a hint of worry.
If persuading a high priest was this difficult, Xia'er began to feel anxious about the journey ahead.
After all, there were only 24 hours left; the time for her to plan was too short, and she had no way to make everything seem seamless.
Yulisi called for a coachman, and they climbed aboard, heading to Eleanor's current location, the Archbishop's residence of the Savior Goddess Ansu Diocese.
The residences of the high priest, bishop, and archbishop were all religious courts handling ecclesiastical matters, located very close to the Holy See. Each level could not handle matters of the level above it; for instance, to deal with bishop affairs, one could not do so at the high priest's residence, and to handle archbishop matters, one must go to the archbishop's residence.
This was not a specific clergy member's residence but rather a place where multiple clergy members took turns on duty.
The carriage stopped in front of the archbishop's residence, and after Yulisi informed the church attendant of an urgent matter to see Archbishop Eleanor, she was granted an audience.
At that moment, Eleanor, wearing a mask, was in her private prayer room meeting with someone. Upon hearing a knock, she interrupted the speaker in front of her and said:
"I understand. We will cooperate with your investigation; this concerns the food security of North Ansu. Please leave for now; I have other matters to attend to."
Standing before Eleanor was a man dressed in the garb of the Order of the God of Order. His ornate attire indicated that he held a high rank.
He seemed to know Eleanor's character well, saying nothing as he stood up and left.
Before departing, he cast a puzzled glance at the three waiting by the door. The golden-haired noble lady with her maid seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place her name.
As he saw her smile and wave, he returned a slight smile, performed a gesture of the church, and quickly left the archbishop's residence.
What he didn't know was that just moments ago, he had brushed past Xia'er, the church's most wanted fugitive.
"High Priest Yulisi, it's been a while. May the goddess bless you..."
Eleanor seemed to have some acquaintance with Yulisi, but when she noticed the two accompanying her, she halted her greeting.
"This is an illusion. What are you hiding?"
Eleanor leaned back slightly, the insect wings behind her cloak writhing, showing no attempt to conceal her current impatience.
"Just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Xia'er smiled slightly, dispelling the illusion around her, feeling a hint of surprise within.
Her disguise had been unbreakable even to the high-ranking clergy of the Order of the God of Order, yet it had not lasted a second against Eleanor.
"Heh..."
Seeing the red-haired girl dispel her illusion, Eleanor glanced at the wanted notice on the table and chuckled lightly, "You've got some nerve, Xia'er."
Though Eleanor wore a mask and hood, one could still see the black chitinous shell writhing beneath the shadow of her hood—her hair seemed to have completely fallen out, covered by the black chitin.
One could almost imagine the grotesque and terrifying face hidden beneath her mask.
Could this still be called human?
"Yulisi, what is going on?"
Eleanor turned her gaze to Yulisi, speaking.
Rather than asking Xia'er, she preferred to obtain information through the trusted high priest.
But soon, the sharp-eyed Eleanor noticed the statue in Yulisi's hand and the anomaly on the goddess figure.
"Yulisi!"
Eleanor suppressed her anger, raising her hand sharply. The shadow beneath Yulisi coiled around her like a giant net. With a gentle tug, Yulisi was pulled before Eleanor by an invisible black hand.
"Lady Eleanor... I... I..."
Yulisi clutched the statue tightly, murmuring, "I can't tell... I can't tell if She is the true Mother Goddess..."
As she spoke, Yulisi glanced toward Xia'er.
Mother Goddess?
That’s the Holy Church!
What nonsense!!!
Hearing that term, Eleanor felt the veins on her forehead throb. Her piercing gaze turned toward Xia'er, and the crimson eyes beneath her mask seemed to emit a faint glow.
"The Holy Church, how dare you come before me to corrupt the clergy!"
Eleanor raised her hand, ready to incinerate the two before her into ashes with black flames.
But just then, Xia'er spoke.
"Have you ever wavered in your faith? Preacher of the Dark Worm."
Xia'er's expression was calm, seemingly unfazed by Eleanor's fury or her impending death, simply asking coolly:
"You transitioned from 'Missionary' to 'Punisher,' and finally ascended to 'Punishing Saint,' didn't you?"
"I can give you a chance. Use your proud fourth-tier power to make me one of your followers. Come on, give it a try..."
"If you truly still have faith in your goddess."
Provocation was indeed the forte of a "tempter."
Click—
The pocket watch was pressed down in Xia'er's palm.
Under Xia'er's taunts and the influence of the Art of Conversation, tangible shadows began to swirl around Eleanor.
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