Chapter 640
“B-but... it’s really okay, Lord Shaer,” Tara stammered, feeling the warmth of Shaer’s palm on her shoulder.
“How many extraordinary beings are inside the Blis Cathedral?” Shaer asked, looking at Tara.
Shaer was preparing to summon the Dark Worm, to call forth Leimeides.
If anyone could calm Sadana and help her weather this mental storm, it would undoubtedly be Leimeides, the one with the highest chance of success among the available options.
“Lord Shaer...” Tara took a moment to steady her racing heart. After a brief pause, as if recalling something, she continued, “You mentioned before that you transported the ‘wrongdoers’ to Blis, saying they might come in handy. Are you planning to bring them over...?”
“Wrongdoers?” Shaer asked, puzzled.
In the simulation, the version of herself had left behind only a note, briefly outlining important matters. Most of her time in the simulation had been spent searching for traces of the Witch Academy in books, so she hadn’t recorded any details of her actions.
“They are the ‘wrongdoers’ imprisoned in the Tribunal, those extraordinary beings judged by the Tribunal for committing extreme crimes during the Church’s integration...”
The note did mention this, but it didn’t elaborate on any follow-up actions or mention executions, leading Shaer to instinctively assume there would be no further developments.
Unexpectedly, the version of herself in the simulation had been quite thorough... she had considered these individuals as “spare energy,” to be used as “consumables” for Shaer’s “spiritual summoning.”
After all, the Church of the Savior and the Holy Ascendancy had already merged. While Shaer could still sacrifice individuals from either group as before, the method used in the simulation was evidently more “humane.”
However... it seemed the version of herself in the simulation hadn’t considered one crucial point.
That was the fervor of her followers.
“Lord Shaer... are you planning to sacrifice them? Why would those who have erred receive such a reward...?” Tara lowered her head, her expression one of confusion.
Indeed, for the Holy Ascendancy, being sacrificed by the goddess was not a punishment; it was a reward. To be “sacrificed” was seen as part of becoming a target of sacrifice, a mark of honor.
Directly sacrificing those sinners wouldn’t make the extremists feel punished; instead, it would lead other zealous believers, who had committed no sins, to view these individuals as having attained glory, potentially inciting them to imitate their crimes and deliberately become consumables.
Fortunately, Shaer would primarily use these consumables in the simulation, without needing to consider the subsequent implications.
“Bring them over,” Shaer said with a slight nod. “The sooner, the better.”
“Yes, Lord Shaer.” Tara didn’t waste any more time, turning to leave in search of Eleanor and Eloise, as she couldn’t manage so many wrongdoers alone.
Shaer lowered her gaze, observing the chaotic port and the distant shadows, letting out a soft sigh.
...
Outside the Blis Sanctuary of the Savior, the wind howled fiercely.
Over a hundred shackled individuals knelt in the center of a massive blood array.
Among them, some were numb, some wept bitterly, but the majority displayed extreme fervor. Aside from a few born misanthropes, most were zealous believers.
In another area, dozens of devotees lay sprawled, their blood nearly drained, their lifeblood serving as the primary material for the blood array.
At the edge of the blood array, a red-haired girl raised her right hand, her blood flowing like threads into the array. As her blood continued to be drawn, her complexion grew increasingly pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
She had lost enough blood to nearly faint, yet she stood firm, seemingly possessing not only immense mental strength but also considerable experience in handling such situations.
But in the next moment, a silver light flashed, and the girl’s complexion regained its color, even the wounds on her hands vanished as if she had never bled at all.
“Phew...”
Shaer slowly exhaled, gazing at the blood array before her.
She felt a twinge of anxiety about whether the array would successfully point to Leimeides.
She knew how to direct the summoning array toward the previous Dark Worm, but Leimeides’ current state was clearly different from before, and Shaer lacked confidence in being able to summon her with absolute certainty.
The distant shadows trembled more violently, not just from the tsunami; the very ground began to shake.
Sadana now resembled a massive volcano on the verge of eruption. When she erupted, all life in the surrounding area would be obliterated, and any information that might have been preserved would vanish without a trace.
While it was possible to start over in the next simulation, the process would be a torment for both Shaer and Leimeides.
Shaer slowly retracted her right hand, took a deep breath, and began to recite the incantation to activate the blood array.
The massive blood array ignited with a scarlet glow, its light almost tearing through the night. Countless blood threads surged from the array toward the center, penetrating the bodies of the sacrificial victims.
Their flesh and blood were rapidly drained, and in the wild prayers of the dying lambs, a torrent of blood threads, filled with their life essence, erupted from their bodies along with Shaer’s blood.
Countless blood threads coalesced in mid-air, forming a crimson vortex that spun relentlessly, distorting the surrounding space.
Buzz...
A tremendous buzzing filled the ears of everyone present. Eleanor, standing beside Shaer, watched the scene unfold, her breathing growing increasingly rapid.
Shaer looked up at the blood-red vortex, her own anxiety mounting.
The previous blood array had only summoned half of a Dark Worm’s heart. This time, having sacrificed more extraordinary beings, Shaer was certain it would be enough to allow Leimeides to remain in reality for a while.
If this blood array failed to summon Leimeides, it could only attract another Dark Worm from the other realm or something even more terrifying.
That entity might harbor goodwill toward Shaer, but it would mean nothing to Sadana.
As Shaer watched, a shadowy curtain surged from the center of the crimson vortex, enveloping the entire blood array, as if laying a black carpet within it.
In the next moment, a hand slowly emerged from the darkness.
The instant Shaer saw that slender right hand, her heart began to ease.
It worked.
In the next heartbeat, a familiar head broke through the blood-red vortex, those emerald-like eyes locking onto Shaer’s, meeting her gaze.
Leimeides’ expression momentarily froze, then her lips curled into a gentle smile.
It seemed she recognized Shaer.
Seeing Leimeides’ face again, Shaer felt as if a lifetime had passed, even though, from her own perspective, it hadn’t been long since they last met.
But in the next second, Leimeides’ gaze drifted past Shaer, landing on the terrifying giant shadow above the sea, her expression once again blank, revealing a hint of confusion.
It seemed she had forgotten something important. In her bewilderment, she slowly extended her left hand, as if grasping the edge of the blood-red vortex, pulling her upper body fully out.
Beneath her, a black, shadowy appendage was preparing to reach out beyond the blood-red vortex, but at that moment, the previously stable vortex began to tremble violently.
The blood-red vortex couldn’t withstand all of Leimeides’ strength; it seemed that merely allowing her upper body to emerge was already pushing its limits.
Without any hesitation, a shadow darted from Leimeides’ waist, and she fell outward from the blood array as if she had been severed in half.
The shadows below surged in an instant, enveloping her completely and lifting her up. The black shadows covered her body, reshaping her lower half.
At that moment, Leimeides was draped in a robe of shadows, with a swirling mass of black mist beneath her. Countless shadowy tendrils writhed from beneath the dark robe, lifting her toward Shaer.
All the devotees had knelt completely the moment Leimeides’ right hand extended. Even those unaware of Shaer’s identity could sense the terrifying aura emanating from Leimeides.
They almost unanimously believed that Leimeides was one of the “Holy Spirits” of the Church of the Goddess, fervently praying while resisting madness.
“Witch...” Leimeides’ shadowy tendrils slithered beneath her robe, crossing over the bodies strewn across the ground, standing before Shaer. Her voice emerged as a layered, hoarse, ethereal sound, “Shaer...?”
“Mm.” Shaer nodded slightly.
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