Chapter 98 No one will die, I promise you - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

"Your Highness, the entire Solen Mountain range and an area of twenty kilometers around it are currently under complete lockdown." "Understood." Gazing at the dark entrance embedded in the mountainside before her, Evester spoke calmly. After a brief pause of silence, she suddenly turned to look at her subordinates behind her. Afiya, Morris, and others were present, and not only them—Lynn, Greya, and a whole contingent from the Augusta Manor were also at the scene. Even Duke Tyrus had brought a large number of troops, ready at the entrance to the underground relic. Everyone today was here for a single purpose: to complete the temporary assignment given by Saint Roland VI. Moreover, even the churches from Orne City had dispatched a substantial number of the extraordinary. The previously chaotic Church of Providence had, for some reason, regained order, gathering over a hundred extraordinary individuals in a short time, also standing by here. This might not be unrelated to Prince Ferit. Of course, as the main force of this mission, only Evester and her team were truly approaching the target underground relic. Those clergy and extraordinary from the churches were merely there to contain any potential extraordinary contamination, keeping their distance outside the Solen Mountain range. "Wait outside," Evester spoke plainly. "This mission requires only me." If not for the ample benefits promised by Saint Roland VI, she wouldn't have brought her subordinates here. If she could complete the mission alone and still let everyone earn medals and rewards, it was a worthwhile exchange. "Your Highness, are you sure you don't need our help?" Afiya asked, stepping forward with a look of concern. Evester gently patted her head. "No need. Besides, what can a Tier 3 do to help?" Though she spoke in such a manner, the true reason was her desire to keep her subordinates from harm. Hearing this, Afiya pouted slightly and then stepped back into the crowd. "Well, then, may Your Highness have a successful mission," Duke Tyrus said. Evester nodded, turned, and walked into the underground relic. Seeing this, Greya in the crowd finally relaxed, wiping sweat and softly asking his brother, Lynn, "Brother, why are the church's people joining this mission, yet they remain so wary of us?" Lynn gave him a cursory glance and said nothing. Not discouraged, Greya continued, "Based on Lynn's guy's viewpoint, there must be something unusual here." "Could the true sequence of the seal item be more than just level 2 and higher than we imagined?" "Shut up." In the basement, Milanie routinely inspected the containment conditions of various seal items. As a Tier 3 extraordinary herself, her faith lay in "Divine Insight," akin to the current Lynn, which didn't grant much combat prowess. However, her talents in research and seal items were fully developed. Humming a little tune, she wandered about. Suddenly, as if recalling something, Milanie touched her chest, her face showing a hint of realization. "I forgot to ask for the necklace back." Shaking her head, an image of Lynn with a cheeky grin popped into her mind, and she found herself at a loss for words. Just then, an unusual sound came from a nearby containment room. Frowning, Milanie leaned in to listen for a moment. She vaguely identified it as the sound one might hear when mixing mud and water—a "glug-glug" sound. Checking the containment room number, her expression grew serious. 3-0098, the room holding the Torment Chair. This containment seemed not too problematic at a glance, with relatively simple conditions to satisfy. The crux lay with the person seated on the chair. After the princess had obliterated the Genesis Cult, she had spared some high-ranking members to be interrogated. Not having gained useful information, they were temporarily sidelined. Currently, the one seated in the Torment Chair was none other than the Genesis Cult's High Priest, Yaskin Proctor. As the head of the cult, he naturally received the most attention. Milanie hesitated briefly, then retrieved a key to unlock the door. Upon seeing the situation inside, she froze in astonishment. The High Priest meant to be sitting in the chair, receiving the chair's "baptism," had somehow become a writhing pool of black sludge. Though it retained a hint of human form, it had evidently lost consciousness and reason. No, this wasn't him at all! It was a clone! Staring at the black sludge, a sense of horror flooded Milanie's heart. If this wasn't Yaskin Proctor, then where was the real one right now? Could it be... Guided by memory from last time, Evester quickly navigated through numerous obstacles and traps, arriving at the central palace within the underground relic. This place resembled a vast natural cavern, with minimal and hasty repairs. Many areas bore down-hanging stalactites built over time. Evester directed her focus toward the item on the central altar of the hall. Following her gaze, there was a slightly worn ceramic jar placed prominently at the altar's center. The jar appeared ancient and rudimentary. However, a vividly sculpted female face adorned it, her eyes closed and smiling serenely. By memory, this female figure bore a slight resemblance to the Destroyed Goddess of Genesis statue. Additionally, incomplete murals seemed to linger on the rough walls behind, depicting a congregation worshiping the ceramic jar. Overall, an eerie aura pervaded the otherwise silent palace. Yet Evester was unafraid. She was determined to finish this swiftly. In the next moment, with a flicker of her form, Evester, dressed in a black dress, instantly appeared at the altar's center. Looking down, she noticed some haphazard patterns and matrices etched on the ground around the jar. Evester gently raised her right hand, emitting a red glow. She attempted to manipulate the seemingly ordinary ceramic jar, willing it into her grasp. But, as before, though it appeared mundane, it resisted her extraordinary force, remaining unmoved. Taking it along was impossible. It seemed she'd have to assimilate its laws and properties on the spot. Evester remained unmoved, her expression unchanged. Indeed, this was but a step in her plan today. The task was rather straightforward. Evester drew in a deep breath, her aura radiating out. In the following instant, her black hair rose as if caught in an unseen breeze, her already scarlet eyes deepening with specks of starlight rotating like a cosmic map. As the red force field slowly filled, layers of chants and wails seemed to transcend the void of time, echoing throughout the hushed ruins. "Boom—" With Evester's aura reaching its peak, the surrounding space emitted a deafening hum! Simultaneously, the whispers and wails, as if from a world of endless death, materialized into tangible force, surging furiously behind Evester! Moments later, an enormous gateway bound in infinite chains of order silently appeared in the vicinity. “Creak” Suddenly, Evester's body soared skywards. Amid a chant interlaced with ancient incantations, the bloodgate, appearing to engulf the entire mountain range, swung open with a crash. Amidst shattered and soaring chain fragments, its restraints were cast off! Beyond the gate loomed a world seemingly forged from immense torrents of blood! At this moment, Evester's eyes shone red, and like an exquisite Valkyrie, she floated mid-air. Her formidable Tier 6 presence merely rippled briefly, setting the mountain to cascade with rocks, threatening imminent collapse. She issued her command, solemn and imposing. "Devour." Amidst the all-consuming wails and cries, the crimson energy from the River of the Dead swiftly converged at the center of the gateway, akin to an irresistible black hole vortex threatening to obliterate everything in its path! Under such a dreadful force, the previously unperturbed Wish Jar finally underwent a transformation. The jar... under the intense and terrifying pull, started to teeter unsteadily. Its already weathered terracotta surface even began to crack! "Glug-glug—" As a Sealed Item, its dormant consciousness finally revived. Accompanied by a bizarre sound, pitch-black mire began frantically gushing from the once-empty jar, writhing as if sentient and attempting to escape in all directions. "Trying to flee?" With a look of divine inviolability, clad in her flowing black dress, Evester waved her delicate hand lightly. The miasma of black mud, trying to scatter, immediately rose from the ground, converging into the Blood Gateway. This was roughly a Level 2 to Level 1 Sealed Item. It looked like she might awaken sooner than expected. An image subconsciously flitted through Evester’s mind. Just then, a cold, spite-laden female voice suddenly echoed within her mind. “I have received your first wish.” In the following moment, with the swirl of black mud, a naked figure suddenly appeared beside the jar. Looking down, Evester saw it was a male figure with dog ears and a tail, with black hair and blue eyes, looking fair and handsome. Instantly, a deeply repulsive sensation arose within her. Without even moving a finger, Evester cast a murderous gaze toward the Lynn doppelgänger. In a split second, it burst apart, dissolving into a shower of black rain. The Wish Jar. Even without uttering a word, it reads your inner thoughts and manifests them in the worst possible manner. Each person could only have up to three wishes. It needed to be destroyed promptly. Frowning, Evester stared icily at the closed-eyed, smiling female face carved on the jar. The moment after, the once-venomous voice echoed again. "I have received your second wish." "Bang—!!!" Accompanied by a blasting sound, the once-fragile Wish Jar shattered into countless fragments, scattered across the ground. Yet quickly, as if drawn by some mysterious force, they began to reassemble, reverting unnaturally back to their original form, as though time itself had reversed. The jar had fulfilled Evester's wish to see it destroyed but in its own twisted way. This was bad! Next was the third wish! While the first two wishes hadn't caused her any real harm, Evester's instincts warned her. If this wish came to fruition, severe consequences were imminent. In the next instant, she unleashed her full power. A formidable aura erupted, enveloping her in a torrent of crimson extraordinary power, a divine presence descending upon the world. The Blood Gateway widened once more, its gravitational pull fracturing the Earth beneath, causing ruinous collapses all around! The Wish Jar could no longer withstand the relentless force of this "Cursed Princess." Trembling, it soared towards the vast gateway overhead. But at that moment, Evester discerned something amiss. From a distant corner, a rapid, low chanting echoed. "Goddess of creation, mother of all sentient beings, you are the convergence of all spiritual will, pure and immaculate, mother of nature, you are the beginning and end of life, you are..." Instinctively, she glanced towards the source. At that moment, a haggard, madman-like figure in tattered priestly robes was devoutly conducting a bizarre and sinister ritual. Yaskin Proctor! High Priest of the Genesis Cult, a Tier 5 legend of "Creation" faith! In an instant, Evester recognized the man's true identity. Yet his chanting persisted. "They desecrated your holy name..." "They destroyed your idols..." "They sullied your scriptures..." A wave of imminent danger surged in her heart. “Kill him!” Evester's voice resonated like a blood queen’s decree. Covered entirely in crimson force, her long hair flowed like a Valkyrie's, fierce and ethereal with a strangely terrifying aura. With a piercing shriek, a gigantic skeletal hand, strewn with countless remains, burst forth from the Blood Gateway, clawing towards Yaskin's site! “Boom!” Amidst the explosion of rubble and blood mist, the dust settled. Gone was the Tier 5 luminary Yaskin Proctor, replaced by a mangled heap of flesh mixed with brain matter and blood. One strike—like crushing an ant, she obliterated a legendary tier. Yet the sense of a lingering crisis never left Evester's mind. While absorbing the jar's traits and laws, she closely watched that heap of flesh. In the next moment, amidst the writhing pile, a mouth suddenly formed atop the formless remains. That mouth, speaking for Yaskin himself, uttered the final invocation. "Let your people weep for the grand and supreme Genesis Demon... Please descend." As the voice trailed off, the serene female face on the jar turned furious and spiteful! A black column of light surged skywards, infused with boundless bitterness and malice! Evester's expression shifted instantly. Not just her. At that moment, everyone within the Solen Mountain range simultaneously witnessed this divine phenomenon reaching the heavens. Where was the real Yaskin Proctor now? Staring at the writhing black sludge, Milanie stood petrified. Could it be... As the thought crossed her mind, Milanie, a Tier 3 extraordinary of "Divine Insight" faith, with a keen nose for potent Sealed Items, perceived an irresistibly chilling presence from the northwest. Instinctively, she rushed out of the cellar, gazing at the sky, heavy with ominous clouds. From the underground relic's direction, a pitch-black beam pierced the heavens! Despite the great distance separating them, the energy imbued with boundless hatred and malice nearly made Milanie retch, her legs trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't a mere Level 2 Sealed Item! Level 0! Undeniably Level 0! Even the entire Saint Roland Empire could count only a few! Disaster! A dire thought surfaced. According to the false information provided by Saint Roland VI, the Princess had likely already begun to devour the Level 0 Sealed Item by now! An irreversible process, one that couldn't be interrupted unless she suffered catastrophic harm herself! Or, should she succeed, the Princess would lose herself to the overpowering traits and laws of the Level 0 item, becoming a warped, unspeakable entity! Neither outcome was one Milanie could bear to contemplate. She had to notify them urgently! Gazing at the malevolent beam of darkness, Milanie’s heart sank into despair. Pale, stumbling, she raced towards the exit. Yet she knew all too well, by the time she arrived, it would be all over. Perhaps everyone would perish! The mere thought fueled Milanie’s urgency. In her distraction caused by panic, the brown-haired girl, never the most athletic, stumbled, crashing painfully to the ground. Blood seeped from her delicate skin instantly. But the pain didn’t deter her resolve; she gritted her teeth, trying to rise. Suddenly, she felt herself being embraced by warm arms, a familiar scent enveloping her at her nose. Milanie instantly recognized the person before her. For some reason, tears began to uncontrollably stream down her face. "Why... Why did you come back?" Milanie clutched the fabric on his shoulder tightly, desperately trying to suppress her despair. "Run! Everything is going to be over if you don’t." "It's a Level 0 Sealed Item. We've... We've been deceived by Saint Roland VI." "Everyone is going to die." Evester, despite her immense power, was not a god. Or perhaps, even gods wouldn't dare to recklessly consume a Level 0 Sealed Item. The traits and laws embedded within it, heavily contaminated by some malevolent presence, would undoubtedly affect even divine beings. Now, as merely a Tier 6 demigod, Evester had been misled by her own father, Saint Roland VI, to undertake this suicidal mission with her entire contingent. Thinking of this, Milanie pushed against the young man holding her, trying to urge him to flee Orne City. If he delayed any longer, the aftershock of the Level 0 Sealed Item’s upheaval could annihilate every city around them. "Don't worry," Lynn reassured, cradling Milanie gently. "No one is going to die." He held her while walking towards the cellar. "You don’t understand what a Level 0 Sealed Item truly means, it..." Milanie began, but Lynn interjected. "No, I understand well." "It’s precisely because of my unprecedented understanding of the current situation that I can make this judgment with absolute certainty." "I don't speak of things I'm uncertain about, and what I do speak of, I will see through." "Miss Milanie, no one will perish, I promise you." Three minutes later, having comforted Milanie, Lynn stood in a narrow containment room. Ignoring a trembling doll nearby, Lynn focused on an ancient wooden box. In his view, addressing the current Level 0 Sealed Item crisis required a three-step approach. "For a drop of Lynn Bartlaeon's blood, I offer you a gold coin." Reading the writing that appeared on the paper, Lynn took out a needle and gently pricked his fingertip. In truth, he had been contemplating this for a long time. Trapped beside Evester, he pondered how to create a trump card that could unleash formidable power swiftly. Presently, he had arrived at the only answer after much reflection. Lynn bent down, noting another line of small text on the paper. This time, he used his own blood. "For a drop of higher-dimensional demon blood, I will set you free." I’m back on top!!! 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