Chapter 223: Someone, Please Save Me - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

"Why... why must they do this to me?" Feeling her own feeble and powerless body, as well as the nun escorting her away, Tia's heart sank bit by bit to the depths. This was the second time in just a few days that she had felt this similar despair. The first time was because of Lynn. And this time, it was because of the betrayal by the church she had always trusted. No. Even though it felt like a betrayal, from Sister Gretel's eyes, Tia saw what seemed to be nothing but a rising disgust. Just as Sister Gretel had said. In the eyes of the nun and the church's informed members, her existence always seemed to be a mistake, something that should never have been. This face-to-face confrontation was, for Tia, like the other side actively tearing off her mask, for the first time having an open dialogue with the despised soul hidden within this shell. The title of "Holy Lady" used by Sister Gretel and others perhaps was more out of respect for this physical shell. From the very beginning, Tia had faintly sensed the strangeness in people around her. She was even fearful of the so-called Moonlight Canon and the descent ritual. That fear came from a deep-seated sense of incongruity, as if she were just a rootless weed that could vanish from this world at any moment, without anyone knowing she ever existed. In hindsight, perhaps this feeling was a premonition. The so-called descent ritual was not a duty that successive Holy Ladies needed to perform, but merely a ceremony to choose a vessel, as the nun had mentioned, for the "Lunar Consciousness." Due to the long lifespan of deities, the Moonlight Festival, held every five years from the perspective of ordinary human life, was just a fleeting moment for the goddess. Selecting vessels so frequently was for resurrection? Did this mean the goddess was not in a good state currently? After being mentally battered by Sister Gretel in such a short period, Tia felt her mind was in a daze, and she had no strength at all. Even the most basic thoughts became muddled, as if she would lose consciousness the next second. But she knew she couldn't faint. If she gave up now, upon awakening, she might hear the news of Louise and that person's death... No, after all, just like the church's sudden change in attitude towards her, the goddess would of course value the vessel prepared for her. Perhaps if she lost consciousness here, there might never be a chance for her to resurrect again. More likely, her body would be taken over by the goddess's consciousness, causing her to lose herself completely. Isn't this just another form of death? To Tia, death wasn't all that frightening. Just like when she faced the King of Malice in the Tomb of the Silent Ones. If she could die meaningfully, or save the innocents, she would give her life without hesitation. Even with her reverence and devotion to the goddess, if the church had directly told her the truth and ordered her to offer her body, Tia would probably comply. Allowing her body to be used for the goddess's resurrection would mean the goddess's control over the world of mortals would be unprecedentedly strengthened, thus blessing the believers. This was something she would eagerly anticipate, how could she refuse? Of course, all this was if there weren't the complexities she experienced recently and that being she desperately wanted to save deep in her heart. The once naive Tia, with a heart like a blank slate, and the Tia now burdened with various emotions were fundamentally different. Rather than blindly following the church's orders, it seemed she learned to think independently. Speaking of which, it's quite peculiar. Like those romantic novels depict, where a tragic heroine discovers her fate has always been manipulated by a mastermind behind the scenes, with no power to choose her marriage or happiness, trapped like a canary in a cage. How similar this scene was to her current predicament? The difference being, she seemed even more unfortunate. Tia Juheste wasn't even a being with any civic rights, merely an "error" born within a vessel. Or perhaps more fitting, like a virus parasitizing this shell, a robber occupying a private home, with even the meaning of her existence fundamentally denied. "Let go of me." Feeling the cold and deep corridor, Tia softly told the accompanying nuns. Yet the only response she received was indifference and solemnity. As if no one cared for the soul within this shell. Following Sister Gretel's instructions, they brought Tia to a mystical facility beneath the Silent Church. The Lunar Rift. This was the destination for everyone present. Upon leaving the tunnel, the nuns gradually halted their steps, then slowly looked up. Even having witnessed it countless times, upon seeing the miraculous scene before them, an overwhelming sense of reverence and devotion surged in everyone's hearts. This was a location like the remnants of divine battles, where the vast and mystical forces had torn the earth apart, leaving only faintly visible ruined structures, ancient and peculiar, like sites where ancient ancestors worshipped deities. Aside from that, countless massive fragments hovered in the air, like pathways and nodes of a matrix, outlining a central expanse. That expanse emitted a faint silvery brilliance, resembling a portal leading to an unknown destination, or a hanging full silvery moon, serenely radiating the goddess's aura. The so-called Lunar Rift was a special space opened by the first Lunar Goddess during the Divine War era to protect her followers. Located in the rift between the Silver Moon God's Kingdom and reality, it was a domain solely for the departed. Over time, the lingering rules and extraordinary forces on earth subtly changed, making this devastated world rift during the war of the gods uninhabitable for humans. However, as it was the closest location to the Lunar Goddess, the Silent Church preserved it. Ordinarily, one could sense the baptism of moonlight here, sometimes even hearing the goddess's murmurs and whispers. But as for Tia, she never understood why the church strictly forbade her from being here. Thinking back, perhaps it was to avoid angering the goddess with her presence. With the Moonlight Festival approaching tonight, avoiding suspicion no longer seemed necessary for the church. Upon seeing the boundless starry night behind the portal and the gently drifting ruins of the silver moon, a shudder like a jolt of electricity coursed through her entire body. In that instant, she seemed to understand everything. It was an affinity from her very blood and bones, as if her body was designed for the goddess's resurrection. Yet this feeling evoked an unyielding aversion and resistance in Tia's own consciousness. It was a survival instinct intrinsic to life. Tia wanted to break free from the nuns' control, but it was all in vain. The moment she entered the Lunar Rift, it felt as if her entire extraordinary power had been stripped away, leaving her as nothing more than a frail, ordinary girl. Including the curse of being unable to touch the opposite sex, these were all "gifts" from the Moon Goddess. Should She desire, they could be retracted at any time. "Go ahead." As she eyed the silvery space so close at hand, devoted words from the nuns resonated in Tia's ears. Then, a gentle but firm force nudged her forward. Before Tia could react, she was propelled into the portal leading to the Lunar Rift. Instantly, a soft and serene chill enveloped her entire being, as if she had plunged into a vast ocean. Instinctively, Tia spread her arms, her body slowly floating above the starry sky at the back of the Lunar Rift. An overwhelming exhaustion washed over her, threatening to engulf her consciousness entirely. No... this can't happen. Once she lost consciousness, everything would be... In the end, whether it was the Lunar Goddess or the Silent Church, it seemed neither possessed the ability to forcibly erase her consciousness. Attempting that might even irreparably damage this vessel. Given these circumstances, for Tia, the current situation turned into an unprecedented tug-of-war. Even though her extraordinary abilities and divine factors had been stripped away, that wasn't relevant to this matter. This tug-of-war took place in the mental realm, a battle of wills between Tia Juheste and the Lunar Consciousness. I... still have something I must do. Though he likely never expected anything from me, nor could I utter any heroic line like "someone is waiting for me to return," deep down, there is something I must convey to him. Tia bit her tongue, and as the taste of blood spread in her mouth, her consciousness gradually cleared. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination. Yet, in a moment, the fatigue and exhaustion that enveloped her body disappeared instantly. Simultaneously, as an inexplicable energy seeped into her, Tia suddenly felt her senses becoming much sharper. What happened? Tia, feeling as if her body was trapped in a void-like quagmire, couldn't move, yet a sense of alarm welled up inside her. For extraordinary beings, the blessing of heightened senses could provide a substantial edge in battles, but it seemed unnecessary for her now. For the Silent Church, what they needed was to slowly obliterate her consciousness through pain and punishment. Thus, the ultimate purpose of this heightened sensory gift was self-evident. The next second, as an invisible wave swept over her, terrible pain of an unimaginable intensity flooded her body with her senses amplified manifold! It wasn't just physical pain but a relentless, all-encompassing mental assault. She heard murmurs layered upon each other, enough to drive one to collapse and suicide. She saw indescribable horrors that could shatter the mind. She smelled a stench like a mountain of corpses and rivers of blood, along with the tragic lives buried beneath these remains. She felt the passage of untold millennia, each moment of pain she endured at present etched clearly and indelibly onto her soul. In an instant, Tia let out a mournful cry. It hurts! It's unbearable! Someone, save me!!! Time passed in a blur. Soon, a day had gone by. When night fell, the entire Silent Church was abuzz with activity. Though among those in the know, the so-called Moonlight Festival was merely the day for the goddess to select a vessel, to the outside world, the unknowing saw it as a miraculous event. Therefore, with the goddess's approval, the Silent Church used it as an opportunity to flex its muscles publicly. After the Eclipse of the Gods era, most deities lost contact and rarely displayed miracles before their followers. Even the other major churches, the Church of Natural Order and the Church of Plenty, hadn't witnessed such grandiose scenes for a long time. Only the Silent Church could regularly achieve this. Thus, although they had fewer followers than the other two, in terms of piety and cohesion, no other church could compare. Sister Gretel stood by the window, gazing at the bustling streets in the distance. Located in the Upper District, those who received invitations and attended the Moonlight Festival were none other than the renowned nobles of Glosteen, arriving in droves to witness the once-every-five-years lunar miracle. However, they couldn't actually go to the Lunar Rift to witness the goddess's descent up close; they could only watch the prepared observatorium, peering at the bright full moon above the endless starry sky. When the goddess chose to descend, the moon would transform accordingly. This was the miracle for ordinary people and the nobility to admire. As for what truly transpired, only the high-ranking members of the Silent Church were privy to it. "The attendees from the Cortes family seem to include Councilor Black himself." A young subordinate softly reported to Sister Gretel. Hearing this, Sister Gretel showed no emotion, but a disdainful snort escaped her nose. "I recall, as a follower of the Lord of Myriad Stars, he repeatedly pushed for bills in the Empire's council, aiming to remove the Silent Church and the Church of Plenty from the three major churches, leaving only the Church of Natural Order as the sole true faith." "What, now that he's half-paralyzed, he seeks Moonlight Elixir from us?" The wrinkles at the corner of her eyes relaxed, seemingly in a good mood. It was that rogue Lynn Bartoleon's interference that led to Councilor Black's current state. In this matter, she should probably thank him. Yet this faint sliver of gratitude would likely never reach his ears. Thinking this, Sister Gretel suddenly spoke, "How is the vessel doing?" Hearing this, the young nun ducked her head like a quail, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "The Holy Lady... I mean, the vessel still retains some self-awareness, though it's extremely weak, it remains impossible to extinguish completely." At these words, Sister Gretel furrowed her brow, "Is the power of the pain illusion turned up to the maximum?" The young nun nodded repeatedly, "Of course, without a moment's pause." This statement plunged Sister Gretel into silence, an expression of calculation and malice emerging on her face. It was clear she hadn't anticipated that the puppet, always under the church's control, would transform in such a short span of time. They had underestimated her. But what did it matter? In the face of a destined historical trend, no one could defy the might of the gods. With this thought, Sister Gretel suddenly had a flash of inspiration. For reasons unknown, the name they had just mentioned crossed her mind again. “Next, carefully note my instructions,” Sister Gretel said after a brief silence, “Before the descent ceremony begins, follow my directions for one last attempt.” “What should we do?” The young nun eagerly inquired. “Utilize the characteristics of the pain illusion to tailor a dream specifically for her.” “The protagonist of that dream shall be... Lynn Bartoleon.” “Yes!” With the command received, the young nun immediately left the room. As she gazed at the dark night sky and the flawless, radiant moon, Sister Gretel narrowed her eyes slightly.