Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 130 My Shadows (6k)

Sunset hills outside Sina city.

Torch Party, in another medium-sized camp.

Inside the sacred fire tent in the center of the camp, "Flame Burner" Byrne was facing an upside-down corpse with his hands raised, performing a "burning sacrifice" ceremony to pray to the "Throne of Destruction".

Ever since the last time, when "Flame Burner" Byrne was forcibly transformed into a "Mad Believer" by "Ashura" with his "Mad Piety", Byrne has continued to lurk inside the Torch Party without any abnormalities.

As an elite within the Torch Party second only to the "Lord of Sacred Fire" and the "Priest of Sacred Fire", Byrne, whose followers were all wiped out, was not criticized by the upper echelons, but was transferred to another stronghold.

This stronghold is smaller than the one Byrne previously controlled, and the configuration of believers is also much weaker.

However, Byrne no longer cares about these things. Now as a secret apostle of the Holy Abyss, he no longer has even a trace of loyalty to his original camp, the Torch Party.

In Byrne's mind, the Red Lotus no longer belonged to him, but was just a power that he could use. The existence he should truly serve was the Holy Abyss, where he could find the source of power that he longed for and worshipped.

However, unlike Index, "Flame Burner" Byrne had this thought forcibly implanted in his mind. He actually did not have the qualifications to receive the power of the Abyss from Luo Xiu.

The shadow of [Holy Abyss] is just a shadow.

Outside the Divine Fire Tent, those "Servants of Destruction" and "Torch Believers" were making violent explosions from time to time as usual. Byrne knew that this often meant that a believer was heading towards true destruction.

Byrne ignored the noise outside the tent and focused on the "burning sacrifice" in front of him.

Suddenly.

Right next to Byrne's ears, there was a low, vague, distant murmur.

"——Kneel before me and welcome my 'Agent'."

Byrne's pupils shrank and his body suddenly trembled for no reason.

Byrne had already recognized that it was the voice of "Shura" from [Holy Abyss]!

Byrne hurriedly stopped the "sacrifice" in his hand and knelt down in the direction of no one.

Right in front of Byrne, a green light flashed by, and the light dissipated into a mist, and something was condensing into shape from the mist.

——That is the "Agent"! This thought flashed through Byrne's mind, and he lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the incarnation of "Shura".

When he realized that the changes in the mist in front of him seemed to stop at a certain moment, Byrne's crawling vision only saw a pair of snow-white bare feet hidden in the light blue skirt in front of him.

Byrne could faintly hear the sound of a clear wind chime. At the same time, a cold and deep voice came into his ears:

"——'The Burner', Byrne Dunster."

The voice was clear and said slowly, "You are the first shadow of the Holy Abyss chosen by the Lord."

"I come to you to convey the Lord's will."

"Outskirts of 'Sina City', at the ruins of Xifeng Village. At the very center of the ruins is the 'Ruined Church', which is the 'Promised Place'."

"The Lord asked me to convey that at midnight, all the 'shadows' must go to the 'promised place'."

"Don't be late, and don't expose yourself. The Lord will meet you at the 'promised place'..."

"..."

When the voice of the "agent" ended with a clear and long tail, Byrne raised his head.

But he saw nothing. The "Agent" had drifted away along with her voice, leaving only the slight "ding-ling, ding-ling--" sound of wind chimes.

"'The Ruined Church'...'The Promised Place'..."

Byrne murmured, his pupils gradually dilated, and an uncontrollable fanatical expression appeared on his face.

……

The same situation occurred in four other "pagan strongholds" shortly afterwards.

"Bloodthirster" Boozer, "Hunting Blade" Undertaker, "Nature's Blessed" Emera, "Life's Blessed" Elena, "Dream Thief" Pior, the five first-generation apostles of the [Holy Abyss], all received orders from Index's representative "Shura" one after another.

……

In the cave of the "Beast Cult", Boozer's eyes suddenly became deep.

He looked up at the blue moon in the sky, which was exuding endless coldness, and his expression gradually became serious and deep.

……

In "Assassin's Alliance", "The Undertaker", wrapped in black, was hanging upside down on the beam.

The undertaker's eyes were cold, his right hand was tightly grasping a dagger with strange patterns on it, and his left hand was gently stroking the blade.

After receiving the notice from the "Agent", the "Undertaker" began to think about how to leave the alliance headquarters without making a sound and go to the "promised place".

……

In the city of Sina, in a stronghold of the "Original Sect", the twin sisters "Emela" and "Elena" were hugging each other tightly.

As the "favored ones of nature" and "favored ones of life", they were originally the "ones favored by the Mother Goddess" who were highly expected by the original sect.

But, it is obvious that they now have new beliefs.

Sisters "Emela" and "Elena" had just received a message from the "Agent", so they dismissed all the holy servants in this stronghold.

This way, when they leave, no one will notice them.

……

A watch shop located in the most prosperous street of "Triumphal Square".

The gentleman shop owner "Pio Solano", wearing a half-high silk hat and a double-breasted suit, tilted his head and looked at the time shown on the wall clock.

Pior, the "Dream Thief", was originally one of the many masks of the "Funeral Mask" of [Nothingness] scattered in the city of Sina.

"It's not too late, it's not too late..."

Pior murmured, then he stood up from the leather chair, walked to the side of the wall pillar, and picked up a silver-studded cane.

Then, Piol walked to a full-length mirror and adjusted his clothes in front of it.

After making sure that he was dressed appropriately and in good condition, Pior walked to the door with his cane.

He then turned the door handle and walked out of the shop quietly and silently.

……

Midnight.

The ruins of Xifeng village on the outskirts of Sina City.

This is the site of an ancient village that existed before the construction of "Sina City".

The terrain here is open and flat, but the wind blowing from any direction will always "avoid" this village - the name "Xifeng Village" comes from this.

Due to their age, most of the buildings here are now in ruins.

Only one church in the center still retains most of its original appearance, and that is the "Ruined Church".

And this place is exactly the "promised place" chosen by Index.

At this time, in the center of the lobby of the "Ruined Church", "Shura" was sitting on the stone throne that originally symbolized the identity of "Bishop".

He was wearing a large black cloak, and the edges of the cloak were woven with dark purple patterns with delicate craftsmanship. On those strange patterns, dark light like rippling water waves was looming in them.

On Shura's face, he still wore the "black-patterned puppet mask" that symbolized his identity, and he was calmly waiting for the arrival of the "shadows". The "Faceless One" Intis stood behind him, radiating her senses outside the ruined church, capturing the abnormal surge of spirituality around her.

Suddenly, Index said softly:
"...They're coming."

Intis's perception, there were six special spirits with the "Mist Shadow" mark moving towards the location of the "Ruined Church".

Luo Xiu clenched his right hand slightly and gently stroked the armrest of the stone seat.

He raised his head slightly and looked into the distance.

As the "Great Judge of Sin", Luo Xiu's "perception" attribute was not as high as that of "Civet Cat" Index. But at the end of his sight, he could see his "shadows", which were gradually becoming clearer.

……

The first to arrive at the "Promised Place" was the "Hunting Blade" Undertaker.

As a superior transcendent of the [Ku Tu] "Assassin", the Undertaker has the highest "Agility" attribute among all the "Sacred Abyss Apostles". He almost annihilated all his aura, and when Luo Xiu detected his presence, he had already appeared in front of him.

“…My Lord.”

The undertaker knelt on one knee and performed the ceremony of subordination to "Ashura".

"...My blade will cut the throats of anyone who stands in your way."

Luo Xiu nodded slightly as a response to the undertaker's respect. The undertaker then half stood up and retreated to the other side of the dilapidated church.

……

After a short wait, "Bloodthirsty Werewolf" Boozer and "Flame Burner" Byrne arrived at the same time.

As if they had sensed a similar aura, Byrne and Boozer cast doubtful and scrutinizing glances at each other the moment they first met.

But the scrutiny did not last.

Byrne and Boozer both felt the unfriendly gaze from "Shura".

Byrne and Boozer, they both got a cold shoulder almost at the same time.

They then looked away, walked towards "Ashura", and knelt on the ground.

"My Lord, your loyal servant has followed you."

"...I hope for your guidance."

Byrne and Boozer greeted Luo Xiu at the same time.

Luo Xiu remained speechless, just nodded slightly.

Byrne and Boozer then half stood up and stepped aside.

Byrne retreated to the side of the "Hunting Blade" Undertaker. Suddenly, he felt a cold and gloomy breath and shuddered all over.

Byrne looked towards the source of the eerie aura, and saw the Undertaker, wrapped in black, looking at him with a deep and malicious gaze.

"..." Byrne wanted to rebuke, but when he recalled the unfriendly attitude from "Ashura" just now, the words of rebuke shrank back into his throat.

"Bastards." The undertaker suddenly smiled contemptuously and uttered sarcastic words.

Byrne frowned, but quickly calmed down.

Because Byrne could sense——

Among the "shadows" that have arrived at the scene, I am the weakest!
The werewolf opposite him and the "Hunting Blade" beside him, the aura they exuded was several times stronger than his own! Several times more dangerous!
"Flame Burner" Byrne suddenly paused and just narrowed his eyes slightly.

Byrne's gaze turned to "Ashura" sitting on the stone seat.

The Shura wearing the "black-patterned puppet mask" still sat calmly at the top, seemingly turning a blind eye to the behavior of the "Undertaker".

"..."Byrne then calmed his mind, closed his eyes, and decided not to have any interaction with the "assassin" beside him.

Byrne chose to follow his heart.

……

About two minutes later, two graceful and light figures slowly appeared in everyone's sight.

Emera, the "Favored One of Nature", and Elena, the "Favored One of Life". They wore the same pure white clothes and walked into the ruined church hand in hand.

They all half-knelt and saluted Luo Xiu, and raised their left and right hands to praise "Xura":

"I dedicate everything to you, my lord." Luo Xiu still responded with a slight nod.

Emera and Elena then retreated to the side of the "bloodthirsty werewolf" Boozer.

Their eyes, as calm as water, did not drift towards any of the "shadows" in the field, but only fell on "Ashura" from beginning to end.

Index, who was standing behind Luo Xiu, cast a glance at Emera and Elena.

This pair of twin sisters have exactly the same exquisite faces, as if they were carved from the same mold.

However, it is easy to tell them apart because they have different hair colors and the patterns on their pure white clothes are also different.

As the elder sister, Emera, the "Favored One of Nature", has pure white long curly hair, and the edges of her clothes are pale blue; while as the younger sister, Elena, the "Favored One of Life", has light gold long hair, and the edges of her clothes are vibrant green.

Index's gaze did not linger on them for too long.

Everyone present could clearly hear the voice of "Ashura" sitting on the stone seat at the top.

"The time has passed."

Luo Xiu said in a low voice, his tone was emotionless and indifferent.

As Luo Xiu opened his mouth, he emitted an extremely strong spiritual surge that enveloped everyone present.

"However, the 'dream stealer' Pior from the [nothingness] has not yet arrived."

Luo Xiu's cold voice, along with his surging spirituality, poured into the minds of all the "crazy believers" present, causing them to feel waves of throbbing pain coming from their brains.

"He has the last five minutes."

Luo Xiu said indifferently.

……

About three minutes later, the last figure finally appeared at the dilapidated door of the "ruined church".

Pior, the "dream thief", with an uneasy heart, entered the dilapidated church with a cane.

However, as soon as Pior stepped into the church, he was immediately covered by several unfriendly gazes.

Pior's body shuddered and he shuddered violently.

The "Ashura" sitting at the top, the "Faceless Man" behind him, and the other five "shadows" from different destinies all looked at him.

Pior suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.

"You still have a chance to explain yourself, Pior."

"Shura" sitting on the stone seat at the top asked calmly in the direction of Pior:
"…Answer me, what is the reason for your lateness?"

When "Shura" questioned Pior, cold sweat began to break out on Pior's forehead, and he said in a trembling voice:

"I, I just think I have enough time, um..."

"I think I should come to see you in the most appropriate attire and in the most elegant state and appearance..."

"..."

While the "Dream Stealer" Pior was explaining, Luo Xiu also noticed his clothes.

The "Dream Stealer" Pior at this time is different from when he was the leader of the "Funeral Mask" hidden stronghold in the Triumphal Square.

At this time, Pior was wearing a very formal double-breasted suit and a silk half-tower hat that symbolized his gentlemanly status. He exuded an elegant temperament.

He was like a bard invited to a noble banquet; like a businessman trying to dress himself up as an upper-class person with exquisite clothes.

In addition to his identity as "Funeral Mask", Pior also has another secular identity as a "watch shop merchant".

Just for this reason... Luo Xiu shook his head, feeling that Pior's explanation seemed very pale and powerless.

However, this is also in line with the doctrine of [nihilism] and their pursuit of "meaninglessness".

The late Pior could serve as Luo Xiu's first target for establishing his authority in the "Holy Abyss"!
Luo Xiu's mind moved slightly, and his voice also turned slightly deeper:

"Piolet, you should understand."

"I did not summon you to the Promised Place to host a meaningless, time-wasting dinner or dance."

"So, put those thoughts aside, Piol."

"You will be punished by the Holy Abyss for your negligence!"

After saying that, Luo Xiu raised his arm.

A ball of dark purple flame emerged from Pior's shadow and rushed straight towards his face!

——Nightmare Wolf!
Pior was horrified, but did not dare to hide.

As an apostle of "Holy Abyss" and as the shadow of "Shura".

Pior knew that this was the price he had to pay!
……

In fact, the reason Pior was late was that he was lost.

He misjudged the time it would take to reach the "Xifeng Village Ruins" and was late.

"Please punish me... please..." Pior said in a trembling voice.

Pior's face had turned pale, and he was terrified of the "Nightmare Wolf" in front of him.

——Because before he was brainwashed by "Madness and Piety", during the battle between Pior and Luo Xiu, he was alone guarding the "Watch Shop" and was killed by this magic wolf!
As an illusion profession related to "dreams", Pior is naturally antagonized by the "Nightmare Wolf", and Pior's "Dream Thief" is an auxiliary and weakening profession, not a combat one.

Facing the demon wolf in front of him, Pior didn't dare to move at all. He just looked at the "Ashura" sitting on the stone seat with a begging look.

Just the next moment.

"——Ah!" Pior suddenly screamed.

Then, Piol began to hold his head, curled up on the ground and rolled over.

Fenrir, the "Wolf of Nightmare", has now turned into a nightmare and poured into the depths of Pior's soul.

Fenrir weaved a nightmare and dragged Pior's consciousness into the nightmare of the nightmare, constantly terrorizing his soul and breeding fear, and then "swallowing" that fear like tasting sweet candy.

“—Hmmmm!”

Pior kept rolling around, blood flowing out of his eyes, nose and mouth, leaving hideous patterns on the ground.

"Please forgive me! Uh... Lord!"

"Please... please forgive me..."

Pior wailed, begging for mercy, and his face became paler and paler.

The other "shadows" around were silently watching Pior rolling on the ground, their faces more solemn and serious than ever before.

This is the "punishment"! The "punishment" from the "Lord of the Holy Abyss" to those who are not punctual...

The "shadows" felt a deeper sense of awe in their hearts.

……

Luo Xiu observed Pior's condition and reaction.

When Luo Xiu felt that the "Punishment" had achieved the desired effect, he raised his hand slightly and let the "Nightmare Wolf" Fenrir release Pior's soul.

"Cough...cough..."

Feeling the "nightmare" shattered, the pressure on Pior's soul suddenly eased.

However, the feeling of physical discomfort quickly surged up, causing Pior to start coughing violently.

"It's just a fairly light punishment."

"Shura" made an indifferent voice:

"Piolet, I don't want to see it happen again."

"Yes... yes..." Pior responded in a staccato voice.

Feeling that his condition had recovered a little, Pior looked towards both sides of the church tremblingly, and then consciously retreated to the side of the "Hunting Blade" undertaker.

……

Everyone saw Pior being punished.

This is punishment! Punishment for violating the will of "Shura"!

After this episode, the other "shadows" became more awed by their "lord" Shura in their hearts.

The "shadows" began to weigh their thoughts from the bottom of their hearts, and it seemed that they should lower their posture...

No one wants to be punished by nightmares. The "crazy piety" imprinted deep in their minds also makes them consciously adjust the behavior and actions of "Shura" to what they think is the most reasonable side.

"Crazy and Pious" constantly reminds the shadows that he is their common "Lord", and he is the one they should "obey" and "respect" from the bottom of their souls...

——Don’t disobey! Don’t betray!

——Do not disobey the will of the "Lord"!

This is the natural, intuitive whisper in the minds of the Shadows.

……

"Then, my 'shadows'."

Shura's voice became softer, and he raised his voice slightly, saying:
"As the original apostles of the Holy Abyss, you all carry my high expectations for you."

"I will guide you to escape from the wrong path and show you the real great power..."

"--so."

"I want you to prove your worth to me."

Luo Xiu paused, then slowly said:

"And now, I will give you a chance to prove your worth."

"——Blood of Thorns!"

……

When Luo Xiu said "blood of thorns", Intis behind him suddenly had a flash of light in her eyes.

Is the Lord finally...finally going to start dealing with them? Intis thought, and at the same time, she looked at Luo Xiu's back.

Luo Xiu's fingers were tapping lightly on the cold stone seat armrest.

"That is my enemy, the enemy of Holy Abyss, and your enemy."

"Therefore, I command you..."

Luo Xiu said in a slightly deep but extremely clear tone:
"—Go and destroy all the bases of the Blood of Thorns in Triumph Square, and leave a 'trace' of your original organization in their bases."

"I will go with you."

"I will bear witness to your qualifications to serve the Holy Abyss."

"--as well as……"

"I will bear witness to your worthiness to my use."

"..."

(End of this chapter)