Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 156 Rebirth from the Fire
Wherever the golden light reached, monsters fell one after another. Even the arrogant Bigfoot "Emperor" stood there in a daze. The inspired adventurers followed closely behind. They let out earth-shaking war roars and used all their strength to draw the bow or chop. The giant body collapsed with a loud bang, and the tiny humans pounced on it one after another, tearing its flesh and blood with blades.

They were covered in blood, which made Abaddon, who was hiding behind the statue, dazed. For a moment, he had an illusion that these adventurers fighting in blood before him were the most elite Royal Knights.

However, the knightly order that once symbolized the glory of the empire has returned to the Temple of Netheril.

Abaddon clenched his fists.

This is what makes him most jealous. Bi'an has a special magic. Wherever she goes, she will bring stability to people, making people follow her footsteps involuntarily and willing to entrust their lives to her.

The adventurers who were previously in despair have now rushed out of the temple, following the footsteps of the other side, and rushed into the pile of monsters with a devastating force.

But as a fourth-level knight, Abaddon could see more clearly than these people - the reason why the giant Bigfoot that came out of nowhere was stunned on the spot was because of the unobvious burn mark on its chest, which was where the light penetrated and was also the real fatal wound.

In other words, this group destroyed his knights, and was regarded by him as an invincible existence, but was killed by the other side in just one encounter.

Is this... the power of the holy sword?
Abaddon knew the situation on the other side better than anyone else. He had been spying on the "Chosen One" of the Netheril Temple in the dark corners. Since she was conferred the title of Knight Commander, she had been stuck at the fourth level and had no further progress. During this period of nearly ten years, he had witnessed the changes in the combat style of the other side.

She tried to keep up with the times. She forged a miracle creation called "Red Rose" and integrated muskets into her own fighting style. She was also the first person to propose incorporating musket battalions into regular tactics when knights and musketeers disliked each other.

But no matter how they tried, the other side was stuck before the chasm and could no longer move forward.

Abaddon gained joy and satisfaction from this voyeurism, and he was intoxicated by this almost twisted pleasure.

Come to think of it, which moment in this spectacular farce made him happiest?
Did the Pope send someone to find me privately?

Did the Vatican use some kind of ritual to eliminate the pain that had always put him on the verge of breaking his oath?
No, neither.

It was the moment he saw the report in the Hippogryph Daily and the headline that said Bi'an had died at the border of the empire. The tragic picture brought the twisted satisfaction in Abaddon's heart to its peak. He looked at the pictures and locations in the newspaper again and again, memorizing every punctuation mark.

He couldn't help laughing. It was hard to describe the joy that came from his heart.

If you must say it, he and Higan have no conflicts. Even when Higan was the Knight Commander, he would often take the feelings of veterans like them into consideration in military policies. People with her personality would never make enemies with others.

But that was the happiest moment in Abaddon's life. He couldn't remember how much wine he drank. He drank until he lost all control and his dreams were filled with scenes of death on the other side.

However, the annoying guy is back again.

In an incredible way, bathed in the flames of the sacred bird, he drew the holy sword, like a legendary knight in the temple.

No, this scene was even more legendary than those heroic spirits. Even in the history of the Temple of Netheril, there had never been a person who was reborn.

It seems that this is destiny.

Abaddon was overwhelmed by intense jealousy once again. He gritted his teeth and his face was distorted.

The other side is a thief.

He had stolen his glory before, and now he had stolen the holy sword that should have belonged to him, his destiny, and his life!

The battle outside the temple is coming to an end. In fact, the moment the man who was supposed to be dead returned from the flames and drew the holy sword, the outcome of the battle was already determined. They witnessed the coronation of a saint, and she will lead people into a new era. The glory that marched across the battlefield became a way of fighting that they could not understand.

She no longer needed the blessing of the Holy Seal, nor did she rely on rigid defense and counterattack. Wherever she went, the enemies fell in droves under the shining light.

Abaddon saw the adventurers raising their weapons above their heads with great pleasure. All the pent-up fear and despair were released at this moment.

Then, those people's eyes turned to him who was hiding behind the statue with half of his head sticking out.

It was a face with bloodshot eyes and a distorted expression.

Abaddon saw contempt and ridicule on those people's faces. Even adventurers knew what returning from the other side meant.

However, Bi'an's gaze never stayed on Abaddon for even a second.

At this moment, Bi'an no longer seemed the heroic Imperial Knight Commander. She was wearing a black cloak with half of her face covered by it, looking more like a hermit.

She did not stay on the battlefield for long. The divine bird approached her and she turned over and climbed onto its back. The divine bird spread its wings and flew into the sky. The golden light was like a sun.

She left the admiration and praise of the adventurers behind and disappeared into the depths of the blizzard in the blink of an eye.

In less than half a day, the news of the Knight Commander's rebirth spread throughout the imperial capital. Nobles and commoners alike were talking about it. They drew their holy swords and killed the invincible giant Bigfoot. The adventurers even gave it the title of "Blizzard King".

Abaddon, the seriously injured Knight Commander candidate, became a stepping stone for the rumors. The army composed of elite knights and high-level priests proved the terrifying power of the Blizzard King.

Adventurers said that Abaddon and his troops were wiped out by King Blizzard in just one encounter. In the battle of the temple, the candidate for the Knight Commander was so frightened that he hid behind the statue of the Knight Lord and dared not come out.

Reporters from the Daily Hippogryph added fuel to the rumor.

He interviewed the survivors who returned from the North, and received a unified answer from them. Everyone witnessed with their own eyes that the other side was reborn from the flames of the divine bird, pulled out the holy sword from the ice, and her eyes were shining with golden light.

"The sword of oath and victory."

In the report of that afternoon, the holy sword was given such a name. It was revealed to the reporter by an unnamed adventurer who found such a description in the temple of the Knight Lord.

Abaddon lay in the compartment of the Church and refused to open his eyes. The priests of the Church healed his wounds. For a fourth-level knight, a few broken ribs were not considered a serious injury, but he would rather bury his head in the pillow like an ostrich.

He was well aware that rumors of his return from the other side would spread quickly in the imperial capital, and he also knew what that meant.

It means that he has become a loser again and has lost his value to the Holy See.

But now, he had to open his eyes. The majestic figure left the throne and walked into the compartment.

As soon as Abaddon opened his eyes, he met eyes filled with disappointment and anger.

"Your Holiness, I..."

"Bi'an, where are you now?"

The Pope was unwilling to waste his breath on the waste in front of him. All the plans he had worked so hard on before had now become someone else's wedding dress, and all that was left for him was a waste hiding in his quilt pretending to be an ostrich.

Perhaps, the other side has crossed that chasm and reached the realm of saints.

If it were just this, it would not be a cause for concern. What really frightened the Pope was the rumor of "rebirth from the ashes". Her resurrection from the dead was the greatest miracle that the people of the empire could imagine, as if her return was the will of the Knight Lord and the will of destiny.

This would give her the mantle of a rightful deity.

The Pope, who is well versed in this, certainly knows what this means. In the Empire, the Goddess of Life and the Knight Lord are supreme and cannot be desecrated.

Their motto cannot be disobeyed, and the Vatican has always used this to send one stumbling block after another to the stake.

"I, I don't know, she left very quickly."

Abaddon avoided her gaze.

The disgust in the Pope's eyes became more obvious. He looked at Abaddon deeply and turned away.

A moment later, he returned to the Holy See Hall, suppressed his anger, sent away the clergy, and locked himself in. He closed his eyes and calmed himself down until everything eased. Then he placed his hand on the candlestick. The silvery light lit the candle, and with a bang, a secret door appeared on the portrait of the first Pope.

He came to a bronze mirror, and what was reflected in it was a blurry figure.

"Teacher, there are some unexpected situations in the imperial capital."

The Pope spoke in a humble tone. In front of the vague figure, he seemed to have returned to the status of an apprentice. After a moment, a deep voice came from the bronze mirror, "I have heard that the Knight Commander who was reborn from the ashes, the one chosen by the Knight Lord..."

"Do you think the rumors are true?"

The Pope's expression became more and more solemn. Once the other side put on the cloak of "God's Chosen One", his usual methods would be ineffective. The spokesperson of the Goddess of Life could not convict the Chosen One of another upright God, let alone judge the other party.

This made him feel terrified, because even the goddess of life had never performed the miracle of resurrecting the dead.

"It doesn't matter, Julius. There are always things in this world that we don't know. The key is how we interpret this world. This is what I have always taught you."

The old voice in the bronze mirror said, "Even the gods are no exception. 'Rebirth from the ashes, destiny' is just one of the ways to interpret it. If you look at the problem from a different perspective, you can strip off the sacred cloak. For example, she faked her death to deceive everyone to cover up the fact that she broke her oath. The so-called holy sword and monster invasion were just a performance she carefully planned."

These words made the Pope freeze in place. His expression kept changing, sometimes happy, sometimes gloomy, and his hands couldn't stop shaking. Every conversation with the teacher would make him gain a lot.

"She could be a brave hero who drew out the holy sword and brought salvation, or she could be a criminal who planned everything behind the scenes and killed adventurers and soldiers of the kingdom. Julius, you should remember that the truth is insignificant. The one who brought the news of death was the eldest daughter of the Margaret family, and she happened to return to the imperial capital... Go, your people are waiting for you to interpret this world."

"I understand, teacher!"

At the same time, the "child of destiny" who brought salvation to the adventurers was burying his face in Chloe's feathers, mumbling strangely, "Miss Chloe, hey, Miss Chloe!"

Miss Chloe shook her body uncomfortably, but was afraid of throwing Higan off her back, so she had to reduce the amplitude of the shaking.

When she saw Ethan and the other two, her eyes lit up and she trotted over as if she had seen a savior.

"Cuckoo!"

"Miss Chloe said you drooled on her back."

Ethan reminded Higan who was holding Chloe's neck.

Miss Chloe has always had an aristocratic temperament, one of which is that she loves cleanliness.

"Oh, I was just a little too excited."

Bi'an wiped the corner of her mouth and reluctantly got off Miss Chloe's back. Today, all her ideals in life came true.

Drawing out the holy sword and riding on the divine bird, for a knight, she had no regrets in death.

So she didn't dare stay in the temple for too long. If she stayed for even one more second, she was afraid that she would laugh out loud in front of the adventurers and Abaddon.

This would damage her image as the inheritor of the holy sword - in people's imagination, saints should have a stern face and be serious.

"So, you have reached level five?"

Rowena asked in a wheelchair. She and Bi'an had always been on par with each other. If Bi'an crossed that final stage, she would become the weakest member of the team except for the sponsor.

"I don't know either. After all, the Holy Temple used to award medals based on the monsters killed. His Majesty Henry was recognized as a saint only after he killed the evil dragon."

Higan looked at the Sword of Oath and Victory, "But after drawing the holy sword, the way of fighting has indeed changed a lot."

It was as if she had broken through all the shackles and was no longer limited by the restrictions of the Holy Seal. Every thought she had in battle would become reality. This was unprecedented freedom.

"Oh yes, and this."

Bi'an thought of something. She drew her sword and held it with both hands. Her eyes shone with golden light, and the blade was also covered with golden light. "I will shine too."

However, according to Ethan's magic technology theory, this effect is achieved through the energy storage crystal. This is a holy sword forged with energy storage crystal and some giant god soldier wreckage, and she herself is equivalent to the power bank of the holy sword.

Referring to the changes in Ethan's two upgraded elements, she felt that the ability to glow might also be one of the criteria for a saint.

Bi'an still felt that everything that was happening before her eyes was a little unreal. She never dreamed that she had been stuck at the fourth level for ten years, and finally she completed the promotion in this way.

"Let's discuss the specific changes when we get back. Ivy said she found some important information in the library."

Ethan raised the energy crystal and said.

........................

On the other side, the Imperial Library.

After returning to the imperial capital, Ivy stayed in the hotel with others and did not go home. She spent almost all her free time in the library. She used the authority of Margaret's family to obtain the qualification to go to the forbidden book area.

Apart from "returning" Viola to the Vatican, she had almost no contact with anyone familiar.

But she knew that such easy days would not last long, so she reset Viola's memory, causing Viola's memory to become blank after arriving in Creekwood Town.

Even though she blamed it all on the contaminated area, claiming that Viola was already in a coma when they found her, the Vatican would definitely investigate.

The cover of the ancient book placed on the table at this moment contained records about the scarlet plague and the bloody priest. She contacted Ethan with the energy storage crystal, believing that the other party would be interested in her discovery.

However, what she waited for was not Ethan and others, but a familiar face that made her a little unhappy.

The young man was still wearing an elegant tuxedo, with what he thought was a charming smile on his face, and walked towards her escorted by two guards.

Even though she felt a little unhappy, Ivy still stood up properly and gave a noble salute to the visitor, "Hello, Your Highness the Second Prince."

When she learned that it was the Second Prince who personally sent the message to the other side to go to the border to die, all she felt was disgust towards him.

However, the second prince is currently highly respected by the Holy See, and public opinion in the imperial capital regards him as the heir to the throne.

"How many times have I told you, Ivy, just call me Damian."

Ivy did not refute, but saluted the young man again.

"It's rare for you to come back from the border, but you don't go home or come to see me. I'm really disappointed."

Ivy rolled her eyes in her heart at the affected tone, but this was something that had to be appreciated in the imperial capital. The so-called upper class all spoke in the same way, and only after being disgusted a few times did you realize that you were living in the imperial capital.

In fact, her relationship with the second prince was limited to meeting him a few times at dances. She toasted to her cousin for the sake of her father and aunt's face. In reality, they were not even ordinary friends. They had never had any correspondence during the two years in Ximu Town.

Ivy knew very well that the Second Prince would not come to find her at this time to reminisce about the past, but this was most likely the Pope's intention.

The news that has now spread throughout the imperial capital has made the Pope somewhat uneasy.

"I still have some work to do at the shelter. I was planning to visit you after I finished my work."

Ivy said in a proper tone.

Damian glanced at the book on the table and said, "You can put your work aside for now. It's a rare occasion for you to come back, so I specially arranged a dinner for you and invited my mother and your father. It's tonight. It's getting late now, and you should go home and make arrangements. In addition to them, the current director of the shelter will also be there. I believe he won't blame you. I also have some people I want to introduce to you."

"Thank you. I will be there on time."

This person is so annoying!

However, due to his status, Ivy put the book back on the bookshelf. She believed that with Ethan's intelligence, he would understand the secret he had discovered when he saw the contents of the book.

(End of this chapter)