Do you all know the future?

Chapter 109 Loran's Choice

"What? Mom's unconscious?"

The news Vivian brought startled Loran, who was studying the current situation around him. What could possibly go wrong with the soul-searching ritual? The soul-searching technique was known for its stability, but it was troublesome and expensive to set up, and it was generally not used for anything that was not particularly important.

“That’s right, a soul-searching ritual was performed. After a long time without the master coming out, I checked on him out of concern and found that he was unconscious.”

Vivian lowered her head, concealing some things, and recounted what had happened.

"Have you noticed any problems? What's the general situation with Mom?"

Lorraine asked impatiently, still in shock from her mother's coma, but the investigation had already begun.

“It looks like a simple coma, but I can’t wake him up. I’ve tried all sorts of methods, but I still can’t wake him up. So after settling him in, I’m leaving the Spirit Realm to report to you, Duke.”

Vivian shook her head, a helpless expression on her face, as if she had really tried countless methods, but unfortunately had not found a solution.

"I'll go take a look first!"

After hearing Vivian's story, Lorraine panicked and rushed to the entrance to the spirit realm in her home to see what had happened to her mother.
Vivian did not stop him, and followed Loran back to the Spirit Realm Castle, not even caring about the trap.

The meeting went smoothly, but all that could be seen was Sleeping Beauty's mother, who had been moved to bed by Vivian, her expression calm and serene.

"Mommy mommy……"

Lorraine called out to Isabella, but apart from her breathing, which proved Isabella was still alive, she was no different from the dead in every other way, and Lorraine's calls were of no use.

"What on earth is going on!"

Loran probed Isabella's spirituality, but all his explorations were like raindrops falling into the ocean, not even causing a ripple.

At the same time, Isabella's spirituality was also concealed. Like a mortal, Isabella was asleep, sleeping soundly.

Just as Vivian said, nothing could be found, and the reason for her mother's coma could not be determined.

"The soul-searching ritual should be very safe. Take me to see the scene!"

Unable to get answers from her mother, Loran wanted to see what was going on with the altar, and Vivian obediently led the way.

Upon arriving at the altar, they examined the withered abyssal moss, the owl feathers burned to ashes, and picked up the half-melted dragon's birthstone, but found nothing unusual.

"Please take my mother back to the material world first, and I will go and ask the archbishop of the church to come and take a look."

Loran investigated on his own but found nothing unusual. Like a headless fly, he couldn't find any clues. The only thing he was sure of was that his biological father was dead, and not even his remnant soul remained. He tried to restart the soul search but to no avail.

"As ordered!"

Vivian lowered her head and saw that Loran was at a loss. A smile curved her lips. Loran had indeed taken the bait.

Seeing that her mother had been settled, Loran glanced worriedly at her mother's belly, hoping that it wouldn't affect her younger siblings.

Even demigods couldn't solve Isabella's current problem; she needed divine intervention, specifically from a few particular deities. That's when Diane turned to the moon goddess for help.

Loran acted swiftly; this time, the archbishop was not Mennon, but a more healing-oriented archbishop.

"Archbishop Madeline, please take a look at my mother, what's wrong?"

Lorraine led Archbishop Madeline to his mother's room and pleaded with a kind, middle-aged woman.

"Okay, let me check it out..."

A wisp of green breeze drifted through Archbishop Madeline's hand, gently brushing against Isabella on the bed, as if probing her physical condition.

"Her soul was severely damaged and fell into a dormant state, which shouldn't be the case. No matter how you look at it, a soul-searching ritual shouldn't have this effect."

Archbishop Madeline withdrew the whirlwind from her hand, somewhat puzzled, but she was too lazy to go and see the scene. That was a secret of the Stuart family, and a soul-searching ritual could not possibly produce such an effect.

"Archbishop Madeline, can you heal and awaken Mother?"

Lorraine wasn't concerned about Isabella's ritual; the real issue was whether they could bring Isabella back to life quickly and whether her prolonged condition would affect the child.

As for where the problem lies, we can investigate that after Isabella wakes up.

"The question of the soul is the domain of the gods, and I do not have the ability to interfere. I suggest you consult the gods."

Archbishop Madeline became somewhat embarrassed; she had discovered a problem, but there was nothing she could do to fix it.

"But aren't you the representatives of the gods?"

Loran was surprised, and his expression turned serious. Even Archbishop Madeline couldn't solve the problem; his mother's condition was serious.

"We need to find a few deities who have mastered the laws of the soul and can adjust the soul, such as the Moon Goddess, the God of Death, and the God of Dreams. Even the followers of Lady Tina cannot solve this problem."

Archbishop Madeline waved her hand, saying that everyone has their own expertise. Calming storms and rain is the strength of the Breeze Church, but manipulating souls is not, especially since Ms. Tina is missing.

"Should we seek help from these churches?"

Loran's face showed displeasure, and he was also resisting these churches in his heart, probably due to Diane's teachings.

"I can't help with the soul damage, and Dean Isabella's condition is uncertain. You'd better make a decision quickly."

Archbishop Madeline acknowledged her own shortcomings, and seemingly noticing Loran's hesitation, offered him a word of advice.

"Which church should I go to?"

Loran wasn't one to act rashly, so he quickly asked Archbishop Madeline for a recommendation.

"The first choice should be the Moon God, as He is the god of the vampires and should understand the souls of vampires better. The second choice is the Dream God, as the price of praying to Him is not high. Finally, the God of Death is not considered, as He is not even in the church and works alone."

After a moment's thought, Archbishop Madeline made a suggestion, which Loran nodded and noted down.

"Given the current situation, the gods might demand something else, even your mother's injury might be divinely arranged. I'm leaving now; you make the decision yourself."

The biggest news in the kingdom right now, known to everyone, is Diane's choice. Which deity will this heir of noble blood choose to rely on? The injury to Isabella is a test.

"This this……"

Archbishop Madeline's reminder made Loran even more conflicted. As Archbishop Madeline left, Loran relaxed, but he kept thinking about her words.

"The Duke of Loran?"

He seemed to have been thinking for too long, and it was only when Vivian, who was standing beside him, reminded him that Loran seemed to snap out of his reverie.

Loran felt that the situation had exceeded his control. Archbishop Madeline's words made a lot of sense. There was no coincidence. The damage to his mother's soul was a conspiracy by the gods, and praying to the gods was exactly that conspiracy.

Lorraine wanted to rush into the palace to tell Diane about the situation, but then he remembered what his mother had told him: this was the most dangerous moment for Diane, and he shouldn't cause her any trouble.

So he was conflicted. He knew it was a conspiracy, perhaps the Moon Goddess wanted to lure Diane out, but he couldn't hide his mother's current situation from her.

"What should I do?!"

Lorraine murmured softly, feeling as if she were choosing between Diane and her biological father in her past life. If she chose Diane, she should have followed her mother's advice and not told Diane anything, quietly waiting for Diane to resolve all the troubles. Choosing her mother was choosing Diane, letting Diane make the decision. Given Diane's feelings for her mother, she would surely fall into the trap woven by the gods.

"Let's go to church first. Regardless of any conspiracy, the master's condition cannot be delayed any longer."

Hearing Loran's murmur, Vivian kindly offered her advice, subtly urging him on.

Going in circles has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that it's not a direct threat, and it requires human judgment. The advantage is that the other party can't be sure if it's really an enemy, so they don't have such a strong rebellious mentality.

"Can't delay any longer, must go to church first, sigh..."

Following Vivian's advice, Lorraine walked outside. With Diane on one side and her mother and younger siblings on the other, Lorraine felt as if she were walking on the edge of a cliff. No matter who she hurt, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

This time, as he sat in the carriage, he wasn't as anxious as when he had asked Archbishop Madeline for help. His mother's time couldn't be delayed, but he didn't travel fast because he hadn't figured out what reason to use to ask the Blood Moon Church for help.

His mother was a vampire, but not a follower of the moon goddess. The moon goddess's palace also blesses Tudor women, and her target is naturally Diane. Whether it's a conspiracy or not, she won't let Diane go, so he doesn't want to move forward.

"You are distressed, my child!"

As Loran left the family manor, pondering how to deal with the Blood Moon Church, a whisper reached his ear.

"Who?"

Loran felt a sense of comfort along with a chill, a chill that came from the depths of her being, and a strange sense of familiarity.

"I am your Lord. You are conflicted, aren't you? Are you worried it's a conspiracy by the gods? That's right, it is a conspiracy by the gods!"

The voice had a seductive quality that made people unconsciously believe it.

"My Lord, I already have a Lord. I know it's a conspiracy. Get out of my mind!"

Loran knew who it was: the Lord of Devouring, who was related to him by blood, and in a sense, the source of his bloodline, as well as the deity who descended upon him in his previous life.

“If you already have a Lord, how could I contact you? You don’t yet have the blessing of a believer. I’m here to help you, so there’s no need to be so wary.”

His voice was deep and provocative. Regardless of whether Loran truly believed in any god, he had no divine blessing.

"The first lesson for all extraordinary beings is to never listen to a single word from an evil god, and what do you think you can understand about my loyalty and my faith?"

His loyalty had already been given to Diane. In this new life, he would simply listen to Diane. The evil god wanted to tempt him; what a pipe dream.

"But aren't you curious about what kind of conspiracy the gods might be plotting? You're conflicted, aren't you?"

The seductive voice came again, and Loran's heart stirred slightly. He really wanted to know about the gods' conspiracy, how much of a conspiracy Diane was involved, and whether he should tell Diane that her mother was injured.

Do you know what I'm struggling with? Can you read minds?

Loran relaxed, probably because someone was sharing his burdens and he had someone to confide his worries to.

"Of course, I know you're troubled by the gods' conspiracy. I will help you. You are my descendant, as long as you open your heart and believe in me..."

Sensing that Loran was wavering, the evil god intensified his seduction efforts, addressing Loran's most pressing concerns in an attempt to seduce her.

"Then tell me, who is my master?"

Loran abruptly changed his tone, his smile freezing as he asked, offering no conditions to accept the evil god's offer and instead abruptly interrupting the evil god's seduction.

"..."

"Scammer, get lost! I'm not falling for that!"

Loran sneered. With so many shielding items on him, it was already a miracle that the other party could even communicate with him. They wanted to read his mind? If they could read his mind, they would have known about his rebirth long ago.

"It's such a pity your father couldn't destroy you, such a perfect vessel!"

The seductive voice sounded somewhat regretful, as if it imagined how wonderful it would be if the deed were done to Loran, but this kind of fantasy only made Loran feel more disgusted.

"If you want to turn people into containers and extract their souls, I don't know what kind of lunatic would be willing to become your pawn!"

Loran felt a chill run down his spine, because the evil god had succeeded in his previous life, and the feeling of being replaced as a sacrifice was unforgettable.

“A mentally ill person is not as bad as a person filled with hatred. If you convert, I can eliminate your hatred. If you don’t want to, let her destroy you!”

As soon as the evil god finished whispering, Loran suddenly felt a sense of crisis. He pushed open the door and jumped off the carriage.

In an instant, half of the carriage was bitten off by a gigantic, empty mouth. The coachman lost control of the frightened horse and ran away, leaving only Loran and the chewing mouth at the scene.

"What the hell? Moria?"

Loran, still shaken, cried out in alarm as he saw a familiar figure.

"Duke Loran, it's me! I've come to kill you!"

Moria's face was filled with decay and evil, and her spirituality formed a large mouth full of sharp teeth.

"You actually sided with an evil god?"

Loran dusted himself off, assumed a fighting stance, and drew the longsword hanging at his waist. The evil god was resorting to force when he couldn't win with words.

"How can I harm you if I don't align myself with the evil god? You are the noble Duke Stuart."

Moria laughed maniacally, her controlled giant mouth emitting a cacophony of laughter, while simultaneously mocking and taunting.

"It seems that siding with the evil god has given you a lot of confidence."

Loran didn't deliberately provoke Moria; instead, he focused on figuring out how to escape.

"Don't bother, I am an angel, an angel created by God. I can materialize the laws. Just wait to die, I will eat you up piece by piece."

Moriad's eyes were filled with hatred as she lunged at Loran with her gaping maw. Loran activated her magic to defend herself but was thrown back, unable to withstand the attack.

Although Loran didn't understand why she harbored such hatred—he hadn't even started to retaliate against Moria yet, so how could Moria hate him so much? It was simply incomprehensible.

"Do you see the gap between us now? Do you regret it? You actually secretly cultivated a good relationship with Prince An behind my back!"

Loran didn't understand the logic of hatred unique to women. He felt as if all the bones in his body were broken. He lay on his back, unable to move. It seemed that he had no choice. He fell to the Devourer for the second time.

"I'm not leaving, I haven't killed him yet, ah..."

Loran looked up at the sky and heard Moria's pitiful scream. Goosebumps rose on his skin; the woman's scream was extremely piercing.

The expected pursuit did not come, which puzzled Loran, but the scene changed quickly, and a figure appeared beside him.

"You ran really fast. Are you alright... Well, you don't look alright!"

Warm holy light soothed Loran's injured body. Diane appeared beside Loran and cast a simple healing spell.

(End of this chapter)