I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

"My lord, please reconsider! Hasn't the Church established a teleportation array outside the capital? It wouldn't take much time to request aid from the Holy City and then make further plans, would it?"

Valentine stopped in his tracks.

Oh right, there's also a teleportation array. How come I didn't think of that?

Upon hearing the news that the royal candles had gone out, his first reaction was to rush over there without considering seeking help or his own safety.

This kind of impulsiveness might have been understandable if it happened to him ten years ago, but he has been a cardinal for twenty years now, and he has always prioritized prudence in his work. When did he become so reckless?

He subconsciously looked down at the metal-like prosthesis on his right arm.

[The connecting arm]

This relic can guide holy light, but the wearer needs to continuously expend magical energy to maintain it.

Church records state that the side effect of this relic is that it "brings the wearer closer to the Holy Light," a typical vague term. In retrospect, "bringing closer to the Holy Light" probably means "becoming more righteous and acting without considering the consequences."

He reached out and removed the metal arm from the shoulder joint, placing it on a nearby table.

The moment the prosthesis was removed from his body, the impulse and anxiety were subsiding, and his thoughts became calm and clear again, but then he suddenly remembered other things.

"The existence of a church teleportation array on the outskirts of the capital is known only to Deacon Anna and me within the capital. Who exactly are you?"

The deacon's expression froze.

"I…"

"Fine, take my Holy Light!"

Valentine had already raised his left hand, palm facing forward, and a blazing pillar of holy light burst forth from between his five fingers.

Holy light filled the entire corridor, and the shadows on the walls were nowhere to be seen in the light.

The deacon's body convulsed violently the moment the holy light touched him, his face contorted, dislocated, and reformed. The outline beneath his gray robe peeled away layer by layer like a paper painting soaked in water, revealing a dark gray humanoid figure without features underneath.

It's practically the same body double Prince George wore.

A few breaths later, the dark gray humanoid figure disintegrated into countless tiny particles, vanishing in the holy light, leaving behind a strange corpse that had long since died.

Valentine withdrew his hand and began to ponder the question: "Why did the [Shadowman] ask him to seek help from the Holy City?"

What benefits would it bring to the Shadowstalker to bring in the Holy City's reinforcements?

Could it be that some of its people are among the reinforcements, or that the arrival of the reinforcements will trigger some outcome it desires?

As he pondered this, Valentine turned and walked towards the door, casting Holy Light as before. Only after confirming that everything was normal did he give orders to the deacons on duty outside.

"All church personnel in the palace, assemble in the chapel within three minutes. No one is allowed to act alone or leave your sight."

The deacons exchanged glances, but upon seeing Valentine's bare right shoulder and the unfamiliar corpse in the room, they dared not say a word and left in response.

Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall.

Victor stood beside the royal seat, his face ashen.

His archmage subordinates went to retrieve the Mirror of Shadows and have not returned yet, while darkness has already spread into the banquet hall.

The entire space was plunged into pure darkness, and even the last glimmer of light before the crystal chandelier went out vanished.

The panicked shouts of the nobles came from all directions, and some even drew their swords, the blades scraping against the corners of the tables in the darkness with a grating sound.

I should have ordered them not to bring in these decorative weapons.

But there's no use regretting it now; it's better to stabilize the situation first.

Then he said loudly:

"Gentlemen! The three legendary mages within the palace have already taken action, and the source of the darkness is being located."

"Everyone here has received basic magical education. Magic essence allows us to see without a light source. Please recall what you learned in your childhood, concentrate your mental energy, sense the flow of magic essence around you, and use magic essence to 'see'."

The crowd fell silent for a few moments.

Then some people tried closing their eyes and shifting their attention from their eyes to their senses.

The darkness slowly receded from their consciousness, replaced by the outline of flowing magic energy.

The edges of the table, the curves of the chair back, and the figures of the people around us are all presented in a grayish-white, slightly blurred way.

"I can see now!"

"I can do it too!"

"Magic Vision... I completely forgot about that!"

The chaos in the banquet hall began to subside, and the nobles gradually regained their composure.

Shirley also closed her eyes and tried to mobilize her mental energy.

She quickly sensed the distribution of magic energy around her, but at the same time, an extremely intense light, almost overwhelming all senses, surged from her side.

She turned her head away.

In her magical vision, Ji Tian was sitting in a seat a few steps away.

The concentration of magic energy in that body exceeded the total of everyone present, like a blazing white sun hanging in the banquet hall.

The surrounding magic energy was attracted, drawn, and flowed around the sun, forming a vortex invisible to the naked eye.

Sherry opened her eyes and looked at Ji Tian again.

"Master, your magic essence is so bright that I don't even need to sense others anymore."

Ji Tian was speechless upon hearing this. "I didn't use a concealment technique on my allies, so you can sense my presence..."

While chatting with Sherry, Ji Tian suddenly realized something was wrong. He grabbed Elena with one arm, pushed Sonia away, and then took Sherry's hand and led her away.

Directly above, the sound of shattering glass came from the dome of the banquet hall.

Then came a heavy thud.

Something hit the long table, shattering the tabletop, overturning cups and saucers, and scattering crumbs everywhere.

In the darkness, some liquid splashed onto the faces of the surrounding nobles, carrying a strong smell of blood.

"What fell down?!"

"Up there! The skylight is broken again!"

"What is that?"

"Those are people! They're Imperial Guards!"

Someone used the magic essence to see clearly what had fallen on the table.

The body was dressed in the standard armor of the Imperial Guard, with a tilted helmet, a blurred face, and limbs twisted at an illogical angle.

He was dead; blood seeped from the gaps in his armor and spread across the long table.

Immediately following, a second crash occurred.

From a more distant area, a sharp, somewhat childish scream echoed from the corridor outside the side door of the banquet hall.

Then came the sounds of running, crashing, and a dull thud like a heavy object hitting the ground.

Something is falling in the corridor outside the banquet hall.

One after another, they grew denser and denser, like a silent rain.

Viktor stood on the high platform, his face already pale.

He recognized those who had fallen.

Imperial Guard.

They were stationed in various locations throughout the inner palace and were the elite guards responsible for patrolling the palace grounds.

But now they are falling one after another from above, crashing onto the banquet hall dome, the corridor floor, and the glass skylights above the nobles' heads.

"Everyone stay where you are and do not move around!"