Spellcasting Gods

Since she made up her mind to take control of her own destiny, this was the first time she had encountered someone who wanted to turn her into a plaything and a puppet.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Moreover, they are planning to capture Tilsburg, cut off the river's grain transport, plunge the entire capital into famine, and then incite the starving populace to overthrow your rule," the spy reported, bowing his head and speaking in unadorned language.

Those who were plotting together not long ago probably never dreamed that their every move was being watched by omnipresent spies. In less than half an hour, all their conversations and discussions were in the hands of another party involved.

As a queen who came to power through a coup, Viria undoubtedly placed great importance on the development of intelligence agencies. In addition to the royal intelligence system she inherited from her abdicated father, she also secretly established a shadow agency.

This shadow agency is responsible for overseeing and cleaning up the royal intelligence system, ensuring that there are no individuals within it secretly opposing them.

After several months of intensive training, it's time to reap the rewards.

Even in the homes of nobles who were secretly plotting rebellions, there were almost always one or two spies who continuously relayed important information back to them.

So no matter how many rumors circulated, she never panicked, because she had her every move under control.

But now, this prince who has come from afar has made a mistake, a fatal mistake, one that will prevent him from ever returning to his country, and instead make him a prisoner, a pawn and tool used to humiliate Emperor Harrison the Great.

"Hmph! I didn't realize there were quite a few intelligent people among these traitors. But unfortunately for them, they're all wrong. I won't passively wait for them to rebel; I'll strike first." With that, Vilia quickly picked up a piece of paper from the table, scribbled down a series of orders, and then stamped it with the royal seal. "Here, deliver this to my generals as quickly as possible. Also, keep a close eye on that prince to prevent him from escaping."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The spy kept his head down as he accepted the letter and carefully placed it close to his body, not daring to let his gaze linger on the Queen's alluring nightgown.

He knew very well that the most important thing in this line of work was to know how to restrain himself and never cross the line, otherwise he would face ruthless purge.

……

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away in a city within Kerwin's controlled territory, the woman who had returned to the civilized world with the Holy Sword was sitting in an inconspicuous corner of a tavern, sipping her strong liquor while coldly observing everything around her.

Ever since she made up her mind to awaken the God of Darkness, she has been thinking about how to establish a solid belief system so that more people can understand the greatness of darkness.

Unfortunately, despite many people acting in accordance with the dark code of conduct, they still yearn for the light in their hearts.

This means that no matter how many benefits darkness offers, it cannot hold their hearts.

In order to understand the nature of humanity, she did not rush to recruit believers or form a church. Instead, she stayed in this mixed place and patiently observed all kinds of people, what they really wanted, what they were willing to give, and what their attitudes were towards faith.

Just as she began to take an interest in the two boys begging in the corner, a man with tattoos on his head and half his face swaggered over and sat down across the table. In a slightly mocking voice, he said, "Hey! Little girl! You've been here for almost a week, haven't you? How about doing some good exercise with me, the strong one? I guarantee that as long as you nod, no one will bother you no matter what you do in this tavern."

"Oh? You seem very confident?" The woman wasn't angry at the other person's overly blatant provocation. Instead, she lazily picked up her glass and took a small sip of wine.

"Of course! Of course I'm confident! Ask anyone else who I, Grizzly Romand, am, and how many troublemakers I've dealt with." The man raised his thick arms, showing off his well-developed pectoral and biceps.

It goes without saying that he was a thug or bouncer in this tavern.

He's just a little better than those low-level thugs; he has his own territory where he can drink, eat, and sleep in rooms without spending any money.

On the contrary, the bar owner would give him some money every week to ensure that his bar wouldn't be targeted by other thugs and hooligans, and that no fights between drunkards would result in deaths.

Some nightingales are even willing to offer "special" services for free to ensure that the other party will come to their aid if they encounter trouble or danger.

Of course, as a bodyguard and enforcer, his position was not for life and was not protected by any law.

If a more powerful outsider defeats it, then it can naturally take its place.

In short, he's a guy who makes a living with his fists, his body, and his strength. His mind is filled with violence, tobacco, alcohol, and women, and his only enjoyment in life is instant gratification.

So when they see a young and beautiful new female face, they immediately rush over to see if they can get something for free.

"Hehe, you're so cute. Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance. Come on, follow me, if you dare." The woman stood up with a meaningful smile and slowly walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

As she turned the corner, she didn't forget to turn back and give him a suggestive smile.

"Oh my god!!! The only thing I have plenty of is guts! Come on, guys, cheer for me! I'm going to have a wonderful night tonight." The man raised his hands and made stupid, rude gestures like a gorilla, while making strange noises.

This poor guy had no idea what terrible things were about to happen to him.

The drunkards around them were equally oblivious, making a ruckus and joining in the commotion. Two others, already incoherent from drinking, insisted on joining in, reasoning that sharing the fun was more exciting than enjoying it alone.

But without exception, they were all kicked away by the man amidst laughter and curses, and finally, he rushed alone into the only unlocked room on the second floor...

Chapter 1120 The Dark Faith (Part 2)

"Hehe! Baby, I'm here."

The woman standing by the window suddenly turned around, a faint smile on her face, and asked in an incredibly strange tone, "Do you have any beliefs?"

"Faith?! What the hell is that?" The man was bewildered by this nonsensical question, and even forgot what he was supposed to do next, standing there frozen in place.

“Faith, as the name suggests, is something you most desire in your heart, but can never obtain. It is a spiritual sustenance and comfort, a precious treasure that can fill your heart when you feel empty and lonely,” the woman explained, looking up at the starry sky.

For some reason, ever since she learned that there was a sleeping god in this world waiting for her to awaken him, she has felt a strange excitement.

Unlike accepting commissions from the Dark Believers to do some heinous things, it was as if something had filled the emptiness in his soul.

It was precisely because of this that she signed that series of unequal contracts, becoming a true believer in darkness, or rather, a dark apostle.

Unfortunately, simple-minded, muscular men don't understand these overly complex things.

To be precise, he couldn't even necessarily do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of numbers with more than two digits correctly. He shook his head in bewilderment and said, "Damn it, I don't understand what you're saying, and I don't need to understand."

The words had barely left his mouth!

He then reached out his arm, intending to pull the other person into his embrace.

Normally, a burly man who is over 1.9 meters tall and weighs around 100 kilograms could absolutely do whatever he wants to a thin woman who is only 1.7 meters tall and probably weighs less than 60 kilograms.

But interestingly, the situation is exactly the opposite today.

Just as the man's rough, large hand grabbed the woman's arm, he suddenly felt a tremendous force that threw him into the air, making him somersault before slamming him hard onto the floor with a thud.

boom!

"what!!!"

The violent impact caused him to let out a scream.

no way!

Keep in mind that this is the cheapest tavern or hotel. The floor hasn't been repaired in who knows how many years, and many parts are warped, so falling down here is bound to be unpleasant.

Just as he was struggling to get up, the woman raised her foot and stomped down hard.

boom!

The poor man felt as if he had been trampled by an elephant, and he coughed up blood. The burning sensation from the concussion in his lungs was like a raging fire, making him wish he were dead.

“Answer my question! Do you have a faith?” The woman bent down and stared into the man’s eyes.

"I...I do! I have faith!"

The man nodded frantically, finally realizing he was in deep trouble. The woman in front of him was not the prostitute he thought she was, but a madwoman with terrifying power.

“Very good! Then tell me, what is your belief? Violence? Hedonism?” the woman continued to press.

"I...I'm not quite sure. I just like the feeling of stepping on others and craving the fear, flattery, and fawning of those around me." The man blurted out his truest thoughts without hesitation.

After all, a hoodlum like him living at the bottom of society wouldn't have any grand goals or ambitions. He only hoped to hold onto his position for a few more years and enjoy the benefits of his fists. He planned to take the remaining money to the countryside, buy a piece of land, marry a village woman, have a few children, and live out the rest of his life in peace.

Upon hearing this, a satisfied expression immediately appeared on the woman's face: "So, both your desires and your preferences lean more towards darkness. Now, if I asked you to swear an oath to a god of darkness, would you be willing?"

"I'm willing! I'm willing! As long as you don't kill me! I'll do anything!" The man had no idea how dangerous his promise was; he just wanted to get out of his precarious situation as quickly as possible.

He wasn't sure if saying no would lead to his unexplained death, leaving him a cold corpse that wouldn't be discovered until it began to rot and stink.

"In that case, please repeat after me. Great God of Darkness, Ruva..."

……

With each blatant declaration, the man was astonished to find a ray of black light descending from the sky and shining on his head.

Gradually, a cold, dark energy began to flow into the body, continuously strengthening the muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs.

When it was all over, he was surprised to find that he was several times stronger than usual, as if he could overturn a carriage that was rushing towards him with his bare hands.

"Ah! It seems the God of Darkness has acknowledged you, bestowing upon you the blessing of darkness. Remember, from this moment on, you are no longer an ordinary thug, but a warrior favored by darkness, and you must fight for the God of Darkness, Ruva. Otherwise, the food of darkness will devour your body and soul." A chilling smile appeared on the woman's face.

Without a doubt, this was an attempt at seductive enticement mixed with coercion and inducement, with fear playing a dominant role.

In any case, the biggest difference between darkness and light is that the latter can only rely entirely on its own subjective will, while the former can achieve its goals through many despicable means.

So whether it was out of genuine feeling or out of desperation, the forces of darkness gave their approval.

"I... what do I need to do?" The man was clearly not stupid enough and quickly realized his situation.

Faced with that immense dark power, he was like a pitiful little shrimp, utterly powerless to resist.

Instead of fighting desperately, it's better to obediently choose to submit. You might even gain more benefits, or escape your current precarious life and become a superior person.

Chapter 1121 Spread

How can a religious sect spread rapidly in a short period of time?

The answer is simple!

It's nothing more than deception, coercion, and enticement.

The former is easy to understand; it involves fabricating stories, such as how powerful the god worshipped by one's church is, how many great things he has done, and even how he sacrificed himself to save all mankind.

As for the latter code...

Naturally, they first use intimidation to tell you how serious the consequences will be if you don't believe in God, and then they tell you that if you convert now, you can not only be forgiven of your past sins, but also go to another world to enjoy a wonderful life after death.

Offering promises about the future, or even after death, in exchange for people's faith is a common characteristic of almost all religions.

The only difference is that religions that worship the true God are not overly greedy in terms of material possessions, while those that worship false gods invariably become tools for accumulating wealth and interfering with secular power.

Using "Grizzly" Romand's familiarity with the lower-class gangs, the woman quickly recruited a group of scoundrels who were usually up to no good, and then used them to spread her faith.

Of course, this belief is actually quite similar to collecting protection money.

In the slums where official power cannot reach, those who are willing to believe in the dark god Ruva and regularly participate in sacrificial activities can be exempted from most of the protection fees, while those who are unwilling to believe will be ripped off.

Does this sound familiar?

Is it exactly the same method used by a certain religion in the Middle East during its rapid expansion?

That's right!

For ordinary people, it doesn't really matter what kind of god they believe in, especially when they can't even solve the most basic problem of food and clothing. Why would they care about what the gods' doctrines are?

They wouldn't care even if it meant sacrificing demons, as long as they could gain tangible benefits.

Looking at the poor people kneeling on the ground, muttering incantations, the woman couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips slightly. In a voice only she could hear, she said, "So that's how it is... This is faith! It's much simpler than I imagined. Although they are far from being devout, and cannot understand the true meaning of darkness, they can still provide strength to awaken the god of darkness from chaos."

“I… don’t understand. What’s the point of doing this? They’re all a bunch of poor bastards. Even if you threw them into a pot to extract oil, you wouldn’t get any oil out of them.” Romand shook his head blankly.