Goddess Kaleidoscope

"Let's go, quickly go to Hume's room and look for him, I feel like something's not right..."

Seeing the black-robed god and the imposter leave, and not finding Hume among the reinforcements, Ludd suddenly had a bad feeling. Sure enough, as he suspected, their Hume was gone, and Ludd immediately guessed the worst possible scenario.

Hume has been arrested.

Meanwhile, the black-robed god and the imposter, who had escaped through the portal, returned to an underground cavern. Before them stood a massive altar, on which lay a body almost identical to Hume. Many humans, also dressed in black robes, gathered around the altar, and upon seeing the black-robed god and the imposter return, they all prostrated themselves on the ground.

Back in his own territory, the imposter, wearing only half a sheet, went straight to the center of the altar and lay down on the stone platform side by side. Then, some black, smoke-like objects emerged and returned to the other body on the right. The other body then opened its eyes, sat up, and looked at Hume, who was unconscious beside it, and said...

"This God of War's curse is incredibly powerful! It truly prevents me from using any divine power at all."

"For an eighth-tier high god, sealing a fourth-tier mid-level god is naturally a piece of cake."

"Then, according to your method, will she still be able to use it?"

"Of course you can. Her divine power has only been sealed, but she is still undoubtedly the rightful owner of the God of Thieves. The simplest and most effective way to truly replace her is through sacrifice. Don't worry, trust me, I won't be wrong."

Upon hearing the black-robed god's words, the imposter pondered for a moment before nodding. She owed her current success largely to the guidance and support of this senior figure, so she trusted him.

At that moment, a kneeling human believer rose and stepped forward, removing his hood to reveal a young man's face. The imposter god of thieves glanced at him, a playful smile creeping onto his lips.

How is your new body adapting?

"Thanks to my Lord, it is in even better condition than the previous one."

"How's the preparation for what I asked you to do coming along?"

"Everything is ready, and we can begin at any time. However..."

"But what? Just say what you have to say."

"The other three elders, as well as some senior council members, seem to be making underhanded moves behind the scenes."

"Hmph! A bunch of opportunists, they'll side with whoever's stronger. But you, Klinholm... don't you have any ulterior motives of your own?"

"There can only be one sun in the sky! In my heart there is only my lord, the god of thievery!"

Upon hearing the imposter thief's question, Trin, who was called "Klinhol," hurriedly knelt on the ground, expressing his loyalty with trepidation. The imposter thief smiled noncommittally, jumped off the stone platform, turned around and circled the unconscious Hume, muttering to himself.

"In two more days, I will be the real you!"

End of this chapter

Despite being protected by their main fighting force, Hume was still captured, and the opponent was a mid-level god whom they could not currently contend with. This dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the entire team.

Lude looked around and took in everyone's expressions; they all wore expressions of resentment.

However, the difference in power is undeniable. The one in the black robe is not only a mid-level god, but his level may also be higher than the fourth rank. This means that even if all five goddesses, including Aina, Shanis, and the three sisters, break through to the fourth rank, they may not necessarily gain an advantage in divine power.

Therefore, from a purely rational perspective, Lude should not act impulsively at this moment. Instead, he should immediately lead everyone back to Pinewood Town overnight, return to his own territory, continue to develop in silence, and rely on his advantage in development speed. Once his strength has increased, he can then return to Flamewood City, wipe out the entire Black Hand Brotherhood, and avenge Hume.

But this also means that they now have to abandon Hume, and even throw away Fallen Leaf. Because Fallen Leaf is the messenger of the god of thievery, once the imposter replaces Hume as the true god, Fallen Leaf will automatically become the other's messenger, and then whether he lives or dies will be entirely in the other's hands.

Ludwig considered himself rational, but he was by no means heartless.

After a long silence, the second sister, Croto, couldn't help but clench her fist and slam it on the table, gritting her teeth and blaming herself.

"We're too weak! It's all because we lack power!"

“Master, what should we do now? I think… we should at least try again! Like rescuing Hume and running away or something…”

"I agree with Sister Shanis's suggestion. The three of us sisters have made so many preparations during this time, there's no reason for us to back down just because someone intimidates us. We're not without our own powerful weapons, we have to find a way to deliver a devastating blow!"

Shanis and the three sisters were all advocates of war; even knowing they were outmatched, they were determined to fight. The others were also unwilling to give up so easily, and for a moment, they all cast expectant and eager glances at Lud.

But Ludwig remained silent for a long time before speaking with a solemn expression.

"You should refrain from making any rash moves for now. I understand everyone's feelings, but the disparity in strength between the two sides has now been reversed dramatically. It is precisely at times like this that we must remain calm."

At that moment, a member of the Heroic Spirit Squad entered the room and hurriedly went to Ludwig's side to report another piece of bad news.

When the enemy raided the tavern, the necromancer Dick, who had been obediently staying in the basement, took advantage of the chaos to escape. It is now confirmed that he likely slipped into the sewers of Flamewood City through a secret passage, and skilled tracking heroes have already given chase.

However, the sewers of Yanmu City have a very complex topography and are inhabited by many "hospitable" natives, including humans, demi-humans, and even monsters. This has given rise to many sensational "urban legends," a significant portion of which are "based on true events." As a result, even the locals of Yanmu City can't help but feel apprehensive when they mention the sewers.

Furthermore, Lude knew that the necromancer Dick was born in the sewers of Flamewood City, which could be considered his hometown. Therefore, even though the heroic spirit had a super strong tracking ability, it was still accompanied by considerable risks.

After thinking for a moment, Lude immediately ordered Alvitt to take three more Heroic Spirits to catch up and provide reinforcements. It didn't matter if they couldn't find them; the priority was to ensure the safety of their own people.

According to local rumors, many cultists are entrenched deep in the sewers of Yanmu City. They have opened the entrance to the "Demon Realm," deliberately luring demons from other realms to the human world to intimidate the righteous sects residing on the surface and prevent them from easily approaching their territory.

Thinking of this, Luther suddenly had a flash of inspiration and came up with a good way to "get" Hume back.

The following morning, a servant from the Navarro household delivered an invitation to the Sky Opera House, inviting "Mr. Hugo" to a banquet at the Navarro estate the next day. The invitation was worded very politely and casually, but to Ludwig, it was full of provocation.

I'm asking you, do you dare to come or not?

Looking at the invitation, Ludwig smiled brightly, as warm as the sun, and addressed the servant who had delivered the letter.

"I will definitely keep my promise and will be at your doorstep tomorrow!"

So, the following evening, Lud arrived alone at the gate of the Navarro family manor, where the acting head of the family, Terin, and the steward, Juan, were already waiting. They had learned that a "distinguished guest" might be visiting that day, so they had been waiting there early.

Although it is unclear what merits or abilities this young playwright possesses, since it is a message from such an important person, it cannot be ignored.

"Mr. Hugo, please."

Wearing a black robe identical to that of the unknown deity, Ludwig followed the two into the Navarro family manor. The group went straight to the main castle, then took a secret passage to a cave deep underground. There, Ludwig saw a huge altar and the imposter who looked almost exactly like Hume, but the unknown deity in the black robe was not present, nor was Hume.

The imposter standing on the altar looked down at Lud with a smug smile, as if victory was already assured.

"It's quite surprising that you actually had the guts to come here, all alone. If this is a surrender, then it's quite sincere."

"Surrender? You're dreaming. I'm here to negotiate."

"Hahaha! Negotiation? Do you think you have the means to do so?"

"Where is that guy in the black robe?"

"Hey! Watch your mouth. That senior is no ordinary low-ranking weak god. If you don't want to be punished by the heavens, use respectful titles."

"Tch! I don't even know who He is, how can I address him with respect?"

"you……"

Speechless for a moment after being countered by Lu De's words, the imposter couldn't help but feel embarrassed, because her senior had specifically instructed her not to reveal her identity to others.

"You, a mere mortal, are not qualified to know the name of that senior. You can simply address her as the High God."

"It doesn't matter. I'm here today to negotiate with you."

"I think you're not a fool. What trump card do you think you have to dare to challenge me like this? I called you here today only to give you a chance. Mortal, pledge allegiance to me and serve me! I will allow you to become my representative in the mortal realm. Don't be ungrateful!"

The imposter held herself in extremely high esteem, believing that the mortal before her had no reason to refuse the conditions she offered. She had heard from an elder that this guy was a super genius in missionary work, so she wanted to bring Ludla into her sect so that he could serve her in the future.

However, Lud, standing below the altar, gave him a look as if he were an idiot, and asked while picking his ear with his little finger.

"Are you done talking?"

"What? Are you going to refuse my kindness?"

"Give me a straight answer: are you going to release them or not?"

"Ha! I think you've really gone mad. Then tell me, what gives you the right to negotiate with me?"

"How about this?"

As Ludd spoke, he reached into his robe, and the imposter instinctively became wary, while some of the Navarro family guards around him silently gripped their sword hilts. But Ludd pulled a tiny figure, only a few centimeters tall, from his robe and placed it on the ground in front of the altar.

Upon closer inspection, the imposter turned out to be a statue of the God of War.

"That's it?"

"This is a statue of the God of War. Even though you're an imposter, you should at least know that praying to a statue of a god generates faith, and that faith contains the sound of prayer. So, as long as I pray to the statue of the God of War, I can summon him to deal with you. Are you afraid?"

"..."xN

After Lu De finished speaking, the entire cave fell silent for a moment, but this brief silence lasted for less than three seconds before being replaced by the loud laughter of the imposter Thief Thorn.

"Hahaha... You, you mortal, are you trying to make me laugh to death? Senior Nan even said you understood gods and faith, yet you can still say such ridiculous things. Who do you think you are? The illegitimate son of the God of War? You think you can pray to his statue and he'll immediately respond to you? Don't you know that the first skill every god possesses from the moment of their birth is to filter out the distracting noise in faith? You can try praying and see if the God of War will come to your aid and beat me up through his statue!"

“You’re right, simply praying to a statue won’t get a response from the gods, but what if we add this?”

As Ludwig spoke, he raised his hand, and a white-gold flame emerged from his palm. The imposter thief, who had been loudly mocking Ludwig, abruptly stopped laughing. She recognized the thing; she had once possessed something similar, but much smaller and weaker.

That tiny spark once helped her achieve an unimaginable period of rapid growth, but as time went by, the flame that was originally the size of a fingernail had become a weak spark, and could no longer exert the outstanding effect it had at the beginning.

The imposter had been trying to get her hands on some more of these magical sparks, but Lud simply raised his hand and produced such a large one that she was completely dumbfounded. The humans around them, however, were mostly bewildered; they had no idea what it was.

"W-Where did you get this?!"

"Never mind where I came from, I'm just asking you, can this (holding the idol) plus this (holding a flame) summon the God of War?"

"you……"

The same threat, but this time the imposter god of thieves couldn't laugh, because she knew that Lude did indeed have the ability to summon the god of war. As long as he prayed to the statue of the god of war, the resulting faith would form a connection between the statue and the god of war's body. While transmitting the faith, the god of war could also sense this temporary transmission channel.

If it were merely a tiny spark of faith, the other party would certainly not care. However, the moment the passage was formed, they would sense the primordial fire here, just like a lighthouse suddenly illuminating the night. It would be difficult for the other party to ignore it.

But that wasn't the end of it. Lude pulled out more than a dozen miniature statues from his robes one after another. In addition to the three main gods and some gods who were definitely at the middle level, there were even a few demon statues mixed in.

In front of the imposter God of Thieves, Rudd arranged the statues in a row before him, then sat down on the ground. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and deliberately waved it at the imposter. It contained a list of the names of gods and demons.

“I’m quite eloquent; I can read the list and prayers on this paper in a minute. Don’t you want people to witness your path to glory? I’ll call some big shots over to support you.”

"Wait a minute! Are you threatening me? Aren't you afraid of summoning all these gods and having them steal your fire?"

"Of course I know what they're here for, but you have to understand, this fire is now bound to me. Unless I hand it over willingly, there's no point in trying to take it from me. Killing me will extinguish the fire as well. All I have to do is tell these big shots, 'Whoever can help me seal you for ten thousand years, I'll hand over the fire.' Do you think they'll agree to that deal?"

"..."

The genuine threat turned the imposter thief's face ashen, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he looked at Ludwig. But Ludwig smiled and continued speaking.

"I bet you're itching to kill me before this time bomb explodes, but I must warn you. Possessing the Primal Flame, I am completely immune to any offensive divine magic. And I have five third-tier goddesses providing me with divine power. If I defend with all my might, even if your powerful backer were here, he couldn't stop me from finishing reading this. So, when you asked me what I had to offer in negotiations, my willingness to die with you is my bargaining chip. Is that clear enough?"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Stop talking nonsense. If you don't want to die together, hand over my men. Otherwise, we'll all welcome the gods back to their rightful place."

Faced with a real threat, Lude remained calm, like a moderate holy warrior holding a detonator, while the imposter's face grew increasingly grim. Lude had indeed demonstrated the ability to take him down with him, holding a ball of primordial fire and praying to a dozen or so idols. It was as if someone had fired a signal flare in the dark forest, and dozens of hunters would arrive in a heartbeat with Barrett.

These veteran gods might fight each other on sight, or they might sit down and negotiate to divide the spoils, but a lower-level god like myself who hasn't even broken through to the fourth rank will definitely not get any good fruit, even if that senior is protecting me.

So the imposter thief was genuinely scared. Lu Deguang put his hands together in a gesture of prayer, which made her heart pound.