Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"A bad omen, fear is coming."

A series of cracking sounds, like plants sprouting branches and bones breaking, rang out. Behind Lyle, on the wall of flesh and blood made of tentacles, a long, twisted shadow devoured the light. Even with the vampire's night vision, that shadow was still dark.

Then the shadow grinned and let out a giggle.

"What an excellent vampire you are! You must be very proud of the extraordinary blood flowing in your veins."

“Oh, I can sense how much you love the god who bestowed this gift of blood.”

"But does God really need your love or worship? Perhaps, that God just wants fear?"

The vampire didn't understand what this suddenly changed manservant was saying, but the sarcasm in his voice was infuriating, and that irony ignited the arrogance in his blood.

"Die, you ants!"

Lyle narrowed his eyes.

The enormous shadow behind him moved along with his body, clenching his fist.

"Just as I wished, you little bugs who licked my blood, it's time for you to pay your debt."

“Your God says…”

"Die, you servant."

The vampire suddenly began to twitch, and raised bumps appeared on his skin. He rolled around in front of Lyle, and black blood flowed from his mouth and nose.

Finally, it turned into a large mass of black and red fleshy tentacles.

“Lyle is not suitable, but ‘I’ am.”

Chapter 500 Emotions

When Karen first saw Lyle, she was moved. The guilt she felt for her reckless behavior, stemming from the fact that her respected Pure One had put herself in danger for her sake, acted as a catalyst, allowing the emotions buried deep within Karen to slowly rise.

Then, she saw that wicked woman, grinning wickedly, hiding in Lyle's arms.

That was the first time Karen had the urge to kill; she thought of the words of her Holy Light mentor, the Crusader leader Raphael.

As people age, they change, but the Holy Light remains constant. The Holy Light is a mirror, reflecting the heart of the paladin. If you gradually doubt the Holy Light, it's because your mind is gradually degenerating. Degeneration is a form of growth, a growth that allows purity to sink into the mundane world.

Now, Karen has a new understanding of Raphael's teachings. Pastor Shudeman's betrayal and her own inner self are both telling Karen that there are some less-than-pure things in this world, and that she herself has them within her.

Karen's feelings for Lyle the Pure were constantly changing, turning into a feeling that made her blush and her heart race, especially when those eyes were fixed on her. Karen felt shy.

Where is my armor? Why am I wearing such flimsy clothes? Damn it, I'm making Lord Lyle look so ashamed! But... will Lord Lyle like these clothes? After all, Lord Lyle has never worn armor before.

Would I look good dressed like this? Those vampires seem to have pretty good taste. Karen glanced around, taking in all their aristocratic attire.

Sure enough, the most beautiful one was still that dark-skinned, wicked woman. She noticed my gaze and pulled Lord Lyle into her arms!

She's still laughing! Laugh away, next time I'll shove the warhammer into your arms.

The ceremony began quickly. Karen looked at Joshua, who was embracing her, and saw his sharp teeth. She found it amusing; they weren't even as long as a dagger. What could they possibly do?

She tried to comfort herself with these thoughts, but panic still showed on Karen's face. Without her protective armor and the holy light of battle, she was at the mercy of others—it was terrible.

A miracle occurred: a wound exploded on Joshua's body, and the terrifying old man flew away with the corrupted legion, while Joshua was snatched away by Lord Lyle.

Karen nestled into Lyle's arms, expecting her body to burn, like the warmth of the stones in the fireplace when she was a child. But it didn't; instead of Lyle's thin arms, a thick tentacle was attached to Lyle's back.

A twisted, writhing black tentacle—in Crusader tales, only the most wicked monsters possess such a limb.

Lord Lyle is a purist! This must be my imagination!

As Karen was thinking this, she saw surging tentacles erupt from Lyle's back, as if a portal had been installed on Lyle's back. Tentacles, more than ten times his size, had formed a high wall, causing the castle to shake violently.

"Lyle...sir..."

He was in Lyle's arms, but Lyle didn't hear a sound. Two hideous bony arms appeared on Lyle's sides. He chanted a vicious curse with a ferocious expression, transferring the filthy magic of death to the group of blood-sucking monsters.

Karen looked at Lyle's profile and felt... a little unfamiliar...

People change. Even the purest people change? The warmth in her heart turned cold, and a sadness arose in Karen's innocent mind.

Lyle and the girl named Beatrice seem to have a very close relationship. Lyle's helpless smile and Beatrice's mischievous temper but occasional ladylike tolerance are constantly changing Karen's thoughts. The idea of ​​letting emotions flow out is gradually disappearing.

Holy light above.

Suddenly, Lyle seemed to have become a different person. He let out a terrible laugh, and his cold aura was like Mr. Ralph's, but even darker.

When that familiar voice laughed as it pronounced the death sentence on the vampires, Kallen... was a little scared.

Are they still the Pure Ones? Is this how it's normal for the Children of Holy Light to act?

Karen, who had been continuously brainwashed by the Fallen in Drogonris, eventually met someone she respected after hearing a series of filthy things under the Holy Light, and thus took an extreme stance.

Karen's faith collapsed in an instant; her light dimmed, and a "hole" was growing deep within her heart.

"It's alright, Karen. How are you feeling?"

Lyle's call brought Karen back to reality. The concern in Lyle's eyes and his gentle smile restored Karen's radiance.

"Lord Lyle..." The words and actions were exactly as she remembered, causing Kallen to feel disoriented. Which one was Lyle?

"They tortured you?!" Lyle was a little worried; the damage was to your soul...

"A bad omen."

The slender shadow rose from the ground, its withered, desiccated hand claws moving ever closer to Karen's head.

"Don't come any closer!" That eerie feeling was eroding Karen's heart, and she finally couldn't hold back and uttered those words.

Lyle paused for a moment before realizing his oversight. Nea's tentacles and the ominous shadow of fear were too stimulating for a paladin.

"I'm sorry, Lyle." Karen spoke first in the awkward situation. She didn't look up and sat on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Lyle smiled slightly and expertly patted Karen's head.

"Hahaha, it was my oversight that you didn't swing the hammer at me right away. It's a good thing you didn't do it immediately. I'm the one who should apologize, Karen."

"I'm not that kind of person," Karen silently defended herself.

The tentacles and shadows vanished silently. Fortunately, the castle was sturdy enough that only one wall collapsed after the tentacles lost their support.

The sounds of fighting from Beatrice's side reached their ears.

"Karen, you seem to be fine. Beatrice needs my help. The vampires in the castle have been mostly cleared out. Be careful, you'll be alright."

"I'll help." The thought flashed through Karen's mind, and she was about to stand up when that strange feeling in her heart pulled her back again.

Lyle only saw Karen sit up a little straighter, her brown eyes meeting his, lifeless like fallen leaves. Karen Pombay displayed a ladylike demeanor Lyle had never seen before.

Her eyes were like pools of autumn water, lively and bright, but you couldn't see what they held. Her smile was serene, like the evening breeze that swept through the maple forest in autumn.

"Lyle, you and Beatrice are a perfect match."

Lyle had never expected to hear such words from Karen's lips, so he could only respond hastily based on instinct.

"Um... thank you..."

Lyle intervened in the battle, the image of Karen's smile still lingering in his mind.

Karen has grown up too.

Chapter 501 The Angel of Resurrection

Although Lyle wanted to turn Joshua into a large, indescribable mass of tentacles, the idea was extremely difficult.

As an inheritor of the blood of the gods, Joshua is quite different from his kin who have become sea monsters. The difference lies in the fact that the omen cannot sense the presence of the blood in his body.

Even though Beatrice left several bleeding wounds on his body, Lyle still couldn't awaken the obedience in that blood, blood that no longer belonged to Sheriu or himself.

Joshua vanished instantly, leaving a bloody wound on the tentacle that attacked him. The sprayed blood turned into small spiky balls in the air, but Joshua was already out of range.

"My lady, have you really hurt him? He's faster than the rampaging wheels driven by the demons."

Veins bulged on Beatrice's smooth forehead as she continued charging toward the revealed vampire.

"He has the ability to teleport, with the shortest interval being within ten seconds. Damn it, he has never used it before, although the distance he can move is no more than two meters."

With that kind of frequency, it's no wonder Beatrice was helpless against him.

Lyle was taken aback. He shouldn't be able to be restrained by this ability, so what was he waiting for here?

Lyle looked around, then turned his gaze to the overturned Bloodstone Grail and the ritual statue, the unclean red light still clinging to it, the ritual still continuing.

"Lyle!!!"

Before Beatrice's screams had subsided, the dark figure had already appeared in front of Lyle. Joshua's claws were too fast; before Nia's tentacles could close to form a defense, the gleaming nails had already pierced Lyle's head.

Like a punctured balloon, Lyle's body turned into black sludge, his disintegrating eyes staring into Joshua's bloodshot eyes.

"fear."

Joshua's figure disappeared, but his out-of-control body crashed into the ruins of the collapsed stone wall.

Beatrice did not give chase, but instead flew to the middle of Lyle's vanished tentacles, missing a good opportunity to harm Joshua.

"Lyle?"

The unharmed plague doctor emerged from the tentacles, and the black mud climbed back onto his black coat, coalescing into an ominous shadow behind him.

Lyle spread his hands.

"I'm a mage who can't even kill a chicken, so it's normal for me to be a little cowardly when facing an assassin. As the weakest human in the entire field, it's not unreasonable to prepare a substitute."

“That was a bit of a loss,” Lyle said, watching Joshua crawl out of the rubble, his wounds healing, his eyes fixed on him. “It probably won’t work next time. His speed is outrageous; only a mental shock can hit him.”

Lyle turned his gaze to Beatrice and said, "I'm terrible at soul studies."

Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"I'm just a bar owner."

Lyle's eyes widened.

"Isn't Naslan a ghost race? Helena is the leader, and Ariana is the shepherd of souls..."

The implication is that your family is so outstanding, how come you're not good enough?