Things weren’t looking good.
Clang!
Radiance and darkness collided once more, sending out ripples of energy.
Celestia’s spear thrust ferociously, forcing back Astel, the Shadow Blessed who clung to her like a specter.
Her pale-gold eyes shone brightly, showing no fear of the dark.
However, a flicker of anxiety stirred within her.
She wasn’t particularly worried about herself.
Although her radiant divine power was being suppressed by the darkness, her opponent wasn’t a true Divine Blessed yet; his power was still 1 level below hers.
If her only goal was to avoid defeat, she could hold her ground for a long time.
Her true concern was Lovela.
She knew all too well that her friend’s body had a condition; despite her impressive martial skills, Lovela couldn’t endure a prolonged battle.
Moreover, the enemies weren’t just the ones before her.
The cultists nearby hadn’t bothered to lower their voices, and the information they revealed made her heart sink.
Another cultist had already gone to find that good-for-nothing young master.
She didn’t think that guy stood a chance.
No one who dared to sneak into the Imperial Capital for an assassination was a simpleton.
Once they succeeded over there, the situation would take a turn for the worse, and they would be forced to face at least three cultists at once.
‘Is this the price?’
Celestia sighed inwardly.
The Imperial Capital had been restless lately as the administration began purging various “moths” from its ranks.
Consequently, gaps had appeared in both the overt and covert defenses.
Undercurrents were surging, giving these insects hiding in the shadows an opportunity to strike, resulting in tonight’s assassination.
Since the enemy had dared to come to their door, they were surely well-prepared.
It was unlikely that any reinforcements would arrive soon.
After all, within the Eternal Night Curtain’s domain, the flow of time was slowed!
“It’s not a good habit to be so distracted while fighting me, Princess.”
Astel’s voice was gentle and light with laughter, sounding as if he were whispering right into her ear.
A silent, dark blade-light flashed, sweeping toward the side of Celestia’s neck.
“You are pathetic.”
Celestia remained indifferent.
A burst of holy radiance flared out like a small sun, forcing Astel back as he merged once more into the shadows.
“To capture me and claim the glory just so you can win the competition among the Divine Blessed, you actually went as far as selling your soul to cooperate with these filthy cultists. You’ve even stopped being human, Astel. You are pathetic and pitiable.”
Merging with the darkness, Astel spoke nonchalantly, “Princess, in this world, there are no eternal enemies or friends—only eternal interests and shared goals. Admittedly, I also look down on these filthy, stupid dregs who rely on parasitism for power.”
“Their very existence is a stain on the beauty of darkness and silence. However,” he shifted his tone, speaking slowly, “since my prey is you and their targets are the young lady and young master of the Venn family… then, for this brief period, what’s wrong with a little cooperation to achieve our respective goals? We each get what we need.”
Just then.
From not far away, a stifled cry of pain rang out, causing Celestia’s heart to sink.
The cultist facing Lovela was an experienced veteran.
Seeing how difficult the noble young lady was to deal with and how long it was taking to capture her, coupled with the fact that the companion sent for the young master hadn’t returned, he grew impatient and instantly devised a plan.
He forced “Robert’s” body to go stiff and stumble backward.
A look of agonizing struggle appeared on the old man’s face, and then, mimicking the old butler’s voice, he stuttered out a warning for Lovela to run.
“?!”
Lovela’s pupils constricted, and her heart trembled.
How could she ignore him?
The old man had watched her grow up; he wasn’t just a butler, but someone she viewed as a grandfather.
Even though she reacted quickly and realized almost instantly that this might be a trick, it was still too late.
The phantom of the flying insect that should have been pierced by her flame spear hadn’t dissipated.
It had been hiding in the shadows all along, and it seized the opportunity to strike.
Cloth tore, and blood blossomed!
Having landed its hit, the insect phantom immediately shrank, transforming into several dark green chains that snapped around Lovela’s limbs and waist.
Her short sword and spatial ring were stripped away.
“Hehe… I told you, keeping this old thing’s consciousness around would be useful eventually.”
“Robert” let out a raspy laugh and immediately tightened the chains, enjoying the stifled cries of pain coming from the black-haired girl.
As the erosion deepened, it could not only control the body but also read fragments of memories belonging to the old butler, Robert.
It seemed to have discovered something extremely amusing, as it couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“I was wondering earlier. The Eternal Night Curtain only suppresses Light-attribute magic; its effect on other elements isn’t that significant. Yet our noble Miss Venn preferred to waste those precious elemental crystals and use all sorts of external tricks rather than using the magic she’s proficient in to deal with me.”
” I thought the young lady was just arrogant and looked down on a filthy creature like me, refusing to use her true skills out of spite. I never imagined the great Miss Venn would actually be a—”
“Robert” didn’t finish his sentence, intentionally drawing out his words.
His gaze swept over the blood on Lovela’s waist before settling on her beautiful face, hoping to see a crack in her composure.
Unfortunately for him, there was none.
The black-haired girl remained cold, her expression devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
“Robert” felt quite bored and stopped his mocking, saying coldly, “This is retribution! If you want to blame someone, blame your parents! They claimed to be righteous and spent years opposing our Great Holy Religions. Their hands are covered in the blood of my brothers and sisters, which is why they’ve brought this curse and divine punishment upon their descendants! I’m really looking forward to it. After tonight, the Venn family will—”
BOOM! CRACK!
Before he could finish, a deafening explosion erupted!
Above them, the thick darkness that enshrouded everything trembled before being torn apart, a gap violently blown through it.
Then, a staff gleaming with a cold, chilling light shot through the opening.
With a thud, it sent the caught-off-guard “Robert” flying far away.
At the same time, a tall and upright figure shrouded in a black robe appeared like a ghost.
After landing lightly, the newcomer didn’t even look at the parasite he had sent flying into the darkness.
He walked up to Lovela and flicked his hand.
With several soft hisses, the supposedly sturdy abyssal chains melted away like snow under a blazing sun, dissipating into green smoke.
Lovela felt the restriction vanish.
Her legs felt weak for a moment, but she gritted her teeth to steady herself, looking up at the black-robed helper who had suddenly appeared.
Lin Hong withdrew his hand.
He looked at Lovela and then at the gap he had blown open above, clicking his tongue in wonder.
Just a moment ago, a hideous monster bug had tried to rush his face.
Disgusted, he had subdued it and used it as a human grenade to break through the barrier.
He could only say that the “firecracker” really packed a punch!