Chapter 192 The boy’s embrace is so warm - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

Is this what it feels like to reach the Fifth Rank, the Legendary level? At the moment of his ascension, an immense power surged through Bell Schumann's body, giving him an illusion of sitting high among the clouds, as though he had gained the authority to decide life and death over all living creatures of the world. Wrapped in a blood-red glow, the limb-augmented figure swelled in size, contorted in visage, as if undergoing a second evolution. Upon reaching the Fifth Rank, an extraordinary being experiences a fundamental transformation in the essence of life itself. From this moment on, he had entirely separated himself from ordinary creatures and was now qualified to tread the path towards the pinnacle. Yet in the next second, a glimmer of clarity appeared in Bell Schumann's frenzied eyes. He understood well that it was merely a qualification. The current sense of towering over all was but an illusion, a mental imbalance created by the sudden acquisition of overwhelming power. Having once stood before the King in the Abyss of Endless Demons, he was acutely aware of the terrifying nature of those truly at the pinnacle. Just one gaze from them could obliterate him a thousand times over. Thus, a mere moment later, Bell Schumann sobered from his exhilaration and arrogance over his ascension. He gazed at the old factory, now rivers of blood, strewn with shattered limbs and bones, intermittently accompanied by human groans and screams. Everyone looked at him with eyes full of despair. To bring pain and fear to all life—this was the sole purpose of the faith in "Evil Torture." And he had deeply immersed himself in this pleasure. Regrettably, he wouldn't survive the night. Long ago, Lord Cur Schustern had been orchestrating this massacre in Glostein. He aimed to thoroughly disrupt the originally stable environment at the rear, thus weakening the combat power of the Saint Roland Empire's army. Though the likelihood of failure was high and this was just one part of the plan, having stumbled to this step, even he hadn't imagined that success was only a step away. As those extraordinary beings had mentioned before. As a Legendary of the Fifth Rank, although extremely powerful, it was scarcely enough in Glostein with the presence of the Three Gods Church and the Saint Roland Royal Family. There was no doubt about it. After all, this was the heartland of the Saint Roland Empire. No matter how terribly they were beaten on the battlefield, how many crucial battles they lost, or how the war front retreated step by step, it could not hide this fact. There wasn't even a need to deploy those hidden Sixth Rank demigods; just a few Fifth Rank Legendaries of the same rank, wielding one or two pieces of high-level sealed items, could eliminate him on the spot without disturbing the populace. But if ascending to the Fifth Rank was merely a process and not the result, then the nature of things would be different. Once he served as the vessel for the true King of Evil Torture, Cur Schustern, to descend here, chaos would ensue in Glostein. Whether the city would summon the gods to combat Him would be an unknown. At best, if one or several gods decided to descend, Glostein would become the first battlefield of conflict. In comparison, the disturbance Lynn caused at the border seemed almost insignificant. Back then, he was only at the Second Rank and merely carried a thread of the King of Evil Torture's will. Even so, his battle with the Demon of Creation obliterated an entire mountain range. But now, although Cur Schustern wasn't physically present, utilizing a Fifth Rank Legendary as a vessel was infinitely more powerful than back then. This was an authentic war of gods. No leader would hope to see a divine war unfold in their nation's capital. With this thought, Bell Schumann took a deep breath. As the vessel, he had long accepted his fate. In the next second, the limb-augmented being's eyes lost some of their frenzy and malice. The slaughter temporarily ceased. However, witnessing the scene before them, none of the surviving extraordinary beings felt any joy at having survived a calamity. Quite the opposite. Their extraordinary intuition told them that something far more terrifying and troublesome was about to descend. "￥*&T&*￥%" In an instant, Bell Schumann, perched atop the ceiling, began reciting obscure demonic incantations in a low voice. Not only that, but a newfound clarity returned to his scarlet eyes, revealing an unprecedented fervor and devotion. The words, like a curse, pierced the ears of those who heard them, causing sharp pain, dizziness, and a continuous string of murmurs and screams in their minds, instilling an overwhelming urge for self-destruction. It resembled some kind of ritual, albeit suggestive of a mental contamination. Since the limb-augmented was a devout follower of the King of Evil Torture, combined with this predetermined plan, the entire descent ritual seemed remarkably simple, far less intricate and complex than the ritual Lynn performed at that time. In the next instant, an aura trillions of times more terrifying than the limb-augmented exploded forth! "Boom!!!" That aura swept across the arena like a violent hurricane, an unending terror stemming from the soul emerged from the depths of each person's heart, causing their instinct to collapse in fear. Some, with less resilient psyches, immediately succumbed under this unprecedented force, fainting dead on the spot, foaming at the mouth. What was happening?! Could that terrifying being truly trigger a divine descent?! Had the demons gone insane?! At this moment, the supreme power created a gap of despair. The crowd had no chance to resist, solely wishing to preserve their lives and immediately escape from the Silent One's Tomb. Yet compared to the limb-augmented, how much more brutal was the fabled King of Evil Torture? Countless lives had perished under His hands. Known among demons as the Executioner, wherever Cur Schustern passed, not a single living thing remained! No, no way! They had to escape! As far as possible! But under such circumstances, where else could they possibly flee? At this moment, despair filled everyone’s heart. Yet the progress of events wouldn't halt midway due to their despair, nor would anyone come to their rescue for such inexplicable reasons. "Splurch—" Suddenly, a grotesquely twisted monster's face emerged from the chest of the limb-augmented. That face was ferocious and angry, spanning the entire chest of the limb-augmented, adorned with broken and black scales that emitted a faint glow, as its scarlet and malevolent eyes slowly swept over all the humans present. As the blood mist exploded, those extraordinary beings at the Third Rank couldn't even withstand a glance from him, their bodies instantaneously mutating and bursting apart. Witnessing this, that monstrous face let out a rasping cold laugh. "Bell Schumann, you have done very well." So powerful. As she sensed the consciousness of Cur Schustern crossing the boundary of space to arrive at the Silent One's Tomb, Tia's palms began to sweat. Nonetheless, she gripped her Moonlight Staff tightly, refusing to retreat even a single step. As a Fourth Rank extraordinary being, possessing such power at her age was already at the pinnacle. Apart from Sia, Tia didn't believe she would lose to anyone. Yet in front of a Fifth Rank Legendary, she ultimately couldn't mount an effective resistance. Especially since even Sia relied on her help with a sealed item to slay the Fifth Rank Legendary demon known as the "Lord of the Dead Souls." Not to mention that she was currently alone, whereas the enemy's rank far exceeded the Fifth Rank, nearing the divine realm. Even with her utmost effort, victory was unattainable. But her original goal wasn't to vanquish him, merely to seize that fleeting opportunity to open a gap in the Silent One's Tomb. Not long ago, Casimo, due to his own arrogance, had fallen at the hands of the limb-augmented, necessitating further caution at this moment. The unparalleled demonic power surged across the ground like a tornado, unleashing disaster. Attempting to steady herself, Tia took a deep breath. Though the descent ritual was reduced to the utmost simplicity by him, Cur Schustern's power and consciousness still required a small amount of time to fully merge with Bell Schumann's body. Before that, he would be on utmost high alert to prevent the ritual from being interrupted. Moreover, within the confines of the Silent One's Tomb, aside from a few sealed artifacts, the vast majority of extraordinary beings found their powers restricted. With the precedent of Casimo and the Punisher Captain, those who survived dared not take rash actions. Yet, there was something Tia hadn't anticipated. For some reason, the divine blessing within her wasn’t suppressed, nor did it show signs of transforming into that of the Silent Ones. Perhaps it was due to the unique nature of the Moon Goddess's presence, or some other reason, that made Tia the "one that slipped through the net." Thus, what she needed to do was relatively simple. She had to seize the moment when Bell Schumann's vigilance was at its lowest and strike with her most powerful attack. It wasn’t that she believed her Fourth Rank could destroy the other’s plans. As Tia had initially anticipated, the reason she was risking everything was merely for atonement. It wasn’t to perform heroics for others to see, but to ensure that the boy could leave this world untainted by demonic torment and desecration even after death. So, when would the vigilance of the limb-augmented and the high-dimensional demon be at its lowest? At the completion of the ritual. The moment when power completely flooded Bell Schumann's body, yet before it could be fully utilized. That would be the opportunity to strike a death blow. Holding her Moonlight Staff tightly, Tia focused intently on sensing the surge of the King of Evil Torture’s power, which had no sign of weakening, only climbing higher. At a particular moment, her bright green eyes sparkled slightly. In that instant, Tia sensed with acute perception that the formidable demonic power reached a critical point and halted its growth. Simultaneously, a strong sense of crisis surged in her heart. She knew very well that this signaled the King of Evil Torture's successful occupation of Bell Schumann’s body. Thus, now was the time! In the next second, as the brilliant moonlight suddenly illuminated, Tia's presence transformed into something sacred and ethereal, her already aloof expression taking on an increasingly divine aspect, as if she was gradually evolving into some powerful entity. The moon-white robe fluttered gently, and an intangible, mystical power both gentle and chilly enveloped her entire being, causing her to drift like a newborn towards the air. In this moment, the moonlit gleam seemed almost tangible, enveloping Tia’s body like a radiant full moon, now shining within the dark, dismal old factory. Everyone’s eyes slowly widened, with their gazes instinctively drawn to her. At that moment, she appeared like the incarnation of a Moon Goddess, her body curled within the radiant full moon, hovering in the sky, subtly dispersing the shadows of despair looming in the Silent One's Tomb. Even Cur Schustern in the distance revealed a hint of melancholy and surprise upon witnessing the gradual ascent of the moon. "Beatrice?!" The monstrous face on the chest of the limb-augmented one let out a low roar. Clearly, this unexpected turn of events plunged him into unprecedented shock, exceeding his original expectations. This posed an extremely troublesome situation. If the actual Moon Goddess descended, his divine descent ritual would likely be disrupted instantly. After all, this was Glostein, the domain of the Three Gods. However, after plotting for so long, how could Cur Schustern back down over some inexplicable incident? Even if the Three Gods themselves appeared, they could not prevent him from bringing a terrible calamity to Glostein! "Die!!!" At this juncture, bearing the awkwardness and unfamiliarity of just occupying the limb-augmented body, the incomplete state of Cur Schustern suddenly flared up, igniting boundless blood flames around him. Endless limbs fused into a pair of towering giant hands, reaching fiercely towards where the moon was! Yet, before he could react, Tia had already foreseen this. Feeling the extraordinary power fill the enormous illusory moon, she moved gracefully like a fish swimming, lightly leaping back. Her bright green eyes shone like never before. The enemy's panic proved her decision was not wrong. If that’s the case— "Go." Fixing her gaze on the ephemeral yet real moon before her, Tia’s lips gently parted. In the next second, the immense, unparalleled full moon, akin to a meteor descending from the heavens with a deafening roar, seemed to crush the very space itself, grinding towards the demonic claws gathered by Cur Schustern!!! "Boom—!!!" A rift! A rift had opened in the Silent One's Tomb!!! At the moment of collision between those two terrifying forces, the shockwave swept across the entire scene instantly. Louise, while exerting all her strength to maintain the state of a sealed item in the violent shock and explosion, noticed with surprise that a crack suddenly appeared in the black veil closest to them. Through the crack, the lights of Glostein were faintly visible. That was the path to life. With one more step forward, they could escape the conspiracy and vortex of this entire event entirely. "Hurry! Get out!" Louise decided not to be the first to leave, choosing instead to stay behind and cover the retreat. The sisters didn’t hesitate, lifting their skirts and stepping swiftly through the gap. Watching her subordinates depart one by one, Louise's anxiety and tension slightly abated. Overall, the Silent Church perhaps suffered the least loss in this incident, having preserved most of their living forces. Yet even so, she wasn’t ready to let out a sigh of relief. For the person she cared most about, her dear friend Tia, her fate was still uncertain. As a clergy member, she knew well the unique significance Tia held for the Church and the Goddess. Should anything happen to her, the entire church would tremble. Damned. It was because of that man that Tia had... At this thought, Louise suddenly remembered that guy seemed to be lying on the ground, and her eyes instinctively shifted to his location. While she very much disliked the man who had made her friend act so oddly, she still decided to follow Tia's wishes and bring his body out intact. Yet, the next second, Louise froze in place as if she'd seen a ghost. The reason was simple. The black-haired boy, who had just been lying silently in a pool of blood, had vanished from that spot. Simultaneously, the intense streams of light and explosions subsided, and the showdown between the Silent Saint and the King of Evil Torture seemed to have reached a conclusion. "You are not her! You definitely are not her!!!" Within the turbulent aftermath of the collision, Cur Schustern erupted into malicious laughter. Though his limbs were destroyed under the radiant and sacred moonlight power, it was merely a negligible loss for him. Moreover, he noticed the profound weakness in his opponent. Perhaps that woman was indeed connected to Beatrice, but sadly, a fundamental chasm of hierarchy in power existed. She couldn't inflict any effective damage on him, only slightly affecting the Silent One’s Tomb and allowing a few ants to escape. Yet in the subsequent massacre, these factors would prove inconsequential. "Ugh..." With a painful cough, Tia's frail body swiftly plummeted from the sky. At this moment, her pale face was devoid of color, and large swaths of blood gushed from her mouth, staining the previously white robe a crimson hue. As she felt the embrace of weightlessness enveloping her, and the wind howling past her ears, her delicate eyebrows lightly unfurled. Indeed. Even after doing all this, the guilt in her heart remained unsoothed. The person was already gone. No matter how many beautiful things were done, nothing could convey them now; it all seemed ultimately in vain. "I'm sorry... I never got to say it." In the last second before she hit the ground, Tia quietly murmured, uncertain to whom she was speaking. She slowly closed her eyes, preparing to meet her end. Yet the expected pain never came. On the contrary, in the next moment, she suddenly found herself enveloped in a familiar and warm embrace. At the same time, a gentle voice reached her ears. "Although I've never held a grudge against you from beginning to end, if this can make you feel a little better, Veya, I forgive you." "From here on out, leave it to me."