Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 786 - 727 Leader Confirmation

The woman leaned against an oak tree, bent over, vomiting with her back to the others. Every couple of breaths, she would let out a moan, and her companion’s worries and pats were of no use. The collected dewdrops did not stop the discomfort on her body, and her increasingly dejected posture raised the concern of her good friend. "She’s never been like this before..." The consoler, with a cry in her voice, looked this way, her eyes filled with grievance.

Loveday felt extremely uncomfortable, and Irason’s gaze only made him feel more uneasy. What have I done? I haven’t wronged her. He couldn’t understand the situation but felt like he was being treated as a criminal, which made Loveday couldn’t help muttering to himself.

"Perhaps she just overate..."

The gaze of the Green Dragon Priest became even harsher, like the blade of a guillotine judging a death row inmate, chopping down on Loveday.

"I’m fine, I just need a moment to recover..." Susanna covered her mouth, trying hard to stand upright, seemingly to suppress the adverse reaction of vomiting. The normally cold Elf Executive showed vulnerability for once, her eyes filled with apology as she faced Loveday’s innocent gaze.

"Don’t blame him, it’s just a natural physiological response from within me, after all, I’ve endured such a level of spiritual impact. That part of me that once belonged to the Intangible Son is wreaking havoc inside my body..." Before she could finish, Susanna turned away to vomit again, while Loveday continued to endure the Green Dragon Priest’s glaring attack.

Having just pretended to be the head of a cult... not, the Holy Light Orthodoxy, Loveday gave a wry smile and began to defend his innocence: "I’m the one who should feel wronged, I resolved another crisis in the Emerald Dream. And I did it perfectly in all aspects. Your attitudes are hurting me, I put myself in such an embarrassing position to perform the miraculous feat of the Evil God’s pretense of sanctity. No flowers or applause, I feel like I’m being shunned. Can you also smell the ’stench’ of the illusion?"

"No, you did well, luring the Intangible Son to the Holy Light, deceiving them to start assimilating with righteousness, Loveday, you have committed an act that deeply blasphemes the gods... vomit..." Susanna’s praise did nothing to cheer Loveday up.

The Dragon King Priest, the ominous child of God, Loveday stood still, like a sinner listening to a verdict. He began to worry, wondering if his earlier transformation into a godlike figure had such an impact that even Susanna, kin of the Evil God, would be so affected by it. What kind of source of spiritual pollution was he?

"That’s not right, but those Intangible Sons didn’t react adversely like you did, Susanna. They just seemed surprised at first and then quickly accepted it!" Loveday found a doubt, his eyes narrowed, carefully observing Susanna’s state. This bad woman, she couldn’t be playing tricks on me, could she?

Sweat beaded on her forehead, her eyes hazy and body swaying, the current state was anything but elegant. The Elf Executive probably wouldn’t pretend to be this way just to play a prank on me, Loveday pondered with confusion.

After a few seconds, Susanna recovered clarity in her eyes, which showed a realization mixed with pity. "Those poor newborns, probably didn’t even recognize what is normal before they were exposed to your spiritual pollution. For someone like me, who has been an Elf Executive for many years and has a set of normal cognition, your cognitive pollution that subverts common sense is naturally shocking."

"For them, they haven’t formed the correct values, your mental pollution might just be sowing seeds. Poor little ones, they are doomed to grow crooked." Susanna started to laugh, "That’s good, though. Those Intangible Sons already twisted and contaminated, when they come into contact with this normal world, they should be friendlier."

Loveday interjected at the right time, "Like travelers starved and cold draw near a warm campfire?"

Susanna’s discomfort eased with time.

"That I’m not sure about, it depends on what exactly you’ve imbued in them. If their forming personalities are more akin to Loveday, the bully who is easily intimidated, it could be easier to control them. By the way, where did you toss them to?"

"Holy Light Concentration Camp."

...

The land under the king’s feet is his kingdom.

The Holy Light Land doesn’t need land, but the sanctity of those who step upon it. Melok Raymond’s personal might, his formidable power allows his every word and deed to become holy. Only the Andrei Academy can resist the encroachment of the Holy Land. Even his shadow, the copy, the Gatekeeper Angel possesses such might.

Dreamland, the replica entrance, had become sacred ground, and every player who passed through either admired the fame of the Deletion Angel or was awed by the sanctity of the place, all bowing in silence before entering the instance.

When Loveday arrived here, only the Gatekeeper stood in place, like a glowing statue with a giant sword coiled in Holy Flame thrust into the ground, the burning Holy Flame bonfire illuminating the surroundings.

"Angel Your Excellency!"

"Purifier." The Gatekeeper subdued the surrounding specks of light, his radiance showing humility in front of Loveday.

"Where is our Intangible Son BOSS group!" Lyle was actually a bit panicked. When he brought the Intangible Son group here for the pilgrimage, the space was crowded enough to burst, and now, the surrounding space was utterly still. Had the Intangible Sons disappeared? Had they sensed the problem and run away? Surely they couldn’t all have been killed.

The Gatekeeper Angel knelt on one knee, which made it easier to communicate.

"I oversaw those strange creatures contributing their strength to justice. Under the supervision of justice, they will be managed in the Dreamland. I had them move around to get familiar with this dream world."

Lyle was slightly reassured by the lack of surprises, "So how receptive are they to the Holy Light? Has any of them abandoned the Evil God and converted to the Holy Light?"

The Gatekeeper Angel shook his head, "No, why would they?"

Lyle was taken aback by the candid response, "Could it be that this group of Intangible Sons hasn’t felt your divine power? Have you not interfered at all?"

"They showed marked fear towards me, and beyond that, nothing."

"You could try to brainwash... I mean, influence them, let the Intangible Sons feel the warmth of the Holy Light."

"...Purifier sir, the Holy Light only needs pure faith. Light Chasers do not force anyone to accept the Holy Light, because we don’t need to do so."

"Impossible. Doesn’t the church have some sort of secret little black room underneath? Priests take innocent children in there to preach about the greatness of the Holy Light, aren’t there also Judgment Chambers? Inquisitor knights punish those who don’t obey the Holy Light in the name of the darkness beneath it, right?"

"...If you were not a Purifier, I would hardly resist the urge to kill you with my sword. Purifier, your thoughts have been contaminated by the knowledge of the Evil God. Faith in the Holy Light should be pure and sacred. There are no little black rooms beneath the church, only Heretic spoils storage rooms, and the main work of the Inquisitors is to pursue traitors and punish threats that harbor hostility towards humanity. The Holy Light you imagine in your heart is no longer worthy of being called the Holy Light."

"...I was merely thinking of ways to expand Mr. Melok Raymond’s Holy Light influence... This would be new followers."

The Gatekeeper Angel sighed.

"The original being would not be pleased with this. He wants qualified Light Chasers, not followers whom I can hardly resist cutting down at a glance."

The Holy Light belongs only to humans. Such blatant human supremacy was engraved in Mr. Melok Raymond’s very bones.

"But, Mr. Melok Raymond also pulls people in Andrei, doesn’t he? He even accepted a Star Spirit like Loveday and the Holy Light Culinary Society."

The Gatekeeper Angel gazed into the distance, his eyes following the glow that enveloped the Emerald Dream to a faraway place.

"Dead people are still people, after all. Isn’t the change produced by the original being the result of what you, Purifier sir, brought?"

"It is the Paladin’s duty to protect the people and uphold justice, to influence peers and preach justice—that is the work of the priesthood."

Lyle curled his lip.

"Where am I to find a priest who can look the Evil God in the eye?"

"Previously, the Intangible Son recommended to me a great and noble Guide."

"The great deceiver, the high and mighty dung eater, the creator of aberrant light—do you know whose name this is, Purifier sir?"

"..."