CHAPTER 974: CHAPTER 167: ANOTHER GROUP

Twisted Church Camp.

The blazing giant bonfire welcomed the last group of guests.

The Shadow Church arrived first, followed by the unexpected guests, the Heretics.

The believers of the Twisted Church did not oppose this collaboration, with the Tentacle Cultists, who believed in ancient deep-sea deities, fervently supporting this holy war, though some residents worried it might draw the hostility of the surviving Ancient God.

The twisted figure still chose to collaborate with Lu Li. Because it could strengthen the church, and He believed in the Prophet.

"Glad to cooperate again, as we did before..."

The low murmur of the twisted figure echoed like an instrument in the empty church.

Twenty-four years ago, as the "Book Sprite," He selected books for Lu Li.

Such nostalgia and reminiscence indeed can make one put down the insistence on collaboration.

Bishop Jone, after Lu Li’s arrival, retreated to follow behind him like an old servant.

Lu Li took out the book "Belfast," bent down and placed it on the bench beside him: "Do you know the outcome?"

"The Prophet told me..."

The twisted figure did not conceal it.

Perhaps the future seen by the Eternal Dreamer had revealed the prophecy to the twisted figure, hinting through "Belfast" that Lu Li was also an indispensable Horse Hoof Nail.

"How far are the Heretics from here?" Lu Li asked.

"I feel they are already in Belfast... approaching this way."

The imminent battle would not take place at the Twisted Vine Church, as even if victorious, they could not afford the camp’s destruction.

They would place the battle in the district outside the camp, where the Twisted Camp and Shadow Church were already preparing.

As the only non-believer human, Lu Li would not approach the battlefield.

Without the church’s twisted faith to make believers’ consciousness semi-permanent, even the aftermath of battle disruption would cause Lu Li’s sanity to collapse, plunging into madness.

A believer entered the church, carrying the unconscious Puxiu in his arms like a sacrifice and took him to the ambush site.

Soon after, the twisted figure and Bishop Jone also left, with Ophelia going to assist.

Only Lu Li and the merchant remained in the dimly lit empty church.

This was the safest place in the camp.

...

A rudimentary watchtower, constructed within dozens of minutes, stood in the middle of the district.

The Tentacle Cultist and its companions smeared arrays between the shattered streets and ruined houses, intending to return the curse placed on Puxiu and their hatred to the enemy.

Thirty-six believers of the Shadow Church gathered in a former tavern hall, applying a vicious curse on the Heretics.

Everything was ready. After a brief clamor, they hid themselves, dimming the lights, letting darkness and mist reclaim the area.

The snowy night here was silent.

Time quietly moved forward, and something slowly appeared at the end of the street’s darkness.

They held oil lamps, moving forward in two rows like wriggles.

A suffocating rotten stench permeated around them.

They passed through the mist and stopped at the crossroads, at the edge of the shattered street where the array was drawn.

"Where is the human?"

The leading silhouette mumbled obscurely, answered only by the wind and snow deep in the darkness.

"We, do not want, to fight. Seeking, human, to help, us, build ships."

The silhouette continued his slow murmur.

Whoosh——

A bright flame responded.

Tangled and shattered light and shadow surrounded the twisted figure floating low in the air.

"What does building ships mean..."

He said.

...

"The god they believed in was dismembered by the strange, and before dying, the divinity passed down an oracle, darkness shrouded, no more light, leave this land."

The devout Shadow Church bowed before Lu Li, narrating everything.

"The Heretics came to Belfast, building ships at the port, but they couldn’t build ships and had to stop. At that time, you passed by and were noticed by them, leaving a brand on Puxiu to follow."

"They want the ship blueprints from you."

"Where are Katerina and Andrea?" Lu Li asked.

"The tentacle... says... they are... not... those... Heretics."

It was not them who left pollution in Himfast, nor the ones who took Katerina and Andrea.

These heretics attempting to build ships to escape coincidentally aligned with Himfast’s pollution incident.

"They wish to communicate with you." The believer continued to convey the Heretics’ intent.

The twisted figure would not rashly let them into the camp or near Lu Li. However, they had a suitable candidate for communication—Puxiu.

The twisted figure stayed outside the camp, watching the Heretics alongside the believers, while Ophelia brought Puxiu back to help Lu Li communicate with the Heretic leader.

As the message relayed by the believers stated, they only wanted the ship blueprints.

Whether the Heretics decided to negotiate because of the force backing Lu Li or had always intended to do so remains unknown.

Everyone believed it was the latter.

Lu Li indeed could provide them with what they needed. Moreover, giving the blueprints of ships to a group of fleeing heretics would not threaten the survival environment of humanity—at least not more than the threat of worm invasion.

Merchant Anthony was asked to contact City Hall, and the returned message was that Mayor Matteus seemed to be handling some urgent matter, and the Privy Council made the decision to give Lu Li several blueprints of non-warship ocean-going vessels.

The Heretic leader chose a medium-sized ocean-going ship comparable in size to their half-built keel. For this, they paid a bag full of Strange Currency and removed the brand from Puxiu.

The transaction seemed unequal, as Lu Li, especially Puxiu, had paid a price for this. But avoiding a conflict was beneficial for everyone.

The Heretic leader, after acquiring the blueprints, invited Lu Li and others at the camp to witness the ship’s departure once the Mist Tide and Eternal Night dissipated.

Once the Heretics left, Bishop Jone whispered to Lu Li that they could detain these Heretics... only needing to pay some price.

"Better not... they’ve already removed the brand, right? I feel fine now." Puxiu didn’t want to cause more trouble for everyone.

Ultimately, Lu Li did not expend these believers of Anna in meaningless matters.

He stored the pouch containing 96 Strange Currencies with the merchant. Lu Li sought out the returning Tentacle Cultist and asked: "Can you tell me about the Old God forces you’re opposing?"

"Why do you want to know about this..."

The Tentacle Cultist was puzzled.

"Our companions went missing after being polluted, suspected to be related."

The Tentacle Cultist’s frog-like vertical eyes scanned Lu Li, Ophelia, and even Puxiu: "I will tell you."

The strange does not need the meaningless "glory of personally cutting down enemies" for treating foes. Hostility would drive their hatred to annihilate everything of the adversary, by any means.

"If you can weaken them, you will receive the grace of our lord."

"We... do not... need."

Ophelia didn’t want Lu Li to turn into an ugly viscous fish-like form.

At this moment, the Heretic leader who had left returned.

"The one you, are looking for, Andrea, is a ship?" it said.

"A fellow, told me... it’s, staying, in the bay, about to sink."