CHAPTER 306: 306

Deep beneath the city, far into the winding filth-stained sewage system, was a vast underground chamber carved by unnatural hands.

The air was heavy with rot and old blood. Faint red lights glowed from runes carved into the stone walls, and the stench of decay was mixed with incense and burnt flesh. At the center of the chamber stood a man, his bare body covered in deep red tattoos and cuts, each one pulsing faintly as if alive.

His skin was slick with blood, dried in patches across his chest and arms. His eyes were calm, but there was a slow, unnerving smile on his face. Around him stood five women, all cloaked in long robes of dark red, their faces partly hidden under veils.

"It seems we have intruders," the man said quietly, still smiling as he looked ahead at nothing in particular.

"What a joyous occasion."

"Should we eliminate them?" one of the women asked, her voice low and steady.

"Eliminate?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly. He looked down for a moment, his fingers twitching.

Then he let out a faint sigh. "No. How can we? We’ve been waiting for this.It has been ages and we have been waiting for the right moment to strike. If we kill them now, who will carry the message?"

"What about others?Since we have been losing so many people,we should make up the numbers and preach the words of the Crimson Goddess."

"Let the world know the magnanimity of the Goddess who soothes one soul from all kinds of I’ll feelings."

He turned and walked slowly, his bare feet splashing in the shallow, filthy water. His voice grew colder. "This city is proud. Too proud. The people think they’re safe behind their walls, behind their gods. But they’ve grown soft, blind. We’re not here to kill. We’re here to turn them. They will follow the truth once they taste it."

The women remained still, their eyes fixed on him.

He raised his arm and pointed upward, toward the stone ceiling. "This is why we chose this place. The warriors above—they’re loud, violent, and broken inside. Their minds are weak. They cling to glory and anger. That makes them easy to bend."

He laughed then, a dry, cracked laugh that echoed in the chamber. "Kekke... it’s time. Time to go to the surface."

The chamber pulsed with dark energy.

"The choir had waited long enough."

"It’s time for the entire city to sing."

...

The group sat below in the dark space, catching their breath and checking their gear.

Baldur and Rhys moved ahead, quietly surveying the damp stone walls and murky corners of the tunnel. Kael stood still, his sharp eyes scanning everyone before asking, "Do you have any equipment that can shield your mind? Something to block hypnosis or mental attacks?"

Rhys raised an eyebrow and looked at Kael for a moment and then shook his head.

"We don’t have any artifacts.Lord might have some.We have relayed the message.If he had some,he might bring them."Rhys spoke.

Kael shook his head and looked at Baldy from War God Church.

Baldur snorted loudly, his arms crossed. "We’re not that weak. Those kinds of tricks won’t even touch a hair on us."

Kael’s jaw tightened as he asked’’Can’t touch your hair?Do you even have any hair?"

Baldur slammed his chest with a hearty laughter.

"Exactly..You can’t touch something which doesn’t exist..Weakness like that is absent is us."

He looked at Baladur, clearly annoyed as if he was looking at some fool.

"What? You think you’re immune? The ones we’ve seen until now are nothing compared to the real ones. A few words, and they can chain you like a puppet. We need to prepare properly."

Baladur’s expression darkened. He took a step forward, fists clenched. "Are you mocking us? Calling us weaklings?" He beat his chest with his fist like a war drum. "Men like us are forged in fire. We are children of the God of War! Pain and struggle built us. No mind trick can stop us!"

"Our minds are like hard stone.Nothing can break us.."saying this he looked around and others also started screaming.

"Yes...Such things can’t harm us..Those who were affected earlier were just rookies Priests.The real us are forged of steel."

Kael let out a cold breath, sensing something was wrong. His eyes narrowed. This idiot’s gonna drag us all into a mess.

Just as he thought this.

Without warning, Baldur’s body moved on its own. He swung a heavy punch toward Kael, his arm cutting through the air like a hammer.

Kael’s eyes widened, his body reacting fast as he shifted, letting the blow slide past him and jumped back.

Rhys saw the sudden attack and drew her sword quickly. "Sir Baladur! Lord Kael didn’t mean to offend—" She didn’t finish her sentence before she saw Baladur’s fist come crashing down where she stood. She barely dodged in time as the tunnel shook from the impact.

BOOM!

Dust flew, the floor cracked and a crevice was formed extending around.

The nearby priests stared in disbelief.

"Sir?! What are you doing?" one of them shouted.

Baldur’s body trembled. His eyes widened in terror as he yelled, "Damn it! I can’t control my body!"

"What?!"

Panic erupted around. Screams echoed through the tunnel.

Kael ground his teeth and held himself back from cutting Baldur down. "Just a moment ago he was yelling how strong he was..."

Baldur’s face heated up with embarrassment but what can he do now except to struggle.

He turned to Rhys and spoke in a low, steady voice. "Miss Rhys, stall him. Fighting won’t help. We need to find who’s controlling them."

Rhys nodded, her sword raised, stepping into position. Kael closed his eyes, focused, and pushed his mana out, searching. A faint pull came from the left tunnel. He moved quickly, but as he did, he swung his sword backward in reflex.

TANG!

Metal clashed, sparks flew. Kael turned sharply, expecting an enemy but froze.

It was Rhys.

Kael blinked and so did Rhys who looked at Kael as if asking,"What’s going on?"