The existence of a rule-grade forbidden artifact was like a mountain pressing down on one's heart, leaving Olivia feeling as though she could barely breathe.
She pondered what she should do.
She had managed to shake off her pursuers, but there was no doubt they were still scouring Huys Street for her. A street was only so long; hiding indefinitely wouldn't be easy.
So, what was the solution?
'Come to think of it, the Twilight Council captured the other clergy members instead of killing them. Why?'
Olivia thought of her colleagues who had been taken away.
Perhaps she could find a way to rescue them first. By pooling everyone's strength, they might be able to accomplish more.
With this thought, Olivia turned around and slowly made her way back the way she had come.
The heavy rain continued to pour, washing over the entire street until it was shrouded in a thick mist, adding a sense of hazy unreality to the scene.
Olivia was light on her feet and agile. Using the houses for cover, she moved from point to point, steadily heading deeper into Huys Street.
This wasn't her first time on this street. Its layout was currently vivid in her mind; while she couldn't remember every single alleyway, she could still distinguish the general directions.
"Up ahead... if I remember correctly, is Huys Square," Olivia whispered.
Huys Square wasn't particularly large—only about a fifth the size of Triumphant Square—but it was usually the liveliest spot on Huys Street.
Olivia recalled that when the members of the Twilight Council had escorted the clergy away earlier, they seemed to be heading toward Huys Square.
She wove through the alleys, using the buildings as cover. After some time spent navigating the winding path, she finally drew near Huys Square.
She now stood beside an old house. The outer walls were covered in moss, and a pungent odor hung in the air.
Ignoring the unpleasant smell, Olivia stood at the edge of the building and poked her head out to look toward Huys Square.
With just one glance, her pupils constricted, and her heart skipped a beat.
"What is that thing?"
Olivia quickly pulled her head back, but the image she had just seen continued to flash in her mind, causing her expression to shift repeatedly.
In the middle of the vast square, a massive altar had appeared at some unknown point, occupying almost the entire area.
The altar was built of bluestone and was circular in shape, with steps rising inward like a tiered pyramid. At the highest point in the center stood a pitch-black sickle, its handle planted firmly into the stone!
This long-handled sickle symbolized death and was one of the emblems of the Twilight Council.
The altar was also covered in a dense array of carved Sylvan Runes, many of which Olivia couldn't even begin to decipher.
"Why is there an altar here? What exactly is the Twilight Council trying to do?" Olivia whispered.
She thought of one of the many functions of the rule-grade forbidden artifact, King's Domain. One of its powers was the ability to terraform the terrain to a certain extent.
So, this was how the altar had been created.
After calming her racing heart, Olivia cautiously peeked out again.
This time she looked more closely. Her gaze fell upon the base of the altar, where she saw traces of something flowing on the ground.
It was blood—bright red blood!
She didn't need to think to realize that some residents of Huys Street had already been murdered. Their blood had become the sacrifice, gathering and flowing beneath the altar, slowly being absorbed by it.
Though she saw no bodies, knowing that a transcendent on the Necromancer path was among the enemies made it clear what kind of treatment the corpses had received.
Olivia didn't know the Twilight Council's ultimate goal, but whatever it was, she had to stop them.
After all, she was also trapped in Huys Street.
'Magic mirror, magic mirror, do you know what an altar like this represents?'
To confirm the current situation, Olivia simply asked the magic mirror in her heart.
She described the altar's appearance and the Sylvan Runes upon it in detail.
After asking the question, she felt a bit apprehensive. She didn't know if the magic mirror would provide an answer; after all, its range of control was limited to the monastery and the Daylight Cathedral. If those two locations lacked the information, it wouldn't be able to respond.
【This is an evil god summoning ritual. The purpose is to summon a wisp of the will of the evil god of death to descend and bring death to this land!】
The magic mirror provided the answer quickly.
The Twilight Council had performed similar rituals in other places in the distant past, and the church possessed some intelligence on the matter.
Getting an answer made Olivia sigh in relief, but upon learning the altar's purpose, her heart tightened again, and her scalp felt like it was crawling.
Even if it wasn't summoning the evil god itself, even a mere wisp of an evil god's will possessed absolutely destructive power. When the time came, the entire Huys Street would likely face death, and she would be no exception.
"No, it's not just Huys Street." Olivia thought of King's Domain and remembered the magic mirror saying other districts were also having issues.
Could it be that identical altars had appeared in many places simultaneously?
If so, it wasn't surprising. After all, it was the will of an evil god; preparing multiple altars for its arrival was perfectly normal.
Therefore, when the time came, death would not just descend upon Huys Street, but across a much larger area.
This was terrifying!
The thought made Olivia's body tense up. She knew she couldn't let this happen.
The church would surely respond, but... the Twilight Council had gone this far; their preparations must be extremely thorough. Could the church have been deceived?
In history, even the church hadn't always succeeded in dismantling the destruction and harm brought by heretics. Especially when facing the Twilight Council, the number of times they had successfully brought death was not small.
The church was strong, but it was not invincible.
"So, whether for myself or for countless innocent people, I have to do something. But what can I do? I'm just a Pilgrim," Olivia said with a bitter smile.
She rubbed her brow and then tilted her face up, letting the rain splash against her skin. The cool sensation made her mind feel sharper.
"Perhaps I shouldn't be paralyzed by indecision. I should just go and do what I need to do."
Olivia had made her choice.
Rate on N.U.
