Chapter 962: The Play Ends
“Ah! Ah!” Tendrils snaked out from under the Princess’s dress, entangling her limbs. Her body was pulled taut, and then all the tendrils exerted force outwards simultaneously, instantly tearing apart her expensive princess costume.
“No! Woo woo…” The Princess’s delicate body was submerged by the tendrils. I felt her strength rapidly draining away, being absorbed by the Knight.
As Lorna deployed her flashbang, blinding the audience, I also instantly regained my freedom and returned to my own body. The Witch immediately tried to grab her magic wand to resist, but she met the same fate as the Princess, instantly overwhelmed by the tendrils.
With matters escalating to this point, the play was certainly beyond salvaging. The audience screamed in terror, watching the Knight, clad in tattered yellow robes, extend countless tendrils on the stage. Some were already trying to flee in panic.
Just then, the mysterious ballad began to sing again: “My soul can no longer sing… My song flows no more like tears… Only dryness and silence remain… In lost Carcosa!”
The panicked audience suddenly froze. There was no sound in the theater apart from the echoing, eerie chorus. Then, countless audience members collapsed onto their chairs, falling into a deep sleep.
I also felt a mysterious power in this song. Listening to it brought a sense of peace, making me want to fall asleep and dream. However, a different power within my chest protected me from its influence.
Simultaneously, Lorna was also affected. She sat back in her chair, clutching her head. If I hadn’t reminded her earlier to pay attention to mental protection, she would have fallen victim as well.
The chorus grew louder and louder. The curtain fell, revealing the truth behind the stage. The chorus stood on a high platform in a tiered formation. They all wore identical solemn yellow robes, high crowns, and blank white masks with no facial features.
Earlier, I had used my God’s Eye to observe these people responsible for the voice acting and singing backstage. They weren’t dressed as priests then. It was impossible for them to change clothes in such a short time, so their current unified attire, like the Knight’s, was likely conjured by energy.
It seemed the troupe could no longer maintain the charade and was about to turn on us. I noticed that even the lighting and prop technicians had drawn strangely shaped blades carved with runes, seemingly preparing to attack us all.
However, the power emanating from my chest served as a reminder. I immediately took out my Yellow Seal, raised it high, and shouted, “Stop! I am merely a messenger! I am here on behalf of the Church of Gluttony to return a piece of Carcosa!”
This was clearly a misunderstanding. I had no intention of fighting them; I was here to meet them. But due to various coincidental accidents, things had turned hostile. There was no need for this, so I laid all my cards on the table.
As expected, upon seeing the Yellow Seal, the restless crew members froze. No one dared to attack further, and the singing stopped. The entire opera house was silent except for the cries of the two actresses.
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on me, especially the chorus standing in tiers on the high stage. They formed a near fan shape around me, their eyes focused on the Yellow Seal I held aloft.
They were currently brimming with yellow magical energy; if they had attacked, they could have converged their magic on me from all angles. I was incredibly nervous but couldn’t show fear.
They remained silent for a while, seemingly communicating internally. Then, a clear bell rang, and the theater lights turned on, signaling the end of the play. A pale yellow mist obscured the chorus’s location, and the atmosphere in the theater eased.
It seemed a fight wouldn’t break out, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, a figure slowly descended from above the stage. This person was also wearing a yellow robe and a bronze-colored metal mask. Part of the yellow robe was covered with silver armor, and the metal mask was etched with serpentine runes, rising high like a crown.
With such a distinctive appearance, this person was likely the leader, or at least a prominent figure capable of speaking for the group.
Upon closer inspection, he was being lowered by steel wires. There was a pulley mechanism above the stage that slowly lowered him. I hadn’t seen anyone like this on stage moments before.
Considering the immense magical power he possessed, I felt there was no need for such an elaborate entrance, akin to a “Deus ex machina.” If there was a reason, it might be symbolic of a ritual.
A “Deus ex machina”—an abrupt and forced plot resolution in ancient Greek drama, where a god was lowered from the stage by a crane to resolve the conflict.
His adoption of this entrance method now made me wonder if he considered himself a god, or if this symbolic display of status was meant to gather greater power.
Their method of gathering power through theatrical performances was quite mysterious. I had been continuously scanning the theater with my God’s Eye but found nothing amiss; everyone appeared to be an ordinary person.
Only when the script reached its climax, and the truth was revealed, did I realize that these individuals had gathered immense magical power. This power originated from the stage, or perhaps was born from the play itself.
It was so deeply hidden. Usually, they appeared as ordinary people, only to gain magical power when organized. And it seemed to be distributed according to their status.
At this moment, the figure finally descended slowly. With a wave of his hand, the magical energy on the stage disconnected from the Knight.
But the yellow-robed monster did not disappear; it separated from the Knight. It floated up, while the Knight fell out of the yellow robe, collapsing on the stage, unconscious.
The tendrils retracted. The two beautiful actresses lay slumped on the stage, as if used and discarded, their small mouths agape. All their magical power had been drained.
Clearly, the supposed leader did not understand what was happening. He made a strange gesture to the yellow-robed figure and revealed his uniquely designed bracelet, a method of confirming identities within their group.
However, the yellow-robed figure ignored him, drifting down from the stage and directly towards Jayad. It lunged at him, and the two merged.
“Ah!” Older Brother Jayad woke up. He had also returned, which put my mind at ease. Older Brother Jayad stood up and said, bewildered, “I… I think I had a dream.”
At this point, the yellow-robed leader finally turned towards us. His deep voice boomed from beneath the crown-like mask, “Who are you? What is your purpose?”
“As I just said, I represent the Church of Gluttony and am here to return a piece of Carcosa. However, I also need to confirm your identities,” I replied.
The leader hesitated for a moment before speaking, “We are the Brotherhood of the Yellow King, subjects who serve the King.”
