Chapter 918
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s Stage Play
Isabel’s longing for Eivass was so intense that she didn’t even need to speak. Her watery gaze alone softened Eivass’s heart.
However, no matter how reluctant Isabel was to part with Eivass, she was no longer the little girl who could rely on him self-indulgently.
She buried her face in Eivass’s collarbone, breathing in his scent deeply. Her slightly cold hands slipped into the sleeves of Eivass’s robes, embracing his back. Her fingertips gently traced the contours of his spine, lingering on each vertebra.
Only when her arms were warmed to the same temperature as Eivass’s skin, which was much hotter than that of ordinary people, did Isabel reluctantly release him.
“Go, my knight,” Isabel said softly, reaching out to straighten Eivass’s collar. “Do what you need to do.
“But remember… no matter what, prioritize your own safety.
“No one in this world has to be a savior, but you, Eivass, are my only savior. All I hope for is that my savior remains safe and sound… that is my wish to the stars.”
“I will, Her Majesty the Queen,” Eivass whispered, gently kissing Isabel’s lips.
Then, Eivass placed his hand over his heart, as if performing a knight’s salute to Isabel.
As a surge of warmth flowed into his heart, divine mana dispersed the Lord of Scales and Feathers’s hypnosis. Eivass opened his eyes, waking from his dream.
The Pope’s Guards, along with Mu and Zhu Tang, were guarding him.
“How long was I asleep?” Eivass immediately asked.
“Barely half an hour,” Zhu Tang said, checking a silver pocket watch with an iris flower design that he had taken from his chest. “Twenty-five minutes and thirty seconds. Did you find the person you were looking for?”
“They are all safe, and not on Star Antinomy. This is undoubtedly good news,” Eivass’s face lit up with joy, but he quickly added, “However, there are others here who need saving…”
“…Wait a moment, my employer… no, my Respected His Majesty the Pope,” Zhu Tang suddenly interrupted Eivass.
His expression was complex, a mixture of nostalgia, wistfulness, seriousness, and even a cruel determination.
He spoke slowly, “You should know that this is a natural disaster – its outcome cannot be altered by our will. We cannot save everyone. We have already witnessed the power of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy; it is not something we can contend with.”
Clearly, Zhu Tang was afraid that Eivass would impulsively decide to confront the Fallen Heavenly Envoy or attempt to save absolutely everyone.
The “Cruel Preacher” was indeed powerful, but not invincible. If King of the Wild Hunt hadn’t driven away the Punisher Demons, those four Punisher Demons alone would have been enough to easily destroy the warship – and this was precisely why they dared to appear here.
With just Eivass’s prayer-summoned protective barrier and the durability of the ship itself, the four Punisher Demons could destroy it with just three rounds of fire. Each round took about six seconds, meaning it would take less than half a minute in total.
If they took too many people with them, it could incite retaliation.
“…I know, Zhu Tang. You don’t need to treat me like some overly naive young man,” Eivass nodded, a hint of helplessness in his voice. “I was once a Demon Scholar. I understand demonology.”
“…What?” Zhu Tang blinked in surprise. “I thought you were a Ritualist… I see, then I understand.”
Zhu Tang was immediately put at ease. Since Eivass had been a Demon Scholar, he likely understood the command structure of demon legions. This meant Eivass would know the extent to which one could provoke a demon legion…
In fact, Eivass did know. The demons’ loyalty to the Fallen Heavenly Envoy was peculiar – they didn’t worship him devoutly, nor were their souls and wills twisted by him. It was more akin to a gang’s reward and punishment system, or a small company’s dependence on “the boss’s mood.”
Though Lower Demons lacked sentience, Upper Demons possessed, or had once possessed, Marks of Sin. Just like what happened to the Night Demon Viness when she was still a Shadow Demon – she had lost her qualification for the Great Sin of Wrath because she had reached a reconciliation with herself in her Child of the Moon form. Her Mark of Sin was consequently stripped by the Fallen Heavenly Envoy.
Once she lost her Mark of Sin, she lost the ability to grow stronger. It had been hundreds of years since her reconciliation until Eivass summoned her, and she hadn’t grown even a bit stronger.
For a Phantom Demon specializing in “transcendence,” having the possibility of transcendence severed was undoubtedly an extremely painful experience. Therefore, Upper Demons desired to maintain their Marks of Sin, or even acquire other types of Marks of Sin, which would greatly enhance their power and the speed of their improvement. Demons who had their Marks of Sin revoked would try their best to please the Fallen Heavenly Envoy – by finding and luring powerful souls to complete “tasks” and receive “dividends.”
Thus, rescuing a large number of people from Star Antinomy was tantamount to provoking all the Upper Demons. It was like two competing restaurants, engrossed in their rivalry, suddenly having someone rush in and hand out discount coupons for food delivery apps to every table. Naturally, the owners of both restaurants would unite against this outsider.
“So trust me, it’ll be fine—” Eivass shook his head. “I understand demons thoroughly. The key to saving people lies in time, not space.”
Because Eivass understood demons so well, he knew that the current situation was rather peculiar. Looking at the confused Zhu Tang, Eivass briefly explained what these demons were actually doing.
According to the habits of Upper Demons, their allowing Lower Demons to attack citizens after descending was not primarily for the taste of flesh and blood – Upper Demons had long shed such barbaric tendencies. While a small part of their motive was to capture souls to provide energy for building demonic structures or creating more subordinate demons… the other part, and the main reason, was to create terrifying chaos.
The Fallen Heavenly Envoy was just lazy, not foolish. He had once been the Lord of Sky-Piercing Tower, possessing adaptability from the Fourth Origin River. He had severed his own kindness and love… unlike the first Lord of Sky-Piercing Tower, who had severed his own brain.
To perfectly utilize the Ouroboros Ring ritual set up by the “Serpent” through the “Serpent’s” conspiracy, the rules of the Material Realm had to adapt to the existence of the Fallen Heavenly Envoy. Only by destroying the existing order of the Material Realm would people recognize the Fallen Heavenly Envoy as their king – but they couldn’t be enemies of Star Antinomy, as that would only continuously fuel people’s resistance.
Thus, the demons were deliberately creating the fertile ground for chaos. The demons themselves destroyed order, causing the vast majority of people to lose their jobs, income, and purchasing power, pushing them to a point where they couldn’t survive without committing crimes. Subsequently, they would implant Marks of Sin into those humans who were the first to break the order and actively commit crimes, making them feared and loathed by the people, and gradually transform them into powerful demons to witness the Fallen Heavenly Envoy’s might. At this point, the actual demons would descend from the heavens, submit the newly formed demons with overwhelming power, and then offer these ordinary people who had fallen into hell a “slightly better” orthodox order of evil. This way, they could become the people’s saviors.
An even worse order was still better than chaos – even if the one bringing this order was the very culprit who incited the chaos.
It was like a melodramatic “hero saving the damsel” scene, meticulously choreographed beforehand.
(End of Chapter)
