Chapter 1466: Dissipation

Tishaya’s mood was so low it was on the brink of collapse.

Lann could feel it; her saying, ‘I haven’t severed the veins on my wrist yet,’ was genuinely just a step away.

This powerful and ancient female warlock, her spirit had become incredibly fragile.

Viggo Fortez couldn’t use magic to defeat an opponent like Tishaya, but he could find many ways to destroy such an opponent.

This is why Viggo Fortez previously felt only Philippa Eilhart was tricky.

Because Philippa was not only evenly matched with him in magic but was also a ruthless power animal, she could give up many things for ambition and become exceedingly shrewd.

Unlike Tishaya or Margaret, Viggo Fortez could come up with many ways to destroy them in the blink of an eye.

Without facing their terrifying magic, he could ruin them.

By dragging matters into a rhythm controlled by intellect and emotions, the strength of magical power became unimportant.

The current state of Tishaya was proof that Viggo Fortez was nearly successful.

If not for Lann’s vigilance, then the northern warlocks killed in last night’s chaos would have been in multiples of what they were.

And not just those few Great Mages gathered for a meeting at Gastang Palace at the time.

With Tishaya forcibly calmed by Lann, her near-mad state finally subsided a little.

Among those who wanted to ascend at the doors of Luoxia Palace, half were Redanians under Dikoschek, while the other half were genuinely from Gos Velen City Hall.

The City Hall people cautiously and fearfully watched the once-glorious Sandy Island, the Isle of the Sorceress.

But in last night’s chaos, even the most basic facade maintained by the wizards had been lost.

The prosperity of Gos Velen was half dependent on its seaport and the female warlocks.

Even the calmness of the seaport’s waters was thanks to the female warlocks’ control of the weather.

The City Hall people truly feared something had happened to Airetusa, especially in this visibly decaying world.

Finally, Lann stepped in and persuaded them to return.

In truth, they didn’t necessarily need to go in and see; it was just Tishaya’s madness before that had scared them, leading to concerns that there were no living people left in Airetusa, hence their urgency to confirm things.

And with Lann, a very recognizable and reputable person appearing calmly and rationally to explain and request, they hesitated briefly before simply leaving.

Airetusa had closed its gates.

The people of Gos Velen City could only watch anxiously, left to speculate on what had happened at this academy determining the city’s fate.

Rumors were rampant.

Just a day ago, people looked on full of hope.

Those ordinary people with eyes reflecting fear for the current state of the world.

In this contemptuous era, ordinary humans everywhere could only drift with the tide.

But the ordinary people of Gos Velen had placed their sense of security and hope on the warlocks.

At the break of dawn today, looking towards Sandy Island, they realized their hope and security in this world had turned into rootless duckweed.

In the famed market, the missionary shouted with more fervor than any previous day about the Celestial God’s mercy and justice, the evil of the wizards, and their inevitable defeat.

But today, many people began to seriously stop and listen, no longer quietly rebutting with ridicule.

The two fallen towers on Sandy Island seemed to have dropped onto their hearts.

Thus, receiving feedback from the crowd, the missionary became even more excited and earnest.

The pursuit of establishing a diocese in Gos Velen, this “city of the witch’s evil,” seemed to be within reach!

But then, a gloomy presence, like a mute button, passed by the missionary’s podium, already gathering a sizeable crowd.

It was a very tall strange person, at least a head taller than the average market goer.

In a black coat and hat with a wide brim, carrying a large axe too big even for a lumberjack.

Though blindfolded, he didn’t bump into anyone.

“You say ‘God loves all, with mercy and justice’?”

Speaking with an academic discussion tone, this tall strange person asked towards the temporary podium made of three wooden crates.

“Did your God declare this to you? Or have you truly seen your God?”

This wasn’t a malicious question or mockery; the missionary could tell he was sincerely asking.

But that made it even more laughable yet absurd!

Under the bright red hood of the missionary, a face with eyes wide open.

Making hesitant murmurs from the throat but nothing coherent was said.

Precisely because this question was asked sincerely, the intention behind it approached ‘does God truly exist,’ this kind of philosophical inquiry.

The missionary wanted to scold this questioner.

Even wanted to exploit the incident at Airetusa, the fear and despair in the hearts of Gos Velen’s residents, to incite the crowd to attack this questioner.

This affair was akin to a ‘pledge of loyalty,’ once someone committed those extreme actions under the doctrine of the Eternal Fire, they naturally became adherents of the Eternal Fire.

Whether those people considered themselves, or society’s recognition of these people’s identities would equally transform.

Stirring emotions and encouraging others to ‘first enact the doctrine, then become believers’ when they are already agitated was even a missionary skill.

But just as the missionary was about to do so…

Gascogne slightly adjusted his hat brim, tilting his head, and glanced at the missionary with his blindfolded eyes.

Suddenly, vaguely, the missionary only felt a faint foul odor drilling into his nostrils.

This stench was so intense that it made him feel a bit physically uncomfortable.

It was as if the foul odor of decaying blood, yet like the sweet scent of fresh blood, only thicker, more… alien.

And when he frantically looked around, he found that the people surrounding him seemed completely unaware.

The stench of blood was so penetrating, it was eager to drill in from the nostrils! Then surge up to the brain!

The thick stench of blood made the missionary completely unable to endure it, bending over to vomit violently.

He even splattered it all over the head and face of someone very close by, who wanted to listen to the preaching.

And he himself also fell into a heap with the wooden boxes piled under his feet due to bending over to vomit.

The people who originally wanted to listen to the will of the Celestial God, hoping to find some hope and support in this era of disdain, looked at the missionary in dismay.

In the end, they sighed and shook their heads, coming and going in the bustling market.

Gascogne tightened the axe hanging from his body and tucked it inside his large trench coat.

The hunters of Yan’an had already hunted too many beasts at night, their weapons, no matter how… could not be cleaned.

The blood of the beastly patients had permeated to every corner of metal and machinery, even inside.

Just now, it was merely hard to conceal the smell of the beast.

Following the directions of Ged and Belengar, Gascogne walked all the way to the entrance of Airetusa.

The two Demon Hunters, plus a Yan Nan Hunter, the manpower that attacked the Workshop District last night was hardly enough in front of them.

Although due to the reason of soul projection, Gascogne didn’t bring much silver bullets, but with just one axe he was formidable enough.

The Yan Nan Hunter’s swift dodging and timing ability might seem even more terrifying than the ghostly Demon Spirit to ordinary people.

Just as Ged’s guidance indicated, finding Airetusa in Gos Velen was really simple.

The city’s main road was simply the open road to the academy.

Gascogne didn’t know what the Magic Academy was like, he just hoped it wasn’t like the Arcanum research place among the choir of Yan’an.

Fortunately, after passing some kind of inspection, Gascogne saw only some very new traces of destruction upon entering directly.

But overall, it was neither bloody and eerie nor disgustingly bizarre.

Gascogne’s expression remained unchanged, like stepping over a step he crossed a Squirrel Faction corpse with its side rib cleaved open by a blade.

His soul body had become semi-transparent and would soon return.

After walking a few steps, he saw a… armored cat seemingly waiting there for him?

“Are you called, uh, Gascogne meow?”

The small tricolor cat spoke in human language, adjusting its helmet, and looked up seriously to confirm.

Gascogne nodded somewhat blankly.

Rong Buqiu cheerfully hopped once: “Then come with me, the boss is waiting for you meow! And two other very formidable hunters! Are you that kind of hunter meow?”

While speaking, Rong Buqiu began running energetically on all fours, with Gascogne following behind.

When they reached a corridor in the building, Rong Buqiu, after trotting on all fours, stood upright in the last few steps, tucked its small paws in front, walked to Lann’s side, and had its head patted.

Meanwhile, Erin and Henrik were already talking beside them.

“I just thought to say goodbye before leaving.”

Gascogne said.

He glanced down the corridor where many injured people lay and some looked at them in shock.

Henrik first nodded to Gascogne and then continued to speak in a muffled voice.

“You still say it’s peaceful here? You’ve only been gone a few days…”

“An unexpected event.” Lann said, rubbing his head a bit troubled, “Bad timing.”

“But not wrong to say.” The Crow Hunter, with its bird-beak mask, looked down the corridor.

The cold, merciless mask made more people shiver uncontrollably.

“To be scared by this scene… indeed it is peaceful here.”

Even though Airetusa had experienced a night of rebellion and slaughter, it was not on the same level as the horrors of Yan’an.

In the eyes of Yan Nan Hunters, the people’s reactions here seemed a bit too weak.

“The little cat is very brave. That horse… the only thing I can praise is its efficiency.”

Erin added, looking down at Rong Buqiu.

The Elu Cat had seen the Yan Nan Hunters for the first time last night, and their entirely different combat techniques and style made it seem enthused with vibrant energy.

Faced with Erin’s gaze, although remaining upright, it also made a low, tiger-like growl of excitement.

Its body swayed and wiggled like a caterpillar, an unconscious move of cats adjusting the focus of their spine.

“Can we have a fight meow?!” Rong Buqiu asked eagerly, “I’ve seen your techniques on the boss! But your combat style is so different meow! So quick and efficient!”

“Maybe next time? No time this time.”

Erin shrugged, and both Henrik and Gascogne nodded silently, pressing the hat brim towards Lann.

Lann nodded thankfully to them and patted Rong Buqiu’s little head.

After a light ringing of the Shaking Bell, the soul bodies completely disappeared.