Chapter 297: Worse Than Death

All the Emperors immediately rushed toward the Imperial City’s central square, one of the busiest and most crowded places in Everhart City.

The square was a popular gathering spot, featuring a grand arena, a lively marketplace, and a magnificent fountain at its center. With so many attractions concentrated in one place, it was the perfect location for outings, dates, and all kinds of social gatherings.

The ongoing meeting of the racial Emperors had attracted even more visitors from outside the city.

Although the earlier broadcast had ended a few hours ago, many people were still lingering in the square, discussing the events and enjoying the lively atmosphere. As a result, the entire area remained packed with visitors.

Moreover, the largest temple of the Goddess of Light stood within the square, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers who came to offer their prayers.

Under normal circumstances, the square would have been filled with cheerful conversations and the bustling sounds of the marketplace. However, that peaceful atmosphere was about to be shattered by an unexpected event.

A large-scale broadcast had suddenly begun again, transmitting images across the entire Human Continent.

The moment the six Emperors arrived, they immediately noticed the enormous crowd gathered near the temple. Their attention was soon drawn toward the figure standing in front of its entrance, and the sight that greeted them left them utterly stunned.

Even the Human Emperor’s personal subordinates couldn’t hide their shock.

Their jaws nearly dropped.

The man standing before the temple was completely naked, with both hands missing and his manhood gone. Large patches of skin had been torn away from his body, leaving severe wounds that continued to bleed.

His entire figure looked horrifying, and it was difficult to believe that the person before them had once been a Normal human.

Strangely, a black flame burned across his exposed wounds, its flickering light casting an ominous glow over his battered body. The aura it radiated was so terrifying that even the powerful warriors present instinctively hesitated to approach.

What made the sight even more disturbing was the way the flame consumed him. It seemed to be burning both his physical body and his soul, yet the process was painfully slow, as though deliberately prolonging his suffering.

His agonized screams echoed throughout the square, drowning out the surrounding conversations. His cries were so loud that even those standing farther away could hear them without relying on the broadcast.

However, the most shocking revelation was the man’s identity. It was someone almost every person on the Human Continent knew.

High Priest Alaric.

The moment the crowd recognized him, waves of disbelief spread through the square. People gathered at a distance, staring at the horrifying scene with expressions of fear, disgust, and confusion.

Who could have done this to the High Priest? And what kind of hatred could drive someone to inflict such terrible suffering upon him?

Before anyone could find an answer, Alaric’s desperate screams revealed something far more disturbing.

"ARRRGHHHHHH! PLEASE... PLEASE, SOMEONE, KILL ME! END THIS NIGHTMARE!"

"I’M SORRY! I’M SO SORRY! I COMMITTED HORRIBLE CRIMES AGAINST INNOCENT YOUNG WOMEN! I RAPED THEMM ARRRGHHHH! I DESERVE THIS! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!"

"I KILLED THEM! I DESTROYED THEIR LIVES AND SLAUGHTERED THEIR FAMILIES! PLEASE... SOMEONE, ANYONE, END MY SUFFERING! AAAAAARGHHHH!"

Alaric continued screaming, desperately begging for death as the unbearable pain overwhelmed him. Between his agonized cries, he revealed one horrifying crime after another, confessing to the atrocities he had committed over the years.

Each confession sent another wave of shock through the crowd.

People who had once bowed their heads respectfully before him now stared at him in horror. Some struggled to believe what they were hearing, while others looked at him with undisguised disgust.

Was this really the same High Priest Alaric they had known for years? The man who represented the Light Goddess Order, preached righteousness to countless worshippers, and maintained the image of a dignified and holy figure?

The revelation was almost impossible to accept.

If his confessions were true, then the man they had revered as a holy servant had been concealing a horrifying side behind his respectable appearance.

Holy Knights and Imperial Guards immediately rushed toward him, hoping to stop his suffering and bring the situation under control. However, the moment they approached, the terrifying black flame forced them to halt.

Its ominous aura made it clear that getting too close could put them in danger. Even the more powerful warriors hesitated, unable to determine how to extinguish the flame without making matters worse.

They could only watch helplessly as Alaric continued screaming and revealing his crimes before the entire continent.

Then, several powerful of them finally recognized the flame.

Their expressions changed drastically, and a chill ran through them as they recalled the terrifying figure who had wielded the same power.

This was the very same black flame that the Slaughter Monarch had used on Zero.

The Human Emperor’s subordinates immediately received a message from the Imperial Castle. Caelan had given them a direct order, kill Alaric immediately.

They understood what their master intended. If Alaric’s confessions continued spreading across the continent, the reputation of the Light Temple Order would suffer greatly.

Without wasting another moment, they began taking control of the situation. The Holy Knights and Imperial Guards cleared the surrounding area, while the Emperor’s subordinates prepared to attack from a distance since approaching Alaric was too dangerous.

However, just as their attacks struck, a powerful formation suddenly activated, deflecting every attack before it could reach its target. The invisible barrier had remained concealed until that very moment, protecting Alaric from their attempts to silence him.

Despite their efforts, Alaric continued howling in agony, revealing one terrible crime after another before the entire continent.

Meanwhile, the broadcast continued uninterrupted, allowing people throughout the Human Continent to witness the horrifying scene.

They had never seen anything like this before. The punishment inflicted upon Alaric was so terrible that it seemed even death would have been a mercy.

And, after hearing his confessions, people didn’t feel any sympathy for him. Instead, they believed that whoever had done this had acted justly. A man who had committed such heinous crimes deserved far worse than a quick and painless death.

The revelation also sent fear spreading among criminals throughout the continent. Those who had committed similar atrocities began to tremble at the thought of facing the same fate.

If even a powerful figure like Alaric, the High Priest of the Light Temple Order, could be brought to such a miserable state, what chance would ordinary criminals have of escaping punishment?

Then, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted a name.

"This was done by the Slaughter Monarch!"

Several people immediately recognized the ominous black flame. As the realization spread, more voices began echoing the same conclusion.

The Slaughter Monarch! The name alone was enough to send the already chaotic crowd into an uproar.

Throughout Everhart City, people began shouting, arguing, and speculating about what they were witnessing, while the unrest gradually spread to the surrounding areas.

**

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