Chapter 142: The Resurgence Church's Mask of Pain (Long Chapter)

Witnessing the process of Dekan's deception and manipulation, Lampard was holding his head in agony in the reception room. To be honest, he had gone all-in on Dekan the past couple days. It could even be said that he had tied his fortune and life to Dekan. Of course, the results were good because all of Dekan's seemingly risky actions turned out to be victories. As the assistant, Viscount Lampard not only protected his territory but also gained both fame and fortune. He would undoubtedly leave his name on the great achievement of overthrowing the Cardinal of Ruin.

However, Lampard had already noticed something strange about Dekan. He had some weird ambitions and would engage in extremely crazy behavior. He actually deceived a tier 8 powerhouse of the Norton Kingdom into becoming a pretty girl who'll be singing and dancing!

Moreover, from the conversation between Dekan and Judith, Lampard seemed to hear something extraordinary. The Ice Princess... would also become an idol? When did she fall into Dekan's clutches? These were two of the highest combat powers of the Norton Kingdom. If His Majesty the King found out that the two defenders of the country were engaged in artistic work, he would probably lose sleep for at least a month!

And during the award ceremony afterward, not only would the king look at Dekan strangely, but Lampard, as an accomplice, might also suffer the king's disdain!

Lampard suddenly realized his alliance with Dekan seemed more like a pact with a demon than a pledge between friends. It seemed like he was completely trapped and couldn't get off the pirate ship.

"To save the declining Kuran Territory, three legendary girls form an idol group and debut. Let's use this as the beginning of our plan." Dekan, without caring about Judith's presence, started discussing with Croix.

"I think it's a good idea. I can also ask my father to promote it more in the Kuran Territory. We can start planning the first live performance in advance." Croix nodded, approvingly.

"Wait! I don't have any experience in this area. You can't make me perform so soon!" Judith quickly waved her hands.

"Don't worry; for this month, you and Ice Princess only need to complete the demo of the first dance track." Dekan smiled gently.

"You two just need to practice the dance well, and as long as your singing isn't too bad, it's fine. A kid will handle the leader's position."

"Wuuu..."

Judith had gradually calmed down now. The more calmly she thought about what Dekan said, the more she realized the severity of the problem. As she thought about what she would have to do in the future, a sense of shame surged wildly into her heart, and even her cheeks felt a bit hot. She couldn't figure out how she had been so foolish to agree to him just now! The current reality seemed worse than what she initially feared. After all, short-term pain was better than prolonged suffering.

"The timing's perfect too. The king will definitely commend us soon. Both you and the Ice Princess are the main contributors in defeating Evans. Naturally, you will go to the royal capital for the commendation. Just relax and stay in the royal capital for a while to complete the recording when the time comes." Dekan's words interrupted her chaotic thoughts.

"Okay..." Judith nodded, biting her lip.

Then, Dekan, somewhat tired, stretched and exchanged a few words with Viscount Lampard before heading to the bedroom on the second floor. Meanwhile, Judith remained standing in the reception room, seemingly dazed. She couldn't digest the many things that had happened in this short day.

"Lady Judith, will you be staying at the lord's mansion tonight? I can arrange a guest room for you," Viscount Lampard asked respectfully.

"Then... thank you," Judith replied. She actually wanted to make a sarcastic comment but felt it might be impolite. She noticed that Viscount Lampard seemed unusually adapted to the role of a hotel manager.

The first night after the curtain fell on the battle of Tristin City. Somewhere on this vast land, a place without moonlight or sunlight. Though there were stars in the sky, they turned into dark spots. It was as if the starry sky had been eroded and contaminated. An ancient temple stood in this place. Surrounded by a faint blue light, it appeared mysterious and beautiful. The rest of the space, except for the temple, was pitch-black and chaotic.

Inside the temple, unlike its artistic exterior, a chilly temperature lingered in every corner. The black stone walls emitted a highly oppressive atmosphere. There were no living guards here, only a monotonous gloom and an almost deathly silence.

Every space inside the temple formed its own boundary, and intruders would likely get lost forever without the owner's guidance.

Suddenly, the structure of the temple began to rotate like a Rubik's Cube, and the stone slabs rolled with clattering sounds. Its structure started changing, and within the main hall, several large black geometric shapes appeared. Flat only at the top, they seemed to be suspended without any support.

These bizarre black geometric shapes were adorned with numerous strange runes, faintly shimmering with a strange light, resembling countless eyes, eerie and solemn.

At some point, figures had already appeared on the black geometric shapes. Their forms seemed to be constructed from black mist, drifting indistinctly. Only a pair of eyes showed through the haze. Each person corresponded to a black geometric shape. Those shapes were apparently their seats.

"Seven Cardinals have arrived, not bad," someone muttered, as if speaking to themselves. The tone was helpless yet carried a hint of gravity.

Soon, he continued, "Evans has failed."

He was the person who would take the lead in every gathering. The runes faintly forming the words on the geometric shape beneath his feet read - 'Falsity.'

The impromptu meeting of the Cardinals called by the Resurgence Church, with seven Cardinals present, indicated a severe issue. This space was a special long-distance communication method among the Resurgence Church's Cardinals, achieved through their respective [Cardinal's Token,] connecting them to the void space mentally. Regardless of where a Cardinal might be located, they will be able to enter the meeting and connect with their corresponding geometric shape using their [Cardinal's Token.]

"Ah? Evans is truly useless," a deranged voice echoed in the hall. It was filled with pride and an indescribable sense of pleasure. The speaker lazily reclined on a geometric shape named 'Frenzy.'

"Hehe, are you stronger than him? I'm afraid you can't accomplish what he couldn't," questioned the voice named 'Pestilence.'

Cardinal of Frenzy: "Want to die?"

Cardinal of Pestilence: "I've wanted to get rid of you for a long time."

Cardinal of Corruption: "Fight! Fight! I'll collect the corpse of the loser..."

Not only did the two Cardinals start arguing, but there were also others adding fuel to the fire.

Cardinal of End: "Silence, all of you."

After a long silence, a figure that had been silent all along finally spoke. Despite the blurry outline, his eyes were as profound as stars, exuding dominance and malevolence. His words were calm but carried the weight of command.

"Why do you have the right to give orders to us? Do you want to be the Pope?" Both the Cardinal of Pestilence and the Cardinal of Corruption had become quiet but the Cardinal of Frenzy seemed somewhat defiant.

"Because the three of you can't beat me even if you were to join hands," calmly replied the Cardinal of End.

"Hmm." Even the most arrogant Cardinal of Frenzy fell silent. The entire meeting suddenly became more harmonious.

"By the way, how did Evans lose?" a demonic voice with a mix of many male and female voices rang out, making the other Cardinals uncomfortable.

The Cardinal of Silence, infamous for tormenting and experimenting on civilians, was known for his extremely cruel methods, earning the world's hatred. However, the person speaking now seemed to be another entity altogether.

No one seemed to plan to provide an answer or analysis to the question from the Cardinal of Silence.

"It's because of Dekan's interference," a figure suddenly spoke when everyone was silent.

"Minos, your information is surprisingly accurate," praised the meeting's leader, the Cardinal of Falsity.

Minos was the Resurgence Church's Cardinal of Shadow and the most skilled card maker among the Cardinals. He was said to be on par with even special class card makers.

"Hahaha, are you trying to make me laugh to death? Evans lost to a tier 3? My laughter quota for the month will be all taken by Evans," the Cardinal of Frenzy laughed, seemingly indifferent to the matter.

He could fully imagine the arrogant Evans becoming furious and helpless when his plans were disrupted by a tier 3.

Cardinal of Shadow, Minos: "Not only did he lose, he also died."

"..."

At that moment, the Cardinals fell into silence. Even the laughter of the Cardinal of Frenzy abruptly stopped, and he furrowed his brows.

They realized the seriousness of the situation. Evans had died. Did that mean they could also be in mortal danger in similar circumstances?

"Evans is dead? Minos, this kind of joke is not funny."

"It's up to you to believe it or not."

"Then who was responsible for his death? The Sun God Church's Holy Knight Commander? Or the Great Sage of Norton Kingdom? Or perhaps the Ice Princess he completely dominated?"

"None of them." Cardinal of Shadow, Minos shook his head.

"Then who?"

"It was Dekan again."

"..."

Cardinal of Shadow, Minos's answer clearly silenced the Cardinals once again.

"Minos, I need to confirm with you. Are you sure Dekan was behind all this?"

"I am sure."

"Is that guy really a tier 3?"

"He has unique abilities. Under strict conditions, he can often achieve crowd control effects that ignore tiers."

"We know that, but against a tier 8, a being akin to the embodiment of a natural disaster, does he really have the power to resist?"

Cardinal of Shadow shook his head, "Although he is entirely powerless against a tier 8, he will use every resource available. With his unique ability and limitless tactics, even someone as strong as Evans was defeated and killed."

"So, Dekan's victory over Evans this time relied more on external forces and luck?" Cardinal of Corruption muttered, dragging his chin.

After all, an ideal battlefield and an tier 8 ally were not something one could get every time.

"In any case, Dekan's direct combat capabilities and proactive combat abilities are pitifully weak. If you encounter him, be cautious. But, there's no need to worry too much. Excessive concern might instead lead you into his trap."

"That's right. The best way to deal with him is to avoid any communication or interaction regarding information."

"My subordinates described Dekan as ghost-like. I actually wanted to see him for myself. Alas, he dares not stir up trouble in front of us."

"As long as he dares to leave the borders of Norton Kingdom, even at the risk of being locked onto by the Astrologer, I would go and make a hole in his heart."

"He's just a little bug that can't stand on the stage. He shouldn't think he can sit on equal footing with us, right?"

The Cardinals sharply commented on Dekan. Though they were wary of him, there was more disdain.

"Now that this attempt failed, and we lost a Cardinal, what should we do?" The Cardinal of Silence looked a bit worried as he quietly asked the Cardinal of Falsity. He was someone who was more concerned about the overall impact of this accident.

"Continue with our plan. Everything is still within acceptable limits. While the Astrologer keeps a close eye on us, he is also continuously probing the secrets of the tier 10 Shadow World. We need to seize the initiative in the midst of this and make progress before the Pope returns."

"What is the tier 10 Shadow World?" At this moment, a voice asked humbly.

"Are you kidding me? The tier 10 Shadow World is the focal point of our complete world reset. How many times have you skipped the Cardinal meetings?" Even the Cardinal of Frenzy, who was still intensely criticizing Dekan, couldn't help but speak up when he heard what seemed like a foolish question.

"Sorry, I'm a newcomer."

"Newcomer?"

Suddenly, everyone in the room sensed that something was wrong. They silently quieted down, collectively directing their gaze at this person.

A newcomer among the Cardinals?

What kind of joke was this?!

They all stared intensely at the guy who asked the supposedly foolish question.

Was there a newcomer among the Cardinals?

All the Cardinals present realized something was amiss. They all focused their attention on this person with blue eyes. From their memories, there was no cardinal Cardinal with blue eyes.

After a quick count, they found out they started with seven and now there were eight. A new member appeared out of nowhere!

How many times had they counted?

It started with seven people.

Now it has become eight.

Somewhere along the way, someone had sneaked in!

"Who are you?!"

All the Cardinals present discovered that the person was standing in the position that originally belonged to Evans!

This guy seemed to have been eavesdropping here for a while!

"Are you Dekan?" The Cardinal of Shadow asked, being the first to guess the identity of this unexpected guest.

"Indeed, it is I." Dekan nodded without any hesitation.

Then, the entire hall fell into complete silence...

After some time.

"What the heck! You bastard, why are you here?!"

An eruption of extremely angry voices filled the hall.