Chapter 298

"I don't know how many people will attend tonight's congregation...However, if I somehow managed to attract more than twenty attendees, then His Divine Grace will undoubtedly reward me! I'll definitely attain more powerful strength and more offerings!"

Observing the ever-growing assembly of people beneath the podium, a subtle madness flickered within the old man's eyes as his heart brims with anticipation.

A hushed quiet envelops the surroundings.

Yet, despite the silence, more and more people gradually make their way inside the amphitheater from the outside.

The people at the crowd were mainly composed of ordinary citizens and their faces expressed looks of either curiosity, fear, or reverence.

As the midnight hours ticked away, a growing throng of individuals continued to arrive one after another...

"Ten... eleven... twelve..."

Meanwhile, watching the gathering crowd with eyes resembling a hawk on the prowl, the elderly preacher quietly tallied their numbers, as the anticipation within his gaze further intensified.

"Nineteen... twenty!"

Soon, their numbers finally surpassed his quota for the day which is twenty atendees.

Seeing this, the old man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Today's turnout...is a success!"

However, much to his surprise, more and more people continued to arrive!

They kept pouring in without stopping, and the trend didn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Seeing this sudden influx of new potential believers, the old man couldn't help but feel a mix of amazement and astonishment at the unfolding scene.

"Thirty-nine...Forty!"

Forty Attendees!

Today's congregation had attracted forty participants, far exceeding his usual audience.

For a moment, the old man was overjoyed.

However, it still didn't stop there as the influx of people still kept growing at an alarming rate.

Now, people in groups of two or three continued to arrive from outside. Some were dressed as mercenaries, while others looked to be small-time merchants, and some appeared as ordinary civilians.

Watching all of this unfold from his podium, the old man widened his eyes, feeling incredulous.

There are still more?

But soon, his ecstasy turned to shock, then to utter bewilderment...

Hmm? Did I really...attract this many people earlier today?

Looking at the hundreds of figures gathering below, each standing respectfully, the old man fell into deep contemplation.

But soon, he disregarded his apprehension as his expression became indifferent.

Nevermind! The more participants, the better! Regardless of their reasons for coming, once they're here, they'll soon be one of us after the ceremony!

The elderly preacher smirked wickedly.

Amidst the crowd of people within the amphitheater, several figures stood quietly.

While these individuals initially appeared calm at first glance, but a closer inspection would reveal their subtly wandering eyes, discreetly surveying the surroundings, akin to that of an awestruck tourist visiting an attraction.

Within the players group chat:

⤷ Oh my! I can't believe Maple Leaf City has such a place?

⤷ Is this the headquarters of the Despair Church?

⤷ Doesn't seem to look like it..more like a stronghold if you ask me.

Amongst the crowd, Little Salty Cat's intrigued eyes scanned her surroundings excitedly.

She then pulled HootyBird, who was disguised as an ordinary resident at her side and whispered:

"Sister Hooty, isn't this the place we passed by when we were exploring the city last time?"

HootyBird also looked around and nodded slightly.

"Yes, it seems to be a remnant of the prior elven civilization...I heard that the first Borderlord decided to preserve it and turned it into a tourist attraction."

Little Salty Cat nodded and continued to look around.

Actually, only a few people among the crowd were local residents, and the majority were players, as evident from their usernames hovering above their heads.

While surveying each individual, Little Salty Cat's eyes suddenly stopped at a certain person and lit up when she recognized the username hovering above this player's head.

"Huh? Sister Feng is here too?!"

"...Feng?"

HootyBird raised an eyebrow.

Little Salty Cat gestured her head in the direction of a casually dressed player who stood quietly in the corner.

"Really, I don't know where she's been lately since she hasn't logged in for a long time," Little Salty Cat pouted before adding, "However, it's really shocking to see her already at level 31 since she never grinds levels nor participate in any quests at all."

"Maybe she's busy in real life..."

HootyBird replied.

Despite this player named Féng also being a member of Moe Moe Committee, HootyBird had never interacted with her even once.

All she knew was this particular member was quite laid-back but still quite a formidable player.

And like Little Salty Cat had said, this Féng person is hardly ever seen doing quests or hunting mobs and instead often found idling away leisurely in the City of the Chosen either relaxing or simply enjoying herself like the ideal life-oriented player.

However, despite being a life-oriented player that primarily focuses on leisure activities, surprisingly, no one has ever defeated her, especially on PK related activities organized by their guild.

Though her level wasn't exceptionally high, for some reason, she could still consistently keep up with the top players. Moreover, while her equipment wasn't top-notch, the way she handled herself, especially during battles, was quite sharp.

In short, anyone in the Moe Moe Committee who's acquainted with this mysterious member of theirs very well knew that she was a low-key, high-leveled player.

The general consensus within their guild was that she's just some sort of an unassuming oddball of a player, but make no mistake, though she's laid-back, there is an inexplicable sense of pressure when interacting with her.

Despite her approachable demeanor, she made people feel as if they were dealing with an elder.

Some of their guild members even speculated that since she seems to be quite busy in reality and does not spend much time online, Féng might actually be relatively older, likely an auntie in real life, and quite possibly also holds a high position given the imposing presence she exudes in the game.

But... this time, this mysterious member of their guild unexpectedly participated in this quest?

For a moment, the two were left really curious.

Finally, Little Salty Cat couldn't contain herself any longer and decided to send Féng a message.

In the corner, Evé whose currently donning her player disguise was suddenly alerted when a notification chime entered her ears.

Looking at her inbox, Evé opened the new message got from Little Salty Cat.

⤷ Sister Féng, just when did you reach level 31? I'm so surprised seeing you here today... Σ(°△°)︴

Btw, what made you decide to finally take on a quest?"

Evé raised an eyebrow and sent her reply a couple of seconds later.

⤷ I only reached this level a few days ago. This new questline seems interesting enough, so I came to check it out.

After sending the message, she refocused her attention back on the surroundings, particularly at the followers of the God of Despair standing on the podium.

Upon discovering that the black ancient dragon, which had gnawed at the roots of the World Tree during the Heavenly War, might be hiding itself within Maple Leaf Territory, Evé developed an interest in this so-called Church of Despair.

Nidhogg was a true ancient black dragon, having ascended to the mythical rank, and also classified as a Great Ancient One.

Or rather—an Ancient Dragon Deity!

Knowing that there was such a being lurking at her doorsteps, Evé always felt uneasy.

Of course, the other party seemed quite weakened at the moment; otherwise, it wouldn't be hiding itself so evasively.

As such, this rare chance stirred Evé's adventurous spirit.

Just think, a dragon that has reached the level of a Great Ancient One is currently weakened and is close enough to her territory—just how much divine power would she possess if she could somehow hunt this ancient being?

Evé licked her lips.

After obtaining the divine artifact Withering Heart, she became a little bolder.

This time, she wanted to do something big...

Having witnessed Demacia's experience through her surveillance, Evé had decided to disguise herself as a player and visit Maple Leaf City in person.

Of course, hunting the Ancient Dragon wasn't her only objective and she also came in person to protect the players.

After all, one couldn't be careless enough when facing an Ancient God, even a weakened one at that...

Nidhogg clearly had some connection with the Abyss and seemed to also grasp some divine laws of life.

In this situation, if players infiltrate the enemy's congregation and Nidhogg somehow discovers her scent on them, Evé is worried they might encounter mishaps and she couldn't react fast enough to defend them...

That's why Evé decided to quietly follow along herself this time around.

The sense of a true god was very accurate, so...there's a high chance the enemy might really detect the anomalies within the players.

Of course, she also took this into consideration and decided to use the players as bait luring the opponent out, sort of like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole lurking behind...¹

The influx of arrivals finally ceased as their numbers approached nearly two hundred.

Looking at the unexpectedly large number of attendees, the elderly preacher of the Despair Church showed visible excitement.

He took a deep breath, etched a dragon-shaped symbol upon his chest, then declared loudly:

"Hope is born in despair, as life begins anew in hope! Let the echoes of despair be our hymns, as we singing praises to our Lord, the Great God of Despair!"

As he finished speaking, the followers standing around the amphitheater fervently echoed:

"Hope is born in despair, as life begins anew in hope! Praise our Lord, the Great God of Despair!"

The old man's gaze settled upon the assembly of about a hundred figures below him. Among them, a spectrum of emotions played out—some reserved, some filled with excitement, and others marked by curiosity.

Observing this, a subtle grin curved on the old preacher's lips, carrying a hint of wickedness, as he uttered,

"Everyone here today is welcome to become part of the Despair Church."

After saying that, the old man then raised a cup, before silently chanting an incantation.

Seconds later, a chaotic and malevolent aura began to arise out from the cup...

Looking at the cup in the old man's hand, one of the unassuming female attendee standing in the corner squinted her eyes in suspicion.

"...A tainted artifact."

In an instant, a myriad of black figures burst forth from the depths of the cup.

These were worm-like creatures, with their bodies adorned with numerous scales.

With frenzied roars and screams, they surged toward the attendees gathered beneath the podium!

— 298 —

[ WHY IS SHE HERE? ]

¹ 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后 - 'A mantis stalking a cicada is unaware of an oriole behind' is a chinese proverb that means, 'to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger.'

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