I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 193
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“Aaah! Get away!!”
“Run! There are monsters over there…!”
Screams echoed throughout the streets engulfed in flames.
The sky dyed red.
A rift that had formed in its center, and various ancient monsters pouring out from it.
“Grrrrrr…”
Chilling sounds flowed from the mouths of monsters whose forms were barely recognizable.
“The escape route is this way!!”
“Lena! Come here, quickly!!”
People who had been gathered like a swarm scattered in all directions.
It was to escape from the monsters closing in on them, but escape was not easy.
“M-Mother… I’m done for. Go ahead without me!”
A woman trapped under a collapsed building and unable to move spoke.
Tears streamed down the face of the old man across from her.
The old man couldn’t bring himself to take a step, holding his daughter’s uninjured hand and shaking his head vigorously.
They weren’t the only ones in danger.
“No! Honey! Honey!!”
A husband sobbing while holding his wife who had collapsed from monster poison.
“Waahhh-!! Mom! Where are you, Mom?!”
Even a child left alone in an alley after losing their parents.
Everything looked like a scene from a living hell.
At that moment, the rift in the sky rippled with a strange resonance.
Everyone began to tremble.
Another swarm of monsters was poking their heads through the rift.
“Ugh, sob…”
People who couldn’t bear the terror began sitting down on the ground one by one.
“There are more monsters…?”
“Oh God… how could you give us such trials…!!”
Some stopped in place and stared blankly up at the sky.
It had already been two full days since the rift appeared and the Empire began suffering attacks from monsters.
The imperial citizens had been waiting for a helping hand all along.
Whether it be priests, the Imperial Army, or something else.
They hoped anything would appear and stop the monsters.
But…
“God is angry! God has abandoned our Erbia!”
“What is the Imperial House doing at a time like this?! With so many people dead, how could they…!”
“Exactly! If the priests of the Temple of Res hadn’t warned us, we would all be dead already!”
Gradually, sounds of resentment began to spread from their lips.
“…We’re all finished.”
But just as their fear was reaching its peak.
Thud-
Suddenly, a strange vibration resonated throughout the entire earth.
People hiding in collapsed barns, garbage dumps, and underground sewage passages got up one by one and looked outside.
And their eyes widened.
“What is that?”
“It looks like some kind of pillar…”
In the distance, where the North District was located.
A massive pillar of light was piercing down vertically.
One person watching the unknown phenomenon muttered in a half-believing voice.
“Could it be that the temple has taken action?”
Immediately, small murmurs erupted from the surroundings.
“Th-that might really be it!”
“That’s right. The only solution to rifts is divine ritual…”
“Oh yes, God wouldn’t abandon us!”
Several people rubbed their eyes with moved expressions.
Then someone asked.
“But which god?”
“If an order performed a ritual, wouldn’t it be the Frater Order?”
“But the Temple of Res serves a different god called Pluma or something.”
People tilted their heads in confusion, but soon looked at the pillar of light with eyes full of hope.
“Keep chanting!”
At Michael’s urgent voice, the voices of the priests standing in a circle grew louder.
The pillar of light piercing down before them also became much brighter.
The pillar was directed at the temple’s altar.
Above the head of Seleneae, who sat with her eyes closed.
Sweat beaded on her forehead dripped down her cheeks.
Michael urgently stared at the afterimage of the vision stone floating in the air.
“What’s the situation at each temple!”
Several priests immediately showed their faces.
[Success! The light of the stigmata has descended upon Tiriel Temple, Your Eminence!]
[Same here!]
[Stigmata have also appeared in the northern sky of Luxem District…]
Priests scattered throughout the Empire performing the same ritual reported one after another.
Michael nodded with a face full of tension.
‘So far it’s successful.’
Large and small stigmata at each regional temple.
A massive pillar of light here at the Temple of Res.
His heart pounded heavily.
‘Is a path really opening?’
Michael calmly looked at Seleneae on the altar.
She had been fine when she started reciting the summoning words, but at some point she had lost consciousness.
Transparent light occasionally swirled around her skin before fading.
As he watched this, the two relics in his hands suddenly grew hot.
Michael urgently turned to Estelin beside him.
“The relics are starting to react too…!”
Estelin nodded and took the relics from Michael.
Then she approached the altar and placed them in front of Seleneae.
Wooooong-
The waves of magical power emanating from the altar became stronger.
The two relics vibrated while emitting brilliant light.
How many seconds passed like that?
Suddenly all vibration stopped completely.
Even the priests who had been reciting summoning words slowly closed their mouths.
Estelin took a step forward.
“…Seleneae.”
Under the dark sky tinged with red light.
Everything remained the same, but one thing had changed.
Estelin’s pupils dilated slightly.
Unknown ancient patterns were rippling and disappearing across the skin of Seleneae, who sat on the altar.
She opened her eyes.
Everyone stared at her, unable to say a word.
“The path has opened.”
Seleneae’s hair was completely dyed silver.
“The ritual was successful.”
At the same time, Belmart Domain.
Pector’s lips twisted as he confirmed the pillar rising in the sky.
“Finally….”
He muttered coldly and raised one hand high.
The High Priest who confirmed the signal nodded his head.
He shouted to the knights waiting behind him.
“We will execute the final ritual! Offer sacred blood to the altar!”
“Ugh, uaaaah!!”
“Save me, please save me! Please…!”
A gloomy and vast open field.
Armed soldiers ruthlessly threw people into the center of the field.
A massive black pit that seemed to warp space and time was carved into the blood-soaked stone floor.
“No! No…!! Uaaaah!”
People with their hands bound desperately shook their bodies.
But immediately blades flew toward their backs.
The knights continued pushing the unconscious people into the pit.
“…Not enough.”
Pector urged coldly.
The High Priests quickly nodded their heads.
“There’s no time!! Proceed faster!”
Ordinary slash-and-burn farmers who lived cultivating fields in small mountains.
War slaves, even their young children.
Those whom Belmart handed over as sacred blood were all good estate residents.
“Proceed faster. We must bring the Masu under our command before the wicked thing devours the Empire!”
Pector’s voice covered the square filled with screams.
When dozens, hundreds of people had been offered like this.
Guuuuuuung-
A strange vibration shook the ground where they stood.
Pector, whose scarred face was hidden under a hood, raised his head.
A chilling smile slowly spread across his lips.
The pillar of light visible in the distance.
Another pillar of the exact same shape was descending toward him.
[Well done, my servant.]
A voice rang above his head.
“Absolute One-!”
Pector prostrated himself on the ground with a moved expression.
Then the other priests also hurriedly pressed their foreheads to the ground.
“Ab, Absolute One!”
“We hear the god!!”
After a low laugh, Frater spoke.
[I shall give you my army.]
Light flashed in Pector’s eyes.
[So please do not disappoint me.]
Under the solemn command.
Pector slowly rose from his position.
Bright blue veins were sprouting from below his neck.
“Kuh, uugh….”
Pector’s pupils, who let out painful groans, expanded greatly then slowly settled.
Finally, when he raised his head, his skin was densely carved with jet-black patterns and ancient script.
“Your Holiness! Your face…!”
One High Priest who approached in surprise met eyes with Pector and froze stiffly.
Pector’s gaze toward the priest flickered bizarrely for a moment.
“Huh, huk… Y, Your Holiness…!!”
The High Priest suddenly gasped for breath and staggered in place.
With painful groans, his complexion was gradually turning black.
At that moment, something black began sprouting through his shoulder.
“What is this….”
The other priests watching stepped back hesitantly.
“Ugh, aaaah… Aaaaah!!”
The priest with wings sprouting from his shoulders screamed in agony.
He staggered and collapsed to the ground, curling up his body.
“Aaah, aaaaah….”
The screams gradually subsided and stopped completely.
Pector spoke with a voice that seemed not of this world, trailing off.
“Absolute One. To give such power to lowly me….”
Before him, the priest who had collapsed on the ground was slowly rising.
With his body and face completely different from before.
It was an appearance completely different from humans, like a Masu.
“Krrrrruk….”
The priest who became a half-beast glared around with pupils devoid of reason.
Pector watched this sight with satisfaction and said.
“We go to the Estate. Let us give the army bestowed by The Man the glory of executing heretics.”
Terrified soldiers knelt on one knee.
Even the priests of The Order nodded with clearly tense eyes.
Pector turned his body and crossed under the sky dyed red.
Countless processions followed behind him.
Then, Pector who was walking suddenly froze in place.
“Come to think of it, where is that thing now.”
“By that thing, you mean….”
“The Absolute One has given me power. There’s nothing more suitable for testing it, is there?”
It was a strangely excited voice.
“I’m curious what reaction that heretic’s vessel will show.”
“….”
“If that thing I thought was dead appears as a Masu.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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