Chapter 318: Undercurrents and Judgment
The expression on the face of the shadow raven transformed by Ambrio changed instantly. Flames of pain burned in its eyes, and with a boom, the flames engulfed the entire shadow raven. From the flames, which were as tall as a person, Ambrio stepped out.
“If I were you, I’d cut off my tongue instead of causing trouble for my master.”
Ambrio’s mask twisted, and a tongue made of flames of pain extended from the mask’s mouth, licking the corner of his lips.
At that moment, the Witch walked over gracefully. She was so charming and captivating that just a slight frown could evoke infinite pity.
“Lord High Sin Priest, since you know I am Sauron’s master, please don’t blame Sauron. If there is anything, just say it.”
Ambrio licked the corner of his lips again with his tongue, tilted his head, and said in an operatic tone, “Darling of lust, you are still so charming. I really want to burn you completely with a fire. I am too delighted today; it is simply a great sin.”
Boom!
Accompanying Ambrio’s words, flames of pain spread from his entire body. The Witch and Sauron jumped back, dodging carefully.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Let me tell you, this High Tower Territory is simply wonderful. A masterpiece of mortals. Countless scholars are researching here how to let those without divine blood master supernatural power. It is simply satire against the gods and praise for the devils.”
He took off his mask, revealing a hollow, pitch-black face, and suddenly switched from the operatic tone to a numb and gloomy one.
“However, devils do not need praise. This is an unstable factor. There are already eight existences comparable to Heroes, and over a hundred figures with Quasi-Hero strength. If given another ten years, perhaps existences like Great Heroes will be born!
“This is an unstable factor. For our plan, we can only eliminate them!”
The Witch frowned, seeming to ponder something. In a trance, she saw her father, that honest man, framed and brutally killed by the God-descendant captain of the service brigade. Her mother committed suicide after being humiliated by the God-descendant captain, and she was sold to the captain as a slave.
Those lecherous gazes, nights of humiliation… if not for her determination to take revenge, she would have wanted to end her life long ago. Regrettably, she failed to kill the God-descendant captain. The blood-stained dagger only aroused his ferocity, leading to even more tragic abuse.
The young Witch’s eyes gradually lost their light. In despair, she pleaded for help from the gods, but there was no response. Breaking down, she murmured in a desperate voice: “Anyone, anyone, save me, give me power. I am willing to offer everything I have. I want power.”
From the Fourth Layer of Hell, the Devil Archduke of Lust responded to her.
“Charming face, pure soul, and hatred as deep as the abyss. Come to my embrace, sell your soul to me, and you will gain power.”
From that moment on, there was no longer a young girl with a pure soul. She sold her soul and extracted her only remaining trace of attachment and emotion. What remained was only a Witch burned by the flames of lust and revenge.
The Witch raised her head. Her smile, capable of bewitching all living beings, carried a trace of regret and determination. In a voice as melodious as a bell, she said, “Since it didn’t exist in the past, there is no need for it to exist now. Everything is already set in stone; what’s the use of these attachments?”
Ambrio tilted his head, his hollow, pitch-black face facing the Witch. Dancing around her with waving hands and feet, he said happily, “Then it’s settled. You go invite our old friend Alex, and I will leak the news to the sharp blade of the God-descendants in the Northern City-States, the great Punisher Organization!”
After speaking, Ambrio put on his mask, transformed into a shadow, then into a shadow raven, and flew toward the Northern City-States with piercing cries of “Caw! Caw!”
Watching Ambrio’s figure, the Witch lowered her eyelids and murmured in a voice so low that even Sauron beside her could hardly hear: “It’s all too late. Why did you appear so late?”
…
Meanwhile, in the northern city of Milne, at the headquarters of the Punisher Organization. The damaged buildings and square had not yet been repaired. An internal purification meeting of the Punishers was being held in the underground conference room.
Everyone present was not wearing the standard Punisher attire; this was an expanded meeting.
A middle-aged man in a green robe with a purple ribbon bowed to Karim, who sat in the main seat, and said, “Lord Karim, below is the analysis report on the ‘Raven Devil’.”
After Karim nodded gently, the report began. Representatives from the five northern city-states sat on Karim’s left, while the Heroes of the Punisher Organization sat on the right.
“The ‘Raven Devil’ first appeared in the Salia Jungle. Using bluffs, he hindered the Punishers’ pursuit of blasphemers, the so-called Fire Stealer Alliance.
“After that, he was active in the Salia Jungle for nearly two years, repeatedly disrupting the Punisher Organization’s strikes against the Fire Stealer Alliance and ambushing God-descendants of the Punisher Organization time and again. Without a doubt, he stands on the opposite side of all God-descendants!
“Half a year ago, he even attacked the headquarters of the Punisher Organization, causing severe damage to Milne City and leaving behind the characteristic symbols of the Fire Stealers.
“However, according to feedback from our insider in the Fire Stealer Alliance, there is no such person in the alliance. Whether he is a secret trump card of the Fire Stealer Alliance or a newly risen solitary blasphemer remains to be further investigated.
“What is certain is that he must have some connection with the highest levels of the Fire Stealer Alliance.
“Regarding his strength, we believe he should have the strength of someone who has just entered the Great Hero realm. He was able to fight Lord Karim to a standstill. His methods are numerous and extremely tricky. He escaped using rare spatial abilities and possesses very strong survivability, making him extremely difficult to kill.
“Moreover, he is extremely aggressive towards God-descendants, preferring to focus attacks on Heroes, and planned the Milne Massacre. He can be described as extremely cunning and cruel.
“Our evaluation of the Raven Devil is—bizarre and have varied methods, strength level likely equivalent to the early stage of a Great Hero, extremely strong escape capabilities, cunning and cruel personality. Heroes must flee unconditionally upon encountering him, and ordinary Great Heroes must team up in pairs or more to pursue him.
“Therefore, we believe the Raven Devil’s rank on the punishment list should be raised to ninth place, second only to the Great Demon Alex, who caused the abyssalization of the northern region of the Medimus City-State.”
The crowd present was solemn. They all knew what this meant. The threat level of the Raven Devil had surpassed the leader of the Fire Stealer Alliance, “Mechanical Sin Fox” Nicholas, becoming a special existence second only to devils and demons.
Karim slowly stood up, scanning the crowd with a serious gaze, and said:
“More importantly, according to the judgment of the Divine Craftsman Lady Ashale, he represents a new system, a new blasphemous system different from the mechanical system of the Fire Stealer Alliance!
“We must clarify whether this potential new blasphemous system is a thorny new second ‘Fire Stealer’!”
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