Chapter 99 – Escape

The Missionary Leader was no longer expressionless and vacant after taking out the small vial containing the Green Liquid. His eyes were filled with madness, and his face had taken on a fanatical appearance. Carefully pulling out the wooden stopper, he extended his thin, pointed tongue and slowly, meticulously, evenly licked the rim of the vial. Finally, with bloodshot eyes, he declared:

“Poor sinners, Goddess Tisha Xia’er has already delivered divine punishment upon those ignorant heretics. Their bones shall turn into fragile glass, and they shall wail and mourn in the agonizing Hell. Only by believing in the great Goddess Tisha Xia’er can you attain salvation.”

The more the missionary spoke, the more agitated he became, his entire body trembling uncontrollably. In the end, he carefully raised the vial in his hand, his face returning to its vacant and deathly stillness:

“Come, poor sinners. The merciful Goddess Tisha Xia’er has given you one final chance. Drink the sacred spring water, and not only will you be freed from the curse of sin, but you will also experience the one true salvation…”

The Missionary Leader and his fellow “brethren” advanced step by step toward Bilan and Dichiduo, small vials in hand. It seemed they intended to forcibly pour the Green Liquid down the throats of the two.

“Have you gone mad? There’s a child here who’s injured. Right now, we must…”

“…Enough, Dichiduo. It’s no use…”

Seeing Dichiduo refusing to retreat even a step under the missionaries’ pressure, Bilan quickly pulled him back. She was now certain that this “Tisha Xia’er Church” was problematic—these brainwashed fanatics wouldn’t listen to anything.

And moreover…

Bilan stared at the vial of Green Liquid tightly clutched in the Missionary Leader’s hand. A deeply ominous premonition rose within her, as if a voice was pleading to the young woman:

“Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must not drink that ‘holy water.’ Otherwise…”

“Dichiduo, quickly pick up that child. I’ll prepare a spell.”

Bilan planned to use magic to escape this place quickly. She scolded herself for not having studied the stack of Parchments Punk had given her more diligently, while anxiously racking her brain for the spells she had learned. Finally, she recalled one Apprentice Rank spell she could attempt.

“…Right, we must leave here.”

Reminded by Bilan, Dichiduo quickly realized that reasoning with these missionaries was futile, and the liquid they held was clearly problematic.

Dichiduo scooped up the unconscious Little Boy in one swift motion, and Bilan immediately began reciting the incantation with full concentration.

“Quickly, don’t let the heretics escape!”

The Missionary Leader shouted loudly, then sprinted at full speed toward Bilan, who stood still chanting her spell.

“Bilan, watch out!”

Seeing the enemy rapidly closing in on Bilan, Dichiduo cried out in alarm.

Witnessing the missionary charging toward her, Bilan felt utter despair. It was only then she remembered that in combat, enemies wouldn’t just stand by and let her prepare magic—such a crucial point had been overlooked in her panic!

But now her spell was half-complete. If she abandoned it, there wouldn’t be another chance.

Seeing the Missionary Leader rush to her in just a few steps, his deathly vacant gaze fixed intently on her, Bilan closed her eyes in terror…”Bam!!”

The sound of a fist striking flesh echoed heavily through the alley…

“What’s going on… why…”

Bilan felt no pain at all. She opened her eyes in confusion, and then… her eyes widened in astonishment as she saw a white-robed figure with a little boy on his back standing protectively in front of her…

“Cough…”

Dichiduo coughed up a mouthful of blood. At the critical moment, he had successfully blocked the missionary’s attack. As an ordinary person without any supernatural protection, Dichiduo had taken the full force of the missionary’s blow to his stomach. He felt as if his internal organs had been shredded, the pain was excruciating, and a metallic taste filled his mouth as he spat out considerable blood.

Yet, despite the agony, he used one hand to support the little boy on his back while gripping the missionary’s arm tightly with the other!

“Bilan, hurry and complete the magic”…

Before Dichiduo could finish speaking, he saw a gaunt fist clutching a bottle rapidly enlarging in his vision…

“Heretic, how dare you obstruct the great Tisha Xia’er Church”!

The Missionary Leader roared with a ferocious expression, his clenched fist swinging viciously toward Dichiduo’s head…

“Bam!!”

“Ah…”

Dichiduo’s head snapped backward from the brutal impact to his face. The intense pain forced a cry from his lips, yet his body remained rooted to the ground, not retreating a single step!

“Dichiduo…”

Seeing Dichiduo take two heavy punches, Bilan cried out in frantic worry. But though her heart raced with anxiety, she knew she must seize this opportunity Dichiduo had created and quickly complete the magic!

Under Bilan’s desperate channeling of energy, one obscure magical node after another was overcome by magical power. Finally, an arcane spell model took shape within her soul!

Apprentice Rank Evocation Spell – Earth Tremor: Controls earth elements on the surface to create tremors, causing enemies to lose balance! Duration: fifteen seconds!

As an earthy yellow rune sank into the ground, the alley floor began shaking as if in an earthquake. The Missionary Leader, who had already half-swing his second punch, stumbled from the sudden tremor, his withered fist narrowly grazing past Dichiduo’s nose!

“Run”!

Taking advantage of the missionaries stumbling from the unexpected quake, Bilan urgently grabbed Dichiduo’s hand and dashed toward the alley exit.

“What are you all standing around for? Catch those two heretics”!

The Missionary Leader, having regained his balance, snarled viciously at his subordinates.

Soon, the Earth Tremor’s effect faded. Following their leader’s command, the missionaries surged after Dichiduo and Bilan, who had already escaped the alley. Their faces were now equally contorted with rage, as if they wanted to devour the two “heretics” alive!

Once out of the alley, Dichiduo and Bilan intended to seek help from townspeople on the street, but they found only a silent road and a few missionaries wandering like ghosts in the distance!

Then they remembered: as the Tisha Xia’er Church’s methods grew increasingly brazen, the townsfolk no longer dared to venture outside freely!

“Hurry, they’re over there”!A missionary pointed at Dichiduo and Bilan, who had stopped at the street corner to catch their breath, and shouted loudly.

“Not good”!

The two felt a strong sense of foreboding upon hearing the missionary’s shout. Sure enough, the missionaries who had just chased them out of the alley were now rushing toward them with reddened eyes. Even other missionaries wandering the streets immediately sprinted in their direction without hesitation.

Bilan had no choice but to grit her teeth against the exhaustion and pull Dichiduo along to continue fleeing.

“Where… where are we… running to?”

Dichiduo asked Bilan between gasps for air. For some unknown reason, even with the missionaries so brazenly pursuing people in broad daylight, not a single townsperson came out to take a look. The town, which had been bustling and lively just that morning, now felt like a ghost town—eerily silent and empty!

“…………To the White Tower”!

Bilan’s face was deathly pale, and she practically trembled as she spoke these words. Ever since she realized that no townspeople had come out to help or even inquire after all this running, she knew that something terrible must have happened in Nielan Town. At this moment, with a group of missionaries relentlessly chasing them from behind, the only place of refuge Bilan could think of was that last resort—the White Tower!

(End of chapter)