Chapter 469: Sylph’s Final Treatment
Exeter Kingdom.
King Edson didn’t fully grasp Qin Chu’s true meaning, nor did he understand why everyone needed to drop their work and pray. The magical message arrived suddenly, lacking context, and Qin Chu’s voice clearly conveyed extreme tension; he didn’t even have time to explain the situation properly.
But, they were collaborators.
Exeter Kingdom supported the Hero and Pope, and Qin Chu was Exeter Kingdom’s patron.
Although King Edson didn’t believe Qin Chu possessed the ability to perceive events thousands of kilometers away, he wouldn’t resort to deception right at the beginning of their cooperation.
As soldiers hurried through the royal city, the King’s command spread rapidly.
One by one, residents put down their work, knelt devoutly on the ground, and prayed towards the heavens, offering their absolute loyalty.
For the citizens of Exeter Kingdom, who had just experienced the terror of death, their faith was undoubtedly the most fervent.
No one would forget the angel that lingered in the night sky under the vast red moon that night, battling the Evil God.
That was a servant dispatched by the Goddess of Holy Light to save the creatures of the lower world.
—
Meanwhile, in the Imperial City of the Empire, Veronica also received Qin Chu’s command. The captain of the Holy Knights likewise keenly sensed something amiss in Qin Chu’s tone, as if something terrible had happened.
And getting as many people as possible to pray seemed crucial for His Holiness the Pope.
As a fanatical believer, Veronica would absolutely carry out His Holiness the Pope’s command without the slightest hesitation or compromise.
At Veronica’s order, all Holy See personnel immediately ceased their work and knelt on the ground, praying devoutly.
This was even more true for the elderly, as their daily routine consisted mainly of attending lectures, receiving education, and praying.
Watching the believers kneeling all around, murmuring hymns praising the Goddess of Holy Light, Veronica frowned deeply.
Not enough… not enough… still not enough.
Although it seemed like a considerable number, Veronica felt it fell far short of the requirements and standards set by His Holiness the Pope.
This alone would not satisfy His Holiness the Pope.
As a subordinate tasked by a superior, one should strive for greater perfection.
Breathing heavily, Veronica immediately arranged for a group of Holy See personnel to head towards the most densely populated commoner districts. These personnel carried nothing else, only storage rings filled with bread and milk.
Whether old or young, man or woman… as long as you prayed devoutly, you were a believer of the Goddess of Holy Light, and you could receive the bread and milk bestowed by Her.
This method seemed somewhat shameless.
Bread and milk were absolute luxuries for commoners. Their most common food was black rye buns, a hard, coarse thing mixed with bran that could make your throat feel like it was being cut when swallowed.
Yet, even for something like black rye buns, the wages earned by a strong man working hard for a day might not even be enough to support his family’s needs, let alone fragrant bread and fine milk.
And now, just by praying devoutly to the Goddess of Holy Light in one’s heart, one could receive the gift of bread and milk?
Was there really such a good deal?
No one would refuse such a request. They hadn’t undergone brainwashing… no, education, hadn’t attended lectures; they weren’t as devout as the elderly.
But as long as one in ten genuinely thanked the Goddess of Holy Light for her gift, Veronica considered it a huge success.
The bread and milk tactic proved highly effective.
Veronica dispatched more and more Holy See personnel to the commoner districts to distribute food.
The commoner district, with a population even larger than that of the entire Exeter Kingdom, nearly came to a complete standstill at this moment. Kneeling figures were everywhere, and hymns praising the Goddess of Holy Light echoed in almost every corner.
The power of faith reached an unprecedented peak at this instant.
Originally, ordinary people couldn’t perceive traces of the power of faith. But now, with faith surging unprecedentedly, vast amounts condensed in mid-air, gradually forming clusters of milky-white, dense clouds.
These clouds of faith drifted through the sky towards the Hero’s Residence, eventually forming a large, funnel-shaped nebula above it. Spinning violently, it seemed as though it was being completely devoured by some mysterious and powerful existence.
This bizarre spectacle, in turn, stirred fear among the commoners within the Imperial City. Under Veronica’s propaganda, it was hailed as a miracle to be worshipped, inadvertently making their faith even more fervent.
Feeling the surging river of faith being devoured by the vortex, Qin Chu’s expression was exceptionally grave. He didn’t know how much help his actions could truly provide to the Goddess of Holy Light.
I can only do my best, he thought.
—
Meanwhile, in Sylph’s room.
She had already received her master’s message, her cheeks slightly flushed. Although she sensed the strange fluctuations outside, they didn’t concern her much.
For the current Sylph, her master’s command was the only thing that mattered.
Since she was going to serve her master, Sylph naturally wouldn’t be negligent. She carefully cleaned herself and changed into a fresh black and white maid outfit before heading to her master’s bedroom.
She could see how grave her master’s expression was.
Looking at the slender, graceful, and beautiful elf before him, Qin Chu took a deep breath, his expression gradually easing. Sylph, who had been watching her master intently, finally let a small smile grace her lips.
Her small legs, clad in white stockings, crossed lightly as she nestled into her master’s embrace.
“Sylph, this is the last time you will receive treatment,” Qin Chu said quietly.
Sylph’s pupils contracted slightly. She had heard it in the magical message earlier, but hearing her master say it directly still made her tremble inwardly. The first emotion that surged was ecstatic joy.
This meant the traces left by the Evil God within her body would be completely eradicated by her master. She would no longer have to live in constant fear, worrying every moment that she might transform into an ugly monstrosity.
Following closely was a slight sense of melancholy.
After this final treatment, there probably wouldn’t be any more opportunities to use treatment as an excuse for intimacy with her master, right?
However, this wasn’t a major issue. Excuses were plentiful, and Sylph didn’t believe her master would simply let go of a beautiful elf like herself.
A confident smile appeared on her face. Sylph took a deep breath, placed her small hands gently on her master’s chest, and pushed him down onto the bed.
Since it was the final treatment, Sylph hoped to leave her master with the most wonderful memory possible.
…
Qin Chu’s consciousness once again entered Sylph’s soul world.
This soul world had become vastly different from before. The ground was dry, cracked earth, and the sky was a dim, oppressive grey.
Although it still didn’t look particularly pleasant, unlike Angelica’s soul world, which was filled with freshness and nature—lush forests and clear streams…
Sylph’s soul world still leaned towards gloom and darkness.
But compared to the very beginning, this was a significant improvement. Qin Chu hadn’t forgotten his first entry into Sylph’s soul world: the ground covered in black sludge, the crimson blood pool, the dark, heavy, oppressive sky—it was truly like hell, filled with filth.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Chu’s consciousness swiftly flew through this world, easily finding the location of Sylph’s soul.
The blood pool beneath the soul was almost completely dry, leaving only a layer of dark red, jelly-like substance that could no longer stir up many waves.
Sylph’s soul floated above the remnants of the blood pool. Nine threads were wrapped around the soul, which twisted and writhed as if in agony.
That’s right, only nine threads remained.
However…
When Qin Chu saw these nine threads, his brow instantly furrowed tightly.
These nine threads were an even deeper, darker red. Simultaneously, their length and diameter were more exaggerated than before; each thread was as thick as a little finger.
Moreover, they were far more active. They writhed like tiny venomous snakes, constantly weaving through Sylph’s soul.
Every movement inflicted immense pain upon Sylph’s soul, causing it to twitch incessantly.
These nine threads seemed intent on weaving a large net, aiming to completely bind and entangle Sylph’s soul.
Huu…
As if in a trance, Qin Chu’s consciousness let out a long sigh.
Sure enough, just as I predicted. The residual traces within Sylph’s and Athena’s souls had to be cleaned up as soon as possible; otherwise, they would invite unimaginable trouble.
Those ugly abominations in the Void had already begun to act.
Qin Chu’s soul transformed into a fierce gale, sweeping forward.
His consciousness evolved into a giant hand, directly grabbing at one of the crimson threads currently piercing Sylph’s soul.
That thread was clearly more dangerous than before. A faint, sharp screech seemed audible. The next moment, the dark red thread instantly reversed direction, its tip taking on a spiral shape like an electric drill. With a pu sound, it instantly pierced the giant hand formed by Qin Chu’s consciousness, drilling deep within.
This crimson thread seemed intent on wreaking havoc deep within Qin Chu’s consciousness. However, while it possessed a degree of autonomous awareness, it clearly wasn’t very intelligent.
It had entered Qin Chu’s consciousness, but… this was also a trap.
The next instant, Qin Chu’s entire consciousness body, from head to toe, began to radiate dazzling white light.
The power of Holy Light was directly pushed to its absolute limit by Qin Chu.
The dark red thread deep within his consciousness endured the most severe and scorching burn of the Holy Light from all directions.
Screeeech…
In a daze, Qin Chu’s consciousness seemed to hear a strange, mournful cry. Immediately afterward, the thread that had been drawn into his consciousness was directly incinerated into ash by the Holy Light.
Chapter 470: The Insatiable Master
With one thread destroyed, the pressure on Sylph’s soul immediately lessened considerably.
The remaining eight threads sensed something was wrong. The process of eroding Sylph instantly halted. In the next moment, four of the eight threads split off, wriggling their spiral-shaped tips towards Qin Chu’s consciousness.
Invisibly, strange sounds echoed all around.
Qin Chu’s consciousness fluctuated slightly.
However, although these threads were much stronger than before, compared to the statue within Athena’s soul, the pressure they exerted on Qin Chu was still significantly less. It wasn’t enough to hinder him.
Seeing the four threads winding like slender chains in mid-air, piercing towards him simultaneously from front, back, left, and right, Qin Chu’s consciousness trembled for an instant. The next second, a pitch-black silhouette suddenly appeared.
The black shadow was difficult to describe.
It resembled a giant stomach, covered with countless dense wrinkles.
Its entire form emanated a thick aura of blood and decay.
Hungry Wriggling.
The special ability granted by the Gluttony Divinity. It was like an eternally insatiable beast, capable of devouring everything.
The very instant this terrifying spectral stomach appeared, the four threads seemed to sense their nemesis. Their bodies, which had extended like vipers, instantly coiled up, leaving only their heads exposed, continuously emitting strange, intimidating hisses.
These threads didn’t even possess the courage to charge forward and confront this mysterious stomach.
“Go,” a faint ripple emanated from Qin Chu’s consciousness.
The next moment, a huge fissure suddenly opened on the giant stomach, like an enormous mouth. The grey-black silhouette shot forward with a whoosh.
The targeted thread, in panic, rapidly tried to ascend, attempting to escape.
But an astonishing suction force emanated from the stomach. Not only did the thread fail to rise, but it was continuously pulled downwards, getting closer and closer to the bloody maw below, until finally, it was swallowed whole.
Sharp teeth tore at the strange thread, accompanied by bizarre crunching sounds (gabeng gabeng). The thread broke inch by inch, and then, following the silhouette’s strange writhing, the entire thread was completely crushed and absorbed.
However, such a small item clearly couldn’t satisfy the stomach’s appetite. After a brief pause, the stomach immediately pounced towards the next target.
The remaining threads all abandoned their plan to erode Sylph’s soul. Detaching themselves from her soul, they didn’t directly attack the terrifying stomach. Instead, they shot towards Qin Chu at top speed.
They seemed to believe that if they could manipulate Qin Chu’s consciousness and control his soul, the pressure from the terrifying stomach would naturally vanish.
Considering the threads’ less-than-brilliant intellect, this was a rather good choice; they actually understood the principle of striking the leader first.
However, the premise of striking the leader first is… you must be capable of capturing that leader.
Just as one thread was about to pounce before Qin Chu, a wisp of eerie light silently streaked past.
Decomposition Divinity.
The thread instantly froze in place, motionless. Immediately after, it directly disintegrated, shrank, and finally dissipated into a wisp of pure energy.
This strange thread was directly broken down into its most primordial form.
The next second, Qin Chu’s consciousness seemed to make a gesture of opening its arms, as if chanting a Reverse Prophecy spell.
“God says, evil shall not move.”
Actually, Qin Chu had attempted the spell “evil shall not exist,” trying to obliterate all the threads at once.
But it was clear that with his current strength, he couldn’t achieve that. He could only settle for the next best thing: not seeking to eliminate all threads directly, but merely suppressing or even just restricting their movements would suffice.
After changing the incantation, Reverse Prophecy immediately began to take effect.
Evidently, these strange threads possessed the ability to resist Reverse Prophecy to some extent. They could still move, but their speed was drastically limited.
Their originally lightning-fast speed became exceptionally difficult, as if trapped in a mire.
Taking this opportunity, Qin Chu’s consciousness silently floated past, dodging the three threads about to surround him.
Behind him, the writhing stomach also seized the chance to open its bloody maw, swallowing three consecutive threads directly.
The effect of Reverse Prophecy faded.
The remaining four threads clearly realized they lacked the strength to fight this enemy. The next moment, the four threads flew off in different directions, intending to hide within Sylph’s soul world and wait until Qin Chu’s consciousness departed before resuming their erosion.
After all, Qin Chu’s consciousness couldn’t stay here forever.
Their reaction was fast, but Qin Chu’s was faster.
The instant the effect of the previous Reverse Prophecy spell vanished, Qin Chu had already begun preparing the next one.
“God says, evil cannot escape.”
Just ahead of the four threads’ escape routes, invisible walls suddenly rose, blocking their paths.
“God says, you cannot discern direction.”
The four threads instantly became like headless flies, wriggling randomly near the invisible walls. They desperately wanted to escape the danger but could do nothing.
Another two threads were swallowed by the stomach.
The rest was simple. The effect of Reverse Prophecy had ended, but only the final two targets remained.
Qin Chu’s consciousness pursued one, while the stomach pursued the other. Before long, the last two threads were also utterly destroyed.
Within Sylph’s soul world, all traces left by the Evil God were completely cleaned up at this moment.
The dim sky gradually brightened, like the rising sun illuminating the earth, dispelling the surrounding gloom and adding brilliance to this world.
The dark red, jelly-like substance in the blood pool seemed to transform into fertile soil, and large clusters of flowers began to bloom within it.
From the cracks in the dry ground, clusters of clear water streams tumbled out, and tiny blades of grass began to sprout, adding color to the land.
Not much time had passed, but the area perceptible to Qin Chu’s consciousness had completely transformed into a lush grassland.
The original thick stench turned into a distinct earthy scent, mingled with the fragrance of flowers and plants.
This was finally a pure soul world, untainted by defilement.
Qin Chu’s consciousness seemed to swell slightly, then quickly contracted again, as if laughing.
He was also somewhat curious, wondering what was so special about Sylph. Her soul wasn’t as resilient or powerful as Athena’s, so why had she garnered such attention from the Evil God?
This curiosity didn’t last long. Although Sylph’s soul no longer resisted his consciousness, lingering too long in another’s soul world wasn’t advisable. Qin Chu’s consciousness detached from this world.
He felt somewhat fatigued, even more so than during the preparations before entering.
After all, although his body had recovered somewhat, it hadn’t fully recuperated yet.
The sensation of him withdrawing also woke Sylph.
Looking again at the lovely maid, her eyes were even brighter than before, her long eyelashes fluttered, and her pupils clearly brimmed with joy. It seemed as though her skin had also become more delicate and supple.
She could feel an unprecedented sense of relief, comparable to the recent pleasure with her master.
The shackles that had constantly entangled her soul and harassed her consciousness were finally, at this moment, completely cleaned away by her master. From this day forward, she no longer needed to worry about transforming into one of those ugly monstrosities.
This profound relief deep within her heart was beyond description.
Sylph couldn’t suppress her inner impulse. With a cry of joy, she threw herself into Qin Chu’s arms, planting a firm kiss on his face with her tender cherry lips.
“Thank you, my master.”
This expression of gratitude came absolutely from the heart.
Reflecting on everything that had happened between her and Qin Chu, Sylph never expected their relationship would eventually evolve into this.
Clearly, at the very beginning, she had wanted to kill Qin Chu. Clearly, at the start, it was only because she was eroded by the Evil God, feared death, and had no choice but to accept Qin Chu’s treatment, her heart filled with struggle, pain, torment, and even despair.
Clearly, at that time, the only one deep within her heart was Jie Luo.
But for what reason, and since when, had she stopped being averse to Qin Chu’s touch, stopped refusing intimacy with him? The struggle and pain deep inside were gradually replaced by enjoyment, and she even began to experience flickers of desire.
Even the presence of Jie Luo’s memory had become increasingly faint.
After learning from Athena about the contents branded within Jie Luo’s soul fragment, the last vestiges of her feelings for Jie Luo had completely vanished.
She couldn’t even recall Jie Luo’s appearance anymore.
Even if that man reappeared before her now, she wouldn’t feel the slightest emotional ripple.
At this moment, only one person remained in Sylph’s heart: her master.
Although the physical shackles were gone, a new conviction had been branded onto Sylph’s heart: from now on, her life would be lived solely for her master.
Sylph’s passionate clinging seemed to cause Qin Chu to show signs of stirring. Her soft form writhing wantonly against him made it easy for sparks to fly accidentally.
On any other day, Qin Chu would absolutely not refuse.
But now was not the time.
With mild exasperation, he lightly patted Sylph’s buttock. “Alright, your issue is resolved, but Athena’s isn’t yet. Go call Athena up.”
Tsk.
What a greedy master, Sylph grumbled inwardly. Just finished with me, and he immediately wants to sample another dish?
Outwardly, however, she merely shot Qin Chu a flirtatious glance, detached herself from his embrace, tidied her clothes, and then walked towards the door.
Her slender legs had just taken a step when, right before Qin Chu’s eyes, Sylph’s body almost left afterimages on the ground. In an instant, she appeared before the door, and then, caught completely off guard, her small head slammed into it with a loud clang.
A dent actually appeared on the metal door.
Sylph let out a soft cry, pressing her hands to her forehead as she squatted on the ground, teary-eyed.
“Ouch.”
