Chapter 985 Priest Merkkon
"Are we still following our original plan, Lord Flugerd?" Marquis Raygor inquired after cleaning up the corpses.
"Considering the value of this array, we can, more or less, complete our goals by just bringing this back to the kingdom."
"On the other hand, if we continue to follow the original plan, we might be able to gain more. But the consequences might not be worth the extra bit of gain. We could be sanctioned or, even worse, charged with treason and executed."
"Sanctioned? Maybe. Treason? We are not rebelling against the kingdom. We are bringing glory to the kingdom!" Duke Flugerd said firmly.
"When the people cry out names with adoration, when the children sing praises of our feats, and when all experts in the kingdom look at us with acknowledgment, we will be revered as heroes."
"No one would dare to charge us with treason. Not the Sea Emperor, nor the High Priest, and certainly not my brother, the king. Otherwise, they will have to answer to the people's outrage for villainizing their heroes."
…
In the corner of an alleyway in the city, roughly nine hundred yards away, several pairs of eyes secretly watched Duke Flugerd's group surrounding the location of the Demon Gathering Array.
"Kekeke, to think Duke Flugerd would bring so many Transcendents with him on this trip. Not bad, not bad. The more casualties there are, the bigger the chaos. Once the two super countries are at war, it will be our Sun God Church's chance to thrive," said one of the hooded people in the alleyway.
"Although Duke Flugerd made his move earlier than anticipated, everything is still proceeding according to plan. Duke Flugerd might have regarded himself as someone with both wisdom and power, but his grand ambition and greed blinded him from making proper choices."
"No matter how great a person is, they cannot make good choices if they lack crucial information. Duke Flugerd is just an overly-ambitious fool. To think he would take the bait so easily."
"Right," another hooded person agreed.
"It was the right choice not to touch the Demon Gathering Arrays in the border cities, Priest Merkkon. Once we secretly spread the news and let it reach King Heinrich's ears, things will quickly play out the way we want."
As the hooded person mentioned Priest Merkkon's name, the other two devil worshippers in the alleyway also focused their gaze on Priest Merkkon and awaited the person's following instructions.
However, just as Priest Merkkon was about to speak, his pupils quickly shrank into slits at the sight of incoming water projectiles.
"Evade!" Priest Merkkon bellowed.
Swoosh!
The devil worshippers scattered from the alleyway without further thought.
They didn't even understand why they needed to evade. Their bodies simply reacted according to Priest Merkkon's movements.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In that instance, the alleyway quickly fell under the heavy barrage of black water lances. The nearby buildings collapsed, and several unprepared residents died under the weight of the rubbles.
At the same time, one of the devil worshippers didn't make it and was blasted full of holes, killing the person on the spot.
Before the Priest Merkkon and the remaining two devil worshippers could relax, more black water lances were shot their way.
However, they were already forced into the open.
The incoming black water lances were clearly seen and evaded successfully, but only due to the distance that existed between them and Duke Flugerd's group.
"Unexpectedly, your senses are very sharp, Duke Flugerd. I've underestimated you," Priest Merkkon stated.
"This Duke knew a sewage rat when this Duke smelled one. Did you think you could hide from this Duke, devil worshippers?" Duke Flugerd coolly said with an unhurried look, unconcerned with Priest Merkkon's group possibly fleeing.
"Let this Duke guess; you were all thinking that this Duke was dancing right in the palm of your hands since you knew about this Duke's secret ambition. Unfortunately, you are sorely mistaken if you all thought you had seen through this Duke."
"This Duke did not move according to your Sun God Church's calculations; your schemes simply pushed forward this Duke's plan," Duke Flugerd stated with an aloof and proud look.
"Oh, how leisure of you to be wasting so much breath on meaningless drivels. That arrogance will be your undoing one day, Duke of Leviador," Priest Merkkon stated.
"Perhaps. However, that day won't be this day, and it certainly won't be done by your hands. After all, you will all be dying here," Duke Flugerd sentenced the devil worshippers to death with a single order, "Kill them!"
Swoosh!
The several hundred Transcendents behind Duke Flugerd and the other nobles immediately rushed forward.
However, Priest Merkkon waved his hand, sending out a blood-crimson ray of light that whipped through the ranks of the Transcendents, directly bisecting three dozens of them in two.
The rest of the Transcendents quickly halted their advancement with shocked looks.
"By throwing fodders at us, Duke Flugerd is looking down on us. Why don't you both show them what the Sun God's worshippers can do?" Priest Merkkon calmly suggested to the two hooded people behind him.
The two hooded people glanced at each other and understood what the Priest Merkkon wanted from them.
They immediately tore away their hooded cloaks and revealed their hideous appearances with black and greenish skin.
Their bodies started squirming with protruding veins when the sun quickly shone on them, and their eyes revealed their extreme and uncontainable rage.
Roar!
The two devil worshippers growled with inhumane and raspy voices as their bodies grew, doubling… tripling… quadrupling their former sizes!
Their muscle mass grew exponentially, and so did their strengths!
Before long, the two devil worshippers had transformed themselves into giants. Their greenish-black skin glowed with a crimson hue, and steam emitted from their pores.
"W-what the hell is those things?!"
The Transcendents at the forefront cried with alarm, intimidated by the devil worshippers' drastic transformations.
"Ahhh—!"
The two gigantified devil worshippers charged into the ranks of frightened Transcendents.
They tore Transcendents' bodies apart and mawed them like savage beasts, instilling greater terror in the rest of the Transcendents.
Duke Flugerd witnessed the disorderly mess in the ranks of the Transcendents and frowned.