Volume 1 Chapter 549

Chapter 549: The Masked Meeting!

Behind the red door lay a narrow room.

At the far end of the room, a passage veiled by curtains led into the profound depths.

Excluding the space occupied by the passage, the room was quite compact, barely accommodating Lolth and Dorothy standing side by side, nearly touching.

In a corner of the room, a small table held a tiny box.

Upon opening the box, two masks were revealed.

Crafted from pure white mithril blended with unique magical materials, these masks served to block detection and disrupt recognition.

Not only did they conceal the wearer’s face, but they also made it challenging to recall the wearer’s height, physique, or even magical characteristics.

A note was still attached to them.

"Please wear the masks to participate in this meeting."

Setting aside the bishop’s crown, Lolth took a mask and handed it to Dorothy.

"If there’s a meeting, we should wear them."

Lolth then picked up the other mask and placed it on her face.

"Ah—it’s really cold."

The icy touch of the metal caused Lolth to shiver involuntarily.

She then noticed that her voice had become deeper and harder to recognize.

An imperceptible, mysterious force was at work, and Lolth was certain it wasn’t the power of Holy Light.

Following Lolth’s lead, Dorothy also donned her mask.

Lolth attempted to sense Dorothy…

"Hmm, it really doesn’t block my perception at all."

The mask’s disguise, while quite ingenious, still fell short.

If someone possessed Lolth’s level of perception, the mask’s disguise would likely be rendered ineffective.

Of course…

Achieving Lolth’s level of perception is an exceedingly difficult feat.

In fact, this mask is something that even bishops and cardinals would find nearly impossible to see through!

Even if they could, they would only barely manage to discern a little.

Of course, for Lolth, seeing through it doesn’t hold much significance…

She doesn’t know anyone from The Church of Light.

"Let’s go, Dorothy… Let’s see what this meeting is all about."

Why go to such lengths to invite a mere bishop?

Who is behind this scheme?

In any case, this presents an excellent opportunity for Lolth to delve deeper.

If one wishes to approach the heart of the current turmoil within the Holy Empire and The Church of Light, this is the most opportune moment.

An invitation from others has presented an almost flawless opportunity.

Lolth, accompanied by Dorothy, drew back the curtain and stepped into the lengthy corridor.

After walking in complete darkness for about ten minutes, Lolth and Dorothy finally glimpsed light.

It was two lanterns, burning quietly—steadily emitting flame and light, powered solely by mechanisms and ordinary fuel, devoid of any magical energy.

This place is naturally very concealed.

To avoid detection by powerful entities and The Church of Light’s nearly omnipresent "awareness," no magical light sources could be used for illumination.

Just as the lanterns cast their enduring light, there stood a sliding door crafted from the most common wood and metal.

Lolth pushed open the narrow door, revealing a secret chamber behind it.

A massive round table dominated the spacious secret room, making it feel as though half a palace’s main hall had been squeezed into this space.

In front of Lolth, there were two chairs.

There were also sixteen other entrances, each with two chairs positioned before them.

Lolth was not the first to arrive; to her right and across from her, three sets of chairs were already occupied.

There were already six individuals in the meeting room.

All wore silver masks and were clad in the robes of priests or bishops.

She and Dorothy were the seventh and eighth to arrive.

Since everyone sat in silence, Lolth and Dorothy exchanged a glance through their masks and chose to remain silent as well.

Then, Lolth began to disregard the distraction of the masks and started to assess the strength and appearance of these individuals.

To Lolth’s surprise, most of them were quite young.

And their strength was not insignificant.

They were dressed in bishop robes or regular knight captain uniforms, and even in ordinary priest robes, missionary priest robes, or typical Paladin attire…

Yet, none of these six were below the epic level.

Such young individuals at the epic level meant that those seated here…

Would almost certainly become the backbone of various Paladin groups, influential archbishops, or cardinals in the future.

They might even lead the Grand Knight groups or enter the Holy Capital’s Eden Palace!

But, astonishingly, they all appeared here in a secret meeting…

Even though they seemed to possess no real power, even if you added the remaining eight seats, they could never shake the Holy Empire and The Church of Light, such colossal entities.

But Lolth knew…

They would have mentors and their own networks.

A promising priest and Paladin must have many people willing to invest in him.

Moreover, it is almost certain that he will hold a significant position in the future.

This is a world dominated by extraordinary powers, and almost everyone present aspires to rise to legend.

Even if they don’t ascend, an established epic-level powerhouse, whether Middle Level or high-level… would still hold considerable weight.

This secret meeting is of a higher caliber than Lolth had anticipated.

"It’s becoming increasingly intriguing."

Lolth gently traced her fingers over the table before her, pondering.

The table’s surface was icy to the touch, appearing smooth and lustrous, as though crafted from a type of polished crystal that couldn’t serve as a magical conduit.

Within New Dawn City, the gray-robed members of the Heretic Tribunal convened once more.

"Indeed, the Lord Director has reassumed this identity, sensing something amiss."

"Those ‘reckless ones’ have begun to stir; it seems they’ve all taken the bait… though the Lord Director’s intentions remain unclear."

"Is he planning to annihilate them entirely before the situation spirals out of control?"

"Indeed, while they’re not a formidable organization, they possess enough influence that we should mitigate their threat…"

As the gray-robed individuals conversed, the most powerful among them suddenly interjected.

"Yet, the Lord Director has not issued any directives regarding ‘extermination.’"

"What if… the Lord Director’s aim isn’t to render the situation ‘manageable’ and preserve equilibrium?"

The two gray-robed figures whispered softly, their gaze shifting to the others.

The rest were taken aback.

They were not dull-witted and quickly grasped the underlying message in the duo’s words.

Upon discerning the implication, they acted without hesitation.

"Then we shall naturally await the Lord Director’s command!"

"First and foremost, we are servants of The Church of Light and the Heretic Tribunal… only secondarily do we belong to the Holy Empire."

"With the Pope critically ill and the Holy Maiden vanished… the Lord Director is now the closest link to the Master."

"Precisely!"

The group echoed in unison, their voices rising and falling, each eager not to lag behind.

It was evident that these members of the Heretic Tribunal had reached a consensus…

To observe quietly the unfolding of this clandestine "masked meeting" in New Dawn City.

Even if their next actions diverged from their previous assumptions.

They needed to swiftly adapt their mindset.

At that moment, these cold-hearted individuals finally grasped the precarious position of The Church of Light and the Holy Lieto Empire, teetering on the brink of monumental change.

In the depths of hell, the clashes among deities were drawing to a close.

Murphy Yates, nearly bare and with disheveled hair, sat upon a smoldering hell rock, catching her breath as she retrieved a teacup, smoothed her white locks, and downed a cup of tea.

She glared at the Demon King opposite her, who had temporarily lost his "right hand," as if his right forearm had vanished, and spat.

"You scoundrel from the Abyss, where is your ‘Eternal Scepter’?"

Admittedly, the adversary before her was formidable.

Fighting on his own turf without even resorting to a Divine Artifact, he managed to hold his own against me.

Although I ultimately gained the upper hand… this skirmish began as a mere contest of "face" the moment the Abyssal Demon King threw that first punch.

His intentions were clear; this wasn’t a clash between the Abyss and Hell, nor was it the ruler of the Abyss challenging Hell’s Arbitrator.

It was simply the Demon King confronting Murphy Yates.

In my current state, I technically won, but in essence… it felt like a loss.

"Sent someone away, have you?" the Demon King smirked slightly, "And you…? Where are your comrades? Did the other four Pillar Demon Gods have a falling out with you?"

"Ha—"

Murphy Yates sneered, offering no reply.

"They’re on their way; the Abyss and Hell are on the brink of war—your remaining king level entities from the Abyss must be keeping an eye on this place, aren’t they?"

"You had it coming, daring to plot against Lolthlinda," the Demon King murmured softly, "Frankly, you should be thanking me. Had I not arrived promptly… someone far more ruthless would have come to teach you a lesson."

"Ugh," Murphy Yates set down her teacup, her expression one of disdain. "The only one who could possibly come is you…"

"Is that so?"

Just as Murphy Yates’ words faded, a chilling voice emerged from behind her.

The Demon God of Hell felt a shiver down her spine upon hearing it.

She hadn’t even noticed… someone was standing behind her!

Turning around, Murphy Yates was met with…

A petite girl.

With pink hair, an outfit even more revealing than her own tattered attire, and eyes of the same hue.

"You… Kululu Poppy," Murphy Yates nearly screamed, her face a mask of horror, "You’re still alive!"

Kululu paid no heed to her outburst and simply raised a finger.

"The ‘Abyssal Demon King’s forces’ have vented their anger, but we of the ‘Succubus clan’ have yet to have our say."

"But fret not, I’m not here to strike you… I merely wish to borrow something from you."

Murphy Yates gazed at her, sensing the aura around her, and seemed to calm slightly.

"…Go on."

She lifted her teacup, took a sip, and spoke earnestly.

"The ‘Power of Judgment’ imbued with Plane Will," Kululu stated, "don’t worry, I don’t need it all; just a wisp of its primordial essence will suffice."

Upon hearing Kululu’s words, Murphy Yates was taken aback.

"That’s all?"

"Indeed, that’s all," Kululu replied serenely, her expression one of innocence and curiosity as she inquired, "What else could you have imagined?"

"I thought it might be my dominion over hell, my half-share of the Divine Throne, a century of my past, or perhaps a third of my divine power?"

Murphy Yates responded with gravity.

"Or perhaps two Divine Artifacts or an entire divine essence."

The Abyssal Demon King raised his hand to add,

"Am I a thief?"

Kululu crossed her arms in annoyance.

Under the gaze of Murphy Yates and the Abyssal Demon King, Kululu lowered her arms.

"Alright, I really just need the essence of the ‘Power of Judgment.’"

Kululu murmured.

Murphy Yates immediately extended her right hand, and a flicker of "red light" emerged from her fingertips.

After releasing this flicker of red light, Murphy Yates looked even more exhausted than before.

"Here you go."

As she said this, Kululu glanced at the "red light" that seemed to affect the entire Hell Plane, and the light vanished.

Murphy Yates looked at Kululu, who had taken the Power of Judgment, with a puzzled expression.

"But why do you need this?"

"It’s for a performance prop," Kululu replied without looking up as she turned around. "My boss is about to ‘take the stage,’ so I, as her subordinate, must prepare all the props for her."

Then, Kululu suddenly stopped and frowned, but quickly relaxed.

"That was close… I thought something had happened at home."

Saying this, she left the underworld with Murphy Yates’ "Power of Judgment."

The Abyssal Demon King also took off his black pointed hat and bowed slightly.

"Well then, goodbye, Murphy Yates."

Murphy Yates stared at the figure of the Abyssal Demon King and smiled softly.

"Sooner or later, I will go to the abyss and give you a beating."

But as soon as these words were spoken, the figure of the Abyssal Demon King had already vanished.

Then…

Murphy Yates suddenly felt something and looked toward the main plane.

"Damn, she really sent out the ‘Eternal’!"

Murphy Yates exclaimed, her eyes wide open.

"Abyssal Demons… are all crazy!"

This Hell Demon God felt an overwhelming sense of ‘shock.’

What she felt was the aura of the ‘Eternal Scepter’ that suddenly erupted in Hillenbrand Town!

Before the torture tower in Hillenbrand Town, facing the subdued Director of the Heretic Tribunal…

When Tina discovered that the magic circle reserved at the torture tower was too damaged to unleash enough power to defeat the demi-god, she decided to reveal her strongest ability.

A gift from the Demon King, just like the knight’s sword in Isabella’s hand that contains powerful frost magic…

Now it has become Tina’s "staff."

It unleashed a strike so terrifying that even the gods could notice!