Universe Infinite Canteen.

Chapter 324 Revenge
When Millipede found Ouroboros, he discovered that she was wandering the streets, looking distraught.

Yun Que rushed over first and hugged her, "Ah, Ah Snake, I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you were really buried under the auditorium."

However, when Ouroboros saw them, a look of shame appeared on his face, and he whispered, "I'm sorry, I, I didn't know it would turn out like this..."

"Are you talking about the destruction of the holy stone?" Malu raised his eyebrows.

"Shrike never mentioned the Holy Stone to me. I received an order to take advantage of the chaos to kidnap the Pope and liberate the witches in the city. All our previous preparations were to accomplish this mission."

Ouroboros said bitterly, "I didn't know she had a backup plan left."

"That's not a backup plan," Malu said, "She planned all of her actions with the goal of destroying the Temple City from the beginning."

Ouroboros still had a glimmer of hope in his heart, "Maybe...something went wrong, things went beyond her expectations, or someone else went against her arrangements."

"No, she admitted it herself." Malu said, "When you were fighting the elite of the Holy Knights, she appeared in the giant tower and blew up the holy stone."

"The Shrike is not dead?" Ouroboros asked in surprise.

"Not only did she not die, but she also dropped the staff on purpose. In that battle, she carried two staffs in total. At the last moment before the missile fell, she used another staff to escape and left the one in her hand behind."

"Why did she drop the staff?"

"Because that staff is the key."

"key?"

"Yes, it can open the holy stone and start the self-destruction program." Malu said, "But when Shrike found the staff, it was already damaged. The Witch Alliance's technology level cannot repair it, so she can only rely on the power of the Temple City.

“However, if a single staff was sent to the Temple City, it would definitely arouse the church’s vigilance. However, if the person who brought back the staff was Levi, the deputy leader of the Paladin Order, and the staff was related to the death of the Shrike, then it would be another matter.

"Finally, the researchers from the Weapons and Equipment Department repaired the staff, just as Shrike expected. Then, a traitor took the staff out of the laboratory and gave it to her."

"As for you, you were also used by her as bait to lure away the elite Paladins, giving her time to act."

Malu said, "These are what Shrike said herself. She did not run away after blowing up the sacred stone. She just stood there, laughing loudly, waiting for the knights to come and arrest her."

"But I don't understand," Ouroboros' face turned pale, "Why did she do this? Is it to build a new city?"

"There is no new city. The so-called settlement built entirely by witches without slavery and oppression does not exist at all. The Shrike did this only out of hatred, in order to avenge her father, the current Pope, for abandoning her."

"Wait, how is the Shrike related to the Pope?"

Ouroboros had heard too many shocking things tonight and should have been gradually immune to them, but he couldn't help but lose his voice when he heard the news.

"She is the Pope's youngest daughter. She was found to be a witch when she was born. The Pope was worried that this scandal would affect his political career, so he secretly sent a knight to throw Shrike out of the city, hoping that the revitalized plants would kill her. Of course, these are all Shrike's words, and you can choose not to believe them.

"But considering that she has already destroyed the Holy Stone and turned herself in, she probably won't lie to slander the Pope again at this time. After all, compared to what she did, this is really nothing."

After hearing what the millipede said, the Ouroboros seemed to have lost its last bit of strength. It sat down on the stone steps by the roadside and held its head.

"Are you saying that the future we are pursuing has never existed?" "It seems to be true at the moment," said Malu.

"Then what are our efforts and sacrifices worth..." Ouroboros' eyes revealed a look of pain, "I just hope that witches can get along with humans on an equal footing and get the freedom we deserve. Is that wrong?"

"I'm just a guy who happened to pass by... I can't answer your question." Malu paused, and then continued, "But I know someone who may be able to answer your doubts."

"Who?"

"The one who directed all this."

"The person who directed all this... Are you talking about Shrike?"

"No, she may be considered the protagonist of today's drama, but there is a screenwriter above her." Malu said.

"Where is he, the writer?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he should have been at the top of the giant tower, quietly overlooking everything that happened below."

Malu said, "We are planning to go talk to him, do you want to come with us?"

When Ouroboros heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed across his originally desperate eyes. "Can I, can I still return to your team?"

"Of course," Malu said, "We also happen to be lacking a magic profession."

He extended his hand to the girl, who hesitated, then firmly grasped the armor-covered hand.

Although the metal felt cold when it touched, Ouroboros felt a sense of peace for some reason.

Then the five of them walked towards the giant tower in the center of the city.

With nothing to do on the road, Millipede explained his previous speculation to Ouroboros.

“There are so many unreasonable things about the Shrike blowing up the Holy Stone. For example, why did the staff that served as the key suddenly fall into her hands?

"After being abandoned, she never returned to the Temple City, nor did she see the Holy Stone with her own eyes. How could she know that the broken staff was the key? And the attack you planned in the Temple City.

"Although Levi may have deliberately let it go in order to catch a big fish, it was too easy for him to succeed. How did so many of you sneak into the Temple City without anyone noticing?"

"I'm not sure either," Ouroboros frowned. "I only heard that we have an ally in the upper echelons of the church, and that person helped let our people in."

"Why would someone in the upper echelons of the church risk helping you?"

"The Shrike said that she sympathized with the witch clan's plight."

Malu did not comment, and continued, "And the staff, after it was repaired, was taken out of the laboratory by the traitor and handed over to Shrike, just like it was prepared for her.

"And the most important point is that when Shrike was abandoned outside the city, she was probably only three or four years old. How did she survive and become the leader of the fallen witches?"

(End of this chapter)