Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 184 Staring into the Abyss
Neum, Luna Church.

"The situation is beyond our control."

Isidore's expression was solemn, and the surface of his dignified and exquisite priest's robe still retained traces of silvery-white holy radiance, giving it a divine beauty under the moonlight.

But when you add to that his pale, bloodless face, his trembling fingertips, and the fine sweat on his forehead, it creates a striking contrast.

"You immediately take your men to block off the nearby streets, evacuate the civilians, and send someone to the city hall to contact Mr. Wycliffe."

"Although it cannot be solved simply by increasing the number of people, we need a large number of guards to maintain order in the city and deal with possible unrest."

Standing before him, the middle-aged man dressed as a sheriff, still looking sleepy, frowned and said:
"At this critical juncture, to mobilize the city's defenses..."

"This is a state of emergency!"

Sensing the other party's concerns, Isidore interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

The cool moonlight gently fell on my face, and the dazzling light reflected from the shards of glass on the ground flashed by.

The sheriff glanced instinctively behind the pastor at the shattered stained glass window.

My body suddenly shuddered. I was abruptly awakened in the middle of the night, and my somewhat drowsy mind instantly became clear.

Realizing he had said something stupid, he couldn't help but raise his hand and slap his head hard.

"I understand. I'll go right away!"

Compared to the undercurrents within the city's upper echelons during this period, the Moon Goddess Church, currently overseen by high-level professionals, is facing such a change that could potentially affect the entire city, making it undoubtedly the highest priority.

I was half asleep, only thinking about not getting involved in the power struggles of those big shots, and I ignored the seriousness of the situation.

If what the pastor said is true, it might be the "descendance of an evil god"...

If not handled properly, the entire Xicheng District, including myself, will suffer.

Thinking of this, the sheriff felt a chill run down his spine.

He was considering whether to go home and let his parents and wife go to the outskirts of the city for a few days.

He moved his feet, turned halfway, and then suddenly stopped:

"Excuse me... is there anything I should be aware of?"

As a high-ranking sheriff who had already obtained a professional level, even if the priest's guess was inaccurate, the person who could cause such a thing in the Moon Goddess Church was obviously not someone that he could handle with just a few ordinary guards who had never even killed anyone.

It's inevitable to feel uneasy before setting off.

His gaze was fixed on the silvery-white mist that lingered above the church hall.

Upon hearing the sheriff's voice, Isidore sighed almost imperceptibly.

“I’ve already told you about her appearance: an elf with long golden hair.”

"If you do encounter this... do not stop them, it is best to avoid close contact, just send a signal to your superiors."

"Otherwise, it will only increase casualties."

“I’ve already contacted Deepwater City, and the church will send people over soon. As for the rest… you don’t need to worry about it.”

At this point, Isidore paused, his previously hurried tone becoming solemn.

"If possible, please take your guards and maintain order in the city. I will also provide you with the necessary assistance."

This was the first time Isidore, a priest with many years of experience, had encountered an event that might involve the divine.

But the examples recorded in the Order's books, and the experiences he gained from his colleagues during his studies in Deepwater City, told him that...

In large cities like Newme, when such heinous incidents occur, the direct harm to the city and its residents often does not come from the attackers themselves.

Instead, it was the chaotic situation of civilians and low-level professionals that followed, under an unstable order.

Knowing the sheriff's capabilities inside and out, Isidore didn't expect him to have any real impact on the development of the incident. It would be quite good if he could maintain order and protect the innocent residents.

Hearing the pastor's words, the sheriff didn't waste any more time.

He bowed swiftly, then led a squad of guards out of the church.

At this point, only a few tens of minutes had passed since the resurrection ceremony ended.

This even includes the time it took for the two people on stage to fall unconscious and be awakened by clergy members in the inner sanctuary who heard the commotion.

On the street outside the church, one could faintly hear hurried and dense footsteps, shouts filled with profanities, and the clanging of metal as people walked.

The houses in the residential areas on both sides, which were originally pitch black late at night, were lit up with uneasy lights.

My heart, already turbulent due to the sudden change in the situation, became even more agitated by the restlessness in the air.

His lips moved as he recited two prayers, which calmed him down slightly.

My gaze fell upon the figure sitting motionless in the shadow of the pillars in the front row of the auditorium.

Isidore stepped forward slowly:

"How are you? Is something wrong?"

Cornell sat alone in the corner, head bowed, one hand supporting his forehead, his face frighteningly pale.

His jaw was clenched, and the veins on his neck were bulging, as if he was enduring some kind of pain.

"It's alright, it's just that my mental energy is a bit depleted."

"However, I suspect there might be other factors at play, after all, that thing..."

"Let's check it again in detail after we get back to Huancai City."

Isidore nodded, his right hand gently resting on the holy emblem on his chest, his brows furrowing slightly, and a ray of silvery light descended from the dome, showering the mage upon him.

In the blink of an eye, Cornell's complexion had improved considerably.

His chest heaved as he breathed heavily.

Extending his left hand, palm facing down, his slightly restored mental energy began to take effect, and the surface of the iron ring on his thumb shimmered with magical light.

It is clear that the radiance itself is unstable, as if it has been disturbed by something. It flickers and dims, as if it is about to completely collapse at any moment.

This continued for about half a minute before it suddenly swelled up again, condensing into a small glass bottle, about the thickness of a finger, filled with a fluorescent blue, crystalline liquid, in Cornell's palm.

With great effort, he pulled out the cork and drank it all in one gulp.

As the concentration of magical particles in the surrounding air suddenly increased, the mage's previously somewhat ferocious expression finally softened.

Regarding the incident itself, compared to Isidore, who was protected by the moon goddess "Serenne," he adapted much faster when facing the "suspected evil god."

As a mage of the Conjuration School with decent strength, who spends most of his time in his mentor's mage tower conducting various experiments, aside from going out on adventures.

The bizarre situations that occurred during the experiment are a testament to the mage's essential ability to accept new things.

Although he still felt lingering fear, he was not particularly anxious or uneasy about it.

They were just passing through and would be leaving soon, so they didn't care about the impact on Newme.

At this moment, what he felt most deeply was a heartache that felt like being stabbed with a knife.

An ordinary, simple association mission—which could easily be described as a tourist trip—tricked their team into coming to this remote border region of the kingdom.

After so many days, I haven't earned a single gold coin. I even lost several spell scrolls. And my orc teammates, who I had finally gotten used to in team battles, have all died and I have to recruit them all over again.

I had planned to stay in Newm for a few days to catch up with old friends and, by the way, use their connections to hold a resurrection ceremony for my elven teammates who had also died on the adventure.

The results of it?
They did indeed come back to life, but who it was that was resurrected... no one knows.

Not only did he spend a huge sum of money and all the ritual materials he had collected go down the drain, but the spirit "Windstring" also had almost no chance of being resurrected.

Unlike the orc "Volga," whose positions could be filled by recruits at any time, this meant that their squad had permanently lost a core member.

There was no time for sadness.

The magical particles escaping throughout his body gave Cornell a headache.

The two protective magical items were completely destroyed with just one glance from the other party, and could not be repaired.

The inscription on his forehead, personally engraved by his mentor, was something that couldn't be bought anywhere else, no matter how much money you had. The result of years of experimentation—a teleportation rune improved and optimized based on ancient runes—was also completely destroyed. Even his other magical equipment was affected to some extent.

For example, the special silver ring on his left thumb, enchanted with spatial magic for storage.

Now even communicating with someone through mental means is difficult; trying to get anything from it is now a challenge.

Repairing all those items will cost a fortune.

After this trip, I didn't make any money, two of my teammates died, all my equipment was destroyed, and my net worth shrank significantly.

Cornell felt as if his heart was bleeding.

"Where exactly did things go wrong?" he couldn't help but ask the priest Isidore in front of him. "We've checked the materials for the ceremony many times. Could there be anything missing?"

“It’s not a problem with the materials.” The priest shook his head, his eyes thoughtful, recalling the scene when he cast the resurrection spell.

"Everything went smoothly from start to finish."

“I did indeed communicate with the soul of ‘Wind String’, establish a connection, and bring him back from the outer plane.”

Upon hearing this, Cornell nodded slightly.

"I saw his soul then, no doubt, it was him!"

"but……"

The pastor's face showed helplessness and a deep sense of apprehension.

"If an evil god were to descend into the material world through his body, the two of us wouldn't be able to detect anything."

"The most crucial question now is how He managed to be resurrected and descend into the Moon Goddess Church right under the goddess's nose."

“Perhaps…” Cornell hesitated for a moment before stating his opinion.

"He comes from outside the crystal wall system?"

His recent encounter in the goblin nest made him subconsciously connect the two.

But it was just a casual remark. With a little thought, one would realize that there is nothing in common between the two, and it is impossible for them to be such a coincidence.

The reason I said this was simply to cover up the blasphemous thought that had momentarily arisen in my mind after the pastor raised his doubts.

As a mage, Cornell possessed a very broad range of knowledge, including some understanding of the gods above.

【Moon Maiden】Serenne, perhaps her divine power level is not among the strongest, but as one of the oldest gods in this world, the authority and abilities she possesses far exceed the imagination of ordinary people.

Given this premise, in a church under such divine protection, at the extremely special time of the "Lunar Feast," during a special resurrection ritual that requires the use of the divine power of the moonlight throughout.

To avoid the goddess, he forcibly took over the body of a half-elf...

At least within Cornell's knowledge, there are only a handful of people capable of performing such an operation.

Furthermore, he did not believe that someone of this caliber would need such methods to descend into the material world.

Therefore, in his view, there is actually only one possibility left.

The goddess discovered this evil god who had descended to earth through the corpse of an elf.

But for some reason, He did not choose to interfere.

Instead, they simply watched silently.

The moonlight that shone on the priest after the elf's resurrection, protecting him, seems to corroborate this viewpoint.

"why?"

He doesn't know.

Out of a sense of caution, Cornell did not choose to ask his old acquaintance about his doubts.

And at the same time, on the other side.

Looking at the pale-faced mage before him, Isidore's calm gaze concealed something.

As the goddess's most devout believer, how could he not know the Lord's power?

And the few instructions received while in a so-called "coma" state.

Let him know too.

Regarding the incident that occurred inside the church earlier.

The woman's attitude was somewhat ambiguous.

This is precisely why, after Isidore awoke, he did not choose to use the trump cards he had prepared specifically for emergencies, but instead sought out the sheriff to handle the situation.

As for the rest, once the people from Waterdeep arrive, those colleagues who are closer to the goddess's radiance will handle it.

"I have to go now."

Cornell's voice suddenly broke the slightly quiet atmosphere.

"Now?" The pastor looked surprised. "Not even a couple more days of rest?"

Cornell responded with a somewhat strange smile.

“Even counting from when I arrived in River Valley Town, I’ve only been here for a few dozen days, and I’ve almost lost all the money I’ve saved up over the years.”

"Stay a few more days?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to pawn even the staff I'm holding."

Seeing that he had already said that, Isidore stopped trying to dissuade him and escorted him out of the church.

Just before leaving, I was thinking of exchanging a few more pleasantries.

Suddenly, a somewhat familiar figure walked by on the street ahead.

"Xia Nan?"

The sudden greeting brought Xia Nan back to his senses.

He shifted his gaze from the attribute panel in front of him to the other side of the street.

What came into view was the white-robed pastor who had greeted Jeff and the others when they came to the church for refuge a couple of days ago.

as well as……

The spellcaster I once met at the Adventurers' Guild on Hunting Day?
"Why is he in Newme too?"

I was puzzled.

Xia Nan remained expressionless, greeted them, and strode over.

At the same time, the shift in attention caused the attribute panel floating in the void in front of him to gradually disappear from his sight.

……

Looking directly into the abyss

Category: Specialty

effect:

1. When resisting mind control spells such as charm, fear, and hypnosis, your saving throws receive a bonus (affected by the Perception attribute);

2. After you successfully resist the mind control effect, the caster must make a saving throw; failure will result in a brief period of mental instability and inflict some psychological damage.

Introduction:

The experience of facing the "abyss" will make your will as strong as steel.

Remarks:

“I saw Him.”

—Abyss Gaze, Shadowman, Fallon

(End of this chapter)