From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 539 Lady of Shadows
In the underground preaching hall of the Shadow Embrace Monastery, Abbess Viconia is giving a speech to her subordinates.

The followers of Shar, who had been silently surrounding the adventurers, were all ready for battle, waiting for the headmistress's order to charge forward.

However, Viconia, who believed she had victory firmly in her grasp, did not rush to order her subordinates to attack. Instead, she wanted to take this opportunity to demonstrate her authority as the abbess of the Shadow Embrace Monastery.

“They’ve already heard how you humiliated your goddess in front of Lady Shar, and how you were marked as an enemy by your goddess.” Viconia spread her arms, sweeping them across the Shar followers on the platform. “But letting them see it with their own eyes is another matter entirely.”

“I’m glad you’ve returned to face Ms. Shar’s judgment. For many years to come, Ms. Shar’s new followers will learn from your cautionary tale.” Viconia looked at Shadowheart, who stood directly in front of the pulpit. “However, I can also show you a little mercy. Hand over your belongings, and at least I can guarantee you a quick death.”

“Enough,” Yingxin said in a deep voice. “I will not respond to you, never again. I know what you have done to my family. Don’t worry, Dean, I will not let that process be too quick; you have plenty of time to enjoy it.”

“This is your home. Lady Shar commanded me to create you, but you have betrayed her grace and the teachings of darkness!” Viconia removed her hood, a pitying smile appearing on her face. She believed she had given everything to Shar and that killing Shadowheart would surely bring her supreme favor. “The relic was your last chance to prove yourself, yet you have squandered it.”

The relic that Viconia mentioned repeatedly was the Astral Prism, the target of Shadowheart's mission to infiltrate the Gith Yankees' headquarters, which imprisoned the Comet Prince.

Ivy suddenly became very curious as to why Shar would want to obtain the Astral Prism. Could it be merely to stop the conspiracy of the Three Death Gods?
“That relic,” Ivy said, taking advantage of Viconia’s engaging conversation, “why is it so important to Shar?”

Viconia narrowed her eyes, seemingly appreciating Ivy's question: "The relics are not important to Lady Shar. She is a true god, and even if the conspiracy of the Three Gods of Death succeeds, it will not have any effect on her."

“However, that relic is very important to the faith of mortals.” Viconia placed her hands on her chest, lowered her head slightly, and confessed to the goddess she worshipped, “I must ensure that her faith lives on in the hearts of mortals, I must defend her path, guide her children, and stop all threats. Even if it means defying her will, I will prove that I am her most loyal servant.”

Ivy smiled.

In this way, everything makes sense.

It was not Shar who ordered Shadowheart to seize the relics, but Viconia Deville who acted on her own initiative.

Using her ability to disguise herself as a follower of Shar, she keenly sensed Gotash's conspiracy amidst the political upheavals at Baldur's Gate and discovered the truth about the Supreme God.

They also made a very accurate estimate of the potential impact of the entire Supreme God Plan, thus concluding that this conspiracy would destroy Sword Coast.

To ensure the survival of the Shar faith in the Sword Coast region, she sent a suicide squad deep into the Githyanki capital to seize the Astral Prism, which was under the strict supervision of the Lich Queen Vyrakis, and they actually succeeded.

For the other gods on the continent of Faerûn, having a follower like Viconia, who is exceptionally proactive, intelligent, and possesses both fanatical and martyr-like qualities, is a wonderful thing.

They would certainly think of protecting and rewarding their priestess, and even elevating her to the status of a chosen one.

Unfortunately, Viconia worshipped Shar, a deity who cared about no one except her sister Serene.

"How long has it been since you last heard His voice?" Ivy asked with a smile. "How long has it been since this monastery received His attention? Ever since Shar announced to all the believers that Shadowheart had become a homeless child?"

Viconia's expression changed. In fact, not only after Shadowheart abandoned Shar's favor, but even before that, Viconia could hardly hear Shar's voice anymore.

Because she sent Shadowheart on a suicidal mission, an abuse of Shar's most trusted followers.

The reason is simple: Shar's intention was to have Shadowheart replace Viconia, so that the former followers of Serene would launch another attack against the Serene faith.

However, Viconia's selfish desires caused a change in Shar's plans, but also gave Shadowheart the opportunity to take a step further in Shar's heart.

If Shadowheart could personally pierce the heart of the Daughter of Serene in the Fallen Realm, she would have long since become Shar's one and only chosen one.

However, even the gods cannot predict the twists and turns of fate.

All the effort that Shar had poured into Shadowheart had gone to waste; she had almost lost interest in the toy.

Aside from tormenting Shadowheart with the curse on her arm when she was in a good mood, Shar paid little attention to this former believer.

Having not heard the goddess's voice for a long time, Viconia desperately needs to prove her loyalty and ability to Shar, and everything she is doing now is to regain Shar's favor.

Viconia's expression changed, and instead of answering Ivy's question, she loudly commanded, "Hand this girl over to me! In the upcoming battle, Lady Shar's power can be your ally!"

"Haven't you realized it yet, Viconia? Your Lady Shar doesn't care about your loyalty, doesn't care about this meticulously crafted monastery. You no longer represent her." Ivy's star-studded robes fluttered without wind, surging magic around him, and his clear eyes, reflecting the entire dark preaching hall, glowed with an eerie, ghastly green light. "Even if I raze this place to the ground and slaughter everyone in the Shadow Embrace Monastery, your goddess will remain silent."

"Destroy the invaders! L'il Alurl! For Shar!" Viconia produced a golden shield and a mace gleaming with magical light from nowhere, raised them high, and roared a battle cry, issuing her command to all the Shar believers in the sermon hall.

The followers of Shar come from all walks of life at Baldur's Gate. They are all suffering people seeking liberation. Their weapons are diverse, and their physical forms and races are different. The only thing they have in common is the fanatical expression on their faces.

The long-awaiting believers raised their weapons, chanted incantations, and raised their arms to throw alchemical items or leap from the high platform to attack the adventurers surrounded in the middle.

Ivy's spells are always faster than theirs.

A pale green lightning bolt erupted from his raised right hand, instantly traveling around every Shal believer in the preaching hall, connecting them together.

The charging believer suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground, while the believer who launched the leaping attack simply began to freefall. The believer who was chanting incantations fell silent, and the alchemical artifacts that had been lifted fell to the feet of the believer himself.

Once the trails of the dense, net-like, ghastly green lightning disappeared from view, only Ivy's teammates and Viconia, hidden behind a golden shield, remained standing in the sermon hall. The legendary spell, [Doom's Death Grip], once again demonstrated its power to the world, destroying Viconia's decades of hard work in an instant.

"What did you do to them?" Hidden behind her shield, Viconia hadn't witnessed the other Shar followers fall. When she raised her warhammer again, she was stunned by the sight before her.

She had considered that the mage in front of her might unleash a very powerful spell, but she never imagined that this spell would be able to wipe out all the believers in the entire Shadow Embrace Monastery.

When she realized that her numerical advantage had been quickly wiped out, Viconia panicked.

She began to pray to her goddess, hoping for her favor, but it had already been proven that Shar didn't care about her followers at all. And Viconia had long been abandoned by Shar.

"What kind of magic is this?" Even Jasira, who had fought as a high-ranking harpist for over a hundred years, had never seen anything like this. She asked with wide eyes, "What's wrong with them?"

“Dead.” Ivy’s answer was concise and clear. He was curious about how the shield in Viconia’s hand had helped her pass the instant-death saving throw.

As a legendary spell, [Doom's Death Grip] boasts an extremely large casting range, an unlimited number of targets, and a double instant-death effect. Failing either a Constitution or Perception save will result in instant death from this spell; however, a successful Perception save will spare the soul. Conversely, if both saves are successful, the spell deals no further damage. There are always trade-offs.

"Ha ha!" Minsk suddenly laughed. "Your allies are all dead, you evil witch!"

“I have not failed!” Viconia cried out. “My faith will never yield!”

“Leave her to us, Ivy,” Jasira suddenly said. “We’re here to rescue Shadowheart’s parents, right? Let’s not delay. It’ll also be a good opportunity for old friends to catch up.”

Viconia was one of the heroes who thwarted the Shalovakian plot and saved Baldur's Gate a hundred years ago. However, after that, she fell in love with Shar in Waterdeep, parting ways with Jahira and Minsk.

Yingxin didn't hesitate much. Although the situation was different from what she had expected, as long as the goal was achieved, that was fine.

She nodded slightly to Ivy and quickly walked past Viconia.

"Come back! What are you doing? You have to face all of this yourself! This is what you owe me!" Viconia tried to charge at Shadowheart, but the Leatherman wielding a greatsword had already blocked her path.

“You’ll regret interfering in our affairs, Minsk!” Viconia threatened.

"Minsk will kick your drow elf's black ass first, then think about regretting it!" Minsk was not afraid of Viconia at all and immediately challenged her.

Seeing the resolute attitude of Viconia's two former teammates, Ivy no longer hesitated and followed Shadowheart into the deepest part of the temple. Shouldn't they have the upper hand in a two-on-one situation?
Using the Knocking Technique, Ivy opened the door to the deepest part of the temple for Shadowheart. Putting aside the grudges and affections of the old people, Ivy focused on finding Shadowheart's parents.

Viconia and Shar never intended to hide their presence. In the deepest part of the monastery, on two suspended dark mirrors, magical chains formed by purple runes firmly bound two ragged figures. One was an elderly human woman, and the other was a weathered elven man. It wasn't hard to guess that they were Shadowheart's parents, who were imprisoned here.

“Impossible…” Yingxin’s father muttered to himself, “This is yet another vicious scheme…”

“No…there was no trickery.” Shadowheart’s mother’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “It was her…Jenny Villa, little Jane, our precious daughter.”

“Ivy!” Yingxin glanced back at Ivy and immediately stepped forward. “We’re here to take you away from here. They’re all gone. It’s over—”

Before Yingxin could finish speaking, the boundless darkness swallowed up all the surrounding light sources.

"It's not over yet." A dignified and calm female voice came from all directions, echoing in the vast darkness.

The scene had changed so quickly that even Ivy hadn't noticed the whole process.

The mottled stone slabs underfoot were replaced by a circular platform, which was then supported by a woman formed from pure darkness. Her upper body extended over the edge of the platform, looking down at the tiny ants in her hands.

The statues sculpted by the believers are almost identical to her.

A crown adorned with crescent-shaped ornaments connected to a half-face mask, concealing her eyes, yet Ivy could clearly perceive the goddess's gaze. Diamond-shaped earrings and gold ornaments wrapped around her pure black limbs were the only colors in the darkness, but those colors were merely to accentuate the flawlessness of the primordial dark creation, subtle reminders of her supreme divinity.

Ivy's breath hitched; he never expected to face Shar here.

In order to deal with the myriad gods in the world of Toril, Ivy spent a long time studying books about the gods she might encounter and carefully analyzing their divinity.

Shar represents the primordial darkness, pain, and loss of the world. It was precisely because Ivy was certain that Shar didn't care about Viconia and her Shadow Embrace Monastery that she used legendary magic to kill all the believers in the monastery. And the previous success only strengthened Ivy's confidence.

He had assumed that Shar would still be watching Shadowheart, since the curse on Shadowheart's hand would still flare up from time to time. But he never imagined that he would be dragged in front of Shar along with Shadowheart.

The last time something like this happened was after they left the Fallen Shadow Realm, when only Shadowheart disappeared.

Thinking about the resurrection spell he had pre-designed, Ivy calmed down. Since the half-demon Raphael, who orchestrated the massacre of the Iron Hand Temple, had not been punished, his own soul should be able to escape.

The worst outcome has been avoided, so now the only option is to face it bravely.

(End of this chapter)