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*****
The Despair Witch, Sequence 4 of the Witch pathway, possesses a terrifying, disaster-level ability.
She can spread disease and plague, primarily infecting the heart, brain, lungs, and other organs of relatively common creatures.
From the incubation period to the outbreak of symptoms and eventual severity, only a short dozen seconds are required.
Within another minute, the target can deteriorate to near death.
The coverage is extremely wide.
However, this is only effective against ordinary people; the effect on Beyonders is greatly reduced.
"What is the Witch Pathway trying to do? Causing a disaster of this magnitude in Backlund—do they have a death wish?"
Confusion flashed briefly in George's eyes.
Backlund is the capital of Loen. Besides the demigods of the Three Major Churches, numerous Beyonders, and Sealed Artifacts, there are also Angels permanently stationed by the Royal Family.
Heretics at the demigod level must tuck their tails between their legs and hide their identities here.
If a cultist at the Angel level dared to show up, they might directly invite the descent of divine punishment from the Evernight Goddess and the Lord of Storms.
The Witch Pathway members aren't lunatics like the Aurora Order; they wouldn't commit such an irrational act.
Unless, unless the benefit far outweighs the risk, or the risk isn't actually that high.
"No way?"
George's heart stirred, and he began to form some conjectures.
Who benefits most from the Witch Pathway creating such a massive disaster?
Undeniably, the Royal Family.
With this thick fog and the mass deaths it causes, the Royal Family can smoothly implement those reform policies and complete the Black Emperor ritual.
At the same time, it distracts the Churches, forcing them to disperse their energy and stop investigating the ruins.
If the Royal Family and the Witch Pathway are cooperating, the Witch Pathway wouldn't have to worry about being hunted by the Royal Angels.
The Royal Family and the Churches have an agreement that the Churches cannot permanently station Beyonders above Sequence 4 in Backlund.
Therefore, the Archbishops of the Three Major Churches in Backlund are, at most, Sequence 4 demigods.
As a Sequence 4 herself, if the Witch Pathway's Despair Witch is fully prepared, releases the plague, and immediately runs, she might actually escape.
"If this is true, the Loen Royal Family truly deserves to die," George muttered inwardly.
Human trafficking, constructing the mausoleum, and advancing to the Black Emperor to escape the Church's control—he could understand these things.
Freeing the slaves afterward and granting them civilian status wouldn't be too excessive.
If it were him, he might make similar choices; at most, it would mean failing to manage his subordinates properly.
But cooperating with the Witch Pathway to unleash this plague, which could potentially kill hundreds of thousands of ordinary people if left unchecked, was utterly bottomless.
"Very well, I'll take this opportunity to declare The Fool and set an anchor for myself ahead of time."
Using illusionary magic to guide Chris back home, George split off a thought-projection, transforming into the appearance of 'Bystander A' that he had previously used in Tingen.
Spreading his twelve pairs of Angel wings, a single flap brought him above Backlund's East End.
"Grow! Grow! Grow! Grow!"
The thought-projection cast the Giant Transformation Spell, his body rapidly expanding, instantly becoming a towering giant Angel.
"Hmph!"
He took a massive breath, sucking in all the spreading fog as if a divine dragon were drinking water, drawing it into his own lungs.
Since this plague could only affect ordinary people, it was automatically filtered upon entering his body and had no effect whatsoever.
"I am 'A', the Great Angel under The Fool, sent by The Fool's command to save you mortals!"
The Amplification Charm carried his voice throughout all of Backlund. Then, shaking his wings, immense Light Magic covered every area that had just been enveloped by the plague.
Those lower-class commoners who had collapsed after inhaling the plague and were near death immediately felt their bodies being purified, instantly restoring them to their optimal state.
Even the various chronic ailments accumulated from years of exhaustion were spontaneously healed.
Some people who were missing limbs even regrew their arms and legs.
"Believe in The Fool, gain eternal life!"
After George shouted, he sensed the faint appearance of lightning in the air and immediately vanished.
Causing such a commotion was certain to attract the attention of the Evernight Goddess and the Lord of Storms.
There wasn't much to worry about regarding the Evernight Goddess—if She were going to intervene, She would have done so already. But the Lord of Storms definitely wouldn't be pleased to discover a strange Angel proselytizing and stealing His believers.
If he lingered any longer, an overwhelming deluge of thunder would greet him.
Although his true body naturally wouldn't fear the lightning, this was only a thought-projection, and having it scattered by thunder would damage the image he had just established.
Therefore, he chose to withdraw before the Lord of Storms, who had only just turned His gaze toward the situation, could react.
The lightning flashed a few times in the clouds, then gradually dissipated as it failed to locate George's thought-projection.
Meanwhile, in the East End, the tens of thousands of commoners who had narrowly escaped death looked up at the vanished giant Angel and devoutly knelt on the ground.
Regardless of which orthodox deity they had previously worshipped, they had now converted to The Fool, who had granted them new life.
As for the Despair Witch, who had just finished releasing the plague and was disguised as an ordinary person preparing to leave Backlund by carriage, her face was completely blank with shock.
"The Fool? A Great Angel?"
Having lived for over a hundred years, this was the first time she had ever heard of the deity known as The Fool.
And what pathway was that Great Angel from, to be able to instantly heal so many people, even curing those missing arms and legs?
The Planter pathway? The Physician pathway?
But those two pathways involve the Church of the Mother Goddess and the Rose School of Thought, as well as those ancient vampires. What did they have to do with The Fool?
The Three Major Churches and the Royal Family were just as dumbfounded as the Despair Witch.
They were all stunned: "You and I sitting under the dumbfounded tree, picking dumbfounded fruit, one for everyone."
"A Great Angel under The Fool! Indeed, The Fool is an ancient and righteous deity. Our Tarot Club is truly magnificent!"
At this moment, the Tarot Club members in Backlund—Audrey, Xio, and Fors—were among the few who weren't completely dumbfounded.
"This is no place to linger!"
The Despair Witch, having regained her senses, immediately urged her carriage and began fleeing out of Backlund.
Although the plague hadn't killed anyone, her mission was still accomplished; the Royal Family could still use the thick fog incident to implement their policies.
Trying to create a new fog now would be courting death.
Not only might the vanished Angel reappear and swat her dead, but the Three Major Churches were not pushovers and had likely already begun tracking her.
Unfortunately, she was one step too late. The carriage was forced to stop just as it started moving.
The arrival was none other than George's true body in his infant form.
The reason he hadn't allowed the thought-projection to make the capture was so that his main body could act now.
The Despair Witch was a Sequence 4 powerhouse of the Witch Pathway, and capturing her with his true body meant he could exchange her for the Sequence 4 potion from Crestet.
(End of Chapter)