The strange commotion naturally caught Elysia's attention. She paused, momentarily stunned. Could Carolina's prediction have come true? Was the battle not yet over?
Instantly, she raised her staff, her gaze fixed warily on Thumb Guy. His movements and words screamed of a Boss summoning ritual. Having just cleared a wave of smaller monsters, the appearance of a major foe seemed perfectly logical.
But then, Thumb Guy began to inflate like a balloon. In less than three seconds, he exploded with a violent "pop," scattering minced flesh across the ground. Splattered blood dyed a nearby bystander and half an advertising billboard crimson red.
Elysia: "Huh?"
What in the world was going on? She had been bracing for his ultimate attack, but instead, he had literally exploded mid-incantation?
As she pondered whether this was an illusion, if he had turned invisible, or if he had some hidden trick up his sleeve, time ticked by. Half a minute later, Elysia floated lightly to the site of Thumb Guy's demise. She could now be certain: the man was truly dead.
"So, what exactly is going on here?"
Baldy 'Burke' arrived at the scene and bent down to pick up the Human Skin Book lying on the ground. After scrutinizing it with a frown, he didn't open it. Instead, he said, "The Eldritch Concord—a cult that worships the Flesh God, Hades. But this book doesn't seem to belong to him."
In essence, everyone in this cult worships the Flesh God. They somehow acquired an artifact from another Evil God—this Human Skin Book—and forced Thumb Guy to use it obsessively to test its effects. This naturally forged a connection between Thumb Guy and the unknown Evil God.
The more Thumb Guy used the Human Skin Book, the stronger their connection grew. It was likely that soon, the unknown Evil God would be able to possess Thumb Guy's body through the book, using him as a teleport anchor to project its power into this world.
Then, something absurd happened. Driven to the brink of sanity, Thumb Guy attempted to pray to the Evil God he worshipped, offering himself as a sacrifice in exchange for the power to destroy his enemies. The Flesh God did indeed receive his prayer.
But upon closer inspection, the Flesh God realized with a start that his supposed devotee was saturated with the aura of other Evil Gods. This was blatant heresy!
And so Thumb Guy exploded, his death likely attributed to divine retribution.
After listening to Baldy 'Burke's' theory, Elysia stared blankly, utterly bewildered. In a twisted sense, wasn't this actually a good thing? If Thumb Guy hadn't sacrificed himself, wouldn't that mean another Evil God would soon have set its sights on their world?
Come to think of it, what would happen if two cults worshipping different Evil Gods crossed paths? Would they fight?
"This thing is incredibly dangerous and must be secured properly," Baldy 'Burke' said, studying the Human Skin Book in his hands. After a moment of contemplation, he handed it to Elysia. "I don't think the White Tower's warehouse is safe anymore. Perhaps the safest place for it is with the White Eagle Eight."
"I'll take it... but this thing is so ugly, I barely want to touch it," Elysia pouted, but despite her words, she accepted the Human Skin Book.
Baldy 'Burke' beckoned Carolina over. Regardless of everything else, they had achieved their primary goal: filming a flawless demonstration video that showcased Elysia's abilities in all their glory.
The footage featured both practical combat and dazzling displays of skill, but most importantly, Elysia's transformed appearance was utterly breathtaking.
However, when Burke considered the work ahead—editing and releasing the video, cleaning up the aftermath, investigating the Eldritch Concord, and even repairing the Crystal Ball, a task he hadn't even begun to tackle—he couldn't help but sigh.
A long and arduous road lay ahead.
Taking the camera from Carolina, Burke checked the equipment for damage. Finding none, he said, "Alright, ladies, that's a wrap for today. Leave the rest to me."
In other words, Elysia was free to clock out and go home to do whatever she pleased.
Elysia's introductory video had just been released that morning, and by evening, her ability demonstration video was already out. Baldy 'Burke's' efficiency was truly astounding.
The video even appeared alongside the headline about the Eldritch Concord's attack on the White Tower, instantly boosting its credibility.
The news went viral, even reaching the Dragon Nation on the other side of the planet.
In Longcheng, Lü Heng, a recent recruit at the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, found a seat. Munching on a jianbing guozi he'd bought from a street vendor, he pulled out his phone to scan the news.
"Whoa, another new member of the White Eagle Eight? Let me see... Holy crap, she's gorgeous!"
Lü Heng had only intended to glance at the news, but now he actively searched for information about this "new White Eagle Eight" member.
It was like randomly scrolling through videos and stumbling upon an irresistibly cute game character—the kind that makes you download the entire game just to play as them.
"Wow, she winked at the camera! She's so adorable."
"She even sent me a finger heart!"
"She wished me a happy day?! No girl has ever said something like that to me before."
"Aaaaah, Miss Elysia, I love you so much!"
The more Lü Heng learned, the more his heart fluttered. But a conflicted expression quickly surfaced on his face. "No, this can't be happening! I'm Miss Robin's number one fan! How could I possibly betray her?!"
Creak— The door swung open.
Lü Heng turned to see Invincible Bro striding in. "Hey, man," he blurted out, "do foreigners get to vote in the White Eagle Eight elections?"
Invincible Bro looked utterly bewildered. "...Huh? What the hell are you talking about?"
If foreigners in the Dragon Nation were reacting this way, the fervor among White Eagle locals after seeing the second demonstration video must have been even greater.
"Oh my God! I think I've seen God!"
"If God were a girl... she'd probably look just like this—beautiful, gentle, and powerful. Waaah, I'm gonna cry!"
"Vote! I need to vote! When can we vote? Can't it be sooner?!"
"Ah... I've seen the light. I've found the motivation to keep living. If she gets elected to the White Eagle Eight, I'll... no, she must be elected!"