Everyone standing in the central square fell into a deep daze.
But the next second, they all snapped back to their senses.
What had just happened?
It seemed that in an instant, they had witnessed Viktor suddenly appear in front of Hermes.
However, all they had seen was Viktor's appearance.
In everyone's hazy memories, Viktor had neither spoken nor done anything.
But at this moment, when they suddenly looked at Hermes, who was half-kneeling on the ground.
They saw that the golden light in Hermes's eyes was gradually fading, leaving them filled with dullness and emptiness.
Not even the slightest trace of the light before him could be reflected in the depths of his eyes. His clear consciousness seemed to have been completely devoured.
He was like a shell that had lost its soul, standing alone upon the earth.
Everyone felt that something was strange. How had the god who had been so arrogant just now suddenly become like this?
Among them, only Aubrey clasped his hands behind his back and gave Viktor a deep look, seeming to be lost in thought.
Seeing that this god had suddenly lost consciousness, quite a few residents boldly approached and curiously examined him.
To their eyes, Hermes looked like a body that had fallen into a deep coma while keeping its eyes open.
The god who had once been so proud had now become so miserable that it inevitably caused everyone to point and comment on Hermes.
"He's worthy of being called a god? Hah."
"If I were a believer and found out that these gods were actually like this, I'd have wanted to hang myself long ago."
"Good thing the Empire banned belief in gods."
Everyone present was discussing it heatedly, becoming more and more convinced that the Empire had been right to ban belief in gods.
Because as a god, Hermes had displayed too much weakness and powerlessness.
This was far removed from the traditional image people generally had of gods, noble and invincible.
Although as residents of the Empire, they were forbidden from believing in gods.
But the image of gods they had formed during childhood or over their long lives should have been one of nobility and invincibility.
Not the miserable and powerless Hermes standing before them now.
After this battle, everyone from the Empire present realized one fact.
It turned out gods were not as mysterious and noble as they had imagined.
A god like Hermes could even only use special divine powers and schemes to manipulate humans.
At this moment, the grand image of gods hidden in everyone's hearts collapsed with a crash.
It shattered into scattered dust and disappeared.
Gods? Just lucky humans.
Once their divine powers were removed, they were no different from ordinary people.
However, while the people present were pointing at the unconscious Hermes.
They did not notice.
Deep in Hermes's eyes, which were frozen like golden sand and empty of consciousness, a black-and-red eyeball was flickering.
Like a spark of fire, it occasionally twitched faintly.
Viktor did not look at Hermes again. He only slowly raised his head and gazed deeply at the sky.
The thick clouds piled across the sky like burning clouds gradually began to dim.
Layer upon layer of clouds gradually cracked apart, turning into huge red clouds that slowly dispersed.
The darkness faded, and light gradually spilled down from the sky, piercing through the layers of blue and clear sky.
Once everything around them gradually calmed down, Erika, who had been floating in midair, also slowly descended to the ground.
Her brows were tightly knitted, her clear eyes filled with anxiety and worry as she nervously asked Viktor,
"Professor, you... are you alright?"
After recovering, Erika suddenly remembered.
Because Professor Viktor had suddenly disappeared just now, she had fallen into extreme anxiety.
That Hermes, whose entire body radiated golden light, had continuously spewed arrogant words at the professor, making the already anxious Erika unable to endure it any longer.
She had instinctively put on the professor's trench coat and unconsciously used the power of calamity remaining on it.
And she had even called the professor by his name.
The more Erika thought about these things, the more inappropriate they seemed.
Although seeing Professor Viktor reappear made her extremely happy.
But when she thought of what she had done before, Erika became extremely nervous.
She was not sure whether Professor Viktor had heard her call him by his name, nor did she know whether he would blame her for it.
Just as Erika was struggling with this in her heart, Viktor had already turned his head and looked at her.
She hurriedly took off the oversized trench coat she was wearing and handed it back to Viktor.
"R-right, Professor."
"Your trench coat."
Viktor looked at the familiar black trench coat she handed him and softly said, "Thank you."
At that moment, all the thoughts in Erika's mind vanished.
In their place was nothing but joy.
Had she successfully helped Professor Viktor?
Erika did not know.
She only knew that at the time, there had been a special impulse in her mind.
She had to put on this trench coat and use the power within it.
And Erika did not know.
This trench coat was the physical manifestation of the calamity power within Viktor.
Inside the prison of the Judgment Court, that powerful calamity force had been mercilessly sealed.
Yet it was precisely under such adverse circumstances that Erika had accidentally activated the calamity power sealed deep within the trench coat.
The sleeping calamity power gradually awakened under some inexplicable call, instinctively seeking its master to draw power from him.
Thus, inside the prison far from the calamity, Viktor had unexpectedly reestablished his connection with this power.
Perhaps it really was luck.
Only Erika could connect with the calamity, and only Erika could put on his trench coat and use his calamity power.
Viktor gently took the trench coat and casually waved his arm through the air.
The trench coat drew an elegant arc before falling onto his body.
The moment Viktor put on the trench coat, it was as if his original bearing had returned. He naturally slipped both hands into his pockets.
Looking at the familiar figure, Erika froze slightly.
Because the Professor Viktor before her somehow felt a little strange.
But she could not say what was strange about him.
Under Erika's gaze, Viktor draped in his trench coat walked into the gently swaying breeze, the hem of his coat fluttering in the wind.
Step by step, he walked toward the Supreme Heavenly Gate summoned by Hermes.
Looking at the Supreme Heavenly Gate, Viktor reached out and gently touched the doorframe.
Feeling the heat coming from his palm, he raised his head again, his gaze piercing through the countless distorted spirits beyond the door.
Behind the door, the deep red mist had already disappeared.
Fierce red flames had dyed the entire space behind the door red.
At this moment, this gate that was clearly supposed to lead to the heavens seemed to have become a terrifying entrance leading to hell.
Millions of spirits struggled in the red flames, their sounds echoing through this scorching space.
At this time, Erika gazed at Viktor's figure hidden beneath the trench coat, and she kept feeling an inexplicable sense of unease in her heart.
"You feel it too, don't you?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice broke her thoughts, making her snap back to reality.
Erika turned her head, her gaze falling to the side, where a patch of pure white entered her view.
Cocotte floated over on a cloud and came to Erika's side. Her eyes were also fixed on Viktor's back.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, her gaze deep, and her face filled with heavy worry and seriousness.
Clearly, Viktor had only disappeared for about half a day.
But Cocotte always felt that Viktor seemed to have gone through a very long battle.
And the Viktor standing before her now gave her a strange and unreal feeling.
It was as if his entire person were in a state of unreality.
Cocotte had a premonition.
It seemed that before long, Viktor would disappear without a trace again like before.
When she thought of this possibility, Cocotte could not help hoping in her heart.
That her sensitivity was merely an illusion.
However, as a nature spirit, her intuition about life had never been wrong.
Just as Cocotte was staring at Viktor's back in a daze, a calm voice suddenly came from ahead.
"Cocotte, come here for a moment."
Hearing Viktor's words, Cocotte's body trembled slightly.
But she quickly composed herself and slowly floated over on her cloud.
"What is it?"
Viktor did not turn to look at her. His gaze remained fixed on the huge heavenly gate burning with fierce flames before him.
Cocotte also experienced what it was like to observe the heavenly gate from such close range, feeling the mystery and majesty of this Supreme Heavenly Gate. The powerful aura shocked her deeply.
She could not help sighing inwardly.
The power of this gate seemed to surpass people's imagination.
Even the combined strength of every mage in the Mage Council could not create such a miracle.
It was a true creation of the gods.
Although even now, Cocotte still did not understand the true purpose of this Supreme Heavenly Gate.
Even though Hermes had just said a great deal about the plan their gods had been preparing for a long time.
But at this moment, Viktor beside her spoke,
"Go tell Heimhorn and the others that they can take Hermes away."
Viktor's voice echoed through the air.
"The gods' plan is over."
Hearing this, Cocotte nodded and softly replied,
"Oh, I know..."
"There's one more thing."
Cocotte was interrupted halfway through her words.
She stared blankly as Viktor turned his head. A serious and deep light flickered in his eyes, as if it could see straight through her soul.
And the moment her eyes met Viktor's, Cocotte's eyes were instantly filled with terror.
Her pupils trembled involuntarily as she stared at the scene before her in disbelief.
Behind Viktor, she witnessed a shocking sight.
A skeleton draped in a tattered red veil stood behind Viktor.
Its slender body was nearly twice Viktor's height.
The skeleton's slender arms tightly gripped a scythe radiating a cold light, holding it across Viktor's neck.
It looked as though with the slightest motion, it could cut through Viktor's neck and take his head away.
Looking at this scene, Cocotte's body began to tremble. Her lips quivered slightly, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
She could not speak. Her entire body was weak, and she could only stare anxiously at Viktor, whose expression remained calm.
At this moment, Viktor also lowered his head.
In Viktor's eyes, a line of bright red text appeared at the bottom of his field of vision,
[Judge's Curse of Resentment: You successfully killed the Judge, but the Judge's Eternal Death Curse will be deeply engraved into the depths of your soul.]
[Effect: You will die after twelve hours.]
[Countdown: 10:29:20]
Viktor stared at these words, yet spoke to Cocotte with absolute calm.
"Take care of my family."
"I think I'll be going somewhere very far away to take back the life that belongs to me."