"They're coming!" Queenie's face drained of color as she instinctively stepped back.Two figures emerged behind her. One was older, distinguished, and handsome, while the younger one affectionately ruffled her hair like a protective older brother. Sam couldn't speak, so he signed for her not to worry.Devon was also there, but no one could see him—except Queenie. Her eyes widened as she turned to Landon and whispered, "It's not just the Krowonian soldiers... the ones who once protected us are here too."As they reached the church, a flood of memories overwhelmed Devon. "I remembered everything!" Devon's eyes were red. "The Krowonian soldiers are still here because we failed to protect everyone. The children and the women of Nymeria suffered horribly."They took Nymeria for themselves, doing whatever they wanted. They even captured Soren for their experiments. Soren, Mr. Shoeman, and I... we all died together."Mr. Shoeman... He taught me how to read and write. He said the only w
Immediately, the officer glanced back, and the Krowonian soldiers snapped into a line, plunging their long knives into one of the worshippers.The group erupted in laughter. "These fools are worshipping us. Hahaha!"They reveled in their cruelty, breaking into a traditional dance. With each step forward, their blades thrust at the praying people.It was absurd how some pro-Krowonians could ever find their dance magnificent. The soldiers, now spirits, made no effort to conceal the malice festering in their hearts."It's this little wench again," one soldier sneered as he danced toward Queenie. "Missed my chance to pierce her last time. This time, I'll make sure. If not, maybe I'll take the old woman next to her to the grave instead. What do you think?"His eyes gleamed with vile intent as he spoke."She kept messing with us in her past life. She may not remember our Krowonian empire, but we remember her. I didn't expect to find her like this after reincarnation. She deserves t
"You can't touch me with so many worshippers on my side," the Krowonian officer said arrogantly.Most fortune tellers would tread carefully, slowly dismantling the web of this deadlock manifestation. Yet, before Aria, such caution was folly. She could take her time to tease apart its intricate layers, but if urgency gnawed at her, she would obliterate it with the force of her dark resolve.She raised her eyebrows, preparing to launch a full-on assault. It would cost her a bit of blood and energy, but she was ready. However, before she could act, someone grabbed her wrist. It was Landon. His gaze fell on the Krowonian soldiers, cold and bottomless. "If your eyes serve no purpose, there's no need for you to keep them."As he spoke, the statues around them seemed to tremble.The Krowonian soldiers suddenly felt their eyes burn, the pain unbearable as they curled up, their bodies on the verge of exploding.The officer's face turned ashen. No one had dared to harm them in the prese
Aria remained vigilant, keenly aware of her surroundings as she listened to him speak. Her fingers tightened into fists, realizing the truth in his words.They had mentioned a mastermind pulling the strings. Stopping worshippers through the internet was a simple task, and if she could unravel the key to this entire situation, she could resolve it effortlessly.Noticing Aria's silence, the Krowonian soldier chuckled mockingly. "Dream on if you think you can win. Even if we vanish, we'll take your filthy ancestors with us!"Devon quickly grasped Aria's hands, understanding the implication behind the soldier's taunt. "Ms. Carver, we cannot let them disappear. Their fate is intertwined with Mr. Shoeman. If they vanish, she and Soren will go with them!"At Devon's words, a ripple of movement surged through the shadows of the Netherrealm. The Krowonian soldiers writhed on the ground, groaning in agony from Landon's brutal assault, their defenses shattered, and the area left unguarded.O
Devon sensed Terry's impending disappearance. Terry had used all his merits to send Devon away from the underground.Initially, Terry was the least likely to fade among them. Even Soven and the others were expected to last longer than Devon. But they had exhausted their accumulated merits and blessings on him, ensuring Devon would survive.After being trapped underground for so many years, they had forgotten the sight of the surface. Their only sustenance came from the church's leftovers, and the Krowonians would even drive nails into their heads if they felt displeased.Terry shielded Devon from that suffering, often smiling and saying, "Devon is the youngest among us. He deserves a chance to see the future."Terry's desperation to locate the Carver family stemmed from the disappearance of Camden Dorado, one of their members.The Krowonian soldiers grew stronger the more they were worshipped. The heroes trapped underground had no means to fight back. While they could use explosiv
The Krowonian officer remained calm. After all, Farshyans valued relationships with each other the most. He was confident Aria wouldn't forsake the heroic spirits and attack them.Despite the intense pain coursing through him, the Krowonian lay on the floor, his voice laced with malice. "Do you think you will feel better once the heroic spirits are gone? No wonder you seem familiar; the Carver family is our greatest adversary."Do you believe your ancestors will forgive you once you die and descend to the Netherrealm? We will ultimately prevail."He started laughing loudly.Aria chose to disregard his taunts, her gaze drawn back to the statue of God. Logically, the spirits could not receive worship intended for Him.The officer's mention of ancestors reminded her that prominent families typically maintain proper memorials with their names engraved.With a determined expression, Aria summoned Maverick. "Is there a memorial where people can honor your ancestors? Tell me where it is
The idea that priests held a greater holiness than ordinary people had lingered in the minds of the masses for too long. The only way to free those heroic spirits was to dismantle such beliefs.Respect for priests should stem from their compassion for others, not from blind devotion. Immorality in a priest demanded no reverence.With Maverick refusing to disclose the memorial's location, Aria resolved to search for it herself, knowing it had to be somewhere within the church.Logically, the memorial would be situated in the area where people prayed most fervently. Her gaze drifted to the statue's head above. Typically, the statue of God in the main hall was grand and intricately adorned, with its upper portions often hidden from view. Wasn't this the perfect place to conceal a memorial headstone?Without hesitation, Aria ripped down the tape banner draped before the statue of God. With a determined stride, she climbed onto the statue's base.As she ascended, more and more people r
The internet erupted with outrage. What had begun as a human trafficking case had now escalated into something far more sinister. Why were there Krowonian memorial headstones in a Farshyan church?"Have all our prayers gone to them?""I don't trust the church's innocence in this!""They had better take this seriously! Are the higher-ups just going to ignore it?"Angry comments flooded in, one after another. Aria observed the stark decline of faith in the community, but it was still not enough.Queenie appeared in another vlogger's live stream as she pondered the situation. "Miss, are you broadcasting right now? Do you have a lot of fans?"The vlogger, Ellie Portman, was nearly in tears from her fury. "Yes, I have a lot. We need to expose what the church is hiding.""It's not just about that. Could you tell your fans that I witnessed many young soldiers bravely protecting us, only to be ruthlessly bullied by the Krowonians?"Queenie's hands fidgeted with her clothes as she point