Dual Disadvantage: Rowe's "Authority"

The night sky above Thornflower Castle was illuminated as bright as day by this divine spell. Tilis squinted upward, watching as the blinding holy light enveloped the air high above her, then transformed into countless radiant spears with each chant from "Feilin."

She immediately recognized it—the high-tier divine spell known as "Judgment," which had slain countless supernatural beings and even formidable warriors throughout the Church's history. And judging by its overwhelming, godlike presence, this was an enhanced version of "Judgment."

"Who would have thought that the little priestess who once only knew how to swing a hammer has grown so powerful now," Tilis muttered, frowning as she gazed at the distant figure. Suddenly, she asked, "Are you absorbing the faith of your followers?"

The moment the divine spell took shape, she had sensed the fervent prayers of countless believers—this was why the spell, which had once slain General Abraham, now manifested with such terrifying grandeur.

"Ever since you charaded your way into becoming the so-called 'Saintess' of the Church, you've been doing this, haven't you?" Tilis inquired curiously. "How did you manage it? As far as I know, mortals can't harness faith, can they?"

Yet the distant "Feilin"—or rather, Eleya—remained silent, her gaze fixed coldly on Tilis.

"What, playing mute now?" Tilis sneered, not expecting her to reveal such secrets anyway.

Whatever method she had used, if her ambitions truly succeeded—if the Church ruled the entire continent, and every soul in the world worshipped her...

Then Eleya might very well ascend to godhood, and Tilis would stand no chance against her.

Growing more wary, Tilis kept her eyes locked on the hovering spears of light above. The moment Eleya made a move, she would teleport away.

But then, an eerie silence settled between them.

Apart from the fully charged "Judgment" hanging in the sky, Eleya made no further move.

"What kind of trick are you playing?" Tilis demanded, but the other woman remained wordless.

Tilis found it increasingly strange. The Eleya she once knew had been talkative—always smiling softly, preaching doctrines at every opportunity. Yet after four years apart, she had become unnervingly silent, as if an entirely different person.

Her confusion deepened as she studied Eleya again.

This time, however, she noticed Eleya's gaze subtly flickering toward the ancient castle beneath her feet.

A mocking smile curled on Tilis's lips as realization struck. "Ah, you're afraid of harming him, aren't you? I thought you'd lost all reason."

A divine spell of this magnitude would devastate the ancient castle below—and everyone inside, including Luo Wei.

At these words, the indifference in Eleya's eyes flickered faintly.

Finally, she spoke.

"You. Move."

Tilis burst into laughter. "Oh, so you can talk after all?"

"Fine, fine. We'll take this fight elsewhere."

Still sneering, she activated a dark-blue magic circle beneath her feet.

In the next instant, Tilis teleported to a distant location behind Eleya, far from Thornflower Castle.

But to her shock, the countless spears of light remained locked onto her, swiftly realigning to target her new position.

"Eleya! You—!"

Tilis's pupils constricted sharply. The moment she landed, the radiant spears descended like divine wrath.

This madwoman had ambushed her! No honor, no fairness!

Cursing inwardly, Tilis hastily summoned a defensive barrier, barely managing to leap back as the spell struck.

With a thunderous crash, the peak of a snow-capped mountain was sheared clean off.

Tilis glanced at her bloodied arm, then glared into the distance.

Though the attack hadn't landed directly, the searing light had scorched her skin, leaving large patches of festering wounds. Had she not shielded herself with a high-tier barrier, her body would have melted on the spot.

She wasn't overly concerned about her physical form—she could always replace it—but the humiliation stung.

Tilis had always considered herself the strongest among Luo Wei's companions, looking down on the others' abilities. Yet now, this detestable Church woman had reduced her to such a pitiful state!

"Very well, Eleya..."

Her gaze darkened as she watched Eleya prepare another "Judgment," her power seemingly limitless with the endless faith of her followers.

Since Eleya had abandoned all pretense of mercy, leaving her no room to escape...

Tilis decided to go all out.

As the divine light loomed overhead once more, she quickly assessed her options. Ninth-tier spells were useless against that woman, while spells beyond the ninth tier required lengthy incantations—by the time she finished chanting, she'd already be a pincushion of holy spears.

She needed a swift resolution. There was only one way now.

Though it meant sacrificing this new body...

"Ah well. Out with the old, in with the new. I'll just craft a better one next time..."

After a brief hesitation, she teleported deeper into the mountains, all the while taunting over her shoulder.

"Come on then, you brainwashed priestess! Spouting empty sermons all day, acting so self-righteous—your nonsense only fools the dimwitted! No wonder even Luo Wei finds you insufferable! Blabbermouth!"

Psychological warfare rarely worked on someone of Eleya's caliber—unless Luo Wei was involved.

The moment his name was mentioned, Eleya's eyes turned glacial. She lunged forward, closing the distance between them in an instant.

The "Judgment" above grew even more terrifying.

But Tilis refused to relent. After several "harmonious exchanges" with Ophelia, her sharp tongue had only grown sharper.

She laughed mockingly. "Oh? Did I strike a nerve?"

"Could it be... I hit the mark? Too close to the truth?"

Eleya's expression darkened further. In their chase, three more mountain peaks were obliterated by divine light.

...

Meanwhile, inside the castle, Luo Wei faced an even greater crisis.

When Laney opened the sacred reliquary, unleashing the Vampire Clan's ancient ancestor, an oppressive aura from antiquity filled the hall.

These primordial ancestors, as Qiao had described, were beings of demonic malevolence—and Luo Wei now understood why. The moment "Abraham" awoke, its first thought wasn't of family or foes, but of seizing the body of its descendant.

As its spectral form circled the chamber, its chilling gaze sent tremors through every young vampire present.

Finally, its gaze locked onto Evelyn, clearly recognizing her as the most outstanding among this generation of young Vampire Clan members.

"Teacher, watch out!" Luo Wei gritted his teeth as he saw the grotesque creature charging straight for Evelyn, forcing himself to conjure a 6th-tier [Sigil Shield].

However, the difference in power was overwhelming. As the sinister aura rushed toward them, his magical shield shattered instantly, and the force sent him flying backward.

"Brother!!" Helena roared in fury, her body rapidly expanding as she reverted to the twisted form she had taken when hunted by a group of Vampire Clan members. Her thick tentacles lashed out at the spectral figure of the Vampire Clan ancestor.

The ancestor’s shadowy gaze turned sharp, and with a swift motion, Helena’s tentacles were cleanly severed in two.

Helena screamed in pain, her corruption levels skyrocketing as her attacks grew even more frenzied.

Yet, even her strength—enough to crush a group of young Vampire Clan members—was useless against it. Within seconds, all her tentacles had been severed, and she let out an agonized howl.

Luo Wei struggled to his feet. Glancing at Joe and Monica, who had retreated to a safe distance with tense expressions, he sprinted toward Evelyn.

Evelyn had already been seized. An unseen force lifted her into the air, its grip tightening around her throat, making even the slightest sound nearly impossible.

Yet, her first thought was still to urge Luo Wei to escape.

"Luo Wei..."

"Why are you still here... Run..."

Luo Wei had no intention of fleeing. Glaring at the spectral figure, he watched as it examined Evelyn with a grotesque grin, seemingly pleased with the new vessel it had chosen.

"Yes! That’s it! That’s it!" Laney cackled madly from afar. "Ancestor, kill her! Kill her now!!"

The next moment, Luo Wei heard the sickening crack of bones breaking in Evelyn’s neck. Her struggles weakened, her voice fading into silence.

The Vampire Clan ancestor chuckled darkly, its spectral form flickering like a curtain of shadows around Evelyn’s head.

As Luo Wei watched the creature prepare to possess Evelyn’s body, a surge of revulsion flooded his mind. Enraged, he charged forward and punched the hideous specter square in the face.

"Damn it, you ugly bastard! Get away from my teacher!" he snarled.

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment. At first, many Vampire Clan members thought he had lost his mind.

After all, the ancestor had no physical form, and Luo Wei hadn’t even used magic—just a simple, brute-force punch. How could that possibly pose any threat?

But what happened next left them wide-eyed.

With a dull thud, the Vampire Clan ancestor let out a furious roar. Its spectral form nearly dissipated from the impact, and its attempt to possess Evelyn was forcibly interrupted.

The ancestor’s shadowy figure quickly retreated to the high ceiling. After its initial rage, it stared down at this ordinary human in bewilderment.

At the same time, something even more bizarre began to unfold.

The humans and Vampire Clan members in the banquet hall had been murmuring among themselves...

But soon, their voices grew chaotic and discordant. Many began shouting curses, some even resorting to violence.

The Vampire Clan ancestor, for once, looked genuinely perplexed as it scanned the room.

Luo Wei watched the sudden chaos unfold. As the negative desires in people’s hearts were fully unleashed, countless strange inner voices flooded his ears.

But he had no interest in listening to their absurd and ridiculous gossip.

Gently, he cradled Evelyn’s unconscious body in his arms, then pressed his ear to her chest.

When he detected her faint breathing and the fierce pulsations of her blood core within, he finally let out a relieved sigh.

As long as she still drew breath, as long as her blood core remained intact, Evelyn would recover. This had happened several times before.

He handed Evelyn over to Helena’s newly regenerated black tentacles, then turned his icy gaze back to the ancestor of the Abraham family.

[Chaos is the essence, clamor is the power...]

[Authority: Chaos]

Even if it cost him his life, Luo Wei refused to let that grotesque creature steal Evelyn’s body.

He had no other choice now. He had to use the ability he had always resisted—the Authority granted to him by Naya.