I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

In a certain location in the Lower City District, inside a basement.

In the center of the room, there was a long stone table around which several robed figures with profound presences were seated, creating an incredibly oppressive atmosphere.

"What in the world happened?"

An angry voice echoed in the slightly dim room as a bulky right arm emerged from a robe and violently smashed the stone table in front of it, sending fragments flying.

The people sitting around the table didn't seem to mind as one slender figure amongst them shook their head and said,

"Calm down, Petar. Getting angry won't help; what's done is done."

"How can I calm down, Kaiser? This relates to our Lord's plan,"

the robust man named Petar retorted to the slender robed figure, his tone filled with uncontrollable fury.

"Being anxious now is useless. The key thing is to figure out where Kutena is. You'd better use that energy to think that through."

Kaiser said indifferently, completely unfazed by Petar's tone.

Upon hearing this, Petar managed to calm down.

He was fine with fighting, but coming up with ideas seriously wasn't his strength.

"What's the situation now?"

Seeing that Petar had finally quieted down, Kaiser asked the others.

"I've been to Golden Lily Lane. Kutena has been careful; the secret chamber wasn't discovered by the Kingdom or the Church, and the prepared items are all still there,"

another robed figure on the opposite side spoke, easing the tension among the group somewhat.

Where Kutena was didn't matter so much to them; what was critical was the secret chamber guarded by Kutena—it was key to all their subsequent plans and absolutely couldn't be discovered by the Kingdom or the Church.

They had previously received news of a Vampire skirmish in Golden Lily Lane, which had alarmed them greatly.

According to the plan at this stage, everyone should have been hiding in the shadows, not stirring up trouble.

Even Petar, the most hot-tempered and unruly amongst them, was no exception.

After entering Bright City, he had obediently followed orders and stayed inside the secret chamber.

After all, this operation was a significant undertaking orchestrated by the Church in Bright City and was also God's will.

And since Kutena was a Golden-level Vampire hidden within Bright City, parts of their plan had been concealed within his base. They had not anticipated such an anomaly.

Since the incident, the Kingdom and the Church had been searching Golden Lily Lane, and they hadn't had a chance to check the condition of the secret chamber until they received this bit of good news.

Even though Kutena was their colleague and a Gold Level powerhouse, the items stored in that secret chamber were more important to them than he was.

Kaiser looked toward the other two robed figures and asked,

"Angelo, Tash, are the secret chambers in your areas all right?"

Kaiser nodded at their affirmative responses, feeling a bit of the gloom in his heart lifting.

Seeing the two shake their heads, Kaiser, who controlled this operation for the Church, finally felt relieved. It seemed the plan hadn't suffered any mishaps.

The current issue was to locate Kutena and find out exactly what had happened.

For reasons unknown, lately, the Kingdom and the Church had increased their patrolling in the Lower City District and also stepped up their secret investigations, which somewhat hindered their movements.

This plan had consumed almost all of the Church's recent accumulations; absolutely no mistakes were permissible.

"As for Kutena, he's already dead now."

A robed figure sitting at a position of distinction said flatly, causing everyone to be taken aback.

"Lord Divine Envoy Dalton, Kutena is dead? He's of the Gold Level in strength,"

Petar said in disbelief. Although he'd always looked down on the sneaky Kutena, his strength wasn't too far off from his own.

Thus, even though the speaker was a Divine Envoy of the Church, Petar couldn't help but voice his question.

"His soul fire has extinguished here."

This confirmation from the Divine Envoy left no room for doubt among the others.

The soul fire had extinguished, and he was truly dead.

"Divine Envoy, what should we do next? Should we still investigate who killed Kutena, or should we stick to the original plan?"

Fran Stephens asked respectfully. The decision on the plan was the responsibility of this Divine Envoy, and his strength was enough to convince everyone.

"We need not worry about Kutena now. Do not engage in any unplanned actions; let's discuss it once all preparations are complete."

"Also, you all go back and get ready; we might need to initiate the final setup ahead of schedule."

"Lord Dalton, is this necessary? There should still be ample time."

Fran was somewhat surprised, as this might mean the final effect might not meet the plan's expectations.

The Divine Envoy paused for a moment, then said:

"Judgement Flame Fran Stephens has already returned to Bright City early. He's not like Morris of the Dawn Church."

The news from the Divine Envoy silenced everyone; they no longer questioned his decision.

The words "Judgement Flame" weighed on their hearts like a mountain; even though they were as mad as hatters, they dared not act against a legend.

If he decided to take action, their secret chambers could not hide from him.

"Do not worry too much; as long as we follow the plan, My Lord's setup will block those legends."

The Divine Envoy, seeming to notice their concerns, spoke in a calm tone, seemingly full of confidence in the divine's arrangements.

Everyone nodded, as that trump card was also the foundation of their plans to incite chaos in Bright City.

"Then, Angelo, Tash, the two of you continue to watch over those two secret chambers. There must be no more incidents."

"Petar, you just stay in the secret chamber at Kutena's place during this period and do not go out."

"As per the Divine Envoy's orders, everyone be prepared and send out a signal immediately if something unusual happens; activate the Array directly!"

Fran's calm gaze revealed a hint of madness as he stared at everyone, saying:

"Tell the believers not to fear, death is not our end; we will be reborn in My Lord's Divine Country!"

Everyone nodded their heads in acknowledgment; having come this far, naturally, they would not fear or retreat.

Or rather, chaos and thrill were what they sought.

The Divine Envoy stood up from the main seat, once again admonishing.

"That's that, be careful after you leave. I don't want to see another incident like Kutena's."

Everyone got up, but they did not leave immediately.

Gathered around the stone table, where the dim candlelight flickered yet failed to dispel the darkness of the place,

they recited with a tone both devout and slightly mad:

"Our Lord Maler!"

"You are the master of the Ten Thousand Beasts!"

"You are the embodiment of fear and wildness!"

...

"Our Lord Maler!"

"You are the Hunter of the wilds!"

"You are the guardian of the Druids!"

...

"Our Lord Maler!"

"Your loyal believers pray to you!"

"Your name shall spread across the world, mortals' fears will become your strength, their dread making you ever more powerful!"

"We beseech You to cast down Your gaze and protect us as we move forward!"