Marvin couldn’t help but look back, but unfortunately there was only a dense misty forest behind him.
Hathaway’s icy gaze was the last memory he had from Feinan.
‘Regardless, since I chose this path, I have to keep going forward.’
‘Even if the flow of time is 21 times faster here, I don’t have too much time.’
‘There is no use in stopping or looking back!’
Marvin’s expression became more resolute.
“Let’s go.”
The nine Dark Knights silently nodded and followed closely behind Marvin as he quickly moved through the forest!
Arborea welcomed its first ever group of guests from the Prime Plane!
…
God Realms, Shadow Realm.
Shadow Prince Glynos, who was using his perception to feel the faith all around, was suddenly roused!
A scene appeared before his eyes:
A guest from another world appeared out of nowhere in a dense misty forest, and that shadow flashed past!
‘It’s him!”
Glynos ground his teeth bitterly!
‘Lowly ant, you dare enter my world.’
‘You will forever disappear this time!’
A dark expression flashed in the eyes of the Shadow Prince.
…
Arborea, Eastern Snow Mountain, Shadow God Palace.
A High Priestess with cunning looks was bowing and praying. A candle flickered in front of her, and below it a shadow was twisting continuously.
“Days keep passing…”
“Shadows are everlasting…”
She didn’t feel dull, praying day after day.
Although the god hadn’t answered the prayers of Arborea’s Cleric for a long time, she still prayed in appreciation.
She was an orphan and was brought up by the Shadow Shrine. And the last High Priest noticed her among thousands of orphans and promoted her to High Priestess.
After becoming a High Priestess of the Shadow God Palace, she felt the mighty power of god for the first time!
God opened a window for her to take a look at the outside world, and it had no limits.
And she was insignificant.
God was great, mortals were insignificant. And if they wanted peace, they would have to convert to the supreme shadows.
She devoutly prayed.
As always, god didn’t answer. But she was still content. This was her everyday task. Only through perseverance could she get a feeling of liberation.
Ten minutes later, the High Priestess slowly stood up and left the revered praying hall.
The large black doors slowly closed as two armored protectors stood up respectfully.
A Senior Priest rushed over from nearby and said in a low voice, “Lady Capella, the King is waiting for you to discuss how to handle the matter of the new rebel army appearing in the kingdom…”
Capella calmly asked, “How long has he waited?”
“About thirty minutes,” the Senior Priest replied cautiously.
“Let him wait a bit longer.” Capella remarked expressionlessly, “Last time, his son didn’t request authorization from the shrine and willfully reduced his territory’s taxes. This provocation to the shrine cannot be forgiven easily.”
The Priest wiped his sweat. “Prince Aragon has already been dismissed… The King already chose his side…”
“Not enough,” Capella dismissed. “These stupid people don’t know how to be grateful. The faith they give to God keeps decreasing. In the future, God won’t even bother looking at this place, and it will all be abandoned.”
“Tell the king that what the Nottingheim royal family has today isn’t due to their noble bloodline, but because of God’s favor. He should know what to do.”
“Go, I’ll take a look at the new adopted orphans.”
The High Priestess gracefully went down the flight of white marble stairs without looking back.
And outside, many civil and military officials, including the king, were waiting beside the luxurious carriage. Everyone was bowing and not saying anything as they blankly watched the High Priestess leave.
After a short time, the Senior Priest passed on the High Priestess’ words to the king.
The old king froze on the spot.
The Senior Priest showed a hint of pity.
That Prince Aragon was the king’s only son.
Killing him would really be unbearable.
…
Marvin’s group kept walking through the forest and they soon reached the end.
In the distance, there was an imposing city in the middle of a plain.
North of the city was a chaotic mountainous region from which one could smell smoke.
“White Elephant City.”
Standing at the edge of the forest, Marvin looked over the city and a map appeared in his mind.
He remembered everything about Arborea.
This plane wasn’t big. It could hold at most one or two kingdoms.
In fact, the entire population of Arborea didn’t reach two hundred thousand, and the number of soldiers didn’t exceed ten thousand.
The wilderness surrounding it would at most be as big as Feinan’s East Coast.
Arborea was at least 70% forested, with the remaining areas split between mountains and plains.
This place had a lot of precipitation, numerous rivers and well-developed agriculture.
Here, the Shadow Shrine reigned supreme. The black-clothed High Priestess reigned above everything.
Even the king wouldn’t have the courage to speak up against the High Priestess.
This was a typical god plane.
Naturally, not everyone was willing to serve gods. This was something carved deep into mankind’s blood since ancient times.
Where there was suppression, there would be rebels.
From what Marvin knew, Arborea only had the Nottingheim kingdom and the king was the 13th generation of the Nottingheim family. He was old and muddle-headed and was basically the black-gowned High Priestess’ puppet.
The kingdom wasn’t united because the Shadow Prince hadn’t shown any miracles for a long time (miracles also consume a lot of Divine Power), which led to this place’s faith becoming unstable.
And added to that was the shrine’s high-handed rule and the extremely high taxes which even disturbed the Overlords of many different territories.
The officials were rarely pleased with the temple.
But there was nothing they could do about it. Here, God was supreme, and the Clerics’ power could be seen in the history. They could also see it themselves and didn’t dare to rebel.
Thus, they were dissatisfied but chose to endure for so many years.
But people had a limit.
Roughly thirty years earlier, the three northern territories’ Overlords colluded and raised the banner of rebellion, intending to overthrow the Shadow Shrine’s despotic rule.
The rebels were quite popular, and took over some towns very smoothly.
But later on, a High Priest personally left the Eastern Snow Mountain and brought a thousand Shrine Paladins to fight a decisive battle against the rebel army.
The rebel army collapsed under the might of the frightening Divine Spells.
Only one of the three northern Overlords escaped, while the other two were executed.
From that point on, the rebel army retreated to the northern mountains and forests and relied on the topography to mix with the kingdom.
Over thirty years, the rebel army kept growing in power.
And White Elephant City was the border city where Nottingheim Kingdom had repelled the rebel army.
Guarding this place was the king’s only son, the brave Prince Aragon.
From Marvin’s memories, this Prince was quite loved by the masses. He was very dissatisfied by the excessive taxes and took the initiative to reduce the taxes in his own territory, but he met the shrine’s forces and was ultimately executed. His four limbs were cu
t and he was imprisoned in a rotting cell in the shrine, remaining quite miserable.
And after that, the rebel army took advantage of the state of White Elephant City to attack once again.
This time, they changed their approach and attacked from the inside. Because of the lessons they learned last time, this rebel army nurtured Sorcerers and a few Wizards that could contend against the Priests and Clerics.
The fight became very violent.
But the Shadow Prince’s miracle changed everything.
He appeared with the form of a level 18 Holy Spirit and with the power of an artifact, used a prepared skill to destroy the entire rebel army in one hit.
And in the past, Marvin was level 18 at the time, and managed to get in Arborea by pure chance.
Even though he managed to get the Shadow Diamond in the end, he still died a few times!
This time, he came to this plane hoping to change the course of history.
‘I don’t know when it is right now, but Prince Aragon shouldn’t have been recalled by the kingdom yet, right?’
Marvin was still calmly reflecting.
After a moment, he ordered the Dark Knights to hide in the forest and await his command.
As for him, he was going to disguise as an ordinary farmer to sneak into White Elephant City.
…
White Elephant City was bustling with activity and it was no different from Feinan’s streets.
This place didn’t have a lot of different types of people. Most people were blonde with clear eyes, while a few had black eyes. It made Marvin feel particularly familiar.
White Elephant City’s security was pretty good. This was due to Prince Aragon’s administration.
Marvin observed everything as he walked on the street, carefully gathering information.
First, he had to check what time period he was in.
The Shadow Prince would definitely notice him coming to his plane, but he wouldn’t be able to catch him among countless people.
He could only have the shrine move to handle Marvin.
And Marvin wasn’t completely at a disadvantage.
Relying on nine people to conquer a plane. That was a catchphrase Marvin had jokingly said.
To conquer a plane, the most important thing was to mobilize the humans from that plane.
Whether it was the rebel army or Prince Aragon, they were worth partnering up with.
Marvin’s goal was simple: to completely overthrow the Shadow Shrine and establish a free kingdom.
If possible, converting Arborea into White River Valley’s subordinate would also be pretty nice.
After all, what he was after was the Shadow Diamond and the Twin Fate Flower in the Shadow God Palace!
Fighting for it alone would be courting death.
…
As Marvin was thinking, a shout suddenly echoed on the streets.
“The Shrine is executing rebels!”
“Gather everyone, every single person has to go!”
In an instant, the originally orderly street became chaotic.
Chapter 298: Calculated
Chapter 298: Calculated
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Rebel execution?
Marvin frowned.
But he saw the people in the street leaving everything behind and rushing hastily in the same direction.
“Quick! Quick! Those who are late will be considered heathens by the shrine.”
The crowd’s whispers and children’s weeping voices echoed in the streets. Women hurriedly picked up the young children as the men moved forward apathetically.
Marvin also followed everyone.
Soon, all the inhabitants of White Elephant City were gathered in the central square.
This square was wide enough to accommodate several thousand people. Four black-gowned Paladins stood on a platform in the middle of the square, coldly watching everyone.
A luxurious carriage was on the side, with a purple-gowned Priestess inside.
The Priests of the Shadow Shrine of Arborea were ranked in a simple way. The strongest was the black-gowned High Priestess. She was bestowed Divine Power and Divine Spells by the Shadow Prince, and was more or less level 18.
After the High Priestess was a group of 4th rank powerhouses, most of them level 16, about the same as the Paladins.
A 4th rank Priest would be called a [Senior Priest], while 3rd rank was Intermediate, 2nd rank was Novice, and 1st ranks were just ordinary Priests.
In general, a Senior Priest held ultimate power within a city.
Punishing the rebels was this Senior Priest’s idea.
She was sitting lazily inside the carriage, expressionlessly watching those rebels on the platform.
These were the rebels Prince Aragon had captured when he swept the northern hills.
A total of seven people, six adults and one child.
‘The Prince deserves to be called a heroic war deity…’
‘He was able to catch those hiding rebels in that ghostly place. Unfortunately, the Shrine doesn’t need a King that doesn’t listen to the will of the supreme shadows.’
Dina’s carriage was full of fruits and vegetables.
A beautiful finger pushed a grape between a pair of bright red lips. As she ate, Dina asked, “Is everyone there?”
A low Priest on the side respectfully replied, “almost.”
Dina raised her eyebrows. “What about the Prince’s people?”
The Priest sneered, “They should still be on their way.”
“Good, kill the six adults first,” Dina said with a smile. “I heard this Prince was someone merciful.”
“Understood.” The Priest immediately gave a command.
…
On the edge of the square, there were a lot of people bustling around.
But no one dared to make too much noise. Even the mothers carrying their children were covering their children’s mouths, doing their best to not let them make a sound!
If they disturbed the Shrine’s execution, the only result would be death!
They looked anxiously at those rebels.
Some people cursed at the rebels. Why couldn’t they just stay calm in their territory? Why did they have to provoke the Shrine?
Their eyes were cold.
But even if the rebels looked malnourished, their eyes were extremely bright. They were a hundred times better than these mediocre people.
They calmly received everyone’s curses, pity, and lack of understanding.
They never lowered their heads.
Including that little girl. She looked 6 or 7 years old. She had a scar and looked a bit pale.
Her eyes were very sharp, and not the attractive kind of sharpness.
‘A true tyranny…’
Something flashed through Marvin’s eyes, a sort of unbearable feeling.
What the Shadow Shrine was doing in this plane was what Feinan’s people would have to face in the future!
In the eyes of the gods, believers were only livestock to harvest Faith. If the plane’s Faith dried up, they wouldn’t mind destroying it themselves!
This was why there were always some abandoned Demi-Planes on the edge of the Astral Sea.
Those were Secondary Planes which didn’t give any Faith.
‘Since I plan to overthrow the Shadow Temple, it is necessary to have a figure step forward.’
‘But not now.’
Marvin cautiously looked at the side of the execution stand and tightly clenched his fists.
The disadvantages of the Night Walker were apparent here.
It was daytime, with his abilities on cooldown.
Even if there wasn’t an overwhelming powerhouse in White Elephant City, Marvin knew he wasn’t a match and simply couldn’t save these seven captives from the execution stand.
It would be completely crazy!
If he turned into an Asuran Bear, he might be able to cut a path out… But the other side had
a Senior Priest overseeing the execution!
Marvin didn’t know how many Priests there were in White Elephant City, but some Divine Spells were very frightening. If he rashly made a move, he might die.
He clenched his teeth and used Stealth, intending to leave.
He wasn’t omnipotent. There were too many things he was powerless to deal with.
However, at that time, a disturbance occurred.
A handsome man riding on a white horse angrily rushed over from north of the square, making his way through the crowd. He was followed by twelve knights on horse.
“Prince Aragon!”
“Your Highness!”
Everyone became spirited as if they saw a ray of hope.
They all took the initiative to get out of the way.
Even though the Prince had nominally lost his Crown Prince status due to the matter with the taxes, in the hearts of the common people, he was still Nottingheim’s future.
“Stay your hand for me!”
“Those are the captives I took back! Only I can handle them!” Aragon shouted in the distance.
In the crowd, Marvin sharply turned his head.
Just from this shout, he could judge Aragon’s strength!
Level 18 Storm Swordsman!
This kind of strength was considered the peak of this plane. It was worthy of the powerhouses who dealt with the rebels for many years.
But at that time, the Senior Priestess’ lazy voice covered the Prince’s shout.
“Kill.”
[Divine Spell - Imperial Order]!
A shadow flashed through the eyes of the executioners on the platforms and they abruptly lifted their long blades high up in the air.
Blood flew!
The six adults’ heads were lopped off, rolling on the ground!
People couldn’t bear to look at it and lowered their heads.
Aragon’s angry roar spread through the square. “Dina!”
“You are going too far!”
Dina in the carriage said smilingly, “There is still one that hasn’t died yet.”
A strong executioner quickly walked toward that little girl.
He just raised his blade high up before he was stunned by the hit from a shadow!
It was the Prince’s sword!
Aragon quickly dismounted and rushed onto the platform in the blink of an eye.
He protected the little girl and stared at the luxurious carriage. “Dina.”
Night Ranger - Full Series - 735 Chapters Page 177