Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 525 - 367 Rose Vesper Begins to Move (1)

Chapter 525: Chapter 367 Rose Vesper Begins to Move (1)

Qin Chu pushed the Gluttony Authority to its limit, focusing all his energy and strength, vainly attempting to devour this gigantic heart.

The power of the Little Tree Seedling had also been extended to its extreme.

It was only with the assistance of the Little Tree Seedling that they could start to move this huge heart slightly.

The process was extremely slow.

This was no longer mere Magic Power or Fighting Energy.

It was a higher and more mysterious force that did not simply destroy or annihilate but seemed to change everything on a fundamental level of the rules.

The sun had set at some point, and the bright moonlight enveloped the world.

Hum...

The heart of the Evil God beat again, and an earthquake followed.

Qin Chu felt that this so-called heartbeat was more like a signal emitted by the Evil God.

Was it a distress signal?

What’s weirder is that even Qin Chu seemed to be affected by this signal. Whenever the heart beat, he could feel his own heart uncontrollably trembling.

His consciousness would even experience a brief moment of blankness.

If it really was a distress signal, what’s the use of sending it to me? I won’t save you, and I even plan to eat you.

Then, the rampant shockwaves rolled around like a tsunami.

However, strangely enough, these violent shockwaves, powerful enough to pulverize boulders in an instant, did not inflict the slightest harm on Qin Chu’s body.

It was as if the shockwaves, in an inverted V shape, precisely avoided Qin Chu and the Little Tree Seedling, and of course, Shaye, Antia, Helois, and Iyeta could also notice this and all stayed behind Qin Chu.

As for the Grand Canyon on either side, it was in dire straits, no longer recognizable as a canyon, as the collapsed rocks and soil had already buried the deep chasms.

The whole sky was filled with a layer of gray dust.

It was evident that effectively devouring this heart would not be a matter of a day or two. But at this moment, Qin Chu, stubborn as he was, insisted on challenging this heart.

...

The heart beat.

Every fragment on the Sky Dome Continent responded as if the Evil God had not completely perished and even attempted to piece together its broken body to stand again upon this continent.

...

The Empire, Imperial City.

The quake spread through the Imperial City, centered around the Imperial Palace.

The earth was cracking.

Severe shaking caused buildings on the ground to collapse in sections, and the entire city seemed to have entered the apocalypse—countless Nobles screamed in panic, fleeing their rooms without even bothering to dress themselves properly.

On the contrary, the Civilian District was least affected due to its distance from the Imperial Palace.

While all the big shots were exhausting their energy to suppress the riotous remains, Rose Vesper and Douglas took the opportunity to appear in Augustus’s bedchamber.

Although they were unclear why an earthquake had suddenly occurred, anyone could see that Augustus would not return soon.

Douglas, along with two Archbishops, set up a powerful Prohibition in and around the room, isolating all magical fluctuations and perceptions inside.

Augustus often locked himself inside his room for long periods, and Rose Vesper deduced that there must be a secret passage within it.

And at the end of the secret passage would certainly be the cage holding what was purported to be her mother.

Although Rose Vesper did not like this so-called mother and even felt that her existence was a serious obstacle to her,

more than once, she had calculated in her mind how much better it would be if this mother figure did not exist.

Of course, Rose Vesper was smart. She knew that with so many subordinates desperately searching for the whereabouts of Saintess Philis, if she, as the daughter, showed no reaction, it would inevitably affect her image among her followers.

She had already planned that if possible, she would rescue her.

Then she would simply grant her the title of Divine Mother and keep her in the Holy Court.

If she could not be rescued, then so be it. If Augustus truly brought out Saintess Philis as a hostage to threaten her, she would take the opportunity to enact a drama of righteousness destroying kinship.

In order to protect the faith and glory of the Holy Court and prevent someone as wicked as Augustus from continuing to harm the Court, she could not be threatened. Even if it meant sacrificing her own mother, she had to eliminate this trouble.

After all, she could always cry afterward, shed a few tears, and would certainly gain a lot of praise.

It was the perfect plan for Rose Vesper—not only could she eliminate Augustus but also her own mother, and even gain a great deal of fame in the process.

Unfortunately, the sudden earthquake had drawn away Augustus and might have made Rose Vesper’s perfect plan untenable.

Many Holy Men were searching through Augustus’s chambers, and since Augustus was still the Pope, this status made the Holy Men somewhat fearful that if Augustus suddenly returned, it would be difficult to explain.

However, seeing Goddess Rose Vesper and Cardinal Douglas, they instantly felt at ease.

The sky would not fall as long as these two uphold it, so there was no reason for misfortune to befall me.

And so, a group of Holy Men started turning everything upside down in their search, though it felt more like a house raid than a search.

Some valuable items in the room conveniently found their way into their pockets.

Augustus’s room wasn’t very large, but the entire search process took nearly an hour. Suddenly, a priest shouted excitedly, "Divine Empress, here... here is a prohibition."

Divine Empress was their address for Rose Vesper.

The title of Holy Daughter was no longer sufficient to bear the nobility and authority of Rose Vesper.

Beneath the bed, on the floor, lay a very intricate Magic Restriction that he, a mere Priest, could not decipher.

Upon this, two Holy Knights swiftly walked over, moved the bed aside, and Douglas personally stepped forward to examine the prohibition on the ground, frowning deeply as he crouched down to attempt to break it.

He, being Level 88, had received the Divine Empress’s blessing and the honor of touching the Oracle Scroll personally, which had brought him considerable benefits; his Level, that had not improved for a long time, finally reached Level 89.

His fingers caressed the ground, as silk-like Magic Power flowed through Douglas’s fingers and palm, spreading and gradually permeating the tiles below.

Magic Power collided within a small area, occasionally making crackling sounds.

It was not a large-scale release of Magic Power, but to Douglas, it posed great pressure to unlock this prohibition required extremely subtle and precise manipulation of Magic Power, without a single mistake.

Sweat beads had already formed on his forehead, and his complexion was a bit pale.

The process continued for nearly half an hour, until with a snap, Douglas’s body shook violently. He took a deep breath, stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and nodded toward the waiting Rose Vesper, "Divine Empress, it’s been unlocked."

Rose Vesper’s brow furrowed, dissatisfaction in her heart.

This was merely the entrance prohibition and already so much time had been wasted.

But she couldn’t show her dissatisfaction outright; Rose Vesper had to maintain a smile of gentle concern, "Douglas, you’ve worked hard..."

A flicker of excitement crossed Douglas’s face, "To be able to contribute my strength to the Divine Empress is my greatest honor."

Rose Vesper was very pleased with Douglas’s response.

This was the attitude a subordinate should have.

Thinking back to Catherine, Asina, and Silf, those three women...

Especially Silf, that wretch often had a nonchalant attitude toward her orders, as if Rose Vesper wasn’t even in her eyes.

In those green eyes, defiance could occasionally be seen; even her posture seemed to want to argue with Rose Vesper.

If it were not for their past as members of the Hero Team, plus Silf once holding Lord Jie Luo’s Soul Fragment in her hands, and the fact that the woman was still of some use, Rose Vesper would never allow her to live on.

Until Lord Jie Luo’s Soul Fragment collection was complete, she would endure in the meantime.

After all, having interacted with Lord Jie Luo for so long, they had a more sensitive perception of Lord Jie Luo’s soul fragments compared to others.

She wondered how Asina and Silf were doing.

Shaking her head, Rose Vesper suppressed the stray thoughts in her mind and lifted her hands gracefully, making a separating gesture to either side.

A rasping noise ensued, as a stone plate on the ground automatically moved to one side, revealing a dark passage that led deep underground.

Faint and indistinct, weird sounds seemed to echo from within.

"Douglas, stay here and prevent anyone from approaching. Also, keep an eye on Augustus’s movements," she commanded.

Douglas nodded vigorously, though he longed to always follow by the Divine Empress’s side and guard Lady Rose Vesper’s safety.

But this was an equally important task that allowed for no negligence.

Glancing at the dark opening in the ground, Rose Vesper was about to step forward but suddenly paused, "My loyal heroes, please open for me the path to the prison where the Divine Mother is confined."

Her voice was filled with temptation.

Since receiving the oracle for the second time, Rose Vesper’s spiritual abilities seemed to have vastly improved, making powers like guidance and spiritual interference increasingly effortless.

Soon after her melodious voice fell, dozens of Holy Knights and Priests stepped forward voluntarily, their faces seemingly shining with a glow of honor.

To contribute to the great Divine Empress was their highest glory.

A Holy Knight led the way in the front, the others followed.

Rose Vesper walked at the end, her gentle smile still in place as her figure gradually submerged into the passageway.

The passage, though narrow, was not dark.

Every several meters along the walls, a Magic Lamp hung, its Magic Stone inside clearly replaced often, giving off warm and soft light.

Ah... ah... ah...

Yet amidst the warm and soft light, sharp and hoarse voices filled with pain intermittently whispered through, adding a sinister feeling to the passage.