Chapter 424: Terror, Alice Sees for the Third Time...
The former chairman of the Greenwich Council of Sages—Alice—had a somewhat gloomy expression.
"Could this be related to the sect leader?" someone on-site suggested, glancing at a bespectacled, red-haired, capable woman—Annie, the assistant of the Pluto, John.
"I don't know," Annie replied.
She understood why they would think so, as it was no secret that Luo Hao had openly captured a Divine Ancestor in North America without any attempt to conceal her actions.
"So, that Heretic God might be Asherah, who has returned to her divine status?" a somewhat nonchalant voice chimed in. It belonged to a Campione who had just arrived today—Salvatore Doni, known as the Sword King.
He hadn't been invited by anyone; in fact, attempts had been made to contact him, but had failed. He came purely because he heard a Heretic God had appeared here, and his thirst for battle drove him to rush over immediately.
"The shroud of night, light and fire imprisoned, machines ceasing to function, and the appearance of owls and snakes? This is identical to the situation in London a few days ago. That was clearly Athena," mused Alexander, stroking his chin. He couldn't understand how Athena had suddenly moved to the east.
Could it be the other Heretic God she confronted that day? Had she chased it over there?
Athena was an Earth Mother Goddess associated with snakes.
Asherah was also a reincarnated Divine Ancestor of an Earth Mother Goddess linked to snakes.
Then, there was another key figure: Guinevere, the Divine Ancestor who betrayed Asherah, whom Alexander and Alice had once pursued together.
With all three snake-related figures gathering in one country, it made his eyelids twitch.
Moreover, the most violent Campione, Sect Leader Luo Hao, had teamed up with Guinevere, making the situation utterly disastrous.
Whatever calamity such a combination might unleash would hardly be surprising.
"Could it be that the god enshrined in the Western Palace is related to The Last King?"
I'm afraid that's exactly the case.
Luo Hao, the Leader, who knew of such an existence, was likely looking forward to a confrontation, which was why she had teamed up with Guinevere.
"The Last King? What's that? That's quite an interesting title," said Tony, his eyes glinting.
"The Last King?" Alice's expression tightened as well. It was indeed highly plausible.
"Hey, could someone explain to me what The Last King is?"
"Alexander, could you please explain it to Sir Salvatore? I need to assist over there in searching for Athena."
Continuing the discussion here would only waste time. The situation over there needed immediate handling, especially with the outbreak of the Black Death. It had to be stopped quickly, or that country would turn into a living hell—a sight Alice did not want to see.
"You're going to help search? You're going over there?" Alexander frowned, well aware of Alice's poor health.
"I'll pass through the Netherworld and then transfer to that shrine."
This was Alice's method of getting there. Only this way could she arrive promptly. After all, she wasn't a Campione—how could she possess the power to dash directly from Europe to the Far Eastern island nation?
Of course, she wasn't going there physically but in her astral form.
"Lark, please carry me beyond the clouds, let me rise gently, and listen to your song echoing through the sky and white clouds..."
Words of power immediately flowed from Alice's lips, and her figure vanished.
...
East Shining Palace.
"How is it?"
"Still no good."
Thus, Ena and Kaoru fell silent.
Yuri had awakened, but her spirits were still terribly low. Clearly, the scenes she had witnessed had struck her too intensely.
In this state, Yuri couldn't properly perform spirit vision.
At present, the shrine maidens from other shrines, specifically those from the Tokyo area, couldn't see anything through spirit vision either.
Suddenly, Kaoru sensed something and couldn't help but feel delighted.
Immediately, words of power spilled from her lips, casting a guiding light into the Netherworld for someone there—much like a lighthouse in navigation, providing direction.
The next moment, a figure appeared there—a beautiful woman with shining golden hair.
"Princess Alice."
"Hmm? Oh?"
Alice, having just arrived, was about to respond to the greeting when she immediately noticed a child—one who seemed quite gifted but was in an extremely poor mental state. If this continued, the child would break.
So, she hurried toward the child's room, with Kaoru and Ena following closely.
Upon entering the room, Alice walked directly toward a child who appeared terribly frightened, curled up in a corner.
When the child noticed her, Alice smiled gently, and the child's tense expression gradually relaxed.
Kneeling in front of the child, Alice lightly touched her forehead to the child's, while words of power that brought mental calm flowed from her lips.
"It's alright now~ You can open your eyes~"
The girl, who had closed her eyes, cautiously opened them.
"E-Everyone..."
Yuri's voice trembled slightly, but it was no longer from fear—rather, from excitement.
Because her vision was no longer filled with hellish scenes; she could finally see reality clearly.
"Thank you, Princess~"
"Just call me Alice directly. Without further delay, you can proceed now, right?"
"Y-yes"
Yuri understood what was required of her and prepared to collaborate in using spirit vision to locate the Heretic God.
"Then let's begin"
Alice clasped hands with the Hime-Miko before her.
Both closed their eyes as they activated their spirit vision.
Images began surfacing in their minds.
The vision gradually cleared—was this Tokyo?
Was the target still in Tokyo?
The perspective zoomed in, passing through countless human figures before suddenly halting as if hitting brakes.
That was—!
They saw a dark silhouette, one that appeared childlike yet was clearly not human.
Their pupils contracted—the three-dimensional dark figure cast a snake-shaped shadow on the ground.
This must be the one they were searching for—
Suddenly, a wave of terror exploded in Alice's heart.
She saw it—behind this childlike dark figure stood another presence.
This was the third time she had witnessed this figure!!