Within the sphere of light, the grey-black aura, like a trapped venomous serpent, desperately thrashed against the golden barrier, but could not penetrate it an inch.
"It has been periodically attempting to break the seal recently, hasn't it?" Karl finally asked Miali. "And you've been going to reinforce it each time?"
Hearing this, Miali was stunned, and in an instant, she understood everything.
"Your Majesty... you mean... it has long sensed that my power is waning, so it deliberately and frequently attacked the seal to exhaust my strength?"
"At the same time... it took the opportunity to blend its power with the impact and secretly infiltrate my body?!" Miali's voice was filled with shock, anger, and a belated chill.
This evil god was not only powerful but also incredibly insidious and cunning. This was not mindless destruction, but rather a hunter skilled in strategy and patient planning.
Karl gave a slight nod, confirming her guess, and then snapped his fingers toward Miali. A brighter, purer golden mote than before instantly vanished into Miali's chest.
"Mmm..." Miali let out a soft, contented moan.
This fragment of divine power entered her body and instantly flowed through her limbs and bones, merging with her being. Wherever it passed, the places tainted by the grey-black aura — which had left tiny "stains" — were completely cleansed. She felt the heaviness in her body, as well as the lingering discomfort and weakness, instantly vanish. At that moment, she felt lighter, clearer, and more energetic than ever before. Even the very essence of her life seemed to be undergoing a subtle transformation, nourished by this divine power.
At the same time, in Karl's other hand, the sphere of divine power enveloping the grey-black aura suddenly burst into blazing golden flames.
"Hiss!!!" The grey-black aura within the light sphere seemed to encounter its natural enemy. As it was incinerated by the golden flames, it let out one final, mournful shriek. Then it melted away at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally disappearing completely without a trace.
Miali felt rested and revitalised; surprise and gratitude appeared on her face. She immediately bowed again to Karl, her tone utterly sincere.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Such precious divine power... and you truly used it to cleanse me..."
She knew what she was talking about. Divine power was the essential strength of gods, far superior and more valuable than the power of faith or power derived from nature. Karl was truly willing to use his divine power to cleanse this little Nymph of the evil god's corruption; his generosity and kindness exceeded all her expectations. Not only had she physically recovered, but she had also been blessed by the gods and received divine nourishment through her misfortune. Her future potential might even surpass that of her sisters...
Karl waved his hand, indicating that formalities were unnecessary, and his gaze inadvertently swept over Miali. She had stepped back in panic and bowed, revealing her chest barely covered by her long hair. At this moment, thanks to her bending over, everything became even clearer...
"Yes, just call me Karl." Karl averted his gaze, inwardly marvelling at how much the Nymph loved coolness. "There's no need to keep using 'Your Majesty.' It sounds... a little strange."
Hearing this, Miali was stunned, and then an even more reverent, almost fearful expression appeared on her face. She shook her head several times: "That... how could that be?! To address Your Majesty by name, without any honorifics? No, absolutely not!"
She lifted her head, her emerald eyes filled with sincere reverence: "You are the sun, giving light and warmth to all living things, the symbol of life and order, the supreme God-Father!"
"Despite your incredible kindness and generosity, and your disregard for these formalities, as a humble one who has benefited from your grace and witnessed your great power, I must show you the highest respect! This is a matter of principle!"
Karl: "..."
He let out a quiet, somewhat helpless sigh and shook his head. He had thought that since the atmosphere was so tense, he should be a little more approachable and close the distance between them. It would also avoid the stereotype that Geralt, Triss, and the others were "arrogant and unapproachable deities." As it turned out... this Miss Nymph had a rather strong sense of "principle."
Very well, since she insisted, let it be as she wished. The majesty of the gods could sometimes bring certain conveniences.
Just as Karl was about to say something more, a loud rumbling suddenly came from beneath his feet. Immediately after, the previously calm surface of Lake Vizima began to churn violently, as if it had been boiled. Layer upon layer of waves collided, forming ever-higher crests that crashed furiously against the lakeshore. The lake water became noticeably turbid and began to darken. The cold and stagnation in the air suddenly intensified.
From the depths of the lake emanated an indescribable sense of malice and oppression.
Karl's gaze pierced the churning lake water, staring directly into the dark, lifeless depths below, and a cold, mocking smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Seems like I exposed some evil god's hidden hand, and it's rather displeased."
He averted his gaze from the lakebed and slowly surveyed the crowd, whose faces had instantly tensed.
"Everyone ready?"
Triss, Yennefer, and the others, recovering from the shock and unexpected turn of events, quickly checked their own conditions and surroundings.
Triss replied: "The runic traps are only missing a few positions, but all the main enemy-killing traps are activated!"
Yennefer added: "Attack and support positions are set and can be engaged at any moment."
Karl nodded, and with a thought, the biokinetic field covering his body began to adjust subtly. To everyone else, his figure suddenly became blurred. Then, enveloped in a layer of flowing golden mist, he became indistinguishable from reality — only a roughly humanoid outline radiating warm golden light could be seen. At the same time, a more pronounced and majestic aura of sanctity emanated from him, like an invisible halo.
"Miali, wait for them to finish the final preparations, then give the signal before releasing the last seal," Karl's voice came from within the mist of light.
Before he had even finished speaking, the golden, humanoid cloud of light swayed slightly. In the next instant, Karl appeared at a height of dozens of metres, hovering in the air, looking down at the small island in the middle of the lake where mist was beginning to rise, and at the entire lake seized by agitation.
Then came something no one would ever forget.
At the centre of the composition stood Karl, suspended in the air, as sunlight illuminated the entire area around Lake Vizima and even the nearby forests. Something was summoning and directing them, and they began to undergo visible changes. More precisely, the intensity and focus of the sunlight were changing.
The sunlight, initially evenly distributed, seemed to be focused by an invisible lens. A continuous stream of increasingly intense and blinding heat poured down upon the lakeshore where everyone stood. The sky became clearer and brighter, the light so intense that ordinary people could hardly look directly at it.