Raina casually pressed a switch under the chair, and it rotated and transformed into an elevator leading underground. The three of them descended into a vast, open underground space. Underground, they did not need to worry about Holy Light being seen from above, and every residence of Raina was equipped with such a shelter.
Though the construction was not fully complete, it was stable enough to serve as a testing ground. Alba walked slowly to the edge, raised her hand, and released Holy Light. Since they knew each other well, she did not bother with any Prayer motions and directly emitted a gentle light.
Being able to release it without preparatory Prayer was already known, but no one was sure how strong it could be. In the past, she had only used it to save herself when near death or to heal ordinary people, never for combat. When facing anyone strong enough to fight back, she usually got knocked down before that mattered.
She had once tried a full release during an early simulation, remembering it covered only a couple of meters around her. But now, Raina and Elvin suddenly saw nothing but white. The underground space, as large as a stadium, was lit up like pure Daylight.
The intense radiance pierced through closed eyes, filling every corner. Elvin barely managed to open her eyes and, within the sea of white, saw two even brighter golden points. They were Alba's eyes, her golden pupils shining so strongly it seemed the light might spill out.
Then Alba herself froze in confusion. She realized she had lost control and released everything at once, almost raising her hands to shield her eyes by instinct. "It is so bright. Huh? But for some reason, my eyes do not hurt."
Looking around, she was stunned by the sheer scale of it. Then she noticed two strange things, the Ring on her hand that supposedly amplified Holy Light, and the Elder God Relic book she had been carrying in her chest. Something felt wrong.
She pulled the book out and stared at it in disbelief as it glowed white under the light. "Aren't you an Elder God Relic? Why are you glowing with Holy Light too?" Her head spun, and the situation felt increasingly unsettling, as if things that should not match were suddenly mixing together.
As she complained internally, dizziness hit her from overusing Holy Light. She quickly stuffed the book back into her clothes and shut the power down. When Raina and Elvin opened their eyes again, the underground space had returned to its dim state, and Alba was lying on the ground.
"Al, are you okay?" Elvin rushed over and checked her, then let out a breath of relief. It was just fainting from mental exhaustion, something she had seen many mages experience before.
That was easy enough to handle, especially since Raina had plenty of items and potions for mental recovery. Still, Elvin could not stop thinking about that Holy Light. The fierce yet magnificent feeling lingered as she looked down at Alba in her arms.
She had not used Magic or any Prayer motions, just direct release, and it had only been a few days. Compared to the small Holy Light used to heal Elvin earlier, this was on an entirely different level. Raina walked over as well, circling Alba like she was observing something rare.
The range alone was not unique, but the quality and intensity felt completely different. In just a few days, showing so many strange signs and such powerful Holy Light, Raina formed a guess that made her feel uneasy. She asked quietly, "Do you think she might be someone blessed by a god?"
Elvin paused. The idea fit too well, unexplained strength, effortless use of Holy Light, and a vague sense of purpose. If she were blessed by the God of Light, everything made sense, even why she suddenly appeared from a small forest and wanted to become a Saintess.
If that were true, her treatment would surpass even the Church of the Lord. True god-blessed individuals were rarer than actual Saintess or even a Pope, and such people hardly ever showed their power openly. Yet now, one might be lying right in front of them.
With the seat vacant, this was a powerful claim. Elvin and Raina exchanged looks, and the latter smiled slightly while staring at the unconscious Alba. "Maybe we can adjust our plan a little. Do you think it is possible to let Alba truly believe in our light?"
"That is not certain," Elvin replied. "Not everyone shares our experiences, but it is worth trying."
The way they looked at Alba now was subtly different from before. She curled slightly in Elvin's arms, tugging at her robe, because the underground space was cold and the weather was turning chilly. Elvin tilted her head and said, "It is getting colder, and it seems she has no clothes besides the Saintess robe."
"Then when we get back, we will get her some more clothes," Elvin answered quietly.
"I really do not believe this. I scattered so many coordinates, so how did not a single idiot run into them?" "They said a fisherman should have a novice protection period. No matter what, I should have hooked a few dumb fish. Why is every single one so cautious?"
It was another fine day without daylight, and Belial drove his Crystal Cart as usual, crashing around blindly through the Void. As always, after a long time of wandering, he still did not meet anyone at all. The result was exactly the same as every other day.
Objectively speaking, this was normal. In such a blockbuster place, trying to find a few dozen people was literally like searching for needles in the sea. Even so, he could not swallow this frustration.
"Can these bastards have even a shred of backbone? Why does nobody jump out and shout that dealing with someone like me does not need honor, just rush me together?" He paused and wondered if this was the enemy's strategy. Maybe they were hiding on purpose, dragging things out until he died of boredom.
"That is a shame. In my Translation Pocket, the friend list shows my two voice messages as read, but there is no reply." "This damned place really has terrible signal, and it is hard to top up my balance too. That is a problem."
After some serious thought, Belial made a difficult decision. He rolled over on the spot, changed direction, and lay there thinking, while his the Lord body awareness wandered around inside him. Out of sheer boredom and excessive absorption of dark power, his body began to swell again, becoming an even larger Black Mist Dragon than before.
He did absolutely nothing and stayed where he was, casually monitoring the dozens of fishing spots he had prepared. None of them sent back any good news, leaving him spacing out and looking somewhat like Black Commander. This posture had lasted for quite some time.
Aside from his traps, his only hope was waiting for news from Lady Envoy. He sent two voice messages over. "I cannot find any trace of those bastards here." "Do you know where they are hiding? If there is a way to find them, tell me."
So far there was still no response. It was also possible the messages arrived but he never received them, just as he had said before, because the signal here was terrible. Even after setting up linked relay stations, communication still failed.
The Metal Sphere circling nearby had no useful suggestions either, or rather, the people behind it like Lilith Bella had no solution. In terms of Prime World's Magic and related technology, they were absolutely top tier. However, in this vast Abyss, finding a few dozen Evil God who were determined to hide was simply impossible.
Even the Lord probably never imagined things would get this absurd. After a few of the Abyss Evil God died, the rest all hid away and started playing a survival hiding game. "At most we have killed about one tenth. How did they get scared to this extent and refuse to come out?"
Bella tapped on the machine screen and complained loudly. Beside her, Lilith did not care and quietly kept reading while eating snacks. For now, there was nothing to worry about.
Ham vaguely understood the reason and could guess the nature of these Abyss Evil God. Most of them were likely hiding in corners, gripping their weapons and guarding against their own kind. Compared to that, the threat of Belial was actually secondary.
The real danger was that this stagnant situation, untouched for ages, might use Belial as a trigger for a massive reshuffle. If things went wrong, it would not be just a few gods dying, but another ancient style free for all. Everyone was sharp and cautious, and nobody wanted to throw away their life.
So no matter how many baits Belial cast, nobody dared to bite. After all, who knew how many fishermen were squatting around each fishing pond? Ham estimated that these Evil God had already formed countless small cliques, with relationships more tangled than a dorm full of girls.