[The Abyssal Academy - Security Control Room]
The holographic monitors in the Security Control Room were glowing with a blinding intensity. The Pantheon+ subscriber count had just crossed ten million active viewers. The sound of incoming gold coins chiming in the Tycoon's Ledger was a continuous, rhythmic symphony of pure profit.
Victor Thorne stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his midnight-blue suit pristine.
"The Demon King just donated another fifty thousand Gold to drop a nest of shadow-spiders on the Paladin Vanguard in Sector 4," Seraphina reported, her violet eyes reflecting the golden light of the screens. "Profit margins are at eight thousand percent, Principal Thorne."
Suddenly, the monitors flickered. A harsh, high-pitched whine pierced the room, smelling sharply of ozone and burning copper.
The screens showing the trapped Paladins began to static out, turning a blinding, pure white.
"Warning," Dawn's synthesized voice echoed from the Ledger. "Massive influx of hostile foreign energy detected. Source: The Holy Capital. Designation: Grand Excommunication."
Elara rushed to the glass, her breath hitching. "It's the Supreme Pontiff! The Church must have discovered the broadcast! He is leading the entire holy clergy in a mass prayer to blind the scrying orbs and fry your magical network!"
"A magical DDoS attack," Victor said smoothly, taking a slow sip of his black coffee. "They are trying to overload our servers with junk data."
"Sir, the orbs are overheating," Seraphina warned, her fingers flying across her clipboard. "If the network crashes, we lose the live feed. The Demon Realm will demand refunds!"
"We don't do refunds, Seraphina," Victor placed his cup down. He didn't look panicked; he looked like a man who had just found a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk.
"The Pope is funneling the combined holy energy of a hundred thousand praying priests directly into our closed network," Victor tapped his gold-nibbed pen against the Ledger. "Energy is power. Power is an operational expense. Dawn. Do not block the attack. Reroute it."
Victor slashed his pen across the glowing page.
"Open the network firewalls and funnel the incoming 'Holy Light' directly into the Abyssal Academy's primary power grid. Convert the divine wrath into raw electricity."
The control room plunged into darkness for a fraction of a second.
Then, the entire castle surged to life. The dim torches in the hallways were replaced by blazing, immaculate magical light. The rusted heating systems roared to life, banishing the damp chill of the gothic castle. The massive magical traps in the dungeon spun up to 200% efficiency.
Elara watched in absolute, mind-shattering disbelief. "You... you just used the Supreme Pontiff's sacred prayer to jump-start your castle?"
"I optimized our utility overhead," Victor adjusted his cuffs, watching the monitors stabilize as the excess energy was perfectly dispersed into the grid. "Seraphina. Send a formal 'Thank You' letter to the Vatican for the free server hosting. And cancel our coal subscription. We are 100% renewable now."