Chapter 122: Catastrophe Cage

Catastrophe Cage

Outside Berren City, under the torrential rain, Lucy wore a straw hat, braving the downpour, walking towards Berren City.

Beside her, two figures completely shrouded in black robes followed her, one on the left, one on the right.

A gust of wind blew past, sweeping the straw hat off Lucy’s head. She instinctively raised her hand to press the brim, but grasped only empty air.

The flying straw hat seemed like the last straw that broke Lucy. She stopped, looked up at the swirling clouds in the sky.

She looked up, large raindrops hitting her face, sliding down her cheeks. It was already impossible to tell if it was rain or tears.

“Let’s go, almost there.” Sensing Lucy stop, Tara spoke before Ciel, walking up to Lucy.

“Told you to bring an umbrella, you didn’t believe me.”

Lucy turned her head stiffly, looking at Tara, whose clothes were already tattered and torn in several places. After a moment of silence, she said, “If I had held an umbrella, that lightning bolt just now would have struck me, right?”

“This isn’t ordinary lightning,” Tara’s expression turned serious. She looked towards Ciel and piously said, “This is... a test from the Goddess for me.”

Lucy: “Then when the lightning strikes me later, can you help me accept the test?”

Tara: “No.”

Lucy sighed and continued walking forward.

Her current state was terrible; she couldn’t resist these two Judicator’s Court members at all.

Let alone her, even if all the investigators from various factions currently at Deton Manor banded together, they might not be able to defeat these two plague gods.

After all, most were first-tier or ordinary personnel.

Actually, if she really wanted to resist, even in this severely injured state, two second-tier transcendents couldn’t hold her back.

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Mainly because before coming out, Lucy had performed a divination using Tarot cards.

Although she only used the simplest single-card spread, the card she drew prompted her to follow the two.

Wheel of Fortune.

This card indicated that although the situation seemed dire, the wheel of fate was turning, and things had a chance to improve.

The problem Lucy currently faced was also interpreted by this card.

—Not desperate and helpless, a turn of luck might bring new hope and fortune.

Lucy’s pace gradually slowed. Following behind the Judicator named “Tara,” she kept some distance from the red-haired girl. She lowered her head and began thinking.

What exactly could cause her luck to change?

The “Strong Luck Coin” was useless now.

She had already used both tossing chances for today. There was still some time before the refresh, so her luck change definitely wasn’t due to the “Strong Luck Coin.” Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Three transcendents shrouded by misfortune rules, breaking the rules to gather together...

Would her turning point be here?

Regardless, she still had to observe carefully...

At this moment, Tara, walking ahead of Lucy, gradually moved closer to Ciel’s side.

Due to the heavy rain, raindrops hitting the hood made pattering sounds. Coupled with the thunder, speaking too far apart made it basically impossible to hear clearly.

Yes, this was just to allow Lady Mother Goddess to hear my words more clearly.

Speaking to a deity cannot be mumbled.

She tiptoed, leaned close to Ciel’s cheek, and said, “M... May I call you Lady Ciel directly?”

“Mm.” Ciel nodded.

The night rain was cold, making Tara’s exhaled breath seem exceptionally warm. Unsure if it was Ciel’s illusion, she felt Tara’s breathing begin to grow heavy.

Just as Ciel felt somewhat uncomfortable and wanted to push Tara away, Tara’s next words made Ciel’s raised hand stop.

“Lady Ciel... Regarding the misfortune rule Lucy mentioned, after my investigation and confirmation, I do have a slight impression... It seems to have been mentioned in a few lines in some ancient text or scripture, but due to the long time passed, I don’t remember it clearly...”

Speaking here, Tara showed apology on her face and said, “I am truly sorry, Lady Ciel, I probably cannot give you an answer before 12 o’clock... Please forgive my shallow knowledge...”

“To make up for my mistake, I am willing to offer everything, including every inch of flesh and bone, wishing only that my soul may go to Your divine kingdom...” Tara’s voice was filled with self-reproach, seemingly hating herself for not remembering the contents of the book at the time, and readily planning to sacrifice herself to Ciel at the drop of a hat.

At this moment, Ciel was also slightly surprised after hearing Tara’s words.

The matter of the misfortune rule was actually recorded in books?

Originally, Ciel just intended to let Tara try her luck. Unexpectedly, the knowledgeable Tara actually had some findings...

Unfortunately, Tara herself didn’t remember the specific content. To really know, she would have to return to the secret monastery of the Divine Advent Church.

“Let’s talk later.” Ciel replied calmly.

“Yes, Lady Ciel.” Tara retracted her gaze somewhat dejectedly, lowering her tiptoes.

Truly worthy of being the Mother Goddess’s human vessel. Besides the warm aura emanating from her, even her scent was so pleasant.

Lucy, following not far behind, watched the two whispering, really wanting to quicken her pace to hear what torturous plan they were discussing, but dared not get too close to the red-haired girl.

But soon, Lucy saw a tall, thin figure holding a horse lantern, standing on the road not far ahead.

The figure seemed to have noticed the three heading this way, fixing its gaze upon them.

He wore tattered clothes, standing directly in the heavy rain, his damp pale golden long hair plastered to his face. His desolate appearance bore some resemblance to Lucy’s current state.

Why him?

Isn’t this Oppold? Why is he dressed like a beggar?

Lucy frowned slightly. She really hadn’t seen him in such a miserable state before.

At this moment, Oppold’s eyes swept across the faces of the three, then he clenched his fists and said, “Where is Avena? Where is she? Why is it you?”

Finally, Oppold’s eyes locked onto the face of the girl with dark red pupils. Black armor plates began to spread and cover his hands: “It’s you...”

Clang—

A giant black tower shield, almost the size of a door panel, was grasped by Oppold’s right arm. He placed the tower shield on the ground, emitting a dull thud.

“You better give me an explanation...” Oppold’s heart burned with anger. He glared at the three before him, grinding his teeth as he said, “She said there was a way for me to return to Ansu safely...”

Seeing the miserable prince before her, Lucy roughly understood.

So the other one entangled by the misfortune rule was this prince’s son...

But judging by his current appearance, his temper didn’t seem too pleasant.

Lucy took several steps to the right, distancing herself from the two Judicators, then slightly raised her hands and said:

“Good evening, Count Thaddeus. I was merely forcibly brought here by these two Judicator Excellencies. I am unaware of what happened.” Lucy quickly dissociated herself from the two Judicators to avoid being implicated.

At this moment, the four people stood facing each other from three directions. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Oppold looked towards Ciel and slowly said:

“People from the Church of the Savior Goddess came looking for me to confirm. You are not from the Judicator’s Court at all.”

“What exactly is your purpose?!”

Boom—

A bolt of lightning tore through the night sky, striking the center point between the four, instantly piercing and scorching the barren earth and turf. Almost everyone felt a tingling numbness that made their hair stand on end.

Not from the Judicator’s Court?

Lucy frowned slightly, looked towards the red-haired girl, then slowly shifted her gaze, locking onto the white-haired girl’s face.

Not Judicator’s Court...

Almost instantly, everything that happened earlier connected in Lucy’s mind. She took a deep breath.

She slowly took out a silver shilling from her pocket, tossed it into the air, caught it, then slowly opened her hand.

A queen’s head with a laurel crown faced the ground, while the image of a crown and shield faced the night sky.

Tails.

Almost instantly, she flicked the silver coin directly towards “Gusi,” simultaneously shouting, “Gusi!!!”

The moment the silver coin landed near “Gusi’s” feet.

A white flash struck down directly from high above, hitting the silver coin squarely. A white shadow emerged almost instantly from behind “Gusi,” shielding her.

Boom—

The delayed thunder roared. Lucy’s expression gradually turned cold, her eyes filled with killing intent:

“Damn it! Freaks from the Divine Advent Church!”

They... were from the Divine Advent Church!!!

Simon didn’t betray me at all! He was forcibly brainwashed! That “Gusi”! Is a fucking “Missionary”!!!

Instantly, the scene became extremely volatile. Two third-tiers stared menacingly at the two girls who were only second-tier.

-

Far away on the road, about 2 kilometers away, Nia stood aside holding a huge umbrella, while Avena stood before her, holding a monocular telescope, watching the commotion in the distance.

This was a professional nautical telescope, allowing Avena to roughly see what was happening over there.

“Hmm? Why are they arguing? Nia, what did they say?” Avena asked while adjusting the telescope’s magnification.

“They know Miss Ciel was impersonating the Judicator’s Court.” Nia paused slightly, then continued, “Lucy is cursing the lady next to Miss Ciel as a ‘freak from the Divine Advent Church’... implicating Miss Ciel as well.”

“Huh?” Avena looked back at Nia somewhat puzzledly, then continued observing with the telescope.

She really couldn’t understand how the other party connected Ciel with the Divine Advent Church... Ciel and the organization behind her had directly massacred an entire Divine Advent Church stronghold.

“Milady, I think we need to retreat several more kilometers.” Nia looked into the distance and slowly said.

“Why? It’s raining so hard, any further and we won’t see anything.” Avena seemed unwilling to just listen to Nia narrate what was happening, wanting to see it with her own eyes.

At least it felt somewhat like participating.

“Look at the sky, Milady.” Nia reached out, pointing towards the sky above the three people.

Avena slowly looked up following Nia’s finger, her small mouth gradually widening.

...

Facing the two third-tiers before her, Tara felt panicked internally. If she were alone, she definitely would have chosen to flee.

Neither “Favored” nor “Crown Guard” excelled at pursuit. As long as she scattered her white shadows to run in different directions, she could definitely escape.

But it wasn’t just her here now... The Mother Goddess’s human vessel was also present.

She couldn’t allow the Mother Goddess’s human vessel to suffer any harm...

Compared to the somewhat flustered Tara, Ciel’s heart was surprisingly calm.

If the two third-tiers really attacked, the worst consequence was just death. In a simulation, death wasn’t frightening.

What was frightening was dying without obtaining any useful information.

Now, three people suffering from the misfortune rule stood together. Terrifying misfortune had already accumulated on her. The others had also broken the rules to meet here...

What exactly would happen?

Ciel slowly looked up towards the sky.

Thunderclouds churned in the sky. Besides the thunderclouds, a terrifying shadow with a wingspan of nearly a hundred meters stirred the clouds.

This apocalyptic scene caused even Ciel’s heart to feel slightly astonished.

It’s here.

In Ciel’s vision, the terrifying shadow swooped down, rushing towards the three below.

Such speed, such enormous size... unavoidable.

After judging this point, Ciel made no move to escape. She took out the stopwatch from her pocket. What she didn’t notice was that the “Strong Luck Coin” also fell out when she took the stopwatch, rolling against common sense on the uneven ground towards Lucy.

The sky-obscuring shadow smashed towards the ground, completely enveloping the four within its darkness.

At this moment, Lucy and Oppold seemed to suddenly realize the shadow’s existence, but it was too late.

Lines of bizarre characters composed of shadows appeared before the eyes of the four, as if written directly onto their eyeballs.

These characters didn’t cause any spiritual contamination to Ciel, but Ciel similarly couldn’t understand these words.

“This is... Old Ansu script?” Tara, beside Ciel, murmured.

“...Fate Calamity Three... Vessel?”

“Change...”

“Rules perhaps... unclear...”

“Dire consequences... irreversible...”

“First... Tribulation...”

Fragmented phrases of Old Ansu, spoken here and there, made Ciel frown slightly. She couldn’t currently understand the full text before her. She could only rapidly record the characters as images in her mind.

Suddenly, illusory purplish-black threads emanated from Ciel, Lucy, and Oppold.

These threads uncontrollably surged towards the shadow above. Among them, the shadow threads emerging from Ciel were the most numerous, looking like bundles of messy illusory optical cables being drawn towards the sky.

What is this?

Ciel faintly sensed that these things emerging from her body, yet having no side effects nor draining any power, seemed like... the materialization of misfortune?

Lucy was the first to notice something was wrong.

She turned around almost without hesitation, running towards Deton Manor at top speed. But just then, her foot tripped over a simple stone. She fell face-first onto the ground.

Boom—!

A lightning bolt, almost two or three meters thick, struck down from high above, exploding right in front of Lucy!

That lightning bolt was just over a meter away from Lucy’s head. It was exactly that fall that allowed her to avoid fatal injury.

The electric current spread outwards through the rainwater. Contact voltage caused the current to surge directly into Lucy’s body, nearly stopping her heart instantly, even damaging her nerves.

If she hadn’t fallen, she would have run right into the center of the lightning strike just now.

Boom—!

Almost without pause, a second lightning bolt struck directly towards Oppold’s location. Almost the instant the spiritual alarm sounded, Oppold’s entire body was covered in black armor, honeycomb-like illusory plates materializing above his head.

A white light enveloped him.

At this very moment, Ciel acted swiftly. Black shadows emerged from beneath her, rushing rapidly in four different directions.

Buzz—!

A violent buzzing sounded in Ciel’s mind. She felt a slight numbing sensation from underground. Even her hair felt like it was about to fly up in the rainy weather due to the tingling sensation.

She quickly selected a black shadow furthest from the others. Ciel’s figure gradually became illusory, but the transformation speed was too slow. It was too late. A flash of white light had already completely enveloped Ciel.

A hundred meters away, Ciel’s figure gradually solidified. She looked down at her hands in confusion.

Why wasn’t I attacked?

Ciel looked back towards where she originally stood. Tara, who was standing beside her, had vanished without a trace. Only some undamaged transcendent characteristics and items remained where she stood. Not even bones were left.

In that split-second decision just now, Tara had already realized Ciel couldn’t escape this lightning strike. Almost without hesitation, she used the “Ascetic’s” ability to transfer this attack for Ciel...

The calamity was far from over.

The previously suppressed calamities, after the three gathered together, seemed to erupt suddenly, beginning a fierce and terrifying onslaught.

The thunderclouds in the sky illuminated almost the entire sky like daylight. The roaring sound made the earth tremble.

Ciel didn’t hesitate, turned, and ran. But after running just a few steps, she bumped headfirst into something soft.

It was a shadow, the shadow that had been circling in the air earlier.

Ciel abruptly turned back, looking into the distance.

The three seemed trapped in a beast cage. Within this definitely not spacious area, they were left at the mercy of the calamity raging upon them...

As if to determine a winner.