[Chapter 227: Nine Sacred Invocations: Guard]
Alessa.
The creator of the Inner World, and the true god of this nightmare realm.
Everything in the Inner World was a projection of Alessa's consciousness.
Most of the twisted monsters were distorted images of the doctors, nurses, and classmates who had tormented her during her suffering.
They embodied both her pain and her uncontrollable dark thoughts.
And Pyramid Head was the "protector" and "executioner" Alessa had conjured from her deepest despair. He represented Alessa's will to punish sinners.
As long as her consciousness remained, Pyramid Head could achieve infinite rebirth. But sustaining such a powerful existence consumed a massive amount of her power.
After witnessing the terrifying lightning power Daniel had displayed earlier, Alessa deliberately withdrew Pyramid Head to avoid wasting her energy on a pointless battle.
Alessa looked up, her pitch-black eyes locking onto Daniel's figure.
Her small, pale face was marked by confusion, complexity, and a faint trace of apprehension.
She had seen with her own eyes how Daniel shattered the church's Seal with brilliant heavenly might -- and then utterly slaughtered the souls of those cultists she had hated for thirty years.
"Alessa," Daniel said casually, flicking the copper coin sword in his hand.
He regarded the girl in purple with indifferent calm.
"Don't look at me like that. I've already cleaned up most of these rats for you. Now, only the final step remains..."
Alessa's gaze shifted to Christabella, who was struggling to rise. The cult priestess had fully transformed into the blade head woman, the Missionary. Steel spikes protruded from her head, glinting coldly in the light, while animalistic growls rumbled from her throat.
Alessa then glanced at Sharon, huddled in the corner, eyes flickering faintly.
"Control your uncontrollable 'little pets,'" Daniel said, pointing toward the monsters stirring on the roof. "Don't hurt those three women, or Sharon..."
Daniel's voice faltered for a moment. "You should understand her better than I do."
Sharon was the embodiment of Alessa's goodness, later adopted by Rose and her husband -- no one knew Sharon better than Alessa.
Daniel added, "As for this freak with the blade-head, I'll handle her."
"No." Alessa finally spoke, her voice cold and ethereal, echoing as if from a vast tunnel. "She is mine. Thirty years of pain must be ended by my own hands."
The wires that bound Sharon loosened on both sides, and she fell downward.
At first, her descent was rapid, but then she slowed, as if an invisible force was gently supporting her.
"Sharon."
Rose immediately rushed over and caught her in her arms.
Cradled by Rose, Sharon's eyes remained fixed on Alessa, filled with both curiosity and scrutiny.
Seeing Daniel and Alessa talk about her fate as if dividing prey, the Missionary reacted violently. Her spiked head emitted a harsh grinding sound as wisps of white steam rose from it.
"Devils! You damned devils! All of you, die!"
She roared, her two black folding blades vibrating wildly as she crushed the stone slab beneath her feet. Moving like a shadow, she avoided Daniel and his terrifying aura. Her blades crossed like scissors, aiming straight for Alessa's throat mid-flight.
As a fusion of Christabella's deep-rooted resentment, the Missionary possessed extreme explosive power and lethal melee skill.
Within the Inner World, she was one of the few monsters capable of inflicting physical cutting damage on spiritual bodies.
But she neglected one vital fact: this was the Inner World, and all the rules belonged to Alessa.
"You are overestimating yourself."
Alessa's cold voice rang out again.
Facing the oncoming blades, Alessa didn't budge.
She simply pressed down lightly with her right index finger.
"Creeeeak--!"
The harsh screech of twisting metal instantly drowned out the Missionary's roar.
From the surrounding walls, floor, and broken stone pillars, hundreds of rusted, barbed wires burst forth as if alive, weaving a dense, airtight net in midair.
The wires coiled precisely around the Missionary's waist and limbs.
Bang!
The wire mesh yanked her down from the air, slamming her heavily onto the rubble of the altar.
Alessa floated effortlessly, her purple skirt fluttering without wind, her eyes cold and devoid of any human emotion.
With a flick of her finger, the wire mesh tightened frantically.
"Ah--!"
The Missionary screamed, slashing wildly with her folding blades to free herself.
But for every wire she snapped, ten more sprouted in its place.
The barbs tore into her twisted flesh, drawing black-purple blood.
Alessa handled her like a patient child dismantling a toy; she wasn't in any rush to kill. Instead, she carefully twisted the wire mesh to wrench apart the Missionary's joints bit by bit.
Crack!
The sharp sound of bones snapping echoed through the silent church.
Alessa flicked her palm, and a blade made of wire whistled through the air.
Puchi!
The Missionary's right arm, still gripping a blade, was cleanly severed and flew to Rose's feet.
Terrified, Rose hugged Sharon tightly and retreated repeatedly.
"Alessa," Daniel reminded from the side, "go easy on her. Don't crush her completely. Save the final blow for me."
Alessa didn't turn to look, nor did she blink, as if she hadn't heard him.
She waved her hand again.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three more flashes of metallic light sliced through the air.
The Missionary's remaining three limbs were severed midair.
Only her spike-covered torso and head remained, falling into a pool of blood with a heavy thud.
At this moment, Christabella had lost all priestly dignity.
Like a pest with her limbs clipped off, she writhed desperately on the ground, her mouth spewing indecipherable curses.
Alessa pinched the air; countless wires pierced the Missionary's collarbones, pinning her firmly to the ground.
Her body was covered in delicate incisions, and her life force was rapidly fading. Yet beneath that twisted malice, she clung stubbornly to her last breath.
Alessa slowly descended to the floor, her long black hair shadowing her expression.
She turned to look at Sharon, curled tightly in Rose's arms -- her eyes flickered with confusion, but quickly cooled again.
She pointed at the stub of a monster clinging to the wall and tossed a single word to Daniel: "Here."
She had completed her thirty-year vengeance and left this half-dead husk for Daniel's finishing touch.
"How generous."
Daniel smiled and strode toward the wall.
The copper coin sword in his hand thrummed with mana, humming excitedly.
He looked into the bloodshot eyes still fixed on him on the wall and flicked his wrist.
"In your next life, remember to choose a better faith."
Daniel stepped forward, the copper coins on his sword spinning as they extended, piercing the Missionary's spike-studded forehead.
Boom--!
There was no gruesome explosion -- just an unearthly transformation.
From inside out, the Missionary's twisted body turned to flying ash, scattered to the winds.
"Ah--!"
A shrill scream echoed through the church ruins, then suddenly ceased.
[Ding! Killed C-rank monster 'Missionary,' obtained 5,000,000 merit points.]
[Ding! Killed C-rank monster 'Missionary,' obtained Nine Sacred Invocations: Guard.]
*****
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