Chapter 683

On the other side, Robert, once again struck by Father Cali's screams, was relieved that the two patrol members confronting him were similarly affected.

He did not know what had happened to his lover, nor could he confirm it; gritting his teeth against the swelling in his skull and the pain in his eardrums, he leapt forward toward the altar.

Plop!

Lyra's arrow struck the pile of clothing, but Robert had chosen a different target this time—far off course.

After hitting the ground, he rolled continuously and took cover behind the altar.

Lyra drew her bowstring again but did not release the arrow immediately.

One reason was that Robert's body was completely blocked by the altar, making aiming impossible; the other was that as a devout follower of the Eternal Sun, she could never use "Wrath Strike" to destroy the altar with her hunter's bow's special properties.

Seeing this, Camus, realizing his revolver could not substitute for the task, leapt through the shattered stained-glass window and seized the opportunity to sprint toward the altar.

After a brief hesitation, Lyra raised her hunter's bow and shot an arrow wrapped in crackling lightning into the air.

The arrow arced high, then plummeted swiftly, clearing the altar's obstruction and landing behind it.

Unable to aim directly, it grazed Robert's body and struck the gap between two stone slabs; sparks of electricity spread outward, crawling over Robert and briefly paralyzing him.

Once he shook off the state, Robert abandoned the idea of circling back to his clothes to retrieve his spirit-contact materials, and gave up on rescuing his lover, Father Cali.

He prepared to bite his tongue again to complete "Spirit Contact," using the unique ability of the recently encountered natural spirit to escape back to his own plantation, where he still had ample spiritual materials on hand.

At that moment, the corner of his eye caught sight of Camus's light-colored trousers and perforated leather shoes—and suddenly, a whip woven of flickering electricity appeared in his mind.

The whip lashed directly against his soul.

Extreme paralysis and agony surged simultaneously; Robert, crouching behind the altar, buckled at the knees and collapsed, trembling violently.

"Whip of Pain!"

"The Interrogator's Whip of Pain!"

Camus closed the distance in two strides, bent down, and delivered a left hook with a touch of personal vendetta.

Thud!

Camus, skilled in interrogation techniques, inflicted pain on Robert without exceeding limits, rendering him unconscious yet sparing him serious physical harm.

After subduing Robert, Camus glanced at the naked man and selected nearby clothing to cover his private parts.

He then hoisted Robert onto his shoulders and returned toward the area where Lu Mi and the others were.

By this time, Lu Jianuo had already extracted the bullet lodged in Amandina's shoulder and caused the wound to contract and heal.

…………

Father Cali still dreamed of the interior of Saint Cien Church.

Dressed in a white robe with gold thread, he knelt before the altar, his face twisted in anguish as he whispered incessantly, as if confessing.

Amandina, clad in a black hunting outfit, walked down the aisle between the rows of seats to Father Cali's side and, remembering Louis Berry's instructions, asked at once:

"What is the origin of this peculiar dream?"

Father Cali lifted his head, his facial muscles contorted, and replied:

"That tomb. That strange tomb."

"Tomb?" Amandina doubted she had attended a fake "Dream Festival."

Where was a tomb?

Suddenly, an insight struck her:

"That huge, black stone?"

Was that actually a tomb?

Father Cali nodded:

"Yes."

So it really was a tomb… A surge of intense curiosity rose in Amandina; she probed further with initiative:

"Whose tomb is it? Why is it so peculiar?"

Father Cali remained kneeling before the altar, shaking his head:

"I don't know.

"Even the tomb guardians don't know—they only know their duty is to guard that strange ancient tomb."

"Tomb guardians? Who are the tomb guardians?" Amandina felt more and more uncertain about the "Dream Festival" with each question.

Father Cali looked up at Amandina and said:

"The elders of the tribe in the jungle."

"I see…" Amandina's mind brimmed with questions; she picked one: "Did you take Robert to Tewanako's house to sleep, helping him stay awake, then lead him to that ancient tomb to gain supernatural power?"

"Yes." Father Cali bowed his head, facing the altar, his voice strained with pain: "I am guilty."

Just as I suspected… Amandina pressed further:

"How did you learn that going there could grant supernatural power? And how did you stay awake? You've only lived in Tizamo Town for five years, but I grew up here."

The veins on Father Cali's neck bulged prominently:

"Tewanako. Tewanako. He seduced me."

"He seduced you with his body?" Amandina suddenly felt a flicker of excitement.

Father Cali paused, startled:

"He saw my hunger for status and recognition, gradually revealed his abilities, and told me there was a way for me to gain power quickly and simply—once I had great power, I could serve the Church more, earn greater rewards and approval…

"That devil!"

"So you were seduced?" Amandina asked, slightly disappointed.

Father Cali nodded slowly:

"Yes. Tewanako needed someone to monitor dream changes and preside over the 'Dream Festival' after he left Tizamo Town. First, he had me sleep in his house; then, during the 'Dream Festival,' he took me to that strange ancient tomb."

"Did you gain your supernatural power by touching the tomb?" Amandina asked casually.

Father Cali shook his head again:

"No. Tewanako pried open a crack in the tomb chamber and made me reach my hand inside…"

"What did you touch?" Seeing Father Cali hesitate, Amandina urged impatiently.

"I touched a hand—a cold, lifeless hand. Then I fainted. When I woke up, I had gained supernatural power. In the next three 'Dream Festivals,' I did the same three times, eventually becoming a 'Soul of Resentment.'" As he recalled the moment, fear crept uncontrollably across his face.

It was fear of that cold hand—and fear of how easily and simply he had acquired supernatural power.

"The hand of the corpse inside the tomb?" Amandina quickly reviewed Father Cali's words and thought of a question: "You said there were tomb guardians. Why, when I and Robert went there, was there no resistance at all?"

Father Cali's voice grew deeper:

"Anyone who has lived long-term in Tizamo Town develops a projection in this dream—a manifestation of their suppressed emotions and desires. These projections normally hide in the chaotic zone at the dream's edge, created by the tomb, and together with the tomb guardians, worship the ancient tomb and protect it from outsiders.

"When the 'Dream Festival' begins, these projections return to their original bodies, forming complete participants whose emotions and desires are no longer suppressed; meanwhile, the tomb guardians vanish without a trace."

Strange… Amandina was deeply puzzled by the fate of the tomb guardians.

She felt a growing unease.

After a moment's thought, she asked anxiously:

"Do I have a projection formed from my suppressed emotions and desires in this dream?"

Father Cali shook his head:

"No.

"You don't spend enough time in Tizamo Town each year. Even if someone originally formed a dream projection, if they leave for long enough and no longer excessively suppress themselves, the projection gradually fades and disappears.

"Those who remain awake in this dream also see their projections slowly fade over time.

"But this awareness isn't absolute clarity. Once the 'Dream Festival' begins, everyone tends to amplify their emotions and desires—even those who remain awake. They merely avoid losing self-control entirely like those fused with the dream-self; they can restrain themselves nearly as normally as in waking life, showing only subtle signs."

Amandina recalled her behavior during the two "Dream Festivals" and suddenly understood.

She had thought she acted more selfishly and freely here because it was a dream, and since no one died, it was just a game—but now she realized it was due to the "Dream Festival's" influence.

Thank goodness, I've always had self-control… Amandina, having gathered nearly all the information Louis Berry requested, and sensing the rest were matters even Father Cali didn't know, changed the subject:

"You've become a Soul of Resentment—and yet you still dare preach and preside over Mass…

"Aren't you afraid the God will notice you and strike you down with divine wrath, purifying you into ash?"

Living in the Southern Continent, Amandina understood better than many gentlemen and ladies in Trill that the Eternal Sun Church possessed immense power, and she firmly believed in the existence of deities.

Moreover, over the past year, she had diligently gathered esoteric knowledge from Robert and every accessible source, aware that the infamous "Rose Sect," often the subject of terrifying legends, was notorious for its many Souls of Resentment—and that such beings feared sunlight imbued with purification.

Father Cali sighed:

"I once feared this too, but Tewanako told me he had a way to conceal my Soul of Resentment power—unless God himself directly observed this place, I would remain undetected."

"What method?" Amandina asked curiously.

Father Cali answered honestly:

"After touching the corpse's hand inside the tomb to gain supernatural power, don't leave immediately—touch the tomb itself, that black stone.

"This will conceal all my supernatural power, and the effect lasts over a year."

So it could be done like that? If I touch the black stone, then touch the corpse's hand again, what will happen? Amandina pondered, then asked a question she deeply cared about:

"How did you seduce Robert?

"Why did he become your lover?"

Amandina looked him up and down, left and right—she saw nothing in Father Cali that could attract Robert, except his power.

Could love truly be blind?

Father Cali fell silent for a moment, then said:

"I awakened his desires and shattered his self-control."

"You never showed any ability like that before…" Amandina hadn't noticed Father Cali awakening anyone's desires.

Father Cali's voice once again carried a tinge of pain:

I am guilty; I prayed to the devil that I told Tavanako about...

Before Father Cali could finish speaking, the entire dream suddenly trembled and crumbled piece by piece.

PS: The physical book of "The Circle of Fate 1" will open pre-orders on March 22 at 8: 0 PM; details can be found on my Weibo~

(End of Chapter)