Cthulhu Gonfalon

The black rune was giving out an uninviting smell. Once one smelled it, one could at least skip the next meal. Those who had lower tolerance and ability to adapt would not be able to eat for the next few days.

After being hit by this thing, the original magic protection for the whole body, Oveila’s body state enhanced to a ridiculous level and stiffened. Then, she let out a crazy roar.

The roar was heart wrenching, as though someone was sawing in half, alive. However, it was not sufficient to describe her pain because the pain didn’t come from the body itself but from her spirit, from her soul.

The connection between her and her God was cut off forcibly.

Orc was a magical tribe, and regardless of gender and age in the tribe, they were all devoted believers, no exception. This even applied to a new born baby.

That was because they had already played a trick on their soul at the moment they created them. No matter how the bloodline was passed down, how the descendants were reproduced, their souls already had an owner, just like a commodity that had a label pasted on. There was once someone who did an experiment, which was to isolate the newborn Orc babies from the entire Orc society, to let them grow up under situations where they couldn’t get in touch with any mysterious knowledge. But as their intelligence increased, they naturally woke up to the belief of various Orc Gods.

Of course, such situations weren’t definite. During the growth of Orcs, there were times due to various reasons that they broke away from the “labels” on their souls. Their appearances remained, as well as their beliefs, but the exhibited qualities would be entirely different and people could tell with one glance.

A lot of mixed Orc races were like that too. Their appearances looked almost the same as pure blooded Orcs, and many of them believed in various Gods in Orc God system. But anyone who was slightly more experienced could easily tell the difference between them and Orcs.

It was a magical feeling. It felt just like you walked into a supermarket and saw various items labeled with prices, place of production, manufacturer, and much other information. Same went for the Orcs’ souls. Those “label-less products” without “labels” were normally referred toas “half-Orcs.”

The difference between Orc and half-Orc was not bloodline nor appearance but the “label” on their soul.

In the Orc’s society, half-Orcs were discriminated against. They had to contribute more greatly in order to achieve a better result, to possess stronger strength, to make more fortune, then they could obtain the same treatment as an Orc. Those important posts, such as priest of a higher order, could forever only be taken by Orcs, but not half-Orcs.

Oveila who was a high priest of a higher order was no doubt an Orc. But when she was hit by a special magic cast with devil soul extract as base material, the strength derived from the devil’s chaotic nature seemed to turn into a wall and blocked the channel of religion between her and the God that they worshipped, “Tyrannical King,” temporarily cutting off the pathway that was supposedly clear.

To any common pastor and high priest, that didn’t mean anything but the temporary inability to cast magic. But to an Orc, once the belief pathway was blocked, it meant that the “label” on their soul would temporarily disappear.

That moment, she felt her soul drifting about and had no one to turn to. She felt like a dried leaf that had yet to reach the ground but was crushed by a tornado; like one that was standing in lava naked and burnt black into ashes in an instant; like one that dropped into deep sea that was extremely cold, and froze into countless shattered ice pieces.

No! It was way scarier than those! It was indescribable!

If it was any commoner, maybe they could still resist such terrifying feelings with their will. But Oveila was a high priest with higher order, her connection with God was far more tight knitted compared to any other Orcs. After connection was cut off by blasphemous rune, her pain got even more serious.

Oveila groaned tragically, losing all her will.

Her pain didn’t last for long. Jose leaped forward, raised his fish fork and stabbed it into her chest, right at her heart.

That moment, the high priest of higher order died. But the soul that originally intended to depart to the holy kingdom of the God of half-centaur was still affected by the blaspheme rune and floating while wailing tragically in the air.

Although such a situation wouldn’t last for very long, after a few seconds the blaspheme rune would lose its effect. But Jose’s eyes brightened and quickly seized the chance.

“Hold her soul in custody!”

Frost was puzzled, he didn’t know why Jose said this but then remembered his sister’s order before he left. “Jose is very cunning, also very experienced in adventure. When you don’t know what to do, follow his instructions.” So, he immediately took out a blue gemstone, and cast magic to catch Oveila’s soul that was still wailing in misery, and imprisoned it.

“What do you want this for?” Frost asked. “This gemstone ain’t cheap. After putting a soul in it, it will be useless and can’t be sold anymore.”

Jose nearly choked at what he said. He smiled bitterly and replied, “Don’t ask me for money, I can’t afford this gemstone!”

“Forget it; submit for reimbursement from the public fund then.” Frost quickly found a solution to make up his loss. “This is a war expense, it should be publicly funded!”

After resolving the important question, he was suddenly relaxed and asked Jose why he wanted to hold Oveila’s soul captive.

Jose then took the opportunity to talk about serious business and explained to him.

All in all, Void Mask Church currently was at a lack for talent; there were almost no experts among them. Experts like Oveila. Even if there was only soul left, the soul itself carried a huge value. Void Mask Majesty possessed the inconceivable power to create a physical body. Using such power, he could totally make an entire body for Oveila. Compared to her body before, it would only be stronger.

“But regarding the problem of her belief, it can’t be solved right?”

“Regarding her belief, I believe His Majesty has his way about it,” Jose smiled. “Although there isn’t any evidence, I think our Majesty is actually quite amazing, as though nothing is impossible for him. He can’t do many things merely because He hasn’t tried wholeheartedly yet.

Frost was deep in thought and nodded solemnly.

“At the end of the day, the gemstone used will be reimbursed. Why not.”

Under circumstances where public funds could be used, the two of them who were focused on different concerns reached a mutual agreement very quickly. They kept Oveila’s dead body, cleaned up the traces of battlefield, and returned again.

“The Blaspheme rune is really a good thing!” Just when they resumed to their “travelling business uncle and nephew” identities, Jose couldn’t help but sigh, “A high priest of the higher order which is capable, just finished her life like that! It was as easy as killing a chicken!”

“Every scroll costs 400 gold coins, and the cost of every cast is 2,000 gold coins; that has yet to include the value of the essence of devil’s soul, which can’t be bought at all.” Frost raised her eyebrows. “If we calculate the essence of a devil’s soul at 5,000 gold coins, it would be a total of 7,400 gold coins… and that’s just the estimated cost.”

“Ha-ha…” Jose couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “with this amount of money, it would be even more convenient just to hire an assassin….”

Regardless, their assassination plan kicked off to a good start. Even though there was a hint of splurging money.

At the west of the Wild Empire, close to the desert’s “West Barren” region, Steele was using her ways to achieve the goal.

The tall and strong bear-man gave out a desperate roar. It had its eyes wide opened while it made breathing sounds as if it was close to its last breath. The muscles all over its body tensed up as sweat beads rolled down his granite-like muscles and soaked up the entire mattress under its body.

After about a few seconds, its body suddenly relaxed and it was panting in exhaustion as though it just had a vigorous fight.

“Not bad, not bad!” Steele smiled lovingly and lied on its body. “But, you are satisfied just like that?”

“I… I still can…”

“Mm, of course you can…”

After a while, the sound of two bodies pounding together and moist water-splashing noises were echoing again, the deep roar of bear-man and the faint laughter of Steele were mixed among all.

The second morning, the servant was surprised when he saw the number one expert among west barren Orc, the main God of Orc “Sky Devourer Canine.”

There was not scar on his body at all, there wasn’t any trace of poison or curse. The pastor and high priests from the church checked his dead body carefully, and finally came up with an awkward conclusion.

What caused the expert’s death was excessive indulgence in sexual activity.

No evil spirit absorbed his strength of life, no night demon took away his spirit, his body was still in perfect condition and his muscles were still solid, the powerful strength was still all over his body.

He really engaged in excessive amount of s*x that led to serious exhaustion and finally finished all his strength and died.

The way of death was shameful, and it became a laughing stock of the entire west barren.

The master of Orcs, considered one of the few highest positions, who could even kill the top expert of giant dragons with his bare hands, died because he couldn’t control his lower body and tired himself out!

There were many that were curious too…

To be able to make an unrivalled expert that was almost 500 years old, that was experienced and knowledgeable, to be that excited, even to the point where he forgot about his body condition; and made him “hard working” until the very end? How great is this woman?

“If I could stay for a night with that woman, how great would that be!” In a small pub, a young adventurer sighed.

The elderly comrade next to him teased, “Nonsense! Master Shiraz died of exhaustion. You are so scrawny and you think you can last for one whole night? In the middle of the night, you’d be dead, okay!”

“Sigh! To be able to die on that woman’s stomach. My life would be considered not wasted!”

“You are good-for-nothing!”

“Do you not want it?”

“I have a wife and children, why would I look for other women?”

“Hey… last time, who was the one who brought me to Void Mask’s Theme Park and told me that the church of the God of Happiness built a high-standard brothel, with some “Great sword” project that shouldn’t be missed…”

“Don’t don’t don’t! Don’t bring this up! If your sister-in-law hears this, I’ll be in big trouble!”

“Then, your treat next time?”

“…I have no money.”

“On the previous mission, didn’t you make a fortune?”

“Don’t bring that up….”

Listening to the conversation, a half-asleep pink piglet that used magic to hide herself was faintly smiling at the corner of the wall.