NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: dark side of north church
After silencing the priest, Leo's gaze swept across the dimly lit church. The name, a macabre tribute to a horrific human experiment, now seemed prophetic. The bodies of women, children, the elderly, and the young lay scattered, mutilated and charred. Some were missing limbs, others their heads, and still others had been horrifically disfigured.
This version emphasizes the brutality of the scene and the variety of gruesome injuries inflicted upon the victims. The bodies lay before him, a stark reminder of the horror. He vowed to give them a proper burial, but first, the church's entrance must be breached. A promise of vengeance burned in his heart. A curious discovery awaited Leo: a colossal glass jar containing a mysterious, purple substance that defied explanation. Building suspense
Intrigued by the enigmatic purple substance, Leo drew closer to the glass jar. Yet, as he leaned in for a better look, a sharp crackle of footsteps echoed through the silent room, startling him. The pastor entered the church. A moment ago, someone had been outside, and now their heavy footsteps echoed within the walls. Leo silently willed his newly acquired influence skill to work.
The pastor stepped into the church, his gaze drawn to a solitary figure: the honey merchant. What's buzzing, honey man?" The pastor said to Leo. "Where has HuniP vanished? Has divine grace abandoned you?"
"Searching for your friend? You'll find him soon enough," Leo said, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
"What did you say, you bastard? I'm going to join HuniP? What you have done to him" the pastor demanded angrily.
"Merely a minor alteration. I erased his memory of me, replaced it with something... new," Leo said with a sinister smile.
With a furious roar, the pastor charged, brandishing two deadly daggers. One was poised to strike, the other held in reserve.
"Leo rolled his eyes, 'Oh! My pastor is a dagger enthusiast or something.' What a strange hobby!"
Leo dodged the initial attack with ease and without any apparent effort. The pastor, though, quickly drew a second dagger, his eyes squeezed shut as he lunged at Leo.
Leo's eyes widened as he recognized the telekinetic force, but the darkness behind it remained a mystery.
"A darkness lurks within the ability, a truth the report had only hinted at," Leo murmured, his eyes narrowing.
A sinister grin spread across the pastor's face as he cackled, 'Ha ha ha! Traveling merchant, are you surprised? This is just the beginning!'
Is that the best you've got?" Leo scoffed, "You think this is the beginning? Pathetic."
A maniacal laugh escaped the pastor's lips as he hurled the dagger, its tip engulfed in a swirling purple flame, at the unsuspecting Leo. With a swift movement, Leo snatched the fiery dagger from the air, his hand seemingly immune to the intense heat.
The pastor's face contorted in fear as he realized the danger he was in, and he turned to flee.
"I am the strongest of my kind. Oh you are a human, my apologies, Your petty abilities are no match for me."
Panic etched across the pastor's face as he stuttered, 'Who... who are you? What side do you serve?' He fumbled for the poison, his last resort.
Leo used Flashstep, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the pastor. "Not so fast, Pastor," he said. "Let me show you the grace of the gods."
After that, Leo's eyes began to turn yellow, with the black pearls in his irises slowly shifting to a deep, glowing gold.
Leo was using his influence skill on the pastor, and the pastor's eyes turned vacant and lifeless, as if he were nothing more than a puppet under Leo's control.
Leo asked " who sent you to do it, and whether it was the archbishop or someone else."
The pastor, now looking completely lifeless, responded immediately, his voice hollow and controlled. "Create superhumans with powers like Leo Garmini."
"I was sent by higher-ups in the church meeting room," he said with a hollow voice, his words devoid of emotion. "I don't know who gave me the order."
Leo then asked him again, "How long?"
"Ten years," the pastor said, his voice still empty and distant.
"What! Ten years?" Leo exclaimed, a mix of annoyance and surprise in his voice. "I didn't know about it after all this time... Night walk!" He readied his hand, a glowing yellow ball swirling in his palm. He pressed it into his mind and whispered in his ear, 'You will forget what happened to you.' There was an explosion, and before you could move the bodies, the city guards arrived and captured you. Leo ordered them to erase your memory and replace it with..."
The city's quiet was shattered by the sudden intrusion of the Royal Guard's search. Leo, with his extraordinary hearing, was the first to notice the disturbance.
Leo's jaw clenched. "I won't let this opportunity go to waste, Pastor. I'll show the entire church and their society the Emperor's grace."
As Leo stepped out of the north church, a chill wind swept through the graveyard, stirring the skeletal remains of the past. He longed to delve into the earth, to uncover the secrets it held. But the ticking clock of time urged him onward. A peculiar garden, cloaked in an ethereal fog, piqued his curiosity. With a hesitant step, he ventured into the unknown. As Leo stepped into the fog-shrouded garden, a sense of awe and wonder washed over him. Towering trees, their bark weathered and worn, stood like silent guardians. In the distance, the faint outline of houses emerged from the mist, promising a hidden civilization. But as he delved deeper into the garden, a strange sensation crept over him. He felt as if the very fabric of reality was shifting, bending to an unseen force. A sudden chill wind swept through the garden, carrying with it the scent of foreign soil and unfamiliar flora. He had been transported to another continent, a place where the sun shone differently and the seasons followed a different rhythm.