https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-427-Sandbox-Data-Fluctuations-An-Abnormal-Presence/12851171/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-429-The-Story-of-the-Three-Eyed-People/12851175/
Chapter 428: Bai Shuang's Illusion
Chapter 428: Bai Shuang's Illusion
"Your Grace, you seem a bit unwell lately," a mage under the God of Magic asked with concern.
After all, although Duke Bai Shuang was not the Pope of the Magic Church, he was the protector of all the God of Magic's believers, so it was only natural for them to be concerned.
Their Magic Church was just a third-rate minor church, only able to huddle in the capital of the Bai Shuang Duchy, with no real influence outside of it.
Although Duke Bai Shuang was a believer in the God of Magic, the Bai Shuang Duchy was still primarily the domain of various deities like Holy Light, Fertility, and Power. These were not things they could control, given their limited influence. Besides, Duke Bai Shuang could not stop it, as he needed the help of these churches to rule over the vast duchy.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired lately," he replied, his eyes bloodshot. As the ruler of the duchy, he naturally knew about the recent large-scale divine descents.
Holy Light, Fertility, Power, and even the God of Magic had sent several divine servants down, causing chaos in various regions. Many of the nobles under his rule were panicked, as this was the first time the gods had taken such a significant action.
Even his own authority had experienced some vacuums during this chaos, primarily because there was something wrong with this divine descent.
In everyone's impression, divine descent should choose devout priests or noble individuals as vessels, but this time, most of the chosen were lowly peasants and serfs, which shook the beliefs of the extraordinary beings and nobles.
Duke Bai Shuang naturally knew why. Divine descent required faith, and how many of those nobles or priests were actually fanatical believers?
So, they were simply not qualified. After this, significant issues were bound to arise.
Firstly, the peasants and serfs who had been possessed by divine servants would retain the power after the divine servants returned. It would be as if someone had cultivated on their behalf for a period, greatly increasing the number of extraordinary beings. If this had happened to nobles or priests, they would have been overjoyed.
However, they were not chosen, which was a significant problem. When the divine servants and servants returned, they would be left to face a group of ignorant extraordinary beings.
Additionally, there would be conflicts of identity. The divine servants and servants who descended into ordinary people would inevitably clash with local priests. After all, a sudden serf claiming to be a messenger sent by their deity would not be easily accepted by the priests.
Being led by a peasant or serf would be a disgrace, and some priests might refuse to acknowledge them, claiming they were false messengers and execute them. This would exacerbate the conflict, as the newly descended divine messengers would not be very powerful at first, needing time to grow and recover.
After all, they had to penetrate the barrier of the material plane, and it was not their true forms but divine descents. Normally, divine descents should choose devout priests, benefiting both parties. The divine messengers would use the priests' bodies to walk the earth and eliminate heretics, and upon returning, they would leave their power as a reward, potentially creating many legendary-level beings. Unfortunately, while there were many priests and extraordinary beings, there were few who were truly devout.
Following this, the mid and upper levels of the hierarchy would face crises due to a lack of faith. If any of the priests who were possessed by divine servants had ulterior motives and collaborated with the possessed commoners, they might successfully seize significant power.
Indeed, while most of the possessed were peasants and serfs, there were also many priests and nobles. These individuals were now highly sought after, waiting to rise to prominence after the divine descents ended.
More importantly, this divine descent increased everyone's reverence for the gods, making many more devout, especially the mid and upper levels of the church. While the lower-level priests might not have much insight, those who had reached a certain position were not foolish.
The gods had performed miracles, not to encourage further greed, but to instill reverence.
Many similar incidents had occurred under Duke Bai Shuang's rule, making it difficult for him to handle the situation.
If he were to intervene, who would he help?
On one side were the messengers of the gods, and on the other were the priests of the gods. He could not afford to offend the gods.
So, he decided to pretend he didn't know. After all, given his current situation, even the God of Magic's divine punishment might not be effective against him.
"Your Grace's magic might help alleviate Duke Bai Shuang's fatigue. Would you like me to serve you?" the mage hurriedly offered, trying to be helpful.
Duke Bai Shuang replied somewhat reluctantly, "Then I'll trouble you, Master Moriah."
He couldn't refuse, as the mage was a highly respected priest in the Magic Church, and they had always been on good terms. Today, he had come to discuss magic with him.
However, after reading the contents of the Book of the Sage, he found these mages to be incredibly foolish. Even though he had once thought them to be wise, he now found it impossible to discuss these so-called magics that seemed like children's toys.
Moriah the Mage stood up and began a poetic incantation, naturally praising and beseeching the God of Magic to open the channels of magic, allowing him to use it.
Just this one spell, or more straightforwardly, divine magic, required a three to five-minute incantation, and even the use of hands and feet, like a theatrical performance.
All clerical spellcasting was like this. Since it was a time of noble warfare, everything had to be elegant. The spellcasting of priests was similar to the battles of knights, requiring an epic feel, akin to a stage play. Instant casting was out of the question.
Moreover, the more powerful and effective the divine magic, the longer the casting time. It was said that the most powerful divine miracle, the Holy Light Judgment, required a three-day incantation to be released. Over the years, only the Pope of the Holy Light Church had mastered this divine magic as a last resort.
Listening to the poetic incantation, Duke Bai Shuang, who had once found it pleasing, now felt only annoyance. Although his madness was suppressed, the roiling distortion and insanity in his blood seemed to stir slightly under the mage's incantation, like a weak patient being disturbed by loud, jarring sounds.
But his rationality suppressed it all. Fortunately, Moriah was quite skilled and finished the incantation in three minutes.
A cool divine magic entered his body, but instead of making him feel better, it nearly caused him to collapse. Countless illusions surged up, and his brow ached as if something were trying to drill out of it.
"Master Moriah, your magic is very effective, but I have many affairs to attend to today and cannot discuss the mysteries of magic with you. Please understand," Duke Bai Shuang's voice was hoarse, which made Master Moriah curious about what was happening.
However, he didn't think much of it and respectfully said, "Then I won't disturb Your Grace."
Although he didn't know why, he understood that this was a dismissal. Staying would bring no benefits.
So, he left as quickly as possible.
After the mage left, Duke Bai Shuang calmed down. He had almost lost control and might have torn Moriah apart.
"Survival and reproduction?" Duke Bai Shuang muttered softly. Just a moment ago, he had seemed to fall into some ancient illusion, and then he touched his forehead. "Indeed, it was just an illusion. I actually felt as if I had an eye growing on my forehead."
"Truly ridiculous, I thought it was the story of the three-eyed man that my grandfather used to tell me when I was a child."
He didn't know why such a strange illusion had appeared.
"Perhaps these mad magical knowledge are making me fall into these bizarre illusions."
Although Duke Bai Shuang knew there was something wrong with him, he couldn't do anything about it. Both the priests and the physicians had declared him healthy, even stronger than some high-level warriors.
As for mental issues, they had said that simply believing in the gods would be enough, and there was no need to resolve them.
But he had lost contact with the God of Magic. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't dare to pray or believe again, as he had stolen the God of Magic's authority. If he dared to pray, divine punishment would surely come.
"Perhaps? I should look for the story of the three-eyed man that my grandfather told me. I remember it being in the study?" Duke Bai Shuang muttered to himself. He didn't know why he wanted to do this, but there was something in his heart guiding him to seek out the things in his illusions.
(End of Chapter)
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