Church square on the day of Advent.

“It’s been so long since I’ve worn this outfit.” Todd stood in front of the bronze mirror, looking at himself in the church’s holy order suit, loosened the collar with his hand, and said softly, “It’s been a year since I’ve worn it, and this suit seems a little small.”

"Your Majesty, the time has come."

Todd nodded to the servant, picked up the Bible from the table, and went outside.

Advent is the first of the seven festivals of the church, and its significance lies in prompting believers to reflect on themselves and await the coming of Christ.

However, the specific time of the ceremony differs between the Church of the Father and the Orthodox Church.

To celebrate the arrival of Advent, a wooden ceremonial platform was specially erected in the church square of Twilight City.

A wreath, also known as the "Advent Wreath," is placed on the platform. It contains three purple candles, one pink candle, and one larger white candle. The three purple and one pink candles represent the four weeks of Advent, while the white candle symbolizes the holy Christ.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the king, dressed in holy robes, appeared at the edge of the platform, drawing cheers from the crowd below like waves.

Some cried out that he was the Son of God; in their hearts, the name Todd meant the Holy Spirit. One unheard-of miracle after another occurred in his hands; one incredible thing after another became possible under his guidance.

Some shouted "King!" but they respected his promises and benevolence even more. Long before Twilight City was a mere village, Todd had guaranteed a three-year tax-free period. When the Knights became secularized, people expected the King to retract his order, but to everyone's surprise, he chose to keep his word. Now, the residents of Twilight City, unless they were lazy or cunning, could earn a living through their own labor and enjoy a lifestyle comparable to that of nobles.

Todd stood on the platform leading up to the ceremony, looking down at the crowd in the square.

Closest to him were Alfonso and his guards; further away were King's officials such as Rachel, Joe, Elijah, and Mary; and on the outermost perimeter were a sea of ​​onlookers.

"Angels announce, through the protection of the Holy Spirit..."

As Todd loudly recited the sacred text, he lit the first purple candle, and the crowd below began to pray silently.

"The coming of the Son of God frees people from the shackles of sin and grants them freedom."

The second and third purple candles were lit.

May the heavens shower down sweet dew, and justice descend from the clouds; may the earth split open, and a savior be born.

Pink candles were lit, and the ground beneath the altar trembled. People who believed the Holy Son had appeared whispered among themselves, and more and more people began to kneel down.

"The Lord will come into the world to bring light and salvation to mankind, and thus we have hope."

Todd lit the last white candle, and the ceremony was officially completed.

The ground tremors grew louder and louder, and visible cracks, like a spider web, continued to extend and expand.

With the sound of sand and gravel cracking, the earth collapsed.

A massive sinkhole appeared around the ceremonial platform, the wooden structure crumbled, and sand and dust flew everywhere. Amidst gasps and shouts, the king vanished into the hole.

He fell nearly ten meters underground, and even with his 'regeneration' ability, Todd was still dizzy and unable to move.

The sunlight streaming through the deep cave was completely blocked by the face of a young girl.

"Haha! It really is the king!"

Upon hearing these words, Todd was about to ask who the other person was when his body was suddenly lifted into the air. The next second, he was carried on the girl's shoulders and moved rapidly along the dark passage.

The girl disappeared into the sewers, leaving behind only the words: "Ivan! It's time to set off fireworks! To stop those pursuers!"

A few seconds later, a knight in full iron armor, holding a sword and shield, jumped into the hole.

"Your Majesty! Where are you?!"

Alfonso, his feet firmly planted on the soft ground of the sewer, was as anxious as an ant on a hot plate. He turned around in place, using the falling light to survey his surroundings.

This is the very center of the Muxi underground pipe network, and also the central platform of the sewer system, but this room has four exits facing different directions. Where exactly is Todd located?

More and more of the heirs' guards entered the cave. Someone lit a torch and then cried out, "Sir! Look at the ground!"

Alfonso looked down at the ground as instructed. The room was covered with a 'carpet' that resembled capillaries, and some red shadows were moving on the ground. They were moving too fast to make out their shapes.

A red worm sprang up from the ground, passed through a gap in a guard's helmet, pierced through the eyeball, and entered the victim's brain.

A piercing scream rang out as the attacked guard fell to the ground, his body instantly engulfed by countless worms. The sound of flesh being devoured was chilling.

Alfonso gasped, then shouted, "Form a circular formation! Form a circular formation!"

The guards quickly formed a circular shield wall, defending against attacks from the ground while slashing at the worms in their eyes with their swords.

Soon, the knights realized that their resistance was futile. The "blood carpet" had spread throughout the room; the floor, walls, and even the ceiling could all become hiding places for these "man-eating snakes."

Meanwhile, guards kept jumping down through the hole, often becoming the insects' meal before they even realized what was happening.

As more and more victims gathered, Alfonso frantically shouted towards the large hole in the ceiling, "Don't come down! Damn it! I told you, don't come down!"

Just as he was distracted, a worm sprang up from the ground and lunged straight at Alfonso's face.

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