Linde stared at the tiny crack, the eerie blue light at his fingertips growing increasingly solid.
Instead of violently tearing space apart, he carefully injected the pure Shadow Abyss power, like the finest probe, into the ancient and fragile sealing rune nodes at the edge of the rift.
[Deconstructing the Halo] operates at full capacity, analyzing the weaknesses in the seal structure.
Soon, he found his target—several energy conduction points that were already riddled with invisible cracks due to their age and lack of continuous nourishment from holy power.
"laugh……"
A faint, almost imperceptible sound, like ice falling into boiling oil, echoed in the deathly silent underground stone chamber.
At the edge of that originally stable rift, a few dim ancient runes suddenly flickered before completely annihilating and turning into ashes.
The rift itself seemed to be slightly widened by invisible fingers, spreading from one finger's width to two fingers' width. A clearer and colder aura of the Shadow Abyss, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, quietly peeked out, causing the surrounding air temperature to drop sharply.
The rift widened, but remained within a small area. The energy fluctuations it leaked were cleverly contained underground by Linde, like a slowly released poison, temporarily preventing them from alerting those beings on the surface who relied on the Holy Light for perception.
After completing this step, Linde's figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.
A moment later, he returned, carrying several plump underground rats that were squeaking and struggling desperately.
These creatures, living at the very bottom of the Holy City, are constantly tainted with trace amounts of Shadow Abyss aura, making them more resilient to the upcoming transformations than the creatures on the ground.
Linde threw them in front of the widening crack.
The mice instinctively felt fear and tried to scatter and flee, but were firmly held in place by an invisible force field.
He stretched out his palm and aimed it at the desperate rats. Below his palm, a miniature, twisted dark vortex slowly took shape—it was highly concentrated Shadow Abyss power.
"Go, and bring the first... different kind of prayer to this sacred place."
As soon as he finished speaking, several thin black lines, as fine as hair, split off from the dark vortex and precisely pierced the rat's head!
squeak--!!!
A shrill, almost inhuman scream erupted instantly, but was quickly suppressed by Lind's force field, echoing only in the small stone chamber.
The rat's body underwent a horrific transformation at a visible speed: its fur fell off, revealing skin that rapidly turned black and sticky underneath; its body swelled, its muscles twisted and knotted, and it grew sharp bone spurs and bizarre appendages; its eyes became cloudy, leaving only the most primal hunger and malice for all living things.
Its consciousness was completely erased, turning it into a Shadow Abyss Split—driven only by its most basic instincts and the trace of Shadow Abyss power injected into it.
Modification complete. Linde removed the force field.
In just a few breaths, a living rat transformed into a terrifying Shadow Abyss Splinter, radiating cold malice! It lay prostrate on the ground, emitting threatening growls, displaying instinctive fear and obedience to Lind, who created it.
Linde followed the same method, and soon, five or six freshly created Shadow Abyss Splits appeared in front of him.
Their individual strength is indeed not strong, roughly equivalent to a slightly threatening wild beast. Their core power lies in the mental intimidation brought by the unsettling aura of the Shadow Abyss and their distorted appearance, as well as... the natural erosion of the life force of ordinary creatures by the meager Shadow Abyss energy within them.
Dealing with fully armed Holy Knights protected by holy light? They'd be purified by the holy light in a single encounter. Dealing with trained novice nuns or monks who know a few basic divine spells? It might take some effort, but they could eventually be driven away or eliminated.
But what about dealing with powerless civilians? What about dealing with those lower-ranking believers who only pray and are filled with confusion?
They are nightmares from the abyss!
“That’s enough,” Linde commented indifferently.
What he wanted was not destruction, but panic. Panic is like a plague; once it begins to spread, it can ferment on its own and destroy far more than the physical damage that these few small monsters could cause.
He flicked his finger, and a few barely perceptible strands of Shadow Abyss energy entered the bodies of these split entities, as if setting simple instructions and general directions.
"Go, go to the dark corners, go to the edge of the crowd... go and 'pray'."
Upon receiving the command, the newly formed Shadow Abyss Splits emitted a low, grinding hiss, then nimbly darted into the shadows of the underground tunnels, silently burrowing towards the surface world along the rat tunnels and drainage systems.
Linde stood still, the perception of the [Deconstruction Halo] like an invisible net, tracking those faint wisps of evil aura as they spread upwards.
He knew that it wouldn't be long, perhaps even tonight:
Beside a garbage heap in a secluded alley, a piercing scream will be heard, and witnesses will see a black monster, unlike any they've ever seen before, exuding an ominous aura, devouring a drunkard.
In a certain long-neglected sewer opening, something terrifying might crawl out, driving women who get up early to empty the sewage mad.
Perhaps from the dark, damp basement of the church-affiliated orphanage, one can hear the terrified cries of children, for something is writhing in the shadows of the corner…
These events, taken individually, are insignificant and will soon be purified by holy light by holy knights or low-ranking priests who arrive upon hearing the news.
But they will create ripples, like pebbles thrown into a calm lake.
Rumors will begin to spread: A demon has appeared in the Holy City! Shadows are creeping! Has the protection of the light been breached?
Fear will take root in the hearts of believers and ordinary citizens.
Those church leaders who are already overwhelmed by the fall of God and desperately trying to cover up the truth will have to divert their energy to deal with these "minor matters." They will suppress the news more severely and send out patrols more frequently. This overreaction will further exacerbate the atmosphere of tension and distrust.
The seeds of chaos have already been sown.
A cold, almost ethereal smile finally appeared on Linde's lips.
He turned and focused his attention once again on the slightly widening crack and the vast network of seals deeper underground.
The first step has been taken.
Next, he needs to wait, observe, and at the right moment... gently push the second domino.
Night quietly descends upon the holy city, the dazzling holy light still illuminating the streets and alleys. But in the shadows where the light cannot reach, something has begun to fester and spread. The first malicious "prayer" from underground is about to shatter the tranquility of this ancient holy city.
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