Mark was clean and tidy, without any signs of being extraordinary; he was as ordinary as the wild grass that could be seen anywhere by the roadside.
She couldn't even be sure if Mark was really her sister Eileen's biological son.
If so, that's even more puzzling.
The son of a saint most favored by the goddess could not receive even a shred of her favor.
This confusion and lingering disappointment, along with Eileen's retirement, became a hidden knot in Eileen's heart.
Years later, in the remote town of Osborne, she met Mark Stewart again as an adult.
The shock of that moment almost made her lose her composure!
The boy she remembered should have had difficulty even changing jobs in the Church of Holy Light, but he has transformed into a genuine clergyman!
Although the magic's color is strange, its holy light nature is undeniable!
At the time, in the Black Gold Gang's base, although she complained that her sister had given her a "troublemaker" and even deliberately acted like an irresponsible guide in front of Mark, a thunderous thought had already exploded in her heart!
Every word of the past divine pronouncements, the sister's seemingly absurd insistence, and the incredible fact before them all came together in an instant.
Mark Stewart, the kid he once judged to be "ordinary," is probably the very special person the oracle of the Goddess of the Stars and Moon foretold!
That which does not belong to the Holy Light, yet will rise within the Church of the Holy Light, and may ultimately be the key to building a divine kingdom based on the "star and moon"!
Eileen... how did your sister do that?
How did she find Mark so accurately when he was still a baby?
Or rather, how could she "give birth" to a child that conformed to the oracle?
How many untold secrets are hidden within this?
Eileen didn't know.
The only thing she was absolutely certain of was that from the moment she reunited with Mark in Osborne, her seemingly leisurely period of seclusion had come to a complete end.
The wheels of fate began to turn faster, and she had to play the role of guide, no matter what lay ahead, whether it was thorns or an abyss.
She looked at the four, or rather five, young people and slimes who were about to be drawn into the eye of the storm before her, and the last trace of nonchalance in her eyes completely disappeared, leaving only solemnity and determination.
She exhaled softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the wind of the wasteland:
"Alright, no time to daydream. Let's get going, newbies. Your comfortable 'starter village' life is officially over."
She turned around first, and the little black dog followed closely behind, their target the dark horizon, shrouded in eerie darkness and fraught with danger.
Enzo grinned, lava patterns rippling restlessly beneath his skin: "...I feel like I've boarded a terrible pirate ship."
He shouldered the warhammer and followed closely behind.
Anna and Monica exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination and a hint of nervousness about the unknown in each other's eyes.
Mark took a deep breath, suppressing the myriad thoughts in his mind. He glanced one last time at the direction of the Holy Light Church's territory behind him, and then began to walk.
...
The cold wind whipped up sand and gravel, lashing against the dilapidated mud walls.
Mark and his group followed Eileen into the human settlement known as "Emeraldstone Town".
It is also the last outpost before the border of the Demon Realm.
The border of the Demon Realm spans thousands of kilometers. The Holy Light Church and the Dragon Clan jointly set up a magic array to divert most of the demonic energy from the border rift to the Misty Forest. Therefore, although this place is close to the border of the Demon Realm, it can still be considered relatively safe.
The air in the small town was filled with a depressing atmosphere mixed with the smell of sulfur.
The streets were sparsely populated, and those who did were hurrying along, their faces bearing the numbness and vigilance of someone who had brushed shoulders with death for years.
Beyond the towering wooden walls, a twisted, pitch-black crack stretching across the sky in the distance resembled a scar on the earth, radiating a chilling magical energy.
"Tsk, this godforsaken place is even more unpleasant than the Lor Swamp."
Enzo spat, and lava patterns shimmered restlessly beneath the skin of his bare arm, as if sensing the chaotic energy surging in the air.
Monica warily scanned the low houses and narrow alleyways around her, the magic of her appraisal technique flowing silently from her fingertips:
"The Holy Light Church and the dragon's magic array have indeed suppressed most of the leaking demonic energy, but the energy field here is still chaotic. Be careful; while powerful demons can't get through, the small creatures that can slip through the gaps may not be easy to deal with."
Anna's emerald eyes swept over a few tenacious plants in the corner, which were clearly marked with ominous purplish-black spots: "The mutation of plants here is quite common. It seems that the pressure of the magic array has indeed reached its limit."
Mark nodded silently. Little M lay quietly on his shoulder, its seven-colored wings folded, with only tiny specks of light flowing across its body. It didn't seem to have any particular feeling about the environment.
Compared to Mark and his group, Ellen seemed much more composed. Her little black dog curiously sniffed the ground, while she walked straight towards the only tavern in town that still had its dim yellow oil lamps lit.
As soon as I pushed open the door, a wave of sweltering heat and a cacophony of noise hit me.
The tavern and the street outside seemed to be in two completely different worlds!
The tavern was packed with all sorts of people.
Dusty mercenaries, adventurers with sinister eyes, local guards in simple leather armor, and even a few wandering mages in tattered robes.
Today, almost everyone's conversation revolves around the same explosive news, with voices filled with shock and disbelief.
"...It's absolutely true! The escort team was ambushed in Howling Gorge! I heard it was those lunatics from the Enlightenment Society who did it!"
"More than twenty 'white-robed guards' from the tribunals! All gone! Not even their bodies could be found intact!"
"The two special envoys from the Holy Light Church's Inquisition... both legendary powerhouses, are seriously injured! It's said they almost died there!"
"The most critical thing is that Raymond Tieling! That traitorous leader who was just skinned alive has been kidnapped by the Enlightenment Society!"
"Hiss... This is a huge embarrassment for the Holy City! First Harrington betrayed and was killed, then Raymond was exposed for colluding with the enemy, and now even the serious criminals being escorted have been intercepted halfway... The Enlightenment Society is really going to turn the world upside down!"
The murmurs of discussion flooded my ears like a tidal wave.
The four members of Mark's team paused, quickly exchanging glances.
Anna frowned, while Enzo grinned and muttered something silently.
Monica's eyes flashed, and she whispered, "They really came. The Enlightenment Society is quick."
Mark understood this as well.
Alfonso's ruthless elimination of Raymond and Harrington thoroughly enraged the Enlightenment Society and the powerful figures behind them.
This prison break was both an act of revenge and a means to extract more secrets about the Church of Holy Light from Raymond's mind.
This was also the beginning of the storm that Ellen had anticipated.
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