Sixth Hundred and Fifty-Sixth Chapter: The Envoy and the Chosen One

"No need for formalities," a female voice appeared directly in his mind. "What's the situation above?"

He also didn't need to speak; he only needed to silently think the answer. This method of communication was difficult to adapt to at first, but once mastered, communication became very smooth, and of course, it was also harder to lie.

"Lord Envoy, there have been some unexpected events. They did not accept the invitation from the Graycastle ambassador," Barrihear recounted the events in their entirety. "This is my mistake. I didn't expect their vigilance to be so strong."

"Scheming plans are inherently prone to failure," the Envoy's tone didn't sound dissatisfied at all; instead, it was mixed with a strange sense of nostalgia. "Do you have any remedies?"

"As long as we make them accept the invitation," he paused. "By utilizing Amperein Moya's new policies."

"Tsk... mortals."

Barrihear couldn't help but be stunned. "Lord?"

"I don't like this witch-clearing policy. Can you guarantee that no one will be hurt because of it?"

"This..." Not to mention being hurt, it would be normal for some of the witches to be captured and executed. After all, the purpose of the plan was to get the witches to set off south to Graycastle's Western Region, and there was no requirement as to how many would survive.

"Is that what you're thinking?" The Envoy's voice suddenly rose a few notches, and the wriggling tentacles on its body and the surging lava beneath the ground indicated its anger. "Don't forget what I said; in the face of the apocalypse, every witch is crucial!"

"No, Lord, I remember every word you've said," Barrihear thought to himself, "Oh no!" He was communicating with the Envoy through consciousness, and any thoughts would be conveyed to the other party's mind. "I naturally hope that no innocents will be harmed, but that would take more time, and the manpower would need to be rearranged—not everyone has the courage to oppose the royal family while still keeping secrets."

"Let my guards help you," the Envoy quickly replied. "How long will it take to accomplish?"

Barrihear breathed a sigh of relief. He had witnessed the abilities of these guards; ordinary knights were no match for them, and even slightly weaker ones couldn't even see their movements clearly. If two or three of them fought side by side, they could easily withstand ten times their number of knights, which was enough to illustrate the Envoy's extraordinary nature.

"Within two weeks, we should be able to complete the third step of the plan."

"Then let's do it that way."

"Lord Envoy..." Barrihear hesitated. "Are witches really that important? Does God only favor them? If we're talking about wealth or power, I'm a more suitable..."

"A more suitable Chosen One?" The Envoy interrupted him. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Neither wealth nor power has any meaning for the approaching apocalypse. The gods are looking for saviors who can wield its vast power, not worldly spokesmen. You are indeed useful, mortal, so when the task is completed, I will give you a suitable reward—such as eternal life, but you must also recognize your place."

Barrihear knew what the "apocalypse" referred to by the other party was. Every four hundred years or so, a blood-red moon would appear in the sky, and the gates of hell would also open, from which demons would swarm out, and a massacre would soon sweep across the entire continent. Those who could resist these ferocious aliens were called the Chosen Ones. And now, he had a greater understanding of the Chosen Ones—the person the Envoy was looking for seemed to be directly connected to the power of the gods, and it had to be a witch.

"But..." he still somewhat unwillingly said, "Are you sure there is a Chosen One among the witches in Graycastle?"

The Envoy was uncharacteristically silent. After a moment, the voice rang out again, "No one knows the answer. This is just an attempt, and such attempts have been going on for hundreds of years."

"What if we don't find one?"

"Then we'll keep looking until the apocalypse destroys everything."

If everyone dies, then eternal life would be meaningless... It seems I have to beg the gods to make this trip a success. Barrihear gave a wry smile. "I understand. I will do my best to handle this matter."

The mass of flesh

The tentacles on his body twisted neatly, which was how it expressed satisfaction. "Also, one more thing... the Church really lost?"

Ever since the news of the Church's defeat reached Dawn, the Envoy had been particularly concerned about it, and had even sent Barrihear to Coldwind Ridge to verify whether the news was true.

"That's indeed the case. The foot of Coldwind Ridge looks like it was trampled by a herd of evil beasts, with deep pits and ravines everywhere. There are thousands of grave mounds around, and the locals say that the King of Graycastle did it all—all the dead who belonged to him were taken back to the Western Region of the kingdom, while the dead of the Church were cremated and buried on the spot. Also, merchants returning from the Hermes Plateau said that the entire Holy City was in a state of silence, completely devoid of its former prosperity."

"Is this their end..." The Envoy's voice suddenly became very soft, but in the blink of an eye, it returned to normal. "Let's end today's conversation here. I'm tired."

"Yes, Lord." Barrihear bowed.

The scene of the molten underground receded like a tide, and darkness quickly swept in. Then the magic stone flickered a few times, re-illuminating the stone chamber.

Everything was like a dream.

"This is the medicine," a guard handed over a porcelain bottle. "Drink it. The Envoy is very satisfied with your recent performance."

"Thank... Thank you, Lord Envoy, for the reward," Barrihear excitedly took the porcelain bottle and drank the liquid in the bottle in one gulp.

Immediately, a burning warm current rose from his stomach, restoring strength to his whole body, and his hands and feet felt much more agile. Unfortunately, the effect of the medicine couldn't last long, nor could it prolong life. According to the other party, in addition to relieving fatigue and restoring physical strength in a short period of time, it also had a certain strengthening effect on the body. Before granting eternal life, he needed to repair his dilapidated body little by little so that he could withstand the intense pain of the eternal life transformation; otherwise, that power would tear him apart.

It was these words that made Barrihear deeply believe in the Envoy. If it were a liar, just taking out this kind of medicine that could revitalize the body would be enough to make a large number of nobles and wealthy merchants completely lean towards it. Why would it need to truthfully inform him of the effect and essence of the medicine?

Three years ago, he could only move around in a wheelchair pushed by a servant. Now, he can at least stand and walk on his own two feet, relying on the Envoy's secret medicine.

If he can fulfill the other party's instructions and further obtain eternal life, all the problems that plagued him will be solved.

Barrihear lifted the curtain and walked towards the mountain stone steps with his head held high and his chest out.

Unlike when he came, he was now full of strength, his steps were steady, and the roaring dark currents beneath his feet had become a horn to encourage him to move forward. The humid, cold wind could not shake him in the slightest.