Chapter 90
Red eyes quickly scanned the space, searching for an exit. If possible, it would be even better to find something that could be used as a weapon. But there was nothing suitable within sight.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then the High Priest’s voice cut through the silence, soft and hypnotic in tone, almost as if casting a spell.
“Welcome, lost souls. You have entered the heart of Aetos’ sanctuary.”
There was something unnatural in his voice, a resonance that seemed to bypass the ears and speak directly to the mind. Mia felt a chill run down her spine. Even she, who had not been brainwashed, had to struggle against the impulse to nod in agreement.
If she felt this way, how much more overwhelming must it have been for those who had been brainwashed? Across from her, Chloe swayed unsteadily. Soon, her eyes, which had just regained focus, went blank again.
“We… we must obey the High Priest. His words are the only truth, the path to the goddess…”
As if triggered by her words, the students all began murmuring at once. Their muttering sounded strangely distant.
‘We’ve come this far… there’s no way I’m giving up now.’
Mia gritted her teeth.
The High Priest lifted his staff, and the crystal at its tip pulsed more intensely.
“You have interfered with a sacred duty. But Aetos is merciful. If you surrender now, you too may still be purified.”
As he spoke, the priests gathered around him began to move. Mia tensed reflexively, but they neither attacked nor charged. Instead, they began moving slowly, methodically, like reeds swaying in the wind.
Low chants filled the air. Though the words were indistinct, there was something vaguely familiar about them.
Mia felt a growing pressure in her mind, as if a fog were trying to cloud her thoughts.
‘Wait… fog?’
Just moments ago, there had been no fog. She couldn’t tell if what she was seeing was real or a hallucination caused by overexerting her abilities.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alain and Amelie struggling. Notably, there was no visible enemy in front of them.
Moreover, their movements were gradually slowing. It seemed the disorientation wasn’t just affecting her.
‘Some kind of mental attack.’
The realization came with mounting fear. In truth, Mia was the only one here who could resist this. The brainwashed students and the two soldiers, incapable of properly using divine power, couldn’t help.
She tried to summon her remaining strength to cast a suggestion to disrupt the priests’ focus. But the fog in her mind made it difficult to concentrate.
Perhaps because she focused, the chant grew louder. The priests’ swaying became more violent. No, was it even the priests swaying at all?
The air seemed to ripple. Reality itself felt like it was moving under the priests’ power.
Mia staggered, fearing her knees would give out.
If she, the strongest both physically and mentally, was struggling, what about the others? Even without looking, she could feel the soldiers’ resolve weakening. Everyone’s minds were constantly exposed to this mental assault.
In despair, she screamed with all her might. Her voice cut through the chanting. It no longer felt like her own.
“Remember why you came here! Remember who you are!”
The brief release of pressure was almost imperceptible, but it was enough to give a fleeting sense of relief.
Using the moment, Alain regained his footing, shaking his head as if to clear it. Glancing to the side, he saw Amelie’s eyes regain clarity as well. The three of them gritted their teeth and glared at the High Priest.
With the three regaining their focus, the High Priest’s composure faltered immediately. A flash of anger crossed his face.
“Enough foolishness!”
He growled, raising his staff high.
The crystal blazed brilliantly again. Mia felt a wave of force surge toward her. An unknown power forced the air from her lungs.
She staggered backward, her vision blurring.
As points of light danced before her eyes, Mia realized she couldn’t win this battle.
No, it wasn’t even a realization—it was painfully obvious. How could three people, plus some brainwashed students, overwhelm dozens of priests? Even Mia, strong as she was, couldn’t manage it in her exhausted state.
So victory was impossible. At least, here and now. But that didn’t mean escape was impossible.
Gathering her dwindling strength, Mia focused on casting a suggestion toward the priests. Using this effort would likely deplete her remaining energy entirely.
Her head throbbed. Each mental attack blurred her vision slightly.
Drawing divine power from a source she had never fully examined, Mia closed her eyes.
She blocked out the surrounding chaos and focused inward. With each labored breath, she could draw more energy into herself, feeling it permeate her body and mind.
‘Chaos… now, chaos is necessary.’
It wasn’t much different from her time in the training facility. Victory against her opponent wasn’t the goal—her priority was to distract as many people as possible and escape.
She imagined thick, acrid smoke rising in places unseen. Soon, the room was filled with suffocating darkness.
She imagined flames climbing the walls, the sound of collapsing marble and burning wood. She envisioned the very structure of the temple bending under invisible pressure, the moaning of stones filling her ears.
Pouring all her focus into the suggestion, sweat formed on her forehead. Simply creating a suggestion while at a disadvantage wasn’t enough.
It had to feel real. Even the priests, who knew such illusions were possible, had to be briefly distracted. This suggestion had to deceive all senses, not just sight.
With her last ounce of strength, Mia unleashed the suggestion. It spread like a massive wave from her, exploding outward. The effect was immediate.
The High Priest’s chant, which had entrapped their consciousness, wavered. Suddenly, he realized he was under the influence of a suggestion.
Though he quickly regained composure, the subordinate priests staggered. All coughed and gasped in the thick, ashy air. Some knelt, covering their heads, convinced debris was falling.
Mia alone knew with her entire body that the temple was intact, the air clear.
Her eyes snapped open, confirming the suggestion had worked perfectly. The High Priest barked orders, but his voice now carried desperation rather than composure.
Though his gaze seemed unaffected, leading the entranced subordinate priests was another matter entirely.
“The temple is collapsing!”
One of the subordinate priests screamed. Unlike the High Priest, his voice was pure terror. His hands swiped at the air, trying to dispel the imagined flames.
Alain and Amelie had escaped the mental attack’s range, giving them a brief chance to regain composure. They looked around, confused but unharmed. Even seeing the room clearly, the chaos created by the priests’ reactions felt convincingly real.
“We don’t know what she showed them, but we need to move. Now.”
Alain whispered to Mia.
It was obvious. Of course, Mia also knew they couldn’t afford to wait, but she allowed him to speak only because of the awe in his voice.
“Run!”
The words escaped in a hoarse voice, lacking the commanding tone she once had. She had nothing left to squeeze out.
Mia led Chloe toward the door. Alain and Amelie would likely follow shortly.
Leaning against the rough stone wall, Mia drew ragged breaths. The cool, damp air of the cave enveloped her.
Her muscles ached. Each breath burned her lungs slightly more, her limbs felt like lead.
After escaping the main temple safely, the release of tension hit her body harder than she could have imagined.
