"Huff, huff..."
The pitch-black knight breathed heavily in the fog.
Pulling open his visor revealed his true face, none other than the ascetic monk Silas had seen in the dream: Leomaster!
"Help me, save me!"
His completely black eyes without whites looked toward Silas, that aged face revealing a pleading light.
"Shut up!"
Immediately, Leomaster cursed angrily, and the expression on his face changed again.
Crimson light surged in his eyes, and the wrinkles covering his face twisted accordingly, sending chills down one's spine.
"Shepherd?"
He paused briefly on Silas's blood-red robe before finally settling on Silas's face.
It was a delicate yet handsome face, bearing the morbid and crazed expression characteristic of this pathway.
Leomaster frowned slightly, feeling like he'd definitely seen this person in his memories.
"Greetings, Your Excellency the Black Saint. I am the divine envoy in charge of the Backlund parish. They all call me Mr. A."
Silas, wearing Mr. A's face, spoke respectfully to the other party.
At this moment, he was using the Faceless ability for the first time, specifically to deceive the "Black Saint" Leomaster.
His appearance was now completely identical to the real Mr. A.
To make even the spiritual level similar, he'd activated Mr. A's soul within him to radiate its own fluctuations.
Ma'am M had already thoroughly excavated Mr. A's memories. He and the "Black Saint" weren't familiar.
The high-sequence powerhouse responsible for Loen was the "Dark Saint."
Mr. A and the "Black Saint" had only crossed paths at certain gatherings, having met just once.
So this level of disguise, even if the opponent was a Sequence 4 Black Knight, he'd have no way to discover the problem!
What's more, Leomaster's current condition was extremely poor!
"Divine Envoy A, hmm..."
He scrutinized Silas. "You found my fingers?"
"Yes, I picked up Your Excellency's fingers in the waters of the Sea of Ruins, so I rushed over to rescue you."
Silas answered respectfully, imitating Mr. A's attitude when facing the "Black Saint" Leomaster from his memories.
The strings in his mind were pulled taut, not daring to relax in the slightest.
At the same time, Silas drove Mr. A's soul within him, having Mr. A shepherd his own grazing soul, that Sequence 5 Demoness of Affliction.
Invisible pathogens quietly emerged from Silas's surroundings, dispersing through the fog and entering the "Black Saint" Leomaster's body.
Disguise plus Disease!
Simultaneous shepherding!
The authority that tide had brought him!
Facing a Sequence 4, Silas didn't plan to show off. He wanted to seize the initiative as much as possible.
The plague he released was also the type with the longest incubation period and minimal early effects.
In Leomaster's current state, even if he experienced some physical problems, he'd assume they were caused by his mental state and overlook them in the short term.
"Why aren't you in Backlund but appearing here instead?"
Leomaster asked.
As a Beyonder of the Secrets Suppliant pathway, he seemed more rational than those fanatics... No, as long as he was a believer of the True Creator, he definitely wouldn't be rational.
He simply hid his crazed side when it didn't involve faith.
Every Beyonder who could advance to Saint was no fool!
"I followed the Lord's will."
Silas answered with a devout expression. "Those who believe in the Lord shall receive redemption."
He first used scripture to set a lofty tone, then continued explaining, "After you lost contact, we organized another pilgrimage team.
I requested to join and came to these waters."
"A new pilgrimage team?"
"Yes, the others are all waiting outside the island."
Silas lied without changing expression, continuously releasing the plague while sensing those pathogens spreading within the Black Knight's body.
"I will take you away from here. You need not worry."
"No! You've misunderstood the Lord's will..."
The red light in Leomaster's eyes suddenly dissipated. He spoke to Silas with a pained expression.
"Crack!"
His words had barely begun when they were blocked by his own black-gauntleted hand.
At the same time, his body trembled continuously, his expression switching back and forth between pain and madness.
The shadow beneath him swayed ceaselessly, like a twisted monster!
Silas watched Leomaster's crazed state, hoping it would last a bit longer.
"Why are you unaffected?"
However, when he regained control of himself, he suddenly threw this question at Silas.
"Esteemed Saint, because I'm shepherding a 'Dreamwalker.'"
Silas was prepared for this and bowed as he answered directly, "This is a grazing soul I recently acquired. I use his psychological abilities to maintain my own mental stability."
"...I see."
Leomaster nodded, his armor plates scraping against each other.
The shadow beneath him slightly retracted, looking like he'd recovered to some degree.
He stared at Silas in silence, seemingly thinking about something.
The opportunity has come!
"Your Excellency."
Silas stepped forward, his tone sincere.
"You appear to have been affected by this island's peculiarities.
Perhaps I could use my grazing soul's abilities to help you, to re-integrate your split personas..."
If the "Black Saint" Leomaster truly dared let him touch his mind, Silas certainly wouldn't heal him.
Instead, he'd take the opportunity to sabotage, pushing his already precarious mental state toward the cliff edge of complete collapse!
Of course, he couldn't appear too eager. That would only arouse suspicion.
As long as he continued acting according to Mr. A's previous behavior, even if unsuccessful, he could at least buy time for the disease to grow stronger...
In Leomaster's eyes, crimson light flickered incessantly.
"Alright."
He said, "This damn cowardly persona won't stop shouting in my ear, trying to shake my loyalty to the Lord.
I've wanted to eliminate him for a long time! So, what do I need to do?"
He took the bait?
"...Very well."
Silas took a deep breath.
"Please trust me and relax your mind. I will touch your consciousness and integrate the split personas."
The "Black Saint" closed his eyes according to his words while simultaneously opening his mental defenses, waiting for Silas's treatment.
"Please wait..."
Silas said softly, approaching him step by step. Behind Leomaster, M's figure appeared silently.
She raised her slender hands, her round, white fingers aimed at Leomaster's head...
"I hear the Lord's will."
Leomaster suddenly spoke.
Immediately, he snapped his eyes open, devout and fervent.
"He says you are a heretic."
"Swish!"
A pitch-black greatsword instantly formed in his palm, viciously and swiftly thrusting toward Silas's body.