I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Chapter 378: Chapter 247 Scarlet Ceremony
 

A group shuffled through the chaotic city.

The deranged Fallen Believers darted madly through the streets, while the sounds of distant explosions and screams could occasionally be heard.

Bloodstains and bodies everywhere had been congealed by the cold, trash, glass shards, and fragments of shop doors tumbled in the wind, highlighting the disarray of the entire city.

When several Fallen Believers noticed the group, they charged over immediately, their faces twisted with madness as they muttered strange prayers, sending chills down one’s spine.

But before they could get close, their heads burst apart under the hail of bullets.

It was the doing of the Silver Dragon Guard.

Captain Cixi had led five of the guards to join Chen Lun on this “expedition,” leaving the rest to protect civilians at the commerce guild’s building.

The guards’ long-barreled flintlock guns were incredibly powerful, resembling less of mundane firearms and more of Transcendent artifacts.

Their marksmanship was also exceedingly precise; with a few shots, bullets struck true to the heads. The Fallen Believers didn’t even have time to transform before falling headless to the ground.

The headless Fallen Believers twitched and writhed on the ground, countless flesh tentacles flailing wildly from their necks, yet they posed no more threat.

Stubborn life force allowed them to continue living for a while longer.

Cixi placed his long-barreled flintlock gun down, made a hand signal, and ordered his men to chop up the Fallen Believers on the ground into pieces, eliminating any future threat.

The squelching sounds were incessant, filthy blood spilled all over the ground, still steaming hot.

Stan and Nalan couldn’t help but silently praise the scene.

They looked up at the owl circling in the sky, then turned their gaze to the gentleman in black leading at the front.

“I must say, deciding to hunt the Red Apple Church in return is a bold move,”

Nalan remarked.

“Who knows if this guy really has the ability, or if he’s just bluffing,”

Stan replied.

They couldn’t help but recall the astonished expressions of the shelter officials and the Constellation Sect personnel guarding the entrance when they first entered the “Red Calamity” district.

While everyone else fled to the Upper City District for safety, they were heading to the Lower District.

It was quite incomprehensible.

A female captain from the Constellation Sect even kindly reminded them that the city was extremely dangerous and not to venture lightly.

But Mr. Jack merely replied with a light, floating smile and a simple word of thanks, then entered the city district without looking back.

It was unclear where his confidence came from.

At that moment, Mr. Jack, who was at the forefront, suddenly stopped.

“What happened?”

Cixi let out a breath of white mist, asking softly.

Chen Lun simply chuckled softly,

“Caught the first one…”

Having said this, he suddenly turned around and threw several cards to his left.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh…!

The Card Throwing Knives cut through the air, smashing the windows on the third floor of a building to his left, where a dark red figure momentarily flashed past.

In everyone’s peripheral vision, they saw a black trench coat flutter—Jack had disappeared in an instant.

Upon closer look,

Only a card was left behind.

“Where is he?”

“Don’t know, it must be Jack’s supernatural ability.”

“What happened? Was that in the building a Transcendent from the Red Apple Church?”

After a brief exchange, Stan asked aloud.

The next second,

“Yes,”

Chen Lun’s voice came, answering his question.

The group immediately saw the gentleman in black reappear, as if by magic.

With one hand on his hat, he casually returned, carrying a man in his other hand.

The man in Jack’s grasp was severely injured and on the brink of death, his body limp, head hanging low, continuously coughing up blood. His left chest sported a deep indentation as though it had been struck by a fearsome blow.

Steaming heat was visible rising from him.

Dressed in the distinctive deep crimson monk robe of the Red Apple Church, everyone immediately recognized his identity.

“He’s a Mid Sequence Transcendent… around his neck, he even wears the pendant of a priest of the Red Apple Church,”

Cumberland said gravely.

Stan, Nalan, and Cixi’s expressions shifted slightly.

In such a short amount of time, had Jack left this lurking Priest of Sequence Seven gravely injured, catching him out like dragging a dead dog?!

Just how formidable was his strength?!

Everyone’s thoughts swiftly turned, further revising their estimation of Jack.

Chen Lun casually tossed the unknown priest to the ground.

He spun his silver staff, and with a whistling end, it sharply pointed at the man’s neck as he asked softly,

“What is your purpose for hiding in the city and hunting other living people?”

“Puh…”

The man spat out a mouthful of blood, his chest wound a direct result of the blow from the young man in the black hat who suddenly appeared, crushing his heart with a punch.

“You will all die, without exception… Doromy Purness, Pope of the Doromy Church, is Lady Rose’s most cherished consort. She will revive from the Rose Garden, emerge from the Death Fruit, and lead humanity to fulfill our church’s grand cause!”

The Red Apple Church priest’s expression became maniacal, muttering phrases incomprehensible to others and then burst into a vicious laugh.

“Hahaha…!”

Chen Lun’s eyebrows slightly furrowed as he took the other’s words to heart, and then he thrust his silver staff fiercely.

The sharp tail of the snake pierced through the priest’s neck.

Supernatural flames spread from the gloves to the silver staff, eventually setting the priest on fire.

Boom!

“Ah… sss… Ah!”

The priest struggled and wailed in the flames, but because his throat was pierced, he couldn’t make a complete sound.

The bystanders were forced back by the heat wave and watched in shock as the man was literally burned to ashes.

Ice crystals on the ground around melted into boiling water, and the ground even showed a charred vein.

[You have killed Priest Wade of the Red Apple Church (Sequence Seven – Ghoul), gaining 10,000 experience points!]

Chen Lun ignored the notification, his eyebrows still slightly furrowed.

He noticed that the pitch-black ground had not left behind any remnants.

Flesh Faction Transcendents are tenacious in life, and to ensure that the man was killed quickly, he had used the Supernatural Flame.

The opponent’s corpse was burned to ashes, and its spirit incomplete, naturally leaving no Mysterious Objects behind.

However, the disappearance of even the basic Mysterious Substances seemed quite abnormal.

‘Strange… This contravenes the second law of Transcendence, the Law of Increasing Entropy. Transcendent characteristics should not disappear or diminish; they should only increase…’

Chen Lun pondered slightly.

‘Was it taken away by some invisible force? Or is there some other reason…?’

At that moment, Stan and Nalan approached Chen Lun and asked,

“Mr. Jack, what should we do next?”

Their expressions were more respectful than before, clearly intimidated by the move he had just made.

Chen Lun did not immediately respond to them.

He put his mind at ease and discreetly opened the panel to take a look.

[Main Quest Triggered: Scarlet Ceremony!]

Second Phase: The Red Apple Church has caused disturbances in the empire, and various regions have fallen into chaos.

Please prevent the spread of the disaster as much as possible, eliminate the Fallen Believers, and destroy the Red Apple Church branches. For each successfully cleared area of the “Red Calamity,” you will obtain corresponding Main Quest Contribution Points, which will carry over to the third phase’s settlement.

Quest Reward: Upon completion of the second phase main quest, rewards will be determined based on Contribution Points. (Prize pool—experience points, coins, regional reputation, imperial contribution points, official supernatural institution affection, special attribute points, and blessing points, etc.)

[Main Quest: Scarlet Ceremony (In Progress)]

Current Location: Tresor Empire, Gem State, Snow Crystal City.

Mission targets: Red Apple Church clergy, Fallen Believers (78/590), Transcendent monks (0/20), Transcendent priests (1/5), Transcendent bishop (0/1).

‘Hmm… just need to deal with the most threatening priests and the bishop, after all, they are all Mid Sequence Transcendents… As for the other small fries, I’ll leave it to the officials to wrap up.’

Chen Lun thought to himself.

The second phase of the main quest had automatically triggered some time ago, which should be more or less in line with the global notifications the players received, a conclusion he had drawn from browsing gaming forums.

But he knew his main quest was definitely different from the players’.

And the regional quest in Snow Crystal City was triggered when he and Noah arrived here, part of the second phase of the main quest.

This was also why he had used force to coerce the leaders of the guild, making all Transcendents obey his command.

Firstly, from the information on the task panel, Chen Lun knew very well that the guild leaders’ original plan was bound to fail.

Secondly, he also wanted to take this opportunity to complete the quest and earn enough contribution points.

It would help Noah and Rosa save the guild, and he would benefit himself as well—why not do it.

Of course, this also included a bit of his desire to teach Kaibak a lesson.

“I need each of your three Transcendent organizations to go and hunt down a Red Apple Church priest.”

Chen Lun looked at Stan, Nalan, and Cumberland.

He beckoned with his hand, and three owls flew over, landing on his shoulder.

“These three little fellows will lead you. The targets are hiding in different districts.”

Seeing the slightly guarded expressions of Stan and the others, Chen Lun raised his eyebrows and explained,

“I don’t need you to act as cannon fodder; it’s just that I am personally too busy to handle them… To prevent them from getting the message and escaping during the hunt, you need to start your hunt simultaneously and let no one escape.

Those priests are only Sequence Seven Transcendents. With so many of you, you can’t possibly fail, right? Rest assured, the most threatening bishop of the Red Apple Church will be personally dealt with by me.”

After hearing this, Stan was somewhat relieved. He thought for a few seconds and then nodded.

Chen Lun then looked at the Silver Dragon Guard.

“Captain Cixi, you all will take care of another priest, who is accompanied by some Low Sequence monks…”

Cixi gripped the handle of his blade at his waist and nodded to Chen Lun, tipping his beret cap as a sign of agreement with the decision.

Chen Lun then patted Noah on the shoulder.

“Noah, you go with Cixi and his team as well.”

“Yes, Mr. Jack!”

Noah nodded in response.

The makeshift team was divided into five squads, other than Chen Lun’s own squad, each was equipped with an owl to lead the way.

Finally, when parting, Noah turned back and solemnly said to Chen Lun:

“Mr. Jack, please be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Noah, and good luck with your promotion.”

Chen Lun smiled and nodded.