The black sun hangs high

Chapter 217 Change of Throne
As a devout suicide soldier who voluntarily stayed in Seren to carry out the Society's plans, Börva had a good understanding of the Society's plans, but lacked a deep understanding of the possible final consequences of these plans.

This situation is unavoidable.

After all, the Black Sun Society's internal action plan has always relied heavily on those strange prophecies. With the help of rituals and blessings from ancient gods, they have been able to glimpse the development and patterns of a considerable number of events. However, these contents are only general guidelines, and they are lacking in specific details.

Take Bologna as an example.

He had unwavering faith in the plans and initiatives the Society had implemented in Seren, and he was convinced that the ritual, which used the entire city of Seren as a sacrificial site, would allow the "Son of the Abyss" to be successfully brought into the world. However, after the entire process and plan were carried out, he found it difficult to ascertain the exact outcome and subsequent developments on his own.

Hugh had personally experienced similar situations several times before.

This included the Black Forest Fortress gathering that caused the Black Sun Society heavy losses.

Hugh had realized that, given his sufficient information advantage, he could treat the Black Sun Society members' behavior patterns as a ball of yarn that could be woven and kneaded to a certain extent. With proper manipulation, he could use their devotion to their beliefs to turn these unsuspecting members into his "tools."

"The members of the Society within Seren City are also unaware of what is happening outside. They have no chance of knowing what happened at Black Forest Fortress not long ago, let alone that I not only broke ties with the Black Sun Society, but also 'stole' important tokens from their organization..."

Hugh's mind raced, but his expression remained utterly somber.

He stepped forward, staring at the ugly face hanging down in front of him.

“Raise your head, Master Burva. Now is not the time to pursue faults… You have done very well. The fact that the ritual was not fully performed is not your fault, but rather a hidden danger and deviation that was sown when the plan was still being formulated.”

As he spoke, Hugh's tone subtly changed, and his expression softened considerably: "Mr. Herbert and the members of the Dark Abyss History Society have discussed this with me in detail, and that is precisely why I am returning to Seren City."

Upon hearing these words, Bourwa finally raised his head, and in that instant, he "happened" to catch a glimpse of the deep mist that was constantly emerging in Hugh's eyes.

As a spellcaster who had personally witnessed the miracles from the distant Dark Abyss court within the Dark Abyss Historians' Association, he was already extremely familiar with this beautiful and mysterious color. At this moment, the thick mist that rolled like a fluid finally washed away the last trace of doubt and confusion in his heart.

"Yes, yes... I'm listening..."

Berva's lips trembled violently. Despite such emotions and beliefs, he still couldn't bring himself to call the young man before him by his name.

“I told you, you can call that name, but it’s just a name and has no meaning to me anymore.”

Hughes maintained his condescending attitude: "Of course, Master Burva, you can also take this as my and the Society's recognition of the contributions you have made."

"Yes, Mr. Hugh!"

Bourwa's body trembled twice more, but this time, his trembling was no longer due to panic and tension, but rather from the precious praise and the intense sense of satisfaction in his heart.

Seeing his expression, Hugh nodded with satisfaction. Then he let out a long sigh and said, "Master Borg, we don't have much time left. The outside world will soon take some new measures against Seren City. Before that, we need to complete the unfinished ritual."

"Yes, I understand!"

Berva nodded respectfully, then asked, "What do you mean by the unfinished ceremony?"

Hugh raised his cane and jabbed it twice into the street: "Well, you've probably already noticed, haven't you? Beneath this city, there still exists a vast number of Abyss Children, and this is the oversight in the Society's plan."

“They should have all merged with me after the ceremony and gone out with me.”

Hughes’ tone carried a hint of helplessness: “Unfortunately, instinct ultimately prevailed over them, so a considerable number of them remained in Seren City and continued to multiply. This was not the right choice. Now they lack proper guidance, possessing a huge number and astonishing power but not knowing how to use them… Ha, like a bunch of gluttonous children.”

If it were someone else in the society making such comments, Bourva might have tried to debate with them, but these words, spoken by the person before him who had been confirmed as the "Son of the Abyss" in the prophecy, were very convincing.

Hughes raised his hand and gently placed it on Bourwa's shoulder: "Moreover, I came here not only to complete that unfinished ritual, but also to prevent unnecessary sacrifices and losses for you."

"But according to the plan..."

"You know, that was a plan."

Hughes abruptly interrupted Bourwa, saying, “The reason I’m here now is because the old plans are no longer applicable. I’ve brought new orders and instructions, and of course, a new mission for you.”

As he spoke these words, the Mirror Messenger mist around Hughes was released further, and the intense magical aura belonging to the former high-ranking clans contained within it caused Borg to lower his head once again. He had also undergone the magical surgery within the Society and was very sensitive to the magic power from the Abyss. Under these circumstances, he could fully perceive the powerful pressure exerted by the other party from the perspective of status and identity.

"Relax, Berva."

Hugh laughed: "I have bad news and good news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Burva was a little taken aback by the sudden question. He hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Then... the bad news?"

"The bad news is that the Society's efforts in Iris Street have failed. Our old friend, General Boots, has completely abandoned cooperation with the Society. All the members remaining in Iris Street have been successfully located and 'cleaned up'... Did you know about this?"

Hughes was simply asking a question he already knew the answer to.

Based on the memories of the previous Society mage, Hugh had already confirmed that the Society members in Seren City generally maintained a three-day cycle of communication. Furthermore, just before Hugh took action yesterday, the Society members in Iris Street and the Tricolor Brotherhood had completed a meeting. This meant that Borg had no chance of knowing what he had done in Iris Street.

Moreover, General Boots would choose to keep these events under the strictest cover to ensure his own safety.

Upon hearing Hugh's words, Bourwa's face showed anger and shame. Such a mishap during a "leader's inspection" was always embarrassing.

"This is not your fault; it's just that the Society was too hasty in selecting partners in the past."

Hughes smirked: "However, the good news is that I've arrived here, so everything in the city from now on will be based on the orders and plans I brought, and you no longer need to carry out those previous tasks."

Hugh slowed his speech and told Berva his "purpose": "The gods still need you, so the Society believes that you do not need to sacrifice yourselves in this vast sacrificial site for a flaw in the plan. You are priests, not sacrifices..."

Berva's breathing became rapid, and his festering, ugly face became even more horrifying: "You mean..."

“I will preside over the follow-up ceremonies to make up for any oversights in the previous plan, and you will need to help me complete this mission.”

Hugh said casually, "After I complete that ritual and become a truly complete 'being,' I will take all of you away from here. Let the Legal Council and those fools in the kingdom tremble at the sight of this dead city!"

……

When Hugh, sporting his new face, arrived at the Tricolor Brotherhood's headquarters with Bourwa, almost everyone present couldn't help but show expressions of surprise.

As a "supplier" and "creator" of spiritual nourishment for a specific group of people in Seren and surrounding countries, Hugh Ernst's fame has always been in a state of dramatic fluctuation.

Many people have read his works, many have heard of his name, and quite a few have also criticized his writings harshly.

But relatively few people truly understand Hugh Ernst and know what he looked like.

However, this does not include the residents who already live in the city of Seren.

There are far too many people who recognize this face. Although I wouldn't say all of them, at least 40-50% of the people in Seren know that this young, pale face belongs to the illegitimate son who lives alone in Ernst's old mansion.

Although the old house had been burned to the ground and the story of the illegitimate child had become a forgotten anecdote among the survivors of Seren, the reappearance of that face still easily stirred their memories.

In this large meeting place, which had been transformed into a residence by members of the Brotherhood of Three Colors, Hugh stood quietly under the lights, slowly turning his eyes to sweep his calm yet cold gaze across the faces.

He had seen some of the people here before.

This was thanks to a "friend" who had been completely buried deep in his memory.

Upon seeing those somewhat familiar, dirty faces, Hughes finally remembered the name Putrin Goran.

Hugh knew that Putrin was indeed dead, and that he must have died on the day of the peace celebration, in the assassination of Prince Harvid, which was considered the trigger for the war... He had even been able to see, from the memories he had collected and absorbed, the scenes of the Black Sun Society members training Putrin and a group of young people.

"If you saw the city of Seren as it is today, would you regret the choices you made back then?"

Hughes silently posed a question to the name that could no longer answer his questions.

He then slowly walked forward, leaning on his cane, and turned his gaze to a Tricolor Brotherhood member who was giving him a malicious and contemptuous smile.

His gaze was so cold that the fraternity member, a former thief and robber, shrank back. But then he felt it was a bit embarrassing, so he straightened his neck and casually mocked, "Huh? The great writer didn't die in the fire? Is he planning to survive and write some more entertainment for us? We've been itching to write!"

Before Borg could react, Hughes grinned, his dark eyes flashing with a sudden surge of light. He replied gently, "Haha, you're right. I'm here today to help everyone... relax."

Before he could finish speaking, a semi-solid black tentacle made of Dark Abyss Mist suddenly emerged. Under Hugh's control, it did not display the sharp limbs similar to those of the Dark Abyss offspring. Instead, it transformed its end into a longsword. Before anyone around could gasp, the blade pierced directly into the mouth of the Brotherhood member who had spoken provocatively.

The moment the pitch-black blade pierced his mouth, it transformed into a sharp, cold entity. The sword, shrouded in mist, emerged from the back of the target's head, and the blood that should have gushed out vanished into nothingness in the drifting magical mist before it even hit the ground.

In the instant he completed the killing, Hugh, through the Touch of Karljung, sensed the blood and life force emanating from the Brotherhood member's body. He could even feel the Dark Abyss magic flowing within him intensely yearning for it.

This unusual condition caused Hughes severe discomfort.

So he decisively suppressed this tendency on a mental level, and quickly controlled the tentacle to twitch, throwing the lifeless body toward the crowd.

The corpse landed, rolled twice, and its still-open mouth and horribly emaciated face silenced the other Brotherhood members present, who dared not even utter a sound of alarm.

They were all very intelligent and quick-witted people. Based on what had just happened, they could tell that the situation might have changed beyond their expectations. Therefore, they all remained absolutely silent at this moment, but still carefully observed Hugh and Borg standing in front of them.

Under the expectant gaze of Bourwa, Hughes slowly walked forward, leaning on the Black Sun Scepter.

Through the continuous feedback from the scepter, Hugh quickly located the official members with the society's status in the crowd and nodded to them with a smile.

(End of this chapter)