Baator Hell Promotion

Chapter 161: Speech and Assassination

"So, you have a grudge against them?"

Igor followed Hopper into the passage on the other wall again, away from the livid-faced Edim and Judith who was eager to go on stage.

"No," Hopper shrugged. "It's just a simple debtor-creditor relationship."

Having said this, the Inquisitor tactfully shut up. Since those two people owed the devil a debt, it was no longer his concern.

They walked a considerable distance in the darkness until Hopper opened a half-open door.

Deafening applause and cheers mixed with heat came like a huge wave, sounding like the end of a short drama.

"Who are you?!" Two dwarfs who were listening to an opera were leaning against the door. They didn't seem to expect the door behind them to suddenly open.

Their hands were shoved in their pockets, and they stared with stern eyes at the Inquisitor, who suddenly appeared under the light. Hopper bet there must be a crystal pistol or a magic wand hidden in there. When did the dwarves become gangsters?

"Hey, hey, hey! Guys, don't be nervous!" Hopper quickly spoke up to ease the tension. She felt that the two dwarfs looked familiar to her; they must also be residents of Barrel Town. "When did the Stone Tribe become so cold to their friends?"

More audience members heard the argument. It was now intermission, and many round dwarf heads popped out from the seats on both sides to investigate.

One of the dwarfs who had just spoken narrowed his eyes and examined her carefully for a moment before relaxing. He pulled his companion aside and said, "I know her. She must be a relative of the Shansuo couple. She moved here a while ago."

The other big-nosed dwarf also relaxed. He bowed slightly to express his apology. "Ms. Flash, please forgive my recklessness. I simply didn't expect someone to suddenly appear from behind."

"I should be the one saying sorry," Hopper said, picking up a corner of her skirt in return. "My companion and I arrived too late. The kind waiter told us we could use the employee passage. I didn't expect to scare you."

"Jane Flash!" A faint shout came from the audience on the left. Hopper turned his head and saw Wade Liangmu struggling to squeeze over.

Perhaps because of the crowds, or perhaps because it was too hot, Wade Liangmu's forehead was covered in sweat when he walked over, shining in the light of the torch.

"Sorry, boys, she's my guest" Wade and the two dwarfs nodded to each other and gestured for Hopper to follow him.

Hopper dodged behind Wade and looked around, not seeing a single human. As the ticket collector had hinted, the auditorium was divided by race.

"I heard you got a job as an apprentice in a bakery in the Surf District." Wade, who was leading the way, stopped at the highest point of the auditorium and wiped the sweat from his forehead with an embroidered handkerchief. "I thought you didn't have time to come and see the play."

The place Wade brought them to was too far from the stage. Above their heads were the nobles' boxes. Few audiences were willing to sit here, which also allowed them to talk without shouting.

"I should be the one saying this, Mr. Liangmu," Hopper said, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. "'Hymn of the Holy Sword' is a play that celebrates the perfect man. When did you change your political stance?"

Wade Liangmu's fear was visible. He quickly moved over and tried to cover Hopper's mouth with his hand, but Igor reached out and grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him to the chair next to him.

"Shh!" He looked around nervously, quickly raising his index finger as a silence gesture. "You want to die, but I want to die too. Don't talk nonsense in public. I'm just out socializing with my friends today."

His reaction surprised Hopper. Wade Brightwood wasn't a dwarf who was easily excited or flustered, and what good was it for a member of a group that opposed perfect people to socialize at a place where perfect people were being praised?

The Inquisitor knew about Wade Brightwood from Hopper's letter, but he had never personally encountered the dwarf. He knelt down and said soothingly, "Don't worry, Mr. Brightwood. We won't talk nonsense. We're only here to see Lan Bolt. Is he sitting nearby?"

Wade was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't expected them to ask about Lan. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, slapped his head in sudden realization, and pointed at the stage across the street.

"So you're looking for that traitor? He and his new friends are sitting far away from us," the dwarf said bitterly. "I originally misunderstood Lady Iron Ring. I didn't expect it was this quiet fellow who defected to the enemy."

Hopper followed his finger and, sure enough, sitting almost diagonally across from them was a short, ginger-haired figure. It was none other than Lane Bolt, the man Hopper had been searching for.

However, he was surrounded by not one but six women in pristine white robes, and even from this distance, Hopper could see the golden threads on their robes gleaming in the firelight.

"It seems our Mr. Bolt has a wide circle of friends," the Inquisitor commented, straightening up.

"No, he's..." After knowing their target, Wade relaxed and took the initiative to respond to the judge's words. However, the applause that happened to break out swallowed up the rest of his words.

Someone used a huge mirror on the ceiling to refract the light from the brazier into three bright beams of light, and in the middle of the beams stood Judith in white.

Hopper originally wanted to ask Wade what he wanted to say, but the latter seemed to be completely attracted by Judith, so Hopper had to give up and go back to watch Judith's performance.

"Thank you all, distinguished gentlemen and ladies, for coming." Judith's voice seemed to tremble, but the entire theater fell silent to listen to her words. "Tonight, the curtain of 'Hymn of the Holy Sword' has fallen, but the true holy war has just begun!"

"The perfect man has long taught us that the flame of divinity, the spark of civilization, rational self-denial and firm faith only shine in the human soul!"

The theater was dead silent. Hopper's eyesight allowed her to see several aliens in the front row trying to stand up in dissatisfaction. Then, someone started a thunderous roar of cheers and approval, pushing all dissenters back into their chairs.

Judith smiled, her head held high as if to feel the approval of a perfect being in heaven. She enjoyed the incessant shouting for a while before she held out her arms for silence.

The theater fell silent again. Judith took off her gloves, causing a small commotion and screams from several women in the front row.

Her palms were covered in scars, and many of her fingers were twisted and deformed. Judith held up her broken hand and showed it to everyone like a medal.

"Look, everyone, this is the crime the inferior race has committed against me," she said, her voice tinged with tears. "These inferior races, jealous of our glory, have used their fangs and sticks to deprive me of the right to play the piano."

"But they can't take away my wisdom and faith." Her voice became firm again. "The perfect person rescued me from the devil's cave. It was also the perfect person who held my hand and wrote this perfect script!"

"I am the beacon of grace bestowed by the Perfect One! I am the proof of His lovingkindness! Only under His guidance can we be fearless, and alien races will never again harm us. Join me in bringing the glory of the play into reality—all who do not submit to the banner of humanity shall perish!"

She clenched her fists and screamed at the top of her lungs. The firelight shone on her body, as if a god had really been born into her body!

After a brief silence, a trembling and shrill voice rang out, "You're lying!"

A figure sitting in the front row stood up, his back straight, his arm pointed toward Judith.

Hopper only had time to see Judith's eyes widen and her mouth close before he heard a huge explosion resounding throughout the venue.

Screams broke out almost at the same time.

Judith's raised arms drooped limply to the side, and she fell backward like a dead tree, dark red stains quickly spreading across her pure white dress.

Chapter 162: Interception

Something big has happened! Four big words immediately popped up in Hopper's mind.

The entire theater erupted in chaos. Several knights rushed onto the stage, their hands blazing with white light. More soldiers subdued the assassin, who was about to strike again.

"This is the fate of being an accomplice to a tyrant!" The culprit shouted at the top of his lungs even as he was pinned to the ground. However, his shouts quickly turned into muffled groans and groans of pain.

Hopper could hear cries of "Call the priest" and "Kill the assassin," but these cries were drowned out by the screams and running of spectators fleeing the murder scene.

The hesitant orc and his inexplicable message, the nervous and guilty Wade and his inappropriate social interaction, all the beads were connected in series by the explosion, forming a thread called "assassination".

Hopper looked at Wade, who was staring at the stage covered by the curtain, as if frightened by the riot just now.

The demon grabbed his shoulders and roughly turned him to face him, growling, "Wade Liangmu, don't tell me you don't know anything about this!"

The assassination attempt just now didn't scare the dwarf, but facing his neighbor, especially the one with blue fire in his eyes, Wade stuttered: "I, I, I, I, I really don't know anything!"

Hopper increased the force of her hands. A murder had just occurred, and she didn't dare to risk using magic. If the spellcaster arrived and caught her, she would be unable to explain herself.

The sharp pain in his shoulder twisted Wade's face. He cried out softly, unable to bear it any longer. He stammered out a few words, "I really don't know. I knew the club had an event today, and I just came over to help."

"Lies!" Hopper's voice turned cold. "You come straight here without knowing the risks. Do you think I'm easy to fool?"

Even though he was grinning from being pinched, Wade still said intermittently: "I don't expect you to understand, Jane, but this is what I really think."

"As long as the path I take is right, I will not be stingy with anything I have."

Hopper didn't notice that she had let go of her hand. This sentence made her want to laugh, but the swords and spears turned around her lips and disappeared.

Ugh, disgusting idealism, she thought.

"We should leave," Igor interrupted without missing a beat. The Inquisitor leaned over and said to the two dwarfs, "The Church of the Perfect Man will definitely make a big fuss. We can leave with the crowd."

Hopper was about to nod when a glint in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

The curtain had been pulled down and was being carried by the air current, leaking out a faint white light.

"No, you go first." Hopper moved his neck, making a terrifying cracking sound. "I'm sorry, I was so rude just now. Will you forgive me, Mr. Wade?"

Wade Liangmu was stunned by the speed of her expression. The dwarf touched his still aching shoulder and silently swallowed the word "no".

"I just noticed Mr. Bolt has left," Hopper said, looking at the Inquisitor. "I have a bill to settle. Could you please give him your regards for me?"

The other party understood what she meant instantly, nodded, and without saying another word, pulled Wade away quickly.

Hopper looked around and saw the audience, like frightened birds, pushing and shoving frantically towards the exit, even punching and kicking those around them in order to escape as quickly as possible.

Several brave guards and knights tried to go upstream to the backstage, but were knocked to the ground by the panicked crowd.

Suddenly, a heavy crash of something falling could be heard from the right side of the theater, followed by even louder screams. Someone had overturned the brazier lighting the theater, and the flames, ignited by the hot oil, spread instantly. Thick smoke billowed into the air, sending the already panicked crowd into a state of hysteria. Even the guards gave up trying to maintain order and were swept out of the theater by the crowd.

And in the midst of the upsetting chaos, Hopper already knew what he was going to do.

As she expected, the actors' passage was still empty. The succubus wandered through the dark passage, twirling her ring, her height growing with every step. When she opened the door to the backstage area again, the dwarf Jane was gone, replaced by a plain-looking maid in a long robe.

The passage did lead backstage, but Hopper, who had a poor sense of direction, hesitated for a moment.

Soon, the hurried footsteps behind her helped her make a choice - two gilded knights led the way, escorting a lady in a white robe around the corner and meeting Hopper face to face.

The golden patterns on the lady's body were even more complex than those on Judith's. More importantly, the huge golden holy emblem embroidered on her chest clearly revealed her identity - a priest of the perfect man.

Obviously, neither the knight nor the priest had expected to encounter a stranger here. The two knights worked in perfect harmony, one immediately protecting the priest while the other placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and shouted warily:

"Get out of here, no matter who you are, if you delay in saving Ms. Judith, the Perfect One will bring down divine punishment!"

Hopper's eyes lit up. She didn't respond to the knight's scolding, but took a deep breath and smiled with satisfaction.

"You gave me some good advice. After all, collecting debts is never that pleasant. I need to relax a little."

The knights looked at each other, wondering if they had encountered a madman. What on earth did she want to do?

Hopper quickly offered an explanation.

"Everyone, I'm really sorry. If you hadn't told me you were going to save Judith, I might have let you go. After all, I don't really enjoy killing."

She looked so ordinary and spoke so gently that the Gilded Knights didn't react to what she said at first.

Then, under the horrified gazes of the knights, she reached into the delicate pouch around her fair neck. The pouch was so small it looked like it couldn't even hold a bottle of perfume. But with a strange, twisted gesture, she thrust her hand completely inside and slowly drew a sharp sword from it.

Now, the knights all understood.

"Evil retreat!" The knight standing in front did not wait any longer. He roared and strode forward. The long sword in his hand burst out with a cold blue-gray color, drawing a majestic arc and slashing towards the woman.

The pupils of the lust demon shrank slightly, and he bent his legs and kicked hard, facing the enemy head-on, swinging his sword upwards with both hands.

The moment their weapons clashed, the knight sensed something was amiss. A powerful force, accompanied by a resounding roar, sent him careening backward. He retreated several steps in panic, nearly colliding with his companions before finally stopping.

"Break Chaos?" Hopper commented calmly, "It seems there aren't many good people in the Church of the Perfect One. If you had used Break Goodness, you might have won just now, hehe."

Hopper leisurely wiped the blood splattered on his face with his fingers, put it in his mouth and tasted it, his eyes curved into two bridges.

It was only then that the knight noticed that the knuckles of his hands were broken and bleeding. A slender hand pressed on his shoulder, and a golden light shone, and the wounds on the knight's hands healed in the blink of an eye.

"Let's go together," the female priest stared at the enemy blocking the passage, "This is a strong enemy."

The two knights nodded, took out two bottles of holy water from their belts and smashed them on the swords, then simultaneously raised their swords and kissed the sword spines.

"The perfect one guides my sword to crush all that is different."

When they finished praying, the priest's blessing was bestowed upon them, and the knights' armor creaked as their muscles suddenly bulged.

Hopper didn't intervene in all this. She just shook her long hair, made a sword flower with her right hand, stretched out her left hand, and hooked it at the knight.

The passage was wide enough for two fully armored knights to charge side by side, yet narrow enough that the echoes of their iron boots were deafening. The woman before them was like a blade of grass facing a herd of buffalo.

However, the thorns on the weed suddenly ignited a blue flame, and it swayed, swinging out a shining circle of fire.

Compared to the resounding sound of the three weapons clashing head-on, the knights' muffled groans were almost inaudible. The two knights, exerting all their might, were instantly defeated. They were both sent flying, slamming heavily against the wooden wall and tumbling down in a heap.

Hopper had to admit that, although he always prided himself on his wisdom, this simple and direct violent confrontation could indeed bring him extreme pleasure.

She gave herself a bloody smile.

A beam of light as bright as the sun suddenly pierced through his abdomen. Hopper fell to his knees in disbelief, the wound on his stomach sizzling and the smell of burning filled the air.

The priest gasped as she stared at the woman glaring at her, then retracted her hand, having cast the spell. She swallowed hard. This was her most powerful spell, especially effective against evil creatures.

"Thank you, perfect person," the priest prayed silently. The intense spellcasting made her feel a nerve throbbing in the back of her head. But she knew now was not the time to rest. She had to rush to Judith's side. Only the potion she carried could save her.

The priest's hands glowed with golden light once again, but before she could cast a healing spell on any of the knights, she heard a sound that froze her blood.

"You're hurting me, ma'am."

The priest turned his head in horror, a flaming sword reflected in his pupils.

Author's Note: The spells the priest uses here are Searing Brilliance, Bull's Strength, and Cure Light Wounds.

Chapter 163 Dangerous Woman

"Isn't Saria here yet?!"

Edim raised his head. The excessive release of holy energy had caused his vision to blur. He only dared to turn his head slowly, fearing that if he moved too much, he would faint, and then Judith would be truly beyond saving.

The speaker was Huleda, the sexton of the Golden Dome Church and the highest-ranking clergyman among the audience. It is worth noting that her high status was due to her piety and hatred of foreigners, not her great magical powers.

Ms. Hule had a broad, round face, a short, pointed chin, and a pair of shrewd eyes, like those embedded in a rock crevice, above her deep nasolabial folds. She paced back and forth, her eyes and ears focused on the dark corridor, not daring to glance at the center stage.