The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Page 384

The girl's playful joke didn't amuse Edward, because his question was quickly answered.

As he strained to look down, countless twisted black tentacles gradually came into view.

"No!! What is this... Ah... Waaah..."

Edward, now only a head, let out a painful whimper as those strange and disgusting tiny tentacles relentlessly surged into every possible spot on his head.

From the mouth, nasal cavity, ear canals, and even the pupils wide open in fear and despair. Those tiny tentacles even clung to the conjunctiva, forcefully squeezing open the gaps between the bloodshot eyeballs and eyelids, excitedly burrowing inside.

This was pain Edward had never experienced in his life. Even the most miserable experience of his pirate career, when the savage beastmen pierced the bones of his limbs with steel nails, was now a thousand times, ten thousand times more painful than that.

He didn't know if his brain would feel pain, but he could clearly feel the pain of those frenzied tentacles invading his skull and churning in his flesh.

His thoughts, his emotions, his pain—everything about him—can be said to have been "seen" in a physical sense.

"Let's not waste any more time. I'll ask a question and you answer it."

Ella looked at the head riddled with holes by the dark tentacles on the cushion and smiled, "If it's inconvenient to use your mouth, you can use your brain to think. I'll try to see if I can 'feel' it."

A demon!!! This is pure demon!!!

Edward's nearly broken mind screamed helplessly in his head. How could he have thought this was the saintess's doing? No human being could possibly use such cruel methods!

"Hmm... Let me see, you're actually cursing me in your head?"

Ella raised an eyebrow.

Edward's face, contorted with pain, looked as if he were being burned in hell, revealing a fear bordering on despair.

No! No!! I didn't!!!

"Lying is wrong, you know,"

Ella gently tapped her cheek with her slender fingers. "Ah, but what you're really saying is 'thinking,' not strictly speaking a lie."

Hearing this, Edward was relieved that the girl was going to forgive his sins, but the next second, her melodious whispers, as sweet as a lark's, plunged his heart into an abyss.

"But I'm in charge here, so naughty kids need to be punished."

Those deep red eyes blinked playfully.

No, no, no, I was wrong, I was wrong! No!! ...Ah—!!

Edward's brain emitted a silent wail, as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his heart, his skull almost being torn apart by the frenzied tentacles.

His pupils dilated to a physiological limit that a living person could hardly reach as he trembled. His only thought at that moment was why he couldn't die yet.

Why!??

I'm not going to die yet!!!

Ella waved her hand. "You know that the brain, in order to protect itself, will cut off consciousness and cause unconsciousness once the pain reaches a certain threshold."

"But unfortunately, your brain can't do that right now, hehe."

She's still laughing!?! This is absolutely a demon!!!

Edward was already broken down, but his brain couldn't stop "turning," which made him realize his "brain blunder" very quickly.

No, no, no! ?? No!! That's not what I thought!!! I was wrong, I was wrong—ah!!!

Edward's mind trembled again; at this moment, he dared not entertain even the slightest rebellious thought.

If he could, he would be willing to abandon all his dignity, kneel down, beg for mercy, lick shoes... It doesn't matter, he would do anything, he would just beg this person to spare his lowly soul.

"That's right."

After Ella confirmed that Edward was willing to open up, she asked with a smile, "Tell me honestly about the source of your power and about that deity."

"Oh right, this content seems a bit complicated. You should just say it aloud so I can understand it more clearly."

Ella slowed the movement of her tentacles slightly and retracted the tentacles that had been extending into the other's throat.

Edward was still catching his breath from the excruciating pain when Ella gave him just one look, and he immediately began to confess everything.

Chapter Sixty-Six: Edward's Experience

Ella does not have the ability to brainwash people mentally.

Although souls invaded by a portion of her divine power may naturally feel some affinity towards her and become potential believers, that's all; it won't completely make everyone affected obedient to her from then on.

To give a simple example, these people are like those unlucky guys who, because they've been tainted by something unclean, often hear the ravings of evil gods.

Unless the spiritual influence deepens further to the point that the soul is completely corrupted and driven mad, most people will likely subconsciously resist such strange thoughts. Furthermore, some believers who are steadfast in their faith will firmly believe that they have been tainted by something bad.

Therefore, even though most of the church believers were saved by Ella after the pilgrimage festival, rumors that Ella was an evil god still circulated among the people due to official suppression by the church and the royal family.

Of course, that's a digression. Back to the gloomy dungeon beneath the sanctuary, Ella's little interrogation of Edward was mainly for this reason.

If she asked directly, she couldn't guarantee that Edward wouldn't lie, or that the elusive deity might have left some subtle influence on Edward, causing him to mislead Ella.

It would be too complicated to distinguish whether this was due to the influence of a deity or Edward's own desire to oppose Ella, so it's better to rule out one possibility altogether.

After all, while it's impossible to brainwash someone mentally, it's possible to brainwash Ella physically, like a washing machine.

Of course, this is also thanks to Edward's tenacious vitality. Even though he was only left with a head, he was still very resilient after being corrupted or blessed by the evil god opposite him.

This also allowed Ella to conduct some small experiments—for example, whether the senses on her tentacles could detect changes in a person's emotions or thoughts.

And it turns out that getting close enough to the brain does work, which allows Ella to unlock a new use for her tentacles.

However, such methods are indeed a bit sinister, and it is definitely not appropriate to experiment on innocent ordinary people. Therefore, Edward, who is neither innocent nor ordinary, will have to suffer.

Of course, another reason might be that during this time, Ella was experiencing those messy things about vampires in Valen.

This annoyed her, and Edward became, in a way, an unfortunate scapegoat.

In any case, Edward eventually confessed everything honestly.

Let alone lying, he didn't even dare to entertain the slightest irrelevant thought in his mind.

In Edward's account, after failing to acquire the merman at the auction in the Mansa Islands, he harbored malicious intentions and led his men to track down Prince Aslan, who had bought the merman from Ella.

Of course, Edward only realized at this moment that the masked tycoon girl at the auction was actually the terrifying evil... no, the beautiful, holy, kind, and gentle saint who surpassed even angels.

After that, in the sea of Magala, Edward attacked Prince Aslan's ship, and the events that Ye Xiao had experienced after being trapped in a time warp occurred.

Ye Xiao was just a disheveled prisoner on Aslan's ship at the time, so Edward didn't pay much attention to him.

Then, in the chaos, the frightened merman summoned a sea monster that swallowed Aslan's ship. In the midst of the crisis, Edward had no choice but to flee in panic with his men and the captured Prince Aslan.

Having lost the merfolk, Edward placed his hopes on Prince Aslan, but the latter had not yet had time to obtain any information from the merfolk in those few days.

This means that all the effort that Edward and Prince Aslan put in during this period of time was in vain.

In a fit of anger, Edward vented his frustration on Prince Aslan, who was known for his reckless and willful behavior; otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to attack the Aslan royal family's ship.

He had always harbored a strong desire to climb the social ladder, and his search for the Fountain of Youth stemmed from his ambition to become a legendary pirate.

Just then, the pirate gathering was about to be held in the Seven Seas Capital, so he announced that he would execute Prince Aslan in the Seven Seas Capital in order to extort ransom from the Aslan Empire. Even if he could not find the Fountain of Youth, this would at least be a feat that would make him go down in history—a pirate who dared to kidnap the princes of three great empires and use them to blackmail them.

But it was at this point that things changed.

Prince Aslan, who was being tormented and amused by the pirates day and night on the ship, suddenly claimed to Edward that he felt some kind of calling as they approached the Seven Seas City.

He said his intense longing for the Fountain of Youth had been answered, and that the gods of the deep sea, seeing their sincerity, would give them guidance.

Edward initially thought Prince Aslan had gone mad, but when he saw that the prince could guide them through the intricate terrain of the western part of the island, he couldn't help but believe him a little more.

Then, as the ship gradually ventured deeper into those rocky, labyrinthine caves, they actually encountered God's apostles in one of the caves.

They called themselves the Shepherds of Darkness and worshipped a supreme deity called "Lydia." Upon meeting Edward and his companions, they respectfully addressed them as the chosen ones, inspired by "God."

They led Edward and his crew to a hidden underground lake, which was said to be the entrance to the dwelling place of the gods, and the vast lake was the gate to an audience with the deities.

The Shepherds of Darkness prayed around the Great Lake and performed strange rituals, making Edward and others offer sacrifices to the lake in exchange for the Fountain of Youth they had long desired.

"And then you did it?"

"Ella asked."

"Yes, it is."

Edward replied tremblingly, "I obtained the Fountain of Youth from that lake. After drinking it, I gained immortality and can hear its voice at any time."

It turns out that the lake was the key to the problem.

Ella realized that since it was a medium that could respond to believers and bestow blessings, that lake was probably the channel through which that evil god influenced the present world.

It seems Ye Xiao will have to go back again, while Ella goes alone. Given Ella's cunning nature, she might hide and not show herself. Only Ye Xiao, being a mortal, might be able to lure her out.

"Since you received blessings from the sacrificial ceremony, what did you sacrifice?"

Ella suddenly asked.

"Ok?"

Edward paused for a moment, then frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.

"I sacrificed myself... I sacrificed myself... Huh?"

Edward swallowed hard.

He certainly dared not hold anything back, but why, when he felt it was something very important, could he suddenly not remember it?

"how?"

Seeing that Edward did not respond for a long time, Ella flicked her finger, and the tentacles that had been dormant in accordance with Ella's command began to stir again.

"No, no, no! Saintess! Master! Master? I... I really can't remember!"

Edward, with a mournful face, frantically tried to search his mind for relevant memories, but he had absolutely no recollection of what should have been the most important part of the ceremony.

"Where did your crew members go?"

"Ella asked softly."

She had seen several of Edward's companions at the auction; one was a large man, and the other, a bespectacled scholar who looked like a player, left a deep impression on her.

But at the pirate gathering, Ye Xiao didn't see any of Edward's former crew members, and his men were all unfamiliar pirate lackeys.

"Crew members? You mean my crew? Aren't they right here..."

Edward paused mid-sentence, suddenly stunned.

Some seemingly hazy memories, long buried in the past, gradually emerged from his mind.

A single tear welled up from the corner of Edward's eye.

"No, I...I sacrificed them all."

Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Short Rest in the Grotto

Edward's recollection ends here. Looking back now, it seems that after receiving the blessing of the unknown deity, all his purpose and attention were focused on realizing his inflated ambition to become the Pirate King.

It was as if there were several invisible threads in the dark, like a puppet show, pulling his limbs and leading him to this ending.

This seemed to make him realize something, and his head rested silently on the table in deep thought.

"So you've come to understand something."

Ella chuckled softly, and with a thought, the dark tentacles retreated back into the earth of life that had spread from under Edward's head.

"I...I'm not quite sure...I might need to think about it..."

Edward frowned.

"No rush, take your time to think it over. You'll be here for a long time."

Ella yawned, but it wasn't because she was sleepy; rather, it was because Ye Xiao, far away in the Seven Seas City, felt somewhat tired.

As is well known, yawning is contagious.

"You...you're leaving?"

Edward carefully chose his words.

"What, are you starting to miss that feeling?"