Chapter 366: Chapter 366

Chapter 366: Collapse Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel{f}ire.net

The riders ahead, cornered by the Compassionate Mother, had panicked and fled toward the Upper District. Fortunately, they seemed to realize their mistake just in time and engaged the heretical god only at the outskirts. That area mostly housed warehouses and had no residents, so the damage was limited.

Instead, since they were familiar with the roads there, their evasion had become even more fluid.

“‘He refused to go with us?’” Kyle asked with a frown.

“‘No, he refused to retreat. He said he had a plan.’”

“‘Huh?’” Kyle was stunned. “‘He—he has a plan to deal with the Compassionate Mother? With the Harbor Guard?’”

“‘No, I don’t think so.’” Granny shook her head. “‘I think he might be considering a sacrifice.’”

He was a member of the Holy Guard, a veteran of the Deep Sea War, and instinctively thought of solving monsters through force.

But thinking more carefully, a sacrifice might indeed be the best option—the Compassionate Mother had already grown to a nearly unstoppable level. The Prince might be able to use the Harbor Guard to draw her attention, but how long could that last?

A horse’s stamina had its limits, and that limit wasn’t far off now.

“‘If a sacrifice is needed, how many would it take?’”

“‘If it’s mortals, the number would be terrifying. If it’s extraordinary individuals...’” Granny hesitated. “‘At least two, I suppose.’”

There was no record of a Compassionate Mother growing to this extent. Granny could only estimate based on her years of experience dealing with the supernatural.

“‘It would be nearly impossible to gather that many mortals for sacrifice. But extraordinary individuals—those might be gathered.’”

Kyle had read reports before coming to Blood Harbor. The Prince’s companion Galahad was one such extraordinary being. He was said to be extremely loyal—perhaps the Prince would trade him for Blood Harbor’s peace?

But who would be the other one...

The Prince galloped ahead. Both he and his mount were already panting heavily.

Horseback riding was actually a highly exhausting activity—especially under such tense circumstances. There was no room for error. Signs of physical exhaustion were already appearing under the pressure.

The Prince looked agitated, occasionally swatting at the air, as if driving something away.

“‘Isabella, you heard those Castel people. As long as someone sacrifices themselves—’”

The Prince hissed lowly, trying not to draw attention as he glared at the air beside him.

Only she could see the translucent figure there.

It was the original owner of this body—the true Prince.

At that moment, his face was full of anxiety. He turned to look at the massive Compassionate Mother, then floated beside Isabella again.

“‘Let me do it, Isabella. This is my homeland, after all. I’m willing to die for it—my very existence as a soul proves my will. My sacrifice can banish the Compassionate Mother.’”

He wasn’t wrong. Normally, souls couldn’t remain in the world after leaving the body. That was a rule of this world. But a strong enough will could interfere with reality and forcibly anchor a soul to the world.

Only extraordinary beings could generally achieve such a feat—or, more accurately, only a few with especially strong wills among them. If the Prince sacrificed himself, the effect would definitely exceed that of any extraordinary individual.

Isabella's face darkened. She no longer responded.

Suddenly, a scream came from behind. The cavalry turned back to see that one of the horses had been struck by a flying rock fragment. It was immediately spooked, neighed in terror, and bolted backward. The rider’s shouting was useless.

Behind them was the Compassionate Mother, who extended a hand.

The rider’s face twisted in horror. Then he gritted his teeth and leapt from the galloping horse.

He was lucky. He didn’t hit any rocks—just broke his hand, and maybe a few ribs. But his legs were fine.

He scrambled up and sprinted with all his might, moving faster than he had ever run in his life. In moments, he had reached a small two-story building.

The heretical god’s limb smashed down. When the dust settled, the man and the building were both embedded into the earth.

Without realizing it, the Compassionate Mother had already grown to an almost uncontrollable level. The Harbor Guard had only barely escaped with their fast horses. But now, even the horses’ speed was declining.

Their stamina was nearing its limit.

“‘Jefferson!!’” someone among the cavalry cried out in anguish—clearly a friend of the fallen man.

But there was no time to mourn. In the next moment, the Compassionate Mother turned her gaze toward them.

That massive body charged with alarming agility, and the wind swirling behind her stirred up the dust.

In the air, the Prince’s soul also grew anxious: “‘Isabella, let me—’”

Isabella yanked the reins hard. Her mount neighed in pain, rearing on its hind legs before stopping, trembling with fear as it stared at the approaching mountain of flesh.

The Harbor Guard all came to a halt. They had reached their limits—both man and horse were gasping for air. Even if they hadn’t stopped, they wouldn’t have gone much farther.

But the heretical god seemed to have infinite stamina—or more accurately, she was growing stronger. In the chase, she had been devouring other Followers of the Mother Goddess. Meanwhile, the Holy Guard’s firepower had dwindled. As her strength grew and theirs faded, she had swelled in size once more.

Among the Prince’s cavalry, only Galahad still looked somewhat composed. The others were in complete disarray—even the Prince had a streak of blood across his face, where a flying shard of stone had struck him in the head.

They had pushed their mounts to the limit just to open up some distance. The flesh-mountain heretical god had been shaken off slightly, but it would only delay her briefly. She would soon catch up again, and the Prince’s party had no strength left to flee.

Their expressions varied—fear, sorrow, anger, calm—but all stared at the approaching heretical god, as if awaiting their final judgment.

In the distance, Kyle let out a sigh and looked to Granny. “‘They’ve decided to choose sacrifice, haven’t they?’”

But Granny’s eyes shimmered with a strange light. She looked toward the flesh-mountain and said cryptically: “‘Not necessarily.’”

Then, Galahad suddenly stepped forward, placing himself in front of the Prince.

A tremendous sound rang out. Kyle staggered, and many of the Holy Guard fell to the ground.

It wasn’t out of fear—they had lost their balance because the earth was shaking!

The Compassionate Mother, who had been charging wildly, suddenly tilted—her forward momentum halted. Around her, smoke and dust burst into the air. One collapse followed another. She flailed her limbs, trying desperately to crawl forward—but she was still sinking downward.

The Compassionate Mother was falling into the earth.