Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength

"First the flower shop... then the church..."

Dominic continued walking along Kurpis Road into the distance, even though his heart longed for beautiful things, his mood inevitably sank.

As the saying goes: "Good things take time."

But just on the journey to find Il, he had already encountered so many obstacles...

Dominic couldn't help thinking — does this mean he'll face even more trouble ahead?

Besides, the peculiar animal cries frequently coming from the woods beside him only heightened Dominic's unease.

Fortunately, Ronald's promise to him was not wrong.

Although his heart gradually became anxious, Dominic was fortunate not to encounter any danger, and still found the church in the eastern part of the town smoothly.

This church also stood at the edge of the forest.

With a size matching its dimensions.

Apart from the graveyard specially laid out further back, the church in the front had a very small area. In Dominic's impression, this should be the smallest architectural specification for an ordinary church.

Perhaps Mr. Ronald and the church don't have a very good relationship.

Otherwise, why would he only allow such a small church to be built on his land?

Dominic speculated in his mind, but the desire to find the beautiful girl overshadowed all other thoughts. So he didn't observe carefully, just went directly to the church and pushed the door.

Clack—

The church door was rare in that it wasn't closed at night.

Dominic only exerted a little force, and the door easily opened before him.

Entering inside, the church's interior was entirely visible.

Many candles were lit in the chapel, and the seats originally for the faithful were all open. A few patients with yellowish complexions lay neatly on either side.

"What is this?"

Dominic expressed his confusion.

Upon closer inspection, the yellowing on these people's faces was not due to normal unhealthy skin color. It seemed that a pale yellow powder was wafting out from the patients' bodies!

Moreover, despite being in such a frightening experience, those lying there all had serene expressions, as if they were undergoing an incredibly beautiful dream-like journey, showing not the slightest hint of pain!

"!"

Dominic almost wanted to turn and run immediately.

From what he knew, even the anesthetics bestowed by the witch doctors on tribal warriors in the continent of Il couldn't turn users into this state.

A hundred-percent mysterious-side event!

And it would definitely pose a danger to ordinary people!

For a noble, perhaps a beautiful girl could move his heart, but it was absolutely impossible to entice him into potentially life-threatening adventuring.

Dominic didn't have time to consider anything else, only thinking about escaping this terrifying place immediately.

"Hey, someone came?"

"A strange soul?"

Just as Dominic prepared to flee for his life.

Two distinct emotional voices, one male and one female, came from deeper within the church.

For Dominic, still standing at the church door, his heart sank to rock bottom.

— He found out he couldn't move his body anymore.

Among the two voices, Dominic naturally recognized the female one. It was, of course, Il, the one he intended to find tonight. But after the old and unfamiliar male voice spoke, Dominic instantly lost all control over his body!

Then Dominic found his body starting to move.

He now resembled a zombie controlled by witchcraft, unable to control himself as he walked further into the church, unable to call for help, or utter any words of pleading.

And during this process, Dominic could hear the heated discussion between Il and the other man inside.

"You monster! The plant I wanted to buy is the golden umbrella, for treating people!"

"Hopkins, I completely disagree with your idea."

"Treating people essentially is to bring them a pleasant experience. The plant I gave you is a new mushroom I cultivated based on the golden umbrella, and its appearance has maintained a high degree of consistency. Even after patients use it, look—aren't their expressions extremely happy? How can you say I sold you the wrong thing?"

"Are you still arguing with me?"

"How is this arguing! If you don't believe me, you can now go and wake up those lying there, ask them if they feel extremely comfortable, if they want to eat my golden mushroom again!"

"I am supposed to treat them, not poison them!"

"But they are obviously very happy, I really don't understand you humans' thoughts. It's utterly ridiculous, completely inconsistent with my ideas."

"Medicine for humans should be done according to human ideas!"

"Hoo hoo—"

Followed by a few heavy breaths.

"In any case, I'm telling you, you must now figure out how to handle the characteristics of the mushrooms you've cultivated. And dispose of all these damn! Mutated! Golden umbrellas! If Mr. Ronald finds out about this, you definitely won't benefit at all."

"Ugh! Ronald... fine, you win."

"Anyway, now I need to examine the changes in this person's cerebral cortex first, otherwise, how to handle this is out of my control."

"You aren't sure about the plant's effects, yet you sold it to me to use as a medicine? And even disguised its external shape to be exactly the same?"

"Doesn't this show that my skills are superb?"

"Hopkins, do you want a refund? At worst, I'll give you a few other novel plants to support your decaying century-old broken body, and we'll be settled?"

"Is that the issue? You monster!"

"You, stop calling me a monster all the time! Look at yourself with all those bizarre spells you've used on your body, talking as if you're still human?"

"I may have gone astray in the past, but now I'm wholly dedicated to serving others as a devout person!"

"..."

Listening to the intense dialogue coming from deeper within the church, Dominic only felt his situation grow ever more hopeless.

It seemed he still had serious misunderstandings about these wizards.

What kind of den of magic was the village ruled by this Ronald?

All were things beyond his imagination!

With unspeakable horror accompanying him, Dominic bypassed the chapel's corridor and came to the two people in the back room.

Here, a bloody scene directly stimulated the noble's brain.

A human who had already lost consciousness lay on the long table, and this person had been gutted open, he could even see the rhythm of the other's internal organs' beating. At the same time in the brain, a blood-soaked opening had just been made.

What was even more unbelievable to Dominic.

Was that Miss Il, whom he longed for, had personally opened the other's brain cavity!

At the other end of the long table, a priest with a face as if he intended to devour people, was glaring intently at Il in front of him.

That expression, as if fearing that when Il opened the patient's head.

She would take a bite right from it!