Chapter 180: Ashes to Fun
Although Kiyan and Lann hadn't been together for long, the witcher seemed to have established a deep bond with Lann. As soon as Triss said his name, Kiyan made a gesture of surrender.
"Okay, okay..." Kiyan pulled a small bag of ashes out of his pocket and began to mutter. The ashes immediately rose into the air, outlining the figure of a person.
On the battlefield, a temple guard suddenly shuddered, then put on a bewildered expression. He seemed to want to scream, but in the next instant, an axe chopped off his head.
"What are you doing, you red-eyed guy? I'm having fun!" Vlodimir cried out in disgust, but his gaze soon fell on Triss.
Immediately, he changed his expression: "Oh, I don't know what I should call you, beautiful lady. I'd like to say that your hair is like delicious strawberries, but the truth is that it's hotter and more passionate than the Eternal Fire~"
Triss snorted. She raised her hand, and chaos energy enveloped the spirit, immobilizing it and preventing it from speaking.
"Okay, okay, Ms. Triss. Calm down. Why bother with the dead?" Kiyan turned to look at Vlodimir. "Your brother and I agreed that you would enjoy a day of fun. It seems that you had quite a bit of fun, so will you give me what I need?" He took out a piece of parchment. "I need a certificate to prove to your brother that I have completed his commission."
The chaos energy dissipated, and Vlodimir, still fearful, looked at Triss, muttering something about a sorceress. He tried to grab the pen, but his hand went through the air.
Vlodimir raised his head with a playful smile, but immediately heard Triss muttering again. Then his body, except for his right hand, became transparent and blurry, and all the ashes that made his body visible gathered in his hand.
Kiyan handed the pen over again, and this time Vlodimir grabbed it.
Although Vlodimir's face could no longer be seen, the shaking of the pen showed that he was unwilling to give up.
The written proof was quickly completed, and Vlodimir said gloomily: "Can I go back to party again?"
Kiyan nodded and said: "Of course, you can, but don't you find that their fight is about to end?"
Vlodimir said as a matter of course: "They have been fighting for so long, it's time to stop, I don't want to miss the end of the story."
Kiyan lowered his voice and persuaded: "No, what I mean is: you have been a soldier for so long, why don't you try to possess their leader - that Caleb Menge? As long as you become the leader, you will have the final say when the battle ends? And changing your identity to enjoy the battle can also experience a different kind of fun."
Vlodimir's eyes lit up.
"If I go over now, you won't call me back again, right? I've given you the proof. Has the contract between us ended?"
Kiyan nodded. "Of course, the ashes have been used up, and I can't even send you back. You can stay here as long as you want."
Vlodimir smiled with satisfaction.
Possessing Caleb Menge was a good idea, but before leaving, he suddenly thought of something and turned back to Kiyan with ill intentions: "Witcher, I had a lot of fun with you. Honestly, what I'd like most is to possess you, because compared to these soldiers, an agile mutant with magical abilities is much more interesting. If you ever need my help again, you can use that as a bargaining chip~"
Vlodimir left with a big laugh.
Kiyan's hands were shaking, veins standing out.
Triss, looking at Kiyan who was visibly disturbed, asked politely: "Are you okay?"
"It's okay, Miss Triss. I'm fine." Kiyan replied without expression. "Why bother with a dead person?"
...
Caleb Menge looked around in a daze. In the chaos, he didn't know who slashed him, but fortunately his armor was thick, and it wasn't in the vital parts, so he was still able to move.
The development of things has now completely exceeded his expectations.
The Temple Guard can be said to be the most elite armed force of the Eternal Fire - this elite refers to the equipment and training level.
Since Caleb Menge is the head of the group, he has a strong control over the Temple Guard.
The direct troops under Chappelle's control are conventional armed forces such as the city guards and patrols of Novigrad. If it is a head-on conflict, it is difficult to compete with the Temple Guard.
But in a religious civil war, the level of combat effectiveness ultimately depends on faith. The firmer the faith, the better the fight. Not to mention that there are also many young people with faith who admire Chappelle among the temple guards.
Caleb Menge originally planned to use Chappelle's accusations of being a doppler as the final straw, thereby gaining victory. He even planned to use this achievement as a stepping stone to becoming the future hierarch of the Eternal Fire.
But now it seems that all that is impossible.
At first glance, the temple guards he had instigated were confused. The young guards, seeing that Chappelle had been exonerated of the accusations of being a doppler, no longer knew what they were fighting for.
"Everyone!" Caleb Menge struggled in his death throes. "Think about what Chappelle has done during this period. He must have used some evil methods, perhaps some magic or alchemy that we don't know. We can't let the Eternal Fire sink in the hands of such a person!"
Caleb Menge shouted loudly, but few responded.
Realizing that all was lost, Caleb Menge swung his sword fiercely, pretending to fight bravely to try and raise the spirits of his men. At the same time, he retreated as he fought and soon found himself covered in blood as he retreated to the back of the line with a brave stance.
"Kaman!" He shouted to his deputy who had been ready to run away. "Gather the remaining men, we will prepare for..."
Before Caleb Menge finished speaking, his body shook violently, and his gaze suddenly changed.
"Commander?"
The deputy stepped forward in confusion but heard Caleb Menge shouting: "Guardians of the temple, we will never surrender! I will set an example and fulfill the oath of the Eternal Fire!"
He then charged to the front line, kicking and pushing his way through the hesitant guards, displaying a heroic willingness not to back down even in death.
The deputy was stunned. Knowing his commander's usual personality, he could not understand the scene in front of him.
All of Chappelle's followers gritted their teeth, preparing for the temple guardians' last stand.
Only Chappelle breathed a sigh of relief.
A Moon Dust bomb suddenly appeared, spinning and hitting Caleb Menge's head, and an invisible chaotic energy began to act on the leader of the temple guardians.
Before the chaotic crowd could react to the alchemical bomb, the silver mist exploded around Caleb Menge.
Under everyone's horrified gazes, another agonized scream emerged from Caleb Menge's mouth, and a figure began to appear and disappear behind him.
The shrill wailing and the twisted limbs made everyone present shudder.
Regardless of which side the warriors were on, they all stopped their actions at this time, and a terrible guess emerged in their minds.
Then, from the rear, Chappelle, who had been hiding, stepped forward.
"Possessed by an evil spirit! Caleb Menge is possessed by an evil spirit!"
Vlodimir, under the dual control of Moon Dust and chaotic energy, writhed in pain, his contorted face clearly revealed to everyone present.
Caleb Menge also let out a painful howl like a beast.
"Recently, I learned that beneath Temple Island, besides the big toad, there was also an evil spirit wandering around. So I paid a lot of money to hire a witcher to solve the problem for me. But I didn't expect to encounter it at this time."
Chapelle spoke with a coldness that belied the anger and pain in his eyes as he looked at his 'comrade' from the Eternal Fire.
"The evil spirit has already killed Caleb Menge and taken possession of his body. It was the spirit who instigated this internal revolt of the Eternal Fire, and now I understand everything. Gentlemen, don't you think that everything that has happened today is too absurd? The commander of the temple guardians accused me of being a doppler, and the followers of the Eternal Fire have killed each other for no reason. This is not something you would do."
"It's all the fault of the evil spirit!"
Chappelle settled the matter, emphasizing that Caleb Menge was already dead and only the evil spirit remained.
Looking around, he could also see that the instigators and small leaders in Caleb Menge's camp were dead, and the rest were young temple guards. Some of them were simply bewitched by the leader, and there was no need to kill them.
Covered in blood, both sides stared in astonishment at those who until yesterday were brothers and today had faced each other with swords. Now their gazes began to clear.
They gradually understood everything.
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