1876 Purgatory Heaven
"Everyone should know that the pharmaceutical talents of the Gana are connected with their power. The purer their blood, the greater their medicine becomes. This Holy Lady is not of the royal family, but her blood is as pure as it gets. She is undoubtedly the best out of all the Gana. Her starting price is..." The Kao kept on speaking.
The people around all started shouting out their bids, which annoyed the auctioneers. The clamor shocked Han Sen quite a bit.
There were only a few dozen Gana still waiting to be sold, which put pressure on the bidders who still hadn't secured a Gana. And this was the Holy Lady, so she was a hot item.
Gold Jade King had not been actively bidding in the previous auctions. He had seemed to be waiting for a Gana of pure blood.
Han Sen, seeing the lady on stage, looked awfully worried.
The lady was chained up, and her snake tail was stiffened so she would stand and not fall over. She looked completely emotionless. Her eyes were closed, revealing her long eyelashes.
Her pretty lips trembled. It looked as if she was a nun who was in the midst of dire prayers. The noise around her could not cause her expression to falter.
"Something is wrong." Han Sen looked around again. The Gana that had been bought were all doing the same. They had closed their eyes, and they were in the midst of prayer.
No matter how Han Sen looked at them, they seemed to be praying. Even the way they moved their mouths suggested this. Their voices were quiet, and Han Sen could barely hear them. They were not using the common language, however, so Han Sen was unsure what they were saying.
"King, the Gana are mumbling something. What are they doing?" Han Sen informed Gold Jade King. He was feeling very nervous about it all.
Gold Jade King looked at the Gana and said, "This is the language of the Gana. They are praying for the assistance of their god. If their deified elite was here, their prayers might actually help. But that elite betrayed the Gana long ago, and they might not respond to the prayers."
Gold Jade King went back to ignoring Han Sen and bidding on the lady.
Many Kings were elites, and they were fearless. Even though there was danger in being there, they wouldn't stop. They would try to grab whatever resources they could first.
Han Sen was not that strong, and he was afraid of what might happen. He listened to Gold Jade King's words and got even more nervous.
"Icebird Duke, let's go," Han Sen said, standing up.
"Why?" Icebird Duke was able to sense something was wrong, but not with the clarity Han Sen could.
Han Sen did not have the time to explain. He walked away and said, "I am uncomfortable. Let's walk and talk, shall we?" Icebird Duke was confused, but she still stood up and followed Han Sen out of the hall.
Before they made it outside, however, the lady being sold on the stage raised her voice. Emotionlessly, she called out, "Hearts like glass, bodies like mirrors, fall to hell and become dust. If the heart has heaven, only then will you be free."
"If the heart has heaven, only then will you be free." The praying Gana all began to open their eyes. Their voices bellowed over the proceedings of the auction.
"Shut up." A Kao guard hit one of the girls.
She didn't try to avoid the strike, and she allowed the whip to hit her. Her lovely face was marred by the presence of a mark.
The girl that was hit ignored the strike, and she continued to speak.
"I told you to shut up, didn't I?" The Kao guard hit her again. Her snow-white skin split open, and blood began to spill over her body.
The lady still kept her holy look, though. She was chanting alongside the other Gana, uncaring for the wounds she had sustained. It seemed as if she wasn't the one bleeding.
Kings like Gold Jade King were now starting to feel as if something was really wrong. Thinking they were strong, though, they did not believe they had a reason to fall back.
The strongest Gana there was no greater than a Duke, so they did not think they had to be afraid. They did not have to give up the Gana they had already bought, either.
Suddenly, the statue in the hall suddenly made a katcha noise. The statue cracked, and the crack wreathed its way around the entire statue.
A big slab of stone fell from the statue. It was followed by another, and another, and another. When the rocks fell, they revealed something gold inside the statue.
"Something is inside that Gana statue!" Everyone was shocked, looking towards the statue.
Boom!
There were too many cracks across the statue, and they eventually caused it to shatter like glass. All the stone fell off, revealing a gold statue on the inside.
That Gana goddess statue looked just like Guna, as well. Just like the lady on stage did. The snake tail of the statue- come-to-life slithered slowly back and forth. The floor began to rise up as countless twisted arms. They looked like demonic arms from hell. The goddess did not look down to the ground. Her hand was raised, and her eyes looked up to the sky. She looked very holy.
Seeing that weird Gana statue, Gold Jade King and the others were all stunned. One Duke was so scared, he screamed, "Purgatory Heaven! This is the Gana's deified item. Why would it be here?"
"Kill these Gana, we cannot let them activate Purgatory Heaven!" some Noble shouted.
Some people started to run off, but it was too late to do that. The sky above the hall was shining with gold. You could not see the stars or the galaxy high above.
The place was plunged into complete darkness. The machines came to a stop. The sky above was bright, but its light didn't reach the ground. Only the gold Gana statue lit up the hall. Everything else was dark; it looked like hell.
Someone drew out a weapon and killed the Gana right next to him, but when the Gana died, their light was absorbed by the statue. And when it did, the whole world became darker.
"Idiot! Don't kill them. They are sacrificing themselves," a King shouted coldly.
Horrible screams began to erupt from the outside. A Kao from outside rushed into the hall, but a large portion of her body had already been ripped away. She struggled a bit and then died.
1877 The Hall Shrouded in Death
"So what if it is a deified item? Without the deified one to control it, what can they really do?" a King asked, his voice hard. His body looked very bright. He took his subordinates and a Gana outside the hall.
His godlights tore through the darkness, lighting up the outside of the hall. The Nobles in his employ followed him. They traveled through the dark, wanting to return to their ships.
But before they could make it far, strange arms started to writhe their way out of the ground. They grabbed those that traversed the darkness, and even the Gana.
The King struck with his godlights. He cut down the weird arms, but he was the only one that could protect himself. The Dukes were unable to hold off the grasping arms, and they found themselves getting pulled down into the earth.
When the arms latched onto them, they realized that the ground beneath them was turning to mud. The weaker people were immediately pulled down, disappearing beneath the surface. The Dukes struggled for a while, but the arms were ultimately too much for them. They suffered the same fate, albeit more slowly.
Someone tried flying. A gold light shot across the sky to intercept him, and the flying figure was sent spinning up into the clouds. There was no sound, and he was simply gone.
The King was invincible, but he cared little for the others in his employ. He made it out alive, but only two subordinates had survived alongside him. A dozen of the people that had previously been following him had been swallowed up.
The few Kings left inside the hall looked terrible. They knew deified items were scary, and they had heard about Purgatory Heaven before. They did not expect it to be that powerful. Not even King class fighters could deal with a deified elite.
The chances of an ordinary Noble making it out were practically zero. The Dukes could not leave, and there were not many Kings. It looked as if most attendants were going to die right there.
Seeing the Gold Gana statue glowing brighter and brighter, a few of the Kings made their move. With their subordinates in tow, they led the way through the darkness. They left the Gana behind, knowing they were likely unable to take care of them, despite their strength.
The Purgatory Heaven would only get stronger, so not even the King class elites were willing to stay behind. They could make it out now, but it was difficult to say if they would be able to do so later.
Gold Jade King had not said a word thus far, but even he was keen to move. With his two Dukes, he ran out. He didn't say Icebird Duke and Han Sen couldn't follow, but if anything happened to them, he wouldn't bat an eyelid.
"We should run, too!" Icebird Duke gritted her teeth. She knew she might die by following Gold Jade King, but staying would be a death sentence, anyway.
"Why doesn't he attack the statue outright? Can't a few Kings band together to suppress a deified item?" Han Sen pulled at Icebird Duke.
"If they could, do you think they'd choose to run?" While Icebird Duke answered, Gold Jade King had already gained a great distance. If she was going to run, it was now or never.
Icebird Duke's face fell as Gold Jade King increased the distance between them. "Our only chance is gone."
"Maybe not. This hall is fine," Han Sen said, while looking at the people remaining.
There were some people still in the hall. The Gana, the Kao, and a few Nobles that had no Kings.
The Nobles that had come with a King had already run out, but they had mostly been killed. The Kings were unable to take care of their subordinates.
"F*ck! Speak, b*tch! How do we stop this thing? If you don't tell me, I'll kill you!" Many Nobles were threatening to murder all the Gana.
One Duke grabbed the Gana lady and slapped her. Her face went swollen.
"You might as well kill me now, then," the Gana lady said, but there was no anger coating her words.
"Dying doesn't have to be quick. If you don't tell me the truth, you'll suffer a fate worse than simple death." The Duke was absolutely furious. He grabbed her arm and tore a chunk of flesh off.
The other Nobles were also demanding that the Gana give them a solution. They really wanted a way to get out of there.
"Stupid people! If the Gana could stop this, the Kings wouldn't have left." Icebird Duke frowned.
Han Sen shook his head and did not speak. A Gana could not withstand the torture and screamed, "Everyone here is already dead! The Purgatory Heaven has started, and there is no way to stop it. Everything and everyone is going to die. A Gana would rather stand tall and die than wither away as someone's thrall. You guys were dreaming..."
The hall was in chaos. Han Sen looked outside and noticed the kings had gotten pretty far away. It was nearly impossible to see their lights now, as the darkness overwhelmed all.
"Icebird Duke, let's take the Gana lady with us. Perhaps there is a chance we might live." Han Sen walked towards the Gana lady.
The Duke was in the middle of torturing her. So, Han Sen tried to attack the Duke from behind. The guy was as angry as could be, but Dukes were Dukes, and he was so fast. He managed to dodge Han Sen's knife.
Seeing that Han Sen was so weak, likely just a Baron or Viscount at best, the guy became even angrier. Now he wanted to kill Han Sen.
It was then that Icebird Duke launched herself in front of Han Sen, staring the Duke down.
She did not think there was a way out of this, but the Gana lady knew the most about what was happening. Having her with them wouldn't do any harm. So, perhaps there was a chance.
"Icebird Duke, what is the meaning of this?" the Duke angrily asked.
"Nothing. He is my master's student. No one can touch him as long as I am around," Icebird Duke coldly said.
"F*ck! Do you know what's going on? Who cares who you are at a time like this? Give me the Gana back, lest I harm you," the Duke said coldly.
"You can certainly try." Icebird Duke started to generate a frosty aura as she spoke. She swiftly became an icy phoenix, protecting herself.freewebnσvel.cѳm
Han Sen applied some medicine to the Gana lady's wounds, and he asked her, "Are you okay?"
"There is no need for you to pretend to be nice to make me trust you. I can tell you that it really is too late now. We will all die, myself included. No one can stop Purgatory Heaven," the Gana lady said emotionlessly.
Han Sen looked at Icebird Duke's enemy, and he noticed the other Nobles weren't looking at him. He surreptitiously pulled something out of his pocket. He let the Gana see it, and he said, "Do you know what this is?"
1878 Purgatory Beas
When the Gana's Holy Lady saw the item Han Sen was holding, her face changed completely. She looked at Han Sen with pretty eyes and said, "Where did you get this?"
"Guna asked me to save you, but I am afraid I am too weak. Now I might have that chance, though," Han Sen coldly said.
The Gana's Holy Lady looked at Han Sen and said icily, "Don't try to fool me. You captured Guna and stole the Gana Stone from her, didn't you?"
Han Sen was holding a small tablet. It was very ancient-looking. It had Gana text scrawled on one side, and a depiction of the Gana goddess on the other.
Before Han Sen came to the auction, Guna had given it to him. She told him that item would allow him to buy any Gana he wished to, and the Gana would have no choice but to agree.
She had not mentioned the name of the specific Gana she wanted Han Sen to bring, but she did say that it was her sister. She also told Han Sen he'd know who it was as soon as he saw her.
Guna was right, as well. He did know, because Guna and the woman before him looked exactly the same. They were almost identical, like twins.
Han Sen pressed the face of the tablet, and then the text and the goddess lit up.
"A Kao called Gia captured her and tried to sell her. It is fortunate I saved her whilst on my travels. I was going to send her back, but it seems the Gana have fallen. So, I kept Guna on my aircraft. She asked me to save you, no matter what the cost. She also told me to take this with me to the auction. She told me that this tablet would ensure you were saved from the Kao. She taught me how to make use of it, too." Han Sen was only being half honest with her.
Holy Lady Gana looked confused, but she ultimately believed him. She took the tablet from him and said, "It is nice that Guna has made it to safety, but it is truly too late for us. Purgatory Heaven has started, and there is no hope of survival."
"Is there truly no other way?" Han Sen asked.
Gana Holy Lady looked at the gold Gana Goddess statue and gave a wry smile. "If you were a King, you might be able to escape and get clear of the planet before it is consumed by Purgatory Heaven. It doesn't seem as if any of us here possess that power, though, does it?"
"Talk about this later. Guna and my subordinates are on the ship. Is there a way to find them?" Han Sen was in a rush now. He was getting very afraid Little Meng'er might end up getting swallowed by the powers of Purgatory Heaven.
The Gana Holy Lady thought for a moment, and then said, "If Guna is with your fellows, they ought to be fine. But that sanctuary won't last very long. Where is your ship right now?"
"It is docked to the south of here," Han Sen answered quickly.
"Well, the least we can do is to try for it. Follow me at a pace no greater than three steps behind," the Gana Holy Lady said. Then, she headed towards the darkness. Han Sen quickly asked Icebird Duke to follow them out into the darkness.
The Gana Holy Lady was glowing. Wherever she moved, no strange arms rose up from the ground. Han Sen and Icebird Duke stood right next to her.
The Duke that fought against Icebird Duke witnessed what was happening, and so he decided to follow them, too. But he was a few steps away from the Gana Holy Lady, and an arm managed to clutch his body.
The Duke gathered up power to fight back the arms that came for him, but it was pointless. He flew up into the sky then, but as soon as he took off, a gold light shot out of the clouds and sucked him into it. Then, he was gone.
The Nobles that wished to follow after them stopped. No one dared to step outside now.
Han Sen and Icebird Duke were still able to follow the Gana Holy Lady, but she had been injured. Although Han Sen had healed her, she was still moving very slowly.
"How about I carry you?" Han Sen wanted to speed up, but he couldn't go any faster.
The Gana Holy Lady shook her head. "I have a bit of the goddess' blood in me. I can temporarily suppress the Purgatory Heaven power, but that's about it. I can't control it. I don't think I'll be able to fully escape Purgatory Heaven. If I'm not physically connected to the ground, even for just a moment, we will find ourselves in purgatory immediately."
Han Sen had no choice but to follow her. The further they walked, the darker things became. And also, the dimmer her glow.
The arms surrounded them like toxic snakes on the ground. They would only roll and coil away when the Gana Holy Lady was no further than two steps away.
When her light became weaker, her radiance reduced. Han Sen and Icebird Duke had to stick extremely close to her. They were almost pressing against her back.
There was a sudden shout. The Gana Holy Lady's face changed, and she said, "No! Purgatory Heaven has developed faster than I assumed it would. The Purgatory Beast has been generated."
When she started to glow, Han Sen saw a shadow approaching. The shadow was able to camouflage itself in the dark, and only its eyes gleamed out from the black.
When the shadow was only three steps away, Han Sen was finally able to see its face.
It was a black beast with two heads, and it looked like a hellhound. Two of its heads looked at them murderously.
The Gana Holy Lady bit her fingers to produce blood and then swung them at the beast. A droplet of that blood landed on the body of the beast, and it started to cry. It fell to the ground, dissolving into black smoke.
"Nice! I did not know blood could be used like that." Han Sen complimented the act.
That was just a newborn Purgatory Beast. It was weak. That was how my blood could suppress it. You guys shouldn't try to fight. They may be weak, but ordinary powers are unable to touch them," the Gana Holy Lady said.
After that, another two-headed beast leaped out of the dark. It was going straight for Icebird Duke.
Icebird Duke hummed. She generated an ice bird and then struck the Purgatory Beast. But her power went right through the fiend, as if it truly was just a shadow. The beast was still coming at Icebird Duke, soaring through the air unfazed.
The Gana Holy Lady waved her arm and sent a drop of blood to land on the Purgatory Beast. Again, it became black smoke.
Icebird Duke looked glum. Her powers were completely useless against those things. She was less useful than a drop of blood, right now.
The three of them kept on walking. Not long after, their faces changed. Many Purgatory Beasts were approaching out of the dark. Their eyes were everywhere, and it was difficult to determine how many there were now.
"It looks like I won't be able to see Guna one last time before we die." The Gana Holy Lady's face looked bitter. There were so many Purgatory Beasts that there wasn't enough blood in her body to defeat them. She'd wither herself dry if she tried, and it'd still be for naught. She couldn't do it.