Inside the originally dim and dark Auction House, torches suddenly appeared along the curved walls, clinging to the slightly peeling plaster, and ignited abruptly before the sound of a snap disappeared!
Whoosh!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
As Shawn advanced step by step, all the torches ignited in an orderly fashion from both sides towards the center.
The flames converged towards the center, appearing behind Shawn, and behind all the Zealots.
Shawn stood with his back to the Zealots, meeting Elynn's gaze, and slightly raised his hands, palms facing upwards.
He faced Elynn, a benevolent smile curving his lips.
"I heard you are a spokesperson for the gods, so I came."
Shock—!
Upon hearing Shawn say this, all the Zealots couldn't help but be startled!
The meaning behind Shawn's words, even these somewhat slow-witted believers could instantly grasp.
Because Elynn was the spokesperson for the gods, Shawn came.
Didn't this just mean that Shawn was placing himself on par with the gods?
But looking at the torches lit around Shawn, even the Zealots who were already in the Auction House didn't dare to speak.
In the eyes of ordinary people, this was just two humans talking.
But in their eyes, this was at least a 'God War' level conversation.
'God' and 'Spokesperson' had finally met.
This scene made all the Zealots very nervous, almost feeling as if they couldn't breathe.
They watched as Shawn slowly stepped onto the platform, and the two stood opposite each other.
Shawn was half a head taller than Elynn, and his aura and sense of oppression were also stronger than Elynn's.
Although he merely smiled, without a trace of hostility, a sense of crisis could be felt emanating from him.
This feeling was like an invisible wave of air, spreading outwards with Shawn at its center.
Only after Shawn arrived in front of Elynn did he meticulously examine him.
Peering through the outer black priest's robe, he looked at Elynn's inner attire, and only then did he realize why he had always felt it familiar…
Shawn had also worn such inner attire, but that was in his previous life.
A black leather skirt as an inner layer, with ropes wrapped around the neck and waist to maintain stability.
Butchers often dressed this way to prevent blood and grease from splashing onto themselves.
Originally, just looking at it like this seemed normal enough, but Elynn incongruously wore another layer of priestly attire over it.
When two completely unrelated professional uniforms were combined, it looked incredibly strange.
Shawn's gaze shifted downwards, and in the dark shadow, Shawn could see the pair of leather boots on Elynn's calves.
The leather boots were wider than his calves, able to completely envelop the entire lower leg, which was almost standard for slaughter-related professions.
When Shawn looked up at Elynn again, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes.
'Damn it, so I met a colleague?'
If Shawn's guess wasn't wrong, Elynn's profession before the apocalypse should have also been a butcher.
Elynn was a butcher before the apocalypse, but after the apocalypse, he became a cult leader—not professional at all.
In contrast, Shawn was a butcher before the apocalypse, and a butcher after the apocalypse—now that's called staying true to your original intention!
Shawn's eyes held a hint of disdain, and this scene, falling into Elynn's eyes, caused his inner world to churn.
He seemed somewhat abnormal.
The only spotlight opened above him enveloped him, clearly showing beads of sweat seeping from his temples.
He clutched the green book in his hands tighter and tighter, and only then did Shawn realize that Elynn had not been declaring war on him just now.
He was clearly too nervous and terrified to speak, even wishing he could tear the green book in his hand to shreds on the spot.
"You…"
Elynn spoke, but he dared not look directly at Shawn.
"Are you God?"
Hearing Elynn say this, Shawn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
Originally, he just wanted to mislead the Zealots, and then dealing with Elynn alone wouldn't be too difficult.
But he didn't expect it, Shawn really didn't expect it.
Could it be that even Elynn was intimidated by him?
In Elynn's eyes, Shawn had truly become a god.
'No, he has a guilty conscience!'
Shawn sneered inwardly.
Elynn was not a born killer; although he had been a butcher and witnessed too many lives depart, too much blood and screams.
But this did not mean that Elynn should have an exceptionally strong psychological fortitude and be able to accept all changes.
The apocalypse changed hearts, so from the moment the apocalypse descended, Elynn was actually subtly affected.
So, could it be that Elynn was truly huddling together with the Zealots for warmth?
Those experiences he used to gain familiarity were not just fabricated by him to gain the trust of his followers?
Shawn did not yet know these things; what Shawn did know was that Elynn was not as impregnable as he had imagined.
Nor was he the peerless overlord-like imaginary enemy he had envisioned… He had a flaw.
This flaw originated from within, a crack deep in his heart.
Not only could it not be mended on its own, but as time went on, this crack would only grow larger… and larger…
But considering Elynn's identity, who could he rely on?
The only people closest to him were the Zealots, but they could not help him; in their hearts, Elynn was the only one who had received salvation, and there could be no problem.
From this perspective, it was even less likely for Elynn to seek help from them, because that would be tantamount to exposing his secret and directly betraying the legitimacy of 'God's Spokesperson.'
So Elynn's collapse was only a matter of time, inevitable.
And by that time, even without Shawn's existence, he would still embark on that path of no return.
Thinking of this, Shawn showed him a smile.
"Yes, I am God."
Gasp—!
Shawn's frankness not only made Elynn gasp, but even all the Zealots present involuntarily fell silent upon hearing it.
They looked at Shawn with a sense of salvation, and just seeing Shawn's back made them feel as if they were about to die.
Bray and the others standing at the very back of the venue couldn't help but step forward, as if just being closer to Shawn could cleanse more sins and touch a little more light.
Taking in everyone's reactions, Shawn nodded inwardly.
Although nothing went according to plan or expectation, it at least didn't deviate from the final course, and could be considered hitting multiple birds with one stone.
The rhetoric originally intended to fool the Zealots, Shawn had assumed that Elynn, as a brainwasher, would be able to see through it, as his standing was different from that of the Zealots.
But who knew that Elynn's problems were even greater than theirs, and he ended up being fooled along with them.
"One cannot discern the true face of Mount Lu, only because one is in this mountain."
Shawn looked at him, the smile on his lips growing more pronounced.
"Elynn, you are too attached to external appearances."
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