Chapter 127 Total Annihilation
"Who are you?" Xu Yi stared at the Button Communicator, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Could it be that after Chen Lin was ambushed and assassinated, the assassin got hold of the Button Communicator?
But he was a bit puzzled, as those criminals blessed by the Evil God usually became somewhat abnormal, not inclined to talk much.
Could it be that he had encountered an oddity among assassins?
"I am Father Notting." The aged and deep voice came through, causing Xu Yi to pause.
If it were elsewhere, there might be many Father Nottings, but here, there was basically only one possibility.
The Great Exorcist with a reputation that preceded him, Father Notting.
Why would the other party have Chen Lin's communicator?
Xu Yi was a little puzzled, but felt considerably more at ease, thinking that since Chen Lin was with the Great Exorcist, he should be safe.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
But the next sentence from the other side left him completely stunned.
"First of all, I owe you an apology, because due to our mistake, your friend has died!" Father Notting's voice sounded apologetic.
In the depths of the sewer, area B205.
The air was permeated with a persistent stench of decay.
Father Notting looked beside him, where Chen Lin lay quietly, his chest pierced through, his heart gone as if flown away, with his expression of terror frozen on his face.
Looking past the body of Chen Lin, the ground was splattered with blood mixed with an unidentifiable black liquid.
Tears silently slid down the corners of Father Notting's eyes... The blood came from the exorcists he brought with him, 28 from the church and 42 summoned by the government, none spared, all dead here.
The exorcism had initially gone smoothly, they had successfully drawn out the source of the curse, and used the Array to suppress the opposition, while multiple exorcists attacked in unison, the Ratman screaming miserably, its black blood splattering.
Although the Ratman's strength was beyond Father Notting's expectation, as an experienced Great Exorcist, Father Notting still found its weakness and seriously wounded it with the Exorcism Holy Relic he brought.
But at that moment, some exorcists suddenly rebelled, launching attacks on those around them.
There were three rebels in total, and the timing of their rebellion was extremely cunning, coinciding with the most critical moment of the exorcism.
At that time, everyone's attention was focused on the Ratman, with no energy to spare for those close by.
The methods of the traitors were extremely vicious, for they used Hand Grenades, clearly well-prepared.
Hand Grenades might not be very effective against Demons, but they were deadly weapons against exorcists.
Especially for exorcists without any special physical abilities, they were essentially mortals.
"I should have been more cautious!" Father Notting was filled with self-blame.
Demons could entice humans, they were well aware of this, so after the soldiers cleared the black rat swarm, they had them leave, with only the exorcists staying behind.
Even the most powerful of Demons would have a hard time convincing an exorcist on the spot, especially under the vigilant eyes of so many elite exorcists – any anomaly would likely be discovered immediately.
But he never imagined that their target would be an Evil God, and one with strong persuasive powers at that!
Before the plan even started, exorcists had been bewitched and hidden within the ranks.
They thought they were hunters, but in reality, they were merely appetizing food in the eyes of the Evil God.
"I don't have much time left. I'd like to ask for your help. Contact the higher-ups of the New York government and inform them about what's happening here!" Father Notting coughed up blood as he spoke.
He looked down at his chest, which was torn into two halves, with organs pulled out.
Such a critical injury should have killed him long ago, but he had used a special method to cling to life, while also feigning death, deceiving the Ratman.
"Why don't you contact the commander directly?" a puzzled voice came through.
"I can't get through. The communicator has been busy; something must have happened on their end," sighed Father Notting.
Many a mighty empire had collapsed from within, and so had their operation.
"I'll try to find a way to contact the city government."
The other party agreed, but there wasn't a trace of a smile on Father Notting's face. Their mission's failure would bring a great disaster to New York.
Suddenly, something occurred to him, and he asked urgently, "How's your exorcism ability? Or do you know any powerful exorcists? Oh right, I forgot to ask your name."
Only a stiff word came through the communicator, "Xu Yi."
Father Notting's complexion suddenly brightened, a sign of the deathbed revival; his secret technique would soon lose its effect, and he knew he couldn't waste any more time.
"Listen! If you know any powerful exorcists, and if they are also in the sewer, tell them about this," he urged.
Father Notting spoke faster and faster, "Though we're decimated, the Demon's also in bad shape. In our desperate counterattack, especially towards the end, I struck its vital spot with the Exorcism Holy Relic."
Father Notting coughed violently, spewing a lot of blood, "If we can find it before the Evil God recovers, we might have a chance to kill it!"
"Where are you?" came Xu Yi's voice.
A reluctant smile formed on Father Notting's lips. He was excited by the implication in Xu Yi's words. If someone truly found and killed the Evil God, his soul would rest in peace after death.
"We're in area B205." Father Notting looked up at the wall in front of him, where a number was written in red paint.
Because New York's sewers are complex, to facilitate management, each area is assigned a number. Stay connected through empire
Without waiting for a response, Father Notting continued, "Judging by your tone, you probably know a powerful exorcist. That's great! There's one more very important thing I need to tell you..."
Father Notting paused, giving Xu Yi time to focus, "The Exorcism Holy Relic was destroyed by the Evil God, but I hid some of the fragments in secret, and preserved the relic's divinity within my own body."
Father Notting's face grew more flushed, "The Holy Artifact's remains are inside my body. When you find me, cut open my stomach, and you'll find them."
He took a deep breath, "Lastly, don't mind an old man's rambling, but the Demon has powerful regenerative abilities, so you must act quickly!"
"I understand," Xu Yi's earnest voice came through.
Father Notting let out a long sigh of relief. This was the last thing he could do.
He suddenly looked up as if peering into an unknown distance, his eyes glinting with memories, murmuring softly, "May the Holy Light prevail!"
Just one second before, he had looked flush with life, speaking earnestly.
But the next second, his eyes suddenly closed, his body lying flat on the ground, breathless, as if death had occurred without a process, and life and death were separated by mere moments.
Father Notting's body grew completely cold, yet his hands were still tightly clutching his abdomen.