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[Mission Completed: Ruination System - Fourth Mission]
Objective Status: Achieved
Reward: +100 Ruination Points (RN)
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"That's a secret for now," she replied cryptically, her eyes glinting with mystery. "But perhaps, one day, you'll learn the truth."
The man nodded eagerly, clearly satisfied with that answer. "Thank you, thank you so much." He clasped his hands together in thanks.
"And why were you attacked?" Serafine inquired, her voice innocent yet laced with curiosity.
The man's expression darkened, his shoulders slumping as he spoke of his hardships. "They were a group of thieves... trying to steal everything I have. Everything I've worked so hard to support my daughters." His voice wavered with emotion, but Serafine, ever calculating, didn't miss the opportunity to savor the extra justification this gave her.
"I see," she said softly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she surveyed the unconscious thugs at her feet. The more he spoke, the more she justified her actions. 'It's only fair,' she thought. They were nothing more than obstacles in her path.
She gave him a comforting smile, one that made Mariella beam with pride beside her. "Don't worry," Serafine purred, "they won't be troubling you anymore."
And with that, she turned toward the fallen criminals, her hands glowing with that familiar, dangerous light. She moved toward them one by one, her fingers brushing their faces, her touch like a soft whisper.
As she did, the light flared, burning their faces until they melted away, absorbed by the ever-hungry mask of light that covered Serafine's own.
Each face she took left the criminals blank, their identities no longer theirs, their power fading into nothing.
Mariella watched, entranced by Serafine's display, while the man, oblivious to the true nature of what was happening, simply sighed in relief, unaware of the faces now stolen from the thieves.
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[Ruination System Activation: Fifth Mission]
Objective:
Start your preaching and create your religion.
Reward:
Completion of this task will grant you 100 Ruination Points (RN)!
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'Now, that's a lot of work...'
If there was something easy to fool, it'd be the desperate, godless people like she was once.
"Follow me, will you?" Serafine asked, her voice like velvet, as she turned on her heel with a flourish. The man hesitated for only a moment before nodding fervently, eager to follow his savior, oblivious to the darker purpose she had in mind.
"Of course, my lady savior! What do you desire?"
"Is there a godless area around here?"
"Godless?... Ah!" He raised his finger at the realization. "Indeed, there is..."
The trio continued their journey with purpose, the air growing heavier as they drew closer to the infamous Godless Area.
It wasn't far, just a day's travel, but the closer they got, the more the atmosphere seemed to shift.
The once lively and bustling towns they passed through seemed to thin out, the streets quieter, the air colder. The sun, which had been high and bright, now seemed to lose its warmth, casting long shadows across the path ahead.
The Godless Area was known for one thing above all else: its lawlessness.
It was a place where society's rules had crumbled long ago, leaving only the most dangerous and desperate souls to roam.
The land itself seemed cursed, as if the very ground beneath their feet held the echoes of countless tragedies. Villages once thriving with trade and culture had been reduced to ruins, and the few that still clung to life were often nothing more than ramshackle huts surrounded by the stench of decay.
Once they arrived, it was as they expected.
"Are you sure about this, lady savior?"
"Yes, I am sure..."
She needed to reclaim what was hers.
Serafine perched atop an overturned crate in the middle of a dusty village square, surveying her surroundings with the air of someone about to deliver divine revelation or sell a dubious product.
The villagers had weathered faces and curious eyes, milled about, casting occasional glances her way. It was the perfect setup for her latest scheme.
"Calix," she began, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, "hand me one of those… what did you call them?"
"Poorly drawn flyers of Lady Sera's Divine Grace, which, might I add, look more like they advertise a traveling circus than anything holy."
"Perfect," She snatched one and held it aloft as if it were a sacred artifact. "The villagers won't know what hit them."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Calix muttered, already regretting his involvement.
"Cult" wouldn't be the word she would use, of course.
"Religious initiative" sounded much better, especially when paired with the promise of helping the poor. If there was one thing Serafine excelled at, it was wrapping self-interest in a shiny package of altruism.
"Listen up, everyone!" she called out, her voice carrying over the square. The villagers turned to face her, curiosity turning to skepticism as they took in her regal posture and Calix's awkward fumbling with the flyers.
"I bring you hope, my dear friends!" Serafine announced, spreading her arms dramatically. "Hope, prosperity, and… potatoes!"
The mention of potatoes earned a few raised eyebrows, but at least she had their attention.
"Behold!" She gestured to a sack of slightly wrinkled potatoes Mariella had managed to scrounge up from somewhere. "A humble offering from Lady Sera's Divine Grace—an initiative dedicated to lifting you from the clutches of despair!"
Calix, standing awkwardly to the side, began handing out flyers. "Join Lady Sera's Divine Grace," he mumbled, thrusting them into the hands of bewildered villagers. The drawings on the flyers depicted Serafine in what could generously be described as "harrowing detail." Her proportions were… exaggerated, to say the least, and her halo looked more like a lopsided pancake.
"Is this supposed to be you?" an elderly woman asked, squinting at the flyer.
"Artistic interpretation," Serafine said smoothly. "The essence of divinity is difficult to capture."
"Looks like my grandson's scribbles," the woman muttered, but she pocketed the flyer anyway.
Satisfied that her audience was sufficiently intrigued, Serafine launched into her speech.
"My friends," she said, clasping her hands together with an air of practiced sincerity, "I understand your struggles. You toil day and night, and yet life remains cruel. But fear not! For I, Lady Sera, have been sent by the heavens to guide you to a brighter future!"
The villagers exchanged skeptical glances, but a few nodded along.
"I offer you blessings beyond imagination," Serafine continued. "Good health! Bountiful harvests! And most importantly, an escape from… mediocrity."