His eyes continued their survey, and Silas focused his attention on the young women's physical state.
Their condition was poor. Prolonged malnutrition had left them sallow and gaunt, their skeletal development stunted.
Furthermore, due to certain unknown reasons, both bore several hidden internal injuries.
At this moment, their bodies trembled uncontrollably, not from fear, but from the biting cold.
Silas retracted his "x-ray vision" and observed that their hands and feet were already frostbitten. Their thin clothing offered little protection against the relentless chill.
"These are the 'extremely dangerous, heinous Demonesses' reported in the newspapers?!" Silas had already seen through to the true nature of the two young women.
After a moment of simple reflection, Silas spoke, his voice resonating, "Speak of your plight, my children."
Hearing this, an indescribable ecstasy illuminated the faces of the two shivering young women. They hurriedly prostrated themselves on the ground, saying, "We thank you for your mercy! We, lowly beings, shall offer you our lives, our souls, our everything!"
Then, the blue-haired woman spoke in a low voice, "We are wanted by the three major Churches and are in constant danger of death. We… we are now starving and freezing, on the verge of not being able to survive. Your humble servants do not ask for a life of comfort, My Lord, only that you bestow your mercy and allow us to live."
The purple-haired girl quickly added, "Please do not think us greedy. Great Lord, as long as we can live, we will offer everything we have to spread Your brilliance."
Looking at these two pitiful "Demonesses," hearing their incredibly modest request, Silas's heart filled with compassion. Yet, he could not lose his divine majesty at this moment.
So, he pondered for a moment and said, "I feel your devotion. Very good, my followers. Your wishes are not excessive."
Hearing this, the two "Demonesses" were overcome with joy, their bodies trembling with fervent zeal. "We thank you for your grace and mercy!"
"Tell me your location, and my apostle will find you." Silas, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this whole "being a god" business, wanted to conclude the conversation quickly.
The blue-haired woman immediately replied, "We are in the basement of an abandoned school on the west side of Bayne City, in the Belant Empire."
Silas said calmly, "Number 443, Maple Leaf Street."
Hearing this, the two young women became even more fervent, nodding eagerly. "All hail our omniscient Lord!"
"Wait quietly." With those words, the colossal, imposing figure dissolved into mist and vanished.
Only after the mist had dissipated for a full ten minutes did the two dare to cautiously raise their heads. Then, their two pairs of frostbitten, red hands clasped together, and they wept with overwhelming joy…
Aboard the Icy Warship.
Silas, clad in that magnificent armor worthy of the Lich King, sat on the throne, spear in hand, lost in thought.
"The Demonesses are certainly pitiable, but they are, after all, wanted criminals. If I were to harbor them rashly and be discovered by the Church, it would be a grave offense."
"Furthermore, my household finances are not good. With no income, supporting two people and a dog is already difficult. Adding two more mouths to feed would be a considerable burden."
"But… I truly can't bear to abandon them!" At this thought, Silas tightened his grip on the spear.
He now knew that the so-called Demonesses were not descendants of devils, but merely unfortunate souls who had been parasitized by mystical creatures and had inexplicably gained supernatural abilities.
"Those parasites are currently very stable. The 'loss of control and rampages' the Church speaks of are, in all likelihood, explosive phenomena triggered by certain stimuli or life-threatening situations. If they were provided with a safe and comfortable living environment, and systematic training methods, they would have no problem controlling this power."
At this thought, a fervent fire ignited within Silas.
"These Demonesses represent a formidable power! The world doesn't recognize their value. If I take them in, not only can I gain a group of absolutely loyal servants, but I can also command immense strength. This is practically a pie falling from the sky!"
"This world is not safe; on the contrary, it's extremely dangerous. The strength of one person is ultimately limited. But what if it's a group of people, an organization? Then it would be much safer!"
At this thought, two blue will-o'-the-wisps ignited in his eyes.
"These Demonesses… I'm taking them in." Silas's resolve instantly solidified.
His decision made, Silas continued to ponder, "Next, I need at least some income and the ability to protect myself. Since my current 'hardware' is so powerful, I should thoroughly study my own strength and see if I can't derive some means of self-preservation."
"I am now called the Lord of Death and Storms. Judging by my current form and attributes, I should be able to master powers related to death, cold, and storms. If that's the case, I only need to excavate a tiny fraction of that power, and it will be enough for self-protection."
"So, how do I go about excavating it?" Silas surveyed his own divine form, sinking into contemplation.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
The bell tolled three times. Silas, jolted from his reverie, looked up just in time to see three transparent souls pass through the great bell and disappear into the mist.
"Souls!?" Silas was startled.
Instantly, he leaped up and approached the edge of the bell tower.
Just then, another soul flew in from the distance and passed through the bell.
Dong!
The bell tolled once more.
"So that's how it is. I was wondering why the bell was ringing without anyone striking it. It turns out souls are striking the bell. Previously, my vision wasn't sufficient to see them. Now, with divine vision, everything has become clear."
Silas watched as souls passed through the great bell, listening to its resonant, far-reaching tolls, gradually becoming entranced.
In a trance-like state, he realized that this sound was not produced by ordinary vibrations, but by the vibration of souls, a sound that acted directly upon the soul.
"Vibrations on the soul… the guidance and vibration of spiritual energy, the sound of ghostly impacts, the vibration and interference of sound diffusion, the material of souls, the shape of souls…"
At this moment, Silas's mind was like a supercomputer operating at full capacity.
Countless previously unrelated pieces of information and knowledge connected in his mind, forming unprecedented threads of mystical understanding that appeared in his consciousness.
An unknown amount of time passed. Silas suddenly felt as if his head had exploded. After a sharp, stabbing pain, everything in the world became crystal clear.
He heard countless subtle sounds, the wails of souls, even the grating, piercing sounds of souls being twisted and compressed.
Gasp!
Silas sucked in a sharp breath and sat up in bed, his heart still pounding with lingering fear.
Those wails, that compression and twisting – they had instilled a profound, visceral terror in Silas.
He looked around blankly and realized he was back in his bedroom.
"What in the world was that? Can such hideous sounds actually exist?" Silas couldn't help but mutter.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Silas had just swung his legs off the bed when he saw the Husky sitting on the floor, looking at him with its characteristically goofy expression.
Crouching down, he stroked its soft fur, and the fear in Silas's heart gradually dissipated.
"Thanks, pal."