Chapter 82

“The Whisper of the Tempter Xia’er.”

The breathing sounds around gradually calmed down. Xia’er also woke up from a light sleep.

Although sleep in the simulation couldn’t truly alleviate mental fatigue, it did give Xia’er some relief both mentally and physically.

It was somewhat akin to a psychological comfort.

After opening her eyes, Xia’er found herself facing a new challenge.

How could she break through the encirclement formed by Adelle and Aivana without waking them up?

Xia’er gently lifted her right leg, using the sole of her foot to push Adelle’s leg away from hers.

Then, Xia’er slowly slid her body down, slipping into the covers, and finally emerged from the other side of the bed.

Luckily, Adelle and Aivana’s nightgowns and the sheets underneath were made of silk, allowing Xia’er to slide out silently and successfully.

Standing on the wool carpet beneath her feet, Xia’er, aided by the dim candlelight, located the familiar canvas satchel she had placed on the table earlier.

Opening the satchel, she found inside a notebook, several bottles of potion, and a cloth bag wrapped in another bag.

The cloth bag felt thick, and Xia’er weighed it, discovering what seemed to be another notebook inside.

However, as Xia’er picked up the cloth bag, she noticed a small piece of paper underneath it, which, when unfolded, displayed a crudely drawn radiation symbol.

Perhaps it would be better not to open it first.

Xia’er ignored the other items and opened the nearby notebook.

At the back of the notebook, written in Chinese, was a message left for herself:

[I’ve already bought the potion from Aivana; she has quite a few potions and materials of ‘Tempter’ and ‘Listener’, seemingly collected previously]

[The previous ‘Other Realm Page’ seems to be somewhat damaged, and its effect isn’t great, but I’m too lazy to write it again, especially since there’s a third-level ‘Crown Guard’ around, so I directly exchanged some in the subsystem]

[There’s nothing else worth exchanging; I’ve exchanged all for ‘Other Realm Pages,’ 25 pieces, enough for distributing flyers]

[The items are in that cloth bag; see if you can fit them into the warehouse… but based on my guess about the system, it probably won’t work]

[I had Adelle notify Yulis of everything beforehand, then had Adelle come to Aivana’s place, since compared to being around Yulis, who is in the eye of the storm, being near ‘Crown Guard’ Nia has a higher survival rate]

[If luck is on your side, you might see Xiu again near the end of the simulation… or maybe it won’t be her]

[Enough said, I’m too tired, I’ll sleep now, what you do next is up to you]

[Oh right, you know, we didn’t do anything]

[‘Charisma’ and ‘Art of Conversation’ are more important than you think; if necessary, you can upgrade these two skills—too expensive to bother though, given I can only exchange things in the store]

[88]

This thing… is a stack of ‘Other Realm Pages’?

Xia’er looked at the thick cloth bag she had weighed earlier, never expecting it to contain this.

Xia’er took out the ‘Radiant Bishop’s Relic’ from the warehouse, tentatively grabbed the cloth bag, and tried to put it in the warehouse, but failed.

After putting away the ‘Radiant Bishop’s Relic’, Xia’er looked at the cloth bag with a puzzled expression.

Previously, a single ‘Other Realm Page’ was enough to cause alarming whispers in one’s mind upon proximity.

But the 25 pages in front of her, sealed in a cloth bag, gave Xia’er no sense of threat.

This doesn’t seem like ‘Other Realm Pages’.

Xia’er temporarily set aside the canvas bag, found her clothes and shoes, and left the room. After changing into fresh clothes in another guest room, she descended to the downstairs drawing room.

These items were too dangerous; Xia’er couldn’t possibly try to open them in Aivana’s room, let alone with a third-level ‘Crown Guard’ almost constantly monitoring Aivana’s safety.

Failing to find a suitable room, Xia’er brought these items to the washroom on the first floor.

Compared to the drawing room with walls yet to be repaired, the washroom offered slightly more privacy.

Xia’er hung the canvas bag on the back of the door, took out the cloth bag from inside, took a deep breath, and slowly opened it…

Nothing happened.

Xia’er reached in and pulled out one of the ‘Other Realm Pages’, crumpled it, and wet it with water, then slowly held it up in front of her face.

Though the blood and ink had been blurred by the water, and the crumpled folds made the illegible writing even harder to read, the text did not affect Xia’er.

Xia’er stuffed the crumpled paper back into the cloth bag, then took out a complete sheet of paper and looked at it directly.

It was a familiar ‘Other Realm Page,’ but it no longer contained any power.

In previous simulations, Xia’er had indeed used Mortality Points to transform and exchanged gold pounds to buy survival supplies.

Could it be that besides transformation, everything else obtained from the subsystem was fake?

Or was it that the items were real, but lacked any extraordinary properties? Only precious metals like gold pounds could function properly?

Xia’er checked the remaining ‘Other Realm Pages,’ confirmed none were useful, and packed them back into the canvas bag.

Thinking ahead and trying this in the simulation was commendable, even if it didn’t yield the expected results.

However, if the fake items could be utilized effectively, they might still prove helpful.

For now, they were of no immediate use.

Xia’er rummaged through the bag and found a brand-new potion.

The potion glowed pink overall, with tiny tendrils wandering within the light points—this looked like a ‘Tempter’ potion.

But this potion was very different from the one Xia’er had seen with Thomas.

Thomas’s potion had darkened flesh-colored tendrils, with black fog and oily mixtures filling the bottle, unlike this clean pink color.

It seemed the potion Thomas got was likely re-crystallized material, possibly even three times processed, with some soul ring residue on it.

No wonder Thomas needed to drink two bottles for his potion to take effect; drinking one turned him into a ghastly figure.

Attached to the bottle neck was a small label wrapped in wire, inscribed with “Tempter” in An Su language, clearly Xia’er’s handwriting.

Xia’er wouldn’t doubt the authenticity of this potion, even without a replication ritual attached.

Under such critical circumstances, both simulated and real Xia’er wouldn’t joke about it.

Xia’er raised the potion bottle and gently shook it.

The tendrils swam in the pale pink liquid as if aware of Xia’er’s movements, tightly adhering to the crystal bottle facing Xia’er, like schools of fish sensing food.

Xia’er looked in the mirror, placing her hand on the cap, applying gentle pressure, and watched as she unscrewed the bottle in the reflection.

With the cap off, a hallucinatory aroma instantly filled the washroom.

Xia’er raised the potion bottle to her lips and drank its contents in one go.

The tendrils writhed and entered Xia’er’s mouth along with the potion, splitting into several routes like fish diving into the sea.

Some tendrils directly entered Xia’er’s nasal cavity, tearing through the flesh, racing towards her brain.

Others traveled down Xia’er’s throat to the vocal cords, carrying the potion with them.

“Cough, cough…”

Xia’er couldn’t stop coughing, lowering her head towards the basin, blood and unknown clots pouring out of her mouth and nose.

The hallucinatory scent in the washroom had vanished, replaced by a strong bloody smell.

Pain surged from her brain and throat, nearly causing Xia’er to faint.

Luckily, despite not improving her pain resistance, she had increased her threshold for fainting, preventing her from passing out from the pain.

Why is this potion… so torturous?

Xia’er looked at the basin now clogged with blood clots, everything blurring before her eyes.

She wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but the pain abruptly ceased when she felt she couldn’t bear it anymore.

Simultaneously, unfamiliar memories and knowledge appeared in her mind as the pain subsided.

This is…

Xia’er examined the knowledge and memories in her mind, similar to those acquired after completing a replication ritual and drinking the potion, which were about using abilities.

…Is it over?

Where are the whispers?

Xia’er wiped the blood from her face with a clean towel, revealing a puzzled expression.

She closed her eyes, carefully feeling the situation.

Indeed… she could faintly hear some whispers, but they weren’t severe enough to interfere with her thoughts.

No… her consciousness seemed altered, but she couldn’t detect these changes when she was a ‘Tempter,’ finding them normal.

Xia’er looked up at the mirror.

The reflection showed a smile on her lips, revealing white teeth still stained with blood.

The smooth ascension filled Xia’er with joy.

Singing an old familiar song, she cleaned the blood from the washroom, slung the canvas bag over her shoulder, and opened the washroom door.

As soon as she opened the door, Xia’er saw a silver armor standing not far away, facing the washroom, seemingly always watching her.

“Are you a pervert?”

Xia’er asked curiously.

Finishing, Xia’er slightly flared her nostrils, inhaling the air, still able to catch a faint trace of blood.

“Where did I put the tea leaves? I’ll make some tea to rinse my mouth… Do you want some? Oh right… you can’t drink, sorry sorry.”

Xia’er smiled and walked past Nia towards the kitchen.

“You… drank the potion?”

A metallic hum came from inside the armor,

“…

Sharon’s pace gradually quickened, and Nia closely followed behind.

Nia instinctively sensed that Sharon was very different now.

She watched Sharon rummaging through things in the kitchen, only to end up drinking a glass of water. Then she held some water in her mouth and looked at Nia.

After a long while, Sharon swallowed the water in her mouth and said somewhat displeased, “You should have told a joke just now.”

“Joke… joke?”

Nia realized that she couldn’t keep up with Sharon’s train of thought.

“Tell a joke. If I laugh, the water will come out of my nose, and it will clean the blood inside my nose… That’s right.”

Sharon seemed to have thought of something and looked towards Nia, saying, “You know about the Arrival Sect, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

Nia nodded. She was thinking about how to persuade Sharon to rest properly.

It was clear that Sharon had drunk some potion, but Nia wasn’t sure which one it was.

After all, Sharon had at least six first-tier potions in her possession.

“On the 23rd, the ‘Radiant Bishop’ of the Arrival Sect will come… The Redemption Society, Salvation Goddess Religion, and Derton Group will all participate. It’s going to be quite lively…”

Sharon said, lightly shaking her head, her expression becoming slightly serious. She continued, “But stirring the pot like this actually has a problem.”

“That is, it’s easy for the ‘Radiant Bishop’ to detect it early on and then hide, secretly investigating — everything is because we don’t know the identity of that ‘Radiant Bishop’.”

Hearing this, Nia nodded gently.

Sharon was right. The situation was stirred up, but different organizations couldn’t cooperate effectively, making it easier for the originally expected ‘Radiant Bishop’ to notice the anomaly.

Moreover, no one could guarantee that there weren’t traitors from the Arrival Sect within the Redemption Society and Derton Group.

If the regional agent was already compromised, who could be sure about the internal situation of the Derton Group?

However, the purpose of this plan was to delay the investigation by the Arrival Sect. As long as it delayed, it would be considered a success.

Later, they could gradually shift suspicion away from Aivana.

“Do you think the situation no longer threatens Aivana?”

Sharon looked at the silver armor in front of her and suddenly said.

Nia’s body stiffened slightly.

“Missionary Jiti has already started investigating Adelle. Now, she should have found out that Xie Lun’s virus wasn’t self-made. Soon, the investigation target will shift to Adelle.”

“Adelle reported the incident, Adelle made the antidote, Xie Lun’s relics are all in the hands of the Redemption Society and Salvation Goddess Religion, and the sealed object has been taken by the Salvation Goddess Religion… “

“As long as Adelle is killed, the clues will be severed.”

The dark red pupils of Sharon flickered with strange light, and the armored Nia in front of her slowly released her clenched fist.

Suddenly, Nia clenched her fist, stepped forward, and grabbed Sharon by the collar, lifting her up.

“Tempter!”

Even with the metallic hum, Nia’s voice revealed uncontrollable anger, “Did you drink the ‘Tempter’ potion?!”

Nia felt that if she weren’t a life form in armor, she would have broken out in cold sweat.

Just now, Nia, who had been on high alert, had already harbored extreme thoughts of eliminating Adelle to completely remove the danger to Miss Aivana.

And she had seriously considered the feasibility of this plan.

Until the sudden spiritual alert sounded in her mind, Nia instantly snapped back to reality.

Sharon had just drunk the potion?! How could it affect a third-rank individual?!

Moreover, there were so many potions to choose from. If Sharon intended to take the “Detective” path, Miss Aivana could have supported her all the way to become a “Crown Guard.”

But why did she drink the opposite path potion, and an evil and dangerous one at that, the “Tempter.”

If Miss Aivana knew about this…

“Stay calm, stay calm,”

Sharon raised her hands and said softly, “I was just using an analogy. Adelle is my friend, and I won’t do anything to her.”

“But I do have a method here that can permanently solve this trouble… “

“But you’ll need to help me… “

Sharon spoke slowly, “Come with me to Derton Manor and solve these troubles.”

Looking at the Nia in front of her, Sharon felt slightly disappointed.

Using just the art of negotiation, charm, and the abilities of the “Tempter,” it was still somewhat difficult to influence a third-rank individual.

To influence a third-rank Extraordinary Person, the person might listen to what she says, but when it comes to taking action, if the action conflicts with their own thoughts, they might wake up from the “Tempted” state.

To successfully tempt a third-rank to do something for her, she must be cautious and gradually instill actions the person doesn’t want to do over time until their boundaries are compressed to a point where they can act according to her will.

But clearly, the encounter with the “Radiant Bishop” left no room for such gradual persuasion.

It seemed extreme measures were necessary… like the previous sacrifice idea.

Previously, Sharon had some reservations about such a large-scale sacrifice, which required a significant amount of her blood, possibly even her flesh.

With the past Sharon, this would have been unbearable.

But now, Sharon possessed the exclusive sealed object, the “Echo of Silver White Time Binder.”

She could directly activate the pocket watch at the start of the sacrifice, and when her blood was drained and her flesh nearly sacrificed, she could rewind time, returning to the beginning.

In this way… even if she sacrificed herself entirely, it wouldn’t matter.

But this idea, Sharon needed to test in a simulation. Even if Nia didn’t agree, Sharon could find Yulis to go with her to Derton Manor.

She wasn’t sure if the “Tempter” version of herself could gain Yulis’s trust.

One thing was certain: even if Yulis trusted her, she wouldn’t treat her as a Holy Maiden and help her as wholeheartedly as in previous simulations.

Nia, holding Sharon, was deeply conflicted internally.

Frankly speaking, she wouldn’t believe any word from the “Tempter,” not even from Sharon.

But the Sharon in front of her held a special place in Miss Aivana’s heart.

If she told Miss Aivana anything unnecessary… it might change Miss Aivana’s mind.

What Nia wanted most now was to break the neck of the smiling beauty in front of her, bury her in some remote wilderness, and ensure Miss Aivana would never be affected by her.

But… Miss Aivana wouldn’t be fooled.

Even if she wasn’t a “Detective” pathway, she had sharp insight and deduction skills, making her a natural detective.

Even if she couldn’t deduce that Sharon was killed by her, summoning a senior “Detective” from the family would eventually lead to her.

Then, she would lose Miss Aivana’s trust.

So, even though Nia hated Sharon, she couldn’t do much about it.

All she could do was remind Miss Aivana after she woke up, telling her that Sharon had drunk the “Tempter” potion, and to activate the substitute sacred relic periodically to clear her negative mental state.

Wasn’t she getting close to Miss Aivana to drink the “Tempter” potion when she was most trusted?

Thinking about it, Miss Aivana had indeed been influenced by her to do many things… even Nia hadn’t noticed that Sharon had been perfecting her replication ritual all along.

What a devious person!

What does she really want?

“I can feel your anger, Nia. You shouldn’t be angry.”

Sharon shook her head, “I’m just trying to get rid of the cultists and return to the peaceful life I desire.”

“If you help me eliminate them, I promise I’ll never step foot in this manor again.”

Sharon changed her tone, her voice lowering with a hint of resentment, “I’m just an excellent student at Bern Private Middle School, a poor student relying on my sister… Just when I was about to graduate and my life was looking up, I was targeted by a ‘Tempter,’ becoming the target of his replication ritual… These things, you know.”

“Fortunately, an intelligence organization saved me. They gave me information and helped me through the ordeal… Now, once I pass the final hurdle, I can return to a peaceful life with my sister… I should have nothing to do with all this.”

“We both have common interests, don’t we?”

“If you help me… the matter will be resolved before Aivana wakes up.”

“My intelligence network can ensure that Aivana and Adelle are safe until the 22nd.”

“Will you… help me?”

The sinister pink light flickered deep in Sharon’s pupils.

In the reflection of Sharon’s black pupils, several pink tendrils spread out wildly.

“I…”

Nia slowly released her grip, took a deep breath.

“I’ll set up a ceremony in Miss Aivana’s room.”

Nia turned to leave, and as she walked to the kitchen door, she looked back at Sharon, the metallic hum echoing within the armor.

“If you’re here to eliminate the cultists, I’ll help you.”

“But if I discover that things aren’t going as planned, I’ll kill you immediately… Those cultist marks won’t affect me.”

“You’d better keep your promise, Miss Sharon.”

With that, Nia turned and left.

The Sharon left behind smiled faintly and said softly,

“Of course…”

“I speak the truth.”

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