Chapter 80

Chapter Eighty: What if I told you, I am “Satanah”?

Aivana felt herself becoming numb.

She no longer cared to ask whether this was real or not. Based on past experiences, Xia’er wouldn’t say something without evidence.

Adelle stood nearby, mixing a new potion for Xia’er, occasionally nodding with responses that no one paid attention to—whether she hadn’t fully processed the situation or was too focused on the materials before her remained unclear.

“What’s the purpose of the ‘Radiant Bishop’ coming here?”

Aivana took a deep breath and continued, “Is it just a routine visit? Do you know his true identity?”

Even if it were just a routine visit, once the ‘Radiant Bishop’ noticed issues with their base, he would surely investigate further and might even disappear into hiding.

This was akin to a time bomb waiting to explode at any moment; a single lapse in vigilance could result in them being brainwashed by the ‘Radiant Bishop’ into cultists.

If any one of them were caught and brainwashed, the others would inevitably be implicated as well.

“Yes, it’s just a routine visit.”

Xia’er nodded, saying, “The ‘Radiant Bishop’ doesn’t yet know about the failed plan. Jiti had no way to report information upwards, but she definitely left ample clues before dying.”

“As for his true identity or disguise, we’re still unsure.”

What should they do…

Aivana lowered her head, lost in thought. Originally, she only planned to report the matter to the Salvation Goddess Religion and watch the two sects tear each other apart. But now, she was also dragged into the mess. Even if she fled back to her family to save her life, how long could she stay safe there?

Once she was identified, anyone around her would no longer be safe. At any moment, a brainwashed maid or subordinate could strike when she least expected it.

It was impossible to guard against such threats.

“Sigh…”

Aivana sighed. That was why she disliked these church people so much. Most of them couldn’t be bought with money and acted irrationally out of religious fervor. Dealing with the orthodox church was tolerable since they still followed doctrines, but encountering a cultist meant there was no room for negotiation. Those mad dogs would stalk you from the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce and bite.

If only they could uncover the enemy’s disguised identity. High-ranking cultists usually held prominent positions in public life, offering another angle to consider.

“Do you have any ideas?”

Xia’er looked at Aivana, who was sighing, and asked.

“I can only think of one solution,” Aivana replied after organizing her thoughts, “Stir up the waters.”

“Stir up the waters?”

Xia’er narrowed her eyes, realizing she and Aivana had reached the same conclusion.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Aivana said, nodding knowingly toward Xia’er. They spoke simultaneously, outlining the plan:

Aivana: “Drag Derton Group into this. Get them involved, burn down Derton Manor before they arrive, leaving only the Underground Sanctuary behind.”

Xia’er: “Kill all those who escaped from Derton Manor and sacrifice them. Then burn everything to erase traces.”

Aivana: “…”

Xia’er: “…”

Aivana’s gaze toward Xia’er grew strange. Was Xia’er serious?

At this moment, Xia’er realized her thought process had shifted. She was now entirely thinking like a ‘Judge.’ Her thoughts revolved around eliminating everyone again, summoning the giant mouth using Jiti’s sacrifice, letting it consume the corpses, then burning away all evidence…

Xia’er didn’t voice another part of her plan: leaving behind a ‘Page of Other Realm.’

No matter how thoroughly they investigated, the culprit would always point to ‘Other Realm,’ rendering any investigation futile.

Aivana’s approach leaned more towards normal thinking. She wanted to involve Derton Group—the leadership overseeing Derton Manor. Currently, the headquarters of Derton Manor was unaware of the events in Borough City. If Aivana could contact the higher-ups at Derton Group, they would thoroughly investigate the incident to restore Derton Manor’s reputation.

Aivana’s ultimate goal was to let Derton Group and the Salvation Goddess Religion distract the Arrival Sect, ideally eliminating the ‘Radiant Bishop’ and forcing the Arrival Sect to deal with both factions, preventing further investigations. As time passed, all evidence would erode, allowing them to hide safely until the storm passed.

“I was joking,” Xia’er said, shifting her gaze from Aivana to Adelle.

Just as Adelle finished preparing the potion and looked up, meeting Xia’er’s gaze, she instinctively smiled, wondering why Xia’er was staring at her.

Suddenly, a white figure pierced through the window and approached the bed.

Yulis appeared in the room, directly looking at Xia’er and smiling, asking, “Are you awake, Miss Xia’er?”

Trouble.

Aivana furrowed her brow. She hadn’t anticipated Yulis arriving so quickly. If not for the shock of Xia’er’s intelligence, she would’ve already fled with Xia’er in a carriage.

However, this wasn’t the right moment to escape. There was still a major issue unresolved.

Though reluctant, Aivana admitted that with her current abilities, she couldn’t independently resolve this situation and needed Yulis’ help. A ‘Radiant Bishop’ from the Salvation Goddess Religion would soon arrive. If possible, they should prepare an ambush to eliminate the Arrival Sect’s ‘Radiant Bishop.’

Otherwise, she and Xia’er would have to live in constant fear within their families… possibly including Adelle.

Xia’er and Aivana exchanged glances, and Xia’er gave a slight nod.

Aivana understood and turned to Yulis, saying, “Yulis, I have a proposition.”

“We’ve done plenty of deals already, Miss Russell,” Yulis replied coolly. “From the results, you often break the rules.”

In Yulis’ view, Aivana was a family heiress with no moral boundaries, conducting transactions with mysterious intelligence and reselling items for profit.

While Yulis could overlook Aivana giving potions to Xia’er, Xia’er must return to the Church with her.

Whether Xia’er’s actions complied with regulations wasn’t up to Yulis to decide. If the Church deemed Xia’er a risk, Yulis would perform a baptism, extending Xia’er’s life under the Goddess’s protection and sparing her from madness caused by whispers.

“You may listen to this news first, High Priestess,” Aivana countered, “I believe you’ll make the right judgment.”

Then, Aivana relayed the information about the Arrival Sect’s ‘Radiant Bishop’ arrival schedule, as mentioned earlier by Xia’er.

Indeed, upon hearing this, Yulis, who had maintained a cold demeanor, slightly furrowed her brows.

“‘Radiant Bishop’?”

Adelle, holding the potion ready to hand to Xia’er, subconsciously started counting on her fingers upon hearing this.

‘Reformed Monk’… ‘Missionary’… ‘Radiant Bishop’?!

At this point, Adelle connected the dots between the current conversation and Xia’er’s earlier discussion.

Third-stage Extraordinary?! Arrival Sect?! Arriving tomorrow?!

Compared to Adelle’s panic, Yulis appeared more composed. The Salvation Goddess Religion constantly faced threats from the Arrival Sect.

“You needn’t worry about this, Miss Russell,” Yulis stated firmly, facing Aivana.

“Support from the Salvation Goddess Religion will arrive faster than the Arrival Sect’s inspectors. After reporting the situation to my supporting bishop, I’ll take Miss Xia’er to the Church for treatment. Miss Xia’er won’t face any safety issues.”

“The bishop staying behind will handle this matter.”

“However, the Church’s resources are limited, so your personal safety will largely depend on yourself.”

Hearing Yulis’ response, Xia’er felt somewhat helpless. Alright, the first method to overcome the crisis was found—via the Church route.

But clearly, Xia’er wouldn’t choose the Church route unless absolutely necessary. To activate the free Old Simulation, she needed to preserve all route backups.

Joining the Church meant drinking the ‘Reformed Monk’ or ‘Avenger’ potion in reality, losing the pristine No.0 mode. No.0 would then become an ordinary entry via ‘Reformed Monk’ or ‘Avenger’ simulation modes.

This meant Xia’er could no longer use the pure mode to enter simulations and drink other potions while saving progress.

Without extraordinary abilities, she couldn’t save a normal person’s progress to drink potions later.

Until understanding the nature of the old and self-created routes, Xia’er wouldn’t rashly drink random potions in reality.

Inside the simulation, Xia’er could recklessly experiment, but one misstep in reality would end everything.

Xia’er fell into deep thought.

Aivana seemed to sense some impending danger and bid farewell to Xia’er and Adelle hurriedly, seemingly off to find solutions.

Yulis stayed behind, tending to Xia’er alongside Adelle. As if premeditated, Yulis produced a set of black robes, replacing Xia’er’s blood-stained maid outfit.

Meanwhile, Xia’er remained motionless, following Adelle’s arrangements meticulously to minimize side effects when using this saved progress.

Another reason Xia’er stayed put was…

She wondered when the support from the Salvation Goddess Religion would arrive, and if Xiu would come. If so, Xia’er might be able to gain her trust through Xiu’s own token, extracting more intelligence for herself.

Time ticked by. Under Adelle’s meticulous care, most of Xia’er’s visible wounds had healed, and the symptoms of blood loss had disappeared.

The treatment abilities of the “Physician” were not as exaggerated as imagined, but with the help of the “Physician,” the body recovered at an unusually fast rate.

It was unclear what Adelle’s extraordinary ability was, or if it was simply due to excellent potion recipes and materials. It seemed that when preparing to walk the “Physician” path, Xia’er should have a chat with Adelle.

Waiting until late into the night, around 3:50 AM, Xia’er still hadn’t awaited the Bishop of the Salvation Goddess Religion.

Before the final deadline, Xia’er successfully coaxed Adelle under the pretext of “seeing if it looks good” to hang all her valuable potions in her needle pouch, which she then attached to Xia’er’s waist.

Xia’er wanted to test whether these items could remain in the “Judge’s” save file through this method.

Standing before the mirror, Xia’er looked at herself under the kerosene lamp. Familiar as the High Priestess of the Salvation Goddess Religion, she now wore a needle pouch like a bullet belt around her waist, adorned with various precious potions that Adelle had painstakingly made.

As for Adelle?

Because of the early morning fatigue, after being woken up by Xia’er and handing over the items, she dozed off again, seemingly not even considering that Xia’er might run away with them.

This child will eventually be tricked down to her underwear.

There, Xia’er stood silently counting down the last moments.

Why…

4…

3…2…1…

A white light enveloped Xia’er, pulling her consciousness into a strange space where her reflection as the “Judge” stood opposite her, just like looking into a mirror.

In this space, the flames of anger in Xia’er’s heart, the extreme thoughts in her brain, and the increasingly chaotic mutterings all vanished instantly.

Without the influence of potions, her thoughts returned to normal.

That was dangerous…

Without much thought, Xia’er directly overlaid the “Judge” save on No.2, replacing the original “Avenger” Xia’er.

Only after the system confirmed the successful save did Xia’er finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Second stage “Judge”…

Finally reaching the second stage gave Xia’er more confidence about future events.

Under mutual preparation and without any surprise attacks, the gap between second and first stages was too great to bridge.

Xia’er struggled to imagine what a third-stage existence would be like — she couldn’t discern much strength from Nia, the “Crown Guard.”

Nia gave Xia’er the impression of focusing entirely on defense, as if no matter what situation arose, she could always escape with Aivana.

For Nia, battle was never part of the plan; her sole goal was protecting Aivana.

In such circumstances, it was hard to gauge her true power.

The silver light gradually began to fade, and Xia’er gradually regained control over her body.

What reward would there be for ascending to the second stage?

The white light faded.

…

[Reality]

[Sheng Year 741, June 20, 16:15]

[Evaluation: papapapapapa!!!]

[Congratulations to the Host! Celebrations for successfully completing the second-stage Replication Ritual! This is a small step for the Host, but indeed only a small step ^^_]

[I bet no one has ever dared to summon so many Spiritual Beings without being backlashed. Boldness deserves praise, though it’s also thanks to the Host’s inherent “charm”]

[Glad the Host is interested in the Old Ones. Based on your correct choice, the System decides to gift you something precious… although it hasn’t been fully repaired ^^]

[Take it, it’s deserved.]

[Reward: Mortality Points ×66, [Headhunter Lv.1], [Echo of Silver White Time Binder (Severely Damaged)]]

[Mortality Points: 136]

Xia’er slowly opened her eyes, propped herself up, and leaned against the sofa behind her.

She returned to the guest room in Aivana’s house.

Looking at the system interface in front of her, she took a deep breath.

What the…?

Gaining 66 Mortality Points directly?

And a skill and a Sealed Object?

Staring at the balance of 136 Mortality Points, Xia’er conceived a bold idea in her mind.

Should she try brushing Ji Ti every time she advances through a Replication Ritual?

Pure profit.

It was a feasible idea, but Xia’er temporarily set it aside and focused on other rewards.

With so many Mortality Points rewarded, there might be game-changing things among the other rewards.

She looked at the new skill, [Headhunter Lv.1], its specific data unfolding before Xia’er’s eyes.

[Headhunter Lv.1: The Host feels an itch to burst heads—slightly enhancing your precision, and causing any attack aimed at an enemy’s head to deal extra damage.]

Xia’er: “…”

I just stepped on a head, not because I enjoy busting others’ heads; the System must have misunderstood.

Regardless, this was a skill that increased some damage. She wondered if the increase in “precision” would improve her firearm accuracy.

Agility enhancement doesn’t just boost physical flexibility and movement but also slightly increases strength. As for what “precision” would enhance, Xia’er would have to experiment.

Next, Xia’er turned her gaze to the last reward.

It was a damaged Sealed Object. When Xia’er focused on it, a flash of silver light appeared, and a familiar silver pocket watch materialized in Xia’er’s hand.

Wasn’t this the ancient silver pocket watch that granted her the System?

Habitually opening the watch, the black-silver dial displayed a bright silver needle ticking accurately, recording time.

So… this was a Sealed Object?

When Xia’er was puzzled, the detailed information of the pocket watch appeared before her eyes.

[Echo of Silver White Time Binder (Severely Damaged): Exclusive Sealed Object, bound, gaining more abilities as the Sealed Object is repaired.]

[Current Ability: [Temporal Echo Lv.1]]

[Temporal Echo Lv.1: Records the Host’s current individual time. Upon activation within 10 seconds or when life is threatened, returns the Host to the recorded time and removes all negative states.]

[Side Effect: For one hour after use, the Host’s individual spacetime becomes disordered, causing their state to fluctuate between different saves.]

What the…?

Xia’er re-examined the ability description, finding it hard to believe.

This… this was too powerful!

But seeing the side effect, Xia’er calmed down somewhat.

Recording time and reverting the body to the past wasn’t unfamiliar; such skills existed in countless comics and games in her previous life.

However, since this was a Sealed Object, it came with side effects.

This side effect would prevent Xia’er from maintaining her original form, causing her state to jump between different saves.

Imagine battling as the “Judge,” using the pocket watch to save her life, only for “Judge” Xia’er to immediately transform into “Gambler” Xia’er or even “Purity” Xia’er, leading to instant death.

Though powerful, this ability must be used in situations where it can end the enemy, otherwise, there wouldn’t be much chance for a comeback after one use.

Still, this was a potent life-saving Sealed Object, and it could upgrade.

What were the upgrade conditions? What new abilities would it unlock?

Would they relate to time?

Time stop? Rewind? Time acceleration? Time cut?

They might, but Xia’er believed the side effects wouldn’t be pleasant either.

Having obtained a new Sealed Object and skill, along with a large number of Mortality Points, Xia’er’s thoughts started to race.

During the simulation earlier, Xia’er had an idea.

Aivana had asked about the true identity or disguise of the “Radiant Bishop,” something Xia’er didn’t know.

But if Aivana had this information, more actions could be taken.

If a public identity could be obtained, slaughtering Derton Manor and dragging the Derton Group into trouble might prompt the Derton Group to confront the “Radiant Bishop” directly.

If Xia’er knew his disguised identity…

Indeed, there was a way to try.

First, Xia’er needed to test how effective her verbal influence would be after drinking the Tempter Potion, enhanced by both the “Tempter” ability and the “Art of Conversation” skill.

If the effect was good…

Then simulate again, prepare well…

No one inside Derton Manor should escape…

After killing everyone, pile them in the Underground Sanctuary, and sacrifice them all upon the arrival of the “Radiant Bishop.”

With the corpse of second-stage Missionary Ji Ti present, these sacrifices would surely summon a presence from the Other Realm inclined towards influencing Spirit Power.

Previously, the “Radiant Bishop” Xiu didn’t dare look at her spiritual page, and Xia’er doubted the “Radiant Bishop” would remain indifferent when faced with a spirit of this caliber.

Remember, when sacrificing Ji Ti to summon that monster, Xia’er never let it use any mental attack methods.

At that moment, with the cooperation of the Spiritual Being, combined with the “Tempter” and “Art of Conversation”…

If the enemy were Ji Ti, even if Xia’er claimed to be “Satanah,” she would likely believe it.

Taptaptap—

At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted Xia’er’s thoughts. Outside, Aivana’s voice called her.

“Xia’er… I need to discuss something with you…”

Aivana’s voice sounded from outside the door.

Recalling briefly, Xia’er roughly understood what it was about.

She had come to share a bed.