Chapter 75
Hearing this, Jidi felt a jolt of energy surge through her.
She knew that the bishop had just agreed to her new plan... She had turned the tables!
After bowing repeatedly in the bishop's direction, Jidi hurriedly exited the cage and raced upstairs.
It wasn't until Jidi's footsteps faded from earshot that Charles let out a long breath, turning away from the grim sight of Adele behind him.
Meanwhile, Adele, her mind clouded, struggled against the drowsiness that threatened to engulf her, forcing her thoughts to churn back to life.
Plague... Messenger?
They... want to convert me, brainwash me...
Once the path is altered, once I join the Holy Assembly, not only will I not save anyone... I might end up killing countless people...
Absolutely not.
Before Adele's eyes, only two flickering points of red light from the oil lamps illuminated the shadowy figure standing before her, casting it into stark relief against the darkness.
Without a moment's hesitation, Adele summoned the little strength she had left and kicked over the wooden stool beneath her.
Screech—
The silver hook that tore at her flesh snapped bit by bit, and the iron hook at the corner of her mouth was wrenched open by the weight of gravity and her own body.
Thud—
Adele collapsed to the ground, nearly expending her last ounce of strength as she hurled the silver hook, still attached to a fine thread, toward the shadow ahead.
Her target was the figure's carotid artery.
Clang—
A sharp sound of metal clashing rang out as Adele's desperate strike met a black pistol, the silver needle falling to the stone floor, lying still.
That "bishop," even with his back turned, seemed to anticipate her move, not even glancing back as he effortlessly blocked her attack...
Despair spread through Adele's heart, her blurred vision beginning to darken at the edges, the loss of blood threatening to send her into unconsciousness at any moment.
She didn't even have the strength to take her own life.
A wave of intense regret echoed within her; if she could do it all over again, she would never have thrown the silver needle but would have used it on her own neck instead...
A faint silver light flickered, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the figure drawing closer, but Adele had no strength left to struggle.
The figure crouched before her, gray-blue hair cascading down, swaying in front of her eyes, and she saw the shadow extend a hand toward her.
Kill me...
Adele longed to utter those words, but she lacked even the strength to open her mouth.
Suddenly.
A familiar scent of potion wafted beneath her nose, and she felt a bit of moisture wetting her lips.
Instinctively, she swallowed, the potion mingling with her blood as it flowed down her throat. She could feel the pain in her body gradually fading.
“It’s okay... just sleep for a while.”
A soft, familiar voice echoed above her, and Adele struggled to recall whose voice it was.
Though she had no mother, in this moment, she thought that if she did, her voice would surely be just as gentle...
She fought to stay conscious, the restorative effects of the potion pulling her back from the brink of death.
Adele was certain that this potion had come from her own hands.
Every "physician's" potion had its unique formula; their effects, ingredients, and even tastes varied greatly.
The "potion" the bishop had given her was one Adele had tasted and tested countless times. The effect was unmistakably her own.
In the Redemption Society, only the most cost-effective potions were mass-produced for sale. Adele's potions typically used the most expensive materials, and she enjoyed adding a hint of menthol to some drinkable potions, making them look greener and more refreshing.
Who could it be?
Adele wanted to lift her head to glance at the "bishop," but the little energy she had left was insufficient to perform even that simple action.
A flash of silver light passed by, and a strong instinctive warning surged through her slightly clearer mind, urging her to abandon the impulse to look up.
Otherwise, the consequences could very well be fatal.
“Bishop!”
At that moment, Jidi's voice rang out from the doorway.
She hurried over to Charles's side, looking down at Adele, whose cheek had been completely torn apart.
“It's time for you to baptize her.”
Charles stood up, tucking his pistol back into his belt as he spoke.
“Drink the potion, and after hearing the teachings of the Mother Goddess, you will naturally understand the importance of faith.”
Charles addressed Adele without turning around.
Even in the simulation, witnessing Adele endure such torment made even Charles feel a twinge of compassion.
Killing her would only raise Jidi's suspicions about him; it was better to let Adele join the cult in the simulation.
With her current injuries, even if she were brainwashed, she would only be recovering. At least until the simulation ended, Adele would no longer suffer any torment.
“Understood, Bishop!”
Jidi looked at Charles's back, feeling a flicker of gratitude.
The bishop had entrusted her with the ritual of baptizing this extraordinary individual, which at least indicated that Jidi wouldn't face any immediate danger.
Moreover, as long as Adele showcased her talents after joining the church, the higher Adele climbed, the more attention Jidi would receive.
This was a way of nurturing herself.
Not wasting any time, Jidi guided the white shadow into Adele's shadow, controlling Adele's hand to take the potion bottle from her own grasp.
But to Jidi's surprise, after receiving the potion bottle, Adele opened her mouth and, following the pull of the white shadow, poured the potion directly into her mouth.
Huh?
Jidi felt a wave of confusion wash over her.
What just happened?
Wasn't this girl supposed to be stubborn? Why did she willingly drink the "Messenger of Plague" potion?
What had transpired in the cell? What had the bishop done to make Adele choose to drink the potion voluntarily?
This bishop was far more cunning than she had imagined.
Fortunately, everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction.
Seeing Adele drink the potion, Jidi wasted no more time and began to recite the incantation.
A circular black mark slowly emerged on the back of Adele's right hand, and as Jidi finished the final words, “Mother Goddess above,” Adele's expression began to turn dazed.
Under the dual impact of the potion and the unknown incantation, Adele was branded with the mark of Sadana, becoming a member of the cult.
Once Jidi saw the mark on Adele's hand fade and Adele finally lose consciousness, the tension in her heart eased a little.
“Bishop, I’ll arrange for someone to take care of our new family member shortly. Now, we just need to wait for her to wake up…”
Jidi stood up, lowering her head as she turned toward Charles to speak.
But Charles interrupted her.
“We can’t wait.”
Charles shook his head and said, “Do you know who she is?”
“I know, she’s from the Redemption Society, a student of Xielen…”
Jidi seemed to grasp the bishop's concerns and quickly explained, “I’ve looked into it; she’s already left the Redemption Society. Now she’s just an extraordinary individual with no organization backing her!”
“She indeed has no organization.”
Charles shook his head and continued, “Do you know who her sister is?”
“Her... sister?”
This question left Jidi momentarily stunned.
Her previous preparations, contacts, and investigations had primarily revolved around Xielen, so she had naturally looked into a few of his students.
Among Xielen's students, Adele was the most low-key.
From what other students said, Adele was an orphan who had not produced any research results and had only become part of the Redemption Society by riding on Xielen's coattails. She was often lazy, rarely left her home, and had low emotional intelligence, frequently contradicting Xielen's theories in public.
With such shallow interpersonal relationships, Jidi hadn’t thought it worth her time to investigate further. Once she confirmed there was no threat, she didn’t expend any more energy on Adele.
However... now that she knew Xielen's research actually stemmed from Adele's work, Jidi felt she had to overturn her previous analysis of Adele.
And recalling the bishop's mention of Adele having a sister... Jidi's previously relaxed heart tightened once more.
Had she... overlooked some crucial information?
“Her sister is...?”
Jidi knew her plan had hit a snag and could only brace herself to ask.
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