Chapter 86
Some cultists fled down the stone steps to inform Jiti, while the remaining ones drew their guns, aiming directly at Shaer and Yulisi.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several bullets whizzed toward Yulisi, but they all struck the white phantoms in front of her, intercepted without a trace.
The cultists aiming at Shaer found their focus wavering the moment they locked eyes on him, their guns slipping from their hands.
In that instant, they couldn’t help but notice the pages of the Otherworld hovering before Shaer.
Yulisi’s white shadow moved like a reaper, swiftly claiming the lives of everyone in the temple, while two of those phantoms chased after the fleeing cultists down the stone steps.
Shaer watched the slaughter with an impassive expression, silently analyzing Yulisi’s abilities.
When it came to using powers, Shaer had little experience. Although Yulisi wasn’t on the “Avenger” path, there were still parallels to draw.
She recalled the first time she met Yulisi, when Yulisi had suddenly appeared before her, as if teleporting.
The “Bishop of Radiance,” Xiu, had also used this ability—swapping places with the white shadow.
Previously, Shaer had thought it was teleportation because she couldn’t see the shadow.
Could this ability be available at the second tier? It was indeed a powerful skill for survival.
“No one got away.”
Yulisi suddenly spoke, interrupting Shaer’s thoughts.
“There were no extraordinary beings, just cultists.”
The cultists who had fled were all dead, none escaping the pursuit of the white shadows.
After surveying the area and confirming that no one remained in the temple, Shaer led Yulisi back to the front hall, glancing at a hidden passage.
That passage led to Jiti’s office.
“Going up this way will take us to Jiti. Be careful.”
Shaer opened the door to the passage, looking up at the spiraling stone steps.
“Got it.”
Yulisi wasted no time, stepping ahead of Shaer, warning, “The second-tier ‘Missionary’ is dangerous. Stay close and be cautious.”
Meanwhile, on the third floor of Dedun Manor, in an office at the end of the corridor, a figure wearing a black chip mask sat at a desk, leaning against the bookshelf behind her, staring at the backgammon board with a furrowed brow.
She reached for two dice and tossed them onto the board. The six-sided dice spun and rolled, finally landing on double ones.
“Damn it…”
Jiti couldn’t help but curse.
Her luck had been abysmal lately.
No, it was downright disastrous.
Xie Lun’s bizarre death, the antidote for dehydration syndrome being produced in record time, and the sealed object buried beneath the Church of the Savior being suddenly retrieved intact.
Her luck had hit rock bottom; even a minor misstep in her plans could have caused the Church of the Savior to bleed heavily, directly undermining their foundation in Boren City.
That way, she could gain the attention of her superiors and perhaps be reassigned back to Ansu.
Even if Xie Lun was dead, it didn’t matter; it was just one less ritual to replicate… The quick emergence of the antidote was no issue either, as she had uncovered Xie Lun’s hidden secrets and found the true genius behind the virus…
But why had the sealed object been discovered and taken? How did the Church of the Savior know it was there? Even if they did, how had they not triggered the seal?
Getting within seven meters would set off the dehydration syndrome, killing all the ordinary clergy and hospital staff—why??
Jiti couldn’t make sense of it.
It felt as if an invisible hand was manipulating the course of events, dismantling even the most intricate plans for no apparent reason.
The bishop could show up at any moment; she had to resolve everything before the bishop arrived.
“Ha…”
Jiti took a deep breath, leaning against the bookshelf behind her.
But there was some good news: the Sanctum’s base had not been discovered.
She had hidden it well and it was developing rapidly. Even the bishop wouldn’t be able to find any faults.
Planning ahead and leaving a way out—that was Jiti’s formula for success.
With that thought, a slight smile crept onto her lips…
Suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through her chest. Jiti looked down in shock to see a hand formed of white shadow piercing through her back.
What… is happening?
She lunged forward, knocking over the desk in front of her, scattering the backgammon pieces across the floor. Whipping around, she saw several white phantoms extending from the gap in the bookshelf she had just leaned against.
The phantoms slowly pushed the bookshelf aside, revealing two unfamiliar figures emerging from the hidden passage…
Who… are you?
Jiti was stunned.
Chapter Seventy-Four: I, Shaer, Your Arbiter.
“No… it can’t be…”
Jiti spat out a mouthful of black blood as the white shadow behind her merged with her body.
The gaping wound on her chest flickered with white light, temporarily halting the bleeding.
But even so, she could still feel the life force within her ebbing away—her heart had been completely crushed.
The illusory heart provided by the white shadow would only prolong her death; her heart was beyond repair.
“You’ve been left with half a life.”
Yulisi turned to Shaer, speaking to her.
“Thank you.”
Shaer nodded slightly in Yulisi’s direction, then stepped past her.
The two white shadows followed Shaer almost in unison, one on each side, resting their hands on her shoulders to protect her from any last-ditch efforts from Jiti.
Meanwhile, Shaer’s black shadow moved ahead, stopping in front of Jiti.
“Church of the Savior… Tribunal… ugh!!!”
The two white shadows helped Jiti to her feet. Her black chip mask had long since fallen off, and as she looked past the black shadow at the girl, a mental alarm blared in her mind.
How is this possible?! That’s something only a bishop possesses!
Jiti quickly lowered her head, a white shadow blocking her in front. Beads of sweat streamed down her cheeks.
What on earth is happening?!
How did the Church of the Savior find her? Even the Tribunal was dispatched!
This meant the Tribunal had received information at least two days ago and was already on their way to Boren City!
In other words, every move she had made in the past few days had been under their surveillance?!
“It can’t be… it can’t be…”
Jiti murmured, trembling.
A wave of overwhelming defeat crashed over her like a tsunami, a pain far greater than the agony in her chest, more unbearable than death itself.
“Are you curious?”
Shaer stood less than three meters away from Jiti, smiling as she asked, “Curious about how I know about Xie Lun? Curious about how I got the information on the sealed object? Or curious about how I found you?”
Shaer’s words pierced Jiti’s already shattered heart like daggers, one after another.
“Who… who are you?”
Jiti dared only to stare at Shaer’s feet, her mind racing to recall the girl’s image, which was limited to a fleeting glimpse of red hair.
No matter how hard she tried, Jiti couldn’t conjure a single memory of her—she had never seen this girl before.
“Your Excellency, she’s running out of time.”
Yulisi couldn’t help but remind from behind.
If Shaer didn’t kill her with the potion right now, Jiti might just take her own life, rendering all their efforts in vain.
Moreover, upon seeing Shaer produce the potion, Jiti might deliberately wait until Shaer drank it before committing suicide, trying to drag Shaer down with her.
The “Judicator” potion formula and replication ritual were not exclusive to the Church of the Savior; the Sanctum, having split from them, also retained a copy.
If Jiti recognized the “Judicator” potion, she might very well try to take Shaer down with her in her final moments.
Yulisi’s plan was simple: let Shaer kill Jiti and then drink the potion. Shaer’s ability to use Otherworldly items without losing her mind indicated her spirit was exceptionally resilient.
Even if the ritual was rough and failed, Shaer wouldn’t be completely assimilated by the potion right away.
Yulisi would have ample time to use this as an excuse to take Shaer to the church, allowing the Tribunal to help her complete the ritual, and she could conveniently baptize Shaer, bringing her into the Church of the Savior.
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