Chapter 144: Hyperion Has Attained Enlightenment

A peal of manic, bell-like laughter echoed through the sanctuary of Lichten's Castle. The imperial cleric, who had now been revealed as a priestess of the Church of Resurrection, jeered at the group with sheer, unadulterated glee, "You lot, you pathetic dogs, why aren't you laughing now?!"

It was as if every grievance and insult she had endured from morning until afternoon had finally been vented. Beside her, her former teammate, the young noble mage from the Krati Empire, had also regained consciousness. The noble mage was no cultist; she had simply been deceived. The genuine look on her face when the truth was exposed made that abundantly clear.

Although the challengers still didn't trust her and kept her bound, she hadn't been struck hard enough to remain unconscious for long. Now, she simply kept her head down, utterly dejected. It was as if she had suffered a blow far greater than mere betrayal. The last, faint glimmer of hope in her heart had shattered like a mirage.

"You...!" The executioner raised his great axe in a fit of rage, only to let it crash heavily to the ground, his spirit suddenly deflated.

He simply lacked the heart and the energy now. Even facing such mockery from the cultist, he couldn't muster the will to fight back. The situation was dire.

They were gradually coming to a realization that the Lawyer had hesitated at the critical moment. Unable to bring himself to watch them march to their deaths, he had refrained from using an overly dangerous Epic card, choosing instead merely to scare off the Saintess of Destruction.

In hindsight, perhaps it would have been better had they risked their lives to settle the score with the Saintess right there in the sanctuary. However, none of them could blame the Lawyer, because that was simply the kind of person he was.

No matter how intelligent or composed he might be, he could not bring himself to personally send his comrades to their graves. This indecisiveness and a gentleness bordering on foolishness was the only weakness of the seemingly omnipotent Lawyer, and his fatal flaw.

Yet that was precisely why he truly was a living, breathing human being. He was the sort of man for whom others would willingly fight alongside him or even face death before he did.

"It's alright... Next time, we'll definitely defeat the Saintess."

"No matter who goes first, we'll be comrades again in the next life."

A sense of profound sorrow permeated the sanctuary. They all knew that this farewell could well be their very last.

By tomorrow morning, someone would vanish without a trace. The only thing offering them a shred of comfort, a faint, desperate hope, was the Lawyer's continued air of unshakeable composure. No one knew what was truly going through his mind. It was unclear whether he was feigning calm to reassure everyone or if he genuinely had a strategy in reserve.

If he did have a plan, however, why hadn't he shared the next steps with the group? The way he had headed straight for the kitchen earlier gave off the vibe of someone thinking, "Well, it's come to this, might as well have a meal first."

Oh, well. Given that they were up against the Saintess of Destruction, it was a scenario where victory was nearly impossible from the start. If anyone was to blame, it was the malevolent Church of Resurrection. Everyone had done their best.

"The sun will be setting soon."

"Yeah."

"I never realized the sunset looked so beautiful from this old castle."

Amid the sighs and words of mutual encouragement, a look of resigned amusement appeared on everyone's faces. Hyperion watched from the sidelines, one eye twitching slightly.

She was constantly by Lance's side, but this group hadn't known him long enough, so they didn't understand his quirks. That bastard was absolutely snickering to himself right now. When he was calm, he was genuinely calm, with no pretense involved.

Lance definitely had a way out. The situation was nowhere near as dire as everyone imagined. However, seeing the mood that had settled over the other challengers, Hyperion didn't have the heart to interrupt. She felt that revealing the truth would only make things incredibly awkward for everyone...

With a mix of melancholy and a gentle smile, as if she were thinking of someone who would vanish once the sun went down, Hyperion gazed in the same direction as the others and remarked, "So, the mountains really do turn orange in the sunset."

Even though she knew the truth, she channeled her award-winning acting skills to feign ignorance and blend in with the group's atmosphere. If her acting skills were up to the task, then perhaps, one day, even the Goddess herself could be fooled. After all, her merit points had already been drained to the absolute minimum.

Yet, within the sanctuary, one person, heedless of the challengers' thoughts, continued to shriek shrilly and brazenly shout, "Go ahead and delude yourselves. Enjoy this rare, final moment of peace. I guarantee the Saintess of Destruction will show you exactly what ultimate agony feels like!"

The priestess of the Church of Resurrection gazed at the challengers, who were sharing a sense of mutual understanding. She found herself eagerly anticipating the despair that would wash over them as they witnessed their compatriots dying gruesome deaths one after another over the next four days.

Once night fell, that utterly cruel Saintess would surely force these wretched souls to cast aside their dignity and beg for mercy before they died, making them regret ever having been born!

Just as the atmosphere in the sanctuary grew sharply polarized, Lance finally emerged from the kitchen. He clearly sensed the odd tension in the air. A hint of puzzlement flickered across his face, though he merely tilted his head, seemingly unbothered by it all. He was the type of person who cared only about resting once off duty.

Lance maintained his relaxed demeanor, strolling over to the sofa and sitting down with an air of languid ease. In his hand, he held a goblet of fresh, iced grape juice. All eyes were fixed on him, yet no one could fathom what was going on in his mind.

The priestess of the Church of Resurrection, in particular, glared at him viciously, as if she had found her ultimate nemesis. Lance paid her little heed, leisurely raising the glass to his lips for a small sip.

Chilled by the ice, the dark juice caused wisps of cold mist to curl around the stem of the glass, while beads of condensation formed on the sides. It was a sight that made even the priestess, whose throat was parched from just waking up, feel a sudden, involuntary urge to swallow. Only after savoring the drink did he slowly return her venomous stare.

"You, too, had great potential. It's a pity you chose the path of evil." Lance's words carried the regretful tone of an educator lamenting over a wasted talent.

"Five nights, and Lady Adelise will slaughter every last one of you! You can stop putting on that act now!" The priestess was absolutely convinced that, with the combined powers she and Adelise wielded, they could wipe them all out.

Lance smiled at her, his tone carrying a hint of mild surprise. "Really?"

He sounded gentle, much like a kindergarten teacher talking to a small child.

The mere sight of Lance's expression reignited the memory of the humiliation she had suffered all day. She screamed, her eyes wide with rage and her teeth clenched so tightly they threatened to shatter, "Lance—!! Enjoy your insolence while it lasts!!"

While watching Lance tease the cultist as if she were a child, the others found no sense of calm in the moment. That kind of composed, unshakeable ease, poised as if standing apart from the chaos of the world, was not something just anyone could possess.

Then, the very next second...

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion rocked the forest, and plumes of smoke began to rise from the trees. It caused everyone inside the sanctuary to instinctively turn their heads and look out through the floor-to-ceiling windows.