Chapter 160: Lances Lucky Star, Hyperion

Chapter 160: Lance's Lucky Star, Hyperion

Feeling that the atmosphere in Bedroom 202, which had effectively turned into an interrogation room, was far from ideal, Lance had Hyperion move the priestess, chair and all, into the pristine Bedroom 203 next door.

The room was bathed in bright, steady light that cast a golden glow over every corner. A dark carpet covered the wooden floor, creating a sheltered haven atop the cliffside in the chill of late autumn's early morning hours.

Hyperion had removed the gag from the priestess’s mouth and loosened her chains enough to ensure she wasn't uncomfortable while seated. She even handed her a blanket. Having gone from hell to heaven in the span of a few minutes, the cultist wore a dazed expression, though the look of reliance she directed at Lance grew even more intense.

Seated across from her were Lance and Hyperion.

"Let's start with a brief introduction. I turned off the Shadow Realm Recording Program ages ago, so the Church of Resurrection won't find out I obtained any information from you. As for your imprisonment by the Krati Empire once this Shadow Realm dungeon ends, I'll have Princess Alexia look out for you. This will ensure you're spared further interrogation and treated well while in custody," Lance said, his gaze fixed on the notebook in his hands as he began to write.

Once a Shadow Realm challenge concluded, all challengers returned to the specific Void Gate location where they had originally entered. In this instance, all the challengers had entered through major, heavily guarded Void Gates controlled by the Southern Continent Shadow Realm Management Association, rather than one of the temporary, unstable Void Gates that occasionally appeared in the wild.

Consequently, the priestess, whose identity as a member of the Church of Resurrection had already been exposed, would face immediate arrest by Krati Empire authorities the moment she exited the Shadow Realm.

Upon hearing this, the priestess nodded vigorously. Ever since she stopped viewing Lance as an enemy, she felt a profound sense of security filling her heart. If she didn't openly betray the Church of Resurrection, then she wouldn't have to live in constant terror while imprisoned in the Krati Empire. After all, the cult would stop at nothing to exact lethal vengeance on traitors, even those behind bars.

Now, however, even the prospect of imprisonment held a glimmer of hope. She was waiting for that terrifying man, Lance, to infiltrate the Church of Resurrection. By the time he arrived in the Krati Empire, he might well hold a position within the church so exalted that it was beyond her imagination. She trusted that Lance had the ability to rescue her and shield her from the church's threats!

The cultist spoke rapidly. "My name is Sticella. I am from the northern part of the Krati Empire and grew up in an orphanage in a town near Glenwaverly, a major city on the northern frontier. After Ivanos, the Cardinal of Destruction, massacred the town, I was spared and taken away because I showed potential. I spent five years being groomed by the Cardinal of Destruction's faction. I survived and rose from the piles of the dead to become the partner of the Saintess of Destruction while she was infiltrating the upper echelons of the Krati Empire."

Lance listened to Sticella's story without interrupting to ask questions. Rumor had it that the Cardinal of Destruction was the most vicious and indiscriminate killer among all the cardinals. To this cultist, slaughtering masses of commoners was no different from stomping on an anthill.

Ivanos often did things that defied all logic. Without any reason, the cardinal might cruelly incinerate a group of commoners who had just been conversing pleasantly. The notoriety of the Cardinal of Destruction even surpassed that of Askesan, the Cardinal of Annihilation from the Northern Continent.

Lance gestured toward himself and Hyperion as he asked Sticella, "Would it be difficult for us to infiltrate the Cardinal of Destruction's faction?"

The ten branches of the Church of Resurrection each served one of the ten cardinals. For instance, Lillete, the cultist who they encountered at the end of the Purgatory Corridor Academy dungeon, belonged to the Cardinal of Decay's faction. On the other hand, Adelise and Sticella were followers of the Cardinal of Destruction.

Although they were all members of the Church of Resurrection, serving different cardinals meant their operational styles differed significantly. Sometimes, followers of cardinals who were on bad terms even engaged in infighting.

Once this Shadow Realm challenge concluded and Lance returned to the real world, his goal for the winter break was to travel to the Northern Continent and consult Askesan, the Cardinal of Annihilation and holder of the Sealing Primal Tablet to complete his university project, In Search of a Primal Tablet Bearer.

If he could first infiltrate the Cardinal of Destruction's faction, he could then switch allegiance directly to the Cardinal of Annihilation's faction upon reaching the Northern Continent. That would save him a great deal of trouble and help him skip many steps.

Sticella replied, "It would be very difficult. The Church of Resurrection is extra vigilant regarding young people who have gained some renown like the two of you. I suggest you capture existing cultists and assume their identities instead."

Hyperion was already a "red-listed" target on the Church of Resurrection's hit list. As for Lance, his feat of outmaneuvering and sabotaging the Saintess of Destruction in this dungeon was enough to earn him a "red-listed" status comparable to Hyperion's.

Lance listened to Sticella's reply, regarding her with a calm expression. Then he said, "But you should know that it is extremely difficult to track down members of the Church of Resurrection in the Kingdom of Hutton... unless, of course, you can provide me with some crucial intelligence."

After all, the Kingdom of Hutton was a major stronghold of the Church of the Goddess of Fate, and had previously launched numerous campaigns to purge cultists. It was one of the nations on the Southern Continent that had cracked down most ruthlessly on heretical cults.

Nowadays, any cultists remaining within the kingdom were bound to be elite infiltrators. They were individuals like the Saintess of Destruction, Adelise, or Priestess Sticella, who possessed flawless cover identities and were incredibly difficult to apprehend.

Sticella glanced briefly at Hyperion before speaking with a grave expression. "There is an opportunity. A very dangerous individual from the Kingdom of Yaloran is arriving in Ikerite within the next couple of days. If he fails to encounter or kill Lady Hyperion inside the Shadow Realm, then he intends to manufacture an 'accident' on campus to assassinate her, at any cost."

Upon hearing this, Hyperion's expression remained unchanged, yet her heart began to race uncontrollably. She hadn't expected the Church of Resurrection to be so relentless in their attempt to hunt her down! Someone was absolutely determined to see her dead.

Fear and sorrow, feelings that had gradually faded thanks to Lance, once again washed over her. She was coming to realize that, until she grew stronger, she might never know a moment's peace.

On every previous occasion, had Lance not been by her side, she would have faced a hopeless, fatal situation. Although Lance always seemed to defuse these crises with effortless ease, if the danger continued to escalate like this, even someone as powerful as him might eventually be killed because of her.

Her gaze dimmed as she lowered her head. She was always the one inviting disaster, dragging Lance into the fray to shoulder the burden for her.

The more Lance refrained from blaming her, treating her instead as a close friend and protecting her unconditionally, the more overwhelming her guilt became. She was nothing but a total liability.