Chapter 161: Lance and Hyperion, Intertwined Fates

Outside the window, the moonlight of a chilly autumn night bathed the ancient stone walls, while the lamplight within kept the cold, desolate air at bay. No matter how the bleak mountain winds howled outside Lichten's Castle, or how deep the night grew, the warm bedroom remained a steadfast and secure sanctuary.

A moment of silence settled over the room. After hearing the intelligence provided by Priestess Sticella, Lance rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

Arriving within the next two days, and capable of orchestrating an "accident" right on campus... The timing was awfully suspicious.

Lance asked Sticella, "This dangerous individual you mentioned, surely they aren't mixed in with the academic delegation from the Kingdom of Yaloran, are they?"

After all, the timing coincided perfectly with the arrival of the Yaloran academic delegation. An outsider with a dubious background would be spotted in an instant at Ikerite University as it was a campus teeming with powerful figures and tight security. To plot a flawless attack, an assassin needed a respectable, legitimate cover identity.

Lance had a feeling Sticella had just let slip a piece of truly significant information. Infiltrating Ikerite University, where High Priest Lawrence resided, by using cultists disguised as local civilians was a high-risk maneuver. If an investigation was triggered, then the entire network could be uprooted.

The Kingdom of Yaloran, however, was a different story. If a problem arose involving the visiting Yaloran students, their kingdom would take the blame first. It might not necessarily implicate the Church of Resurrection and could even damage the trust and relations between the two nations!

If the Kingdom of Hutton wished to investigate thoroughly, then it would inevitably become an international issue. Friction of some sort was bound to arise.

Ever since Duke Michael Aransar, the bearer of the Darkness Primal Tablet, had gone missing, the Kingdom of Hutton had relied on High Priest Lawrence, bearer of the Wind Primal Tablet, to guard against Cardinal Ivanos of Destruction, who held the Fire Primal Tablet.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Yaloran relied on the Undying Sword Saint Juliana, bearer of the Regeneration Primal Tablet, to hold off Cardinal Farmer, the Cardinal of Decay and bearer of the Corrosion Primal Tablet.

If Hyperion’s death were to trigger a crisis, and the Church of Resurrection secretly fanned the flames, there would be no shortage of ways to further exacerbate the already tense relationship between High Priest Lawrence and the Undying Sword Saint. Of note, Juliana was also the commander of Yaloran’s Royal Order of Knights.

Should that happen, those two major cardinals of the Southern Continent might launch a new joint operation!

Extracting intelligence concerning such turmoil and conspiracy in the Southern Continent was a feat of immense merit. Even if Lance simply reported it to High Priest Lawrence, it would count as a monumental achievement.

"In all likelihood, yes," Sticella admitted with a grave expression. By revealing this information, she was staking her very life on Lance.

If Lance were to betray her, her death would be certain. By the same token, the value of this intelligence was more than enough to justify the debt she owed him for saving her life. Everything now hinged on Lance’s conscience and capability.

With that, an enchanted card that had previously been stored within her soul space appeared in Sticella’s hand. She signaled that Lance was free to take it.

[Proof of Resurrection – Destruction]

Category: Equipment Card

Grade: Purple (Rare)

Attribute: Link

Tier: 0

An identification credential for the Church of Resurrection. It can be modified or upgraded using a Cardinal’s Proof card. If the holder kills a cardinal, this card upgrades to a Cardinal’s Proof and unlocks cardinal-level privileges.

Note: Holder: Encrypted; ID Number: Encrypted; Data: Encrypted

Lance took the card from her hand and mused, "So, this is the identification credential of the Church of Resurrection?"

Because it was Tier 0, it had gone unnoticed when he previously rummaged through her enchanted cards. The identities of elite cultists like Sticella, who carried out secret missions and maintained a perfect cover within the real world, were kept extremely confidential.

Aside from their partners or direct superiors, even other cardinals had no way of accessing their information.

If Lance could capture another elite sleeper agent like Sticella, steal and assume their secret yet genuine identity as a Southern Continent cultist, and then infiltrate a branch led by a different cardinal in the Northern Continent... Well, given the magical isolation between the two continents, unless a Northern Continent cardinal crossed the ocean for a council meeting, there would be no way for them to verify any issues with his credentials!

Sticella timidly added, "I have absolutely no idea who that person in your university is. I mean, the one who is passing on intel about Shadow Realm matchmaking times. However, since they can use communication magic, they must be at least a Rank 6 entity. I’ll tell you the exact times we received intel for those two Shadow Realms, but the rest of the investigation will be up to you."

Lance’s tone turned serious as he nodded and made a promise to Sticella. "Rest assured, I won't let the Church of Resurrection suspect that you were the one who leaked the information."

Once he returned to the real world, he would have a crucial task awaiting him on campus: catch that lawless cultist hiding within the Kingdom of Yaloran’s academic exchange team!

What an audacious fellow! To think the cult was planning to commit crimes right under his nose! Lance would certainly protect his campus. Any evil-doer would be brought to justice!

Beside him, Hyperion kept her head bowed. She felt the very atmosphere around Lance grow heavy. Finally, she murmured, her voice so soft it seemed on the verge of dissipating, "I'm sorry, Lance... I'm always causing you trouble..."

Her words were laden with immense guilt. She wondered how many more times she would drag Lance into danger like this. If she were destined to die, then her only wish was that she alone would perish, without ever harming Lance.

However, upon hearing her lament, Lance looked at her in utter bewilderment. "Causing me trouble? Isn't it true that whenever I need a fire, you're right there to bring me the coals?"

Lance could only marvel at Hyperion’s uncanny knack for drawing aggro. Every single time, she managed to lure in high-value "gold-coin mobs" for him!

From the events in the Shadow Realm, the conversation with Imperial Princess Alexia, and the intelligence gathered from Sticella, a premonition began to take shape in Lance's mind. The more certain he became that someone was desperate and determined to kill Hyperion, the more a particular hypothesis solidified.

He had a hunch that the vampires of the Krati Empire, the Church of Resurrection, the mystery behind Duke Michael’s disappearance, and the impending tragedy that had yet to hit his family were likely all inextricably linked in ways that defied a simple explanation.

The vampires seizing total control of the Krati Empire, Duke Michael disappearing and later dying, and the Wilford Trading Company being wiped out... All these events coincided perfectly.

Furthermore, the Wilford Trading Company was precisely the key to everything. It was a merchant company doing international business and was an important transport link connecting the Kingdom of Hutton and the Krati Empire!

At this point, it was virtually impossible that these events were unrelated! In the original storyline, had Lance died or had no one intervened in the Ikerite University entrance exam, Hyperion would likely have perished after failing that test. Even if she had managed to miraculously enroll into the school, the Church of Resurrection would have employed even more radical measures to kill her. In short, there was no way she could have survived until the main plotline began.

Importantly, Hyperion was a pivotal figure. She was a duke's daughter who linked together the threads involving the demons, the vampires, and the Church of Resurrection. Whoever sought to kill her had to be a mastermind pulling the strings from the shadows.

This implied that Hyperion’s death was likely the crucial turning point leading to the three events that would unfold a year and a half later: the vampires seizing full control of the Krati Empire, the death of Duke Michael, and the destruction of the Wilford Trading Company!

If these speculations held true, then Lance could be certain that, long before the story even began, the fates of the foolish rich scion destined for ruin and the duke's daughter marked for assassination were already intertwined.

Helping her was, in fact, helping himself! Good deeds truly did get rewarded!

"Hyperion, we must catch that scoundrel who dares to sabotage the campus and threaten student safety and then properly reform them!" Lance once again embodied an ideal student council officer. His voice brimmed with an unshakable sense of duty.

He would carry out a secret yet magnificent mission far from the public eye, silently guarding the campus and the nation. He was going to thwart the Church of Resurrection’s conspiracy and resolve the crisis of trust between the Kingdom of Hutton and the Kingdom of Yaloran!

Then, having finished the job, he would simply walk away, leaving no trace of his name or his deeds behind!

"Huh?" Hyperion stared blankly into Lance’s clear, righteous eyes, wondering if something was wrong with him, or with her. She was certain that Lance wasn't just making polite conversation. He was genuinely looking forward to her luring in a few more "big guys" next.

Hyperion gradually realized something. Could it be... That the disasters she attracted turned into fortuitous windfalls the moment they were drawn to Lance?

Setting aside the question of whether his motives were truly righteous, one thing was certain: he was absolutely eager to prey on the predators and to milk the resulting situations for all they were worth!