Chapter 34 The Silent Air

Within a mana-powered vehicle traveling on a road in the northwestern district of South Wan Tino, the air became extraordinarily silent.

Besides the god-fearing driver, a black-haired, green-eyed girl had somehow appeared in the passenger seat, humming an out-of-tune melody from time to time.

It seemed to be a hymn originally chanted during morning prayers by the Church of the Goddess of Destiny, but after she altered it, it sounded more like a dirge.

The singing drilled into Ilene's ears, stirring her brain, terrifying her to the point of near collapse.

She had heard that in some of the North Continent's more lawless areas, they might seize healthy people and sell their organs for money.

The people in front of her looked like experienced veterans who wouldn't even bother with anesthesia when harvesting her organs.

She didn't understand.

Why were they able to target her so precisely? Why did such a terrifying being beside her have control over her? And why was she so unfortunate?

Her mind was in chaos, and the more she thought, the more her vision flickered.

However, in her dimming vision, only a touch of emerald-like color stood out, exceptionally dazzling.

It was a gaze.

The brown-haired, green-eyed young driver still had a gentle look, seemingly without malice.

This moment was like the only lifeline thrown to her as she was drowning.

"Take a deep breath, don't be nervous."

Lanci prompted softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the black-haired, amber-eyed girl to Ilene's left began to gently stroke her back, helping her smooth her breathing.

"Hoo—"

Ilene used all her strength to inhale, filling her chest, and then exhaled, followed by a series of heavy breaths, her chest rising and falling continuously, finally feeling the rhythm of her heart gradually returning to her control.

"Feeling better?"

Lanci's tone was still so gentle.

Ilene came back to her senses, her muscles tensing up, returning to a state of alert, staring intently at the driver in front.

She had unknowingly followed the driver's words just now, even momentarily developing a slight inexplicable dependence on him in her heart.

This was the guy who tricked her into the black car!

"Who exactly are you people?"

Ilene swallowed, unable to relieve the dryness in her throat, and asked with a slightly hoarse voice.

She knew there was a terrifyingly strong person sitting next to her, and she didn't dare to move.

"..."

Lanci looked at her without replying.

Until she felt scared again and no longer put on a confident appearance, instinctively avoiding his gaze.

"You're too careless."

Finally, Lanci sighed, looking at her with helplessness.

"...?"

Ilene's eyebrows twitched slightly, not understanding what he meant.

But she felt that at this moment, he didn't seem like an enemy.

"We are direct subordinates of Destruction Bishop Ivanos. Having discovered you, a high priest, we naturally want to remind you that the Wilford family is very dangerous. Don't go there rashly, or you won't be coming back today."

Lanci took out a spark-shaped holy seal with a purple mist, and placed it in front of Ilene. The center of the seal was a skeleton wrapped in Manjusawa flowers, the petals both part of the bone and seemingly separate from it, blooming from the flame itself, symbolizing the eternal essence of fire—transformation, consumption, and circulation.

It was both terrifying and exceptionally beautiful, a delicate balance of life and death, creation and destruction.

Hyperion, disguised as a black-haired girl, also took out an identical one.

This was the [Testament of Rebirth - Destruction] that Lanci had obtained from Phoenix, a direct subordinate who attacked the Cat Boss's restaurant, before departing for the North Continent. Its encrypted information could only be recognized by the bishop.

And the Destruction Holy Seal in Hyperion's hand was obtained from the goddess Stysera, whom they had recruited at the Shadow World Sanctuary's Villain Banquet.

Ilene's hanging heart finally relaxed.

Fortunately, they weren't enemies.

She probably wouldn't have her organs harvested.

And if they were enemies, how could they have discovered her identity?

They must be direct subordinates with a more secret and important mission, possessing higher intelligence clearance, who had already known her identity to be able to recognize her so accurately.

"We two are direct subordinates lurking in South Wan Tino. We generally don't contact other priests unless there's an emergency, in which case we'll awaken ourselves. Now there is indeed a great change in South Wan Tino, and we need to connect information in order to judge how we should help you next."

Lanci looked at Ilene and said solemnly.

Ilene nodded.

"What about her?"

She pointed slightly to Talia beside her, asking tentatively.

In Ilene's view, the Destruction Branch shouldn't have such a mysterious existence stronger than even Destruction Saint Salomon.

"..."

Talia simply took out a pink, divine-level [Saint's Testament] without showing Ilene the specific front and stylized holy seal before putting it away.

Its shape was something Ilene had never seen before. It wasn't a counterfeit, and she was certain that none of the branches of the Rebirth Church in the South Continent had this Saint!

Ilene's heart was pounding wildly, feeling that many things were adding up.

Perhaps all of this was instructed by the mysterious bishop from the North Continent!

"Don't ask who this lady is. If you know too much, Ivanos might not let you live."

Hyperion said in a cold voice, yet full of kind reminders.

Ilene shivered and nodded timidly, not daring to stare at the golden-eyed woman again.

"Tonight, our Destruction Branch will cooperate with a group of mysterious guys to kill Duchess Hyperion, who lives in the Wilford house. Our job is to disguise as civilians in a fixed area of South Wan Tino, carry self-destructing spells, and be ready to receive instructions from Destruction Saint Lord Salomon at any time. We don't know what to do specifically, we'll only understand when we receive the instructions."

Ilene said slowly, explaining to them.

Her explanation made the car quiet again.

Lanci, Hyperion, and Talia exchanged glances for a moment.

Talia nodded, indicating to the two of them that Ilene wasn't lying.

Although no one knew she had a truth-detecting talent magic, an eighth-order powerhouse proficient in magic power detection could infer the credibility of the other party's words based on magic power fluctuations.

Fortunately, Lanci was able to capture this Rebirth believer and extract information, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to discover the Rebirth Church's major operation tonight in advance.

It was a pity that the information was tightly sealed off, and they still couldn't know what the Rebirth Church had prepared tonight.

"Can you find Salomon?"

Lanci asked again.

"Can't find him. He can only command us, and we can't actively contact him."

Ilene shook her head.

Hyperion pretended to be calm, maintaining her acting skills.

She knew the enemies were coming, but she didn't expect them to come so quickly and so resolutely.

Talia could feel Hyperion's fear, and she wanted to comfort her.

Just as Talia was preparing to knock Ilene unconscious again, Lanci spoke.

"Just as I thought..."

Lanci murmured,

"Ivanos and Salomon are going to abandon you tonight, what poor children..."

His emerald eyes were clear, looking at Ilene with compassion, as if he sincerely wanted to save her.

Hyperion: "..."

The originally frightened Hyperion suddenly felt another kind of familiar fear in her heart.

Looking at Tata and Lanci's gazes, she knew they had both wanted to comfort her just now.

And Lanci's comfort still had that flavor.

Hyperion smiled in relief.

(End of this chapter)