Chapter 203 Room 203, Lichtenstein Castle, Second Floor

Ranch seemed to think the environment in Room 202, which had become a torture chamber, wasn't ideal, so he had Hyperion move the priestess, chair and all, to the new Room 203 next door.

The room was brightly and steadily lit, casting a golden glow on every inch of space. The wooden floor was covered with a dark carpet, making it a haven from the autumn mountain cliffs at this early morning hour.

Hyperion had removed the gag from the priestess's mouth and loosened some of the chains so she wouldn't be uncomfortable sitting in the chair. She also gave her a blanket.

The priestess had gone from hell to heaven in just a few minutes, and her expression was a little dazed. Only the dependent look in her eyes when she looked at Ranch intensified again.

And across from her were Ranch and Hyperion.

"Let me give you a brief introduction. I turned off the Shadow World Recording Program a long time ago, so the Rebirth Church won't know I got any information from you. As for the fact that you will be taken into custody by the Kreutzer Empire after the Shadow World ends, I will ask Princess Alexia to protect you as much as possible, so that you can avoid interrogation in prison and have a better life."

Ranch stared at the notebook in his hand and began to write on it as he spoke.

After the Shadow World ends, all challengers will return to the location of the void gate they entered the Shadow World from.

This time, the challengers entered the Shadow World through the large void gate stronghold controlled by the South Continent Shadow World Management Association, rather than the temporary "unstable void gate" that appears in the wild.

Therefore, the priestess, whose identity as a Rebirth Church member has been exposed, will be arrested on the spot by the Kreutzer Empire's heavy troops as soon as she leaves the Shadow World.

The priestess nodded heavily when she heard this.

Since she no longer had to regard Ranch as an enemy, she felt that her heart was filled with a sense of security.

If she didn't betray the Rebirth Church outright, she wouldn't have to live in such fear in the Kreutzer Empire's prison. Even in prison, the Rebirth Church would try every means to retaliate against traitors and inflict extreme punishment.

Now, even knowing she would be imprisoned, she had hope.

Once this terrifying man Ranch infiltrated the Rebirth Church...

When he arrived in the Kreutzer Empire, he might already hold a high position in the church that she could hardly imagine.

She believed that Ranch would definitely have the ability to rescue her and protect her from the threat of the Rebirth Church!

"My name is Stissella. I'm from the northern part of the Kreutzer Empire. I grew up in an orphanage in a village outside the border city of Glen Waverly. After the village was massacred by Bishop Ivannos of Destruction, I was spared because I still had potential and was taken away. After five years of training in the Destruction Bishop branch of the Rebirth Church, I stood out from the dead and became a partner to assist the Destruction Saintess in infiltrating the upper echelons of the Kreutzer Empire."

The priestess spoke quickly.

Ranch listened to the priestess's story without interrupting her to ask questions.

According to rumors, the Bishop of Destruction is the most brutal of all the cardinal bishops when it comes to indiscriminate killing of innocent people. To him, massacring large numbers of civilians is like crushing an ant's nest.

Ivannos even often liked to do things that defied "logic"—without any reason, he would cruelly burn all the civilians who had been talking to him happily, and his fierce reputation was even higher than that of Bishop Askesan of Annihilation in the Northern Continent.

"Is it difficult for us to get under the Bishop of Destruction?"

Ranch pointed to himself and Hyperion and asked the priestess, Stissella.

The ten branches of the Rebirth Church are each subordinate to ten cardinal bishops. For example, the wanted cultist Lilith, whom they encountered at the end of Purgatory Corridor Academy last time, was a member of the Decay Bishop, while the Destruction Saintess Adelise and the priestess Stissella, whom they encountered this time, were both followers of the Bishop of Destruction.

Although they were both members of the Rebirth Church, they served different bishops, and their styles of doing things were also obviously different.

Sometimes, there might even be infighting between the followers of bishops who don't have good relationships.

After this Shadow World ended, Ranch's goal for the winter vacation after returning to the real world was to go to the Northern Continent to consult Bishop Askesan of Annihilation, the holder of the Original Tablet - Seal, and complete the research report, "Visiting Tablet Holders."

If he could get into the branch of the Bishop of Destruction first and then transfer directly to the branch of the Bishop of Annihilation in the Northern Continent, it would reduce a lot of steps and trouble!

"It's very difficult. The Rebirth Church is particularly wary of young people like you who are a little famous, so I suggest you catch a member of the Rebirth Church and replace their identity," Stissella replied.

Hyperion was already a red-named figure on the Rebirth Church's hit list.

And after this battle, Ranch's achievement of harming the Destruction Saintess was enough to make him a red-named figure comparable to Hyperion.

"But you should know that it's difficult to find Rebirth Church members in the Hutton Kingdom... unless you can give me some key information here."

Ranch looked at Stissella calmly as he listened to her answer.

First of all, the Hutton Kingdom was originally a major stronghold of the Church of the Goddess of Fate and had carried out many operations to cleanse the church members.

The Hutton Kingdom is also one of the countries in the Southern Continent that cracks down on cults the most severely.

Even the Rebirth Church members within the Hutton Kingdom today must be elite sleepers like the Destruction Saintess Adelise or the priestess Stissella, who have perfect identities and are very difficult to catch.

"There is an opportunity. A very dangerous guy from the Kingdom of Yarolan will arrive in Iquirithe in the next two days. If he fails to meet or kill Duchess Hyperion in this Shadow World, he will do everything possible to create an accident on campus to kill the duchess."

Stissella looked at Hyperion and said solemnly.

"..."

Although Hyperion's expression did not change when she heard this, her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.

She didn't expect the Rebirth Church to be so determined in its operation to hunt her down this time!

It seemed that someone had to kill her.

The fear and sadness that had gradually dissipated because of Ranch resurfaced in Hyperion's heart.

She also gradually realized that she might never have peace until she became stronger.

Every time before, if Ranch wasn't by her side, it would have been a hopeless situation.

Although it seemed that Ranch had resolved everything calmly, if this intensity continued to increase, even if Ranch was strong, he might be killed by her!

She gradually lowered her head with dim eyes.

She was the one who brought disaster every time, and then dragged Ranch into it to help her carry it.

The more Ranch never blamed her and unconditionally protected her as a close friend, the more guilty she felt.

She was purely a burden.

(End of this chapter)