NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66
“Which side should I kill? I’ll kill them all!”
She returned to the carriage and sat opposite Aivana, closing her eyes to rest.
“It’s over?”
Aivana was somewhat surprised. She had only used a few drops of the antidote given by Adelle.
So, Xia’er has no friends now?
Aivana had hoped to see Xia’er’s social circle, but unexpectedly, Xia’er’s social circle was quite limited.
Aside from her sister and the school principal, Xia’er only had one friend worth giving the special medicine to.
This life could truly be described as two points and a straight line.
Aivana looked at Xia’er, who was resting, unsure whether she should comfort her.
“Hmm,” Xia’er opened her eyes and looked at Aivana, saying, “When we get back, I have something I want to talk about with you.”
Hearing Xia’er suddenly want to talk, Aivana took a deep breath.
“Can I choose not to talk?”
Aivana’s voice was slightly weaker.
But Xia’er did not answer; she simply closed her eyes again.
She wasn’t sure if Aivana was still under the surveillance of the cult members. She would only bring up the topic of “The Mother Goddess Sátaná” when it was relatively safe.
On the way back, Aivana was nervous, guessing what Xia’er wanted to say.
At the same time, she was curious why Xia’er had bought so many first-tier potions despite having such a narrow social circle.
Could it be because of the intelligence organization behind her?
That was unlikely.
A mysterious organization capable of gathering so much intelligence wouldn’t waste money on replication rituals unless they had the necessary information.
Was Xia’er using the potions herself?
Even if Xia’er was using them, she wouldn’t buy so many. It was impossible for one person to drink them all.
If Xia’er really needed potions, Aivana would recommend the “detective” path.
For other paths, Aivana couldn’t guarantee, but for the “detective” path, she could provide some professional guidance.
Aivana’s home was not far from Amy’s home, both located in the Jazz Bridge District. Soon, the carriage stopped in front of Aivana’s house.
Since the special medicine had not been widely distributed, Aivana had not recalled other servants to the manor. The rubble and ruins on the right side of the manor remained untouched.
“Where can we ensure privacy for our conversation?”
Xia’er asked Aivana after entering the manor.
“B… my room.”
Aivana paused, then explained, “My room is smaller than the study, making it suitable for setting up the ritual.”
Xia’er looked at Aivana with some confusion.
In the simulation, hadn’t Aivana set up the ritual in the study? Could the size of the room affect the ritual?
However, Aivana kept her face expressionless, and Xia’er didn’t notice any strange emotions.
Xia’er no longer pressed the issue. She returned to her guest room on the second floor, putting the bag of potions and the replication ritual with the previous potion containing “the Judge.” Then, she went to the third floor and stopped in front of Aivana’s door.
Ding-dong-ding-dong-ding-dong—
Xia’er knocked on Aivana’s door. After waiting for about half a minute, Aivana finally opened the door.
“Come in.”
Aivana moved aside, making space for Xia’er.
Xia’er entered the room. She had slept here once before, so it felt familiar. She found a sofa and sat down. Xia’er noticed that there were already two cups of brewed black tea on the table in front of the sofa.
Tick-tick-tick—
After Aivana locked the door, she walked to the table and sat on the single sofa next to Xia’er, looking at Xia’er and asking, “The isolation ritual is set up. What do you want to talk about?”
Even when discussing Aivana’s life or death, Xia’er had never required such a secure environment for their conversations.
She reached out and scratched the spot on her neck where Xia’er had bitten her earlier. The wound was almost healed, leaving only a faint mark and some mild itching sensation from the healing process.
Aivana had not chosen to use ointment to accelerate healing, and she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps she hadn’t thought about it.
Xia’er picked up the black tea and took a sip, then looked at Aivana and asked, “Have you studied Xie Lun’s notes?”
Aivana nodded. “I read through them carefully before handing them over to the Redemption Society. They’re not exactly research, but I remember the contents.”
“What do you think is questionable in his notes?”
Xia’er continued.
Aivana enjoyed solving puzzles, so Xia’er started from the point Aivana was more proficient at.
“You ask, and I indeed have several points I haven’t figured out yet.”
Hearing this, Aivana perked up.
Although she had not chosen the “detective” potion like most members of the Rossul family, her interest in puzzles had been nurtured since childhood.
“His notes show great enthusiasm for his own research, but the descriptions of the research content are vague, as if he himself cannot explain the principles. Adelle’s words confirmed my guess.”
“Apart from this resolved doubt, there are three unresolved ones.”
Aivana paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts, then looked down at the cup of black tea and said:
“First, where did his ‘Cholera Origin’ potion and the replication ritual come from?”
“The Redemption Society uses a contribution point system. Publishing papers and research results earns contribution points, which can be exchanged for needed items within the society. He doesn’t earn many Su Pounds; how did he get the money to buy the potion and ritual?”
“Second, the source of the sealed objects is very unclear. The sealed objects sold at Derton Manor are usually low-level objects with weak side effects and effects. It’s impossible for them to sell a targeted sealed object like the one you mentioned.”
“This sealed object is clearly prepared specifically for his ‘Dehydration Syndrome’ epidemic, highly compatible. His personal ability alone would not allow him to obtain this set of potions, ritual, and sealed object.”
“Third, in the later part of his research notes, there is a sudden appearance of hatred towards the Salvation Goddess Religion…”
As Aivana spoke, her voice weakened. She looked up at Xia’er.
Was Xia’er going to tell her about this?
Previously, when she had guessed this, she had also considered a possibility, but she hadn’t thought about it deeply.
Because she thought it was unlikely. The organization operated covertly, and most of their actions were discovered long after they succeeded. It was impossible for them to be discovered like Xie Lun.
But Aivana thought, if not Xia’er, then perhaps this matter was…
Looking at Aivana’s expression, Xia’er realized that Aivana must know something.
“Aivana, you know about Sa…”
Before Xia’er could finish, Aivana immediately stood up and pounced on her, covering Xiaer’s mouth with her right hand, urgently reminding her, “Don’t!”
Xia’er slowly closed her mouth, looking at the obviously tense Aivana, showing a puzzled expression.
“Don’t mention his name.”
Aivana slowly removed her hand from Xiaer’s mouth and shook her head. “This simple ritual certainly won’t stop his surveillance. If you mention his name, he might notice.”
Mentioning the name could attract attention…
What kind of existence had she gotten involved with? The cult worshipped a true deity?
“He?”
Xia’er frowned slightly and asked, “Do they really believe in a god?”
“Not sure,” Aivana shook her head. “But when dealing with these heretical matters, it’s safer to assume they are real.”
Not sure?
Xia’er’s mind raced. Soon, she began to feel some doubts.
She felt… Sátaná wasn’t a true deity.
Or at least, Sátaná wasn’t her real name.
If it were a true deity, according to the system, communication with them could only be done through the Other Realm.
Xia’er had seen fragments of the Other Realm, even visited it and returned.
Not even the description of the texts inside could make a third-tier Radiant Bishop named Xiú rush over to cover Xia’er’s mouth.
A normal person would not remain conscious after hearing the name of a true deity.
About whether Sátaná was truly a deity, Xia’er had no answer for now.
She could
Putting aside this issue for now, she asked, “How much do you know about that cult? That’s what I want to ask you.”
“They call themselves the ‘Salvation Holy Arrival Religion’… Yes, it’s just one word different from the Salvation Goddess Religion. Rumors say this cult was a faction within the Salvation Goddess Religion, called the ‘Holy Arrival Sect.’”
Avana continued, “After an internal conflict, the entire ‘Holy Arrival Sect’ collectively betrayed the Salvation Goddess Religion, fleeing with a large number of Sealed Objects and ritual potions, becoming an underground cult.”
“The characteristic of the Holy Arrival Religion is that they don’t just absorb ‘Avengers’ and ‘Reformed Monks’ as believers; they also recruit other Extraordinary Persons. Moreover, the number of Extraordinary persons among their ‘Missionaries’ could very well outnumber those in the Salvation Goddess Religion — this is a vast hidden church.”
“There’s a saying passed down in my family: ‘If you find a Holy Arrival believer in a district, the entire district may already be part of the cult.’”
“Their upper echelons and members communicate through a single line. They have a special brainwashing method that makes them completely fearless of exposure or betrayal within the group.”
“Every famous ritual sacrifice they perform targets the Salvation Goddess Religion, as if they’re deliberately retaliating, determined to destroy the Salvation Goddess Religion….”
Avana took a deep breath, looking at Xia’er with difficulty, and asked, “You wouldn’t suggest… the potion… was given to Xie Lun by the Holy Arrival Religion, would you?”
“High probability,” Xia’er nodded.
“Can I ask… where did you get this information?”
Avana seemed unwilling to give up, seeking confirmation from Xia’er.
“… My intelligence network.”
Xia’er said without blushing, “They told me that the Holy Arrival believers in Borough City already knew we had disrupted their ritual.”
The worst-case scenario Avana had feared finally came to pass.
She had solved the problem of Xie Lun wanting to kill her… only to find out that Xie Lun was actually backed by the Holy Arrival Religion.
This feeling of stepping on an iron plate, Avana hadn’t experienced in a long time, let alone one that came knocking on its own.
“Avana.”
As if remembering something, Xia’er looked at Avana, who was showing signs of distress, and asked, “Do you know how their special brainwashing method works?”
Xia’er had experienced this before, so she wanted to ask Avana if there was any way to counteract it.
To Xia’er, Avana seemed like a Doraemon with a treasure bag, always ready to pull out a valuable Sealed Object or an extraordinary item.
For example, the dyeing potion.
“I don’t know exactly how they brainwash people,” Avana shook her head. “But when I left my family, I did receive an item that has some resistance to brainwashing.”
Avana reached into her collar, pulling out a silver necklace around her neck, slowly revealing a peculiar pendant protecting her heart.
It was a delicate golden cage-shaped pendant, containing a dark, irregular object inside.
“A Sacrificial Sacred Relic, not quite a Sealed Object,” Avana explained to Xia’er. “Dropping a drop of your blood inside will temporarily swap your consciousness with the Sacred Relic, then swap back within seconds.”
“Once your consciousness returns, everything not yours in your mind—including deep hypnosis, Order Contracts, mental imprints—will be locked in the Sacred Relic, which will bear the negative effects for you and alert you to any influence.”
“I use this Sacred Relic weekly to ensure I’m not unknowingly controlled by anything. The remaining quantity can probably last about a day.”
Huh?
Xia’er suddenly realized something was off.
This Sacrificial Sacred Relic… could eliminate negative mental conditions after use, making one consciously aware of differences in their mental state and behavior?
Even potentially resist the influence of the Order Eye Contract?
“Come to think of it, I haven’t used the Sacrificial Sacred Relic this week…”
Avana said, deftly pinching the golden cage. Its sharp hooks cut her finger slightly, allowing a drop of blood to flow into the black substance inside, causing Xia’er’s alarm bells to ring.
Bad!
No wonder Avana had been so bold to sign an unequal contract with her for a month! She must have had a way to mitigate the effects!
Avana had held back a lot of information during their conversation in the simulation, and now it turned out she had also played games with the contract signing!
In the center of the golden cage, a faint purple flame ignited over the black substance.
Next to Xia’er, Avana’s body suddenly went limp, collapsing towards Xia’er, who could only support her.
What should she do?
Before she could react…
At this moment, Avana slowly regained consciousness, smelling the scent of the girl beside her. She seemed to realize something, quickly sitting upright and moving several times to the other side of the sofa, lowering her head and saying, “I… I wasn’t trying to… using this causes a loss of consciousness for a few seconds…”
“But fortunately, my behavior over this period seems normal, without any signs of being controlled by the Holy Arrival Religion.”
Avana looked up at Xia’er, who seemed puzzled, and asked, “What’s wrong, Xia’er?”
She…
Didn’t realize the existence of the contract?
But the contract was clearly effective. Why didn’t she notice that she might have become too close to Xia’er unconsciously? Didn’t she feel repulsed by those memories?
If she didn’t realize it…
That means, even without the contract, Avana wouldn’t reveal her secrets or refuse contact?
After all, Xia’er had previously abused the contract to do outrageous things, even tearing off her clothes and biting her! How could she remain so indifferent?
This… was a wasted friendship?
While Xia’er was still lost in thought, Avana stood up and said to Xia’er, “Xia’er, if what you said is true and Xie Lun is truly backed by the Holy Arrival Religion, this matter goes beyond our ability to handle.”
“The Holy Arrival Religion communicates in one direction. If a believer who knows our identities reports this in the next contact, we’ll be added to the Holy Arrival Religion’s wanted list… Do you have any evidence to prove that the Holy Arrival Religion is behind this?”
“If so, I can report this to the Salvation Goddess Religion ahead of time, hoping they can help us deal with the cult member.”
Waiting for the Church to resolve it…
Xia’er didn’t know if there was enough time, nor did she have enough evidence to prove it.
She also didn’t know how many cult members in Jiti’s camp knew about this.
Should they eliminate Jiti before their next contact?
Jiti was a second-tier Missionary, and Xia’er needed at least second-tier Extraordinary abilities to confidently remove Jiti.
“Judge” potion…
Xia’er got up and quickly ran to her room, followed closely by Avana.
But she didn’t know what Xia’er intended to do.
Xia’er entered her room, picked up the potion bag Avana had given her, opened it, and took out a scroll inside, which described the replication ritual for the “Judge.”
Xia’er untied the seal on the scroll and unfolded it, reading the requirements.
[The soul of judgment requires the blood of heretics to be poured]
[Eliminate fifty heretics, apostates, and blasphemers, and after interrogating and sentencing a second-tier heretic, drink the potion at the right time]
As soon as Xia’er finished reading, the paper in front of her was set ablaze and quickly turned to ashes.
Eradicate apostates? Heretics? Blasphemers?
Were these heretics according to the Salvation Goddess Religion, or according to the Holy Arrival Religion?
If uncertain… better to eliminate them all, just to be safe.
“Avana.”
Xia’er turned and looked at Avana, who had caught up, and asked, “There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Could I borrow your ‘Sacrificial Sacred Relic’ for a bit?”
Xia’er’s plan was simple.
Not knowing whom to kill, she might as well kill everyone.
With luck, Xia’er’s plan could be completed with just two simulations.
She could complete the replication ritual for the “Judge” while gathering all the information.