131 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Chapter 131: I Wonder if the Original Plot Went Wrong? How Could the Villainous Young Master Be the Saintess? Mirexia lay on the ground, gasping for breath, her voice cold as she questioned, "What have you done to me?" "Heh, we did nothing. This is merely the outcome of defying Eurnes, the World Purifier," replied the man in the purple cloak, raising the magic stone in his hand. "Due to your stubbornness, our Master has revoked your rights to use the Dragon's Eye and Dragon's Blood. Should you attempt to employ your Arcane Soul or Sacred Blessing, you'll find yourself weak and feeble." "How could this be?" Mirexia tightened her fists, unwilling to believe that Eurnes, who resided in a different realm, could revoke her Arcane Soul and Sacred Blessing. The powers of the Bronze Blood were merely about poisoning. Surely it was these sneaky individuals who somehow poisoned her. But Mirexia couldn't pinpoint when they could have poisoned her. In fact, she had never experienced poisoning and didn't think she ever would. The dragon's blood rendered her immune to almost all toxins, and alchemical concoctions rarely affected her. Could it be she was truly poisoned one day? When could they have poisoned her? There was no opportunity for them to do so, was there? "How did you manage to poison me?" "My princess, perhaps you should reconsider your words. Our Master is Eurnes, the magnificent God of Alchemy! In the face of our Master’s supreme alchemic powers, you're merely more resistant to poisons than ordinary mortals, but far from completely immune," the man in the purple cloak said, spreading his hands and stepping on Mirexia’s hand as she attempted to grip her sword hilt. "Ouch!" "Stop struggling, my princess. This is the Fall of the Dragon Elixir, colorless and tasteless. Once ingested and the magic stone is activated, our Master Eurnes’s alchemic powers will penetrate the barrier of the Taris continent to act upon you, preventing the use of the Dragon's Eye and Golden Fury Blessing." Ingested? But when did she take such an elixir? She had no recollection of it. "You... exactly..." Mirexia watched helplessly as the black-cloaked men approached; she lacked even the strength to stand. "Now, do you still think you can resist the great World Purifier, princess of Carmela?" "Alright, it’s time to offer you to our Master. Rest assured, after our Master purges the sin from within you, you will awaken fully loyal to our Master," the purple-cloak man chuckled. ——————— "Hmm?" Wenny, lying amongst the trees, abruptly lifted his head, scanning his surroundings. Moments ago, he had been slipping into sleep when his body suddenly convulsed, almost sending him tumbling from the branches. What was happening? What had just startled him so abruptly? Was it a sign of some impending crisis, triggering his danger radar? However, what could happen really? In his memory, the mid-term monster culling mission concluded smoothly in the original plot, with no unexpected events or major incidents. It must have been his imagination. Thus, Wenny, acting as if nothing happened, lay back down only to have someone deliver a solid flick to his forehead. "Ouch!" "You little brat, everyone else is busy, and here you are, lazing around like you're on vacation?" Looking up, Wenny saw Fei, prompting him to jump down from the trees. "Teacher, don’t misunderstand! I found this tree is perfectly shaped like a bed, more convenient than a hammock. Such trees are rare; it'd be a waste not to nap here." "Nonsense. Everyone's either busy pitching tents or foraging, and here you are doing nothing. Do you think this is acceptable? Get up and patrol!" Fei, now comfortable on the tree, waved him off. "Alright, alright," Wenny muttered. He wanted to retort that Fei was being rather idle himself, but he opted to remain silent. "What are you mumbling about? If you have nothing to do, find something to do. Are you here on vacation?" Fei remarked, leisurely, with a blade of grass in his mouth. Having his spot claimed by Fei, Wenny could only comply and leave with his spear in tow. "Is there truly anything to do? Isn’t everything handled already?" "No one told you that everything is done. The safety of this camp area is yet to be confirmed, you have a team to lead, so don't just idle around. Take the token and patrol." Fei gestured dismissively. "Got it." Resigned, Wenny took his war spear and departed. He grumbled internally about Fei not embodying the typical teacher figure. With his spear, Frostbane, at his side, he paced around the camp perimeter. This area lay at the very edge of Resmir, where pollution was minimal, and most monsters had been cleared. The likelihood of encountering more was slim. Wenny was in high spirits, assured that this mid-term monster culling faced no issues in the original plot. Even if the storyline had deviated, an eventless scenario doesn't suddenly manifest issues, right? Wenny strolled, more focused on the scenery than any threats. The land, however, bore the dark hues of the Demonic Pillar’s corruption. His senses were on alert, yet instinctively, he doubted anything of consequence would occur—the mess Ordyn’s protagonist typically dealt with was far from his path by now. "Sniff, sniff..." As he walked, a peculiar scent invaded Wenny’s senses. "What is this smell?" he muttered, feeling a strange disgust he couldn't quite place. It wasn't foul per se, but it evoked intense aversion within him, his entire being rejecting it. It was as if there existed an entity whose mere presence caused insufferable discomfort and nausea. Confused by this sensation, Wenny pondered if he should consult with Fei. Maybe the academy's teacher would decipher this riddle. Yet, as he hesitated, the odor faded, the force of its initial presence quickly diminishing. No, if he didn't track it down soon, it would vanish entirely, and he'd miss his chance. Guided by his instincts—screaming for action from deep within—Wenny resolved not to ignore the overwhelming urge. He sensed Fei, no matter how complacent, would surely detect such a prominent disturbance. Right? With decision, Wenny followed the offensive scent's trail. ——————— "Indeed, even without your Arcane Soul and Sacred Blessing, one still should not underestimate you, princess," remarked the purple-cloak man, seeing Mirexia wield her massive sword skillfully, forcing them back before taking a defensive stance at a considerable distance. "The Bronze Blood, your audacity is boundless. You think this is your domain, free to act as you please?" Mirexia panted weakly, her voice steely yet tinged with exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Princess, but this is indeed our territory," the man in the purple cloak chuckled lightly. "You should start thinking about how you'll defend yourselves when facing the Academy's tutors and the Church's knights," Mirexia said, pulling out a token and crushing it. The token released a stream of light that exploded in the sky, creating a brilliant firework display. "Otherwise, you won't even have a chance to escape." "Haha..." The man in the purple cloak burst into laughter, joined by the other cloaked figures. Mirexia frowned. Didn't these "Bronze Blood" people fear the tutors from the Academy and the clergy nearby? "Princess Mirexia, you are too naive. If our Master sent us to invite you, do you really think we wouldn't have considered such a simple problem?" "The remnants of the Academy won't be coming. They can't receive your signal." "And the Church's knights and clergy? Heh..." The man in the purple cloak released an ambiguous chuckle. "Oh? Are you sure? Every year, the Church leads the monster eradication in this area. It's filled with the Church's clergy and patrolling Holy Crusader Knights. Even vice-bishops guard the area closely. You've laid so many traps and ambushes here; do you think the Church would be oblivious to it?" This was part of Mirexia's confidence; the monster eradication effort was organized by the Church, and the area was swarming with battle priests and nuns, not to mention the many Holy Crusader Knights. Hearing the Church’s name, who would dare to cause trouble here? "You're talking about the Church? Haha..." The man in the purple cloak laughed, unfazed. "Honestly, we never paid much attention to them." "Look around you. Is this still the Resmir you're familiar with? Is this the Taris continent?" Mirexia suddenly realized, observing her surroundings. The sky had turned blood red, the soil dark as if stained with dried blood. She stood in a dilapidated courtyard, overgrown with thorns climbing black iron fences and the ruins of a white clock tower. It resembled an abandoned temple. But where in Resmir would such a temple exist? In Mirexia's memory, every nation had its fortresses in Resmir, including the Church, but there were no temples like this. And the colors of the sky and earth were unnaturally grotesque, as if ready to bleed. Finally realizing the environment had been secretly altered, Mirexia’s pupils contracted. The style of this ruined temple was eerily familiar until she saw the half-remaining statue at the temple entrance. This temple was not another but patterned after the Church's standard layout and style. Yet, the structures were desecrated—crippled towers, ruined halls, a broken goddess statue draped in thorns. The courtyard overrun with weeds, the thorns creeping beyond its walls. "An extra-dimensional space?" "Indeed, Princess Mirexia, as soon as you stepped in, you entered the 'cage' we meticulously prepared for you." "Created by you?" "Certainly not. This is the realm of our Master Eurnes," replied the man in the purple cloak, taking out a vial of blood-red liquid. "Princess, do you know what this is?" "This is a reward granted by sacrificing a thousand souls, Eurnes's Blood, infused with our Master's power. It purifies lands tainted with demonic power into Eurnes’s domain." "For such disgusting deeds, you've sacrificed thousands...a pack of relentless fiends," Mirexia said, her eyes fixed fiercely on the man. "It means you're under the scrutiny of the great Eurnes. Praise the Master's limitless power!" "Do you see now? There will be no rescue. You’re finished." "All who oppose our Master will pay dearly for their disrespect!" The cloaked figures hurled explosive vials at Mirexia’s feet. Putting all her strength into her movements, she swung her greatsword, slicing through the vials mid-air. The subsequent explosion enveloped them in flames. The cloaked figures were stunned, never expecting Mirexia to recklessly cut explosive vials. Engulfed in flames, a golden flash surged through. "To kill you, I need neither Arcane Soul nor Sacred Blessing." Ignoring the burning flames, Mirexia slashed three cloaked figures aside and stomped on another, trapping him beneath her as she lifted her greatsword. "The Alchemy Master watches over me!" The cloaked man frantically exclaimed, swallowing a gray-black potion. The speed with which he consumed the potion, a trait of the Bronze Blood, was impressive. Just before Mirexia’s blade could strike, the potion was ingested. With a sharp crack, Mirexia’s sword halted, the blade held by something hard, preventing any further penetration. Accustomed to her sword’s lethality, Mirexia was shocked by the resistance. "Ahhhh!" Beneath her, the man’s skin morphed into hardened black armor, blocking further sword penetration. Worse yet, the transformation occurred right as she struck, leaving her sword trapped in the hardened shell. "Aahhh!" During the transformation, he screamed as if battling for control with an emerging personality. "Oh, how exquisite!" The cloaked figures around them watched in delight. "Yes, at this moment, offering oneself to our Master for world purification, it’s sublime!" "Praise our Master’s infinite power and wisdom!" Realizing she couldn't retrieve her sword, Mirexia retracted, watching the man transform completely. The creature, standing over two meters, sported rows of sharp teeth, drooling green saliva, and emitted horrific sounds. "What a bunch of deranged, hideous pests," Mirexia muttered, glaring at the transformed worshiper. They believed transforming into monsters was an elevation of the soul and body’s evolution.