“We are the servants of the great Lord Halaye, the threads He has woven. We follow His will to exercise divine authority on Earth, guiding humanity away from that apocalyptic future.”
“We are—the Hand of the Secret God! We are the Apostles of God!”
The other party solemnly praised their own organization, listening to which made Xueji’s face twist with bitterness. Yet another troublesome god was involved.
‘This is troublesome. Just how many of these nasty things are still lurking on Blue Star?’
She complained internally, but her hands were already busy recording their words via her communicator.
As these so-called Apostles of God finished speaking, something within the darkness surrounding Xueji began to squirm. Accompanied by the disgusting sound of friction, like viscous fluid, it made Xueji’s skin crawl.
“So, you are summoning your god?”
“Our god disdains to personally intervene. And you have asked far too many questions! Join us now, or die here!”
Uncertain what trick Xueji was trying to pull, they no longer allowed her to fish for information. If Xueji insisted on resisting, they would execute her immediately.
To send Lilith out, Xueji had used her already scarce spiritual power to create a pathway within the shadows.
At this moment, Lilith, who was still moving upstream against the current within the shadows, needed just a bit more distance to act. Even with the protection of various magical artifacts, Xueji had reached her limit without overdrafting her soul power.
‘Just a little more, you mediocre big sister, stall for a bit longer!’ Lilith’s voice came from within Xueji’s heart. Her usually energetic and playful voice now sounded weak, accompanied by heavy, panting breaths.
‘Little one, is panting even useful for you?’ Xueji was genuinely curious. Lilith wasn’t even a living being right now, so why the panting?
‘None of your business…’ Lilith seemed to pout and stopped responding.
Within the shadows, time and space were distorted. Lilith, crawling on all fours, had been moving along a gray line for who knows how long, and she was also nearing her limit. She desperately wanted to return to Xueji, missing the sense of belonging she felt when with her.
Since her birth, this was the first time she had been away from Xueji on her own for so long. If not for the connection she still felt with Xueji, she would have burst into tears.
“Mediocre big sister, I want you to worry about me too,” she muttered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of grievance. “Dummy, dummy, big dummy! I’m never helping you again.”
Although Lilith spoke angry words, her movements became faster, stumbling forward as she ran.
Xueji didn’t dwell on it and continued her standoff with the Apostles.
“Then… I’ll join you.” As Xueji said this, her voice sounded panicked. Even without seeing her face, the others could easily picture a cowardly, fearful expression.
In reality, Xueji was making a completely deadpan face, using a small, talking brush to mend the cracks in her magical shield.
“A tiny bit of law power, kid,” the brush said proudly, while simultaneously chattering away, mocking Xueji’s current appearance and predicament.
“Hahaha, Sage-boy has become Sage-girl, and so weak too. So lame.”
“A lifetime of fame, destroyed in an instant…”
“Now that I think about it, that Prince might really want to fulfill the marriage contract with you. So, does this count as running away from marriage?” After saying this, the brush began to chuckle mischievously.
Xueji’s hand, which was repairing the spiritual shield, paused. A vein bulged on her forehead as she viciously threw the brush to the ground and stomped on it hard.
“Dammit, why did you have to bring that up?! I’ll use you for firewood when we get back!” The most embarrassing part of her past being brought up by this brush had pushed her into a rage.
Back when they passed through a certain kingdom, the Hero’s party helped exterminate a dragon plaguing their land. The king held a grand victory banquet. The prince of that kingdom and Xueji, neither able to hold their liquor well, got thoroughly drunk. Spurred on by the Elf Ranger, the two of them, arms around each other’s shoulders, got engaged on the spot.
The next morning, after sobering up and seeing the marriage contract with both their fingerprints on it, he immediately packed his bags and fled post-haste.
Because she had cursed at the brush too loudly, the Apostles opposite her also heard her angry shouts.
“Is this person not quite right in the head? She seems emotionally unstable.”
“It’s fine. She’ll be perfect to capture as a sacrificial offering. Maybe the Master can even use her as a vessel.”
“Alright then. Let’s have her invoke the Master’s name. How about it?”
“Great idea!”
The two strongest among the Apostles finished speaking, their smiles distorted and manic.
While Xueji was disciplining the brush, a parchment scroll was transmitted to her from within the shadows.
The parchment felt almost weightless in her hand. The black writing on it still retained a hint of crimson. The script was in some unknown language, but just looking at it gave Xueji an impulse to read it aloud.
“We wish to test your resolve in joining us. Please read the name on this parchment. Don’t worry, as long as you join us sincerely, you will be perfectly safe,” the other party instructed offhandedly.
The corner of Xueji’s mouth twitched. Looking at the evil-reeking parchment, she thought, “Yeah, right. Like hell I believe that.”
“Really? You’re not tricking me?” Xueji asked in a tone mixing belief and doubt.
“Yes, yes, I’m not lying to you, Earthlings don’t lie to Earthlings. Read it quickly, read it quickly!” the other person urged, while also enduring the urging from the people next to them..
Xueji’s eyes lit up. It seemed that the two of them were evenly matched in strength, but the difference in their status was quite obvious.
“Well, in that case,” Xueji began, stifling a laugh, “I propose we all read it together. This would better demonstrate our collective piety and also strengthen our unity and cohesion. What do you think?”
“Ah, this…” The person talking to Xueji was completely stumped. “You, you, you… I…”
On the Apostles’ side, apart from the three leaders who truly understood the parchment’s function, the other ten not only found it strange but actually considered the proposal seriously. Some even praised Xueji for being so thoughtful—why hadn’t they thought of that? Wasn’t this a perfect opportunity to gain the Master’s favor?
Thus, the ten uninformed Apostles became eager, wanting their leaders to provide them with copies of the parchment as well.
The two in charge looked at each other, finally settling their gaze on the third high-rank mage. This person had remained silent the entire time, contributing to the fight but never participating in decision-making otherwise.
Under the gaze of the two, the other ten also looked at him.
So, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he reached into the pocket of his black robe. The ten red-robed individuals watched his retrieving hand with desperate anticipation. The other two black robes looked at him in disbelief—was he really going to read this thing?
Then, as the tension reached its peak, he pulled out… his disability certificate…
“Dammit! So he’s a mute! And here I thought he was some big shot!” The highest-ranking black robe laughed in exasperation, feeling like slapping the guy.
The ten red robes seemed to want to speak but stopped, their lips moving slightly, their expressions a spectacular mix. The two black robes let out a long sigh of relief—thank goodness he was mute.
The mute man could only offer them an apologetic, awkward look.
And at that moment, they failed to notice the shadow slowly creeping across the ground. Death had quietly drawn near.