Chapter 10: That Kind of Relationship

“Have you already advanced to Sequence 8? Was the potion a personal gift from the Divine Envoy?”

Hume looked at Claudia with genuine concern, his gaze even carrying a hint of eager fawning.

If she hadn’t reached Sequence 8, there was no way she could have broken free from a dream he had manifested in the physical world. In fact, even an average Sequence 8 shouldn’t have been able to do it so quickly. It required exceptional talent and heightened perception; after all, he was a Sequence 7 Dream Thief.

As for the unsightly displays from the other believers… that seemed more like a simple loss of control over their supernatural abilities, which was a common enough occurrence.

But how had Claudia advanced to Sequence 8?

The potions currently under his management hadn’t even been assigned to any of the three junior priests yet, and it was impossible for other High Priests to simply hand over precious concoctions to another’s subordinates for no reason.

The only remaining possibility was that Claudia had managed to get close to the Divine Envoy.

That was the sole reason Hume was acting so graciously.

This newly minted Sequence 8 priestess looked incredibly uncomfortable, her words hesitant and vague. Under any other circumstances, Hume would have certainly lost his temper, but this time he was exceptionally patient. When it came to matters involving the Lord of Ravings and the Divine Envoy he had personally ordained, old Hume was always a portrait of patience.

Suddenly, “Claudia’s” face flickered with a mix of complexity and distortion. Her expression quickly shifted into a shy, awkward demeanor as she lowered her voice intentionally.

“I’m sorry… my father told me not to tell anyone.”

Needless to say, Luo Wei had already seized control of Claudia’s body.

Sifting through the stream of information, Luo Wei had witnessed Claudia’s internal conflict and hesitation, finding it utterly baffling.

Really? What is there to hesitate about? Is it that hard to fake a connection?

It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. If you’re going to play the game, you go big. Establish the lie first and worry about the rest later!

The “toxic gamer” was taking over the controls!

With a Dominion level of twenty percent, Luo Wei was now capable of briefly suppressing Claudia’s consciousness and acting in her stead.

“Father?”

Hume’s face initially registered confusion. But seeing “Claudia” winking and making subtle facial hints, he immediately “realized” what she meant.

For a moment, it was as if Hume had been struck by a heavy blow. He staggered back several steps.

“You… you mean to say… your father is…”

Hume’s voice dropped even lower. He glanced around warily, despite the fact that they were in the Sanctum’s secret assembly point.

“Mhm…”

“Claudia’s” response was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, but it confirmed this incredible “fact.”

This junior priestess—no, sorry, this Lady Claudia—and her sister Clecia, were both the illegitimate daughters of the Divine Envoy?

Hiss…

Hume’s first instinct was disbelief.

How could the Divine Envoy…

How could he…

…Actually, why wouldn’t he?

Hume fell into a brief contemplation.

While the Divine Envoy held authority granted by the Lord of Ravings, until the Great Lord truly entered his slumber, the Envoy remained a normal human being. And as long as one was human… nothing was impossible in “that” department.

Furthermore, he had heard rumors about these sisters joining the Dream Sanctum before. It was just that news regarding the older sister was scarce; Hume hadn’t even realized she was a priestess under his own command.

As for everything involving the younger sister, Clecia, it remained a secret that ordinary priests within the Sanctum weren’t permitted to investigate.

“No wonder, no wonder… the younger sister was likely chosen as the Envoy’s successor? Is the older sister here because her talent was too poor, or…”

Wait, it must be… protection!

Yes, exactly! Hiding her identity is a way to protect an illegitimate daughter!

The more Hume thought about it, the more it made sense. Everything clicked into place, even explaining several previous doubts. One had to remember that it wasn’t just the Enforcement Guards watching the Divine Envoy; the so-called “Orthodox Churches” that deceived the masses—and even other sects of the Lord of Ravings’ followers—were all eyeing the Envoy’s achievements with greed.

The Lord of Ravings’ following was ancient and vast; the Kingdom of York was practically an infant in comparison. The Dream Sanctum operating in Kolun County was merely one small branch.

“So that’s how it is. Miss Clecia… ah, Miss Claudia, you have such a relationship with the Divine Envoy! You should have said so sooner!” Hume’s expression was now alive with excitement.

Satisfied, Luo Wei handed control back to Claudia. Claudia, still dazed, caught the tail end of Hume’s sentence and subconsciously asked, “What relationship?”

“Exactly—uh… No relationship! None at all!” Hume pivoted instantly, denying it with righteous fervor. “You have absolutely no relation to the Divine Envoy whatsoever!”

The secret daughter the Divine Envoy worked so hard to hide cannot be exposed casually. I must deny it!

Hearing Hume’s answer, Claudia—who had just come to her senses—was even more bewildered.

No relationship? But why did Elder Hume just say ‘such a relationship’ a second ago? Did he?

Wait, he’s right, I really don’t have any relationship with the Divine Envoy…

Claudia’s mind was a mess. She felt like she was on the verge of a migraine; the very concept of the word “relationship” felt like it was drifting away from her.

“In that case, Miss Claudia, you need not participate in today’s operation.” Hume pondered for a moment before producing a small vial and handing it to her with great care. “Take this potion. It will help stabilize your state after your advancement… It is quite precious, so please use it carefully.”

Looking at the small bottle in her hand, Claudia’s pupils shrunk. Her breathing grew heavy.

Even the lowest-grade magic potion was incredibly valuable because they required supernatural materials to brew—and obtaining any supernatural material usually required a price paid in blood.

Is… Is Elder Hume actually such a good person?

She hesitated for a moment before daring to accept the potion.

That brief hesitation made Hume nervous. He worried that the Divine Envoy’s daughter might find this act of… well, “bribery”… distasteful, even though he didn’t intend it as a bribe. He simply felt he should show more care toward the Envoy’s kin. It could only be said that the old man was perhaps too sincere; his loyalty to the Envoy and the Lord of Ravings was as pedantic as his personality.

Only after Claudia tucked the potion away did Hume breathe a sigh of relief.

“What is the operation today?” Claudia asked with a hint of curiosity. “Is it… another sacrificial ritual?”

As she said “sacrificial ritual,” Claudia felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine, though she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

“No, it isn’t.”

Hume shook his head, his face turning dark and sinister. He spat out hatefully, “Those persistent hyenas from the Tribunal’s Inquisition seem to have narrowed down the locations of several priests after the raid the day before yesterday. We cannot sit idly by and wait for death. This will be a Descent Ritual.

“We must warn them of the price one pays for hunting us.”

“Descent…”

Claudia’s heart tightened, and cold sweat began to bead on her back.

A Descent Ritual was a call for the Lord of Ravings to respond, scattering his half-awake “mutterings” into the physical world to artificially create a horrific phenomenon similar to The Rainy Night.

Usually, multiple Nightmare Aberrations would manifest in the physical dimension. Their instinct was to plunder all physical life, dragging victims into inescapable, horrific nightmares.

A Descent Ritual required an abundance of dream vitality. Generally speaking, the dreams of ordinary people were insufficient to meet the ritual’s demands.

Therefore, the price of the ritual could only be paid by the faithful of the Dream Sanctum.

And if the believers exhausted their dream vitality during the ritual, they would return to the Eternal Dream.

In other words…

They would die.