Chapter 326: Saint Monique’s Impulsiveness
Saint Monique wasn’t a pushover.
While also in the 90+ level range, her combat strength likely far surpassed that of Diabolique, the Demon Beast First Prince. Beneath her gentle exterior lurked cunning and ruthlessness, her voluptuous figure concealing immense power.
She possessed not only the strength of the Earth Mother’s successor, but also the favor of the Lord of Pleasure, a formidable combination, potentially even more dangerous than Wadsworth or Augustus.
She hadn’t been on Qin Chu’s immediate revenge list… but now, the situation had changed.
Phil needed a new body.
And with his fragment of the Lord of Pleasure’s Authority, Saint Monique’s divine favor wouldn’t be as effective against him, making her less of a threat.
Moreover, if he could control Saint Monique, allowing Phil to take over her body, the benefits would be immense.
He would effectively control the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess, one of the three most powerful human factions.
With that power, dealing with Augustus, Wadsworth, and Carlos would be much easier.
His only concern was Saint Monique’s strength. Even without her divine favor, she was still a formidable opponent. He wasn’t confident he could defeat her.
And a cunning woman like her likely had numerous life-saving abilities.
If he attacked and failed, it would be a declaration of war, making things incredibly complicated.
But his hesitation didn’t last long. Saint Monique had already tried to kill him. What was there to be afraid of?
If he had a chance to eliminate her, he wouldn’t hesitate.
And he was certain that even if he failed, she wouldn’t dare openly antagonize him, the Hero. She was the one who should be worried.
“Anthea, come with me.”
Anthea nodded, her figure merging with his body.
Angelica and Anastasia watched as he flew into the night sky.
“Ekaterina, Sylph… burn the bodies.”
His voice echoed in their ears.
Their faces lit up with relief. Qin Chu was finally awake.
They could finally relax.
They piled the bodies together, and Sylph set them ablaze, black smoke billowing into the night sky.
Qin Chu had his reasons. The majority of the dead were commoners, mercenaries, adventurers, soldiers, and private soldiers. Their deaths wouldn’t cause any problems.
The thirty-plus nobles, however, were a different matter.
While they had attacked him, their deaths could still strain his relationship with the nobility. While he wasn’t afraid of them, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
And there were also the numerous clergy members.
Phil was supposed to become the Earth Mother’s successor. Damaging the Church’s reputation wouldn’t benefit him.
He practically considered the Church his personal property now.
It was a pity about all these followers.
He had eliminated them himself. They had burned their souls and life force at the Lord of Pleasure’s command. Otherwise, they would have been a valuable source of faith.
And faith could strengthen his own divinity.
He sighed inwardly. He finally understood the Lord of Pleasure’s rage. Having a portion of his divinity stolen… it was a grave offense.
…
Meanwhile, Saint Monique’s face was grim.
She couldn’t understand why the Lord of Pleasure’s followers, united by their shared goal of eliminating Qin Chu, had suddenly turned on each other.
She knew that despite their shared faith, the different factions within the cult hated each other even more than they hated the Holy See or the Blissful Witch Society. The Elegance Society, the Blissful Witch Society, and the other cults all wanted to eradicate each other, claiming to be the only true path.
And among them, the Blissful Witch Society was the most powerful. Their tenets and practices, combined with the Auville Empire’s… open-mindedness, made it easy for them to recruit followers.
This had made them the target of the other cults’ resentment, the Elegance Society even holding a grand celebration after the Blissful Witch Society’s recent setbacks.
But they were now supposed to be cooperating, their differences set aside, following the Lord of Pleasure’s oracle. Saint Monique was certain no follower would dare disobey.
She hadn’t forgotten the strange scene she had witnessed: the attackers suddenly freezing, looking up at the sky, then turning on each other.
It had been chilling.
Could there be someone within the Hero’s Residence capable of interfering with, even overriding, a god’s influence over his followers?
That thought had made her flee.
Under the moonlight, her long shadow stretched across the ground as she ran, her golden hair and white robes billowing behind her.
She needed to return to the Church and figure out how to explain the involvement of so many of her clergy members in the attack on the Hero.
And she needed to find a way to eliminate him.
This Hero was different, not easily dealt with. Perhaps she shouldn’t be so arrogant. Cooperation might be necessary.
Augustus had approached her earlier, proposing an alliance, but she had refused. But now, seeing the difficulty of eliminating Qin Chu, perhaps an alliance with Augustus wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Suddenly, she sensed a powerful presence approaching.
Qin Chu?
She frowned, increasing her speed, the wind whistling past her ears, the buildings and trees blurring.
One pursued, the other fled.
Saint Monique was incredibly fast, and she quickly reached the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess.
She entered without hesitation.
Even the Hero wouldn’t dare attack her within the Church, would he?
She paced within the sanctuary, her mind in turmoil.
She had thought that with the Saint Son, the Saintess, and the previous Earth Mother gone, the Church was finally under her complete control, but now, she faced a new challenge.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to contact Augustus. She didn’t know his motive for wanting Qin Chu dead, but his assistance would be valuable.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, and a nun rushed in: “Your Holiness, the Hero, Qin Chu, requests an audience.”
Perhaps because she had run so fast, the nun’s face was flushed, her breathing slightly ragged, her chest heaving.
Saint Monique’s eyes narrowed: So it’s him.
He had dared to follow her to the Church? Did he think he could take on the entire Church of the Earth Mother Goddess?
She didn’t believe he was that foolish. What was he planning?
Several thoughts flashed through her mind, and she quickly made her decision: “Bring him in.”
Taking a deep breath, she composed herself, her face regaining its usual elegance and gentle smile, her slender fingers tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her every movement alluring.
Very well, she would confront him directly.
Soon, a figure appeared at the entrance. It was Qin Chu.
He was alone.
Before even entering the sanctuary, a smile spread across his face: “Your Holiness, I apologize for this late-night intrusion.”
Saint Monique, her face adorned with a charming smile, rose from her chair, about to speak, when her eyes widened slightly, her breath catching in her throat.
Huh?
He was still the same man, his appearance unchanged, yet he seemed… more alluring.
Her heart skipped a beat.
But she quickly suppressed her strange reaction, smiling sweetly as she walked towards him, their bodies briefly touching in a light embrace. She felt the heat radiating from him.
And that heat seemed to spread through her body, igniting a strange warmth within her.
She struggled to maintain her composure, her smile slightly strained: “Hero, is there something you need?”
Qin Chu chuckled, his gaze raking over her voluptuous figure.
His gaze was predatory, possessive.
It made her feel as if his hands were roaming across her body.
Goosebumps erupted on her skin.
A strange desire stirred within her.
