Wang Yue and Medeili stood shoulder to shoulder, wands at the ready, facing an enemy force that far outnumbered them.
It was a peculiar sight.
A squad of tall, burly men stood in a tense standoff against two petite young girls, yet it was the men who looked as if they were facing a mortal threat.
Though no one in the opposing group radiated an instinctively terrifying aura, the Church of Light was an organization that wielded Holy Power. Their nature was closely related to the School of Witchcraft, and they were not to be underestimated.
Since Wang Yue viewed the Church as a potential enemy, she had studied them extensively. Her research covered their power structure, their methods of channeling Holy Power, their offensive and defensive techniques, and the extent to which their physical bodies were enhanced by divine energy.
The library contained as many anatomical diagrams of priests and nuns as the Church had urns for the ashes of burnt witches.
However, due to geographical isolation, the two sides didn’t exactly have a blood feud; they were simply traditional adversaries.
The priest leading the squad had a broad, square jaw and a face that resembled a classical sculpture. His large, powerful hand drew a straight shortsword from his hip.
The hilt was ivory, wrapped in spiral gold wire, with a crossguard shaped like an angel’s outspread wings. The blade was polished to a mirror finish, inscribed with holy, ornate patterns of flowering branches and fruit using a transcendent material that shimmered with a platinum luster.
It was an Inscribed Blade.
There was very little overlap between the transcendent materials found in the Evernight and those from the Outer Lands. Materials from the Outer Lands tended to be white and bright, while those from the Evernight were darker—mostly reds, purples, and blacks. Only fresh bone materials possessed a ghastly white hue, and even those turned sallow over time.
Wang Yue recognized the weapon. It was a Holy Power medium of the blade variety, known as an “Inscribed Blade.”
Being tracked down wasn’t a matter of carelessness; it was simply unavoidable. It seemed the Church had been lying in wait near the Quicksand Lowlands with immense patience, waiting for her to appear.
As for their tracking methods—though the Low-Crawler Colin could turn invisible, its movement still displaced the air. If they knew her starting position, they only had to follow the wake of the disturbed air currents.
Staying stationary was the safest option; the faster one moved, the easier it was to be exposed. Besides, Wang Yue wasn’t the type to hide in the Academy forever just because she had offended the Church.
With her “double-lure” capabilities, there was no need to be a coward.
The priest stood still, appearing to have no immediate intention to attack. He looked directly at Wang Yue and said calmly, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dorin, a mere pawn. I’ve come here to inform you that the Church is aware of your situation. So… name your price.”
His tone was remarkably relaxed.
“I thought you were here to hold me accountable,” Wang Yue said with a light smile.
“Accountability is too expensive, and killing you doesn’t serve the Church’s interests.” Father Dorin held his shortsword upright, the mirrored blade reflecting his deep brown eyes and neatly trimmed beard. “What will it take for you to continue cooperating with the Church?”
The Evernight was the witches’ home turf. These men didn’t know if she had an ambush waiting; a single whistle could lead to their capture. Furthermore, now that they had been discovered, the sheer geographical depth of the region meant there was no possibility of escape for them.
“I have no intention of cooperating with the Church.”
What a joke, Wang Yue thought. The Outer Lands were about to go up in flames. Joining the Church now would be like joining a lost cause right before the final collapse.
What annoyed Wang Yue most was that, in their eyes, she was a faithless person with no moral compass—someone for whom betrayal was as easy as breathing. They thought that as long as the price was high enough, they could buy her back. To them, she was like a student who looked innocent but would immediately call someone “Daddy” the moment they saw the digits in a wire transfer.
It was, without a doubt, a form of “faith-based discrimination.”
Wang Yue’s pride screamed in protest!
She remained still, watching to see if they intended to “force the transaction.”
Suddenly, a voice spoke from the nearby woods.
“We would also like to join these negotiations.”
Accompanied by the rustling of leaves, a strange troop of cavalry appeared before them.
These were humanoid creatures with dry, leafless branches growing from their heads like antlers, their bodies covered in withered foliage. They rode giant armadillos the size of rhinoceroses, which were clad in overlapping bone plates. In their hands, they gripped slender Spiral Lances. Upon closer inspection, the tips were long, pointed auger shells attached to alloy shafts.
“The Church of the Goddess of Forest and Hunting!” Father Dorin cried out in shock.
As the Armadillo Knights emerged, Wang Yue finally saw what these humanoids looked like.
Their faces were an uncanny lead-grey, their chests were as hard as bone plates, and lean, tough muscles were wrapped tightly around their long limbs. Their noses and lips were tiny, but their eyes were as large as an alien’s. Their pupils were shattered, staining the whites of their eyes pitch black. They lacked the presence of the living, feeling as cold and lifeless as corpses.
“I bring greetings from Kira Yoshi-lamb, Lady Wang Yue,” the leading Armadillo Knight said with a bow.
Medeili tugged on Wang Yue’s sleeve and whispered, “What exactly is going on?”
“I have no idea either,” Wang Yue replied, equally bewildered.
One thing was certain: the Academy had truly become the eye of the storm, drawing the greed of many factions with ulterior motives.
“Help us!” Father Dorin shouted to Wang Yue. He felt no shame in asking a “demon worshiper” for help; instead, he sounded perfectly righteous. He turned to face the Armadillo Knights and barked, “Elves are twisted creations! They are the enemies of mankind!”
“Huh?”
Before Wang Yue could even react, the Armadillo Knights launched a charge at the clergy!
The long-faced, large-eared beasts moved with incredible speed, reaching full gallop in just a few strides. In an instant, they crashed into the Church’s ranks!
A clergyman who failed to dodge in time was skewered through the chest by a Spiral Knight’s lance. A strange power instantly twisted half his chest and clothes into a spiral. His flesh shriveled and hardened; he was literally sucked dry until he was a mummified corpse!
Wang Yue saw clearly: blood-red vessels snaked out from the tiny stoma on the auger shells. They were the culprits behind the desiccation.
The Goddess of Forest and Hunting gave her a vibe even more eerie than the demons. Of course, the “demons” were just a front; the ones who actually set the code of conduct for witches were the Taboo Names.
Wang Yue had no intention of helping either side, nor did she plan to stick around as a spectator while they tore each other apart. She grabbed Medeili and ran to the vehicle, hopping in and peeling out.
Medeili reflexively pulled on her seatbelt.
Her hands rested on her knees, her fingers twitching slightly. Although she didn’t ask directly, she kept stealing glances at Wang Yue every few moments, “I’m curious” written all over her face.
She wasn’t stupid; she could easily tell that the Church and Wang Yue were already acquainted.
Wang Yue sighed and said simply, “Actually, I was an undercover agent planted by the Church. However, I defected at light-speed. They tracked me down because they wanted to bribe me back into the fold. As you know, I’m not the type to be bought… as for the other group, I don’t know much about them.”
“Thank you. I’m happy you told me,” Medeili said, a small, satisfied smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
“Don’t tell anyone. You’re the only one who knows this secret,” Wang Yue cautioned.
“Mhm!” Medeili nodded vigorously.
“Let’s find a small town to hide in for now. We shouldn’t linger in the wilderness; they’ll definitely come looking for us again.”
While a few High-tier Witchcraft spells could have wiped out both groups, Wang Yue wasn’t ready to burn her bridges with the Church entirely. If the Church started spreading rumors about her transformations and her status as a Faithless, “clarifying” the situation would be a massive headache.
Wang Yue glanced at the map. The nearest settlement was Full Moon Town.
Half an hour later, the Chameleon vehicle arrived at a basin surrounded by mountains and forests.
Following a winding mountain road downward, they passed through an iron hatch embedded in the path and entered the crater-like town.
Full Moon Town was situated on low ground, and the humidity was stifling. Mist left a damp sheen on the grey-white stones of the streets and houses, with water droplets trickling down in crooked lines. The corners of the walls were overgrown with dark green ferns and thick velvet moss.
The stone materials were sourced locally from the surrounding mountains, cut into cubes and stacked into unadorned mosaic tiles and square houses, giving the place a primitive yet elegant appearance.
The two went to the Town Hall to rent a room and pick up a local map.
The map showed a circular reservoir in the center of town. During the rainy season, the reservoir would collect the runoff from all directions, preventing the streets from flooding.
“Is there anything else we should be aware of?” Wang Yue asked the Night-Watcher clerk at the Town Hall.
The Night-Watcher looked up at them and said seriously, “Remember: when the silver moon rises, lock your doors. Do not wander the streets.”
