Chapter 38: Cruel Punishment

The pitch-black Divine Envoy slowly drifted down from the holy icon of the Lord of Ravings. He eventually came to a halt, hovering before the pulpit to receive the prostrate worship of the cult’s Priests.

His spectral eyes swept over each Priest one by one. Whether it was the High Priests or Claudia, his gaze did not linger on any of them for even a second.

Only after surveying every person present did the Divine Envoy finally speak. His voice, majestic and resonant, manifested directly within everyone’s ears.

“From within the Fragmented Ravings, I witnessed the Abyssal Sea of Eternal Darkness surge with monstrous waves. As the thirteenth bell tolled, it fractured completely—this is the portent of our Lord’s divine wrath!”

The Divine Envoy’s gaze fixed directly upon Hume. This time, his voice struck like a clap of thunder.

“Copolo Hume. Tell me, why do lowly vermin dare to desecrate our Lord’s Slumber? Why have base, wretched commoners been able to evade our Lord’s watch and disguise themselves as our brothers and sisters?”

The Divine Envoy’s tone was steady yet heavy, and his spectral eyes exerted a terrifying pressure. He stared unblinkingly at Hume, his trembling fury almost tangible.

Nearly all the Priests shuddered under this aura of wrath. Even the other two High Priests, who were not being rebuked, wore grave expressions and were too afraid to even breathe loudly.

Only Luo Wei observed the Divine Envoy with cautious curiosity, trying to discern something from those ghostly eyes.

“This so-called Divine Envoy feels a bit strange… almost like he’s an avatar or a projection of something else…”

“This was entirely my negligence and my fault! Please, Divine Envoy, grant me my punishment!” Hume’s trembling voice was thick with grief and indignation. He bowed deeply, pressing his forehead against the floor.

He had anticipated this and had long prepared himself to accept the Lord of Ravings’ punishment. This time, the traitor had come from his own ranks, leading to the loss of over ten strongholds and dozens of Priests—most of whom were under Hume’s direct command.

One must understand that the Dream Sanctum had not seen a traitor in a very long time; the last incident could be traced back five years.

Five years ago, an event had occurred within Kolun County that remained strictly classified to this day. Very few knew the details; even several High Priests knew little about it. All that was known was that the Dream Sanctum had suffered losses far more devastating than this recent blow—though, fortunately, the Inquisitor, the Supreme Commander of the Enforcement Guards, had also perished in that incident.

The culprit behind that previous disaster had been a mole lurking deep within the Dream Sanctum.

The Dream Sanctum placed extreme value on collective belief, emphasizing the connection between all members and the Eternal Dream. Therefore, even a single traitor dealt a particularly heavy blow to the organization.

However, the unique nature of the Dream Sanctum made it incredibly difficult for traitors to exist. All thoughts were meant to generate echoes within the shared dream; a single rebellious thought was usually detected with ease.

It was for this reason that Hume, who failed to notice a traitor among his subordinates, had to bear the primary responsibility.

—It should be noted that Luo Wei’s thoughts were her own; she was not utilizing Claudia’s soul. Consequently, none of her thinking produced echoes within Claudia’s dreamscape.

Luo Wei had confirmed this after thoroughly reading Dreams, Souls, and the Brain. She was confident that the traitor who had incited the Divine Envoy’s wrath definitely did not include “Claudia.” Regardless of the methods used for investigation—even those that delved into the soul—Claudia remained an absolutely devout believer of the Dream Sanctum.

Luo Wei was the mole, but what did that have to do with Claudia?

The Divine Envoy did not immediately respond to Hume’s repentance. His spectral eyes burned like cold flames. After a moment, he spoke again with slow deliberation.

“Copolo Hume. Due to your extreme negligence, I must impose the cruelest of punishments upon you. This is the will of our Lord!”

“Yes!” Hume gritted his teeth, the trembling in his voice intensifying.

Even though he had steeled himself to accept the punishment, it was impossible not to feel terror. The few trials our Lord had handed down in the past still left him with lingering fear. Let alone… a “punishment.”

“I sentence you to ten days of house arrest. You shall not leave the Shelter by so much as a single step!” the Divine Envoy barked, his voice carrying unquestionable authority.

“Yes!… Huh?”

It wasn’t just Hume who was stunned; the other Priests were equally dazed. They all lifted their heads to look at the Divine Envoy, their faces filled with confusion. The reason was simple: this punishment was absurdly light. In fact, it barely counted as a punishment at all…

Hume was already recovering from severe injuries and needed to stay within the Shelter for at least half a month anyway. Even without the house arrest, he couldn’t have left.

Unfortunately, the Divine Envoy’s face was entirely shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see his expression or guess his intentions.

“Lifting the blade high, only to strike with a feather…” Luo Wei murmured to herself. However, she found it understandable. The players involved were blind, but as an observer, she saw clearly. As someone technically outside the Dream Sanctum’s internal politics, Luo Wei quickly deduced why the Divine Envoy was doing this.

After this battle, the Dream Sanctum’s vitality was heavily drained, and the Enforcement Guards were still watching them like hawks from the outside. To severely punish the already-injured Hume at this time would be no different from the cult cutting off its own arm.

—Wait!

Luo Wei suddenly realized something. Before the other Priests could even react, she prostrated herself with utmost reverence and spoke loudly.

“I, your believer Claudia, wish to share the punishment on behalf of my teacher, Mr. Hume!”

In front of the Divine Envoy, she decided to push the relationship even further! Since the Divine Envoy clearly didn’t actually intend to ruin Hume, if she didn’t act now, when would she? As a veteran Investigator, Luo Wei’s grasp of timing was nothing short of exquisite.

“Hm?”

Luo Wei’s unexpected move shocked the gathered Priests. Even the Divine Envoy couldn’t help but look her way, his spectral eyes landing on “Claudia” with a hint of scrutiny.

The other Priests were even more astounded. Could someone actually suck up to this extent?

Just as all the Priests were hesitating, the Divine Envoy spoke again. His tone remained ice-cold, devoid of any emotion.

“If that is the case, the both of you shall be confined within the Shelter together for five days.”

“This… Lord Envoy…”

Hume finally snapped out of his daze. He turned slightly, looking toward Claudia, and a sudden realization struck him.

“So that’s how it is…”

Was it Claudia, acting as the Divine Envoy’s daughter, who was pleading for leniency on his behalf? No wonder the punishment was so light.

As for Claudia calling herself his student… she had taken his notes, so that wasn’t incorrect. In fact, Hume was deeply moved. Despite being the prestigious daughter of the Divine Envoy, she was willing to call him “Teacher.”

“Claudia is truly… such a good person.”