Chapter 10: The Cultist’s Mistake and a Perilous Alliance

A moment later, Gern finally unraveled the chain of events. Glot, having witnessed her unique movement technique, must have mistakenly identified her as an adherent of the Evil God Cult.

With that understanding, everything clicked into place. This Glot fellow was, in all probability, an inside agent for the Evil God Cult.

Yet, in her previous life, she had never encountered him among the cult’s ranks. It was plausible that his role as an informant had been compromised, leading to his demise at the hands of the Evil God Cultists.

A flicker of pity entered Gern’s eyes as she regarded Glot.

Assuming an air of profound inscrutability, she fixed Glot with a cold, piercing gaze, as if silently demanding, “So, you’ve unearthed the Evil God Cult’s machinations. What atonement do you propose?”

“My lord, my lord, spare me! I truly didn’t mean it. I-I didn’t know you… you were part of *that* organization…”

Glot, instantly petrified, collapsed to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly to Gern with loud thuds. The entire area fell into an abrupt, hushed silence.

Even the pink-haired girl, who had just managed to sit upright, appeared utterly petrified, her gaze fixed dazedly upon them.

A faint twitch pulled at the corner of Gern’s lips. She hadn’t anticipated the Evil God Cult would have molded this noble scion into such a state.

Though a wave of surprise washed over Gern internally, she maintained an unperturbed facade. A peculiar, unsettling curve played at the corner of her handsome mouth.

The words “I am an Evil God Cultist” might as well have been etched across her face; Gern found there was no need for pretense at all.

“Hmph, sparing your life isn’t impossible, but you’ll have to do a few things for me.”

“Yes, yes, yes…”

Glot, as though granted a grand reprieve, kowtowed several more times with resounding thuds, causing a visible shadow to cross Gern’s face.

In her previous life, however, such individuals were hardly rare. She remained largely unfazed, observing him with a cold gaze brimming with undisguised contempt.

“First, I need Theoviga Academy’s cultivation technique. Second, I don’t want you to mention anything about me to anyone else. From this day forward, we will have no further connection.”

Finding the demands still somewhat lacking, Gern recalled the unsettling mannerisms of the Evil God Cultists from her past life and let out a chilling cackle.

“And for the final condition, this woman now belongs to me. Your engagement to her is hereby nullified.”

“Pervert!”

“Glot, if you tear up the marriage contract…”

“Understood, my lord. I’ll go home and tear up the marriage contract immediately.”

“You! You two ruffians!”

Sina, at this moment, was utterly incandescent with rage, her aura, indicative of a peak second-tier expert, rapidly expanding outwards.

To be coerced into a political marriage by her family was already infuriating, but to have her intended fiancé brazenly hand her over to another, right before her eyes, was an unbearable insult.

This was a humiliation beyond all measure. She was not some mere chattel to be bartered, but a living, breathing person with her own will.

With a sharp glint, Sina’s bracelet flared, and a longsword materialized, its point aimed directly at Gern’s vitals.

Confronted by the sudden, aggressive strike, Gern displayed not a hint of panic. Drawing upon her years of honed experience, she effortlessly parried Sina’s attack.

“Miss Sina, such impetuousness is hardly beneficial.”

Having repelled the young woman’s attack with a single, fluid motion, Gern subtly withdrew behind Glot, her voice dropping to a low whisper:

“She’s yours to handle. Oh, and don’t let my identity be exposed, alright?”

A faint, knowing smile lingering on her lips, Gern then melted seamlessly into the encompassing shadows, as though her presence had never graced the scene.

Upon witnessing this startling disappearance, Miss Sina’s pupils contracted sharply.

“This is… the Evil God Cult! Glot, you’re involved with the Evil God Cult!”

Glot remained speechless, his features etched with profound agony. He harbored no desire to serve the Evil God Cult, yet the imperative to survive left him no alternative.

Concealed within the encroaching darkness, Gern observed the struggling pair, a helpless sigh escaping her lips. The corruption of the Evil God was a dreadful curse; once tainted, a person’s entire life was irrevocably ruined.

There existed no known remedy for such an affliction. Perhaps only a high-ranking priest might possess the means to counteract it.

Yet, finding such a high-ranking priest was an arduous task. In her previous life, Gern had toiled for years, never even catching a fleeting glimpse of one.

How much more impossible, then, for Glot, who was currently nothing more than a mere second-tier knight.

As Gern silently lamented, the two quickly devolved into a desperate struggle. Sina’s swordsmanship was undeniably refined; while it couldn’t compare to Gern’s own mastery, she effortlessly outmatched the relatively inexperienced Glot.

Just as it seemed Glot would be cut down by the young woman’s blade, he abruptly drew a bottle of dark, ominous potion from his spatial ring.

With a desperate, echoing gulp, he swiftly downed the entire contents of the bottle.

“That’s!”

Gern’s pupils constricted sharply. She recognized that substance all too well; in her previous life, she too had been compelled to consume it.

It offered a swift surge in a cultivator’s power, yet it simultaneously accelerated the insidious corruption of the Evil God.

This vile concoction branded the cultivator’s very soul with the mark of the God of Chaos. Once their entire essence was steeped in black, they would fully devolve into mere thralls of the Chaos God.

Witnessing the item once more, Gern’s emotions became profoundly conflicted. She yearned to intervene, to offer a warning, but such an action would expose her to immense danger.

Should her identity be revealed, she, too, would inevitably fall into the cruel grasp of the Evil God Cult. Furthermore, in a strict sense, a certain enmity existed between her and Glot.

Gern bit her lip, ultimately choosing silence, merely observing as Glot rendered the young woman unconscious.

Subsequently, Glot prostrated himself once more, bowing his head repeatedly towards the shadows, his voice trembling as he spoke.

“My lord, I have subdued her. Now, please, my lord, enjoy her.”

Glot’s voice quivered, betraying his deep reluctance, yet he understood he had no other recourse.

Gern materialized from the encompassing darkness, gazing down at the prostrate Glot from her elevated position, before slowly closing her eyes.

“Enough. You may leave. Don’t forget to bring me Theoviga Academy’s cultivation technique. The rendezvous point remains here.”

“Understood, my lord.”

****

Glot departed. Upon the earthen ground, Gern gazed down at the unconscious young woman, a knot of perplexity forming within her.

Having witnessed her movement technique, the young woman now knew it belonged to the Evil God Cult’s faction. Naturally, Gern could not simply allow her to leave.

Dismissing the immediate dilemma, Gern decided to take her back home first.

With her decision firm, Gern hoisted the young woman onto her back and set off towards the impoverished district.

****

The journey proved far from easy for Gern. While Glot’s family had ceased their pursuit, Theoviga Academy had now initiated a full-scale hunt for her.

Well, that settled it; she wouldn’t be attending any exams now. In fact, merely stepping outside had become an arduous endeavor.

These individuals were now scouring every street and corner of the town in search of her. It was only thanks to her accumulated experience from her previous life that she was able to navigate her way back to this familiar little courtyard.

After carefully settling the still-unconscious Sina in the inner chamber, Gern made her way to the living room, taking a seat as she began to meticulously devise a plan.

The Evil God Cult had already set their plans in motion, and it was only a matter of time before they descended upon the small town.

The timing of these events likely mirrored those of her previous life. She needed to swiftly acquire Theoviga Academy’s cultivation technique, then seize an opportune moment to flee this perilous locale.

As Gern was deeply immersed in strategizing, a sudden knocking echoed from the outer gate.

“Hello, is anyone home? We are students from Theoviga Academy, investigating Evil God Cultists. Please cooperate with us.”

‘Damn it, damn it. How did they track me down so fast?’

Gern’s anxiety surged. Her eyes darted left and right, but no suitable hiding spot presented itself.

With a resounding crash, the outer courtyard gate splintered open, and a squad of students, clad in their academy uniforms, stormed inside.