Chapter 101: The Radiant Edict of the Divine "Bishop"

The Radiant Edict of the Divine "Bishop"

Splash—

The sound of water echoed in the room as the girl stood up.

A red-haired girl, covered in blood, rose from a tub full of blood.

She picked up a clean towel from the edge of the tub and carefully wiped the blood from her body until the originally clean white fleece towel was stained dark red.

The girl’s body swayed slightly. She leaned her backside gently against the edge of the wooden tub, lifted her right leg, and continued wiping with the towel.

Once her right leg was clean, she extended it out of the tub, stepping onto the wooden floor. Then she lifted her left leg, wiped it clean, not wasting a single drop of blood clinging to it.

Finally, the girl picked up the towel and wrung it out forcefully over the tub until not a single drop of blood dripped from it, before hanging the dark red towel on the edge of the wooden tub.

By now, the tub was filled almost halfway with deep, dark blood.

“Hoo...” Ciel slowly exhaled, her body swaying as she walked towards the washroom.

Cold water washed away the bloodstains from her body and the ends of her hair. No matter how hard she scrubbed, the thick scent of iron and blood lingered on her skin.

After washing her body clean, Ciel dried herself, put on her original plain pale yellow blouse and dark brown long skirt, changed into white ankle socks and the academy’s standard small leather boots, and returned to her room.

She almost had to force herself to sit on the wooden stool in front of the desk, leaning back against the desk behind her, calming the intense dizziness assaulting her brain.

After a long while, Ciel slowly opened her eyes and looked towards the window.

She had drawn the curtains tightly, but a tiny sliver of light still managed to peek through the edges after continuous diffuse reflections between the curtain and the windowpane.

Morning had arrived.

Ciel had become somewhat numb from letting her own blood.

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It was equivalent to dying countless times within just five or six hours.

However, this high-intensity self-mutilation allowed Ciel to grasp some knowledge, whether useful or not.

Firstly, regarding the 【Temporal Disorder】 negative effect, each simulated save file within 【Temporal Disorder】 was independent.

This meant that during 【Temporal Disorder】, if excessive blood loss caused a certain save file, like “Instigator,” to go into shock or die, Ciel would genuinely enter a state of suspended animation until time became disordered again and switched to another save file.

Furthermore, 【Echo of Time】 could not be used again during 【Temporal Disorder】.

After the one hour of 【Temporal Disorder】 ended, using 【Echo of Time】 once more would refresh the status of all save files.

Apart from the somewhat too frequent switching every 3-5 minutes, the negative impact of 【Temporal Disorder】 on Ciel now was even less than its positive effects.

After all, for the ordinary Ciel in reality, switching to any save file was stronger than her real self with no path abilities.

Also, organs cut off during 【Temporal Disorder】 would not be preserved but would disappear along with the 【Temporal Disorder】, not even leaving behind skin fragments or strands of hair. It seemed only blood could be retained.

Most importantly, the original body was not considered a save file. Once 【Temporal Disorder】 switched to her original body, Ciel had to stop the bloodletting and rest—fortunately, she was prudent enough to test this by making a small cut on her wrist when switched to her original body. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

The simulated “Instigator” Ciel hadn’t told her this, either forgotten or intentionally omitted.

Besides learning more about the pocket watch’s abilities, Ciel also gained some...

Could it be called medical knowledge? Or killing knowledge?

When Ciel first started bleeding herself, she directly severed her carotid artery. This caused her transformed “Instigator” self to quickly go into shock, remaining so until the time limit expired and the transformation effect vanished.

But through subsequent, continuous bloodletting using the stopwatch, Ciel mastered some bleeding techniques.

After experimenting with most of the major arteries in her body, Ciel discovered the most stable bloodletting method.

First, use 【Echo of Time】. When the countdown reached the last four or five seconds, directly sever the abdominal aorta. The closer to the heart, the faster the blood pumped, and it wouldn’t cause death before 【Echo of Time】 ended, avoiding passively triggering 【Death Reversal】 and losing significant mental energy.

During the subsequent 【Temporal Disorder】, for each save file, she could first cut both wrists to bleed slowly. Wait until the blood flow from the wrists stopped, or intense dizziness occurred, or the disorder switched back to this save file for the second time. At that point, sever her own abdominal aorta, release the final wave of blood, and enter shock.

This formulaic method was the most effective way Ciel found to bleed the maximum amount in a limited time. Yet, even after nearly six hours of effort, Ciel had only managed to collect half a tub of blood.

She estimated this method could drain at least half her body’s blood, but her height and physique were too small; her total blood volume was likely only around 3100 milliliters. Combining the contributions from several save files, she barely managed half a tub.

Apart from the pain each time the knife tip broke the skin or cut into her body, the hardest part was facing the suffocating fear of impending death and shock.

This fear was unavoidable each time, and with every subsequent instance, Ciel became even more afraid of facing that cold, deathly sensation.

It was an instinctive fear of death; Ciel currently had no way to overcome it, unable even to become numb to it.

Continuously facing death consumed a vast amount of Ciel’s energy. Although she had woken up just six hours prior, she already felt dizzy and faint.

However, the plan wasn’t finished yet. Ciel still had things to do; she couldn’t just fall asleep now.

She turned around, no longer looking at her blood, picked up a pen, tore a page from the notebook, and began writing and drawing on it.

The blood array she had used seemed imprinted in her mind; she could easily draw its scaled-down version.

But she deliberately blurred some areas, leaving large sections of the spiritual summoning blood array incomplete.

This was to prevent others from mastering this complex blood array and summoning spiritual beings.

Anyway, she just needed the blood to be in the right places. When she arrived and activated the array, it would form naturally. Moreover, according to “Instigator” Ciel’s notes, this pre-prepared blood array would form much faster.

This was the difference between a prepared battle and an encounter.

With sufficient preparation, even an ordinary person could kill a low-tier transcendent.

-

Soon, Ciel filled a sheet of paper with writing in Ansu language using her left hand. Although crooked, it was legible enough.

This paper was for Georgine, containing instructions for tasks she needed to perform and precautions.

After Georgine completed everything, Ciel would have her burn the paper and scatter the ashes into the canal, completely destroying the evidence.

Even if someone could investigate what Georgine burned, finding the original paper would be impossible.

Having written the letter and poured the still-uncoagulated blood plasma into the thermos jugs using the teapot, the sky had already begun to lighten... Looking at the system time, it was already seven in the morning.

It’s about time...

Ciel opened the simulation interface, habitually wanting to run one more simulation to see the outcome.

Although previous simulations had convinced Ciel that no further accidents would occur, she still felt a little uneasy.

Her current mental energy was sufficient for one more simulation... as long as she died quickly.

The simulation interface appeared before Ciel. After seeing the random time displayed, she nodded inwardly.

【Future: 100 Days (Saint Year 741, September 29, 7:00) (Cost: 100 Fate Points)】

【Past: 5 Days (Saint Year 741, June 16, 7:00) (Cost: 10 Fate Points)】

【Old Days: ***, ***Day (???) (Cost: 10000 Fate Points)】

【Dice Quantity: 1】

100 days later?

5 days ago?

Neither of these periods was worth Ciel wasting Fate Points and energy on simulating.

But Ciel wasn’t discouraged; instead, she felt somewhat relieved.

Simulating the future couldn’t simulate days beyond a fated death.

If completing all this would lead to her death, the system simulation couldn’t possibly let her simulate 100 days later.

She could live for at least another 100 days?

Then, regardless of whether this matter was resolved perfectly or not, she must have dealt with it.

Casually closing the interface, Ciel thought for a moment, then raised her right hand.

A silver light flashed in her hand, and the 【Sadhana Emblem】 appeared.

Wanting Georgine to usurp authority and make Kitty work for her?

The 【Sadhana Emblem】 was indispensable.

Only then could her “proxy” implement the plan smoothly.

Although this item cost a full 20 Fate Points, it had to be handed over to Georgine. She just needed to have Georgine pass through the crowded card room before Ciel executed the blood sacrifice.

With so many people around, Ciel could directly retrieve the 【Sadhana Emblem】 from Georgine using the system inventory without anyone noticing.

This command was also included in the letter.

As for Kitty’s lie detection ability? Ciel wasn’t worried at all about Georgine being exposed because of it.

Because Georgine wholeheartedly believed Ciel was a Bishop of the Divine Advent Church, truly believed she was conducting a summoning ritual for a divine servant, and genuinely believed another Bishop would arrive on the 23rd.

The “Ascetic” path ability could only be used to gauge mentality, not as a prophetic ability to discern truth from falsehood.

Ciel placed everything into an inconspicuous burlap sack. Mentally drained, Ciel somewhat struggled to lift the sack, then activated the “Instigator” transformation again.

Her Fate Points dropped from 167 to 162.

...

Berren City, Gem District, Gem Avenue, outside building number 144.

Georgine stood by the door with her head lowered, eyes tightly shut, seemingly waiting anxiously for something.

Her eyes scanned every passing carriage, pedestrian, child, not even sparing the small cats and dogs running by.

As if the Lord Bishop she met yesterday might be among them.

She had been standing there since 4 AM, not daring to slack off for a moment, fearing she might miss the Lord Bishop’s command.

Time passed minute by minute. Georgine’s constantly tense spirit gradually began to relax.

If not for the lingering fear and oppression from yesterday remaining in her mind, she might have thought it was all just an overly realistic nightmare.

Just then, a plain carriage stopped in front of her, its shadow enveloping her.

Instantly, Georgine’s slightly relaxed spirit tensed up again. She quickly lowered her head, daring not to make any move.

Click—

The carriage door opened. Along with a thick smell of blood and an aura that terrified her, a sack was thrown down in front of her.

Simultaneously, a voice came from inside the carriage.

“There’s a letter inside the sack... It outlines everything, and the deadline for you to complete it.”

“As for what to do... the details are recorded inside.”

“Remember, Georgine...”

“This is a task you must complete, even if it costs you your life.”

“I will always be behind you, awaiting your good news...”

“We... shall meet on the 23rd.”

Georgine, drenched in sweat, lowered her head respectfully and said, “Yes, milord.”

The carriage gradually drove away. Only after the sound of the wheels faded completely did Georgine quickly pick up the heavy burlap sack and hurry upstairs.

Back in her room, she opened the sack and quickly saw a piece of paper.

Beside the letter, an emblem bearing the familiar church insignia caught Georgine’s eye, causing her breath to hitch slightly.

This is...

Georgine reached out with trembling hands and picked up the incredibly sacred emblem, tears of excitement streaming down her face.

This warm power, this familiar feeling... This was the emblem only a Bishop could possess.

A year ago, she had seen it from afar in the underground sanctuary. To this day, she couldn’t forget the warm feeling of looking directly at this emblem.

And now, this emblem lay quietly in her palm.

Quickly, she unfolded the paper and carefully read the text written on it.

Soon, her breathing grew heavy, the corners of her mouth uncontrollably turning upwards.

Me? Presiding over the ritual?

The divine servant summoning ritual...

With this emblem, she could command any cultist to obey her, and implement any disciplinary measures.

No one could resist her because, now, she was the Bishop’s designated proxy...

A radiant path of advancement appeared before Georgine’s eyes.

As for Kitty?

At least for now... she no longer inspired the slightest fear in Georgine.

Because she held the Bishop’s emblem. Even Priestess Kitty had to submit at her feet.

Georgine quickly gathered everything, burned the letter in her hand, took the emblem and the sack of items, and hurried towards Deton Manor.