Chapter 85: "What’s the Plan?" "Kill Our Way Through."

"What’s the Plan?" "Kill Our Way Through."

After Ciel finished speaking, she watched Uris silently examine the “Radiance Bishop” insignia, a hint of disappointment creeping into her heart.

So... it really is too difficult to make someone unconditionally trust a “stranger” based on just a single sentence?

“Do you have any other doubts?” Ciel asked, seeing High Priest Uris remain silent.

She braced herself for another round of explanations.

“I...” Uris hesitated, then asked, “Could you let me change my clothes first?”

“Fine.” Ciel turned away, facing the desk, and averted her gaze from Uris. “I’m not looking. Go ahead and change.”

The rustling sound of clothes being removed came from behind. Perhaps because she couldn’t see, Uris changed very slowly.

Maybe out of boredom, Ciel looked at the candle on the desk and asked curiously, “High Priest, aren’t you blind? Why light a candle?”

“Because my eyes can’t see, my other senses have been greatly enhanced by the potion,” Uris’s ethereal voice came from the direction of the bed. “Having a heat source makes it easier for me to perceive space and distance.”

Ciel nodded slightly, then belatedly remembered Uris couldn’t see her nod, so she replied verbally, “Oh.”

“I’ve finished changing, Your Excellency.” Uris slowly approached Ciel. “May I ask your name?”

“Ciel.” Ciel turned, walked towards High Priest Uris, took her hand, and placed it on her own cheek. “High Priest, you can remember my name and appearance.”

This was also Ciel’s way of making a stronger impression on Uris, to avoid friendly fire in the upcoming battle. It also served to build a little more trust.

Uris carefully touched Ciel’s face, then showed a slight expression of surprise.

“Your Excellency Ciel... I didn’t expect you to be...” Uris struggled for the right words before settling on, “so young and accomplished.”

Before Uris could finish, Ciel had already taken a small step back, moving away from Uris’s hand.

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“Your Excellency, I haven’t finished memorizing,” Uris stated seriously.

“High Priest, I’ve dreamed of you more than once,” Ciel said expressionlessly. “The first time, you pinched my face for over ten minutes. The second time we met, you told me you didn’t need to touch to sense emotions.”

Hearing Ciel’s words, Uris’s hand paused.

If she had doubted Ciel’s talk of dreams before, now, with Ciel revealing so much specific information, she almost completely believed her.

Because the things Ciel described sounded exactly like something she would do.

“Your Excellency, please just call me Uris.” Uris’s expression turned serious. She faced Ciel and asked earnestly, “Are you from the Inquisition?”

“No,” Ciel denied.

“Then... your potion...” Uris suddenly recalled something. “Was it you who provided the information about the sealed artifact?”

Uris remembered the young lady from the Roswell family coming to her a few days ago with crucial intelligence.

At the time, Uris was already preparing to write a letter requesting a third-tier “Soul Walker” potion and ritual from the Church of the Savior Goddess as a reward. But the Roswell lady had unexpectedly requested a second-tier “Judicator” potion instead. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

Since the young lady had a good reputation and the request was within her authority, after briefly assessing the value of the intelligence, Uris had given her the potion and ritual.

But now it seemed the Roswell lady might have violated the Eye of Order contract they signed...

Otherwise, it was too coincidental that shortly after she received the potion, someone outside the Church of the Savior Goddess appeared with it, preparing for the Reconstitution Ritual.

But Uris decided not to pursue the matter.

If Ciel’s intelligence was accurate, then helping the Church of the Savior Goddess uncover a hidden Divine Advent Church stronghold in Berren City would be a great service.

If Ciel drank the potion under her supervision, she could ensure Ciel wouldn’t be consumed by the potion and go down an extremist path.

And... Ciel’s “dreams” might not be dreams at all.

They could be divine oracles from the Goddess.

Perhaps the oracle guided her to find Uris, a fellow member of the Church of the Savior Goddess, to resolve this incident.

How else could Ciel dream of her repeatedly when they had clearly never met or had any contact?

Could she be the Saintess of the “Avenger” path?

Maybe she could try to guide her into joining the Church of the Savior Goddess... perform her baptism.

If she could baptize a potential Saintess, perhaps the remaining bit of her own potion would be fully digested, and she could apply to the church for the next tier’s “Radiance Bishop” potion...

“Your Excellency Ciel, do you have a plan?” Uris asked. “Do you need me to request reinforcements from the Church?”

“No need, we’ll act ourselves. If we wait for the Church, there won’t be enough time.” Ciel shook her head, rejecting Uris’s suggestion. She continued, “Currently, the Divine Advent Church has no information on us, you can rest assured on that point.”

“Then our plan is...” Uris took a deep breath, ready to memorize the plan.

“Kill our way through.” Ciel laid out the plan plainly.

Uris: “...”

Is that... considered a plan?

Just moments ago, Uris thought Ciel seemed reliable, methodical, and composed. Now, she was starting to feel uncertain again.

But Ciel wasn’t lying. Charging in directly was the simplest, most brutal, and likely most successful plan.

Previously, even when ambushed by Kitty, Uris had fought her to a standstill, leaving Kitty half-dead upon her return.

Now, if the situation was reversed, with Uris having the element of surprise and Ciel providing support, Kitty stood no chance.

As for the other first-tier transcendents in the casino, Ciel didn’t even factor them into her calculations.

As long as “Avenger” Ciel wore the specially crafted mask stitched with the Other Side Page, the “Gamblers” couldn’t confront her directly.

Not to mention, the moment the first “Gambler” died, Ciel could attempt to summon an Other Side entity.

“Are you serious?” Uris asked.

“Very serious.” Ciel’s tone was calm.

Ciel then spent some time detailing the situation at Deton Manor for Uris.

She described Administrator Kitty, the strength and paths of the other first-tier transcendents, including the total number of cultists.

She even listed the specific names and characteristics of each transcendent, providing extremely detailed intelligence.

By the end, even Uris couldn’t help but be astonished... the information was excessively detailed.

It was as if Ciel had been undercover right under their noses for years.

“You’ve basically mapped out their entire stronghold.” After hearing all the intel, Uris couldn’t resist asking, “Do you have an informant there? Or perhaps... your organization?”

This amount of information couldn’t possibly have been gathered by Ciel alone. Uris’s main concern now was that Ciel belonged to an organization.

If she did, Uris’s plan to recruit her into the Church of the Savior Goddess would likely fail.

But considering Ciel might be the Saintess, even if it meant tricking or outright kidnapping her, she had to bring her back to the Holy See to verify her identity.

“Yes, we had a Bishop undercover there, but she has already left,” Ciel stated calmly.

There was indeed a Bishop undercover there, just that it was me, and I was pretending.

Speaking of which, most of her knowledge about the Divine Advent Church came from Uris herself.

Hearing Ciel’s words, Uris began mentally weighing the pros and cons of kidnapping Ciel.

A Bishop-level undercover agent within the Divine Advent Church... just how vast was Ciel’s organization?

When did such a powerful organization emerge in Berren City? Or had they been hiding, only recently starting to operate?

Even the Church of the Savior Goddess couldn’t place an undercover agent that high up.

“Alright, I’ll go with you,” Uris nodded.

This matter involved the Divine Advent Church; Uris couldn’t ignore it. As long as she confirmed the presence of cultists there, even if Ciel hadn’t asked, Uris wouldn’t let them go.

“Your Excellency Ciel, please wait a moment. I must leave a letter informing the Holy See about this matter.” Uris walked past Ciel to the desk and began searching for stationery.

“Alright.” Ciel stepped aside, waiting for her to write the letter.

It didn’t matter whether Uris sent the letter or not. By the time it reached the Holy See, Ciel would have long since left the simulation.

Soon, Uris finished sealing the letter. At the same time, Ciel retrieved the Other Side Page from her inventory.

Due to previous heavy use and being taped, the page was now somewhat wrinkled and fragile, likely only usable two more times before disintegrating.

Uris, having sealed the letter, turned back towards Ciel.

Her brow furrowed slightly. “What are you... doing?”

Uris felt an instinctive threat emanating from deep within her soul. A faint buzzing in her mind warned her that Ciel’s direction was extremely dangerous.

Ciel was using two pins to attach the page to the front of her clothes.

She was currently thinking it was a shame that redeeming Other Side Pages was too expensive; otherwise, she would cover her entire body with them.

If she were covered head to toe in Other Side Pages, she too would become an existence that could not be looked upon directly.

Maybe she should have her simulated self enter a deep simulation before the real Ciel arrived each time, just to write more pages?

After all, it was only the simulated self dying.

Uris’s words interrupted Ciel’s thoughts. She looked at Uris and said, “It’s nothing, just some text from the Other Side. It won’t affect you.”

Text from the Other Side?!

Uris’s eyebrows shot up slightly.

Using text from the Other Side so casually?

If Uris had merely suspected Ciel was the Saintess before, now she was 99% certain.

Only a Saintess could comprehend divine oracles from the Other Side without suffering permanent mental and spiritual damage afterward.

No wonder Her Excellency Ciel, clearly only a first-tier “Avenger,” dared to suggest charging straight into a cult stronghold with her. She certainly had the confidence to back it up.

After completing their preparations, the fully equipped Uris followed Ciel towards Deton Manor outside the city.

Half an hour later, their figures appeared outside Deton Manor under the night sky.

Deton Manor was brightly lit even at night. As soon as their figures appeared at the end of the road, two attendants came forward to greet them.

“You two, may I ask...” The leading male attendant, wearing a green chip mask, saw Uris’s robes, his pupils contracting slightly, but he continued calmly, “Are you members here?”

The Divine Advent Church hadn’t been exposed. Even if members of the Church of the Savior Goddess came, they just needed to receive them normally.

“I am.” Ciel held up her card and flicked it towards the attendant. The card flew like a dart, spinning towards his face.

The attendant hadn’t gotten a clear look at Ciel’s face yet and was startled by the flying card. As he fumbled to catch it, the card abruptly stopped right before his eyes.

...Huh?

Before the attendant could react, a sharp pain exploded in his chest.

“Urgh...” He let out a muffled groan, spitting blood. He looked down in disbelief to see his own heart hovering just outside his chest cavity.

“Cough...” He managed only a single cough of blood before his body went limp.

The other attendant, sensing trouble the moment it started, had already turned to run. But the next second, his legs tripped over something unseen, sending him sprawling face-first.

Right where he fell, a sharp knife lay waiting on the ground.

Shlick—

Without even a cry, his head was impaled by the knife. His body convulsed briefly before falling still, utterly lifeless.

Uris, who had been about to speak, hadn’t even opened her mouth before she heard the two thuds. The two living beings before her had died instantly, without a single scream.

This ruthless efficiency in killing slightly startled Uris... how many people had Ciel killed to achieve such proficiency?

“They... were members of the Divine Advent Church?” Uris confirmed.

“Yes,” Ciel replied.

“Step two paces to your right, the ground is covered in blood.”

Compared to the first time she killed and got sprayed with blood, Ciel now knew exactly where to strike to avoid getting splattered.

No one knew the identities of the cultists here better than her, because she had killed them all one by one before.

“Follow me.” Ciel led Uris straight into the manor, pushing open the main doors.

Uris followed closely behind, white phantoms swirling within her shadow, ready to assist.

After confirming the main hall was empty, they turned right towards the reception hall.

The moment the door opened, Ciel’s shadow shot towards the chip-laden desk, dispatching the unsuspecting cultist with a single stroke. Blood spurted from his neck, spraying onto the chips and filling the room with the metallic stench of iron.

Killing three people consecutively slightly eased the burning fire in Ciel’s chest, lessening the oppressive sense of irritation.

Ciel barely paused, passing through another door and immediately opening the hidden passage on the right, revealing the stone spiral staircase leading down.

Uris followed closely. Stepping onto the stone stairs, she felt almost certain that this place was far from simple.

And Ciel, leading the way, was even less simple.

Ciel hadn’t stopped moving the entire time. The few cultists they passed died under her blade with almost no resistance. She moved through this place as casually as strolling through her own living room.

It was as if she knew exactly where every cultist would be.

“There’s a sanctuary underground. Its layout is almost identical to the Clock Tower Church,” Ciel reminded Uris as they descended.

“Alright...” Uris nodded. This wasn’t surprising, given the Divine Advent Church’s origins.

Soon, Ciel led Uris down into the sanctuary. It wasn’t empty; several people were moving around below, arranging tables and chairs, seemingly preparing for something.

“High Priest, they are all here,” Ciel stated.

“Understood.”

Some cultists wearing chip masks had noticed their arrival and looked towards Ciel and Uris with confusion.

But the next moment, several white phantoms surged towards them.

Shlick—!

Four heads flew into the air instantly, rolling across the floor.

The sudden attack alerted the others, who cried out in alarm.

“It’s people from the Church of the Savior Goddess!”

“Quick! Inform the Administrator!”

“Heretics!!! Die!!!”

Some cultists fled up the other staircases to warn Kitty, while the remaining ones drew pistols and aimed directly at Ciel and Uris.

Bang bang bang—!

Several bullets whistled towards Uris but struck the white phantoms shielding her, stopping them completely.

Meanwhile, the cultists aiming at Ciel found their minds clouding the moment they targeted her. Their guns slipped from their grasp.

By aiming at Ciel, they had inadvertently looked directly at the Other Side Page pinned to her chest.

Uris’s white phantoms moved like white reapers, swiftly harvesting the lives of everyone in the sanctuary. Two phantoms pursued the fleeing cultists up the stairs.

Ciel watched the massacre expressionlessly, silently analyzing Uris’s abilities.

Ciel’s own experience in using abilities was minimal. Although Uris wasn’t of the “Avenger” path, she could still learn by analogy.

She recalled her first meeting with Uris, when Uris had suddenly appeared behind her as if teleporting.

“Radiance Bishop” Hugh had used this ability too—swapping places with a white phantom.

Ciel had perceived it as teleportation before because she couldn’t see the shadows.

Could this ability be obtained at the second tier? It was indeed a powerful life-saving skill.

“None escaped.” Uris suddenly spoke, interrupting Ciel’s thoughts.

“No transcendents, just some cultists.”

The fleeing cultists had all been killed by Uris; none had escaped the pursuit of the white phantoms.

Ciel surveyed the area, confirming the sanctuary was empty, then led Uris back to the main hall, facing one of the hidden passages.

That was the passage leading to Kitty’s office.

“Kitty is up this way. Be careful.” Ciel opened the passage door, looking up the ascending spiral stone steps.

“Alright.” Uris didn’t waste words, stepping forward past Ciel and taking the lead. “Fighting a second-tier ‘Missionary’ is dangerous. Stay behind me and be cautious.”

Meanwhile, on the third floor of Deton Manor, in the office at the end of the corridor, a figure wearing a black chip mask sat at the desk, leaning back against the bookshelf behind her, staring intently at the backgammon board, her brow tightly furrowed.

She picked up the two dice and tossed them onto the board. The six-sided dice spun and tumbled before both landed on “1.”

“Damn it...” Kitty couldn’t help but curse.

Her luck lately had been abysmal.

No, it was utterly disastrous.

Sherlon’s mysterious death, the rapid development of the dehydration cure, the sudden, undamaged removal of the sealed artifact buried beneath the Church of the Savior Goddess.

Her luck had hit rock bottom. If even one small part of her plan hadn’t gone wrong, she could have dealt a major blow to the Church of the Savior Goddess, destroying their base of believers in Berren City.

Then, she would have gained the attention of her superiors, and being transferred back to Ansu wouldn’t have been impossible.

Even Sherlon’s death didn’t matter that much; it just set back the progress of one missionary’s Reconstitution Ritual... The quick release of the dehydration cure wasn’t a total loss either; at least she had uncovered Sherlon’s secrets and found the real genius behind the virus...

But why was the sealed artifact discovered and removed directly? How did the Church of the Savior Goddess know it was there? Even if they knew, how did they avoid triggering it?

Just getting within 7 meters should have detonated the dehydration contagion, killing all the ordinary clergy in the church hospital and the church itself—why didn’t it happen??

Kitty couldn’t figure it out.

It felt like an invisible hand was manipulating events, unraveling even the most intricate plans inexplicably.

The Bishop could arrive at any moment. She had to resolve this before then.

“Hmph...” Kitty took a deep breath and leaned back against the bookshelf.

But there was still some good news. The Divine Advent Church’s stronghold hadn’t been discovered.

She had hidden it well and expanded quickly. Even the Bishop couldn’t find fault with that.

Plan meticulously, always leave a way out—that was Kitty’s formula for success.

Thinking this, a faint smile touched her lips...

Shlick—

Excruciating pain erupted from her chest. Kitty looked down sharply to see a hand formed of white phantom energy piercing through her chest from behind.

What... the hell?

Kitty lurched forward, knocking over the desk. Backgammon pieces scattered across the floor. She whipped her head around to see several white phantoms extending from the gap in the bookshelf she had just been leaning against.

The phantoms slowly pulled the bookshelf apart, revealing two unfamiliar figures emerging from the hidden passage behind it...

You...

Who are you?

Kitty was stunned.