After the Mass concluded, the congregation finally dispersed, leaving only her and the Holy Maiden in the vast cathedral.
As light footsteps approached, Feilin dared to lift her head once more.
Silky pink hair cascaded like a waterfall down to her waist, while golden eyes, soft as sunlight, exuded tranquility and peace. Her milk-white skin seemed to radiate a holy, pearlescent glow. The Holy Maiden's face was ethereal, breathtakingly beautiful—like a goddess.
No, she was a goddess. Deep in Feilin's memories, she recalled how the Holy Maiden would unfurl pure white, angelic wings when performing divine miracles. People said she was the voice of the gods walking among mortals, the true Child of Divinity.
"Holy Maiden..." Feilin spoke nervously, "The mission at Thornbloom Castle... the failure is entirely my responsibility. We encountered unforeseen difficulties..."
"I know," Eleya replied softly. "The Calamity Witch, Tilis."
"I deeply apologize, Holy Maiden..." Feilin's expression grew even more remorseful. "I never expected such a powerful sorceress to be involved, nor that she would stand so firmly on Thornbloom's side..."
Not only that, but the deceitful Duke had also frustrated her—that old vampire had used death itself as a ploy, outmaneuvering them all.
Somewhere along the way, the plan had spiraled out of control. Now, the Thornbloom family had regained Emperor Wegener's trust. Even if they exposed the secret pact, it would be useless—no ripple of consequence would follow.
And as she had said, the consequences of failure fell entirely on her. Not only had the covert envoy been wiped out, but even Bishop Lawrence, the spy they had painstakingly cultivated, had been reduced to ashes by that witch.
Feilin lowered her head, prepared to accept punishment—even death.
Yet, to her surprise, the Holy Maiden smiled gently.
She tenderly stroked Feilin's hair. "You said it yourself—these were unforeseen difficulties. You pushed yourself to the limit. So, I cannot place all the blame on you."
Feilin looked up in shock, meeting Eleya's warm yet slightly worried gaze.
"Overusing divine arts, especially the highest-tier Descending Divinity... Can your body still endure it?"
"When I borrowed your body to fight that witch, you sustained many injuries. Have they all healed?"
Her golden eyes were like warm sunlight, her soft voice soothing Feilin's heart. A lump formed in Feilin's throat, and she couldn't hold back any longer—her shoulders trembled slightly, like a lost child.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Holy Maiden... I failed your trust..."
"There, there." Eleya chuckled, wiping away her tears. "Lift your spirits. Our grand cause still needs your efforts—how can you falter now?"
Feilin stiffened. Right. The Holy Maiden had once vowed to spread the Holy Light to every corner of the dark world, to bring order and happiness to this chaotic realm. She couldn't afford to wallow in despair—she had to steel herself and continue clearing the path for the Holy Maiden!
She gazed into Eleya's clear eyes. The Holy Maiden was always so gentle, always so kind.
She had walked this path, saving the suffering, bringing hope to the people.
She performed miracles, becoming their faith.
And she had illuminated the way for Feilin, who had once been lost.
So.
With solemn resolve, Feilin spoke, "Holy Maiden, I am ready for the next mission. Please give me your orders."
Eleya exhaled in relief at her determination. "Our next focus is Saint Callen, the capital of Wegener. You’ll need to alter your appearance—seek out Priest Lance. This time, proceed with utmost caution. Await further instructions."
Feilin nodded firmly. But the thought of heading to Saint Callen reminded her of someone, and her brow furrowed slightly.
"Though the Calamity Witch Tilis was the main reason for our failure at Thornbloom Castle, I believe Luo Wei played a significant role as well."
"And when you fought that witch in the mountains, Holy Maiden, he somehow suppressed the Vampire Ancestor... It’s baffling..."
After the mission’s failure, Feilin had been quietly investigating Luo Wei. Through Norsgul’s intelligence network, the more she uncovered, the stranger he seemed.
Because she couldn’t find any trace of his past. That was nearly impossible—how could someone have no history? It was as if he had appeared out of thin air four years ago!
Even more bizarre, his parents were listed in the household registry, yet no one had ever seen them. Who had registered him? Who enrolled him in school? How had the property by Riverside Road been acquired? It was as if an invisible hand in the shadows had orchestrated it all—even the Church’s covert operatives paled in comparison.
At first, Feilin assumed he was a Chosen One like herself. But then she made a chilling discovery: Luo Wei seemed to be involved in numerous pivotal events, making his motives impossible to discern.
And his relationships with several women were... unusual, to say the least. From Feilin’s perspective, the next Duchess of Thornbloom, the Empire’s Fifth Princess, and even the sudden appearance of the Calamity Witch—all had deep ties to him.
But.
If she assumed he was a core member of some shadowy organization, everything suddenly made sense.
It sounded absurd, yet the evidence was undeniable...
"He resides in Saint Callen. He will interfere with our plans..." Feilin’s voice was laced with concern. "Holy Maiden, perhaps we should eliminate him first? To prevent complications?"
Initially, she had thought such a Chosen One ought to be recruited into the Holy Light Church—after all, even the Holy Maiden had inquired about him. But now, she was certain: he could not be left alive.
Feilin waited silently for Eleya’s response.
Yet, strangely, the Holy Maiden fell into an unusually long silence.
Puzzled, Feilin looked up—only to freeze in shock.
Eleya’s gaze was hollow. Those golden eyes, usually so warm, now stared at her with unsettling stillness.
It was... terrifying.
Feilin’s heart churned with turmoil.
Terrifying? No matter what, she could never associate that word with the Holy Maiden.
And yet, here it was—Eleya’s indifferent stare, as if she were looking through her, lost in some distant thought...
"H-Holy Maiden?"
"Hm?" Eleya seemed to catch herself, her lips curving into that familiar gentle smile.
"Do not worry about him. Luo Wei... I will deal with him personally."
Feilin let out a sigh of relief. She never expected the Holy Maiden herself to step in. With this, Luo Wei surely wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble.
After Feilin withdrew, the vast cathedral hall was left with only Eleya standing alone.
Silent and still, she remained in place as the surroundings plunged into a deathly quiet.
A long time passed.
Then, a bitter laugh echoed through the hall.
"If only you had returned sooner... how different things could have been."
"My light."
"This time... can you still stop it? I’m eager to see..."
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
