YumNovel Chapter 116: Praise Be to the Goddess Alicia! Your Reputation Is Truly Reliable!
Chapter 116: Praise Be to the Goddess Alicia! Your Reputation Is Truly Reliable!
Chapter 116: Praise Be to the Goddess Alicia! Your Reputation Is Truly Reliable!
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The torrent of energy—a force mustered at the limits of possibility—was obliterated in an instant, erased with the effortless flick of a hand.
Fred crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, pain blazing across his body as if every bone had splintered at once, every nerve set alight. His limbs trembled on the precipice of collapse, the agony so raw it warped his features.
Disbelief and terror mingled on his face. He stared up at the man before him, mind reeling, completely overtaken by shock.
“You...!”
Impossible. Utterly impossible.
He was a peak-tier champion, a vessel for the ancient legacy that set him high above ordinary mortals. Since inheriting that power, the boundaries of humanity no longer applied to him.
Once he’d activated his Limit Form, there was no exaggeration in calling himself a “simulated deity”—a demigod in everything but name.
And yet—with a single, casual flick, this man had cast aside his divine empowerment as if it were nothing?Was Duke Ous really sending them to an execution?
This person—he couldn’t possibly be just an ordinary alchemist. Absolutely not.
He must be an elite concealed by the Holy See all these years, set in place for a decisive trap aimed at Duke Ous.
Or—wait. Could this be that central archbishop everyone thought died two years ago in the Great War, resurfaced now after long seclusion?
But the rumors made it clear: all but the Archbishop perished in that war.
Then just who on earth is this man?
Suddenly, the so-called “alchemist” spoke, voice at once relaxed and tinged with amusement.
“Hey there.”
Now was not the time to ruminate on mysteries.
The moment those two words landed, Fred chose flight over thought—twisting around and bolting for the window, a shadow streaking across the room in a desperate dash for freedom.
His body blurred, every ounce of power poured into one gambit: to escape Lin Wei’s grasp.
“Tch... So you really don’t know when to give up, do you?”
Lin Wei, anticipating exactly this reaction, raised his hand toward the window.
A ripple of invisible force surged through the air, dragging Fred back just as he was about to break free.
“Arghhh!”
A gruesome chorus of cracking joints echoed. Fred was slammed hard upon the ground once more; his entire arm grotesquely twisted, blood streaming from mangled flesh even before he hit the carpet.
The pain was overwhelming—even his hardened assassin’s mask, usually cold and blank, contorted with a gasp.
“Would it kill you to try cooperating, just once?” Lin Wei sighed, voice bored. “If I was intent on killing you, you’d already be dead. You wouldn’t be lying here getting second chances.”
He gazed at the fallen assassin, unfazed by the attempted escape.
Someone of Fred’s caliber—of course he’d try to break away first, hope for that sliver of luck.
Especially when working under Duke Ous.
But, ultimately, it didn’t really matter.
“You’re this desperate to flee—is it because Duke Ous is holding something over you?” Lin Wei asked, voice cool and probing. “Or have you done so much of his dirty work that you think the Holy See will come for you next?”
He surveyed Fred, slumped and bloodied, then tossed him a potion—a luminous vial filled with top-grade holy healing elixir.
Lin Wei had mapped out his move long before this encounter: how he’d extract what he needed. That’s why he’d refused the knights’ offer of backup.
Because what came next would violate some of the deepest tenets of the Holy See.
“If that’s your fear—don’t waste your worry. The Holy See has a few questions only you can answer.”
A column of holy radiance burst forth from Lin Wei, dazzling in its purity.
His words rang out with an authority that brooked no dispute—the unyielding proclamation of divine judgment.
“If your answers satisfy me, I swear this: when it’s over, you walk out of here unharmed.”
“Afterwards, whether you flee back to Duke Ous or vanish into some faraway city, the Holy See will absolve you of all past crimes and guarantee your safety.”
“In your circumstances, shouldn’t you take the lifeline, rather than beg for punishment?”
Forgiveness. A full pardon.
Fred stared at the vial, its healing light almost hypnotic. Bare moments ago, he’d been searching for an opening to escape—now, shock held him still, mind reeling from the unexpected offer.
As one of Duke Ous’s handpicked deathsworn, Fred had enjoyed countless privileges, even inheriting the God of Shadow’s legacy through the Duke’s schemes.
But loyalty? Not quite—if he’d truly been a dog, he’d never have survived long enough to reach power like this.
It was always a trade: as long as the Duke’s support flowed, betrayal was off the table. Yet every dark secret, every crime, was also a leash; Duke Ous held him fast, and breaking free was a fantasy.
Otherwise, why else would he haunt the shadows, hiding from the Imperial Capital, instead of striding into legend with his formidable skills?
He could have crossed the northern kingdoms long ago, carving his name into history.
But now... Right in this moment—a senior clergyman of the Holy See was offering him absolution? Erasing his past with a single decree?
Was this a scam? No—this was salvation.
“You... you truly guarantee my safety?”
He uncorked the potion and drank in a single gulp.
Almost immediately, the mangled arm knit itself back together, bones snapping into alignment, flesh weaving whole before his eyes.
Fred stared down, dizzy with disbelief, flexing his restored fingers as warmth and vitality surged through his body.
“Of course. I swear it in the name of the Goddess Alicia.”
The light of the Holy See evoked trust—a warmth nearly impossible to doubt.
Lin Wei mimicked the solemn gestures of the Church’s oath, raising his hand and, for a moment, a gentle, radiant glow unfurled behind him—suffused with the unmistakable presence of the Goddess. Even Fred had to admit, Alicia’s name bore profound weight.
“Compared to Duke Ous—who’s conspired with the Evil God’s cult, ambushed Sir Alfron, Commander of the Retribution Knights, and hollowed out the Empire from within—you’re barely a footnote,” Lin Wei continued, voice steely. “Give us the evidence we need to topple Duke Ous, and that deed will wipe your slate clean. You have my word.”
“But if, once I let you go, you turn those skills against the Empire again—then as a priest of the Holy See, I will hunt you down and deliver judgment myself. Do you understand?”
He understood. They were willing to let a small fish off the hook in order to catch a leviathan.
The label “small fry” stung—especially coming from one Transcendent to another. He’d risked everything to reach such heights, yet here he was, deemed insignificant.
If anyone else claimed all this, Fred would have sneered. But when facing someone who could crush you effortlessly, acquiescence came naturally.
“As long as you guarantee I won’t have Duke Ous hounding me for the rest of my days,” Fred replied, steady now, gaze sharp, “and you erase everything I’ve done—so no one comes seeking vengeance—I’ll cooperate.”
Had a mere rogue offered such reassurances, Fred would have laughed. But this man wore the vestments of the Holy See, and to a servant of the Goddess, an oath was sacred—one not broken lightly.
Looking into the cleric’s eyes, Fred felt his heart surge. The prospect of deliverance was intoxicating.
“When has a servant of the Holy See spoken falsehood?” Lin Wei replied, voice gentle yet unyielding. “On this, I swear.”
“Very well. What do you need from me?” Fred asked, a note of anticipation ringing in his voice as he lifted his head.
That promise—backed by the authority of the Holy See—ignited a hope he’d not dared feel in years. For the first time in memory, he was ready to bare his most closely guarded secrets.
“I know plenty about Duke Ous—his crimes, his hidden dealings,” Fred admitted.
“And though my own hands are stained, in my heart, I have always revered the Goddess Alicia. In my youth, I erred, forced by desperate circumstance into serving a corrupt noble all these years. The guilt has never faded, nor has the longing to be free. But the Duke’s power chained me tighter than any shackle.”
“If you truly intend to help me break free, then ask what you wish. Let this be the atonement of a man who once yearned for the light!”