The migrating party traveled through the entire night.
Ansu traveled in silence, his mind churning with various strategies.
Going head-to-head was a dead end.
In this bizarre place, he had a faint premonition: no matter what he did, he would never be able to gauge Leon's true depths.
After all, the guy was clearly using cheats.
Ansu decided to change his approach.
Suddenly, he turned his head to look at Freya beside him.
"By the way, how is Bishop Paul?"
Freya was slightly startled, then stood on her tiptoes to look toward the middle of the procession.
"He said he wanted to stay with the group until the people found a safe place to settle, then head to the occupied zone."
She paused, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Lord Ansu, do you need something from him?"
Ansu nodded.
He wanted to use Bishop Paul as an excuse to temporarily distance himself from Leon and his "Salvation Party."
A few minutes later, Bishop Paul and his attendant squeezed out from the crowd.
"What is it?" Bishop Paul asked.
Ansu glanced at the warrior Agger nearby, choosing his words carefully before asking in a low voice:
"Mr. Paul, regarding that matter you mentioned earlier—the church requesting reinforcements—what is the situation now?"
Bishop Paul sighed. "I asked Leon and the others. That church is located deep within the heart of the territory occupied by the wolfgars."
He looked at the surrounding refugees and shared his thoughts.
"Nearly a week has passed; it has likely already fallen. I think it's best to prioritize escorting these people first. We shouldn't risk the many for the few."
He looked at Ansu and added, "After all, there aren't many transcendents here. If we encounter another battle, these people will be in grave danger."
Ansu shook his head.
"If we don't get there as soon as possible, that might be the true case of losing the big for the small."
He gazed at him seriously and urged, "Mr. Paul, something far more dangerous is lurking in the shadows we cannot see."
Bishop Paul frowned. "How do you know?"
"I have my sources." Ansu smiled slightly. "We can't wait any longer. Let's leave now."
Bishop Paul looked at Freya. Though she didn't know why Ansu had suddenly changed his mind, she nodded instinctively.
"Yes! Trust Ansu's judgment, Bishop Paul. His intelligence network is incredible!"
Bishop Paul studied Ansu for a moment before finally nodding slowly.
Next, Ansu called Leon over from the front of the line.
Bishop Paul briefly explained the situation, adding, "It would be safer to have Morris protect me along the way. After all, we are old acquaintances."
Leon didn't say much after hearing this.
"Alright." He glanced at Ansu. "Morris, accompany Bishop Paul. Be careful on the road."
Ansu nodded.
Leon specified a rendezvous point—a valley the group was about to reach—then waved and returned to the front.
The four of them split from the main force, turning west toward the heart of the Talin region.
The mountain path was rugged, and the morning mist was beginning to dissipate.
As they walked, Freya stole glances at the silent Ansu beside her.
Even though Ansu remained silent, she could see the anxiety he had carried throughout the journey. Ever since descending from that watchtower, he seemed troubled by some difficult problem.
Freya couldn't help but ask softly, "Lord Ansu, is there anything I can do to help?"
Ansu shook his head. "Not for now."
Freya sighed inwardly. Lord Ansu didn't need her...
The help she could offer was truly limited.
Celia was strong, so she could always help him.
"Even though I don't want her to follow us, at a time like this..." Freya murmured, "Celia really would be more helpful to Lord Ansu... If only she were here too."
Ansu instinctively checked his communicator, thinking she might have already arrived... perhaps they had even crossed paths without knowing.
He just couldn't see her yet.
Seeing Freya's self-reproachful and dejected expression, he shook his head gently. "Freya, you've already helped me a lot."
Freya looked up at him, knowing he was just trying to comfort her, and smiled bitterly.
"Lord Ansu, you don't need to comfort me. I have enough self-awareness to know where I stand. If only I were stronger..."
Lord Ansu had told her before that once one reached a certain level of strength, all schemes and plots would become useless—it was a theory about super power and super wisdom.
Ansu smiled. "Everyone has their own strengths. You've really helped me plenty already, truly."
"Really?" Freya gave a helpless smile, but then said seriously, "Still, I want to keep getting stronger."
Suddenly, she looked back at the two men behind them, her gaze falling on Bishop Paul as she asked humbly:
"Bishop Paul! How can I become stronger?"
Bishop Paul gave her a strange look.
"Freya, aren't you already much stronger than me? I'm afraid I can't answer that."
He had heard that Freya had already mastered God-Descent, the strongest divine art of the Church, and could even cast it without a "medium." She was a genius the likes of which the Church hadn't seen in centuries.
If that wasn't strong enough, just how powerful did she want to become?
Freya shook her head, her small fist instinctively tightening at the thought of Celia.
"No! I'm not strong enough!"
She kept muttering under her breath; it had clearly become an obsession.
"If only I could be as powerful as Celia... then Lord Ansu wouldn't be taken away..."
"How can I get stronger..."
Ansu thought to himself: In reality, during that outburst in the simulation, the little Holy Maiden was already very strong, even suppressing Celia for a time.
It was just that her physical endurance couldn't keep up. Before she could maintain the suppression for long, her own body had shattered...
At that thought, an idea suddenly popped into Ansu's mind.
"Wait, I have a plan!"
Freya froze, then immediately became excited. "Huh? What is it!"
However, the moment the words left his mouth, Ansu regretted it.
Encourage her to get stronger so she and Celia could fight until the end of time?
If that happened, wouldn't the field of carnage become even more terrifying?
"Lord Ansu!" Freya could tell he was regretting it. She immediately gripped his hand tightly, shaking it imploringly. "Tell me! Tell me!"
"Well..." Ansu explained, "Freya, you might not have the talent for this, and the conditions are harsh. It's very difficult to achieve."
"No matter how hard it is! No matter the obstacles!" Freya stared at him with burning eyes. "I will do it! Lord Ansu, tell me!"
"Well..."
"Lord Ansu, please!"
Freya's eyes misted over as she tugged at his arm, her voice carrying a hint of wheedling coquetry.
Her fuzzy pink ears twitched along with her movements.
She knew Lord Ansu loved this trait in demihuman girls, so she naturally made use of the "advantage" she had previously loathed.
Seeing the cat form Freya acting cute around him, Ansu looked away helplessly.
Only for Freya to pop up on the other side.
"..."
Bishop Paul cleared his throat behind them.
He then said sternly, "Freya, power that does not belong to you always comes with a price. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
Freya shook her head, still persistent. "No matter the effort required, I will do it! I want to get stronger!"
I want the strength to rival Celia!
I won't let her hog Lord Ansu all to herself anymore!!
Seeing her determined gaze, Ansu finally sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you."
Freya's eyes lit up with immense anticipation.
"Actually, God-Descent itself is the pinnacle of transcendent power," Ansu mused. "After all, it borrows the power of a deity..."
It didn't even have a defined upper limit, which reminded him of the infinitely strengthening Leon from earlier.
Theoretically, through a recursive boost, the power of God-Descent could infinitely approach that of a deity.
"So, the key is how to allow you to fully unleash the power of God-Descent." Ansu paused before adding, "At the very least, you can't die before reaching that level."
Thinking on the bright side, if this worked, it would be great if the little Holy Maiden didn't blow herself up whenever she went blackened and crazy in the future.
Otherwise, having every fight turn into a suicide attack was just too tragic...
"Not die?" Freya blinked in surprise. "Would I die when using God-Descent?"
"Yes," Ansu nodded, his expression serious.
Because I have seen it with my own eyes.
Then, Ansu continued to explain his logic.
"Freya, you need to improve your panel."
"Panel?" Freya was confused by the term.
"Yes, your basic attributes. For example, making your physical body tough enough or having the ability to heal rapidly. In short, your base numerical stats need to be as high as possible..."
As Ansu spoke, he thought of Leon again, becoming increasingly curious about how the man achieved it.
It felt like within his own domain, Leon was truly an invincible man.
Although Ansu only provided a general direction, Freya's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
It was as if she could already see the day she triumphed over Celia.
I must get stronger!
Rate on N.U.
