While the three Gold Mask Elders were fumbling about, Ansu noticed that the Imperial Army soldiers on the outskirts of the ruins were retreating rapidly.
He immediately looked up, gazing at the distant hillside.
"The artillery fire is coming..."
"Don't worry, I've got you." Celia still had the heart to joke at a time like this, she winked and said, "I didn't expect to be right, but after this battle, the two of us really are going to be fugitives together."
Ansu gave a bitter smile, "Miss Witch, you really are a jinx."
Fortunately, this was a simulation. If this happened in reality, even if he escaped, he would surely be placed on the wanted list just like her. His peaceful days would truly be over.
"What are you afraid of?" Celia let out a light laugh. "I told you, as long as I'm here, no one can bully you. We'll go into hiding for a while, and once the heat dies down, I'll lead you back to kill them all!"
Ansu looked at Celia, who didn't seem to take the situation seriously at all, feeling both moved and amused.
She was still thinking about coming back to kill them? Her bloodlust was truly excessive...
About another minute passed when the teleportation circle behind them suddenly lit up with a faint blue glow.
A Gold Mask Elder shouted excitedly, "It's ready! It's ready!!"
Ansu and Celia moved quickly toward the teleportation circle.
At the same time, Ansu noticed flashes of light suddenly appearing on the hillside.
The artillery fire had finally begun.
In just a few seconds, the shells from those cannons streaked in at a flat trajectory, crashing into the manor ruins. Deafening explosions rang out one after another, and the entire night sky was nearly illuminated.
The already dilapidated manor was completely leveled by this round of shelling with overwhelming force. Even if they weren't hit directly by a shell, the terrifying shockwaves nearly sent them flying.
The elders struggled to steady themselves and continued chanting the teleportation incantation, while Celia gripped Ansu's hand tightly, her eyes cold as she cast a massive defensive spell.
The aura of forbidden magic continued to spread, and a black Shield spell with distorted patterns expanded outward at an incredible speed.
Every explosion that occurred close by made the Shield spell flicker, but Celia remained resolute, pouring out her thick mana as if her life depended on it.
"Just a little longer! Just a little longer!!" one of the elders shouted repeatedly.
Ansu glanced wordlessly at the three useless elders.
At this moment, Celia's face was incredibly pale.
Ansu watched her with concern as black cracks quickly appeared on her fair skin. The pollution and mana backlash were becoming even more severe, making her look like a piece of white porcelain on the verge of shattering.
But she still stood tall, acting like a wall that held up the hope of survival for Ansu.
At the final moment when the teleportation circle finally activated, Ansu's eyes were fixed on Celia, whose hand was tightly clasped with his.
Amidst the flying artillery fire and her messy silver hair, her graceful figure looked back at him. A brilliant smile appeared on that beautiful face that seemed as if it were about to break.
She moved her lips. Although Ansu was deafened by the noise and couldn't hear anything, he knew exactly what she was saying.
"See, I keep my word."
In that instant, Ansu's heart skipped a beat.
...
【Reality】
【Radiant Calendar 625, May 4th, 17:35】
【Comment: Not bad at all, quite romantic~】
【You used this simulation to uncover the truth behind the 'Joint Suppression Operation,' but time is tight. Go and reverse everything!】
【Grade: C】
【Reward: 40 points】
【Remaining Points: 98】
Ansu snapped his eyes open. Outside the window, the street was already bathed in the warm hues of the sunset. He was back in the quiet bookstore.
The ten-hour simulation had lasted twelve hours in the future. This was the longest Ansu had stayed in a simulation, and he silently recalled the final moments.
They hadn't been killed by the artillery fire at the seaside, but the teleportation circle created by those useless elders didn't go far. They were sent to the wilderness north of the Benalu City cluster.
The massive mana fluctuations quickly drew another pursuit from the Church. The team fled the entire way, and in the end, they were either killed or wounded, leaving only Ansu, Celia, and one half-crippled elder.
Ansu took a deep breath and slowly left the bookstore.
Now that he was back in reality, he had to think about how to 'reverse' things based on the information he had gathered.
While pondering this, Ansu quietly kept an eye on the two demon hunters in the corner cafe.
Perhaps they didn't expect him to come out so suddenly. When he looked at them, the female demon hunter was also looking at him.
Her reaction was very natural. She merely gave him a brief glance before continuing to drink her coffee and talk to the other demon hunter.
Ansu also acted as if nothing were wrong, walking down the street with a natural gait. He circled around three blocks and slowly arrived at a candy shop.
As he pushed open the door, the bell chimed crisply. Behind the counter, a young man in his twenties looked at Ansu with enthusiasm.
"Welcome! What can I get for you today, sir?"
Ansu instinctively glanced outside. The two demon hunters had followed him like lingering ghosts; one was sitting on a bench reading a newspaper, and the other was casually smoking a cigarette.
"I'm not buying anything."
This was the cult outpost closest to the Holy Dome Cathedral. Ansu had come here because he had questions.
He turned his head and looked seriously at the young clerk, softly reciting the code used to contact cult underlings.
"My luck isn't very good today. Do you offer fortune-telling here?"
The young man's eyes flashed with surprise for a moment, then he smiled and said, "You've come to the wrong place, sir. This is a candy shop, not a divination hut."
Ansu thought to himself that these cultist contact codes were truly a hassle. According to the normal process, he would have to insist on asking which Tarot cards the other liked, and the other would have to answer 'The Moon.'
Then they would have to exchange a couple of pre-set divination results, and finally end with some edgy line about long live whatever... only then would it count as a proper connection between two unfamiliar cultists.
However, Ansu's time was precious, so he skipped straight to the last step.
"Enough of that. Long live the Echoes of Truth, long live the God of Magic! Karl, I have things to ask you today. My code name is Hermit."
The cultist, using the alias Karl, looked shocked. He wondered why this person wasn't following the script at all.
But after hearing the code name, Karl's expression immediately became serious and respectful.
"The Hermit deacon general? Why have you come here?"
Karl naturally knew of this rising star in the cult who had been promoted at an incredible speed. Seeing that his direct superior had questions, he quickly glanced toward the door.
"Stop looking. Those two are demon hunters," Ansu said.
Karl's eyebrows twitched.
His heart was full of complaints toward this direct superior. What on earth was the deacon general doing? Was he not afraid the cult would be exposed?
"This is a matter of life and death for the cult, so there's no time for that! Close the shop in a moment and return to the seaside winery."
Ansu didn't have time to answer his doubts and directly commanded, "Tell me, are the cult executors supposed to meet with members of the Squirrel Party at the West Street Tavern today?"
Karl nodded honestly, "That's correct. It was an order from the Council of Elders. Three of our colleagues are indeed meeting them today..."
"Good!" Ansu breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell me the time of the meeting and the personnel involved."
Rate on N.U.
