Tivian's western suburbs, along a certain stretch of the Moonflow River.
Inside the villa in the dark night, in the open secret room, Werewolf Smith was sitting in his seat, and Davik was standing beside him.
Smith, with a scar on his face, habitually smoked his pipe, his gaze fixed forward. There stood his two subordinates, and between them was the frightened white Sister, Vanya.
Examining the Sister before him, Smith exhaled smoke, while Vanya, after glancing at Smith twice in apprehension, spoke first.
"That, that... Mr. Werewolf, according to many studies, smoking isn't very good for your health..."
"Heh... Smoking isn't good for my health? You're actually concerned about my health... Don't you know who I am? I'm the villain who kidnapped you, a cultist your Church cannot tolerate."
Listening to Vanya's words, Smith said with interest, while Vanya swallowed and continued to speak.
"No matter who one believes in, life is the same. All life should be cherished, this is what the Holy Mother taught me.
"Mr. Werewolf, the Wolf Blood Society you belong to is part of the Fetal Garment Cult. Compared to others, you must have some reverence for the Cup Mother, more or less. As far as I know, the Cup Mother has many doctrines that are very similar to the Holy Mother, including respect for life and indiscriminate love... If you can understand the Cup Mother's doctrines, you can probably understand me too."
Vanya said to Smith with a sincere tone. After listening, Smith stroked his chin with interest, then continued speaking to Vanya.
"I mainly believe in the proud Gluttonous Wolf, but indeed, as you said, those who belong to the Placenta lineage have some understanding and reverence for the cup mother, more or less... What you just said is indeed not wrong... However, by simply placing your Church's Holy Mother and our cup mother side by side like that, aren't you committing a great taboo in your Church? Isn't our cup mother considered an evil god by you? In your mythology, she was even expelled by the Radiant Savior. Doing this could get you convicted as otherworld."
With a slightly oppressive tone, Smith said to Vanya, while Vanya responded calmly and slowly.
"Indeed, some of my thoughts are slightly contrary to the Church's orthodox ideology, but I believe all ideologies should not be stagnant, but should develop through continuous improvement. To be honest... I am very interested in some of the Cup Mother's doctrines. I believe there are many ideas worth absorbing.
"I am an orphan, and I feel that both the Holy Mother and the cup mother are like my own mothers. All beings are brothers and sisters under a common mother, so I also want to persuade Mr. Werewolf's Wolf Blood Society, since you also respect the cup mother, you should also be more considerate of your brothers and sisters, and commit less slaughter..."
Vanya continued to explain her thoughts to Smith, her ideas clearly contrary to the Shining Light Church's orthodoxy. Listening to Vanya's narrative, Smith secretly nodded.
'Her doctrines regarding the cup mother and the Holy Mother are still unclear and even want to absorb and combine the two... This is a typical Holy Mother faction otherworld ideology in the eyes of the Church. It seems Davik was right, this Sister was influenced by the Spirit Sight of the true crimson mother... Looking at it this way, she indeed has value for utilization.'
Witnessing Vanya explaining her theoretical ideas before him, Smith thought this in his heart. At this moment, he had almost accepted Davik's previous words and was convinced that Vanya was an otherworld influenced by Spirit Sight. Such an otherworld could indeed be utilized by them.
Next, Smith and Vanya continued their conversation. During the exchange, Vanya's behavior was like an otherworld who had objections to the Church's orthodox ideology and was interested in mixing the doctrines of the cup mother and the Holy Mother. Moreover, she could accurately state some content only found in the true crimson mother, which completely matched the situation Davik had described to him earlier.
"Hmm... Yes, Sister Vanya, what you said is indeed very insightful. The rigidity on the Church's side has truly wasted your talent, hehe. I don't think the Church will accept your ideas no matter what."
After the initial exchange, Smith felt he had made a judgment about Vanya. He put his pipe aside and said, and after hearing his words, Vanya also nodded slightly.
"Mr. Werewolf is right... It's hard for the Church to agree with my ideas, but I will work hard for it."
"Work hard? It feels slim... I know the Church; their rigidity is something I've witnessed. If you express your thoughts on the Holy Mother a little more intensely, you might end up on the stake. It's not like us... Our interpretation of the cup mother's ideas is very broad. Your ideas seem very reasonable to me and have inspired me to have a completely new understanding of the Cup Mother."
"Is that so... Then I'm truly grateful for your understanding, Mr. Werewolf!"
Vanya said to Smith with a grateful tone. Then Smith examined Vanya for a moment before continuing to speak.
"Sister Vanya, thank you for saving Davik's life this time. He is very important to us. As a reward, not only can I let you go back, but I can also report your situation to the higher-ups, allowing our Wolf Blood Society to fund your research into your Holy Mother's new ideas. You said the Holy Mother's new ideas need some of the cup mother's ideas as a supplement. We can provide you with literature regarding the Cup Mother. What do you think?"
Smith said to Vanya in a persuasive manner, and Vanya, after listening to Smith's words, couldn't help but say with a smile.
"Really? Can you really help me... This is great, I really want to learn more about the Cup Mother!"
Vanya responded with surprise, while Smith continued to respond with a smile.
"That's naturally true, hehe... Looking at you, Miss Sister, you've agreed to my suggestion, haven't you? In that case, I'll report your matter to the higher-ups now. Davik, you and Miss Sister should go down and rest first."
"Understood, Mr. Smith."
Saying this, a few subordinates helped Davik up and led Vanya out of the secret room. After everyone else had left, only Smith remained in the secret room.
Seeing the others leave, Smith slowly stood up and walked step by step to the altar piled with blood and bones in the center of the secret room. He stretched out his hand and placed it on the edge of the altar. Then the wriggling flesh and blood within the altar began to roll and gather, eventually forming a pair of ears, a mouth, and an eyeball that floated up from the flesh and blood.
The bloody eyeball looked around, finally fixing its gaze on Smith standing before the altar. Then, the formed mouth opened, emitting a hoarse and strange sound.
"Smith... What's the situation on your end?"
"Everything is going smoothly, Elder Duval. Through cooperation with the Spider's Nest, I have rescued the captured researcher. The information he possesses no longer needs to be worried about leaking. In addition, I had some unexpected gains during this rescue operation."
Facing the altar before him, Smith spoke with a respectful expression, while the mouth on the altar continued to open, speaking in a hoarse tone.
"Unexpected gains? I want to hear what gains are worth you specifically reporting to me..."
"It's like this, Elder Duval. During the rescue, I unexpectedly discovered a Sister. She might be able to help us infiltrate the Tivian Church and obtain what we couldn't get before... the original text of the true crimson mother..."
After Smith finished speaking, the mouth on the altar fell silent, then continued to speak.
"Tell me in detail, what is the situation with that Sister?"
...
Inside the villa, in a certain room, Smith's subordinates brought Vanya in, then closed the door and left.
After the room door was closed, Vanya walked to a spot and sat down. Then her whole body relaxed, and she began to gasp for breath.
"Hoo... hoo... So nervous, I almost thought I was seen through just now. Thankfully, I had Miss Dorothea..."
Vanya relaxed her tense mood and thanked Dorothy. The person in front of Smith just now was not actually herself, but a puppet manipulated by Dorothy using a puppet mark.
It was precisely because Dorothy was impersonating Vanya and helping her perform that she could perfectly fit the script, allowing Smith to see a Church Sister who had gone astray while researching the Holy Mother's thoughts. This perfectly matched the series of lies Dorothy had fabricated through Davik's mouth to Smith earlier. Otherwise, without prior coordination, Vanya would have definitely been exposed as soon as Smith checked her.
And at this very moment, a familiar voice sounded in Vanya's mind.
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"Great Aka, please establish a communication link for me with Sister Vanya..."
"This is... Miss Dorothea!"
"Shh... speak softly. You are still in danger right now, in someone else's stronghold. Heaven knows where there might be ears and eyes..."
Dorothy's voice continued to sound in Vanya's mind. Vanya was startled after hearing it, and only then did she realize that Dorothy was talking to her through Aka's link. After glancing around, she silently spoke in her mind.
"Ah... Miss Dorothea, when can I get out of here? I heard the Werewolf earlier, and he seemed to be preparing to let me go back..."
"Yes... he does have that idea now, but given the current situation, you won't need him to let you go. The people who will save you will be here soon."
Dorothy said to Vanya through this kind of information channel. Hearing these words, Vanya was slightly stunned, and then opened her mouth curiously.
"People who will save me? Is it the Church? Or the An Yin Bureau?"
"Both. These guys intercepted the An Yin Bureau's vehicle and captured people from the Church... which means they've provoked both sides. Now, their people are about to arrive at the entrance."
Saying this, Dorothy continued to instruct in a serious voice.
"Those guys will be here soon. This villa might become very chaotic in a while. Smith will definitely suspect you first after realizing he's being attacked, so you need to be careful and protect yourself. If you encounter danger, remember to open the door and run to the right. Do you understand?"
"Un- understood!"
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Vanya nodded seriously and silently affirmed. Then, she sat quietly in the room, waiting nervously.
...
Far from Smith's villa, on a path in a dense forest, Dorothy's carriage continued to move forward. On the carriage, the frowning Dorothy monitored the overall situation. At this moment, there was a hint of worry between her brows.
"Those guys from the An Yin Bureau and the Church need to hurry, otherwise my 'Cup' here is going to run out..."
Observing the information from afar, Dorothy thought to herself, this was the first time she had used Living Puppets so frequently for such a long time. The severe consumption of "Cup" by the Living Puppets was something she could barely afford anymore.
Unlike normal Corpse Puppets, every time a Living Puppet is activated, it requires consuming a point of "Cup". It must consume a point of "Cup" every twenty-odd minutes to maintain it. Dorothy's frequent use of Living Puppets to control Vanya and Davik had already caused a significant depletion of her "Cup". Although Dorothy used methods like stopping control on the road to greatly shorten the control time, this still caused Dorothy's already limited "Cup" to start running low.
After helping Adele find her teacher last time, Dorothy's "Cup" was consumed until only 9 points were left. When helping Grego on the train, she used Finding Breath Seal, Life Devour, and Living Puppets, which consumed another 4 points of "Cup". Dorothy originally only had 5 points of "Cup" left, and today's series of Living Puppet manipulations had almost used up all 5 points. Fortunately, she had some spares.
Actually, if Dorothy had let Davik truly die now and switched to controlling a Corpse Puppet, it would have saved a lot of Spirituality. However, he never had the chance, either being watched by Hunters or by Smith's people, so there was no opportunity to act.
With a serious expression, Dorothy took out her magic box and then took out two pieces of dried meat from it. These two pieces of dried meat were what Adele had given her last time to activate the Finding Breath Seal. Since Dorothy was used to activating it with her own Spirituality, she had kept them.
Without thinking much, Dorothy ate the two pieces of dried meat. Each piece contained 2 points of "Cup". With the supply of 4 points of "Cup", Dorothy could now continue to use her abilities.
"Phew... this time, the 'Cup' really bled heavily... I hope the subsequent gains will be satisfactory..."
After chewing and swallowing the dried meat, Dorothy let out a long sigh and murmured.
...
The wide Moonflow River continued to flow forward with a rustling sound in the dark night. The villa where Smith lived still stood quietly on the riverbank's mudflats. In the villa's yard, guards on watch were keeping alert around the area.
At this very moment, above the villa, two figures were floating there, together disregarding the buildings below in the dark night.
One of them was wearing the black trench coat uniform of a Hunter, but without a mask. This was Edmund, one of the resident Captains of the Tivian Hidden Security Bureau. The other person was dressed in a white robe and armor, wearing a helmet. The armor was engraved with the Shining Light Church's sun symbol, a perfect knightly attire.
The strong wind from the Wind Manipulator lifted the two people in the air, making their robes whip wildly. Edmund looked at the villa below and spoke.
"Priest Anrexius, according to the Beacon's display, the lair of those wolf cubs is below. We have found the target."
"We're finally here. I can't wait to bring purification down upon these hungry wolves. Let's start quickly!" said the Church Knight, who was called Anrexius. A loud sound came from the can-like helmet.
"Don't rush, Priest Anrexius. Most of our people are still on the ground and have just completed the encirclement. My people will use wind to conceal their presence and infiltrate for reconnaissance. We will launch a surprise attack after clarifying the situation."
Edmund said this, while the knight beside him snorted coldly and replied with disdain.
"Still need to go in for reconnaissance? Hmph, under the radiance of the Lord's Light, all evil will have nowhere to hide!"
Declaring this, the knight named Anrexius took out something and held it above his head. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly a dried human hand.
"The Lord's glory transforms into raging fire, burning away sin and discerning sin!"
Along with the knight's declaration, the dried human hand in his hand spontaneously burst into flames. The raging fire enveloped the withered hand. In this firelight, the eyes in the shadow within the knight's helmet flickered with a faint light. Edmund couldn't help but say in astonishment after seeing the torch-like withered hand.
"This is... the Church's Hand of Glory?!"
Holding the torch made from the withered hand, the knight high in the sky seemed to be able to see through everything. After sweeping his gaze over the villa below several times, he suddenly laughed loudly.
"Haha! I've found the biggest one! Don't dare to hide anymore? Afraid that your'Shadow' will be depleted and affect your combat? It just so happens that I also want to judge you personally!"
Saying this, the Church Knight named Anrexius extinguished the Hand of Glory in his hand. After putting it away, he drew his long sword.
"The time for purification has arrived, Saint Child, ignite the holy flame for me!"
Praying, the knight raised his long sword high. Then, raging flames burned on his sword, flames that were countless times hotter than the flames on the Hand of Glory before. Seeing the knight's action, Edmund spoke with some surprise.
"Priest Anrexius! What are you doing?"
"What am I doing? Of course, I'm purifying sin! I'm going ahead! Captain Edmund!"
Saying this, Anrexius took out a seal and stuck it on his armor, injecting the Spirituality of "Stone" into it, instantly doubling its weight. Anrexius's weight suddenly exceeded the limit that Edmund's wind could carry, and then his whole body fell down.
Just like that, in the eyes of Edmund and countless other astonished eyes, the knight holding the flaming long sword transformed into a flaming meteor falling from the sky, dragging a long tail of flame, and smashed directly towards Smith's villa.
"Welcome purification!!"