CHAPTER 88: 88 ARE YOU THERE? (5/5, EXTRA 2)

When Herbert awoke, he was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.

"..."

Did I travel again?

No, the patterns on this ceiling seem a bit familiar.

"Child, you are awake."

A compassionate voice came from beside him; Herbert slowly sat up and saw the Archbishop seated cross-legged, gazing at him kindly.

"How do you feel now?"

"I..."

Upon hearing this, Herbert raised his hand, instinctively wanting to scratch his head, but midway, he stopped and squinted his eyes.

"What is this!?"

Although he didn’t hear any noise, upon seeing his dazzling arm, a voice instinctively echoed in Herbert’s mind.

BlingBling——

Damn.

Such a shiny arm!

The golden Holy Mark that was originally only on the back of his hand had now spread across his entire arm, and the Divine Power in his body, initially quite weak, had expanded more than tenfold!

Herbert had a feeling that if he gave his Holy Blood to Eliza again, he might just burn that lousy vampire to death.

This is no exaggeration.

Herbert’s enhancement was indeed that absurd at the moment.

If the Power of the Oath were to be divided by Magic Level, it would leap from Initial Tier straight to High Tier Early Stage!

Skipping levels!

But before Herbert could fully rejoice, the Holy Mark on his arm dimmed and vanished, and a strong sense of fatigue surged within him.

"Ugh!"

The side effects of jumping from elementary school to high school appeared; his fragile body couldn’t bear the strength he possessed at this moment.

"Your Grace, what is this..."

The Archbishop, already well aware of his physical condition, calmly said, "Don’t worry, the Blessing of the Saintess elevated your Power of Oath to High Tier; however, your physical body remains at Initial Tier and naturally can’t sustain it."

"Don’t worry, the Power of Oath will nurture your body, and with appropriate training, it will only take about half a year for your body to fully adapt and maintain the level at High Tier Early Stage."

To put it frankly, that’s really quite fast.

In just half a year, Herbert could reach a realm many people never achieve in a lifetime.

Take Blake, for instance; reaching the level of High Tier Early Stage by forty is already exceptional among ordinary people.

Now, Herbert is supposed to traverse a path in six months that took Blake half a lifetime; if Blake knew, he might cry to death.

"Thank you, Your Grace, I understand."

While Herbert’s body felt fatigued, his spirit was extremely excited, hardly feeling regret over these six months.

But everyone’s physical constitution is different.

For Herbert, this speed is actually not fast enough.

Isn’t it just about enhancing physical strength?

I’m familiar with this!

Six months?

Just wait, I’ll walk this six-month path in one month, or rather, half a month!

According to Herbert’s previous tests in Molten Hell, if he ensured soaking for three hours a day, he could increase his physical qualities to High Tier Early Stage within half a month.

"Hehe, haha..." Herbert wanted to suppress his grin, but the corners of his mouth wouldn’t stay down.

In this encounter with the Archbishop, Herbert gained considerable benefits, well worth the effort.

He understood the Archbishop’s thoughts on Monster Girls and gained his support, no longer needing to be on edge.

He learned about the story of Saint Nenasha, gaining deeper insight into Her.

Additionally, he touched Nenasha’s true form, resolving the issue that had constantly troubled him.

How could he not be excited?

"Thank you for your help, Your Grace."

"Don’t thank me; it was your qualities that resonated with the Saintess’ residual consciousness, granting you Her blessing."

The Archbishop shook his head, closed his eyes, and refocused on the desecrated Holy Image.

"Alright, child, you may return now."

This interaction with Herbert also pleased the Archbishop greatly; not only did it eliminate a hidden threat but assured the monastery’s future would certainly have a force exceeding Legendary.

"By the way, if in the future you have an opportunity to leave the monastery, don’t worry, boldly venture forth."

With closed eyes, the old man peacefully whispered, "The monastery is a sanctuary, but it’s also a cage."

"A caged bird will never become an eagle; the Silver Wings blood flows in your veins and shouldn’t always hide in the cage’s shelter."

Hm?

Herbert’s brows furrowed slightly, he vaguely grasped the hidden meaning in the elder’s words.

Is this telling me to feel at ease and return to the Royal Capital to find trouble with those people?

"Your Grace, is this what you mean... I understand."

"Mm, go ahead."

He didn’t ask the foolish question, "Would this trouble the monastery?"

What trouble could possibly affect such a powerful existence?

Herbert bowed to the elder and prepared to exit the Holy Hall.

But upon reaching the door, he suddenly remembered something, turned around, and softly asked, "Your Grace, what is your view on Demons?"

You’ve asked me so much, but what is your answer?

"Me?"

The elder, facing away from him, didn’t open his eyes, but his mouth slightly curled up, teasingly inquired, "Child, have you ever wondered, who brought those Demons to the Disciplinary Hall?"

"Haha, I’m not as merciful as the Saintess and won’t worry over such matters."

"Those that can be reformed, keep; those that cannot be taught, destroy—it’s just that simple."

Quite unremarkable words, yet Herbert heard them with a furrowed brow, feeling a strong sense of bloodlust.

Good.

This expert isn’t merciful either.

Moreover, Herbert couldn’t tell if it was an illusion, but when he glanced back to the center of the Holy Hall, he felt as if the desecrated Holy Image was emptied.

As though, it was left as just an empty shell.

Without dwelling on it, he silently exited the Holy Hall.

And after briefly recounting the conversation’s details to the Guardian, Herbert hurried back to his room before night fell.

"..."

He sat quietly at the desk, staring at the hands of the mechanical clock—the time hadn’t reached midnight yet.

Herbert knitted his brows, remained silent for a while, and finally softly muttered to himself:

"Nenasha..."

"Are you there?"

There was no answer.

The quiet room was filled only with the gentle ticking of gears.

Tick, tick, tick...

Herbert squinted his eyes, stayed silent until he heard a merry chuckle behind him.

["Ehehe~"]

["You found me again~"]

Contrary to routine, the Evil God appeared before nightfall.

This indicated that Her power had been restored, becoming even stronger.

But Herbert, who should have been pleased at this moment, didn’t smile; he didn’t try to turn around. Instead, he gazed at the flickering candle flame and softly asked:

"How should I truly address you? Saint Nenasha, or Evil God Nenasha?"

He raised a question to his ally.

"So, are you... still you?"

Yet what responded to him—

Was a mocking snicker.

["Pfft, hahaha~"]