Chapter 199: Chapter 200: Paying the Price (Part 2)
“Jima, can you hide?”
“When it comes to running away, I’m a professional.”
“But you never escape.” Jenna stepped forward, her originally neatly pinned blonde hair falling loose, “I’ll block them, trust me.”
Without saying a word, Jima turned and bolted.
Van Helsing charged ahead, rushing toward Jima, shouting, “Demon, don’t escape!”
Jenna raised her hands high and called out, “Protection!”
A translucent anvil made of light appeared before her. She raised her hands, and a translucent hammer appeared in her grasp. She swung down and struck the anvil.
A blinding white light instantly filled the space, and a half-transparent dome enveloped Jenna.
Van Helsing covered his eyes and crashed into the translucent wall.
“My head, damn it.”
As the light faded, he looked around and realized Jima’s figure had vanished. He complained, “She runs faster than anything.”
Young Master Yis and the other extraordinary beings approached Jenna. He said, “Jenna, lower the dome. I don’t want to make a move against you yet.”
“Make a move against me? Do you want to be enemies with the Sanctuary?” Jenna replied, “I’m not a wanted criminal. But if you want to hold me accountable for burning your gambling den, feel free to sue me. If the verdict comes down, I’ll do my best to compensate.”
Young Master Yis was taken aback, suddenly understanding.
As long as Jenna was unwilling to come with him, what could he do? Gather everyone and directly capture her?
Jenna had committed no real crime; the burning of the gambling den happened during a fit of rage, and strictly speaking, those present at the time all contributed to pushing her into a rage.
The only thing that might be considered a crime was intentionally letting the succubus escape. But compared to her status as a sanctuary saint, that crime seemed trivial.
However, finding a reason wasn’t difficult—the challenge was whether his allies were willing to help him.
Yis turned back to see the rest of his associates arriving, gradually retracting their weapons, none of them stepping forward.
He looked at the Grand Preacher and said, “She just colluded with a succubus, and everyone saw it.”
The Grand Preacher frowned in thought, choosing not to respond.
The black egg ship wizard behind him stepped forward and said, “Maybe.”
“Jenna openly colluded with a succubus. How can you lie about it?”
“Everyone knows what kind of person the Saintess is,” the black egg ship wizard scoffed. “We also understand what kind of person you are.”
Young Master Yis asked, “Are you really going to watch Marin City become a ruin?”
“Shut your mouth,” the black egg ship wizard replied. “You brought this disaster upon Marin City with your selfish desires. I really misjudged you before, you liar. And you think ‘the succubus’s abilities aren’t terrifying?’ I’m not your private soldier; go parade around with that smug attitude for your servants instead.”
With that, he turned and left. The other remaining members of the extraordinary commission who had been watching began discussing among themselves:
“Jenna is a good kid; she cured my gout.”
“The contract was fair enough; it’s just that her dad loves the spotlight too much.”
“The succubus has already fled; let’s go, it’s none of our business.” said another, “Help Yis chase after a woman? Haven’t our wives and girlfriends been enough trouble from him already?”
One by one, they turned to leave, exchanging experiences of being cuckolded as they went.
Setting aside personal preferences, even from a perspective of interests, coordinating actions against the Sanctuary Saintess with Young Master Yis was one thing; having a direct confrontation with her was another. The price Yis had offered was far from enough to provoke a direct conflict with a Sanctuary Saintess.
They preferred to return and guard their own properties, maintaining a neutral watch on the situation.
Under the half-transparent dome, Jenna lit incense and silently chanted a prayer, seemingly preparing some divine magic.
Only then did the Grand Preacher raise his head to look at the receding members of the extraordinary committee. Young Master Yis’s lips moved, whispering to him; after a promise was made, the Grand Preacher’s bald head shone considerably. He spoke sternly to Jenna:
“You have colluded with the demon Jima, and the evidence is conclusive. You would do well to surrender immediately and cooperate with us to capture the succubus. Otherwise, in the name of Sigma, you will be punished. You have ten seconds.”
Young Master Yis breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the armored captain, saying, “Summon all the soldiers who can be reassigned to assist the Grand Preacher in capturing the fallen Saintess in collusion with the demon.”
“Yes!”
Yis said to Jenna, “You have no chance. There are three of us, plus the soldiers. Time is not on your side, and the chapel’s extraordinary squad will arrive sooner or later.”
“Exclude me,” Van Helsing raised a hand and said, “I’m here to catch demons, and I have no desire to get involved in this conflict.”
After saying that, he sniffed the air and said, “I think I smell the succubus. Goodbye, I’m off to catch the succubus.”
With that, he took off running, leaping into an adjacent building, crashing through a window to enter.
Yis felt an ominous premonition. Was the succubus going after his family?
Jenna raised her head and said, “Yis, you can still back off.”
“I don’t want to get to this point,” Yis said, “but you leave me no choice, Jenna. I never expected the words of a succubus would make you disregard the countless innocent lives in Marin City, when you were once so kind.”
“If you care about Marin City, you should welcome the Emperor’s army right now.”
“Army?”
Jenna raised her hands, emitting rays of light that illuminated a cloud in the night sky: “I struck a deal with the army, hoping they would enter town to quell the riots.”
“That violates the agreement with the Emperor! Violently intervening in Marin City,” Yis argued, “they won’t agree to it.”
Jenna looked at the surrounding guards and said, “If you want to save Marin City, then you should cooperate with me.”
“You shielded the murderer.”
“Maybe, but it’s my choice.”
The Grand Preacher didn’t say much more, directly raising his war hammer and shouting, “In the name of Sigma!”
He swung down heavily toward Jenna.
…
…
In the Imperial camp.
An imperial officer, adorned with several medals on his breastplate and colorful feathers in his helmet, rode a heavily armored warhorse, shouting in the camp:
“Get up, get up, you lazy scoundrels! That light that just fell from the cloud was so bright it didn’t wake you up!”
Soldiers emerged from their tents, each holding a shield embossed with a black cross and a pure skull in their left hands and gripping long swords. Under the leadership of their sergeant, they lined up; eight men formed a ten-man team, with multiple ten-man teams gathering into a hundred-man squad—chaotic yet orderly.
“Now that’s something resembling order, but the Emperor’s legion is already standing in formation.” The imperial officer grunted, turning to a giant sword-wielding warrior beside his warhorse, “Don’t shield me; I’m no chick. Go get the new recruits from this morning and bring them to join the fight.”
“That one called Henry?” the giant sword-wielder said. “He just enlisted yesterday and barely learned to hit wooden dummies with a big stick, not break his own leg.”
“When we get to the city, there’ll be plenty of heads for him to smash,” the imperial officer said. “Keep an eye on him; he’s the only soldier I recruited.”
“Fine, I’ll do it for the sake that he’s the only decent man in Marin City.”
Before long, the imperial officer, riding his beloved warhorse, was approached by a veteran centurion, who saluted and asked:
“Sir, are we really going to Marin City?”
“Yes, remember one thing: after we suppress it, we retreat immediately.”
“What about that big-chested woman’s words? Can they be trusted?”
“Which one?”
“The one… a beam of light fell at your tent, and suddenly a woman jumped out of it, the one who was talking to you.”
“Have you completely lost your mind? You dare to refer to someone who can jump out of light as ‘that big-chested woman’?” the imperial officer said. “On the battlefield, she can roast a large number of people. Show some respect, or one day she might roast you along with those green-skinned ones, claiming it as collateral damage—nobody can touch her. I don’t want to find your corpse among burnt green-skinned bodies, understand?”
“Understood!”
“Good. I’ll answer your question. As long as the Sanctuary’s people fulfill their promises, this conscription mission will be complete, and the Emperor will be very pleased.”
With that, the imperial officer leisurely rode outside the military camp.
Two large battalions, a total of twelve hundred-man teams, had assembled. The imperial officer rode his horse, inspecting the formation.
The soldiers were aligned neatly, shields touching shields, shoulders squared. The flag-bearer, donning wolfskin, steadied a banner; the night wind rustled the black cross and the pure skull in the center, flapping in the breeze.
“What is our motto?”
“We are the descendants of Sigma!”
Drawing their swords, they pointed toward Marin City: “March!”
The accompanying drummers began to beat their drums, the soldiers lifting their feet in unison, moving toward the flaming Marin City.
…
…
Jima, who had just invisibly fled, was hiding in a room on the highest floor, intending to catch her breath.
A sudden intense light erupted outside the window, followed by a tremendous rumble, shaking the windowsill.
Jima’s first reaction was that it was thunder, but seeing the light was white, she quickly leaned forward to look out, only to see a three-meter high blazing orb lighting up the courtyard of the Yis residence, executing a Brownian motion.
Everywhere it passed, flowers, grasses, and trees crackled in the intense light, bursting into smoke and flames. A four-meter tall pine tree vaporized as the orb floated past, leaving behind just a blackened trunk.
…and the charred corpses of the unfortunate guards, as Jima witnessed a group ensnared in the light net; they could only scream and drop their swords, pleading for the Saintess’s mercy as the orb approached, their voices reaching a fever pitch as a group of strong men cried like women.
Moments later, the orb rolled over, silencing every sound, leaving behind a handful of charred bodies in red armor, still emitting smoke, as well as a bunch of badly burned soldiers on the ground, their dying wails filling the estate.
The terrifying orb dissipated into the air, leaving only the long-lasting scent of charred flesh as proof of its past presence.
In the expansive courtyard, the remaining soldiers stood dazed and confused, momentarily disorganized, staring blankly at the charred corpses and screaming comrades, inhaling the scent of char. Some could not bear it, shouting “Monster!” before turning to flee.
Although the number of soldiers killed wasn’t high—perhaps just twenty or thirty—Jima thought, given that everyone had legs to run, the scene was horrifying. Very few mortals had ever experienced an extraordinary battle.
“Wow, what a spectacle. It looks like Jenna has really made up her mind and is going all out.”
Jima relaxed against the window, pulling out a crudely crafted wooden doll, asymmetrical and uneven, with three nails hammered into it—two crooked, one straight. On the straight nail, a strand of blonde hair was affixed, while the crooked ones were purely due to Jima’s earlier frustration, hammering it wrong.
The doll was inscribed with evil curses, with menacing claws ready to leap out and bite someone’s fingers.
On closer inspection, it was actually written in the common tongue, saying “Kill the blonde!” and “Hammer the minotaur!”
“It seems I don’t need to curse any further.” Jima glanced at her 12% magic reserve, feeling stable after Jenna’s healing. Her mindset also steadied, “Being able to unleash a combination of light orbs and light nets while under assault from three extraordinary beings shows that the other side is simply made of solid gold. Jenna is a seasoned platinum from actual combat, and I’m genuinely happy to have someone to rely on.”
Another rumble of thunder erupted, and this time Jima saw someone fly out and crash into a scorched pine tree. Upon closer inspection, it was Jenna; she looked somewhat disheveled, her silver robes ripped in several places as she stood on the ground.
“In the name of Sigma! I will punish you!”
A massive figure, glowing with golden light like a miniature giant, rushed toward her wielding a war hammer, swinging down fiercely at Jenna, who hastily unleashed a shield.
Another thunderous sound shook through the air as the shield shattered.
“He truly is platinum; there’s no such thing as good luck.”
With the Grand Preacher pressing from the front and Young Master Yis attacking from the side, Jenna was on the defensive, enduring their strikes, and managing to hold on while still using orbs and nets to scatter the soldiers was no small feat.
“This won’t do; I have to help her. Otherwise, seduction will turn into something more violent.” She glanced at the “Blonde Must Die” doll in her hand, shook her head, realizing that curses wouldn’t be enough to kill Yis. She tucked the doll into her belt.
Raising a hand toward the burning Marin City outside the window, as if trying to grasp it fully, contemplating setting off the pre-prepared rumor.
She felt the flow of rumors, drawing the “power of lies” from all around and gathering it in her throat, crystallizing it into each word.
“Young Master Yis’s estate holds all the treasures of the succubus.”
“Young Master Yis’s estate holds all the treasures of the succubus.”
“I…”
After silently repeating the phrases three times, Jima felt her body drained of energy, instinctively leaning on the windowsill to avoid collapsing.
What followed was an intense feeling of inner agitation and anxiety. An impulse surged through her, making her want to kick the window open, grab the nail-headed hammer at her waist, and strike Yis on the head.
She looked down, squeezing out the angry words through her teeth: “No one can take my harem away again…”
Jima quickly grabbed her face with her fingers, calming down and saying, “Damn! That was so cringy; lucky no one heard it.”
Before she could finish her thought, a familiar shriek echoed, raising the hairs on her arms as she immediately jumped backward.
“Boom!”
The window exploded, expensive glass shattering into countless pieces shot towards Jima, but were deflected by her “extraordinary charm,” whizzing past her.
It was Yis! He had been listening closely to the noises around him. I really should stop talking to myself; does that mean he heard what I said just now?
Jima, flushing with anger, shouted, “Yis! Go to hell!”
Young Master Yis’s voice echoed, loud enough to be heard throughout the estate: “Van Helsing! The succubus is in the second-to-last room on the left of the third floor!”
That witch hunter! He wasn’t downstairs.
Jima took a glance at her personal information system; her magic was down to 7%. Gritting her teeth and preparing to counter any loss of control, she began to use her “Chameleon” ability.
Footsteps thundered down the hallway as if driven by fate while she wasn’t fully invisible yet.
Van Helsing was faster than a dog!
Jima quickly sought a corner to hide, her form gradually becoming invisible. Whether such a clumsy strategy could evade the watchful eyes of the perceptive witch hunter, she had no confidence whatsoever.
But it was better than doing nothing.
“Bang!”
The door was kicked open, and the witch hunter, wearing a high-top leather hat, burst in, looking around.
Suddenly he shouted, “Come out! Succubus, I bet you’re hiding in there.”
Jima held her breath.
Hiding by the door, Van Helsing seemed to sense something and suddenly moved…
Charging toward the only large bed in the room, he flung open the curtain and shouted underneath, “Come out!”
Jima let out a sigh of relief, feeling lucky; perhaps this witch hunter was indirectly mentally impaired.
“Not in here.” Van Helsing stood up, turning just in time to face Jima, “She can’t be hiding invisibly in this room; I’m so fast she shouldn’t have been able to escape.”
Jima’s heart raced.
Van Helsing cautiously surveyed the area, gripping his short sword tightly with one hand while taking out a pouch from another. He scattered some glass powder around.
The glass powder sparkled with colorful light as it drifted through the air, one small particle landing on Jima’s boot, outlining a faint translucent silhouette.
Jima tightened her grip on the nail-headed hammer, biting her teeth, ready for a last-ditch effort.
Van Helsing looked around; perhaps it was his lucky day, as he seemingly didn’t spot Jima’s flaw.
“Damn it!” he suddenly exclaimed. “I fell into a trap! She went to kidnap a hostage, Yis’s mother!”
With that, he rushed out the door, the footsteps fading into the distance.
What is this? Is today my lucky day?
Jima glanced down at the visible outline on her boot, letting out a long breath as her hammer fell.
“Ah! Succubus, come out!”
A roaring voice echoed at the door as Van Helsing unexpectedly returned and jumped into the room.
Jima was so startled her heart nearly leaped into her throat.
Van Helsing looked around, putting his short sword away, saying, “Turns out, I was overthinking.”
With that, he turned to leave, heading toward the door, passing right by Jima.
Jima resisted the urge to give him a hit with her hammer, watching him hurriedly depart.
This witch hunter was messing with her mind.
Far off outside, Van Helsing’s voice could be heard.
“Hey! Do you know where the lady is? Yes! Yis’s mother! She’s in danger!”
“Hurry up! I need to hunt a demon; I’m running out of time!”
The footsteps grew fainter.
Does he really think I would go after Yis’s mother? By the way, how did Van Helsing hear my curse…
Just as Jima pondered, Yis’s irritated voice rang out from outside, “Despicable succubus! You wait!”
Alright, it seems like a curse has drawn the hatred of two people. Is this luck or misfortune?
Thinking it over, Jima suddenly realized, understanding all her doubts.
From Yis’s perspective, her threat was far greater than Saintess Jenna. No matter how strong the Saintess was, she couldn’t destroy an entire city. He had no idea she was running on empty.
All she needed to do next was hide and wait for the rioters to flood into the estate, seizing the opportunity to take out Yis amidst the chaos. Once he was dead, no one could challenge Yis’s promise to the Grand Preacher, and he would lose the motivation to fight to the death with Jenna.
Since he fought not for Sigma, despite his constant mentions of Sigma, he wasn’t doing it for justice. A person driven by self-interest was much easier to deal with than someone as stubborn as George.
——
¹ Hundred-man team: Commonly unknown, a ten-man team includes eight men, whereas a hundred-man team consists of eighty men. Because in a ten-man team, two are managing logistics.
