I, the Holy Maiden of Light, tear apart the Outer Gods.

She ruffled Anjie's hair, then met those pitiful eyes, and finally sighed helplessly, "Fine, I won't ask anymore."

But you must ensure your own safety. If anything goes wrong, don't try to handle it alone. The two old women and I will help you unconditionally.

Although Joan's tone remained stern, a warm feeling washed over Ange.

She smiled sweetly at Qiong, nodding her head as quickly as a rattle-drum, "Okay~"

Oh no, you've finally figured out how to act cute!

Could you do that one more time?

Yes, yes, that's it:

I really like Judge Joan!

Hahahaha!

Anjie: ...

Hold on, hold on... Great people don't concern themselves with trifles...

After taking several deep breaths, Anjie finally managed to block out the system's taunts.

...

Because the cave's seal only opens at night, Ange and Qiong had to return to the church temporarily and wait until nightfall before returning to the southwestern mountains.

"I'm back!"

Welcome back.

Ange was taken aback by the unprecedented response. She remained in the position of pushing open the door, looking at Novia, who was wearing an apron, with surprise.

"What's wrong?" Novia tilted her head. "Go wash up and get ready for dinner."

"Ah, ah, oh oh!" Ange finally came to her senses, but still looked like she didn't know what had happened.

The feeling of the wife greeting her husband when he comes home is so strong!

Joan, who had witnessed all of this, smiled knowingly but said nothing.

At the dinner table, Ange looked at Novia, who was eating slowly and carefully, and for a moment she couldn't understand Novia's thoughts.

Just yesterday, Novia seemed conflicted about leaving, but today she's managing the church like a proper hostess.

Moreover, Ange noticed that Novia's dining style was very elegant and refined.

The way they used the knife and fork was also very standard, clearly showing that they had undergone systematic learning, and every move they made revealed a kind of beauty.

"Cough cough!" Qiong coughed heavily, which startled Anjie out of her daze.

She then realized that she had been staring at other people eating for quite some time.

Anjie quickly lowered her head, and a faint blush appeared on her ears.

"Angie, I've made up my mind. I'm not leaving," Novia said calmly.

Ange blinked, then burst into joy: "Really?! That's wonderful!"

You're just lusting after her body.

Anjie: "To be precise, I don't just lust after her body."

Think about it, Novia is now a mobile quest trigger point! And Chief Judge Joan is here too, so all I have to do is act cute and she can help me complete the quest.

Trigger—Complete—Trigger Again—Complete Again. That sets it up!

"...I underestimated your shamelessness, you despicable woman."

The overwhelming surprise made Anjie completely immune to the system's mockery.

Ange also failed to notice the fleeting spark that crossed Novia and Joan's eyes when they met.

...

last night

"Cough cough..." Novia coughed up a mouthful of blood, her eyes, stained red by the magic of fire, fixed on the two cultists in front of her.

These two cultists were not to be underestimated. Their bizarre abilities and terrifying power left Novia defenseless, and after just a few exchanges, she was already at a disadvantage.

If it weren't for her considerable skill in fire magic, she might have already perished at the hands of those two cultists.

Joan remained reclining on the bench throughout, watching Novia and the two cultists with a mocking expression.

It was as if everything before my eyes was nothing more than an interesting stage play.

Novia glared fiercely at Joan, "What exactly do you want, you hypocritical believer?!"

Qiong smiled and shrugged. "Didn't I just say that I would explain my purpose in getting close to Anjie?"

"..."

Novia pursed her lips and remained silent.

At that moment, the two cultists let out a low growl, and dark magic surged towards Novia like a tidal wave.

Novia could only hastily parry.

However, the flame barrier couldn't hold for long under the attack of the two cultists, and it quickly collapsed, turning into a scattering of tiny sparks and dissipating.

The wave of magic crashed into Novia, sending her flying like a cannonball until she slammed hard into a pillar.

"Cough... Damn it..."

Novia wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

That blow just now must have broken at least two of my bones.

But the cultists gave Novia no chance to rest; they pounced on her again like madmen.

In the nick of time, Novia could only turn her gaze to Joan, "...I, I'll say it."

Bang—bang—

The instant Novia finished speaking, the two cultists, still in mid-air, were slammed to the ground with tremendous force, making a muffled thud.

Joan stood with her hands behind her back, looking down at Novia, who was slumped on the ground, her golden eyes filled with the same unchanging smile.

Her long, slender legs, encased in white stockings, were pressing down on the necks of the cult members, and despite their faces turning increasingly pale and purple, she remained unmoved.

Joan: "Hmm~ Since you've made up your mind, then say it."

Novia: "...Before that, may I ask a question?"

Joan remained smiling. "I can't guarantee I'll answer."

Novia took a deep breath. "What exactly is your relationship with Ange?"

It seems they didn't expect Novia to ask that question.

Joan paused for a moment, then smiled slyly—

"She's my illegitimate daughter."

Chapter 20 Blasphemy, Divine Evil (Third Update)

That night

As Mayor Luke said, a thick fog shrouded the southwestern mountains at night, and such a dense fog meant that most people who entered the forest might not be able to come out again.

Moreover, in Ange's eyes, this "mist" was actually a manifestation of dense necromantic power.

Fortunately, Joan possessed powerful light energy; simply standing there was enough to dispel a large area of ​​fog.

"arrive."

Joan stopped in her tracks; ahead of them lay the cave they had seen during the day.

At this moment, the cave was spewing out a dense necromantic power, making the deep, dark cave appear extremely gloomy and terrifying.

Anjie subconsciously moved closer to Qiong.

Noticing this, Joan subtly curled the corner of her lips.

As expected, he's still just a child...

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Don't leave my sight once we're inside the cave," Joan said softly, ruffling Ange's hair.

"Mmm." Anjie nodded obediently.

When she's with Joan, Ange always unconsciously shows her vulnerable side.

Perhaps it was the body's innate dependence, or perhaps it was the gentle, approachable quality that made people want to get close to Joan...

Ange didn't understand, but she was clear about one thing: Joan was the best person to her in the world.

Only after entering the cave did Anjie truly feel the dense, almost tangible, necromantic power.

The chilling aura of necromancy made Ange shiver uncontrollably.

Moreover, this special necromantic power also carries the warmth of the power of light.

This caused Ange to alternate between hot and cold, and the necromancy made her unable to stop.

[You're so lecherous!]

Anjie: No color allowed!

Left with no other choice, Ange also released some of her light power to resist the power of the undead.

"Click—click—"

A sickening sound came from the mist, and five or six pale white skeletons emerged from the mist and charged towards Anjie and her companion.

However, the next second, it was crushed into powder by Joan's snap of her fingers.

After that, the two naturally encountered several more waves of undead, but Joan defeated them all in one move.

Ordinary undead pose no threat whatsoever to the chief judge of the Holy Church of the Royal Capital.

While Joan was dealing with the skeletal undead, Ange noticed some writings carved on the surrounding stone walls, and she carefully memorized them:

"Little Lena...my darling, I will definitely heal you..."