I'm really not a Sanctuary Warlock.

Lynn's mind went completely blank for a moment.

These two words were even more shocking to him than the earth-shattering battle he had just witnessed.

Is this ridiculously powerful assassin Anna's father?

how can that be!

He had heard some of Anna's background from Lisa.

Born in a remote village, his parents were ordinary people who were brutally murdered by cult members.

She herself grew up in the church's orphanage.

If she had such a powerful father, how could she have fallen to that state?

Back in Windbreak City, Anna's sanity was nearing its breaking point, and she was practically treated by the Church as a disposable commodity to be sacrificed at any time.

Where was this so-called father at that time?

wrong.

There must be something wrong here.

Logically speaking, such a powerful being would never allow his daughter to be used as a tool by the church.

Lynn's thoughts raced, and an idea popped into his head.

He decided to test the waters.

"Anna is dying."

Vigo's grayish-white eyes suddenly contracted.

An unbelievable rage erupted from his dying body, even causing him to struggle briefly.

"impossible!"

“August told me that the church had approved my request and would no longer allow her to perform any dangerous missions, and that her safety was absolutely guaranteed!”

Lynn looked at Vigo's undisguised rage. Although he didn't know what secret this man named Vigo was hiding, if he wasn't lying, then...

This only proves that he was scammed.

A chill ran through Lynn's heart.

Words are such a sharp weapon.

They could so easily manipulate a top-tier expert, making him completely unaware of his daughter's perilous situation, and even treating him like a subordinate.

How ironic.

Lynn stood up and ignored Vigo for the time being.

He turned around and walked step by step toward the temple guard who was still kneeling on one knee, motionless.

In any case, let's get it enslaved first.

This realm was created because of him, and the temple guards were also attracted by him. Now that they have been crippled by Vigo, it's just a good thing for him.

He walked up to the temple guard, reached out, and placed his hand on its cold, broken helmet.

"Bound by the law."

A deep incantation echoed in the pure white space.

An eerie and ancient power surged from Lynn's palm, transforming into countless twisted black runes that instantly covered the temple guard's entire body.

The kneeling guard trembled violently, seemingly trying to resist, but his head, pierced by Vigo's dagger, was no longer able to issue any commands.

The black runes frantically drilled into the gaps in the armor, devouring the golden holy energy.

Finally, to Vigo's astonishment, the enormous divine creation, along with its magnificent armor, vanished in a shower of golden light.

As the temple guards disappeared, this pure white world began to shake violently.

Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the sky, the ground collapsed, and the light faded.

The whole world fell apart.

……

Ash Wasteland.

A cold night wind blew by.

Lynn regained his sense of physical existence, surrounded by a plain that had been burned to a grayish-white color.

Vigo lay not far from his feet, his breath even weaker than when he was in the domain. Clearly, the intense battle just now had almost drained him of everything.

Now, all it takes is a simple wind blade to end his life.

Kill him?

Should we let him go?

Lynn was at a loss for what to do.

Killing him would be tantamount to killing Anna's irresponsible father, but it might also mean missing out on important clues about Anna's background. Besides, this man had just saved her life.

Let him go? An assassin of such top-tier skill, if he didn't kill me this time, what about next time? Who can guarantee he won't come looking for trouble again?

Lynn was silent for a moment before asking.

Where does your strength rank in the kingdom?

Vigo seemed surprised that Lynn would suddenly ask this question. He thought weakly for a moment, and then answered intermittently.

"About... twenty... people..."

Twenty people?

That's it?

Lynn was speechless with shock at the number.

A top assassin who could fight the temple guards to a standstill could only be ranked seventeenth in the kingdom.

What kind of monsters were ahead of him in line?

What kind of den of dragons and tigers is the royal city of Rivendell?

Seemingly noticing Lynn's shock, Vigo added a self-deprecating remark.

"Don't underestimate this ranking... The top ten in the kingdom are all true monsters... But most of them are subject to various restrictions and cannot act freely... Those of us outside the top ten are the only ones who can roam freely in the world..."

Lynn's heart sank.

The waters of this world are far deeper than he imagined.

He originally thought that Anna's level 57 strength was already quite strong.

In retrospect, they were only in the upper-middle class.

Vigo coughed violently several times, each time spitting out large amounts of bloody froth.

He used all his strength to speak.

Tell me... Anna... why is she dying?

Lynn looked into his bloodshot, grayish-white eyes, at the regret and pain woven within them.

He spoke slowly.

"Because she sealed the gates of hell on Mount Nicholas."

“The karmic fire has already entangled her.”

Chapter Sixty-Three: A Foolish Act III

"Karmic Fire..."

Vigo muttered to himself, knowing perfectly well what those two words meant.

That is a curse from hell, a maggot clinging to the bone, burning the soul and life day and night until it is completely incinerated.

No holy light spell can purify it, and no life potion can heal it.

That's... a terminal illness that will definitely kill you.

"Heh...hehe..."

Vigo suddenly laughed, a desolate laugh filled with endless self-mockery.

He thought of August's hypocritical smile and those solemn promises.

“Vigo, I assure you, Anna will be in no danger again.”

"She will step down from her position as a saint and live out the rest of her life in peace."

"This is a decision made by the highest levels of the church, and it is also my reward for your contributions over the years."

return?

That's the reward.

How ironic, how ridiculous.

Vigo's body trembled violently as a torrent of regret and rage, enough to consume everything, surged forth within him.

He hated the church's ruthlessness, hated August's deception, and hated his own stupidity and incompetence even more!

If only he had realized it sooner... if only he hadn't believed her so easily... if only he had... stayed by her side...

But there are no "what ifs".

Everything is too late.

He personally pushed his daughter's last hope to the edge of a cliff.

Lynn looked at him quietly without saying a word.

He could sense the intense, unyielding despair emanating from this man.

After a long silence, Lynn finally spoke.

"My journey is to the royal city of Rivendell to find a way to extinguish the flames of karma."

Another sentence that struck right to the heart, Vigo was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, all his words turned into a sigh filled with weariness and relief.

He never imagined that he would almost extinguish Anna's hope of survival.

"Kill me."

Vigo's voice calmed down.

"I am... powerless to change anything."

He struggled, using his last bit of strength, to remove a simple black ring from his finger and hand it to Lynn.

"This spatial ring... is for you."

"Although I've used up most of the resources and gold coins inside, there are some... spells and assassin tips I acquired years ago that might be useful to you."

He looked at Lynn with an almost pleading sincerity in his eyes.

"I wish you... success."

After saying this, Vigo slowly closed his eyes, completely giving up resistance and quietly awaiting death.

He no longer had the face to live.

The wind of the ashen wilderness blew across his pale face, lifting a few strands of messy black hair.

This top assassin, powerful enough to shake the kingdom, now appeared as a sinner awaiting judgment, humble and composed.

Lynn looked at him silently.

He reached out and took the still-warm black ring.

He could sense that Vigo's life force had become extremely weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

All you need is a simple wind blade.

That would completely end this man's life.