Chapter 97: You

When Herbert awoke, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

“…”

Transmigrated again?

No, the pattern on this ceiling seems familiar.

“Child, you’re awake.”

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

“How do you feel now?”

“I…”

Hearing this, Herbert raised his hand, instinctively wanting to scratch his head—but the motion froze halfway, his eyes narrowing.

“What the—?!”

Though no sound reached his ears, Herbert’s mind automatically generated this thought upon seeing his own blindingly bright arm.

BlingBling—

Fuck.

So damn shiny!

The golden sacred mark, once confined only to his dorsal hand, had now spread across his entire arm; the previously weak divine power within him had swelled by dozens of times!

Herbert felt that if he gave his sacred blood to Elisa again, he could burn that damn vampire to ash.

This wasn’t an exaggeration.

Herbert’s enhancement was truly that absurd.

If sacred oaths were measured by magical tiers, he had leapt from low-tier straight past mid-tier, landing squarely at high-tier beginning level!

He skipped a rank!

But before Herbert could celebrate, the sacred mark on his arm dimmed and vanished, replaced by a crushing wave of exhaustion.

“Ugh!”

The side effect of skipping from elementary school straight to high school had appeared—his frail body couldn’t bear this power.

“Grand Archbishop, what is this…?”

The Grand Archbishop, already aware of his condition, replied calmly: “Don’t worry. The Holy Maiden’s blessing elevated your oath power to high-tier, but your flesh remains at low-tier—it naturally cannot sustain it.”

“Don’t worry. The oath power will nourish your body; with proper training, it will fully adapt within half a year, stabilizing at high-tier beginning level.”

To be fair, this was already incredibly fast.

In just half a year, Herbert would reach a realm most people could never attain in a lifetime.

Like Blake—he was already considered exceptional among ordinary people for reaching high-tier beginning at forty.

Now Herbert would cover half of Blake’s lifetime journey in six months; if Blake knew, he’d probably cry himself to death.

“Thank you, my lord. I understand.”

Though his body was weary, Herbert’s spirit was exhilarated—he felt no regret over the six-month wait.

But human physiques differ.

For Herbert, this pace was simply not fast enough.

Just boosting physical strength?

I know this well!

Six months?

Wait and see—I’ll finish this journey in one month. No, half a month!

Based on his previous test in the Lava Hell, if he could soak for three hours daily, he could raise his physical quality to high-tier beginning level within half a month.

“Heh… hah…” Herbert tried to suppress his grin, but his lips refused to stay still.

This encounter with the Grand Archbishop brought Herbert immense benefits—truly a bounty.

He understood the Grand Archbishop’s views on monster girls, gained his support, and no longer needed to live in fear.

He learned the story of Holy Maiden Nenasha, deepening his understanding of Her.

Moreover, he touched Nenasha’s true form, resolving the power issue that had long troubled him.

How could he not be thrilled?

“Thank you for your help, my lord.”

“Don’t thank me. Your character resonated with the Holy Maiden’s lingering consciousness—that’s why you received Her blessing.”

The Grand Archbishop shook his head, closed his eyes, and refocused his attention on the Desecrated Statue.

“Alright, child, you may return.”

This exchange had delighted the Grand Archbishop—he had eliminated a hidden threat and confirmed the monastery would soon produce a power beyond legend.

“By the way, if you ever get the chance to leave the monastery, don’t hesitate—go out boldly.”

The old man, eyes still closed, spoke softly: “The monastery is a sanctuary—but also a cage.”

“A caged bird can never become an eagle. Your veins carry the blood of Silver Wings—you must not hide forever within this cage.”

Huh?

Herbert’s brow twitched—he sensed the hidden meaning in the old man’s words.

Is he telling me to go back to Wang Cheng and settle scores with those people?

“My lord, you mean… I understand.”

“Mm. Go.”

He didn’t ask the stupid question: “Won’t this bring trouble to the monastery?”

What kind of trouble could affect such a powerful being?

Herbert bowed deeply to the old man, then turned to leave the chapel.

But as he reached for the door, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and asked softly: “Grand Archbishop, what do you think of monster girls?”

You asked me so many questions—now answer mine.

“Me?”

The old man, still facing away, didn’t open his eyes, but a faint smirk curled his lips as he teased: “Child, have you ever wondered who brought all those monsters to the Discipline Hall?”

“Heh, I’m not as merciful as the Holy Maiden, nor do I trouble myself over such things.”

“Those who can be reformed, keep. Those who can’t be taught, destroy. That’s all.”

A simple sentence—but Herbert’s brow twitched violently, sensing a heavy aura of slaughter.

Good.

This elder wasn’t a soft-hearted man.

Besides, whether it was his imagination or not, as he glanced back toward the center of the chapel, he felt as if the Desecrated Statue had been hollowed out.

As if only an empty shell remained.

He didn’t dwell on it, and silently withdrew from the chapel.

After briefly recounting the conversation to the guard, Herbert returned to his room before nightfall.

“…”

He sat quietly before his desk, staring at the hands of the mechanical clock—the hour had not yet passed midnight.

Herbert frowned, silent for a long while, then finally whispered to himself:

“Nenasha…”

“Are you there?”

No answer came.

Only the soft ticking of gears filled the quiet room.

Click, click, click…

Herbert narrowed his eyes, silent—until a delighted little laugh sounded behind him.

【“Hehe~”】

【“You found me again~”】

The demon god appeared unusually early, before nightfall.

It meant Her power had recovered, and Her strength had grown even greater.

But Herbert, who should have been joyful, did not smile. He did not turn around; instead, he stared at the flickering candle flame and asked softly:

“How should I address you? Holy Maiden Nenasha? Or Demon God Nenasha?”

He posed the question to his ally.

“So… are you still you?”

And what answered him—

Was a mocking snort.

【“Pfft, hahahaha~”】

Today’s 5th update, 10,500 words, 2 extra updates added, monthly vote tally (5/6).

I originally only planned to push for 4 updates, just to prove I tried—but your overwhelming support moved me deeply.

I was humbled, even felt unworthy, so I pushed harder for the 5th update.

Sanjiang is tough, and this time there are many top-tier authors—I knew the odds were slim.

But rest assured, even if I don’t win, I won’t give up.

Honestly, my current results already surprise me—I’m grateful, not dissatisfied.

The more you crave perfection, the less you can clean up.

We have tried our best; perhaps this time luck was just a little short, but next time, the time after that, we will surely succeed one day.

As long as I keep striving, I will succeed one day.

I love you.

I will keep moving forward!!!





(End of Chapter)