Chapter 25: A vision of the future
An awkward silence filled the air as Ronan looked at Savanna, while Savanna stared back at him. With each passing moment, she became more and more embarrassed.
Eventually, she began doubting herself.
Had she read the signs wrong?
Finally, she spoke, her voice filled with embarrassment.
"Please follow me."
Savanna bowed, hiding her face as she turned and walked ahead.
Seeing this, Ronan couldn’t help but wonder if he had a hearing problem.
Had he hallucinated what she said earlier?
Savanna had changed her attitude so quickly in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
Seeing her back almost disappear around the corner, Ronan hurriedly followed, trying to get used to the new dress he would probably be wearing for a while.
As they walked toward the main room, Ronan gained an even better view of the human world.
He saw artwork depicting strange animals, humans bowing toward the sky, and people worshipping the sea and ocean.
He also saw portraits of the City Lord and his family.
The paintings seemed to depict the history of the city and the family that had ruled it for generations.
They passed several guards before finally arriving at a large door guarded by two Peak Transcendent Realm experts.
"Please open the door for the Maiden."
Savanna bowed slightly toward Ronan before moving to the side, keeping her head lowered and avoiding his gaze.
Hearing this, Ronan glanced at the maid.
He could have sworn she had just said something strange, but he decided to ignore it for now.
The two guards nodded and bowed slightly toward Ronan before stepping aside and opening the door.
Ronan walked forward and entered the main room, where Bama and the others were already waiting.
The moment he entered, Savanna let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I was able to salvage the situation."
She could hear her heart pounding as she thought.
"I’ll take my leave."
Savanna smiled sweetly at the guards before hurriedly leaving, leaving the two guards staring after her in confusion.
Why was Savanna in such a hurry?
Although it wasn’t really their concern, the two exchanged glances, surprise evident in both their eyes.
It seemed the rumors spreading throughout the mansion were true.
The Maiden really was beautiful.
What was most surprising, however, was that they could only see her eyes.
Yet somehow, those crimson eyes alone were enough to make them imagine an incredibly beautiful face hidden beneath the robe.
In the main room, the instant Ronan stepped inside, he felt the intense pressure surrounding the area.
His steps grew heavier.
He walked past several pillars before finally seeing Bama, Selak, and the City Lord seated together.
Several guards surrounded a figure whose body was tightly restrained.
"Ah... Maiden, you’re here."
Bama was the first to notice Ronan.
Hearing this, Ronan’s face twitched, but he continued walking toward them.
Finally, he stopped a short distance from the restrained figure.
It was a beautiful young woman.
Her face was almost exactly the kind of beauty Ronan had once dreamed about when he had been a fanboy during his first life.
Yet this beautiful woman was now drenched in dried blood.
Her clothes were torn, her flesh was covered in wounds, and several injuries were deep enough to expose the bone.
Her breathing was weak.
Ronan could sense that death wasn’t far away.
Who is this?
Ronan couldn’t help but wonder.
"Welcome, Maiden. The assassin has been caught, and this is her. Before you arrived, we were discussing her background and what should be done with her."
Bama provided Ronan with the crucial information he needed.
Ronan looked at the woman again.
But this time, there was no pity in his eyes.
Only coldness.
This woman had tried to kill him and had ruined his plans for the ritual.
Naturally, Ronan had no goodwill toward her.
"So, Maiden, what do you think?"
Bama asked.
Selak opened his mouth as though he wanted to speak, but ultimately decided against it.
He wanted to bring this assassin back to the Duke’s family.
After all, she had to come from somewhere.
Was she an enemy?
Or perhaps someone from a foreign kingdom?
If the decision was left to Ronan and he killed her, all the valuable information they could obtain from her would be lost.
Ronan simply stared at the assassin.
What could he say?
Literally, he couldn’t say anything.
He looked at Bama with his crimson eyes.
Come on.
You’ve always understood me.
So guess what I’m thinking.
Ronan stared at him expectantly.
Seeing the Crimson-Eyed Maiden looking at him, Bama’s heart began to flutter.
Oh... the Maiden is looking at me.
Her eyes... they’re so beautiful.
"Ahem..."
Bama cleared his throat.
"Maiden, I understand your wish."
Ronan almost sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Selak smiled warily.
Are they going to kill her now?
"Good. Good lad. Now kill this bitch."
Ronan felt pleased for the first time.
Finally, he understood me.
"We will turn her into your slave."
Bama nodded happily, proud of himself.
Ronan froze.
...What?
"For someone who actually tried to kill you, simply killing her doesn’t seem like enough."
Bama’s expression became cold.
"We’ll torture her, break her mentally, and eventually force her to reveal everything she knows. But we’ll make sure her punishment lasts..."
"She will pay."
Bama’s cold declaration shocked everyone in the room.
Beside him, Selak was stunned.
He looked at Ronan in surprise.
Was this really what the Crimson-Eyed Maiden wanted?
It seems she isn’t as simple as I thought.
Meanwhile, Ronan was freaking out.
You bastard! Who needs a slave?!
I can’t even talk! And what if she tries to kill me again?
Do you secretly have a grudge against me from my previous life or something?!
At that moment, Ronan wanted to cry.
He blinked rapidly.
No, no... you’re a grown man. You can’t cry.
He desperately tried to hold back his tears.
Meanwhile, Bama saw the Crimson-Eyed Maiden blinking rapidly at him.
To him, those crimson eyes looked almost affectionate.
That’s right.
Don’t worry.
You don’t need to speak.
I’ll be your voice... and the one who understands your heart and fulfills your deepest desires.
Bama smiled proudly.
Ronan’s heart sank.
I’m doomed.
**********
Far away from the Destal Kingdom...
On the pathway, a giant convoy of carriages could be seen.
Bright golden light reflected off them, filling the surrounding area with a dazzling radiance.
Everything—from the carriages themselves to their wheels and even the enormous horse-like creatures pulling them—was covered in gold.
Each creature stood more than five meters tall.
Even the guards wore gold-plated armor, a clear display of wealth and status.
Emblazoned on the carriages was an emblem of a flame with a golden snake coiling around it.
It was the symbol of the Church of the God of Wealth.
At that moment, the Pope of the God of Wealth was experiencing a vision.
His eyes turned completely white.
His golden robes and numerous diamond rings shone brilliantly as a terrifying yet calm presence descended upon him.
He could see a divine realm filled with endless divinity and serenity.
Countless souls sang with joy as they worshipped the divine beings who watched over the Divine Realm and the world below.
This was the realm of the gods.
Yet this once-glorious realm had been transformed into a massive burial ground.
The Pope watched in horror as divine entities were slaughtered one after another.
Rivers of blood flowed across the land, while the earth seemed to mourn the deaths of the gods.
"My... my Lord... What is this?"
Seeing the horrifying vision, the white-bearded Pope, whose face was slightly gaunt, asked with fear.
What kind of creature could have done this?
And why?
"My faithful servant..."
A divine voice echoed within his mind.
"This is what will happen to the Divine Realm in the future."
"This matter has troubled the gods for several decades. A vision of the future... How accurate it is, we cannot say."
"But gods do not dream."
"And if even one of us receives such a vision, then it must be taken seriously."
As the divine voice echoed, the Pope felt his spirit being lifted and baptized in an overwhelming wave of divinity.
"What shall your humble servant do to aid your faith?"
The Pope asked respectfully.
"Go to the Destal Kingdom."
"There is a runaway slave connected to all of this."
"The Duke’s family shall harbor it."
"I want you to take care of it."
The God of Wealth’s voice was calm, yet filled with divine authority.
How much of this was truly connected to the future?
The Pope didn’t know.
What he did know was that the Duke’s family had always been a terrible obstacle to the construction of the God’s temples.
Over the years, countless servants of the gods had been rejected by the Duke.
And because the gods’ Saints and Saintesses could not descend into this barren land, they had been unable to do anything about it.
But now...
With this divine message, perhaps things could finally change.
"Yes, my Lord."
"I will do as you command."
"The undead will be erased, and the Duke’s family will comply. The Destal Kingdom will become part of your divine kingdom."
The Pope spoke with absolute confidence.
The divine presence gradually faded.
His eyes returned to normal.
For a moment, the Pope remained silent as he pondered his Lord’s words.
"An undead..."
"A runaway slave..."
"The Divine Realm reduced to ruins..."
His expression gradually became solemn.
"Is this... truly what the future holds?"
The Pope couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief.