"The rats are yours to deal with. I'll shoulder the pressure from the Church of Light for you."
Idis's assurance carried a calm, grounding strength that made the promise feel absolute.
Akira probed curiously, "Compared to that… I'm more interested in what this special reward is."
Hearing this, Idis let out a soft laugh. "You really are a curious little baby~"
She settled gracefully onto a wooden chair, one leg crossing over the other. As she moved, her long dress clung snugly to her form, outlining the elegant lines of her slender legs.
"It's just some little trinkets," she said lightly, "things that'll do you some good."
"Something that benefits me?"
"Mm~ exactly."
As she spoke, her jade-smooth fingers propped up her cheek. Her gaze overflowed with bewitching allure, as if she were deliberately tempting him.
"A plant from the Abyss," she continued slowly, savoring each word, "something that will let you… grow stronger—instead of staying this fragile and flimsy~"
"!"
Akira's anticipation spiked instantly.
"Alright, I still have other matters to attend to, so I'll be going now. Remember—don't let a single one of those rats escape!"
The moment her words ended, Idis vanished from Akira's sight.
What followed immediately were Ivsha and the others gently holding him, their voices tinged with anxiety.
"Mr. Akira~ are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Akira slowly sat up, scanning his surroundings with a puzzled expression. He couldn't help but marvel at Idis's ability to communicate with him through Ivsha—so that kind of play was possible too…
"Master, are you overworked? Would you like to hold Alice and sleep together tonight?" Alice asked with equal concern.
"Alice, that算盘 of yours is clacking awfully loud," Akira said, lightly pinching her cheek.
"Heehee~" Alice giggled mischievously.
"Hm?"
Akira suddenly noticed something unusual—his pocket felt heavier.
"What's this?"
He reached in and pulled out the object. It was a jade hairpin, elegant and refined, with a dazzling ruby embedded at its tip.
[Flamefall (Elite): Deals a single instance of massive true damage.]
Akira stared at it, murmuring, "A one-time-use hidden weapon?"
He quickly realized this must have been a contingency Idis had prepared to ensure the mission's success. She was always good at leaving behind unexpected cards.
And perhaps… there were other secret measures he hadn't discovered yet, lying quietly in the shadows.
After giving Ivsha and the others a few simple instructions, Akira logged out of the game.
That player in Blue Moon City had tried to exploit priests to persecute nuns—but clearly hadn't realized whose territory this really was.
Moreover, that priest's strength wasn't particularly high—around level 25 or 26. Loserine should be more than capable of dealing with him.
The real concern lay with the other adventurers belonging to that player's guild.
Still, with Idis backing him, Akira felt far more confident about defeating the opposing guild.
After logging out, he washed up briefly and went straight to bed.
Deep within the Church of Light in Blue Moon City, Twerd sat alone in his study, his face twisted with unspoken anxiety.
How could there be no news at all?
He replayed the question again and again in his mind.
The people he'd sent to the Silvermoon Town church should have reported back long ago—yet now they were like stones dropped into the sea. No response. Nothing.
A shadow crossed Twerd's face.
He couldn't understand how things had spiraled to this point. Worse still, the city's enforcement knights had tightened security, depriving him of any opportunity to target the city's women.
All of it left him restless and on edge.
Even more troubling—
One of the victims had actually survived, saved by a physician.
Thankfully, he had used mind magic on her, damaging her soul and preventing her from exposing his crimes. Otherwise, his reputation, his status—his very life—might have been in grave danger.
"That nun…"
Ivsha's image surfaced again in his thoughts, filling him with unease.
As an adventurer himself, Twerd knew exactly how much power the Adventurer Guild could bring to bear on this world. He wasn't fully confident he could resolve this problem on his own.
"It seems I'll have to seek help from the guild leader," he muttered, stroking his chin. "He should be quite interested in that nun."
A plan began to take shape.
The next day, after logging into the game, Akira's first priority was leveling up Ivsha.
From the three E-rank commissions completed the day before, he had accumulated 5,000 experience points and 50 silver coins—just enough to raise Ivsha to level 14.
After finishing that, Akira noticed a letter waiting for him on the bar counter.
He initially assumed it was from Natasha—but upon opening it, he discovered it was from the Lord of Sunset City.
To the respected Guildmaster Adventurer:
We plan to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow afternoon regarding the beast tide. We sincerely request your punctual attendance.
"An invitation from the Lord of Sunset City…"
Akira murmured softly after reading.
Of course he would attend. It would also be a good opportunity to see how many player guilds were involved in defending Sunset City.
But before that, he needed to complete the Blue Moon City commission.
"Let's move. Back to Blue Moon City," Akira said to Loserine and Ivsha.
"Understood~"
As white light flared from the teleportation array, they reappeared on the streets of Blue Moon City.
Akira lifted his gaze, immediately spotting the Church of Light in the distance. Streams of believers flowed in and out, the place bustling with activity.
Naturally, he didn't enter recklessly.
Akira knew that if conflict broke out inside the church, those devout believers could instantly become his enemies.
So he waited patiently—for the right moment.
Before long, a group of enforcement knights came into view. Led by a captain, they marched in formation toward the Church of Light.
Akira knew—this was the moment he'd been waiting for.
He quietly followed behind them into the church.
"Pastor Twerd," the captain said sternly, "based on our investigation, the Church of Light may be connected to several incidents. We need to conduct a lawful search."
As he spoke, he presented a search warrant.
Pastor Twerd responded calmly on the surface. "Please proceed. I only ask that you don't disturb the believers during their daily prayers."
"Begin the search!" the captain ordered without hesitation.
At once, over a dozen enforcement knights spread out, meticulously combing through the church for any possible criminal evidence.
Twerd narrowed his eyes.
Outwardly composed, inwardly seething with fury and anxiety.
It must have been that woman… she leaked something. I'll have to eliminate this hidden risk. Damn it—back then I was sure she had no signs of life!
Still… there's time to fix this.
While the enforcement knights searched other areas, Akira quietly entered the church's main hall.
His gaze was sharp and probing, like an explorer hunting for the answer to a riddle.
He surveyed the space, eventually fixing his eyes on the statue of the God of Light at the center of the hall.
He immediately sensed something different.
In the Silvermoon Town church, the statue hadn't been cordoned off—believers could freely approach and pray.
But here, the statue was deliberately isolated. Worshippers could only kneel several meters away.
Even more, the fanatical crowd's presence prevented the enforcement knights from thoroughly inspecting the statue.
There was also something else—
The statue was too well-maintained.
As if it were constantly repainted… to conceal something.
"Could there be a secret hidden beneath the statue of the God of Light?"
Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, deep in thought…