Chapter 73: "A Fateful Encounter"

After leaving the three bishops, Link hurriedly summoned Bailing and flew two hundred miles to Chamo Town. Under the influence of the power of fate, the three bishops used prophecy and arrived at a result so clear and unbelievable that even they found it hard to accept: the person sought by the Church of the Father would appear near Chamo Town within a few hours. All Link had to do was wait there, and he would encounter a ‘fateful meeting’—in other words, a story-worthy event.

Riding Bailing, Link reached the skies above Chamo Town in just over twenty minutes. However, the person foretold by prophecy had yet to arrive. Link descended to rest somewhere, leaving Bailing to keep watch from above.

Time ticked by, and after three hours, Link still hadn’t seen the prophesied individual. He began to doubt whether the prophecy had failed—why else had no one appeared after such a long wait?

But as soon as this thought arose, Bailing sent a message: something was happening in the woods outside the town.

Link immediately used his Lightfoot technique to dash over, joined Bailing mid-way, and surveyed the scene from the sky. He saw two women in robes, looking somewhat disheveled, being pursued by a group of men in black.

In their escape, one of the women took out a pill and swallowed it, quickly regaining a considerable amount of strength—a miraculous restorative.

“Could it be them? Is this ‘fateful meeting’ meant for me to play the hero and rescue the damsels? How melodramatic,” Link couldn’t help but twitch his lips at the cliché, yet he was also struck by a thought: could this be the so-called influence of fate described by the system?

If so, the power of fate was truly formidable, shaping such opportunities for encounter. The classic tales that attribute everything to fate’s mysterious workings now seemed to carry a grain of truth—under its influence, all sorts of dramatic and crowd-pleasing events could unfold.

And this was only the casual blessing of fate bestowed by Remilia. What would happen if she unleashed her full power? Could she alter the rise and fall of nations? If so, her strength would rival that of a goddess of fate.

After pondering for a while, Link set aside thoughts of fate for now and approached the two women, as they had already been surrounded by their black-clad pursuers.

There were twelve men in black, all of considerable strength, ranging from the peak of the first tier to the middle of the second. Though the two women, one a mage and the other a warrior, were not weak—the mage at the second tier, the warrior at the third—they were outnumbered and stood no chance. At such a moment, if Link were to charge in and drive off the attackers, it would be the perfect scene of the hero saving the beauties so beloved in stories.

Link had always considered such plots overly dramatic, never expecting to find himself in one, especially orchestrated by ‘fate’.

The twelve black-clad men were formidable, but they were no match for Link, especially with Bailing and the shadow beast Phantom lurking nearby. Dealing with them would be as easy as eating or drinking. The only question that remained was what sort of persona he should adopt for this rescue—decisive and ruthless, gentle and refined, or domineering and awe-inspiring?

After five seconds of consideration, Link ordered Bailing to launch a surprise attack. In a flash, Bailing swept over the group like a gale, stirring a blast of air that forced the twelve to halt their assault.

At the same time, Link leaped gracefully from Bailing’s back, landing handsomely before the two women. He looked at the men in black and said, “Who are you? Why are you attacking these two ladies?”

Both the black-clad men and the two women were momentarily stunned. But before the men could reply, the younger woman called out, “Sir, be careful! They are cultists from the Church of Baal!”

“Church of Baal? That sounds familiar.” Link paused, searching his memory until he recalled this sect—a mysterious and evil cult within the Starlit Kingdom, worshippers of the ancient evil god Baal. Official authorities and orthodox churches had long hunted them, but the cult was so secretive and cautious that it had never been eradicated.

However, the Church of Baal’s usual sphere of activity was far from the Red Moon Province. Their sudden appearance here, hunting down two women—could it be that some great secret was at play?

Once again, Link felt swept up in the melodrama of fate’s turning wheel.

“This power of fate is incredible. What I thought would be a simple rescue turns out to involve a troublesome cult. Next, after saving these two girls, I’ll learn a shocking secret from them, then uncover an earth-shattering conspiracy, which will lead me to astonishing benefits, and from there I’ll become an extraordinary figure? All right, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself.” Link’s inner voice chuckled as he set his gaze upon the men in black.

Their cover blown, the men’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. The leader made a gesture, and four of them immediately fired concealed darts at Link.

The attack was swift and vicious, enough to catch most warriors off guard. But Link, accustomed to sparring with Altair and familiar with all manner of assassinations, was unfazed. These cultists, though strong, were far from Altair’s level. How could they succeed?

Link circulated his inner energy and deflected the darts, then used his Lightfoot technique to charge at the black-clad men.

The group was startled by Link’s speed and elusiveness, but quickly regained their composure. Under their leader’s direction, they engaged Link with practiced coordination.

Their teamwork was impressive—advancing and retreating in harmony, supporting each other so well that the twelve fought as one, putting even Link under pressure.

But Link wasn’t alone. If he couldn’t win by himself, why not call for reinforcements? With a thought, Bailing swooped down from the sky. The cultists, prepared for this, raised crossbows to attack—but at that instant, a massive black beast burst from the shadows on the ground—Phantom, the shadow beast.

At Link’s command, Phantom coordinated with Bailing, launching a surprise attack on the cultists aiming at Bailing. They never expected a deadly beast, undetectable until now, to be hiding in the shadows. Even with their rigorous training, they were caught completely off guard.

Phantom’s combat strength was terrifying, easily surpassing the cultists. The closest one was killed instantly; three others, after brief resistance, were slain or gravely injured.

In an instant, a third of the cultists had fallen.

Meanwhile, Bailing arrived as well, tearing open a cultist’s throat with a swipe of its claws. Link seized the moment, following up with a powerful palm strike against the nearest enemy. The black-clad man tried to block with his greatsword, but Link was using his Vajra Palm at seventy percent power—a force no ordinary sword could withstand.

With a crisp snap, the blade broke and was driven into the cultist’s chest by Link’s palm. The force caved in his chest and killed him instantly.

Now, only half the cultists remained, hardly a threat. Link had no intention of leaving survivors—his attacks were ruthless and precise. Bailing and Phantom, too, displayed the full ferocity of wild beasts. The trio worked in perfect harmony, wiping out all twelve assassins in less than a minute.

The two women stood nearby, eyes wide in disbelief, watching as the group that had driven them to the brink was annihilated with ease. They could only gasp in shock.

When Link finished, he found the two women staring at him as if he were an alien. Taking advantage of the moment, Link studied them closely.

Both were young, blond-haired, blue-eyed beauties. Though their attire and their predicament marred their aura, their looks were undeniably outstanding.

They were very young—the older no more than twenty, the younger about sixteen. Despite their astonishment, the two remained composed and did not lose their poise.

Link had already decided to interact with them as a true gentleman. With a friendly smile, he said, “Ladies, are you all right?”

The two snapped out of their daze. After exchanging a glance, the younger stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and curtsied gracefully. “Good day, sir. Thank you for saving us. My name is Sisley Nora, and this is my maid and escort, Milin Campbell.”

As she spoke, Sisley looked at Milin, who saluted Link in the manner of a knight. “Greetings, sir. I am Milin Campbell. Thank you for your help. If I have the chance, I will surely repay your kindness.”

Link smiled and waved a hand. “By the Father above, think nothing of it. The noble Father teaches us to help those in need without expecting anything in return. Besides, you were being hunted by evil cultists. As the Father’s emissary in this world, how could I stand idly by?”

The two women were startled, but upon noticing Link’s dignified white bishop’s robe, Sisley immediately crossed her hands and gave a religious salute. “May I ask which church you serve as bishop? Milin and I are both from the Lotus Church of the Moor Province. She is a Lotus Knight, and I am the Lotus Saintess.”

Lotus Church? Lotus Knight and Lotus Saintess?

With a little thought, Link recalled their backgrounds. The Lotus Church was renowned throughout the Starlit Kingdom for its expertise in alchemy. All its leaders were master alchemists, and the church was known for its charity and willingness to share or sell their potions to others, earning it deep respect and a wide network of connections among other churches.

Though not known for martial prowess, the Lotus Church’s extensive network made them highly influential. Few dared to provoke them, as a single word from them could rally countless allies.

As the Saintess, the Lotus Saintess was a vital figure in the church and usually traveled with many guards. Why, then, was she here with only her personal knight, being hunted by the Church of Baal? Could there really be a great secret behind all this?

(P.S.: Both the Lotus Saintess and the Lotus Knight are played by the reader ‘Rixia Bumaru’. By the way, don’t you feel like you’re developing a split personality?)