The interrogation in the next room was still underway, and as time passed, more and more shocking truths gradually came to light.
A timeline was slowly taking shape before Yu Sheng and Baili Qing.
The theory that "the world is terminally ill" had been part of the Holy Ascetic Society's beliefs from the very beginning. Their subsequent actions and research concerning the Dark Angel, however, had begun seventeen years ago at the mysterious Adar Great Pit, where they discovered the angel remains known as the Shadowless Bones. During their research, they concluded that fragments of the Dark Angel—the Angel Catalyst—could be used to "heal" the world. But the Angel Catalyst discovered in the Adar Great Pit had already lost its activity, so they turned their attention to Ankaela...
That had been ten years ago. In order to obtain Ankaela's Angel Catalyst, they had gone undercover in The Crossroads for ten full years.
"Where did you learn of Ankaela's existence?"
The interrogator's calm voice rang out from the shadows. It contained immense spiritual power, constantly weakening the Hermetic Society cultist's mental strength. The moment he began answering, it became extremely difficult for him to rebuild his psychological defenses.
"...The information came from an Angel Cultist, during an exchange a long time ago."
"You reached an agreement with the Angel Cult?" The interrogator leaned forward slightly. "You wanted the Dark Angel's 'remains.' That would be an unacceptable act of blasphemy to the Angel Cult. Would they really be willing to tell you the secrets of their 'Lord'?"
"We did have our differences, but that didn't mean we couldn't make use of each other." The cultist slumped in his chair and slowly continued, "Besides, they didn't know the truth about the Angel Catalyst. We explained it as some kind of 'gift' left behind