Cecilia of the Past Life

After Ansu was promoted at lightning speed within the cult, Samantha did not forget to assign him a task.

She summoned Ansu and lowered her voice to ask, "I heard from Cecilia... are you friends with that Saintess from The Church?"

Even though she had been nearly killed by a sting operation this time, Samantha still seemed obsessed with the matter of the Chosen One.

"Yes, Cult Leader Samantha." Ansu nodded.

Samantha immediately demanded, "In that case, you must maintain a good relationship with that Saintess. If she truly finds the Chosen One, I need you to report it to me immediately."

"Uh... this..." Ansu subconsciously glanced at Cecilia.

Although Cecilia was wearing a mask, he could sense from her eyes that her expression was one of utter speechlessness.

If he followed Samantha's request, he would have a legitimate reason to continue contacting Freya.

"Teacher... isn't this move a bit risky?" Cecilia said with dissatisfaction. "Hanging around The Church every day, aren't you afraid he'll be exposed? There are many experts within The Church."

"Either transfer him to my side, or use his relationship with the Saintess to continue investigating the Chosen One." Samantha's voice suddenly turned cold. "The Order has no need for useless people. Cecilia, this is not a place for you to play house!"

Cecilia frowned slightly.

She didn't want to choose either option, but the latter was at least slightly better, as it meant she wouldn't have to watch her teacher take Ansu away.

"I really don't understand your obsession with the Chosen One, Teacher." Cecilia sighed. "It's just a legend that has existed in The Church for thousands of years."

"No!" Samantha stated firmly. "The Chosen One is in Benalu City, and there is a high probability that he is even within the Royal Academy! We must kill him to prevent the minions of those false gods from completely overturning our great cause!"

She looked at Ansu again, her gaze filled with expectation. "Hermit, you must remember, this is a mission you must complete! You may use the authority at your disposal when necessary."

Cecilia's eyes became even more puzzled. Seeing Samantha's attitude, Ansu could only nod repeatedly and agree.

This time, Samantha did not explain the origin of this intelligence, but Ansu knew the reason. She had admitted it herself in the simulation: it was an revelation obtained through divination magic. This three-hundred-year-old witch still had a few tricks up her sleeve...

The cult gathering finally came to an end, and Cecilia led Ansu away, feeling depressed.

"You must be happy now, you can chat with that little Saintess every day from now on!"

Ansu inexplicably caught a whiff of jealousy, but he didn't dare to look up at Cecilia.

He could only say gloomily, "There's no choice... this is Cult Leader Samantha's order after all. Actually, I don't want to get too deeply involved with people from The Church either..."

"Hmph! I shouldn't have brought you along."

As Cecilia walked, she suddenly stopped and looked hesitantly at her teacher, who was conversing with other elders.

"Wait, there's one more thing I forgot to report."

"What is it?" Ansu looked at her.

"Remember those things I went to your library to look up?" Cecilia said slowly.

"I remember." Ansu nodded. "Is it about that... legendary treasure of the Demon Army?"

"That's right, I've already found some clues..."

Just as Cecilia was about to turn back, to her surprise, Ansu suddenly grabbed her.

"Witch, it's better not to tell your teacher about this unverified intelligence."

Beneath the silver mask, Ansu revealed a complex look in his eyes that Cecilia could not decipher.

"You..." Cecilia looked down at Ansu's hand, which was gripping her wrist tightly.

It was somewhat forceful, carrying an air of unquestionability.

In the past, it was always she who forced demands upon Ansu, but somehow, without realizing it... had the power dynamic between them reversed?

"Trust me, Cecilia." Ansu said with a hint of pleading amidst his insistence. "There is no benefit in telling her about the Demon Army treasure right now. Let's go back first."

Cecilia stared at Ansu's strange behavior and said softly, "You've really become bolder lately, daring to stop me... Have I been too good to you?"

The atmosphere remained tense for a moment.

Seeing that he was still incredibly insistent, Cecilia finally softened her attitude.

"Fine..."

"I'll trust you this time. Let's go back first."

Although she didn't know what Ansu was planning, Cecilia knew he was always cautious, and there must be a reason for him to be so insistent.

In response to the requests of our readers, we have now launched a VIP member ad-free feature.

Click to view

Ansu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

He had not forgotten the promise he made in the last simulation; he hoped to help her once, thereby changing Cecilia's fate.

The mission regarding the Demon Army treasure would be the greatest turning point in Cecilia's life. As someone who cared most about betrayal, she would face the most painful betrayal in the plot...

Ansu did not want her to repeat the same mistakes.

Before leaving the gathering site, he subconsciously glanced at Samantha in the distance, silently recalling the original plot.

All of Cecilia's misfortunes were caused by Samantha, the teacher who had raised her since childhood and was like a mother to her during her empty childhood.

But in reality, there was never any warmth. The only reason Samantha was so good to Cecilia, training her with all her might and teaching her magic, was simply to find a 'vessel' for herself.

Samantha was too old; she had lived for far too many years, and she could sense the limits of her own lifespan.

Upon realizing that her death was approaching, Samantha frantically and obsessively studied various magical tomes, exhausting every means to use magic to extend her life. Finally, she found a forbidden black magic from an unknown source that was akin to "soul possession."

This black magic required a sacrificial ritual, where, under the witness of an ancient demon, a delicious soul had to be offered on the other side of the scales. Once successful, she would be able to occupy that young and vibrant physical shell.

She could hardly wait any longer; on one hand, there was her rapidly aging state, and on the other...

Cecilia was too gifted. Her growth rate had far exceeded Samantha's expectations, becoming increasingly uncontrollable.

Such a powerful Cecilia made Samantha feel troubled, to the point where she didn't even know how to achieve her goal...

It was then that intelligence Cecilia brought back regarding the "Demon Army treasure" became her opportunity.

Through the investigations of the Echo of Truth Cult members, Samantha learned that beneath that ancient ruin lay countless traps, undead from the Demon Army, and even powerful monsters from the golden age of magic that guarded the site. Even if the Council of Elders were dispatched, they would suffer heavy losses.

Therefore, Samantha believed she could use this method to deplete Cecilia's strength and then strike while she was vulnerable.

In the subsequent operation, everything went exactly as Samantha had calculated. On the way to the destination, the team suffered heavy casualties, and Cecilia was severely wounded while protecting Samantha.

Samantha felt the time was right.

She schemed to trap Cecilia in the deepest, most dangerous part of the underground, preparing to usurp control of her body when she was at her weakest.

But unexpectedly, Cecilia's strength far exceeded her predictions. The cult laid siege for nearly a month, yet Cecilia still had the strength to fight...

Ansu could hardly imagine how she had survived. Cecilia fought the endless monsters in the depths of the earth; when hungry, she killed them to eat their flesh, and when thirsty, she gnawed on their blood. Her rage and an unyielding desire to survive turned her into a monster even more terrifying than the creatures themselves...

When a crazed Cecilia fought her way back out from the depths, Samantha was completely panicked.

She didn't care about anything else and immediately performed the sacrificial ritual, restraining Cecilia and having the cult elders repeatedly torture her soul.

One day, two days, ten days...

The ten-day ritual in the outside world lasted for years in the spiritual realm. Years of agonizing torture left Cecilia nearly devoid of reason, almost twisted into a true "Mad Witch."

But it was only "almost," because Cecilia still refused to give up.

Her intense hatred and obsession drew the gaze of an evil god.

It turned out that hidden deep underground was the shocking secret of the Demon Calamity War from back then; this was the place where that fallen deity—Ersos—had fallen and lay in slumber.

Cecilia was chosen by Ersos, inheriting the evil god's unwilling will while also mastering powerful and terrifying forbidden magical powers...

What happened afterward was simple: the transformed Cecilia fought her way out of the desperate situation, killed Samantha in retaliation, and slaughtered every cult member who had participated in the operation.

She immediately returned to the cult's stronghold, reorganized the Echo of Truth Cult according to her own philosophy, and set a new "great goal," recruiting like-minded people from everywhere.

No one knew what kind of "revelation" the evil god had given her that day, but from then on, Cecilia's mindset changed completely. She no longer disdained power and finally became the [Witch of World Destruction] who made the world tremble in the story.

Some say it was her teacher's betrayal and the endless torture that drove her to madness and despair.

Some say it was the powerful, filthy magical energy that twisted her will.

But there is another perspective: at that moment, Cecilia learned the truth behind the Demon Calamity War and caught a glimpse of the ultimate truth that made this world so filthy, so she wanted to make some kind of change in her own way.

Regardless, from this point on, Cecilia truly embarked on a "path of world destruction" that even her allies, the Demon Army, found extreme.

After returning to Benalu City from the Seaside Winery, it was already late at night.

Along the way, the two were lost in their own thoughts, with almost no conversation.

When Cecilia brought Ansu back to her room, she sneered and immediately set up a magical barrier that could not be peered into.

Those deep purple eyes, filled with suspicion, kept sizing up Ansu as he stood in place.

"Speak, what was that about just now?"