Be Better Prepared. (Continued)

The Doctor recounted the entire incident in one breath, his tone somewhat hurried.

To her surprise, Priestess did not give an immediate response after hearing these words.

She remained silent for a moment before narrowing her eyes slightly and looking at the Doctor.

"Why... why do you trust her so much?"

"Forehead..."

Upon hearing this, the Doctor paused abruptly, a look of bewilderment appearing on his face.

She didn't understand why Priestess would bring this up.

But Priestess shook his head.

"I also traveled with Maria for a while. Although I disliked her, I have to admit that she was indeed a very mysterious and reassuring woman. It was as if standing behind her, I didn't need to think about anything... But I hated that feeling. It made me feel like a useless burden. Standing on her side, I would never be qualified to solve problems head-on."

Priestess spoke, he stepped forward.

Although she was slightly shorter than the Doctor, the Doctor felt a little uneasy at that moment.

"Moreover... she's too powerful. She's so powerful that she doesn't seem like a normal human being, even though she still claims to be human."

"When we're around her, we're always unconsciously drawn to her; we always find ourselves looking at her, seeking a sense of relaxation in her presence..."

"What's the meaning?"

The Doctor frowned; she sensed a hidden meaning in Priestess's words, but couldn't quite place what she was talking about.

This answer caused Priestess to fall silent for a moment, but then, as if spoiling her, he continued to answer.

"What I'm trying to say is... don't you think your trust in her is too absolute right now? It's like there's a voice constantly making you believe in her?"

Priestess turned his head away, looking at the Doctor with a deep gaze, and his words stirred up a storm in the Doctor's heart.

The Doctor suddenly snapped out of his daze and realized that his body had become more than twice as heavy, as if a drifting cloud had suddenly gained substance. His open eyes stared blankly at his hands.

Priestess made it very clear: they shouldn't have trusted Maria so much.

"Perhaps... she understands what we're saying?"

The Doctor tried to struggle a bit more; perhaps their trust in Maria wasn't influenced by anything, but by themselves?

After all, Maria could understand what they were saying, which might mean that they already considered Maria one of their own?

After all, that's the kind of person she rose to prominence.

But this time, Priestess did not answer.

She just watched the Doctor silently, observing her self-consolation and reflection.

Admittedly, Maria's ability to understand their language would lead them to view her as a fellow survivor from the Precursor Civilization, and initial trust would be natural. But... isn't it strange that Maria understands but can't speak?

Add to that the possibility of this world's strange Originium Arts, and the subsequent, unconventional acceptance of each other's trust as they get to know each other... what more needs to be considered?

The Doctor understood what Priestess meant, his lips pursed slightly, revealing a hint of struggle.

Priestess also noticed this.

She didn't immediately try to get the Doctor to accept her ideas; instead, after a moment of silence, she turned and asked him again.

"Now that you're back, where did she go?"

"She?"

The Doctor paused, then spoke with some confusion.

"She went to stop Gordan..."

"One person?"

"One person..."

The Doctor fell increasingly silent. Priestess's words had revealed a chilling possibility to her, a possibility that made her uneasy.

But then, Priestess tore off that veil.

"Remember our research? Humans can't kill these monsters."

Priestess took a deep breath, his words cold and indifferent.

"Their life structure exists entirely in a world we have never set foot in. Their form, their bodies, their thoughts cannot be described or speculated upon using our usual methods... But one thing we can be certain of is that humans cannot kill these monsters, unless..."

"Unless... we also become like them..."

The Doctor finished Precy 'Priestess sentence, completely clearing up the last vestiges of confusion in the Doctor's mind.

Priestess has made it very clear: Maria... is not the same kind of life as them.

It's not just a comparison with those from Precursor Civilization.

Instead, it compares them to all life forms that have ever existed on Terra.

Maria was an anomaly!

She's not on my side!

The Doctor's breathing stopped abruptly, and his expression grew increasingly grim and conflicted.

Seeing the Doctor's expression, Priestess finally stopped questioning Maria, shook his head slightly, and continued speaking.

"I know you might have some doubts and unease about this idea, and believe me, I felt the same way. But we can discuss these issues properly later. Now, I want to talk to you about something else."

Priestess spoke, but the Doctor only raised his small face, looking completely bewildered.

She couldn't quite accept the fact that Maria was a monster.

Priestess was also somewhat conflicted, but she quickly focused her attention on what really mattered.

"Over the past few months, I've thoroughly studied the history of this world... especially the history of the Sarkaz. I've discovered that our lost controller is very likely related to these Sarkaz."

"Sarkaz?"

The Doctor paused, his gaze drifting somewhat.

Priestess raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you find it strange? Although many races in this world can be infected with Oripathy, only the Sarkaz can be considered natural-born adaptants to Originium..."

"I have studied their history and bodies, and I can assure you that this is not a prejudice caused by history, culture, or customs. Even in a peaceful environment with equal levels of pollution, the Sarkaz are still more susceptible to infection... It's as if their bodies are born for the spread of Originium."

"I've discovered many interesting things in their history, the most obvious of which is probably that guy who was known as the first Demon King."

After speaking, Priestess looked at the Doctor a moment later.

"If we want to get back Ananna, who is the controller, perhaps we should start with that demon king."

Priestess explained his thoughts to the Doctor.

She cooperated with Theresis for two reasons. First, his power was already established, so she didn't need to develop it further. Second, their goals were aligned.

However, Theresis wanted the identity of the Demon King, while Priestess wanted the Demon King's Black Crown, which has been barely documented to this day.

She realized that what she was looking for might be inside.

But the Doctor was in no mood to care about any of that; her mind was completely preoccupied with the question of whether Maria was even human.

But at that very moment, a muffled thud suddenly erupted!

"Bong--"

Like a silent explosion propelling the air, a dull thud suddenly erupted in the air and spread rapidly in all directions.

Almost simultaneously, everyone felt a slight difficulty breathing, and the muffled sound caused a strange buzzing sound in their ears.

At this moment, the wails and screams in the streets sounded particularly jarring.

Everyone looked up in surprise.

Shortly after the muffled sound, something unusual happened throughout the world.

The dim yellow streetlights had been tinged with a strange golden-brown hue.

The lights shone on people, revealing a strange color.

The soldiers on guard were illuminated by the light, and guided by the light, they could vaguely see a human-shaped pattern appearing beside the other person!

At this very moment, its body and its physical form are struggling rapidly, seemingly vying for control of its body!

"This is?!"

This bizarre scene startled the priest, who was witnessing something truly unusual for the first time.

But the Doctor and Priestess, who were standing nearby, already knew what had happened.

Although it was their first time seeing it, they had read the relevant reports countless times before.

When Theresis saw this, she could no longer maintain her composure and turned her head, her expression grave.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this, but... the last time he'd seen something like this was in Kazdel.

"Where?"

Theresis immediately turned to the Doctor beside her and asked a question.

When she looked completely bewildered, he immediately pressed her for answers.

"Maria... where is she?!"

Theresis was absolutely certain that the problem now lay with Maria.

He didn't know whether this meant Maria had the upper hand or the enemy had the upper hand.

But he was certain that if he didn't act now, he might not even have the chance to act later.

The Doctor also realized what was happening.

After exchanging a glance with the priest, they didn't hesitate at all. They turned around and led a few people to run towards their destination!

The group's actions were not carried out in a high-profile manner, but rather secretly in order to avoid causing further disturbances.

Before long, they arrived at the site where Maria had just fought.

The first thing Theresis saw was Maria's back as she knelt on one knee, the long sword piercing her own chest. Her face turned almost white.

But soon, he noticed another 'Maria' in the distance.

However, Maria pierced her own chest with a dagger and collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

This somewhat bizarre scene left him utterly bewildered.

Meanwhile, Priestess, standing to the side, frowned, deep in thought.

But this action did not last long; soon, Maria slowly opened her eyes.

She didn't speak, but simply exhaled a breath of stale air and stood up unsteadily.

"You're awake?!"

Seeing Maria awaken, the Doctor, despite telling himself not to rely too much on one person, couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, a hint of joy on his face.

Can...

Just as she stepped forward, ready to ask Maria about her condition.

On the other side, 'Maria' committed suicide with a dagger.

She slowly got up.

"To be honest, I'm getting a little annoyed, my fellow countrymen..."

Gordan spoke, and his words sent a chill down the spine of the Doctor standing beside him.

These words, unsurprisingly, proved that Priestess's earlier guess was correct.

But before she could say anything more, Gordan continued to speak.

"This feeling is really strange... I understand now why you like to keep yourself bound in this ridiculous state."

Like a child encountering a new toy for the first time, Gordan was closely sensing the turbulent emotions surging within him.

It's frustrating, but... it's also a completely new experience unlike anything I've ever had before.

Maria looked at Gordan in front of her, said nothing, and silently spat out the blood and saliva in her mouth.

Her already vibrant red lips became even more vivid at this moment.

Everyone who witnessed this scene was horrified.