NPCs couldn't see the panel information, so of course they had no idea it had formed from the remains of a high-sequence Beyonder who had forsaken Sun Worship, or that it violently rejected all power from the [Sun Faction].
The priest kept using the Golden Apple Pendant imbued with solar power right in front of it. He might as well have walked into an outhouse with a lantern-he was asking for shit.
"Aaaaargh!! Die!!"
The priest roared like a madman and charged straight at Chen Lun.
His remaining arm came down like a sledgehammer, but with a sharp smack, Chen Lun caught it firmly in one hand.
"You're the one who's going to die...!"
"Die!!!"
Chen Lun bellowed.
He twisted his waist, raised his knee, and unleashed a vicious kick.
The air cracked, sending waves of pressure outward as his foot slammed into the priest's forehead like a falling meteor.
Boom!!!
[Animal Mimicry LV MAX] [Scorpion Tail Needle] [Skill description: You have learned to mimic the way a scorpion lashes its tail when hunting or defending itself, and can temporarily inflict potent poison on an enemy.]
Squelch-!!
A massive head shot into the air, trailing an arc of hot blood before tumbling to the ground.
The priest's powerful, headless body lost its support. A fountain of blood erupted from it before it crashed to the ground.
[You have killed Father Carter, a Beyonder of the Red Apple Church [Sequence 9: Butcher] (Flesh Faction), and earned 1,000 EXP!]
Chapter 16: Two Months
Chen Lun let out a long breath.
"The kill notification's already popped up. Go on, try jumping up and punching me again."
Drenched in sweat, he looked at the headless corpse on the ground and curled his lip.
Without wasting any more time, he stepped over the corpse and walked to the nearby tree, stopping beside Froy.
By then, Froy had lost consciousness completely, and her eyes were a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
Two bright red trails ran from her empty eye sockets, making her already pale little face all the more pitiful.
Only an empty pot remained of the [Sun-Averting Potted Plant] beside her. The strange sunflower inside had vanished without a trace.
Chen Lun's expression tightened.
It had already burrowed into Froy's body.
"Why did this happen...!?"
Chen Lun instinctively thought of the Froy from his previous life.
Back then, the Red Apple Church had successfully remade her into a high-sequence Killing Weapon and bestowed upon her the title of "Silent Nun."
But she hadn't fused with the [Sun-Averting Potted Plant]. She had merely possessed it and used it as a weapon.
This parasitic entanglement, however, was clearly beyond anything Chen Lun had expected.
Normally, even approaching the lowest-ranked [Grade D Mysterious Object] could put an ordinary person's life at risk, let alone a highly dangerous [Grade A Mysterious Object] like the [Sun-Averting Potted Plant].
Froy was still only an ordinary human, yet it hadn't killed her outright. That was truly strange.
[Grade A hidden quest chain: Silent Nun, stage one complete!] [You have successfully rescued Froy alive from the Red Apple Church's Jadeite Town branch!] [Quest rewards obtained: 2,000 EXP, 40 Silver Crowns, Froy's affection, and [low-sequence flesh-faction mysterious substance] ×1.] [Froy's affection has increased!] [Grade A hidden quest chain unlocked: Silent Nun, stage two!] [Stage two: Steal the [Grade A Mysterious Object: Sun-Averting Potted Plant] from the Red Apple Church's Jadeite Town branch while keeping Froy alive. Froy's death will result in quest failure.] [Quest rewards: 4,000 EXP, 10 gold pounds, Froy's affection, and [low-sequence flesh-faction mysterious substance] ×2.] [Warning: The [Grade A Mysterious Object: Sun-Averting Potted Plant] possesses immense mystical power. Proceed with caution!]
Chen Lun raised an eyebrow, his expression turning odd.
As soon as he received those quest notifications, another set popped up.
[Grade A hidden quest chain: Silent Nun, stage two complete!] [You have successfully stolen the [Grade A Mysterious Object: Sun-Averting Potted Plant] from the Red Apple Church's Jadeite Town branch. Froy is alive!] [Quest rewards obtained: 4,000 EXP, 10 gold pounds, Froy's affection, and [low-sequence flesh-faction mysterious substance] ×2.] [Froy's affection has increased!]
Chen Lun stared at the flood of notifications, finding the whole thing incredibly bizarre.
I haven't even done anything yet, and it's already complete!?
Talk about a lucky break!
"How about you just hand over the rewards for another dozen stages while you're at it..."
Chen Lun waited hopefully.
It was like your dad sending you out to buy soy sauce, and the woman at the corner shop handing you a pack of his favorite cigarettes while you were there.
When you got home, your dad praised you for being thoughtful. He'd been planning to send you out again, but you'd already taken care of it for him!
That deserved a reward! Absolutely!
Two sets of math problems! Plus a deluxe bundle of mock exams for every subject!
[Grade A hidden quest chain unlocked: Silent Nun, stage three!] [Stage three: Obtain one portion of [High-Sequence Flesh School Mystical Substance] while keeping Froy alive. Use it to counteract the Mystical Contamination of the [Grade A Mysterious Object: Sun-Averting Potted Plant] and maintain a relative balance, thereby allowing Froy to gain basic control over the [Grade A Mysterious Object: Sun-Averting Potted Plant]. Froy's death will result in quest failure.] [Quest rewards: 10,000 EXP, 30 gold pounds, Froy's affection, and [B-Rank Mysterious Object: Poem of Blood and Soul] ×1.] [Warning: Froy will become fully corrupted and die in 59 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes! Please hurry!]
Chen Lun's expression changed.
Two months!
He'd thought Froy had escaped death, but it turned out she had only postponed it.
Then he considered it from another angle. Why would the [Sun-Averting Potted Plant] give Froy this kind of "preferential treatment"?
Yes, "preferential treatment"!
An ordinary person would have died a hundred times over if it had burrowed into their brain like that.
They might even have been corrupted, lost control, and turned into a monster. There was no way they would have been allowed to cling to life for two months.
It almost seemed deliberate.
Something about Froy seemed to attract it, making it unable to resist drawing closer to her.
Yet the gulf between their levels of existence was too vast. Froy couldn't withstand it and was bound to break down.
The [Sun-Averting Potted Plant] seemed to be trying to protect her body even as it fused with her.
But all it could do was delay her death...
It needed help!
Chen Lun froze, recalling the crucial item mentioned in the third stage of the quest-
One portion of [High-Sequence Flesh School Mystical Substance]!
"I get it now..."
Chen Lun finally understood why the Red Apple Church had chosen Froy as a vessel for the [Sun-Averting Potted Plant].
It was precisely because of Froy's unique qualities, combined with the fact that the Red Apple Church had an abundant supply of supernatural objects related to the [Flesh Faction].
They could certainly produce a portion of [High-Sequence Flesh School Mystical Substance], but they would undoubtedly tamper with it!
That way, even after her strength soared, Froy would obediently bow her head and become a compliant blade for the church!
But now came the problem.
Where was Chen Lun supposed to find a portion of [High-Sequence Flesh School Mystical Substance]!?
Among this world's supernatural sequence pathways, only beings at [Sequence 4] or above were considered high-sequence.
Trying to obtain something on that level at his current stage would be like a lamb willingly walking into a wolf's den.
But this wasn't the time to linger.
With all the commotion at the prison, the Red Apple Church would soon launch a manhunt. He had to leave as quickly as possible.
Chen Lun exhaled, set his worries aside, and picked up the unconscious Froy with a grim expression.
After carefully checking the area, he discovered that the priest's body had vanished, leaving behind a red badge the size of a thumb that gleamed in the sunlight.
Without taking a closer look, Chen Lun picked it up and hurried away.
A little over ten minutes after he left, a fat man dressed like a red-robed monk arrived with dozens of sword-wielding wardens.
Several heavily armored spearmen were among them, with seven or eight Rotting Hounds padding at their feet.
Sniff, sniff...
The lead armored guard held a Rotting Hound on a leash. The creature's hideous, oversized head swept over the ground, gathering scents, before it barked furiously toward the woods.
The fat monk kept wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.
When he saw the wreckage left by the battle and the pool of blood the priest had left behind, his face drained of color.
Before you continue