On the Brink of Crisis

Li Lin had never seen Catherine lose her composure before—or rather, he had never seen her lose such composure.

"Owner!!"

In her hallucination, Catherine trembled like a kitten abandoned in a winter forest. If she could travel through space, she would probably be at Li Lin's feet by now.

What happened?

Looking at Catherine, Li Lin remained calm and composed. This wasn't because he wasn't worried, but because Li Lin knew very well that it was crucial to maintain composure in situations like this; otherwise, he would only add more pressure to her. Catherine was a woman of great resolve, as evidenced by her ability to hold her own against Angela for so long. Even after her fall from grace, she hadn't become fragile. Therefore, her current agitated and anxious state was quite rare for Catherine.

"Calm down, don't panic. As my servant, you'll embarrass me if you act like this, and if Angela sees you like this, you won't have a good ending."

Whether it was because of the beginning or the end, Catherine clearly less timid. She closed her eyes, placed her hands on her chest, took a few long breaths, and then reopened her eyes to look at Li Lin. Now, her complexion was much better than before; although still somewhat pale, it wasn't as exaggerated as it had been.

"A message has arrived from the Xialuo Kingdom: just two days ago, Grand Knight Commander Henderson and that young man appeared together in the capital of the Xialuo Kingdom. However, they did not immediately return to the Temple, but instead went to the Xialuo Royal Palace."

"The royal palace?"

Hearing this, Li Lin frowned.

He understood the current situation perfectly. Catherine, leveraging her position, had already taken control of most of the Temple's systems, meaning Catherine held the reins both internally and externally. If the Temple intended to engage in diplomacy with the Xialuo Kingdom, it would naturally be most appropriate for her to handle it. Of course, from a hierarchical standpoint, Henderson's visit to the Xialuo royal family wasn't against the rules, but everyone knew that after the previous joint siege by the two countries, Henderson had lost all prestige within the Temple due to disobeying orders and deserting his post. Catherine could have seized this excellent opportunity to completely expel Henderson from the church. But Li Lin, however, did not want this mad dog to leave his sight. After all, Henderson possessed genuine divine blessing, and his immortality was a problem. Once expelled from the church, who knew what he might do when Lin couldn't see him? Now, at least the title of Grand Knight Commander held sway over him, making it difficult for the paladin to conceal his whereabouts. Besides, this would also give Catherine a reputation for "kindness," since she was not the Archbishop after all. While this was reasonable, it might still raise suspicions. Therefore, Catherine followed Li Lin's orders, secretly observing Henderson without making contact with him.

"Go on."

However, Li Lin didn't think for long before continuing.

"We don't know what Henderson discussed with the Xialuo royal family... That's not the point. Master, according to our intelligence, Henderson didn't enter the palace alone; he was accompanied by that savior boy—and a strange girl."

"Girl? What kind of girl?"

"It's hard to describe... Master."

This time, Catherine also had a serious expression.

"Upon receiving the order, I immediately used the magical equipment you gave me to spy on the area—but when I saw the girl, I felt the blood in my body instantly reverse its flow, rushing around uncontrollably. She seemed to have noticed my probing, and although I retreated, the items you gave me..."

As she spoke, Catherine opened her palm, revealing that the magical equipment on it had been completely reduced to useless fragments.

"It's nothing, I'll make it for you later."

Li Lin wasn't surprised by this. For someone like Catherine, who lacked magical knowledge, countering magic might be incredible, but to Li Lin, it was simply the application of advanced techniques. Even within the Magic Empire, thousands of mages knew how to do this. And even in a modern Magic Association, a dozen or so mages could do the same; it wasn't some particularly magical skill. What concerned Li Lin more was the girl.

"But could you tell me more about that girl?"

Conversely, Li Lin was more interested in the girl, considering the feelings Catherine had described. He was already vaguely starting to understand; it was clear that it wasn't just a simple matter of psychological fear.

"This..."

However, at this moment, Catherine became somewhat flustered. She secretly glanced around at Li Lin's surroundings, hesitant to speak.

"If you've been reading the battle reports, you'll know that Angela has been killing people in Kudel these past few days."

Without her even asking, Li Lin understood what Catherine was worried about.

So you don't need to worry.

"Then, please forgive my rudeness..."

Catherine paused for a moment before continuing.

"If I had to describe it, that girl... gave me the feeling of being the opposite of Miss Angela."

The opposite? That's quite an interesting description.

"How should I put it... Although I haven't officially met her or spoken to her, she gives me a feeling that's very similar to Miss Angela, yet completely opposite. I really can't describe what this feeling is, and I don't know why I have this feeling. But when I see her, even with the help of magic, I feel my body seem to want to submit to her. I don't know why this is happening. Master, according to intelligence, they seem to have reached some kind of agreement with the Xialuo royal family and will be coming to Dideyasi soon! I'm worried, I'm worried that I might not be able to..."

I see.

The stronger a person's self-control, the more they fear losing control. A saint like Catherine, known for her rationality and composure, is especially afraid of situations beyond her control. During her training, Catherine's greatest fear was the uncontrollable reactions and sensations her body produced. A carefree, impulsive person might have simply dismissed it as a temporary illusion. But someone as self-disciplined as Catherine is most afraid of such situations. Moreover, after being trained by Li Lin, Catherine couldn't help but think, "What haven't I experienced in this world? I'm not afraid of any problems I might encounter in the future." Therefore, she reacted exceptionally strongly to this sudden shock.

In contrast, Li Lin was much calmer. Although he frowned at first, he became more and more relaxed as Catherine narrated.

"So, you don't know the girl's identity or who she is, which is why you're so nervous?"

"Yes, Master."

Catherine quickly nodded in agreement.

"Therefore, I request your assistance, and with the help of your profound knowledge, to guide me on the path ahead."

"I wouldn't say I gave pointers, but I do know what that girl is."

You know?

Upon hearing this, Catherine's eyes lit up.

"That's right."

Li Lin nodded.

"Catherine, you're far too panicked. This shows you haven't observed carefully enough. You must understand, your body is no longer human, but that of an angel. Angels are a higher species than ordinary humans, so when humans see you, they naturally feel a sense of worship. I think you should understand this, and as an angel, you naturally have the same instincts. It's impossible for you to feel that way about humans. So if you think about it carefully, you'll be able to spot the suspicious points."

You mean...?

Upon hearing this, Catherine also focused her attention. She had been terrified and momentarily lost her composure, but seeing Li Lin's calm demeanor, she unconsciously returned to her original state.

"It seems our God of Justice is quite generous, actually sending down the Archangel."

"Archangel?!"

Upon hearing this term, Catherine's eyes widened in surprise.

Archangel—this is a name that truly only appears in sacred texts. Even in the books of the Temple, only in the most central parts is such an existence vaguely mentioned. The archangel is God's assistant, and when those devout servants of God die, their souls are taken to Heaven by angels, where they receive their rewards before the archangel—the highest angel rumored to rule over all angels.

Of course, Catherine only treated this as a story. After all, archangels are not like the Magic Empire and those lower-ranking angels, whose figures can occasionally be seen on the continent. Archangels have never descended to the Prime Material Plane. Their existence and legends are a true mystery. Catherine also did not believe that she was really so "lucky" as to be able to meet an archangel.

"Just as Angela possesses extraordinary power over all undead creatures, the Archangel has the same influence over lower-ranking angels. Therefore, the instinct you felt was not an illusion. After all, your current body is just that of an ordinary angel, and naturally, you cannot resist the power of an Archangel."

"What should we do, Master? If she truly possesses power like Miss Angela, I'm afraid I'll find it difficult to keep my secret from her..."

"That's true."

Li Lin nodded, agreeing with Catherine's statement. Angels and archangels are not on the same level. Higher angels have absolute control over lower angels, especially lawful angels like Catherine, who are ingrained in their obedience to hierarchy. At that point, even if the archangel asks a few casual questions, Catherine would probably have to reveal all her secrets.

"Reporting to the Archangel, I am now a subordinate of the Arcane Mage, currently engaged in espionage work within the Temple..."

If we don't come up with a solution, then that day is not far off.

There is a solution.

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, Catherine immediately showed an expectant expression. However, Li Lin's next words surprised Catherine greatly.

"However, I do not recommend doing this."

Why?

"Angels are beings that adhere to a hierarchy."

Li Lin shrugged and explained to Catherine.

"Their power comes entirely from the gods. Indeed, I can use some magical means to elevate you to the level of an archangel. At that point, you won't have to fear revealing your secret to her. However, don't forget that angels are very orderly beings. That is to say, who among them can be upgraded, and who can reach the highest level, is entirely up to the gods. Indeed, I can turn you into an archangel, although the process will be quite painful for you, but I believe you can endure it. However, in doing so, she will discover your secret. Over the past thousands of years, the number of archangels appointed by any god has been extremely limited. Moreover, archangels possess the power to communicate with the gods. Once she discovers that you are not an ordinary angel, she will report to the God of Justice. And I believe that the God of Justice is not so senile as to not even know how many archangels he has appointed. So at that time, you will also be subject to suspicion."

Catherine remained silent. At this moment, she had complete trust in Li Lin. She knew that her master wouldn't just say these things to scare her, because if he did say them and there was nothing he could do, it would be tantamount to forcing Catherine to choose the path of betrayal. And Catherine understood that her usefulness was far from over.

"Of course, I have other methods."

"What method, Master?"

"You can't be the Archangel anymore, but we can do the opposite and make you the Dark Angel Chief."

"The Dark Angel Chief?"

Catherine had absolutely no clue about this term, since none of the books in the Temple mentioned this strange angel.

"It cannot be found in the Temple's books."

Looking at Catherine's pensive expression, Li Lin understood what she was thinking.

"The Dark Angel Chief are the leaders of the fallen angels. You can only find records and descriptions of them in the highest secrets of the demons in Hell. They betrayed God, were stripped of their powers, fell into Hell, and were later resurrected in new forms... becoming servants of darkness. Of course, Dark Angel appear no different from regular angels; they can also use holy light. Moreover, only angels of higher rank can perceive that there is something wrong with their true forms. Therefore, if you could become Dark Angel Chief, then in the Archangel's eyes, you would just be an ordinary angel, and she wouldn't suspect whether you possess strange powers."

"..."

"Of course, this is completely different from becoming an angel; you could say it's very risky."

Li Lin was very frank.

"The reason you were able to become an angel is because, in your human form, your body inherently possessed a divine seed; my potion merely activated it. However, Dark Angel must completely relinquish their divine body and be reshaped in the darkness, taking on a new form... In other words, you will die once, and then be resurrected. The pain involved is unbearable for everyone. If you fail, you will die, understand?"

"I understand, Master."

Even so, Catherine remained unmoved.

"I have already died once, and I am not afraid to die again, Master. I will always be loyal to you, and I will give my life for you... I will try even if there is only a one percent chance of success, and I understand that this time I have no room to refuse, nor do I intend to refuse. To fulfill the mission you have given me, Master, I am willing to face any danger!"

Hearing this, Li Lin looked at Catherine with some surprise. To be honest, although he knew that Catherine shouldn't object to his suggestion, her firm agreement was beyond Li Lin expectations. It seemed that Catherine was even more loyal than he had anticipated.

Unfortunately, she was destined to die in the end.

Thinking about this, Li Lin felt a little regretful, but he didn't show it on his face.

"I will give you the medicine at this time tomorrow, and after that... you will have to rely on yourself."

"Of course, Master."

Catherine bent down and bowed deeply to Li Lin.

I will definitely fulfill your request.

As Catherine's illusion vanished, Li Lin was filled with mixed emotions. He sighed deeply, and just then, he heard Nia's voice beside him.

"This saintess truly loves you, Li Lin."

"I know."

Li Lin did not turn around.

"However, she should also understand her fate; this kind of love... no matter how much she gives, it won't change the final outcome."

"I may be a weapon, but I am also a woman."

Nia reached out and straightened Li Lin's collar.

"The process is always more important than the result. At least for now, she can live in passionate and happy love, and for that saintly young lady, that may be enough."

"To be honest, I can never figure out what women are thinking."

At this point, Li Lin shrugged.

"Whether it's the little one, you, or Catherine, although I can guess what you're thinking, sometimes I can't guess what your driving force is. What exactly drove you to make this choice, and what made you persevere?"

"A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea; Li Lin, you would never understand."

Nia smiled slightly but did not answer Li Lin's question directly, and Li Lin did not ask any further questions.

"Go prepare the materials. We must do our part for this saintess... consider it compensation for her unrequited love."

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, Nia shook her head in opposition.

"She's already received a response, Li Lin, you just haven't noticed."