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“B̲i̲t̲c̲h̲!” The word erupted in rage from one, while the other stood in surprise. As Yaeger prepared to question Irene about the shard, she sensed an aggressive force charging towards her. Without needing to look, she knew it was the Grand Bishop.

With an impatient wave of her hand, Yaeger conjured a giant transparent palm in front of her, thrusting it forward. Simultaneously, the Grand Bishop, armed with his golden magic staff, concentrated his power and lunged at the palm projection. His staff burst into a blaze of golden light, shattering the palm.

The Grand Bishop’s smirk of disdain quickly distorted into shock as Yaeger’s fist connected with his face. An explosive sound followed, reminiscent of a cannon firing, and the Grand Bishop was overwhelmed with excruciating pain. In that moment, he realized why the notorious scourge of the Empire had remained undefeated – her immense power.

Regrettably, his realization came too late. With a final, forceful punch, Yaeger sent the Grand Bishop hurtling through the air like a cannonball. Irene, who had feigned ignorance throughout the altercation, looked on as if admiring the scenery.

The Grand Bishop crashed through rows of seats, landing in a heap on the ground. The cathedral was enveloped in a deathly silence; everyone was too stunned to speak or move. The mighty Grand Bishop had been utterly overpowered by Yaeger.

In the ensuing quiet, the realization dawned on the onlookers that, had Yaeger truly intended harm, the cathedral would be a site of devastation. The question now was whether they could leave unscathed.

Yaeger withdrew her fist and tapped the air, summoning an interface panel. She quickly reviewed her skill information and noted with satisfaction that the cooldowns of ‘[Phantom Step]’, ‘[Shadow Skulk]’, and ‘[Ancient Celestial Sword Formation]’ had been reduced by a third. Not having any special cooldown-reducing equipment equipped, she found the random reduction from the Dimensional Ring quite sufficient.

Turning to Irene, she inquired, “You know what this is?” and opened her clenched fist to reveal the dark-energy-covered fragment. Irene, recovering from her daze, regarded the fragment with an excited yet calm expression. “Of course I know, it’s a Holy Spirit Shard!”

“Holy Spirit Shard?” Yaeger echoed, recalling the apostle’s cry of ‘Pentecost’ when he utilized the fragment.

Irene, with a hint of solemnity, elaborated, “Holy Spirit shards are fragments of the Holy Spirit Equipment, bestowed by the Divines to their distinguished servants in ancient times. These artifacts are immensely powerful, rivaling the might of legendary artifacts. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time and various other factors, such equipment has become increasingly scarce, some even destroyed and dispersed worldwide. The fragment in your possession is part of such a Holy Spirit Equipment, rendering it immensely valuable.”

Yaeger nodded in understanding, “I see.” It made sense why Bishop Eir risked so much for this fragment. Only a reward of this magnitude could justify such a gamble.

Turning back to Irene, Yaeger asked, “Can you assist in removing this fragment’s dark energy?” After the church’s betrayal, her trust in the institution had waned, leaving only Irene, bound by unfortunate circumstances and Yaeger’s leverage, as a trustworthy ally.

“It’s not appropriate to do it here. Perhaps in my room…” Irene began, her face draining of color mid-sentence. The thought of leading Yaeger, akin to a wolf, into her sanctuary filled her with dread.

Before Irene could retract her offer, Yaeger quickly agreed, “Sure, let’s go.” She promptly headed towards the cathedral’s inner chamber, leaving Irene to hastily follow, her mind awash with dread and wild imaginings.

In her vivid daydream, Irene imagined a scene straight out of her secret novels. The Black-hearted Princess, with a sly smile, pushed Irene, causing her to fall onto the soft bed with a startled yelp. Despite her protests, Princess’ advances continued, turning the room into a scene of forbidden romance. “Ah~ Princess, no. God is watching above~” Irene murmured, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Suddenly, Yaeger, puzzled by Irene’s outburst, turned to her. “No what?” she asked, sensing something amiss.

Irene, abruptly snapped back to reality, felt her face heat up even more. ‘I’m daydreaming… What did I just say out loud? How embarrassing!’ she thought frantically. “No, it’s nothing!” she stammered, shaking her head in a mix of confusion and mortification.

“That’s good then. Well, we’re here. Open the door,” Yaeger stated, unphased by the bizarre exchange.

Irene’s gaze shifted to the door of her own room, her heart seizing in panic. The realization of their proximity to her personal space struck her hard.

“How did you know the way here? Have you been to my room before?” she asked, her mind racing with the ludicrous possibility of Yaeger hiding under her bed for nights on end.

“Why would I want to go to your room? Just open the door. Time is precious,” Yaeger remarked, her tone casual yet firm.

Irene took a step back, her expression filled with trepidation. She couldn’t help but think, ‘Time is precious. She’s implying there’s not enough time for… love? Is she planning to…?’ Her thoughts raced with wild assumptions.

“What are you so afraid of? I’m not going to eat you,” Yaeger said, her brow furrowing in confusion. She knew she had leverage over Irene with the blackmail material, but Irene was significantly stronger than her. There was no logical reason for such fear.

Yet, Irene seemed to be caught in a whirlwind of panic, her face pale as a ghost. ‘This is just like those novels… where the naive character is devoured by the cunning antagonist. And they never take responsibility afterward!’ she thought, viewing Yaeger as the epitome of cunning.

“If you’re not going to open the door, I will,” Yaeger said nonchalantly, striding towards the door. She effortlessly retrieved a key hidden in the doorframe.

Irene watched in horror, her wild suspicions seemingly confirmed. ‘She’s been here before… She’s been under my bed all along!’ The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she almost considered fleeing the scene. Her mind raced with fear and disbelief at the unfolding events.