Myths Reawakened

Wayne’s willingness to make several compromises put Senna in a good mood. She felt like the favored one. Lifting Wayne’s chin, she rewarded him with a kiss full of derision.

A defeated Oracle High Reverend, his master’s master, a female dragon, a woman subjecting herself to him because she had no other choice...

Wayne placed Elemental Mantra in Senna’s hand and slowly lifted the restriction on it, checking how the backup chosen one of the inner world would do in the surface world.

It didn’t reject her!

“Really? That easy?”

Wayne sent his thoughts into Senna’s body and realized that he was the one who was wielding it rather than Senna. Her thoughts and body had already been reshaped by him, and she once took in the blade’s life energy in dragon form and underwent enhancements, accepting part of its information. Now, she received more and showed no signs of rejection.

Senna was no longer the same Senna. Her existence had changed into an Astral life with the skin of a Dragonblood. She thus went down a different path from her past self and her inner world self.

Given the circumstances, it was unreasonable for Wayne to use Pope Senna of the inner world as a frame of reference.

“It seems that I can no longer become the Nature Knight.” Senna didn’t care. Holding the Elemental Mantra, she closed her eyes to sense its power. Her eyes turned into draconic ones with vertical pupils when she opened them again.

Wayne had been swallowed by the Senna of the inner world and compiled a great volume of data from his glimpses into her draconic magic. He had given all the data to his Senna, who learned at an incredible speed and was now able to use the same magic with Elemental Mantra.

She had replicated the ultimate AOE offensive skill!

“I can do it, but I’m not the real Nature Knight, so my draconic magic is restricted. Besides, I can’t transform at will...”

Senna’s eyes glinted as she held the Elemental Mantra gingerly, wanting to keep it forever.

“Once you have Elemental Mantra, no one would dare challenge your claim for the pope position.”

Wayne nodded. “Your existence contains endless possibilities. Don’t get hung up on a divine artifact. You can go further in the future. Study the information it contains, and one day, you’ll be able to use draconic magic at any time, even without Elemental Mantra.”

Senna considered his words. That was the case. According to the fortune teller in the Frozen Land, her future was bright without meeting Wayne, and she had an even brighter future after meeting him.

“Stop overthinking.” Wayne patted her on the bottom. “I’ve come to visit you and do some housecleaning in the Church of Nature, but I also want to kill Pope Ludwig. Do you have any intel on him?”

“The Pope is incredibly powerful. He could reach demigodhood, but his desire for power compels him to suppress his own growth...” Senna described the Ludwig that she knew, looking at Elemental Mantra. “Now, things are different. I’m confident that I could defeat him.”

“How about Ludwig’s faction?”

“He’s cultivated many loyal subordinates, but after they became High Reverends or Oracle High Reverends, getting a taste of power, their loyalty is now skin deep. They get ideas...”

“The Pope’s influence is rooted in Prussia. Ostarrichi, where the church’s headquarters is, is under the control of the other Oracle High Reverends and me...”

“He’s made the preparation to leave the Chosen Land and has been delegating his authority. Perhaps to muddy the water, he hasn’t selected a successor. As a result, the four Oracle High Reverends have been fighting for power. It’s likely intentional...”

“Those that once followed him are either watching from the sidelines or have joined the other three Oracle High Reverends...”

The Church of Nature hadn’t been reorganized and was instead left in the messy transition state, with the members taking sides. All four Oracle High Reverends could become the Pope, so the lower-ranking members had been having a difficult time making the choice.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime decision, and if one took the wrong side, they would remain there to the bitter end.

“What allies have you recruited?” Wayne asked curiously.

Senna shook her head. “I know you wouldn’t like it, so I haven’t accepted the Pope’s old followers. My only allies are a reluctant Vice Captain Garvin and a dejected High Prophet Tubert.”

It had been six months, but Senna had not made progress in becoming the pope. Neither allies were truly on her side.

Vice Captain Garvin of the Order of Nature didn’t like Senna. As a true knight adhering to the chivalrous virtues, Garvin was an idealistic man above material desires. Someone like him would never approve of Senna. He was willing to be her ally only because she belonged to Wayne.

The same was true of Tubert. Losing the two disciples he had spent years training, the old man saw no hope in his future, unable to find the right successor. He spent his days muttering to himself in the Prophet Sanctuary. If he was forced to take a side, he could only choose Senna.

The future Nature Knight supported Senna. He couldn’t possibly choose the other three snakes, so Senna it was.

“In other words, your two allies have no interest in the politics within the Church of Nature. In a race to the bottom, they believe the future Nature Knight to be more worthy of investment, so they chose you.”

Wayne was speechless. Garvin was a lazy drunkard, and Tubert had no power to interfere with the church’s internal politics. The two allies might as well not exist, so Senna could only rely on herself to become the pope.

“Although I don’t have an ally, I’ve gained control over the Holy Maiden.”

“Desiree?” Wayne remembered the siblings from the number eight mansion. Alex, her older brother, was an honest man, while Desiree was a cunning girl. If his memory served him right, the siblings had come from the Franc district.

“Did she surrender because she has white blood flowing in her body?”

“White blood?”

“Nothing. I’m just saying whatever. How did you control the Holy Maiden?”

“Since the Pope hasn’t intervened, the Oracle High Reverends wouldn’t let her go. While the Holy Maiden wields great influence, she can’t utilize it since she will be replaced in twenty years. Left with no choice, she sought me, a fellow woman, out.”

Senna’s smile turned suggestive. “How is it? You’ve been coveting Holy Maidens. Should I arrange a late-night lesson on chivalry with her?”

“Nah, I already have my Holy Maiden.” Wayne turned her down. Things had changed. Since he now had Anastasia, he no longer felt any desire for other Holy Maidens. He had been young and unwise. Now that he was a changed man, he found Holy Maidens more risky than anything.

If the Goddess of Nature descended suddenly while they were making babies, using the same trick as the Goddess of Darkness, his life would be difficult with two goddesses crushing him between them.

The goddesses were each more cunning than the last. He needed to avoid them as much as possible. Whatever grievances he harbored against them could wait until he was no longer an underdog.

“Senna, give me information on the three Oracle High Reverends.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Investigate!” Wayne narrowed his eyes. “We investigate everything about the Pope and the three Oracle High Reverends. As long as there is no competition, you will become the Pope. Then, you can just take care of them with your newly gained authority.”

***

The dark domain opened. Wayne and Senna emerged with frosty looks on their faces, as if they had just had a serious fight.

What kind of argument lasts three hours? Who are you putting on the act for?

Ottilia rolled her eyes. When she saw Nilsson staring at the sofa blankly while Regina cheered her sister on with a glass of water, she realized that the act was meant for her.

She huffed. Fine, at least Wayne cared enough to put on an act to preserve the dignity of his fake girlfriend.

Wayne looked over at the sisters by the sofa, approaching them with a grin. He patted Regina on the shoulder and took the glass of water from her.

“Nilsson, isn’t it? Nice to meet you. I’ll offer the sofa to you as a humble gift. Don’t worry. If you can’t finish it now, you can get take-out.”

He handed Nilsson the water and promised to supply her with as much beverage as she wanted.

Nilsson’s eyes twitched. After confirming that Wayne was the Nature Knight, she felt inferior and didn’t dare to resist Wayne’s petty demand. She gave her younger sister a pitiful look. Didn’t she say that acting pathetic would allow her to get away with a slap on the wrist? Why wasn’t it working?

Regina went up and said in a small voice, “Boss, I know you’re the most magnanimous man in the world.”

“Put your hand on your chest and say that again. Am I magnanimous?”

“You are!”

“Regina, you’ve changed.”

“We all have to grow, or we can’t survive society.”

Wayne rolled his eyes. When Regina was about to grab and seal his arm, he stepped aside. “Fine. I’ll be merciful for your sake. She doesn’t have to eat the sofa.”

“You’re the best!” Regina beamed. She went up to her sister and lowered her sister’s head to thank Wayne for forgoing the punishment, marveling at the wisdom of the girls at the library. They said that the bosom seal could make Wayne do anything. If she managed to change his mind without sealing him, wouldn’t she get whatever she wanted by doing it?

That’s a dangerous thought, girl. Ottilia will tear you apart.

Wayne dismissed the sisters with a wave, telling them to continue catching up.

Meanwhile, Senna had sought out Ottilia.

The stunning woman was aggressive by nature, and her slight smile exerted incredible pressure. The bookish girl was so anxious that she wanted to call Regina over for support, even better if her sister came with her.

“Ottilia, right?”

Rather than responding, Ottilia took a step back.

“Are you scared? Scared that I’ll eat you?” Senna’s eyes turned draconic. Seeing Ottilia’s cautious reaction, she silently called her cute.

It made her want to bully Ottilia a little.

“I’m not scared,” Ottilia grumbled. “The smell’s too strong on you.”

“Really? But I cleaned myself thoroughly.” Senna sniffed her long sleeve and broke into a smile. “It’s your boyfriend’s smell. I’m sorry for getting the smell on me right before you. Please blame me rather than him. He’s only made a mistake that all men would make.”

Shameless!

Ottilia gritted her teeth and pondered whether she should transform into a succubus to knock Senna down a peg, but the old hag’s beauty made her lose her confidence.

She cowered just like Veronica.

Senna also saw Veronica in Ottilia, which further triggered her sadistic tendency. She leaned in and whispered into her ear, “Don’t worry. I never seek his love. I only want your boyfriend’s body.”

(눈‸눈)

Ottilia stood corrected. Senna wasn’t shameless. She was thick-skinned.

“You really don’t have to be angry, Ottilia,” Senna said reasonably. “Since you have no use for your boyfriend, I’m only polishing him to stop him from cheating on you with other people. I’ve trained him for you and ensured his purity. You should be thanking me!”

When Ottilia didn’t bite the bait, Senna increased her output, finding a one-sided taunting boring. “He’s ninety percent new, basically untouched. If you don’t believe me, you can check him tonight...”

“If you’re bold enough to!”

Her smile grew brighter.

Wayne rolled his eyes. What a combo of unsolicited benefits, unethical demands, and blackmail[1]. Senna had never been one to take in a subordinate. Was she feeling the pressure from Anastasia’s participation in the ranked matches?

That would be wonderful!

1. The original is buying a meal, decapitating, and making the target your lapdog. It’s a form of manipulation by first offering someone benefits, demanding that person do something unethical, and then using the unethical action as blackmail material to control them. It’s often used to describe how employer could manipulate their employees. ☜