Facing an Ancient God for a Year

This…

After the baroness’s statement, the look the priest gave Fu Qian was beyond shock; it was as if he was looking at an alien.

He actually helped someone get promoted! Since when was he so kind-hearted?

However unbelievable it was on a rational level, the change in Fu Qian’s strength was undeniable.

Just a short while ago, he had just awakened, but now his abilities had far surpassed those of the other members of the oversight team.

“You go down there, Collison didn’t make things difficult for you?”

...The priest suddenly recalled something.

“Nope.”

Fu Qian shook his head.

“He even welcomed me.”

And that wasn’t a lie; no matter the purpose or tone, that individual had indeed offered a welcome.

Not only was the priest at a loss for words, but the baroness’s face was also full of disbelief.

Having seen Fu Qian return safely, she had naturally assumed that he had managed to deceive others and find the target all the way.

Now, hearing this, he had actually met Collison face to face, and even exchanged greetings?

The four members of the oversight team looked at one another, all familiar with Collison’s style.

“That sadistic psycho welcomed you?”

The baroness inhaled sharply and asked with a frown.

“Yeah, very enthusiastically. He even organized a lot of people to line up and welcome me.”

…

Finally unable to bear it any longer, the priest beside them decided to focus his attention on the key.

The Starlight Key, processed by the witch, was undoubtedly very appealing, and his gaze was almost instantly captivated.

“I’m sorry.”

But after a long time, the priest still shook his head.

“This key is indeed magical, containing an extremely pure force that does not belong to any of the seven lights of the Church.”

“I am very certain, there is nothing corresponding to it on the Church’s end.”

…

The baroness included, faces fell in disappointment for a moment.

“The Church doesn’t have it, does that mean other places might still have it?”

Fu Qian, however, discerned a different implication.

“You could say that.”

The priest looked up and gazed intently at Fu Qian.

“Over in the old city, there might be some possibilities.”

“Old city?”

The baroness’s eyes sharpened upon hearing this.

“Yes, there might still be remnants of such power there… But after all, the era is too far gone, and I cannot assert for certain.”

The priest sighed, his expression more serious than before.

“However, I would strongly advise against any ideas you might have; that place is absolutely forbidden and off-limits.”

“What is the old city?”

Fu Qian remained silent, but someone from the oversight team could not contain their curiosity any longer.

“It’s normal that you don’t know.”

The priest shook his head.

“In fact, everyone here has migrated from elsewhere. The old city is the earliest settlement nearby, where we used to live for a long time.”

“It was only after the blizzards grew more severe that we abandoned it and moved here in entirety.”

“Just because of blizzards, you moved?”

The questioner sounded puzzled.

“Those weren’t ordinary harsh weather conditions.”

The priest’s expression was stern.

“That was a catastrophe capable of eradicating everything, a cruelty beyond your imagination; any life that stepped into it would wither quickly.”

“In fact, at the time, some people were unwilling to retreat to this place and chose to stay put. Initially, there was still some communication between the two sides, and a tunnel was even made specifically for this purpose, but sadly, it wasn’t long before there was no more news from there.”

…

“You don’t need to be too disheartened,”

The priest looked at the once again silent crowd and handed the key back to Fu Qian.

“Since she gave this to us, she must have her profound reasons.”

“You all go back and rest for now, I’ll give the matter of the key some more thought.”

…

The priest’s talk of further consideration clearly lacked convincing power.

Leaving the church, the team’s morale was obviously low.

Fu Qian, however, looked around with an air of nonchalance.

He had already decided to explore the old city mentioned by that person.

The individual in the underground prison was clearly powerful to an exaggerated degree.

The baroness asked him to find her, probably believing she had the capability to solve the current issues.

Yet her attitude was quite intriguing, as she seemed disinterested even after discovering the problem with the Pustule Stone, preferring to remain imprisoned in such a place.

This existence gave him such a key, which successfully piqued Fu Qian’s curiosity, and he finally decided to investigate this side mission first.

The church, the belfry, and even the other nearby buildings all seemed to carry the weight of the ages, having stood for decades, if not centuries.

If this place had been moved here later, the old city must be even more ancient.

It’s uncertain how much evidence remains.

“Hi!”

While looking around, he was met by a flirtatious look from a brunette, her expression filled with ambiguity.

Seeing Fu Qian look her way, she even deliberately inhaled, pushing her chest forward more prominently.

Was she too enthusiastic?

Fu Qian watched her with a hint of confusion.

He had already encountered several of these overtly flirtatious greetings today.

The key issue was that the flirty brunette was warmly linking arms with a gentleman.

And from their clothing and conversation, it was clear they were a couple.

Despite Fu Qian’s quite self-loving nature, he still thought it a bit unreasonable.

“Just wave if you’re interested, their other halves won’t have any complaints,”

Seeing Fu Qian’s confusion, the young lady from the oversight team gave a mysterious smile.

“Being intimate with an Awakener, most people would not refuse, especially someone like you who is a godsend.”

“After all, with the threat of the Discoloration Curse looming, any chance that could slightly increase the probability of Awakening is exceptionally precious.”

So that’s it!

The fear of the Discoloration Curse?

Indeed, although Awakening to any Sequence had its side effects, it was still far better than an unpredictable death sentence.

It was, after all, a logical move to seek benefits and avoid harm, no matter how questionable the effectiveness of fluid exchange was!

Fu Qian glanced at the gentleman, who was watching his wife with a wooden expression, showing no reaction.

“Don’t feel embarrassed, there are even some who impersonate Awakeners for this,”

The young lady winked at Fu Qian while licking her lips.

Clearly, her style was completely different from that of her leader.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fu Qian caught a glimpse of the Baroness, whose lips were tightly pursed, clearly not approving of this behavior.

…

Night fell, and as Fu Qian stepped out of the lodgings arranged by the Baroness, he looked up at the sky above him.

At this moment, the seven radiations appeared even more brilliant, casting the entire world in an unusually magical glow.

It was understandable why there was a Church of the Seven Lights.

Before such a miracle, turning people into believers was all too easy.

After determining his direction, Fu Qian quickly slipped into the shadows.

He had planned to take advantage of the night to visit the old city.

However, he hadn’t gone far before he noticed a familiar figure.

The baroness, dressed in black, was standing quietly ahead.

“Where are you going?”