Mythology Rebooted-Chapter 589 - 250: Dragon Blood Ceremony

Suburban villa.

White wooden villas nestled in the mountains, with green vines climbing the walls, complementing the surrounding trees to create a return to the lush natural surroundings.

In the distance, the Cyno River flows swiftly.

Up close, the green courtyard is adorned with several rattan tables and chairs where one can enjoy tea and reading in their leisure time. A clear pond lies adjacent, with several fish playfully swimming within.

The pond surface reflects the blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding greenery, creating a picturesque scene that relaxes the mind, perfect for patients recovering from illness.

Like Wayne.

He lay in the rattan chair, moaning and groaning, "Veronica, my chest hurts so much..."

"It might be the injury acting up again. You could rub it for me, rubbing it will make the pain go away."

And if not a rub, then a lap pillow would suffice.

Veronica rolled her eyes, having been taken advantage of by this social trash under the guise of recuperating from injury for the past few days, flaunting it as a precaution against being exposed, a ploy to play the full part in their act.

She thought there was some logic to it, and patiently took care of her dear brother. But who knew he would take an inch and want a mile, asking to be fed when eating and even needing assistance when using the toilet.

These last two days he’s been even more devilish, clamoring for an improved quality of life, demanding not just fresh-squeezed orange juice, but imported ones too.

Shameless, why don’t you just go die!

As one could imagine, every time Wayne acted up, he would end up with a punch, acquiring new injuries during his recovery, delaying any improvement without even a hint of getting better.

Because of his severe injuries, he actively withdrew from the Holy Maiden Selection, and Veronica used the excuse of caring for her brother to drop out as well.

Saina was so angry she was practically steaming, yet she couldn’t find any reason to blame Veronica, understanding that the main reason Veronica withdrew was not because of Wayne, but rather the sudden attack by two assassins that shattered her faith’s illusion and laid bare the true face of the Church’s higher-ups.

Veronica lost her enthusiasm and the drive to compete for the role of the Holy Maiden, opting to withdraw alongside Wayne.

Whether Wayne could become a Naturalist Knight was still debatable, fifty-fifty, with a fifty percent chance. With Veronica, a prime candidate, relinquishing her rights, it disrupted Saina’s subsequent plans, rendering all her previous investments wasted.

Twenty years ago, Hefei tricked Saina once by having a daughter, and now twenty years later tricked her again in the very same way.

Twenty years ago, a furious Saina cut off contact with Hefei, now today, she goes against her conscience to cheer up Veronica, claiming that the position of the Holy Maiden isn’t worthy of her, that it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t take part.

The reason being, Veronica’s trash can is of higher quality than Hefei’s.

Saina wasn’t aware that the Rand brothers and sisters were just a step away from the orthopedic hospital; she only knew that Wayne didn’t care whether his real father was dead or alive but was exceptionally concerned about his stepmother and stepsister. If Veronica was happy, Wayne was happy.

Humor them!

She must humor them!

While Saina gritted her teeth to appease the siblings, she was also fuming with rage at the Pope and the Great Prophet, causing uproar and chaos amongst the Church of Naturalism’s senior ranks.

Because of the relentless quarreling, the Holy Maiden Selection Ceremony received no attention, and the arrangements for the third round had to be postponed.

More than a week had passed since Vigil and Sercy’s assassination attempt on Wayne. To prevent further attacks and guard against the Great Prophet’s cunning excuses, Saina moved the Rand siblings to her place, leveraging the defensive fortress of the Legendary Mage for their protection.

Any intruders who arrived uninvited would be met by her immediate response.

These days, besides chasing off intruders, she spent the rest of her time endlessly entangled in disputes at the Church headquarters, wearing down both the Pope and the Great Prophet.

The commotion wasn’t just caused by Saina alone.

She had found a powerful ally: Gavin, the Vice Commander of the Naturalist Knight Order.

For a long time, Gavin had been as lifeless as a salted fish, engaging in smoking, drinking, and gambling, never voicing his opinions at meetings, putting effort only into training members of the Knight Order.

His reputation was abysmal.

Gavin’s apathy came from helplessness; he was unable to change the corrupt higher-ups and unwilling to be changed by his environment, gradually embodying this debauched appearance.

But this time he didn’t slack. When Wayne was attacked and the assailants nearly succeeded, Gavin agreed to team up with Saina to exert pressure on the higher-ups.

The culprits had to be handed over!

The culprits were Vigil and Sercy, whose attempted murder had failed. To date, they were still missing.

Gavin knew well that it was jealousy that led Vigil and Sercy to make such a grave mistake. Though they were the murderers, they were not the masterminds; without support from behind the scenes, they wouldn’t have been able to interfere with the Holy Maiden Selection and transport Wayne to another space.

The Great Prophet failed to secure Wayne and lost two students as fugitives, tarnishing even his own reputation. It was unlikely for him to be the mastermind after suffering three consecutive losses.

Saina could be a suspect, having suffered no losses and even gaining an opportunity to challenge authority, but Wayne was more important to her future prospects than the Holy Maiden, so she wouldn’t dare take the risk.

Among the remaining high-ranking officials, only the Pope was the most likely suspect.

The Great Prophet said that before the incident, Vigil and Sercy received a letter. To prevent his students from being exploited, he placed them under house arrest, forbidding their exit during the Holy Maiden Selection period.

The letter indicated firsthand information, narrowing the suspects. The mastermind must have attended the first Holy Maiden candidate assessment, witnessed the Nightmare Corridor and the Great Prophet’s performance throughout.

The map of Sky City, the deliberate assignment of opponents, Vigil and Sercy’s unrestricted access, changing the Teleportation Array’s destination, etc.—the Pope, holding significant authority, met all the conditions, while the other high-ranking officials could fulfill one, but not all.

Moreover, the Pope had a motive.

No matter how one looks at it, all clues point in his direction.