novelraw Chapter 266: Master
Chapter 266: Master
An unknown amount of time passed, perhaps an hour, perhaps longer.
From the half-collapsed gate.
A staggering figure, leaning on the doorframe, struggled to emerge.
The metal mask on Lin Wei's face was askew, revealing a lower face as pale as paper.
Her lips were bitten until they bled, her entire body soaked through with cold sweat, her clothes clinging tightly to her skin, outlining a silhouette that trembled incessantly.
Her gaze was unfocused, her pupils filled with fear.
Lin Wei stumbled and staggered in the direction where Su Zhan was, her steps unsteady as if she might collapse at any moment.
Su Zhan took a silent step out from the shadows, positioning himself just so she could use his frame to steady herself, not reaching out to support her.
Lin Wei lifted her head to look at Su Zhan, her eyes slowly focusing.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but was first wracked by violent coughing. It took a while before she could speak haltingly, "...Didn't... pass... It was... mental erosion... They wanted to... plant a brand... in my consciousness..."The Transcendence Society's trial was control at the mental level.
Su Zhan's gaze sharpened slightly.
This confirmed his deepest concern—the Transcendence Society indeed had means to control its members.
"...It was... terrifying... Like it wanted to tear me apart... swallow me..."
Lin Wei's voice carried a sob, her body still trembling uncontrollably.
"But you won."
Su Zhan's tone gave no indication of praise or blame.
She failed, ah...
Truthfully, deep down, he had still hoped she would succeed.
That would have been beneficial for him.
What a pity...
Lin Wei was taken aback for a moment, then nodded heavily, "Yes... I... I held on... I wasn't controlled..."
She had relied on her own willpower to overcome that force that tried to enslave her.
"Can you walk?" Su Zhan asked.
Lin Wei took several deep breaths, struggling to stand straight, "I... I can."
"Let's talk back at the hideout."
Su Zhan turned and led the way toward the concealed location.
Lin Wei gritted her teeth, dragging her utterly exhausted yet strangely exhilarated body, and quickly followed.
Lin Wei's home.
Lin Wei slumped into the only chair, her face still pale. She took the cup of water Su Zhan handed her, her hands trembling slightly.
Back home, removed from the dangerous environment outside, the strength she had been forcing herself to maintain drained away, leaving only endless exhaustion.
Su Zhan stood by the window, lifting a corner of the curtain to confirm there was nothing unusual outside before turning around.
"Explain in detail. Every detail."
Lin Wei took a large gulp of water, trying to steady her breathing, and began to recall haltingly.
"After going in... they took me to a room. Inside, there was only... something like an altar.
The one presiding over the trial was that same half-masked man we encountered last time.
He told me to sit before the altar, relax my mind, and go feel... the Lord's grace..."
Lin Wei subconsciously hugged her head, her expression pained.
"It wasn't simple mental pressure... It was more like... a forced assimilation.
It spoke in my head, tempted me with all sorts of images and promises, offering me power, liberation, showing me illusions... As long as I gave up resisting, accepted it, I could have everything.
It also viciously attacked my memories, my emotions, trying to turn me into a blank slate for it to scribble on at will!
My body grew restless, as if welcoming its arrival... I was so close, just that little bit away from..."
"How did you resist it?"
Su Zhan seized the key point.
Lin Wei fell silent for a moment, then lifted her head, giving Su Zhan a complicated look. "I... I thought about the consequences of failure, I desperately focused on the people I hate the most, the things I'm most unwilling to accept... I used extreme emotions to fight against its temptations and erosion...
I don't know if that was right, but in the end... that thing seemed to realize it couldn't truly occupy the core of my consciousness. It suddenly became furious, and then... then it shrank back.
That masked man... he seemed able to perceive the process.
He walked to the side of the altar, remained silent for a while, then said to me... 'Willpower is acceptable, but resisting grace means the trial has failed.'
Then... he let me go."
Su Zhan listened quietly.
An altar, a Lord, mental assimilation, stirring power...
It sounded like a ritual of mental control.
Behind the Transcendence Society, there was likely some terrifying entity with formidable mental power involved.
"You did well."
Su Zhan suddenly spoke, startling Lin Wei. "At least it proves you still have the qualification to remain 'you.'"
Lin Wei stared at him blankly. "What... what do we do next?"
Her heart was uneasy.
Her greatest value was as a stepping stone, to test the depths of the Transcendence Society, allowing this lord to judge whether the organization was worth joining.
Now, the trial had failed.
This stone of hers seemed to have lost its usefulness.
A pawn that had lost its value, who knew so much about him.
Even though she didn't even know his real name or what he looked like, this month of interaction itself was a potential threat.
Not to mention he knew her face.
According to the Law of the Dark Forest, the safest course was to eliminate all uncertainties, to prevent her from retaliating—this potential threat.
Lin Wei had no doubt about the methods of the lord before her.
She asked about "us."
But what she was really thinking was whether "she" would live to see tomorrow's sun.
Su Zhan remained silent.
This woman's utility had indeed greatly diminished.
Being unable to infiltrate the Transcendence Society's inner circle meant being unable to directly obtain the method to trigger Mist events.
Keeping her around not only added a burden that required divided attention and care, but also increased the risk of his identity being exposed.
Killing her would be clean and final, the most straightforward solution.
Seeing his silence, Lin Wei's heart gradually sank into an abyss.
Su Zhan smiled and shook his head.
Lin Wei was clever, understood how to assess situations, and carried out assigned tasks relatively well. Most crucially, she was sensible enough, never overstepping boundaries to pry.
A smart and, for now, obedient subordinate... perhaps she could still be of some use in the future?
Killing her would certainly be convenient, but it would also completely sever this line of connection.
As for the Transcendence Society side, there might still be follow-up developments.
Su Zhan said flatly, "Rest well."
With that, he turned and walked toward the sofa in the room.
Lin Wei was stunned, taking several full seconds to process it.
She took a few steps, nearly stumbling.
Only then did she realize her legs were so weak she could barely stand.
"Yes... Lord."
Lin Wei dared not say more. She returned to her room and lay down.
Her heart still pounded with lingering fear.
Her life... was temporarily preserved.
Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the thin curtains.
Lin Wei woke up, placing the large stuffed toy she had been hugging to the side.
She walked out of the room to look at the sofa.
Su Zhan was not there.
She was already accustomed to this.
This lord's whereabouts were unpredictable. He would often leave late at night, return at dawn, or simply vanish for an entire day.