Chapter 1380 The Forest Of Ava


    The news, delivered in Qin Jiu''s calm, melodic voice, sent a ripple of excitement through the worshippers. Michael, however, felt a different kind of thrill. A thrill of anticipation, of the hunt, coursed through Michael. He wanted to use the Transference of Consciousness spell on Qin Jiu herself, to see whaty at the top of that staircase, to explore the inner sanctum of Agra''s temple. But he couldn''t. Not while he was already… upying another body. And even if he could, he wasn''t sure it would work. Qin Jiu, with her rune mastery, her heightened awareness, her connection to whatever the hell was going on with Agra… she''d likely sense the intrusion, the ckout, and raise the rm.


    No, it was better to stick with the minions. Gather information. Wait for the right moment to strike.


    "Agra is… pleased with the progress of the temple," Qin Jiu continued, her gaze shifting towards the massive statue beside her.


    "But… he ising to see… thepleted potion. And… his statue. He wants to bless it."


    She paused, her gaze sweeping across the kneeling figures.


    "Those who still follow Ava… those who hide in the forests… they should return to the fold. Agra is merciful. He will wee them back. With open arms."


    Michael almost snorted. Merciful? Right. Agra''s "mercy" probably involved being chained to a rock and forced to work until you dropped dead.


    He nced at Qin Jiu, his gaze narrowing. He could see the… conflict in her eyes. The disgust. The… helplessness. It was like she was ying a role. As if she herself was repulsed by the words she was speaking and knew what awaited those who surrendered to Agra. Like she was disgusted by it.


    But Michael wasn''t the kind of guy who''d… go soft just because a pretty woman looked a little sad. He''d seen enough maniption, enough betrayal, to know that appearances could be deceiving.


    And Qin Jiu… she was the architect of his suffering. The one who''d set him on this path, the one who''d branded him a monster before he''d even had a chance to live.


    He might have softened a bit towards his mother, now that he understood the truth about her sacrifice. But Qin Jiu? He wasn''t feeling particrly charitable towards her.


    With that, Qin Jiu turned and ascended the stairs, her purple robes trailing behind her like a wisp of smoke. She disappeared from view, leaving the cultists kneeling in silent reverence.


    "Come on, brother," the worshipper beside Michael said, nudging him with his elbow. "Back to our patrol. Agra demands vignce."


    Michael nodded, letting the cultist lead him back outside, his mind racing. He''d learned a few things, but he still needed more information, more details.


    As they walked past the venttion shaft he''d noticed earlier, Michael decided it was time to… switch things up. He withdrew his consciousness from the cultist''s body, the connection severing with a faint, mental pop.


    The world around him blurred, shifted, and then he was back on the hilltop, Gaya standing beside him, her gaze fixed on the temple in the distance.


    "What happened?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concern. "You just froze there for a minute. Everything okay?"


    "It''s a spell," Michael said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Found it in a scroll. Back in Skyhall''s library. Transference of Consciousness. Pretty damn handy, if I do say so myself."


    Gaya rolled her eyes, punching him yfully on the shoulder.


    "You''re such a hoarder. Why do you always get all the cool toys? It''s not fair!"


    Michael chuckled. "You''ll have your own toys soon enough. Just wait until you unlock your godhood."


    "It better be soon," she grumbled. "So, how does this spell… work? What does it do?"


    "I can… basically… jump into someone else''s mind. See through their eyes. Control their body. It''s… temporary, of course. And it has… limitations. But for recon… it''s pretty damn useful."


    "Damn," Gaya said, her eyes widening in surprise. "That''s… impressive. So what did you learn? Anything useful?"


    "The templeyout, defenses, patrol routes…" Michael paused, his gaze turning distant. "And… I saw her, Gaya. Qin Jiu."


    Gaya''s reaction was instantaneous. Her hand clenched into a fist, her nails digging into her palm so hard that Michael could see the crescent moons etched into her flesh. She loved Michael, truly loved him. She shared his joys, his sorrows, his anger… and right now, the rage emanating from him was palpable.


    "That bitch," she snarled, her voiceced with a venomous fury. "I''m going to rip her apart. Slowly."


    "Not so fast," Michael said, cing a hand on her arm. "As much as I''d love to see rip her apart, she''s not the priority. Agra is. And Qin Jiu said he''sing in two days."


    Gaya''s anger subsided, reced by a thoughtful frown.


    "Two days? That''s a long goddamn time in this shithole," she muttered, ncing around the destendscape. "This isn''t exactly a… cozy tavern, where we can just… hang out and wait."


    "We need a ce to hide," she said, scanning the barren ins, the twisted trees, and the churning, polluted ocean. "And I don''t think… camping out under a goddamn dead tree is gonna cut it."


    Michael chuckled. "Yeah, not exactly five-star amodations, is it?" He nodded in agreement. "But don''t worry, I got this," Michael said, a reassuring grin spreading across his face. He''d learned a few things during his reconnaissance mission. Things that could be useful.


    "Those hunting parties they''re sending out… the ones looking for Ava''s worshippers? I have a feeling Fayeth might be the one hiding them."


    He paused, his gaze meeting Gaya''s.


    "And if she''s involved… well, we might just have found our… sanctuary."


    Just as he spoke, a group of Agra''s worshippers, their ck robes billowing in the wind, their faces twisted into manic grins, emerged from the temple gates. They wereughing, chanting, their daggers glinting in the dim light, their voices carrying on the wind.


    "Tonight… we hunt!" one of them shouted, his voice a gleeful shriek.


    "We''ll find those Ava-loving rats and make them pay for their defiance!" another cackled.


    "I hear there are… beauties among them," a third leered, running his tongue over his lips. "Agra will be pleased with our offerings." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gaya''s lips curled into a predatory smile, her hand instinctively reaching for the God yer crossbow strapped to her back.


    "Seems like we''ve found our… guides," Michael said, his gaze following the departing cultists. "They''ll know this ce better than we do. Let''s… tag along."


    He grabbed Gaya''s hand, and they melted back into the shadows, keeping a safe distance behind the unsuspecting cultists. However, they kept their distance, using the shadows, the twisted trees, and the uneven terrain to their advantage. The ground was littered with rocks and debris, the air thick with the stench of decay. "Let''s hide behind that boulder," Micahel said pointing at arge boulder to hide from the group. The two of them used the darkness created by the storm clouds to their advantage and moved toward the boulder. But when they were behind the boulder, Gaya''s foot caught on a loose twig, the sharp crack echoing through the stillness.


    "Shit!" she cursed, freezing, her hand instinctively reaching for the God yer crossbow.


    One of the cultists, who''d beengging behind the others, stopped, his head tilting, his gaze sweeping the area.


    "Did you hear that?" he asked, his voice a low growl.


    Michael, reacting instantly, focused his will, casting the Transference of Consciousness spell on another cultist, one who was walking near the edge of the cliff. Seeing an opportunity, Michael gave the cultist''s body a gentle push. As a result, the cultist, his eyes zing over for a moment, stumbled, his foot catching on a loose rock, sending him tumbling over the edge.


    The cultists who''d heard the twig snap turned towards themotion, theirughter echoing through the night as theirrade screamed, his body disappearing into the darkness below. Instead of expressing concern or rushing to help their fallenrade, the other cultists, simplyughed.


    "Looks like… Agra''s gonna get another sacrifice tonight!" one of them chuckled, shaking his head. "Stupid bastard. Couldn''t even walk straight. "


    Gaya, watching as the cultist tumbled to his doom, couldn''t help but let out a low whistle.


    "Damn, that was… efficient," she said, her gaze shifting from the edge of the cliff to Michael, a spark of admiration in her eyes. "I want that spell. Can it work on beasts, too?"


    "Maybe," Michael shrugged and they resumed their pursuit of the cultists, moving silently through the shadows.


    Thendscape began to change as they drew closer to the forest. The barren ins gave way to… greenery. Actual, living nts. Trees, their leaves a vibrant emerald green, reached towards the sky, their branches intertwined, forming a dense canopy that blocked out the sickly glow of the storm clouds. The air, which had been thick with the stench of decay, was now fresh, clean, filled with the scent of pine needles and wildflowers.


    It was a stark contrast to the destion that surrounded Agra''s temple.


    But the cultists, as they reached the edge of the forest, spat on the ground, their expressions contorted in disgust.


    "Look at that… green shit," one of them snarled, wrinkling his nose. "It''s… disgusting. Unnatural."


    "All that… life," another cultist groaned. "It''s… an insult to Agra. To chaos. We should burn it all down."


    "Where the hell are they hiding, anyway?" a third cultist grumbled, his gaze scanning the dense undergrowth. "Those… Ava-worshipping scum. We''ve been searching for days."


    "Go find them, Baruk," one of the cultists said, gesturing towards the forest.


    The other cultistughed. "Thought you''d never ask!" He raised his hands, his fingers twisting in a series of intricate gestures as he cast a spell. Soon, his body contorted, bones snapping and reforming, flesh rippling until he stood before them… no longer human.


    He was a dog. A massive, rabid-looking beast, its fur as ck as night, its eyes glowing with a malevolent red light.


    Looking at the transformation and the dog, Gaya grimaced.


    "Damn, that''s one ugly-ass dog," she muttered.


    "Let''s go," Michael said, his gaze fixed on the shadowy form of the transformed cultist as it disappeared into the undergrowth. "We''ll follow him. And… we''ll take those bastards out. In the forest. Just like old times."


    He smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. The forest reminded him of their first encounter, back when he transmigrated to this strange world, trying to find his ce. He''d found Gaya then, captured by Nagnd soldiers and her meridians broken. Then, he used the shadows, and the trees, to his advantage, taking out the Nagas one by one, silently, and efficiently.


    It was the beginning of their… partnership. Their… love story.