Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 175: [Blizzard Manor] - Prophet’s part (22)

"So what are we supposed to do now? We can’t kill them, but we can’t save them either." Zara muttered, looking awkwardly toward Emilia’s group.

At that moment, Tom, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, suddenly twitched a little.

He opened his eyes, looking around at everyone with a confused expression. When his gaze landed on the child beside Drake, he instinctively trembled slightly.

"Oh, you’re awake!" Zara exclaimed. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

Not only Zara but everyone else turned their attention toward Tom as well.

Tom flinched a bit, instinctively clenching his hand — but then he noticed something. His skin was wrinkled, lacking elasticity, as if a layer of flesh had peeled away.

He gasped as if terrified by what he saw. "W-What happened to me?! Why do I look like this?!" He couldn’t help but look toward Saphen, assuming the boy had done something to him.

Jessica narrowed her eyes and asked, "Do you remember what happened today?"

Tom nodded quickly. "Of course I remember!"

He then recounted everything from that morning until now, not missing a single detail.

Jessica asked again, "Then do you remember what happened on the first night?"

Tom’s face showed a hint of thought. Then his eyes widened slightly, a look of fear quickly spreading across his face. He muttered, "I... I..."

"Go ahead and say it," Susan said gently from the side, her gaze sincere and calming.

Tom took a deep breath and said, "Rowan came after me that night. I don’t even know why he suddenly showed up — he was already dead! Then I heard the butler say he could help me!"

"So you opened the door, didn’t you? Ha ha ha! Are you really that stupid?" Fiona burst out laughing instantly. She couldn’t understand how a free esper like Tom had survived so many dungeons before, even the easier ones.

Tom’s face turned red as he lowered his head, a mix of embarrassment and frustration, but he couldn’t say anything in return.

Under Jessica’s gaze, he quickly continued, "Something wrapped itself around me, and then everything..."

At this point, Tom finally realized something was wrong.

Clearly, he had been attacked that night, but the next morning, he said nothing had happened — he even actively hid the fact that he had opened the door.

That shouldn’t have been the case!

Jessica curled her lips almost mockingly. "So you’ve finally noticed something was off." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Tom’s eyes widened. His loose, wrinkled skin made him look prematurely aged, even horrifying.

He couldn’t help but glance at Emilia’s group again, still visibly shaken.

The expressions of Emilia’s group weren’t looking any better either.

Luis concluded, "So now we know that whatever’s inside their bodies can obscure or alter their memories while still allowing them to maintain consciousness. Maybe it only fully takes over after a certain point."

Looking at Tom’s thin, shriveled body after the creature had left him, Fiona remarked honestly, "They might not even make it to tomorrow before they’re completely changed."

Standing to the side, Bella covered her mouth when she heard that, her eyebrows slightly raised. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and pity for Emilia’s group. "Then what should we do now?"

As soon as Bella finished speaking, Susan looked at Emilia and Stella and slowly said, "You two are prepared to sacrifice yourselves, aren’t you?"

Despite the sincerity and gentleness on her face, Emilia and Stella couldn’t help but shiver. They nearly collapsed to their knees simultaneously.

Emilia spoke loudly, "No! Sister Susan, we’re not dead yet — we’re still ourselves. If we have more time, I can force that thing out of my body!"

Stella bit her lip, already sobbing in fear and despair. She was terrified that Susan might speak again — and make her end her own life.

Mason and Justin felt their legs go weak. Only now did they realize just how lucky Tom had been.

Mason shouted, "No! We’re still normal people. Are you going to kill your comrades?!"

Justin quickly added, "If that child could force the monster out of Tom’s body, then he can save us, too. Stop pretending like it’s over!"

Jessica frowned. She had no interest in arguing with these people — in her mind, they were already beyond saving. One clean strike would be a mercy.

Drake looked toward Saphen. Saphen shook his head.

That was all Drake needed.

He turned to Mason’s group with a cold expression and said in a low voice, "Until sunset. If no solution is found by then, you’ll be eliminated."

The group looked like they wanted to say something else, but Drake cut in, his voice icy: "The fact that others are even trying to find a way to save you is already a mercy. No one will wait until you fully become monsters and attack your teammates. Understand your situation."

Truthfully, if it weren’t for countless eyes watching this dungeon, Drake would’ve dealt with them already.

But he couldn’t — that might damage his reputation and, more importantly, the organization’s reputation. After all, no matter where you go, there are always those nauseatingly righteous people who think they have the right to condemn others who are fighting to save this pitiful world.

With Drake’s gradually chilling gaze, Mason and Justin no longer dared to speak.

Meanwhile, Emilia and Stella were still kneeling on the ground, their eyes pleading as they looked toward Susan.

Drake had said what he said — surely that meant Susan would spare them, right? At least until sunset... they wouldn’t die today.

Susan looked at Drake, then at Emilia and Stella, and sighed. "Alright. I hope you can save yourselves." After a pause, she added, "You should know I never wanted to kill either of you."

Liar. She would’ve killed them without hesitation if it hadn’t been for Drake.

Emilia couldn’t help but feel a trace of luck flicker in her heart.

But then, Susan’s voice rang out again — slow and clear:

"Emilia and Stella, if you can’t find a way to destroy the monster inside you before nightfall... end your lives yourselves."

The moment Susan finished speaking, Emilia and Stella felt a tightness clutch at their hearts — a command had been implanted inside them, and they couldn’t resist it.

Stella closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. She and Emilia lowered their heads. "We understand, Miss Susan."

Susan would never let a few individuals threaten the beliefs of the Believers of Archangel Gabriel.

She turned to look at Drake again and said slowly, "I trust you’ll handle Mason and Justin properly."

After a pause, she added with a small smile, "Honestly, you’ve changed, Drake. Normally, you would’ve been the first to demand their deaths. We might not have even been able to stop you. Want to go outside the manor for a walk?"

Fiona and the others couldn’t help but frown at Susan’s words. They stood beside Drake, gazing toward Susan — the two groups separated by an invisible boundary.

"Miss Susan," Luis adjusted his glasses, the lenses seeming to gleam under the crystal chandelier of the mansion, "we know your status isn’t low, but openly casting doubt on Captain Drake like that isn’t exactly appropriate."

Susan smiled. "I was merely speculating. No need for everyone to get so tense."

Yet her eyes remained fixed on Drake as if waiting for some answer from him.

Drake paid no attention to Susan’s words. He held Saphen’s hand and said in a deep voice, "As long as Saphen is here, I’m still myself."

That’s right — even he admitted that he wasn’t exactly normal under normal circumstances.

Jessica let out a silent sigh at that. Drake knew about Saphen’s identity, but he let more slip than he should have.

Susan couldn’t help but glance at Saphen — this mysterious child who had appeared timid initially but whose powers were small.

Her eyes turned thoughtful and profound, but she said nothing more.

At that moment, Drake spoke again: "Let’s split up. My team will head to the chef’s room. Susan, take the others and investigate the rest of the mansion — especially the kitchen and the master’s chamber. If possible, try to find a way to the fifth floor."

"Sounds like a difficult task. Don’t worry, I won’t let you down, Captain Drake," Susan replied with a smile, her eyes landing firmly on Mason and Justin.

Both Mason and Justin shivered as Susan looked at them.

They’d long heard tales about Susan. But most people were misled by her gentle demeanor and appearance, forgetting how terrifying she was.

Among the three Great Believers, Susan was known as the Lost Demon — a demon that had wandered into an angelic realm and, by accident, fallen for a gentle and pure angel. Since then, she had yearned to become just like that angel.

Unlike the other Believers, Susan hadn’t joined Gabriel’s faith out of devotion or duty — she had done it because she was infatuated and enchanted by the angel’s tenderness.

"She thinks she is someone special, accusing the captain like that!" Fiona grumbled once Susan’s group had left.

Bella nodded and joined Fiona’s side in a rare moment of agreement: "Right? I used to think her smile was so gentle... Now I want her to shut up!"

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