Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 175: Blood Chosen

"I know what you're all thinking." Ren stood in the middle of the room, the windows closed shut. Everyone sat or leaned where they could, Thorn on the edge of the bed, Elias against the far wall, Valen seated cross-legged on the floor, Lilith perched silently on the table.

"Why? We're here to somehow stop the plague, so why do we have to infiltrate the Rainhold church?"

Thorn nodded as he listened.

"The answer is simple." Ren smiled. "The only weapon strong enough to specifically target the Red Plague and turn the tide in our favor is in the church. It'll be risky. It'll be dangerous. And if we fail, we'll end up dead… or worse."

The room was quiet, no one saying a word.

"This all started roughly twenty years ago." He continued. "The news of all these were kept within the church, but a few years ago, the Chosen were allowed to take their oaths unsupervised."

"They'd bond with elements, forces, or concepts, whatever the Shivering Tree allowed. Most chose the classics. Metal, stone, air, fire. But one pair chose something different."

Ren paused. "They chose flesh and blood."

Thorn's eyebrows shot up, and Valen, who knew the significance of what Ren had just said, tilted his head slightly in interest.

"The human body is incredibly fragile, and this meant that they could kill anybody with a thought." Ren said. "By resonating with the blood or flesh inside a person's body, they could sever life instantly. No sound. No mess. Just death."

Lilith smiled faintly. "Sounds efficient."

"It was." Ren admitted. "Too efficient. The Church grew afraid. The Pope saw them as a threat to the divine hierarchy. So he outlawed blood and flesh resonance. Branded it heresy."

"The pair were hunted, with the Chosen of flesh resonance killed during the capture. The other… was taken alive. Hidden away. Locked in one of the Church's deepest prisons beneath the cathedral."

"So," Valen said slowly, "you want to break him out?"

Ren nodded. "Yes. But it's not that simple. First, I do not know where the prison is. And second, only a Chosen has the freedom to find the prison."

Thorn frowned. "So, what does this mean?"

"Word has… reached me that a new batch of Chosen are about to be initiated in Rainhold." Ren held up three fingers. "In three days, the ceremony will begin. Pairs of aspirants will take the Oath of White and become bonded. Once bonded, they are granted access to the inner chambers of every cathedral."

Thorn's eyes widened. "You're saying… you're going to pretend to be one of them?"

"Not just me." Ren turned, meeting Lilith's eyes. "Both of us."

Lilith gave a pleased smile. "I thought you'd never ask."

"We'll take the place of one of the aspirant pairs before the ceremony." Ren said. "Once we take the oath and become Chosen, the search for the prison of the Blood Chosen will begin."

"Wait a fucking minute!" Thorn surged to his feet, eyes wide. "You'll become an actual Chosen?"

Ren grinned. "Yes."

"Once you find the Blood Chosen, what happens?" Elias asked.

"We break him out." Ren said. "Quietly, if possible. Loudly, if we must."

Valen leaned forward. "And you're sure he'll help you?"

Ren nodded. "He has every reason to. Especially when I tell him how getting rid of the Red Plague robs the Pope of more power."

"With his power, all he needs to do is resonate the corrupted blood of the Plague carriers. Instead of having to kill them one by one or burn them, he could destroy them in large batches. Think of it as targeting the very thing that links all infected together. It's the best weapon we have."

"The only problem we have is the Pope." Ren's eyes darkened. "If he suspects the King is planning to use the Blood Chosen, they'll eliminate him just to keep the monarchy weak. We get him out before they make that decision."

Silence filled the room as they all pondered the plan.

"And if we succeed?" Elias finally asked.

Ren looked at each of them. "Then we end the Red Plague. Before it spreads across the continent. Before it becomes something no one can stop."

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The window of the inn's top floor creaked open silently, the light of the moon spilling into the room. A cloaked figure slipped through, her white cloak fluttering like a ghost's tail behind her.

She landed soundlessly on the wooden floor of the inn's top room, straightening with grace.

On the shoulder of her cloak was the silver insignia of the Shivering Tree. Covering her face was a blank silver mask.

On the other side of the room, opposite the window, a figure stepped from the shadows. He wore a lion's mask, with a dark cloak draped over his shoulders, blending into the shadows of the room like smoke.

"Nero." The woman breathed.

"Contessa." He replied.

They pulled off their marks, stepped into each other's arms, and shared a deep, hungry kiss.

A few seconds later, they pulled apart, Contessa's fingers lingering on Nero's jaw.

"You called me here." He murmured, his voice low. "Why?"

A small smile appeared on Contessa's face. "The Pope." She chuckled softly. "He gave the order. You have permission to release the infected into Rainhold within the week."

Nero's eyes narrowed as he stared at Contessa. "So it begins."

She nodded, stepping back toward the window but pausing. "I shall report back that the task is done. He won't look towards you."

"So, he suspects nothing?" Nero asked carefully.

"No." Contessa replied. "He still doesn't suspect that we might have a hand in the plague."

"The Pope is blind." Nero said, his eyes gleaming with disdain. "He thinks he controls the Plague, but he doesn't even know who released it."

Contessa nodded again. "He has deluded himself into believing it was born of chaos. Divine punishment. But we know better."

"We know better." Nero repeated.

Their eyes met.

"We've come too far." Contessa whispered. "If he finds out—"

"He won't." Nero assured her, stepping closer once again. "We're Chosen. We wear white. No one questions what we do."

"Then we proceed?" She asked.

Nero placed the lion mask back on his face. "We proceed."

And then, just as quietly as she came, Contessa disappeared into the night.