Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 362 - 299: title

After exams, I’ll finally be getting a 10-day break, and I plan to update daily during that time. Thank you so much for all the gifts; I genuinely appreciate every single one. And yes... I’d really appreciate a castle too! I know it might sound silly, but getting one could boost my visibility and help me get featured, even if just for a while.

I’m hoping to grow from 4,000 to 6,000 bookmarks. It’s a bit of a stretch, but if anyone’s willing to help me get there, thank you in advance. Lately, things have been rough. My mum’s been sick, and it’s been weighing heavily on me. I’ve been so scared I almost stopped writing altogether. But I needed to let this out, even just a little.

Thankfully, my mum is doing much better now, she’s home and recovering. That alone helps ease my mind. I’m also deeply grateful to have such a good father, working hard to support me and my siblings while taking care of her.

So to sum it up: after exams, all stories will resume updates. I’m still trying to figure out how to write Iris, she’s a bit tricky. Leila’s plot is also something I’m still piecing together, so for now, I’ll be sticking with Aurianna’s story.

Oh, and exciting news, I’m joining the WSA stories! The Dragon Fang Guild is the story. I’ll be updating daily, or at least trying to. I actually have ideas mapped out for about 50 Chapters. I don’t have any drafts yet though, just raw inspiration. Anyway, enough of me rambling, back to the story.

---

"Wait, Aurianna died?!" Kiana gasped, nearly choking on her own breath.

"Dying is normal for her. That much we know," Carol replied flatly, adjusting her grip on the airship controls.

"This time was different, Lady Carol," Penma said with a troubled look. "It wasn’t just her body. Something attacked her soul."

Carol frowned. "That would explain why her confidence cracked the last time we saw her. She’s usually more composed."

Penma nodded. "She decided to take refuge in the School of the Saintess of Light after that."

Carol raised a brow, eyes still locked on the skies ahead. "So... the Church of Paige is hunting her down?"

"Apparently so," Penma confirmed. "She is their Saintess, after all. The Quarts and the Pidis investigated."

"And what did you find?" Carol asked, voice low.

"They originally planned to use her like her predecessor. But Aurianna is powerful, caught the attention of the High God, and formed alliances with both the Church of Time and the Church of Wisdom. So instead of forcing her into submission, they handed her the Saintess position, at least publicly." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"But Master despises them," Penma continued, "so she ran away. And judging by the assassination attempt, it’s clear they never intended to truly accept her."

Carol scoffed. "Killing someone with ties to the High God and two major churches? That’s obviously suicide."

"It would be," Penma said coldly, "but their goddess gave the order directly."

Batholem blinked in disbelief. "But gods aren’t supposed to interfere with worldly matters!"

"That’s the rule," Penma said with a shrug, "but their Sacreds can. And I hate that bitch."

Carol let out a dry chuckle. "If I were to fight a god from her world, who’d win?"

"You, obviously, Lady Carol," Penma replied without hesitation. "But if it’s their High God... you’d die."

"Hm. So he’s like Vivian?" Carol asked, her tone growing serious.

"Stronger," Penma replied. "Probably even stronger than Sir Neil."

Carol grunted, clearly displeased. "That explains why Eva’s desperate to reclaim her powers. If he’s a tier 5-1 Regal, this just got a lot more complicated..."

"What is a Regal?" Christopher asked, tilting his head with curiosity.

"Heh. You don’t need to know," Penma huffed, folding her arms.

"I... I don’t mind explaining it," Kiana offered with a nervous smile. "After all, they’re Master’s friends."

"Suit yourself!" Penma waved her hand dismissively.

"Well," Kiana began, trying to gather her thoughts. "Our High God is from a race called Regals. They’re considered the third most powerful race in the known universe, or maybe even beyond that? Honestly, I don’t get all the space stuff..."

"Universe? What’s that?" Zorian asked, frowning in confusion.

"This is going to take too long to explain," Penma sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

____

"So... what was he talking about with Aurianna?" Zeche asked, his tone low but tense.

"He wants her to make him her Jewel," Penma said, as if the words left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What?! Is that bastard crazy?!" Carol growled, her grip tightening on the stick as she kept their group airborne.

"Actually... it’s a clever move," Penma admitted, despite her annoyance. "Lady Carol, you underestimate what it means when a Gemaris gives someone a title."

"Neil was just a bodyguard once, low-tier, barely anyone," she continued. "But look at him now. If he hadn’t lost so much of his power, he’d be nearly unstoppable."

"And a Jewel...?" Penma’s tone grew serious. "Eva was nearly killed once. But ever since she got that title, she’s been recovering rapidly. That’s why she’s bold enough to go seek for her wings again."

’Aurianna... there’s so much I don’t know about you,’ Peter thought silently, watching the conversation unfold. ’But then again, she doesn’t know much about me either.’

"Hm. I see," Carol muttered, glancing back at the others. "Still, sounds like trouble."

"It’s not all bad," Penma said with a shrug. "Besides... they’ll be here soon."

"They?" Carol raised a brow. "Who?"

"The former servants of the White Gemaris," Penma replied, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "They’ll come to stand by Master’s side again."

"If I fought one of them, who’d win?" Carol asked casually, though her eyes stayed focused on the flight path.

"You’d definitely die," Penma answered bluntly, not even hesitating.

"...What about Vivian or Neil?"

"They’d die too," Penma said without missing a beat. "Even though I’m just a Quartz, I can feel it, they’re coming. Their power is immense. But since they were once Master’s, they won’t harm her."

She nodded thoughtfully. "In fact, it’d be good if they helped protect her."

"Damn. She’s lucky," Carol muttered, clicking her tongue.

"I doubt that," Penma replied, her voice turning uneasy. "If they’re coming, it means they’re actively blocking other races that want to reach Master."

"To kill her?" Carol asked, eyes narrowing.

"No," Penma said slowly. "More like... to control her. Turn her into something they can use. But those idiots don’t realize something very important..."

She smirked. "If they so much as touch Aurianna... Iris will destroy them all."