6

CHAPTER 6

Bewitched. Obsessed. Mentally unstable.

Medical experts in the psychology field and netizens would have more than a few choice words to describe the brown eyed man if they had any insight into his true thoughts in the past decade.

This man that seemed so soaked in his job that nothing else mattered to him had actually been very busy searching, scheming, and planning.

No, he was not after the company. This was not that kind of telenovela or movie.

He was focused solely on following in his girlfriend's footsteps, taking things to the extreme by even joining the very organization that had led his red-haired babe astray.

The [Apotheosis Seekers].

The name of that notorious cult had spread far and wide in the last decade as Whyte Corp had made a public declaration of war against them.

Till date, the Whyte family had done a lot of damage to the group of zealots but it seemed that the more their attacks the greater the group rebounded.

They grew stronger with every setback.

That was clearly abnormal for a group that started out so small. Something was definitely up!

In his time after infiltrating them, he had earned their trust by protecting them from time to time from the Whyte family's vengeful claws.

Yet, despite all his efforts, he had only managed to meet two of the group's supporters of which one was the head of one of the families that saw the Whyte household as an eyesore but publicly appeared 'neutral' and the other was a fairly renowned and influential politician.

Alas, his heart belonged to neither side of the warfront. His gaze was solely fixed on the chance of reunion with the woman that had stolen his heart.

Otherwise, there were a lot of things he could have done with his newfound connections. Rising from his position in life was not out of reach.

During his time with the group, he had slowly but surely come to learn a lot about them.

Their beliefs at some point stopped sounding like the ravings of the mad, as there were irrefutable proofs, things he could not explain with any flawless logic.

A vial of blood that could cure undoubtedly incurable diseases.

Eight women known as the Benevolent Priestesses that had the ability to walk on air and water, as well as heal minor ailments with nothing but a kiss. They were even rumored to, although at great cost, be capable of curing the incurable.

Benevolent Knights whose skin was literally so thick they could deflect knives and barely be broken by multiple bullets. They could take gunshots and come out with shallow wounds. Their physical strength and speed were nothing short of supernatural.

Benevolent Nuns and Monks whose voices and cooking could calm anyone and possibly put them into trances. Hell, they could even cure the clinically insane.

Ah, and don't forget.

The Benevolent Pope, a man he had yet to meet but was rumored to possess all the abilities of the previously mentioned groups as well as the ability to speak to the 'Benevolent Goddess' that granted them their powers and enlightenment.

Seeing these things that should have been relegated to novels and movies served to add more gasoline to the fire that burned in the depths of his heart.

It served to strengthen his belief that Martha was alive and had indeed crossed over to the other side, to the other world where she sought to pursue immortality and power like the other Seekers.

Aside from all this, he had always wondered something;

"Since everyone here clearly wants to go over to the other side and begin their pursuit for power and immortality, how come there are still so many of you here?"

"Why don't you all just cross over to the other side? Why remain in this world and only send a few to the other side each year?"

He had asked one of the Benevolent Priestesses as he laid with her in bed after a long night of intense wrestling in her bed that filled her room with sensual moans and groans as well as a plethora of obscene sounds and fluids.

It was not just a hookup, but a seduction with a purpose. He didn't like her, much less love her.

"…" She was in the middle of kissing his neck and nipples when she heard that question. She froze up like she was starring in a time stop themed blue film.

"Eh? It's alright. You don't have to tell me if you're not allowed to or do not want to." He said, trying to disperse the atmosphere. "I wouldn't want to put you in a tight spot."

Following his words, he leaned forward and sealed her lips with his in a kiss. He let his tongue invade hers in a bid to take her mind off the question he had just asked.

Though, that didn't seem to work.

Although she enjoyed and reveled in the pleasure, she eventually regained her composure after one more round of tussling beneath the sheets.

"About the question you asked earlier…" She started to speak as they laid in bed with his hand wrapped around her as he snuggled her from the back. "…It's not really a huge secret. At least not huge enough for me to keep from someone who the Pope is soon to grant knighthood at the behest of the goddess." She turned around to face him, but his hands still remained wrapped around her.

Looking into his light brown eyes, she added; "You would have received this and similar level of information after your Knighthood ceremony anyway."

"…" Cassian didn't say anything. His expression simply remained gentle but with a hint of attentiveness in his gaze.

"As you know, the goddess is merciful and just." The [Benevolent Priestess] said with a casual tone that could never be linked to a religious zealot but he knew how much she believed in what she said.

Like her other seven 'sisters', she was a fanatic—capable of killing at a single order from the Pope or their goddess without flinching.

He had had the displeasure of witnessing it on more than one occasion after all. 

"She would never put anyone of us in danger without reason." The Priestess continued after noting his attentiveness. "Crossing over to another world is never simple or easy. The passage to the other side is fraught with myriad dangers. Without the power of the divine, it is impossible for one to survive in the passage."

After saying this she paused as she watched his reaction, searching for any notable change his expressions and mannerisms.

There were none. Simply curiosity. He seemed to be processing the implications of what she revealed.

'Hmm… It seems my speculations, worries, and suspicions were for naught.' She taught. 'His intentions seem pure, like the pope said. I shouldn't have had doubts. The pope is always right.'