To Leave Without A Trace

As the sun rose, a gentle knock sounded on Xin Ming's door, rousing him from his slumber. With a groggy sigh, he rose from his bed, his mind still foggy with sleep as he shuffled towards the door.

I guess Golden Core cultivators cannot evade sleep, haha.

Opening it, he found Sister Maria standing before him, her expression emotionless as she delivered her message. "Xin Ming," she said quietly, "the Grand Magus requests your presence at the temple. He wishes to meet with you at dawn."

Xin Ming was skeptical of the Grand Magus now but nodded in acknowledgment nonetheless. "Thank you, Sister Maria," he replied, his voice a bit croaky due to the lack of sleep he had gotten.

"I will be there."

With a respectful bow, Sister Maria departed, leaving Xin Ming in the inn room.

As he donned his robes and gathered his thoughts. Deep in thought, Xin Ming weighed his options. He knew that confronting the Grand Magus without evidence would be futile and potentially dangerous. He needed concrete proof to expose the demon's true identity and protect himself and those around him. As he thought more, Xin Ming decided to tread carefully.

He would play along with the Grand Magus's charade for now, but he would also be vigilant, watching for any signs of deception, and once he does, I will instantly kill him.

Xin Ming realized he doesn't even know what his opponent is capable of yet. With a deep breath, he reached out to the system, his voice echoing in the recesses of his mind.

"System, display the stats of the Grand Magus," he commanded, his tone firm and resolute. A moment passed before the system responded, a holographic display materialized which widened Xin Ming's eyes.

[Name: Asmodius]

[Title/s: Grand Magus of Mortem, Demon General] (New)

[Race: Demon]

[Strength: 13000(+1120)]

[Agility: 11910 (+9910)]

[Mana: 99111] (New)

[Skills:]

[Commander Lv 52 (Level 0 Martial Power)]

[Demon Hand Lv 20 (Level 35 MP)]

[Manipulate Soul Lv 21 (Lv 40 MP)]

… (List Goes on)

[Info: (New)

Asmodeus is a corrupting demon, tempting others with promises of wealth, power, and what they most desire. With a silver tongue and a gift for manipulation, he corrupts the hearts and minds of those who fall under his sway, leading them down a path of darkness and destruction.

His personality is chaotic evil.

He likes: The Demon King, Chocolate, Sweets, and Ice Cream

He doesn't like: Heroes, Humans and pineapples]

What's with these ridiculous stats?

And the new functions?

Thoughts bounced around in Xin Ming's head about the new features added just now and the overwhelming numbers that the grand magus had.

"System, what's with these new additions?" Xin Ming asked.

[Ah, indeed. The changes in the stats and the addition of new functions are most likely due to the different dynamics present in this new world. As you have changed territories this almighty system has adjusted the stat window for them accordingly to this world's standards.]

Huh, the system sounds like it's soooo proud, why do I need to know that he likes Ice Cream! :/

Nevertheless, this wasn't someone that Xin Ming could beat right now so he had to change his plans. Immediately.

He was outmatched against the demon archduke posing as a grand magus, and as the saintess suspects him, she would be in danger too.

Without hesitation, he left the inn and he made his way swiftly through the winding streets of the city. As he reached the entrance of the temple where the saintess resided, he couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency prickling at the edges of his consciousness.

How long has it been since I felt this urgent?

Xin Ming stepped into the hall of the temple, his eyes scanning the familiar surroundings in search of the saintess, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished marble floors, the sound reverberating in the hallowed halls.

Spotting her in the midst of her daily prayers, he approached her. "Saintess Lysandra," he began, his voice firm with confidence, "You need to flee quickly. The grand magus... He's a demon archduke, and he poses a grave threat to you and to all who trust him."

Lysandra's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, her features contorted with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "A demon? But... how can this be?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.

Xin Ming reached out to grasp her hand gently, his touch comforting her, "I don't have all the answers, but I know that we can't defeat him right now. We need to leave, to hide until I can gather enough strength and confront him."

As Xin Ming gets up and tells her to leave, he was met with a hushed silence. The saintess, Lysandra, raised a delicate finger to her lips, her expression grave as she gestured for him to lower his voice."Shh," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the soft rustle of her robes.

"We are being observed." Xin Ming's heart skipped a beat at her words, his senses suddenly on high alert. He scanned the surroundings with Qi, but there was nothing out of the ordinary—no visible signs of surveillance at least. Yet, he trusted Lysandra's instincts implicitly, knowing her divine intuition was probably beyond his own.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper as he leaned in closer to her, mindful of the potential threat lurking in the shadows.

Lysandra's gaze flickered with a mixture of concern and caution as she glanced around the temple chamber, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow as if searching for hidden watchers."I cannot explain now, but God has told me to trust the hero no matter what, and as his follower I will oblige, so, where do we go?" she murmured.

As Xin Ming relayed his urgency to Lysandra, emphasizing the need to flee the city, a sudden disturbance shattered the tense atmosphere.

Holy knights, clad in gleaming armor and bearing the insignia of the church, entered the chamber with purposeful strides, their swords drawn and expressions stern.

"Please do not move." Said a holy knight who appeared to be the commander.

Lysandra's eyes widened in alarm as she took in the sight of the encroaching knights, her hand instinctively reaching for the pendant that hung around her neck—a symbol of her faith and authority within the temple.

"We have been discovered," she whispered, her voice tight with apprehension. "They seek to apprehend us."