Original God's Dark Priest

Chapter 902 Backstabbing and the Captain's Compromise

The test was over, the gate opened, and Mavica and her group found a new path.

After stepping through the hidden stone gate, the next test immediately appeared before them.

This time, Mavica recognized them: "They are ancient roulette wheels. Let's try to recreate them."

"This disc has three layers, and there are three mechanisms around it. Each mechanism controls one layer. You need to operate all three mechanisms at the same time to make the disc rotate and eventually form a dragon pattern, then the door will open." The girl's voice rang out again.

Ying looked at the mechanisms scattered around and nodded slightly: "I'm good at this!"

She had solved similar puzzles countless times, and this time she was just as adept. Before long, the dragon head pattern on the disc was assembled, and the stone door on one side gradually opened with a rumbling sound.

"Great, you did it!" Paimon was very happy. Every time Ying successfully solved a puzzle, the little guy would be very happy, as if she were the one who had succeeded.

Mavica nodded inwardly. Ying's puzzle-solving skills were very high. At first, she thought that this puzzle would trap them for a while, but she did not expect Ying to solve it in the fastest time, with almost no mistakes.

After crossing the second stone gate, the next step is a very long stone path. After walking through the stone path, you will arrive at a very spacious area.

The figures of the captain, Saffir, and Orloren are now clearly visible.

Hinoning, with her long legs and fast running speed, was the first to emerge from the stone path and the first to see Saffir and the others: "This is..."

"They really are here." Paimon put her hands on her hips, now it was her turn to show off! Paimon single-handedly intercepted Saffir, buying Vulcan precious time!

Xinoning narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze fixed on Saffir and the captain: "That man is the captain, and the one next to him... is the Dark Priest. They are both here."

"Oh? Looks like they've arrived." Saffir had already spotted several of them. She turned to the captain and said, "What did I tell you? They might not attack from the front."

The captain shook his head: "I thought Vulcan preferred a direct assault. Okay, you win. You'll be in charge of the operations in the Nata region from now on."

“Actually, it doesn’t matter whether I make the decision or not. Now that the Vulcan has arrived, our next actions will inevitably be out in the open. One side will have to compromise. It just depends on whether she can convince you.” Saffir put his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent.

Upon hearing this, the captain glanced at Saffir and said, "Aurora, you don't seem to care much about command. I thought you were very attached to this power."

“After all, that’s how I’ve always acted, so you’ve gotten used to it, haven’t you?” Saffir chuckled. He had traveled through several countries, from Mondstadt to Fontainebleau, and had several executives involved in the previous operation.

Aside from Saffir himself, who was in charge of Inazuma and Sumeru, Rosalind, who was in charge of Mondstadt, Tartaglia, who was in charge of Liyue, and Arecino, who was in charge of Fontaine, all mentioned the same thing in their post-mission reports: Saffir was the one who formulated the action plan and was in charge of command.

This led the captain to subconsciously believe that Saffir was a power-hungry person. Such a person, if he had outstanding abilities, would be perfectly acceptable, after all, all the Hearts of Gods to date had been obtained by Saffir himself.

This is the best proof of her personal ability. The captain doesn't dislike people like this, nor does she object to delegating authority to Saffir—if she's willing to take it.

Saffir smiled but did not answer, but Orloren had already raised his hand and activated the mechanism in front of him.

Mavica's pupils contracted sharply, and she instinctively rushed over with her people, shouting, "Wait!"

“It’s too late,” Saffir murmured.

Mavica stared at Saffir: "You lied to me?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Vulcan, but this is something that must be done," Saffir said, pulling Orloren back slowly.

Xinoning gritted his teeth: "We have to turn it off!"

Ying frowned, not looking at Safiel. In her opinion, Safiel's actions would not surprise her.

She simply quickened her pace silently. Saffir would never do anything to harm them, at least not to her. That was Ying's thought, so for now, it hadn't reached the point where it was unstoppable!

The captain slowly stepped in front of the crowd: "Stop."

Just as the group was about to make contact and trigger a battle, an extremely piercing sound suddenly rang out from this space, like a mournful cry of someone on the verge of death.

Upon hearing this sound, everyone present except the captain, Mavica, and Saffir showed expressions of pain, and even Paimon covered his head.

"A mournful cry?" The captain immediately understood the meaning of the piercing sound and was somewhat confused. He also felt pain, but it was not enough to make him lose his composure.

Paimon, having finally recovered, threw herself into Saffir's arms. Remembering her mission, she held off this most dangerous woman: "What was that sound just now? It was so sharp..."

Xinoning also recovered, and her goal became clearer. She rushed straight to the Secret Source Mechanism, intending to shut down the device right now.

Ying's eyes were a little confused, but she quickly found what she needed to do. Saffir had already stepped aside with Paimon in her arms, and Ororen was looking down, seemingly lost in thought. The captain seemed unaffected and was still standing in front of his family. She had to distract the captain to create an opportunity for Xinoning.

However, before she could make a move, O'Loren swayed twice in place, then suddenly disappeared in a flash. Afterwards, blurry shadows kept appearing near Xinoning.

He was very fast, and his fighting style was also different from his usual style.

Seeing Oloren like this, Xinoning frowned even more. She was not familiar with Oloren, but was surprised by his movements and speed.

"I didn't expect this guy to be so strong," was Xinoning's first thought.

The captain, however, looked at Orlan's figure with a surprised expression, realizing that something was amiss.

Saffir also stared at Orloren's figure. In Saffir's eyes, Orloren's movements slowed down and were broken down bit by bit. His expression did not escape Saffir's observation either. It was a kind of indifference that was closer to contempt. Orloren would never show such an expression.

“He… is not Orloren, Captain…” Saffir spoke directly. She was holding little Paimon in her arms, which made it inconvenient for her to attack. Moreover, her attacks were always deadly and could easily hurt Orloren.

The captain nodded slightly; he knew what to do now.

During their brief exchange, O'Loren had already circled behind Xinoning, clenched his right fist, and launched an attack.

Xinoning realized that he had no chance of dodging the attack and instinctively let out a scream.

"That's enough!" The captain flashed forward, blocking in front of Xinoning, and at the same time raised his hand to knock him back.

The captain was very strong, far beyond what Ouloren could handle in his current state. He grunted, took two steps back, and knelt down on one knee.

Then, he clutched his chest and coughed.

Everyone else was startled by this sudden turn of events. Mavica also sensed something was wrong. As the initiator and executor of the Vulcan and the Centennial Plan, Orloren was naturally under her observation.

After all, even if someone claims not to know who the hero is, they still have a general idea. And Ororen is naturally the most likely successor to Pidi. Even Saffir could see that, so how could Mavica not know?

Therefore, when such a change occurred in Orloren, she was also able to sense that something was wrong.

Ying glanced at Saffir, who was holding Paimon and restrained (actually watching the show), then at the captain who had just saved Shinonin, and finally fixed her gaze on the serious-looking Mavica.

She frowned, trying to understand the situation. She didn't understand why Orloren would suddenly attack Xinoning, nor why the captain would save Xinoning.

After rescuing Xinoning, the captain walked quickly to Ouloren, looking thoughtful.

Orloren seemed somewhat terrified and tried to cover his face with his hands, but he did so in vain, because he now looked exactly like Orloren.

"The form of the soul does not affect one's appearance. Similarly, covering one's face cannot block the fluctuations and aura of the soul," Saffir said calmly.

The captain raised his hand and pressed it on the top of Orloren's head: "You're not Orloren, who are you?"

"What?" Xinoning was surprised. She didn't expect that in just a short moment, Ouluoren had already changed his core.

She hadn't yet recovered from the shock of being rescued by the captain when she heard something even more surprising.

Having been exposed by his captain, O'Loren gave up struggling and weakly began to speak: "...Sir..."

“You…” The captain realized the other person’s identity, but he felt it was unbelievable because this person… should have been dead long ago.

Mavica and Ying exchanged a glance. Ying nodded slightly and ran straight over to try to shut down the secret source mechanism.

Saffir simply stood aside holding little Paimon, showing no intention of stopping them.

Mavica clicked her tongue: "Paymon is right, she really does have the ability to completely limit Aurora."

“I still find it hard to understand… what gives her the right?” Xinoning frowned, trying to understand, but failed.

Mavica shrugged: "Because of... 'favoritism'."

Paimon was the one favored by Saphir, which is why Paimon was so fearless.

On the other side, O'Loren squatted on the ground, his breathing a little disordered, but his tone was relaxed, and even a little intimate: "I'm glad you still recognize me, sir... but that's not what you should be concerned about right now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ying successfully shut down the secret source mechanism, and the captain's plan was completely ruined.

The captain couldn't help but turn to look at Saffir, and then he saw the girl holding a small child in her arms, looking innocent and indifferent: "Aurora...you..."

"Sorry, Captain, I don't have a free hand." As she spoke, she weighed Paimon in her hand and clicked her tongue, "This guy has gotten heavier again."

"I didn't!" Paimon retorted angrily.

Orlan sneered: "Did you see that? A moment of righteousness made you miss your chance... Even now, you're still the same."

The captain is exhausted. His decision was not wrong, but he did not expect that Saffir would actually sit idly by. At this most critical moment, she betrayed him.

"Aurora...think about how you're going to write your performance report after we return to winter." The captain's voice was cold; he was truly angry this time.

Ying and Paimon looked at Saffir with concern, and they could understand just how serious a dereliction of duty Saffir had committed by turning a blind eye this time.

But Saffir didn't care: "A report? Why would I write that? Our mission is to obtain the Heart of God, Captain. Everything we're doing now has nothing to do with the mission."

If things don't work out, I'll personally take the Heart of the God of Vulcan, then leave Nata's mess behind and walk away. Will the Queen blame me?

She won't. Even if she has many grievances against me, she won't touch me, because now, I no longer belong solely to any one country or any one faction.

She released Paimon, letting it fly in the air on its own, and then continued, "I am a force of my own, roaming freely across the continent of Teyvat. Nations, people, power, interests—none of these can shake my will. I am above all, and in my eyes are only the laws of nature, or the abyss."

This is the fundamental reason why the Queen cooperated with me. We have always shared the same goal. She provided me with resources and protection, allowing me to grow. I showed her my potential and ambition. We are equals; we have never been in a subordinate relationship.

The captain was slightly taken aback. Although he had long known that Saphir had no sense of belonging to the Fools, and if he had to say, perhaps she cared about the Hearth House, he had never imagined that Saphir's relationship with the Queen would be like this.

"Cooperating with you... how can you guarantee that you won't betray the Queen, just like you betrayed me, or betrayed Tartaglia?" The captain's mind was a little unstable, and a faint blue light began to appear on his body.

Everyone became alert; this was a sign that the captain was about to make a move. If a fight broke out here, none of them would come out on top.

But Saffir remained calm. She was certain that the captain wouldn't misjudge the situation, much less give up. This man possessed a soul more profound and upright than anyone else's, so resolute that he seemed almost inhuman, comparable to a god.

"Relax. Every cloud has a silver lining. I never target someone I have no grudge against without a reason. You may think your failure stems from my betrayal, but how do you know this isn't a brand new path?"

"A path leading to a better future, a path that can change the current situation, a path worth our effort." After saying these words, Saffir's imposing aura gradually subsided, and he calmed down.

Paimon shrank back: "That scared me to death. I really thought they were going to fight."

“Both of them are formidable opponents and won’t easily resort to violence; it would only result in mutual destruction,” Mavica analyzed.

Ying nodded thoughtfully, but still felt something was off, because Saffir's aura had clearly suppressed the captain just now. She suspected that Saffir was probably stronger than the captain, and it was this strength that forced the captain to compromise.

Seeing the captain compromise, Saffir smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Orloren: "Now, we should deal with this guy. Taking over other people's bodies at will, no matter the reason, should not be easily forgiven."