We evil gods must hide.

Chapter 59 Imperial College

Outside the Blue Dragon Fortress at this moment.

The earth was stained with blood, and there were traces of battle everywhere. The corpses of the black-clad cultists lay scattered on the ground, and their blood had a sulfurous smell unique to the abyss, which smelled particularly pungent.

The ones who made the move were a group of strangers.

Lynch swore he had never seen such a group before. They seemed to be wrapped in otherworldly luxury goods. Some wore magnificent magic robes and manipulated magical artifacts floating in mid-air on guard, while others wore expensive armor and held swords on guard. Yet, this mere dozen or so people killed all of the people Lynch had left outside.

Where is Ella?

Lin Qi felt a pang of anxiety, glanced around, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

The novice mage, along with several of Gaode's subordinates, were all tied up on the ground, their bewilderment only increasing.

This girl has been suffering terribly lately.

It's good that Ella is alright for now.

"But who exactly are these people?"

Lin Qi was very puzzled.

Because they all looked very young, after the battle, instead of silently cleaning up the battlefield, they gathered in groups of three or five, chattering amongst themselves, seemingly oblivious to the carnage on the ground, exuding a youthful aura.

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent.

The moment a figure entered Lin Qi's line of sight, even his breath caught in his throat.

It's a woman.

She stood at the windy pass of the valley, her silver-white fitted equestrian dress perfectly outlining her almost flawless figure.

Her shoulders and neck were sharp and upright, her waist was extremely slender, and the skirt was slit up to mid-thigh, revealing a pair of long legs with smooth lines and covered with thin silver knee pads. Every inch of her skin had a cold white light, yet it also contained the unique explosive power of a warrior.

Her long golden hair was tied up high with a hairband, and a few stray strands were blown by the valley wind and clung to her smooth forehead. Her features were exquisitely delicate, with sword-like eyebrows, slightly upturned eyes, a high nose, clean-lined lips, and a very pale pink color. When she pursed her lips together, she exuded a coldness that kept strangers at bay.

He slowly scanned his surroundings, his icy blue eyes like an unyielding, frozen pool in the North.

She possessed a stunningly beautiful face that would captivate anyone, yet she was enveloped in the heroic spirit of a female swordsman, like a finely sheathed sword—beautiful, yet possessing unparalleled sharpness.

As soon as she appeared, the chattering strangers all fell silent.

His face was full of fear.

The atmosphere was rather strange, and Lin Qi was quite puzzled.

At this moment, the woman had a cold face and was slightly tilting her head, whispering instructions to the person next to her. Her voice was clear and cold, and every word carried an unquestionable authority.

At that moment, Lin Qi's ears twitched.

I heard some chaotic footsteps and angry conversations behind me.

Gaode Maps!

He was rapidly calculating the situation in his mind.

At this point, you can't gamble that your skills are still effective, but the people outside are really not to be trifled with.

While I hesitated, the voices behind me grew louder and louder!

Damn it, let's take a gamble.

Lin Qi threw away the mask, revealing his handsome face. His expression was one of extreme panic as he rushed out the door, shouting, "Help! Help! The Abyss Cultists inside are on a killing spree!"

He then pretended to be stunned and stopped in front of the group of people.

A dozen pairs of eyes shot over at them instantly.

The warriors made no attempt to be on guard, and the mages made no magical preparations. The group of young people simply stared at him curiously, as if they had seen something rare. Some even fixed their gaze on the doorway, eager to try their luck.

"Ms. Catherine, what do you think?"

One of the girls in the blue robes turned around and looked at the heroic and powerful female swordsman.

Lin Qi secretly thought he had guessed correctly.

Although I don't know the exact background of these guys, judging from their youthful and wealthy aura, they should be a group of students.

That woman named Catherine must be their team leader, right?

"No rush, bring him here."

Catherine's voice remained cool and aloof.

Lin Qi was lifted by the arm by a tall male student and brought over the crowd to her.

Lynch's breathing became softer.

Her stunning beauty and powerful aura make it hard not to harbor fantasies.

Tell me your background.

Lin Qi deliberately retained a trace of panic from his escape, forcing himself to remain calm as he said, "Powerful swordsman, I am Horton Lane, a monster investigator from the Duchy of Fanster. I came here with a group from my country's Adventurers' Guild to investigate the Blue Dragon's invasion of the Misty Forest. We encountered the Abyss Order inside, and many people have already perished..."

"Monster investigator?"

"This is the first time I've ever heard of this profession. But this monster investigator is really good-looking."

The chatter from the side reached Lin Qi's ears.

Catherine frowned.

She had never had a good impression of people who ran away at the last minute, and said coldly, "Why are you the only one who escaped?"

Lin Qi took a deep breath and said, "May I ask if your party consists of people from this country?"

"Imperial Academy, Swordsman Instructor Catherine."

Lin Qi gasped.

Imperial Academy—only one academy on the continent could call itself that; its background is truly impressive.

"Sorry, a monster investigator's job is to survive and record everything."

"It was due to my profession and the rules; it wasn't that I was deserting my post."

Catherine looked Lin Qi up and down and asked, "How many people are in the Abyss Order inside, and what is the strength of their leader?"

Just as Lin Qi was about to speak, the commotion at the gate drew everyone's attention again.

Gao De and his group, their faces covered in blood, rushed out, but before they could even catch their breath, they were stunned by the scene before them.

"This is?"

He took a deep breath, staring at the corpses scattered on the ground, his mind still reeling.

"Young Master, they are from the Imperial Academy."

The old mage Morgan, a man of great experience, was shocked when he saw the badges on Catherine and her companions. He whispered to Goddard, "..."

(A brief introduction to Imperial College XXXXXXX)

The two of them were first stunned by Catherine's appearance and aura, and at the same time they saw Lynch next to Catherine.

"That is, Lord Horton."

Old Morgan said in a low voice, his tone full of surprise and uncertainty.

If the poor old monk doesn't understand the truth by today, he might really develop schizophrenia.

"What utter bullshit, Horton! There's no such person in the family, Morgan! Are you senile?!"

Gao De reprimanded in a low voice!

"State your name if you come here."

In the Imperial Academy, the tall warrior student who had brought Lin Qi there spoke loudly.

Gao De straightened his clothes, took a few steps forward, and said, "Gao De, a member of the Ryan family of the Duchy of Fanster, greets you all."

The students were discussing it animatedly.

"The Ryan family? The family of the Grand Duke of the Duchy, then?"

"It's probably true, but this guy is quite old and his strength is mediocre. He's definitely a country bumpkin."

Upon hearing this, Gao De subtly twitched the corner of his mouth, a hint of anger flashing across his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

"Are those people your companions?"

"Catherine asked."

Lin Qi nodded, his mind racing. At this moment, the Forgotten Mask seemed unable to be restored for the time being, so his identity was too complicated with Gao De and could easily cause trouble. Therefore, the best solution was to avoid getting involved with them as much as possible.

Looking into Gao De's cold gaze.

Lin Qi's fingertips instantly emanated an invisible divine oblivion; there was no time to hesitate.

[Forgotten Mask] activated!

【Divinity-1】

It swept precisely into the depths of Catherine's soul.

He imprinted a cognitive shackle deep within Catherine's soul—the man standing before her was Horton of the Lane family of the Duchy of Vanster, her former lover whom she had met during her travels across the continent in her twenties, with whom she had fallen in love. Due to various unavoidable circumstances back then, the two were forced to separate and never saw each other again.

Then, Catherine, who had been keeping a cold expression, looked at Lynch with a hint of tenderness and reminiscence in her eyes.

She also caught the same emotion in the other person's eyes.

There's no way around it; the evil god's appearance and divine body are too perfect, making everyone he looks at feel a deep affection.

However, she managed to suppress her emotions well among the students.