Chapter 85 Purged

It has been days since the infamous poisonous food incident. Alden’s terrible cooking was a running joke now, and Alicia teased him about it every single time they hung out. Alden acted annoyed whenever she brought it up, but honestly, he didn’t say a word to stop her. She was the only person who spoke to him so freely and made him feel important.

Waking up to the bright morning sun, Alden went straight to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, took a quick shower, changed into his academy uniform, and styled his messy hair to look presentable. He headed out to class, expecting a normal, uneventful day. He arrived at Class A in a few minutes and claimed his usual spot in the back row, making sure to leave the empty seat right beside him for a certain someone.

The classroom quickly filled up with students bustling around and bickering about their daily lives. Alden waited patiently. Finally, he noticed a familiar girl stepping through the door. Alicia walked with calm, graceful steps, instantly attracting everyone’s attention. She didn’t spare a single glance at the gossiping students as she made her way down the aisle.

Alden waited for her to slide into the seat next to him. But unusually, she walked right past his desk and sat directly in the seat in front of him. Alden narrowed his eyes. She deliberately sat there, not even giving him a passing glance. She pulled out a thick, atleast thousand-pages book and started reading, acting as if she had made up her mind to ignore him for the rest of the day.

Alden felt a flash of annoyance. Just yesterday, she was teasing him, playing around with pretty words, and trying to manipulate him into doing fun things. Alden knew exactly what she was doing back then, but he didn’t mind playing along. Now, staring at her back, he wanted a reaction.

He subtly raised his finger, weaving a thin, invisible string of mana. He directed the mana thread to float toward her, trying to secretly poke her shoulder. But right before his mana string could reach her skin, it dissipated into thin air. It was as if some shield refused to let him disturb her reading. Alden tried again, sending a second string from a different angle. Once again, the mana scattered into sparks before it could even touch her hair.

After several failed attempts, he finally gave up. He slumped back in his chair with a defeated face. After hanging out and getting closer over the past few days, he was used to her constant bickering and touch. Now that she remained totally unresponsive, he couldn’t help but feel a sting of disappointment. She really looked like an untouchable ice princess today, staying quiet and emitting an aura of coldness that literally froze his mana out.

Alden shook his head just as Professor Carasina walked into the room. Her steady steps demanded immediate attention. The loud chatter of the students died down in a heartbeat as everyone straightened their backs and focused on the front of the room.

“Good morning, everyone, Our regular class is suspended for today. A special guest has arrived to provide you with some essential knowledge regarding the active threats lurking around our world. This will be a short, vital lecture, so listen carefully.”

Everyone’s attention shifted to the doorway as a tall man entered. He carried a poised demeanor and wore a placid, unreadable expression. Dressed in the pristine robes of a priest, he walked to the center stage with one hand resting casually inside his pocket. The students held their breath, feeling the heavy presence of the man. His sharp gaze swept over every single student in the room before he finally spoke.

“I am Reifard De Deola, a priest of the Holy Church of the Human Continent. As you may have already heard, or perhaps even faced firsthand, the monsters—or more accurately, the heretics—pose an incredible danger to our society.”

“I came here specifically to teach the youth a few things you must be careful about, as well as to help you develop into warriors who can fight to protect your home nation.” The priest stepped forward, raising his voice slightly so it echoed across the large classroom. “So, does anyone among you know how the heretics are formed?”

He looked around the room, waiting to see if anyone knew the truth. Down in the front row, Edwin stood up confidently to reply.

“Sir, the Acolytes or other higher beings use corrupted divinity to cast a blood spell. This spell corrupts normal people, turning them into one of the mind-less monsters.”

Reifard nodded and gestured for the student to sit back down. “You are right about the blood spell, but not entirely. The blood spell is just one of the basic methods used to corrupt a soul and turn them into a heretic.”

“Breaking a person’s spirit and forcing them to choose the dark path willingly is another way. But there is a third, far more sinister method. Lower-rank Acolytes cannot use it. The higher-rank heretics, like the Bishops and Archbishops, prefer this specific technique.”

The entire class held their breath, leaning forward to catch every word.

“It is called being ‘Purged’. This means they remove the innocent people who refuse to believe in their twisted faith, and replace their minds with exactly what the monsters want them to be.”

“Simply stated, they torture their victims by transmitting red divinity directly into their bodies. They do this until the victims lose their sense of self to the corruption, transforming into heretics against their will.”

“It is a cruel, sickening method. In the past, entire villages were wiped off the map this way without anyone knowing. We only realized the truth long after the investigation teams arrived at the empty ruins.”

A heavy silence hung over the classroom. No one could find the right words to say after hearing such a brutal explanation.

Reifard paced the stage slowly. “So, why do you think they even exist? Where did these monsters originally come from?” He paused, letting the question sink in. “The answer is… In the ancient past, they were also a normal part of our world. They were also once human.”

Many students gasped out loud at the shocking revelation. Others remained grim and silent, already knowing this dark history from their noble families and ancestors.

Everyone listened with rapt attention as the priest continued the unbelievable story.

“Their beliefs shifted to different, dark gods, entities they believed were the real creators. Their original faith died down. The true gods, who witnessed this betrayal, punished them by turning them into hideous monsters. However, these fallen humans misused their divine punishment, using it as a weapon to curse others. They spread out like a deadly virus, and that virus is now trying to destroy our world.”