Eros watched her work from the shadows. After a while, Natalia finally placed the oil lamp onto a candelabra in the cellar. Her beautiful eyes fixed on the "Remnant of the Night" before her, her voice laced with a complex trace of emotion.

  "Where are the items?"

  Eros smiled. "Rest easy, I’ve brought everything you asked for." He crouched down and retrieved a small parcel from his shadow, handing it to her.

  Natalia stared at the parcel for a moment before silently taking it and opening it. Inside were indeed the ritual materials she required. Her lips moved slightly, but in the end, the word "thank you" did not escape. She felt this was something she had earned.

  Eros didn't dwell on her reaction. Instead, he asked about the disturbances he had seen on his way there, hoping to glean some intel from a cultist of her unique status. To his disappointment, Natalia shook her head with a bewildered look.

  "I don't know. The Church acted suddenly, and I received no word from the organization."

  Not the Lunar Sect? Or is Natalia’s rank simply too low? Eros pondered. But isn't she the mother of the Divine Vessel? That status should be high enough, even if she doesn't realize it herself. He noticed Natalia watching him and realized what was on her mind. He threw his hands up innocently.

  "The reason you aren't starting the advancement ritual yet... is it because you’re worried I’ll sabotage you halfway through?"

  Natalia said nothing, which was a silent admission. Eros’s mouth twitched. "If I wanted to kill you, would I really need to wait for you to start a ritual?"

  Natalia sneered inwardly. Who knows what goes on in the head of a Heretic of the Night? Perhaps you find that timing more 'amusing.' However, since Eros had brought it into the open, he likely truly lacked any intent to harm her. If he wants to watch, let him. If he really strikes, I can't run anyway.

  With that mindset, she took the materials to a corner of the cellar where an array was already etched into the floor. With the final pieces in place, the ritual was ready. Natalia placed the last spiritual essence, took out a pre-prepared potion, and downed it in one go.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Eros leaned against the wall, watching with a bored expression as she sat cross-legged in the center of the array. He already knew the outcome; with him standing nearby, there was no way the advancement could fail.

  Sure enough, it wasn't long before Natalia stood up, her face a mask of dazed confusion. Not a single "Deformity" or eerie entity had invaded her mind during the process. Not one. This isn't right. This cellar isn't a shielded sanctuary. How is this possible?

  Just then, a teasing voice reached her ears: "So? Surprised?"

  Natalia turned her head, her eyes narrowing at the shadow-clad figure. "Was it you? How?"

  "A secret technique of my Night Clan," Eros chuckled. "I used it while you were ascending. Interested? Join the Night Clan and I’ll tell you all about it."

  Natalia’s gaze flickered at the first half of his sentence, but her expression turned icy and stern at the second. "My faith in the Goddess cannot be shaken."

  "Is that so? Even if it concerns Ayesha?" Eros asked, his tone dripping with interest.

  "What did you do to Ayesha?!" Natalia snapped. She bristled like a cornered tigress, her gaze ready to devour him.

  Unfazed, Eros pulled over a small square table and hopped onto it. "If you truly did something to her, I’ll fight you to the death, even if I lose," her eyes screamed.

  Eros sighed. "I felt something was off after you mentioned Ayesha was a 'gift' from the Goddess. So, a few days ago, I used the mark I left on her to sneak into the Academy and perform a... check-up."

  "Judging by your reaction, she hasn't contacted you in the last two days, has she?"

  Realizing he hadn't harmed her daughter, Natalia’s tension eased slightly. But at the mention of a "check-up," she gritted her teeth, knowing how twisted this man could be. "What are you trying to say?"

  "If my guess is right, Ayesha is likely a discarded pawn," Eros murmured.

  "What do you mean?" Natalia frowned.

  "Heh. Ayesha is the vessel for the descent of your Silver Moon Goddess," Eros said, a mocking curve to his lips.

  Natalia’s pupils dilated as she fell into a stupor. Eros smiled, expecting a breakdown. But her next reaction left him stunned. After a moment of shock, a look of ecstatic joy flooded her face.

  "What did you say? Is it true? Ayesha has such an honor? To receive such grace from the Goddess?!"

  What? Eros was floored. Did I misread her? Is she a fanatic who would sacrifice her own daughter for faith? He darkened his tone. "Do you even know the consequences of a Divine Descent?"

  Natalia blinked, looking lost. "The consequences?"

  "The occult knowledge regarding that part of her memory seems to have been erased," Barbara’s voice suddenly rang in Eros’s mind.

  So that’s it, Eros thought. He asked internally, Can it be restored?