Chapter 394: Help to the End…

Chapter 394: Help to the End…

There had been a new development in the situation.

No one had made the first move yet. At this point, it was unwise for anyone to act rashly.

Among the factions backed by certain merchant guilds, after learning that their guilds would receive a share of the benefits from the Semi-Awakening Potion, many had settled down. They even began to restrain each other, creating a balance of power.

This was why other factions hesitated to act—any move could set off a chain reaction. Qin’s move had suppressed most people’s wild ideas, but the Sanctuary Church was definitely not included.

While many were watching Zheng Yichen, the Saintess of the Sanctuary Church returned to Kaja and sought him out. This suddenly sparked thoughts in many people’s minds. The Sanctuary Church, which everyone thought would be the last to act, had actually taken the lead. Regardless of the Saintess’s true intentions, her visit meant things were about to get complicated.

If the Sanctuary Church had made a move, what about the Dark Church? If chaos erupted, it would be their chance. Everyone could then stir up trouble and fish in murky waters. There was only one fish to catch, and whoever caught it first would claim it. But in such an environment, everyone had a shot, right?

“Are you done with your work?” Zheng Yichen asked the woman sitting across from him.

“Not yet. I just came back while passing by.” Deya shook her head slightly, sounding somewhat insincere. Passing by… Well, for someone of her strength, anywhere that wasn’t completely out of the way could be considered “on the way.” The reason she returned to Kaja was mainly because she had seen the recent events on the Magic Weapon Forum—a single Semi-Awakening Potion had pushed Zheng Yichen into the spotlight.

She had few friends. In her eyes, Zheng Yichen, though a homebody who rarely interacted with the outside world, had always shared common interests with her on the Magic Weapon Summoning Book. He never showed the awe others did toward her.

The lack of awe could sometimes lead to inappropriate behavior, but Zheng Yichen never crossed that line. He treated her like a good friend—never making her uncomfortable, yet never distant like others.

She liked that feeling. Keeping this distance was perfect for her. As the Saintess, she could hardly develop closer relationships with men. So, she treasured the few friends she had, including Zheng Yichen.

Now that she knew he was in trouble, she hurried over.

Well, she knew she wasn’t good at scheming, so before coming here, she had asked Achille for advice. Achille’s answer was simple: do nothing, just visit as a guest. And act quickly—preferably be the first “special identity” person to go there.

Deya was puzzled. Wasn’t this just rushing in recklessly? It didn’t seem like Achille’s style. Achille’s explanation was straightforward: the situation in Kaja was too calm, unnervingly so. The longer this calm lasted, the worse the eventual explosion would be.

When things stayed quiet for too long, everyone’s hidden motives were suppressed, but that didn’t mean they stopped thinking. The longer they waited, the more their schemes would be refined and intensified. If things finally erupted, the consequences would be unimaginable!

So, in this situation, the best approach was to rush in and break the silence, forcing those lurking in the shadows to surface. Once things settled down, even if some schemers remained patient, with fewer players in the game, their plans would likely fail.

But until now, no one had been capable of breaking the calm. Being the first to act wasn’t easy—it required not only strength but also influence.

Coincidentally, Deya had both. As the Saintess, she could avoid many plots… mainly because people didn’t dare target her. Although Deya usually acted alone, the Church behind her wasn’t just background decoration. In other words, if anything happened to her, a whole team of lawyers would descend upon the culprits. Ordinary schemes simply couldn’t work on her.

As for strength… she could face a Witch head-on, one-on-one. With weapons made from White Moonlight, she could even suppress Witches who weren’t skilled in combat. With a bit of luck, she could even eliminate them.

So, she was the perfect candidate to break the stalemate. Besides, Deya and Zheng Yichen had a good relationship… Well, the Church was paying close attention to this. Moreover, Zheng Yichen’s abilities were outstanding. Although the potion he researched this time didn’t directly concern the Sanctuary Church, that didn’t mean it never would.

The Sanctuary Church had plenty of incomplete elixir formulas. If they wanted, they could easily produce dozens. After all, many things had been passed down from ancient times, and over the years, most had become fragmented and unusable.

But these things might still have potential. Many modern Magic Potions were restored from incomplete formulas, and even many innovative potions originated from them. However, those potions followed this world’s conventional patterns, unlike Zheng Yichen’s creations… which were unique and peculiar. The Sanctuary Church’s benefits now included the Body Purification Potion!

Achille could even get a Body Purification Potion regularly… about once every three days. Compared to others who received one per month or even per year, his privilege was enviable. But such benefits depended on personal ability, so he deserved it.

As for the Saintess, although she could get one per day, given her status and position, Deya could take as many Body Purification Potions as she wanted, as long as she used them herself…

Of course, as the Saintess, she wouldn’t do something like that. Even if she took more at once, it would just reduce her future allotment. This potion’s effects were powerful—even a strong Saintess like her benefited from it. Just as the Magic Pharmacist’s research had shown, a strong person’s body wasn’t necessarily purer than an ordinary person’s. It only seemed purer because their strength compressed the impurities to a “tiny” proportion.

Then there was the Fixation Potion. This was also useful for the Saintess!

The Sanctuary Church understood what this meant all too well. Although the Saintess was powerful, she didn’t have the long lifespan of other strong individuals. Even someone half as strong as her could live longer. This had always been an unchangeable fact. But if the Fixation Potion worked on the Saintess, the implications were clear. During peaceful times, the Saintess could continuously use the Fixation Potion to maintain her physical condition.

Right now, the Sanctuary Church had already supplied Deya with enough Fixation Potion. Using it during training was a hindrance, but during ordinary activities, she had to use it. After all, it didn’t burden her at such times. On the contrary, regular daily use effectively extended the Saintess’s lifespan by nearly half. And the cost was just “spending a bit of money.” So, why not use it?

Compared to the resources spent training a Saintess, maintaining her condition with the Fixation Potion was a trivial expense.

Now, there was the Semi-Awakening Potion… This was genuine strategic material. A strong individual could easily decide the outcome of a battle. At such times, soldiers were mainly for occupying territory, clearing areas, and handling aftermath. But if both sides had equally strong individuals on the battlefield, the role of soldiers became crucial.

With the Semi-Awakening Potion as strategic material, even if soldiers couldn’t get the full version, a diluted version would work. It wouldn’t take long—just a few minutes for all soldiers on one side to activate their innate abilities. By then, even if the battle wasn’t over, they’d have an overwhelming advantage. If someone still managed to turn the tables… that would be pure recklessness!

In short, Zheng Yichen had fully demonstrated his value. Even though he hadn’t expressed interest in joining the Sanctuary Church, given their existing cooperative relationship, it was only natural for Deya to step in. As long as Zheng Yichen kept up his rapid innovation, the Sanctuary Church wouldn’t mind doing this a few more times…

Of course, among his creations, there had to be some like the Body Purification Potion that belonged to the Sanctuary Church.

“About the new potion you made… don’t worry too much. The situation looks serious, but it’s actually not a big deal.”

“Huh? Worry about what?” Zheng Yichen asked in return. Worry? He really wasn’t worried about anything. Trouble-makers? Hah, trying to mess with a dragon backed by several Witches? Dream on. Even if he was no match for Witches, he could easily handle anyone else.

So, there really wasn’t anything to worry about. But to Deya, his response meant something else entirely. In her eyes, Zheng Yichen still didn’t seem aware of the danger around him. Was this what it meant to be a dedicated researcher? Well, on second thought, it was probably this focus that allowed him to keep producing astonishingly innovative potions. Thinking this way, she felt she had to help him to the end!