Wujin simply stared at him.
The silence made Beroga increasingly uncomfortable. He had expected negotiation, threats, or even mockery. Instead, Wujin looked at him the way someone might look at an insect crawling across the ground. It was a gaze completely devoid of concern.
"If you let me go, I can reward you. Treasures, resources, information. Whatever you need, I can provide it. Someone of your status should understand the value of cooperation," Beroga added quickly.
Wujin remained silent.
Cold sweat formed on Beroga’s forehead. Every second that passed without a response made him more nervous. He could feel that the situation was slipping beyond his control, and desperation was beginning to creep into his voice.
"I can offer more than treasures. I heard you’ve been stuck at the Pangu Door on the Second Floor. I have information that could help you get past it. If you release me, I’ll tell you everything I know," Beroga said.
A sigh escaped Wujin’s lips as he looked down at Beroga. The cult leader was trying his best to appear calm, but the desperation in his eyes was becoming increasingly obvious. Wujin almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"Did you become stupid because of the Spirit of Machines? I can tell it de-calibrated up your physical body, but did it affect your mind too?" Wujin asked.
"W-what do you mean?" Beroga asked.
"If you can think properly, "Wujin pointed casually toward Mother. "you should be able to tell she is one of the three leaders of the Three Color Organization. Naturally, the first thing you should have guessed is that I’m connected to that organization somehow."
Before Beroga could reply, Wujin waved his hand. "No, I’m not a member of Trinity. I’m a spy from the Three Color Organization. Well, I was . The Three Color Organization is destroyed now."
Destroyed by a batshit crazy angel who decided to fight in the mortal realm. Wujin almost added, though he wisely kept it to himself.
For several seconds, Beroga simply stared at him. Then understanding slowly appeared on his face. The pieces that had never seemed connected before suddenly began fitting together.
The reason he and Ki Beli had been able to abandon their responsibilities and travel to Isaac’s city was because of the Three Color Organization’s destruction. Normally, such a thing would have been impossible. The Purification Cult and the Three Color Organization had spent years opposing each other, constantly pouring enormous amounts of manpower and resources into their conflict.
The Purification Cult supported Apocalypse. The Three Color Organization sought to conquer it.
The two factions were like fire and water. Neither side could afford to ignore the other for even a short period of time. Every major movement required preparation because there was always a risk the opposing side would exploit any weakness.
Then everything changed.
The moment news arrived that the Three Color Organization had been destroyed, the Purification Cult immediately began pulling back forces that had been tied down for years. The information had come from an Angel of the Axe God, making it impossible to dismiss as a rumor. Although nobody knew who had destroyed the organization, everyone accepted that it was gone.
That sudden surplus of manpower had created opportunities.
Beroga and Ki Beli were finally able to hand their responsibilities to trusted subordinates and leave for several days. During that time, they had traveled to Isaac’s city to deal with Emily personally. At the time, it had seemed like a fortunate coincidence.
Now it looked very different.
"...So it was a trap," Beroga muttered.
The realization struck him harder than any physical injury. While they had been focused on hunting Isaac and capturing Emily, someone had intentionally ensured that news of the Three Color Organization’s destruction spread as quickly as possible. The information had acted as bait, drawing them away from their stronghold and into a carefully prepared situation.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
They had thought they were the hunters.
Instead, they had been lured into becoming prey.
Beroga lowered his head before looking back up at Wujin.
"What was that spirit that attacked us? Did you know about it?" he asked quietly.
At this point, survival seemed impossible. The least he wanted was an answer before he died.
Wujin shrugged and glanced toward Mother. If anyone knew the truth, it was probably her. Unfortunately for Beroga, she remained completely silent. Her expression didn’t change in the slightest.
As the silence stretched on, Beroga secretly continued gathering mana.
The process was painfully slow because of his damaged condition, but he had been buying time through conversation from the very beginning. Every second mattered. Every tiny fragment of mana he recovered increased his chances of escaping.
Finally, he had enough.
Without warning, Beroga unleashed his attack.
Or at least, he tried to.
Suddenly, everything stopped.
His body froze.
His thoughts continued moving, but nothing else did. He couldn’t move a finger. He couldn’t blink. He couldn’t even breathe. It was as though time itself had locked him in place.
Confusion filled his mind.
Then he noticed something else.
The Snake Scale artifact was gone.
The treasured artifact of the Purification Cult—the very item he had escaped from Isaac’s City with—was now resting calmly in Mother’s hand.
’When did she take it from me?’
The thought had barely formed when a flash of light crossed his vision.
The next second, everything went dark.
His head separated from his neck before he even realized what had happened.
Wujin casually retracted his halberd and glanced toward Mother. The entire execution had taken less than a moment. There was no excitement on his face, only curiosity.
"Did you plant spies among the higher ranks of the Purification Cult? It doesn’t make sense that they were given permission to take the Snake Scale artifact so quickly. Something about that part feels wrong," he said.
Mother smiled.
She didn’t answer.
’Three Color was destroyed, yet she used that as an opportunity and dealt a crippling blow to our enemies. Not only that, she also got one of their most precious artifacts,’ Wujin thought.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. This woman was unbelievably dangerous. Every time he thought he understood her plans, he discovered another hidden layer beneath them. Trying to figure out what she was truly thinking felt like walking through a maze that constantly changed shape.
He was preparing to leave when Mother’s voice stopped him.
"Shouldn’t you attack the Purification Cult?"
Wujin paused.
Mother continued operating her device while speaking. Her tone remained calm, almost casual, as though she were discussing the weather rather than provoking a war.
"They caused the deaths of your wife and children. Now they’ve lost their leader and strongest fighter. This is the perfect opportunity to destroy them," she said.
Silence followed.
For several seconds, Wujin stood completely still. Then he slowly turned around and looked at her. A chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head.
"You really are insidious. Did you bring me here because you wanted to bait me into attacking the remnants of the Purification Cult? If that’s your plan, then I’ll have to disappoint you. I know they still have other Ascenders. Attacking them right now would be suicide," he said.
Before Mother could respond, Wujin waved his hand.
His figure disappeared instantly.
There was no dramatic explosion of speed. One moment he was standing there, and the next he was gone. The movement was so fast that even powerful individuals would struggle to follow it.
Mother remained alone on the mountain.
A small smile appeared on her face as she watched the empty space where Wujin had been standing. She knew him far better than he realized.
Although he claimed he wouldn’t attack, he absolutely would.
The strongest forces of the Purification Cult in their Sector were gone. Their leader was dead. Their strongest fighter had fallen. The organization had never been more vulnerable.
Wujin would never allow an opportunity like that to slip away.