Reborn as a Transcendent-Chapter 698Book 3: : OMG, it’s a Hidden Boss!

After leaving Layna’s house, Yae-hime hurried back to Aoma Village at full speed. By that time, Angelica had already eaten breakfast with her father.

“Princess, you’re back!” The moment she saw Yae-hime, she beamed brightly, radiating the charm of a gentle, caring woman.

“Mm, I just came back from visiting my apothecary friend,” Yae-hime replied.

“Have you had breakfast yet?” Angelica asked.

Yae-hime nodded, then got straight to the point. “Did the church build the production line as I requested?”

To improve the efficiency of bottling holy water, she had previously suggested to Micha that a simple production line be set up. Though called a “production line,” it was really just a basic setup. All it required was a water supply pipe, a reservoir, and a water channel.

“Yeah, it was completed overnight,” Angelica replied.

“No time to waste, let’s go check it out.”

They shut the door behind them and quickly headed toward the church.

The early morning breeze was a bit chilly, and the area around the church was quiet and mostly empty. The massive palm print still remained on the ground outside. According to Angelica, the church had decided not to repair it, choosing instead to leave it as a memorial.

Although Yae-hime felt it was a bit unsightly and spoiled the town’s appearance, if the locals liked it, she saw no reason to object.

The clergy at the church were early risers. As soon as they reached the entrance, they saw two clerics already sweeping the grounds.

“Greetings, Lord Angel!”

When they saw Yae-hime, wearing a white mask and black robes, they immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.

“I’m here to see Micha,” Yae-hime said, speaking in a slightly altered voice. It sounded a bit strange, deliberately disguised.

Hearing this, one of the clerics quickly stepped forward to lead the way. Before long, they arrived at the church’s warehouse.

The area had been renovated: a tall reservoir had been installed, with a pipe equipped with a switch valve hanging above it. Near the bottom of the reservoir, a sealed, sloped water channel extended into the room next door.

Even without seeing it, Yae-hime knew that channel ended in ten faucet-like devices for filling bottles.

“Ten workstations…for now, this will do,” she murmured, inspecting the rough production line.

Angelica was just about to speak when Micha arrived first.

“Lord Angel!”

Yae-hime gave the smiling priest a polite nod.

“We’ve completed the task as ordered!” Micha said, bowing respectfully.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Yae-hime replied, then turned to the large water tank. “Can we begin?”

“Ready anytime, Lord Angel,” Micha said, standing upright.

By this point, the support teams were already in place, one group drawing water from the well using water magic, another handling the bottling next door, and a third managing logistics and transport. All stood at the ready.

“Then let’s begin. No one is allowed to enter without my permission, except for Angelica,” Yae-hime instructed.

“Yes, Lord Angel. I’ll station Holy Knights outside to guard the entrance,” Micha replied solemnly.

“Good. Off you go,” Yae-hime said with a wave of her hand.

Micha quietly exited the warehouse, and Angelica walked over to lock the door behind him.

“Angelica, find a place to sit. I’ll call you if I need help.” Yae-hime walked toward the ladder leading up to the water tank as she spoke.

“Okay, Princess,” Angelica answered. She pulled over a stool and sat by the door, her gaze following Yae-hime closely.

Yae-hime leapt lightly onto the work platform attached to the reservoir. Looking down at the clear water inside, her pupils suddenly shifted to a vivid emerald green. Green fire wrapped around both hands.

As she placed her hands into the tank, the crystal-clear water quickly transformed into a deep green hue.

‘Aureole Town is a fair distance from here. Transporting the holy water will take time…better enhance it a little.’

Considering the possibility that Micha might run into trouble at the town’s church, or waste time boasting, Yae-hime decided to go the extra mile and infuse the water with more life energy, extending its shelf life.

Fifteen minutes passed. The water in the tank now glowed with a vibrant emerald sheen. Yae-hime withdrew her hands. A pulse of energy flung off the excess liquid, and she gave a gentle tug on a red cord beside the reservoir.

A bell suddenly rang in the room next door.

The staff there froze for a moment before quickly realizing what it meant. They immediately sprang into action. Minute by minute, the process moved along. Yae-hime continued calmly channeling her energy, while the workers labored in a bustling, coordinated rhythm.

Before long, all the bottles were filled. The first batch of Holy Water was complete and ready for delivery. Early that morning, Micha and a group of clerics set off with the holy water, bound for Aureole Town.

The outbreak over there was only a matter of time before it got resolved. Yae-hime had nothing to worry about. As long as Micha built a reputation, the surrounding towns would eventually come asking for help.

‘By then, there’ll be people willing to pay for those pricey crystal bottles. But before that, I need to stay alert for the Apostles. Three of them have died here already, no doubt that organization will send stronger forces to deal with me.’ With that thought, Yae-hime took out three Holy Spirit Shards.

Two of them emitted an ominous black aura; the third was dull and lifeless.

‘Though returning to Jade City now is a bit risky, the Apostles will likely attack again. I need to double up on safety measures.’ Clutching the shards, Yae-hime decided to head back immediately.

“Angelica, arrange a beast carriage for me.”

With her current strength, going up against stronger Apostles would be extremely dangerous.

“Yes, Princess,” Angelica replied, nodding and quickly leaving the warehouse.

‘Now that I’ve escaped, the city’s internal search effort will definitely weaken. Besides, Richard isn’t the type to personally lead the hunt every day.’ After a quick analysis, Yae-hime concluded that sneaking back into Jade City was feasible.

“There’s definitely risk, but it’s worth a try.”

After all, sometimes the most dangerous place was the safest one. Who would expect someone who had just escaped by the skin of their teeth to return so soon?

After a brief wait, Angelica had the beast carriage ready. It was the fastest and best in the village, and the coachman was a devout believer who held deep reverence for the Lord Angel.

Once she got in, the carriage set off immediately.

Inside, the ride was bumpy. After all, it wasn’t built for comfort, it wasn’t a luxury passenger model. Still, it was far faster than most high-end beast carriages. That meant less time spent on the road.

With nothing else to do, Yae-hime opened the forums and browsed trending topics. The first post that caught her eye had a familiar air about it: «Shocking! Hidden Boss Possibly Spotted in the Mangrove Forest!»

She clicked it open. At the top of the post was a blurry image. The location: a mangrove forest roughly ten kilometers from the Wastelands. In the picture, a massive black shadow could be seen amidst the trees, along with a pair of glowing green eyes.

The original poster had used exaggerated language to describe what they’d seen. The comment section was filled with astonishment and curiosity.

“Something seems off.” Yae-hime narrowed her eyes, noticing some details others missed.

She closed that thread and looked at the second hot post. It was a thread from the Death of Love guild. The content was full of stern warnings.

“So Taurus and S.K.Y. are targeting the so-called hidden boss in the Mangrove Forest?” she murmured. “Interesting.”

Making such a grand show of it, what a clumsy misdirection. Yae-hime clearly smelled a setup.

“Heh… interesting, very interesting.” By now, the fattened crops were ripe for harvesting. Time to collect. With that thought, an exquisite smile bloomed on her face, one that could topple cities.

At that very moment, a massive crowd of players had gathered outside the Mangrove Forest. Most of them were members of Death of Love. But neither S.K.Y. nor Taurus were among them.

The rest were unaffiliated onlookers hoping to get lucky or grab a piece of loot. As for other guild players, there were only a few scattered here and there. Likely scouts sent to gather intel.

Many of the unaffiliated players had already started livestreams, broadcasting the event inside and outside the game.

Some more laid-back players had even paused what they were doing just to watch the show unfold via the virtual screens. Even the outside world was paying attention, waiting for what could become a major boss fight.

Time ticked by. Two hours passed, and the towering trees of the Mangrove Forest remained still. Spectators grew restless, and the livestream audience grew impatient as well.

They couldn’t figure out why such a massive guild hadn’t entered the forest to lure the hidden boss out. Were they just going to stand around waiting for the boss to come out and die on its own?

The livestream chat was filled with complaints. But the Death of Love guild stayed calm and unmoved, completely ignoring the noise from the outside world.

Elsewhere, under the same sky, a beast carriage raced at full speed from Aoma Village and began slowing down as it neared Jade City. Eventually, it came to a stop two or three kilometers from the city.

Yae-hime stepped out and handed the coachman a few gold coins. He refused at first, but she tossed the money into the carriage and walked away without a word. Now he had no choice but to accept it.

With gratitude in his heart, the coachman cheerfully turned the carriage around and headed back to the village.

Yae-hime, in the blink of an eye, reached the city’s moat. After sensing no danger, she leapt into the water and dashed across the surface like a martial arts master.

Not a single drop clung to her feet.

Reaching the base of the city wall, she carefully surveyed her surroundings, then sprang upward like a phantom. Using the wall’s crevices, double-jumping, and her danger sense, Yae-hime dodged several hidden traps and swiftly scaled the wall.

Then she leapt down in one smooth motion. Her figure vanished into the shadows beneath the wall. It was a flawless infiltration, enough to leave anyone awestruck.

Under the same night sky, in a room within the church… Irene lay in bed, bored out of her mind. She wore a thin nightgown and stared blankly at the ceiling. “So boring… I want to read a novel.”

Ever since a sense of foreboding crept into her heart yesterday, she hadn’t left her room. Even her meals had been delivered by others. Many within the church were now talking about Irene’s condition. Some were even considering calling in a doctor to examine her. But that idea had quickly been shut down by the high priest.

The reason? “A saintess cannot fall ill.” Everyone who heard it nodded in agreement. If word got out that a divinely blessed saintess was sick, it would do more harm than good to the church’s reputation.

“So boring. So, so boring!” Irene suddenly sat up in frustration, muttering to herself.

**Click!**

At that very moment, a sharp sound came from the direction of the door.