The Witch Hunter System

784  Only Way

It was said that Hecate had three faces – She was sometimes good, sometimes evil, and other times, she was neither.

Although Vaan heard about this, it was still shocking to witness the switch.

It truly was hard to call them the same person.

The previous Hecate was like the personification of goodness; she was always covered in moonlight and holiness. On the other hand, the present one was cloaked in darkness and death.

Vaan felt almost fortunate that he didn't have to deal with Evil Hecate.

Nevertheless, compared to Good Hecate, Evil Hecate seemed more fitting for a Great Devil. Even so, he had not seen her commit any evil. At most, she was only more violent, like Aeliana.

Perhaps this was a property of darkness; it would amplify negative emotions.

"Lady Hecate…?" Vaan uttered.

Hecate immediately directed her menacing glare at him. But in the next moment, her expression changed into a friendly smile. At the same time, her dark, evil aura vanished, replaced by a tranquil and gentle one.

"I'm sorry you had to see such an unsightly side of me, Sir Vaan. However, such a side is sometimes necessary to scare the people into absolute obedience," Hecate said with a wry smile.

But shortly after, she quickly became solemn, mentioning, "There are a few things I need to tell you and some things I have not told you, Sir Vaan."

"As a Peak Demigod, you managed to drive Abaddon to such a pitiful state and also dealt him the finishing blow. In addition to your heaven-defying talent, no one is more qualified than you to replace Abaddon and become the new ruler of the Evernight Territory."

"In due time, you will undoubtedly catch up to his level and be worthy of the seat among the Great Devils. However, it is also true that you currently lack the cultivation and the legitimacy to rule the Evernight Territory. That's why I will help you resolve these two issues once you reach my territory."

"Unfortunately, it cannot be done immediately. That is why I am giving you time to settle all your matters in Pangea before that time comes," Hecate solemnly stated.

"What are the matters you have not told me about, Lady Hecate?" Vaan asked curiously, seeing how Hecate seemed quite serious.

"You see, no matter how much the Great Devils hate each other, we have a rule not to kill each other," Hecate confessed.

"Although you dealt the killing blow, I have undeniably played a part in his death. As such, I will most likely be sanctioned by the other Great Devils once they hear of it. I'll be condemned and questioned upon my return and unable to leave for a while."

"During this time, the Great Devils will likely convene a meeting to determine whether to join hands and eliminate you once and for all. However, I will also do my best to oppose this idea and promote you to becoming one of us."

"As such, ascending to the position of Great Devil and ruling the Evernight Territory is a goal you must work towards and cannot reject for your survival," Hecate solemnly stated.

Vaan was quickly startled by Hecate's information.

Nevertheless, it was something he had already thought about, and as it turned out, he was right to be concerned about it. That said, he had a good feeling Hecate would be able to convince the Great Devils.

Just by her extensive knowledge outside of Gehenna alone, he believed her background was quite grand and impressive.

As such, the other Great Devils would most likely give her some face.

On that note, reaching out to Hecate and making a deal with her was probably the best choice he had ever made; it gave him and Pangea a clear future.

Even so, Vaan couldn't help but suspect the hidden hands of fate had some play in guiding him to this situation.

He couldn't imagine what would happen if Abaddon had not antagonized Hecate first. No, even before that, if the Sacred Tirtha had belonged to another Great Devil other than Hecate, they would not have arrived at this best possible outcome.

There were too many coincidental factors to attribute it all to luck.

Fate itself seemed to have been manipulated. It wasn't the first time Vaan felt this way either.

"It seems this is the only way," Vaan acknowledged the situation he found himself in due to killing Abaddon.

Unless Golden Dragon Pangea was alive and intervened, Pangea simply couldn't withstand the full might of Gehenna.

Thus, how could he survive if it solely focused on him?

Since Vaan couldn't beat all of the Great Devils with his current self, he could only join them – Such was the only way to survive.

Well, more accurately, in this case, it was beating one of them and then joining them.

Although the situation seemed quite serious, Vaan didn't feel the slightest burden. His only responsibility was to grow stronger.

On the other hand, Hecate had most of the work fall on her; she had to convince the Great Devil that Vaan was not a threat to them and was a better asset to Gehenna than Abaddon ever was and will be.

Vaan was strangely confident she would be able to do it.

"For your safety, I will leave behind three Dreamcatchers to protect you. They will also act as your guide to the Dreamdust Territory and mediums for communication between us, Sir Vaan," Hecate stated. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"So generous?" Vaan smiled.

Hecate gave him a side-eye glance and said, "They may be much older than you, but in terms of experience and maturity, they are more likely to be inferior to you. Think of them as cultivation hermits who have yet to see much of the world, Sir Vaan."

"As such, three is the minimum number required for me to trust they will do their job well," Hecate stated before adding, "Also, try not to bully them too much."

"How could I have such courage, Lady Hecate?" Vaan smiled sheepishly.

"Yet, you have the courage to challenge a Great Devil at the peak of Rank 6 Divine Realm on your own? Do you even know how outrageous that is to others?" Hecate replied lazily, not buying it.

"The circumstances were different…" Vaan scratched his cheeks ruefully.

Hecate rolled her eyes.