My Skills Can Evolve Infinitely in a Game-Like World

Chapter 30: Interrogation & Dark Sun

Before long, Aurelius was standing in an abandoned building.

Aside from him, the only other thing was a wooden chair, on which a middle-aged, blond man was currently tied.

Glancing at the mottled walls around him and the few traces of human activity, Aurelius nodded in satisfaction.

This was one of the hiding places Selene had casually mentioned.

It was far from the only one. Selene had told him the location of several, a couple in each of the city’s four districts.

He didn’t know if they were Selene’s own work or if they belonged to the Blood Temple.

Regardless, Aurelius was happy to make use of them.

After all, carrying unconscious people in and out of his mansion before locking them underground was fine if done once or twice.

But sooner or later, traces would be left behind and his "hobbies" would eventually be discovered.

On the other hand, this abandoned building was much easier to use.

While Aurelius was thinking, he didn’t stop paying attention to the tied Erwin before him.

Thus, he immediately noticed the small flutter of his eyelids, even if the other party tried his best to hide it.

"Come on. It’s no use acting."

"You better cooperate. Otherwise, I don’t mind forcefully waking you up."

Aurelius did not state how he would achieve that.

Erwin, however, seemed to understand his meaning.

He dropped the act and opened his eyes.

Looking at the young man before him, who had knocked him unconscious with a single strike, he couldn’t help but tremble with fear.

He hurriedly shook his head several times.

"No! No! Don’t kill me!"

"Please spare my life!"

"I understand! Didn’t you just kidnap me to ask for a ransom? I agree! I agree! I’m willing to hand over all my belongings!" Erwin immediately pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks as he spoke.

It had only been a few moments since his awakening, but he already seemed on the verge of breaking down.

At least, on the surface.

Aurelius, however, had a different opinion.

Looking at the wailing man in front of him, he inwardly praised his acting skills.

It deserved to be a cultist.

Regardless of any admiration he had, though, he couldn’t afford to hold back.

"Stop pretending," he waved his hand dismissively.

"I already know your true identity. Can an Awakener possibly break down just because of a mere kidnapping?"

"Who are you trying to fool?"

His words caused Erwin’s anxious speech to stop.

A moment later...

"Aagh!" An agonizing scream echoed through the abandoned building.

Smoke spread throughout the room, as the smell of burned skin filled the air.

Erwin’s eyes grew bloodshot. Foam rose from his mouth, and he struggled to look down.

As he did, he noticed that chains made of Sacred Light bound his limbs.

He had no way to escape. The other party had indeed long known his identity as an Awakener.

And they had already taken precautions to deal with his escape attempts.

Feeling the sharp pain in his wrists and ankles, Erwin found it difficult to remain calm. The only thing stopping him from fighting back was the sharp pain.

"Don’t struggle," Aurelius suddenly spoke.

"Come on. Just tell me what I want to hear."

"As long as you’re willing to cooperate, I might consider letting you leave alive."

"If not, then not only will your life be in danger. Your family..."

Aurelius didn’t finish that sentence, but Erwin quickly grasped his implicit meaning.

Among Awakeners, there was a tacit understanding that people would not involve other people’s families, even if they were enemies.

However, looking at the crazed look in the young man’s eyes and the indifference in his voice, Erwin didn’t dare to bet.

"Ask! Ask!"

"I’ll answer whatever you want!" he frantically responded, not retaining any of the dignity a cultist or a Rank 1 Awakener should possess.

These words made Aurelius breathe a sigh of relief. It was not without reason that he had built this crazy and ruthless persona.

Thankfully, it seemed that his plan had worked.

Under the threat of his own family, Erwin was ready to speak.

"You should be a member of the Sunless Sect," Aurelius prefaced his words before continuing:

"What is your cult planning? Why have so many of your accomplices gathered in Blood Sun City?"

"When will you take action?"

He went straight to the topic, asking a flurry of questions.

This instantly caught Erwin off guard.

He finally understood. The man before him had not targeted him without a reason.

Clearly, he wanted to learn about the Sunless Sect through him.

This was both bad and good news.

Bad because he was asked to betray the organization that had raised him.

Good because the man would likely keep his word afterward and let him leave.

After all, he was merely one of the cult’s many members. His value was not high enough to require any extra attention.

Organizing his thoughts, Erwin breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, under Aurelius’ watch, he started to give his answers.

"I... I don’t know what the Sunless Sect is planning."

"I’m telling the truth! My status is not high enough to have access to such important information," he hurriedly added, frightened by Aurelius’ sharp gaze.

"The Sect ordered me to infiltrate the city long ago. Over the past few years, I haven’t even had any communication with the Sect."

"It was only a month ago that I suddenly received an order."

He paused briefly.

"The higher-ups informed me that a Priest will soon arrive in the city. Me and my hidden accomplishes were tasked with serving him."

"You know, this is a great opportunity for us, who have believed in the Dark Sun for so long."

As soon as he mentioned the word "Dark Sun", Erwin’s tone suddenly became solemn. Piety flashed across his face.

He straightened his spine, and he stared straight at Aurelius with a deep gaze.

"As soon as the Priest arrived, the Dark Sun indeed blessed us. Under His Excellency’s guidance, most of us quickly managed to become Awakeners."

"Blighted Ones!"

"Those who bear the burden of the Sun’s dark side and seek to unveil Its bright side!" Erwin subconsciously recalled the words the Priest had whispered in the past, which he had unknowingly memorized.

"Since then, we’ve mostly been tasked with getting familiar with our abilities. As for missions..."

"The Priest asked that we gather in our stronghold the day after tomorrow. I suspect that the Priest will soon..."

As he muttered the last sentence, Erwin’s voice became extremely low, almost inaudible.

Aurelius had trouble making out what he was saying.

Just as he was about to ask Erwin to repeat his words, Aurelius’ pupils suddenly shrank.

Alarm bells rang in his heart.

In a hurry, he instinctively activated Solar Manifestation, manifesting a large armor made of Sacred Light around him.

Then, he wanted to step back and escape the building.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

The look in Erwin’s eyes had grown extremely frenzied.

His body started to expand like a balloon as black light emerged from every single one of his pores and struck his surroundings.

For a moment, he seemed to have transformed into a dark sun, as though the deity he worshiped had descended upon the abandoned building.

Then...

Bang!