Saintess Lumenaria remained unfazed as she sat down gracefully.
"I can't speak for others, Young Emperor. But I follow the commands of the Goddess of Light, and I have never personally taken innocent lives," the saintess said naturally, ignoring Aengus's displeasure.
"By the way, why is the Young Emperor so concerned about harming innocents? That's not exactly a desirable trait for an emperor. Can the Young Emperor swear that you've never taken an innocent life to attain such power?
Surely, at least one innocent has fallen—be it a magical beast, a human, or some other species," she added with a sly, almost victorious smile.
Aengus replied calmly, "That's irrelevant, Saintess. My purpose is the betterment of the world, and I feel no guilt for actions taken toward that goal. I may have sinned unknowingly, but I don't toy with lives as the gods do."
"Hehehe..." The saintess giggled amusedly.
"Oh, you will, once you reach that stage, Young Emperor. When mortals seem like ants to you. Anyway, you can't even begin to comprehend the true power of the gods—they have already transcended mortality."
"Oh..." Aengus appeared not to take her words seriously, but inwardly, he was fully aware of reality. He was probably still an ant to the gods—perhaps a slightly bigger one. But an ant is still an ant.
Even so, he firmly believed it wouldn't be long before he reached their level. His conviction was unshakable.
"Hmph! Where are the gods anyway? Do they even have the power to change this world? Or was my previous assumption correct?" Aengus asked, his gaze piercing directly into hers.
Saintess Lumenaria was visibly displeased by his nonchalant attitude and clear disrespect. However, she didn't allow herself to become enraged, as she was well aware that she was currently no match for him.
"I don't know anything about that," she replied curtly. "But I am certain of one thing—if the gods were to descend, it would be no trouble for them to destroy you, even if you became the strongest Transcendental. That's how overwhelming their power is."
There spark of worship in her eyes as she sang their praises.
Aengus didn't get proper answer.
But he had already suspected there could be something that was restricting the gods.
If they truly had the ability, they would have descended long ago to eliminate him—especially considering his rapid growth, potential, and defiant nature.
Focusing on the task at hand, she spoke, "So, does the young Emperor know the way to get out of this world? I want to send someone outside this world. You will receive an appropriate price for this favor," she said, looking straight into his piercing gaze, remaining unflinching.
Aengus was intrigued.
"Oh, what are you going to offer, and whom do you want to send?" he asked, prying further to uncover her weakness.
He needed to find her vulnerability because he doubted whether he would be able to harm her with the personal protection of the Goddess of Light.
Saintess Lumenaria's eyes squinted instantly, becoming alert.
She answered, "It's someone close to me. I would prefer not to reveal their identity."
"I see. What is the Saintess offering for the deal?" Aengus, though disappointed, continued to ask.
In reply, the Saintess took out a transparent small jar filled with a shimmering, dense white substance that looked divine.
"This is a jar of Divine Essence, a gift from Her Excellency, the Divine Goddess of Light. This one jar can help you level up ten times at your current level."
Aengus extended his hand, attracting the jar like a magnet, while the Saintess let it go without worry.
Surely, the Young Emperor wouldn't do something as shameful as snatching things.
Aengus used Appraisal and discovered that the small jar of Divine Essence could only increase his level once. This was likely due to the Saintess' misconception.
At his current level, a significantly larger amount of energy would be required to advance further.
While the Divine Essence was undeniably useful, it also raised a question in his mind:
How much of this resource does the Holy Cathedral possess?
However, despite its value, the deal couldn't proceed, because Aengus was still searching for a way to leave this world.