Stop Hypnotizing Me, Antagonist Princess!

When Lynn returned to the manor, it was already evening.

At this time, the moon hung high in the sky, with the last trace of the sunset barely visible.

However, the estate was brightly lit.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

To be honest, being able to build such a residence in the most prosperous part of Orn City showed that the Augusta Family still had considerable power locally.

After returning to the manor, Lynn intended to find a maid to take him inside but unexpectedly encountered Morris.

"You're back?"

For some reason, he still seemed a bit reserved.

Lynn nodded, "I need to see the Princess. Can you show me the way?"

Upon hearing this, Morris hesitated for a moment.

But then, considering the level of importance this guy held in the Princess's heart, he immediately agreed.

As he led the way, Morris kindly said, "The Princess just had a meeting; her mood didn't seem too great. If there isn't an absolutely urgent report, I would advise you not to rub her the wrong way."

"Who was she meeting?"

Lynn was somewhat curious.

Morris glanced around and then lowered his voice, "It seemed to be someone from the Heavenly Principle Church."

The Heavenly Principle Church?

That was the church his former self had once believed in until the Archbishop ultimately stripped him of the Divine-given factor within his body, reducing him to an ordinary person.

As one of the three major churches of the Empire, the Heavenly Principle Church, along with the Silent Church and Fertility Church, had countless followers.

Even in a border capital like Orn City, they had a presence.

Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.

However, outwardly he pretended as if nothing was amiss, "I was planning to report on my duties; there shouldn't be a problem."

"Report?" Morris glanced at the contract in his hand and showed a trace of sympathy, "It must have been a busy day. Is it that the three-day deadline was too short, and you want to ask the Princess for a few more days' grace?"

"If you could put in a few good words then, given the Princess's kindness toward you... cough, given her mercy, it's highly likely she'll allow it."

"In my opinion, this matter is indeed troublesome. Right now, during this critical period, who knows how many pairs of eyes are watching. One misstep could likely get you roasted on the fire."

Morris prattled on.

Upon hearing this, Lynn shook his head, "You misunderstand, I've completely settled the matter and am now preparing to bring my report to the Princess."

Morris came to an abrupt stop, "You've... resolved it?"

Lynn didn't speak, merely flicked the stack of contracts in his hand and handed them over.

In the light, Morris quickly skimmed through the Extraordinary Contract in his hands, his mouth gradually falling open.

...

"The Princess is currently with a visitor. Mr. Lynn, please wait in the next room."

Unsurprisingly, Lynn saw Kasha's figure at the study door.

The elderly housekeeper curtseyed slightly, speaking with a calm demeanor.

Lynn nodded and sat down on the sofa in the adjacent lounge.

After the housekeeper served him a cup of hot tea, she left him alone in the room.

Seeing no one around, Lynn opened the system to examine the new ability he had just drawn today.

Stay updated with empire

Thorny Crown.

Although the effect of this ability seemed to hurt the user almost as much as the enemy, the skill description didn't mention a limit to the amount of pain it could store.

And as everyone knows, abilities without limits are often very buggy.

So after careful consideration, Lynn decided to give it a try.

To activate Thorny Crown, one must possess at least three Divine-given factors, which wasn't a problem for the former Lynn at all.

Sadly, he now lacked such prerequisites, being merely an ordinary person.

According to the setting in novels, Divine-given factors were recompenses granted to believers by gods after they completed divine Ascension Trials, which could greatly enhance one's strength.

To put it simply, they were akin to stamina bars and ability buffs.

The quantity and quality of Divine-given factors determined the number of times one could use abilities and the effects produced.

The original host, being a Fourth Rank Transcendent, possessed 136 Divine-given factors, making him exceedingly powerful.

Not only that, but he also had a rather rare Extraordinary Ability—the Gravity Hammer.

This was an immensely destructive power on the battlefield.

The original host quickly accumulated a massive amount of military achievements with this ability, rising to become the youngest Captain in the Empire.

Regrettably, his current situation was a bit skewed.

"Not only did I lack any powerful attack skills, but the only two abilities I had were also somewhat off-kilter, either befitting a scam artist or a masochist.

I always felt my way of fighting was gradually becoming more sneaky and twisted.

Lynn sighed.

He opened the Divine-given factor tab in the system interface.

After all, the system had said before that he could spend points to ignite Divine-given factors.

To Lynn, who had been deprived of faith, this was undoubtedly the best news.

You see, the biggest factor limiting a Transcendent's growth in strength is the number and quality of Divine-given factors.

A Divine-given factor from a Fourth Rank Transcendent of the Heavenly Principle Church was undoubtedly extremely rare and powerful.

That's why his fiancée Irina had transplanted his Divine-given factor into herself, eventually ascending to become a Legendary warrior.

[Would you like to spend 10 system points to ignite a Divine-given factor?]

"Yes."

Lynn confirmed without hesitation.

I earned so many points this afternoon just for this moment.

My escape plan could finally begin to take shape.

While everyone believed I had become an ordinary person, I was actually accumulating strength in secret, which felt utterly exhilarating.

But it really is expensive, 10 points for a single Divine-given factor.

Lynn thought silently.

Unexpectedly, the next second, he received a prompt from the system.

[Ignition failed, please activate faith first.]

It actually failed?

Lynn stared at the message somewhat blankly.

Then he remembered something.

[Name: Lynn]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 17]

[Faith: None]

[Rank: None]

[Extraordinary Abilities: Lie Swallowing·First Rank/Thorny Crown·Second Rank]

[Divine-given factors: 0]

[Remaining system points: 43]

Since my former self was kicked out of the Heavenly Principle Church, the faith column now showed none.

And Divine-given factors are dependent on the birth of gods; the system couldn't possibly create a source of power out of nothing, so it was impossible for Lynn to successfully ignite a Divine-given factor.

It looks like I'll have to choose a new faith.

But here comes the problem.

After losing his faith, the former self was branded as God Forsaken by the Heavenly Principle Church, and records were made with the major churches as well.

Under such circumstances, no one would accept his conversion.

Unless it was some heretical belief or some small, obscure churches.

But those beliefs are too weak, some aren't even regarded as gods, just slightly stronger Transcendents stealing the Power of Faith.

As mentioned before, the Divine-given factors bestowed by different deities vary in attributes and strength.

For example, Transcendents of the three mainstream churches, with an equal number of Divine-given factors, are definitely much stronger than those of other faiths.

This is mainly reflected in aspects such as attack power and combat endurance, having a profound impact on the future.

Although Lynn had a system that allowed him to draw abilities at will, he didn't want to be weaker in terms of Divine-given factors.

For him, it was either go big or go home.

For a moment, Lynn fell into deep thought.

He began to recall the original story plot, to see if he could find any clues.

Thinking carefully, who exactly was the strongest faith and deity in the original story?

As soon as this thought emerged, the image of an aloof female figure suddenly appeared in Lynn's mind.

It seemed to be that woman.

Damn it, now I'm caught in a vicious cycle."