Chapter 270
She wasn’t just something to be used, to be thrown away when convenient.
She knew that if she broke down now, if she sobbed and made him notice her pain, it would only make things harder for him.
Her thin hands trembled as she clutched his clothes tighter, biting her lip hard to suppress the lump rising in her throat.
‘I cannot distract him.’
That was the least she could do in this situation.
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But what she hadn’t realized…
Oliver was not as admirable as she believed.
She did not think about other things in her mind.
As she had said in her own words—she was hidden because Oliver used Abyss energy to cover her presence and risked his life out there for her.
But… was that really the case?
If he could mask her presence using Abyss energy…
Then why had he not done the same for himself?
Couldn’t they both have remained hidden from the inquisitors and the soldiers?
Why would he risk his life to fight?
Was it really so simple?
The answer…
No.
Oliver had deeper plans than that.
It was a well-thought-out strategy. A game of manipulation, deception, and calculated risk.
What exactly was his reason? What was the plan?
First, his main aim was to redirect the hunt.
If Oliver had remained hidden, the inquisitors would have continued searching, dragging out the pursuit indefinitely. Their patrols would have expanded, their search growing sharper and more ruthless with time.
Eventually, they would have found something.
By engaging in battle, he took control of the narrative—made himself the sole target. He dictated the flow of events, ensuring all attention was on him.
And more importantly…
Ensuring her safety.
Second, he had planned to eliminate key threats—but only in a controlled manner.
Instead of waiting to be discovered at an inopportune time, he chose his own battlefield.
He assessed his enemies, memorized their formations, and plucked the most dangerous pieces off the board one by one.
When he was using [Holy Flames of Nightmare] before, he was not spreading them around randomly. Every flicker, every ember had a purpose.
He was using them in a controlled manner to exorcise the demons he found most troublesome.
While engaging Sera in conversation, his mind had been working non-stop. Analyzing their troop formations, noting weak points, observing their movements.
It was quite simple: the strongest were in front, the weaker ones behind for support.
So he cut through them slowly, subtly.
He let them believe he was merely thrashing in desperation, going berserk out of fear.
But in truth—
He was thinning their numbers right under their noses.
Thirdly, he had already planned on forcing a strategic retreat from the moment they surrounded him.
He knew he couldn’t win a direct battle against overwhelming numbers.
But that wasn’t the point.
Victory wasn’t always about defeating your opponent. Sometimes, survival itself was the greatest win.
By fighting just enough to appear injured, by feigning desperation, he led the chase into difficult terrain.
And in doing so—
He forced them to split.
Once separated from the main force, they were no longer an army. They were scattered prey.
That’s when his real strategy began.
Ambush. Assassination. Traps. Picking them off in silence.
Of course, there were complications.
Sera was far stronger than he had expected. She hadn’t given him even a moment to prepare traps.
She was relentless.
Not only was she powerful—she was perceptive. She had known from the very beginning that he was hiding something and had kept forcing him to reveal his hand.
Fortunately, he had managed to hold on, keeping her from figuring out the full extent of his plan before it was too late.
He didn’t doubt her abilities—if she had even a little more time, she would have unraveled everything.
But that was fair enough.
Because now, he had created enough chaos to make pursuit far more difficult.
Next, he had also used psychological warfare.
If he had simply run and hidden, his enemies would have thought of him as nothing more than a rat scurrying away.
But by showing calculated defiance—by making them struggle just to wound him—he changed the way they saw him.
He became something more than prey.
He became a threat.
A living uncertainty.
And uncertainty is fear.
It would make the enemy more hesitant to engage recklessly in the future, allowing him to create fear and doubt around his presence.
And if your enemy fears you… they will always hesitate.
And hesitation was all he needed.
It would buy him time.
And time was power.
And finally, this was also a long-term investment for his influence.
His fight had never been just about survival.
It was about turning this situation to his long-term advantage.
By making himself appear like a selfless teacher protecting a helpless girl, he secured something far more valuable than an immediate victory.
Loyalty.
Oliver was a strong believer in investing in talent early.
The girl had potential.
She had displayed a unique ability to sense espera—something rare, something unnatural.
A mysterious physique. A possible exorcist in the making.
If nurtured correctly, she could become a force to be reckoned with.
And even if their paths separated one day, her existence alone could be useful.
Information. Abilities. Connections.
He knew from experience—a small act of kindness today could yield power tomorrow.
And power was something one could never have enough of.
Leaving a good impression on talented people was an investment for the future.
Because anyone—anyone—could become useful at the right time.
And so…
From the very beginning, Oliver had planned everything long before the battle had even started.
It was not that he was always this clever.
But maybe…
It was desperation. The impending threat of death. The necessity of survival.
Something had pushed him to devise such a precise, ruthless plan.
And in the end—
It had worked.
His plan was perfect.
✔ The girl was safe.
✔ His enemies were thinned.
✔ A reputation of fear had been planted.
✔ Loyalty had been secured.
Now, he just had to get as far away as possible.
Then everything would be resolved.
He heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that it would not be long before he could finally have peace of mind.
But…
Plans don’t always go as expected, do they?