The middle-aged man held up his badge, his voice not loud yet echoing across the entire square: “Pitiful sinner, you have been deceived by the devil, deluded into seeking evil power. From your body to your soul, you are filled with filth. Only the holy light can purify you. This is both the Lord’s punishment and His mercy, the Lord’s compassion for a lost lamb.”

“Burn her! Burn her!” The surrounding poor people at first shouted sparsely, then in unison and loudly.

The chaotic, fanatical scene made Ethan Carter shudder. If anyone found out he was a transmigrant, the next one to be tied to the stake as someone whose soul had been possessed by an evil demon would be Logan Bennett.

“Before purifying you, the merciful and compassionate Lord allows me to ask you one more time: are you willing to repent? Sincere repentance can completely purify your soul and allow you to enter the Lord’s heaven.” The middle-aged man asked gently and compassionately.

The woman in black robes suddenly burst into mad laughter, her voice sharp and piercing: “What I seek is the truth of magic, not the god of truth. Burn me, and I will watch this sinful heaven be destroyed in the flames, watch this magnificent cathedral collapse.”

“Lunatic!”

“Truly evil!”

“The bishop’s mercy is met with a curse. These witches whose hearts have been blinded by the devil truly deserve to die!”

“Burn her!”

The bishop said nothing, but the many poor people around fell into a frenzy, screaming themselves hoarse.

For the first time in his life, Ethan Carter found himself in an atmosphere of irrational fanaticism. Shocked, he couldn’t help but think: “Medieval Europe is truly dangerous!”

“But without a pile of wood, how are they going to burn her?”

Although he felt pity and reluctance for the woman in black robes, Ethan Carter dared not make the slightest move, or else a single stone from each person would be enough to kill him.

The bishop prayed a few words, his voice growing louder, sonorous and utterly devoid of emotion: “Sinner, then descend into hell in the purification of the holy light.”

The cross badge in his hand suddenly burst forth with a brilliant light, dazzling and radiant, so that all Ethan Carter could see was a field of blinding white.

It was as if the bishop was holding a tiny sun in his hand—solemn, majestic, and sacred. Everyone, including the little boy beside Ethan Carter, bowed their heads in silent prayer and praise.

The light gathered and shot toward the azure sky. When it reached the height of the dome, it reflected back down, striking the stake.

Red flames leapt up, taller than a person, engulfing the woman in black robes.

She laughed madly, cursing wildly:

“I will watch this sinful heaven be destroyed in the flames.”

“I will watch this magnificent cathedral collapse in the flames.”

“I will watch you all sink into eternal damnation in the flames!”

……

The shrill voice lingered in the air as the woman in black robes and the stake were reduced to ashes together.

Meanwhile, Ethan Carter had already fallen into a daze the moment the badge burst forth with dazzling light:

“This isn’t medieval Europe…”

“This is a world with real divine arts and magic!”

“My name is Logan Bennett…”

Chapter Two: What Came With Me

The evening sunlight pierced through clusters of crimson clouds, shining down on the solemn Adelan Cathedral square. The little sun in the bishop’s hand had lost its brilliant radiance, now hanging from his chest as he turned and walked into the church.

In the center of the square, the rather beautiful black-robed witch had already been burned to ashes, but her mad laughter and curses seemed to still echo, making many people shiver involuntarily. They glanced around, then followed the bishop and priests into the church, confessing their sins under the Lord’s gaze and praying sincerely.

The dazzling white light seemed to still linger before his eyes, and the sacred, majestic power it contained could still be faintly felt. Under this impact, Logan Bennett had already accepted his identity, burying everything from his past deep in his heart, not daring to show the slightest abnormality.

“The power of divine arts is so strong. I wonder if I’ll have a chance to learn it?”

Logan Bennett thought in awe, without the reverence an ordinary person should have. Suddenly, a huge force slapped Logan Bennett on the left shoulder, making him stagger to the left, almost losing his balance.

“Oh, my poor little Evans Parker, you’re finally alright. It’s all thanks to the Lord’s protection. I thought you’d end up like your father, falling ill and never getting up again. Thank the Lord for letting such a wonderful young man keep on living.”

That slap snapped Logan Bennett out of his shock. He saw a brown-haired auntie, twice as wide as himself, standing beside him, wiping her tears while repeatedly patting his shoulder with a right hand as powerful as a bear’s paw.

He stepped aside a little to avoid being patted to the point of coughing up blood. Logan Bennett opened his mouth, but found himself unable to say a word, because: “How should I address this auntie? It seems my full name should be Logan Bennett·Evans Parker?”

Logan Bennett’s attempt to dodge only made the auntie even sadder: “Poor little Evans Parker, you must be muddled from illness. Look at your little face, so thin you can see the bones…”