Chapter 1: The Burning Stake

In the desolate border town, the dry north wind swept away almost all signs of life. When the wind picked up, yellow sand filled the sky, and the entire town was shrouded in a layer of dust. The weather was so oppressive that even the people became lethargic, wrapped in their gray, tattered cloths, unwilling to move.

Yet, at this moment, the town was unusually lively. People had gathered in the central square, craning their necks to watch the rare spectacle.

In the middle of the square stood a burning stake. A thin girl was tied to it, her body covered in wounds, her tattered clothes stained with blood, their original colors unrecognizable. The girl hung her head quietly, her long hair falling down to cover her face. If it weren't for the faint rise and fall of her chest, one might have doubted whether the person on the stake was still alive.

After an unknown passage of time, a cry suddenly burst from the silent crowd, "Burn her!"

The crowd stirred, the emotion spreading like waves.

"Burn this monster!"

Another shout rang out.

"Burn her! Burn her!" The cries grew louder and more insistent, eventually becoming a chorus, and then a unified roar from the entire square.

Amidst the deafening shouts, a man in black, holding a torch, stepped out from the crowd and lit the wood beneath the girl's feet.

The dry wood burst into flames, and the girl on the stake began to struggle in agony. The fire quickly spread up her clothes, engulfing her entire body. With her shrill screams, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The evil creature would be reduced to ashes in the fire, everything would be purified, and even the sunlight seemed to become clearer. It was as if people could see divine light pouring down from the clouds, enveloping the entire execution site.

The holy light grew stronger, and the flames, as if in fear, gradually shrank and finally extinguished completely. A man in white emerged from the crowd, his splendid attire a stark contrast to those around him, with the swallow-tailed cross emblem of the Church of Light on his robe.

People who saw the emblem respectfully stepped aside, clearing a path for the man. At the end of the path, the ropes binding the girl, weakened by the fire, finally snapped, and the girl, charred and unrecognizable, fell heavily into the ashes below.

Her mangled hand struggled to reach the man bathed in holy light, but it fell limply to the ground before it could touch his feet, consciousness slipping into complete darkness.

Elara Moore couldn't help but groan in pain as intense agony washed over her like a tidal wave. Her body felt as heavy as lead, immobile, her eyes covered by a damp gauze, unable to open, the cool touch slightly alleviating the burning pain.

"Awake?" The man's voice was clear and cold, pure and crisp, like the coldest spring water from the far north.

"Even burned like this, you're still alive. You must be a Witch," he said words that Elara Moore couldn't understand. His slender fingers gently touched her body, and it was then that she realized she was lying naked on the bed.

Wherever his fingers touched, a cool sensation spread throughout her body, and the seemingly endless burning pain finally subsided.

Noticing the girl's breathing becoming steady, the man continued his actions while explaining her predicament: "I don't know why you made a pact with an Inner Demon. Although your magic is so weak it's almost undetectable, it's the Inner Demon residing within you that kept you alive. Inner Demons feed on your desires and strength, growing stronger, and will eventually completely erode your consciousness, turning you into a true monster."

Speaking these harsh words, the man's voice showed no emotion, as if he was merely stating a common fact: "You have two choices now. First, you can be executed here as a monster. Second, you can join the Church of Light and serve the Church. The Church will control the Inner Demon within you and ensure your safety."

"Do you choose death or life?" He asked the life-or-death question indifferently, having finished applying the medicine, and waited quietly for the girl's answer.

There seemed to be no real choice, "I want to live," Elara Moore managed to croak out the four words in a hoarse voice.

Satisfied with her response, the man stood up from the bedside: "My name is Noyce Walker, and I am a high-ranking Priest of the Church of Light. I don't have much medicine with me. You need better treatment. Rest well tonight, and we'll set off for the Church early tomorrow morning."

In the magical continent, the Church of Light holds a status that surpasses the royal family. Over two hundred years ago, the Church of Light led humans and elves in a joint effort to drive the rampaging dark creatures north of the Desolate Forest and set a seal to completely isolate them, thereby establishing the Church's supreme prestige.

However, this period of peace did not last long. Not long after the dark creatures were sealed in the Desolate Forest, a new kind of monster emerged—the Inner Demon.

These creatures are intangible and can parasitize humans with strong desires, allowing humans to gain the power of demons, but at the same time, they erode the human heart, causing people to lose their humanity and degenerate into true monsters. The seal can block the physical body, but it cannot block the human heart.

As the number of monsters that have degenerated due to Inner Demon parasitism increases, even the Church is beginning to struggle and is overwhelmed.

To deal with the Inner Demons, the Church of Light has developed a sacred seal that can suppress demonic nature, recruiting humans who have been parasitized by Inner Demons but have not yet completely lost their humanity into the Church.

The seal is used to control the erosion of demonic nature, allowing them to fight against monsters and use the power of monsters to fight against monsters.