#94Chapter 94 Old Kohler
East Borough, Backlund, Iron Gate Street.
Pale yellow-white mist permeated the surroundings, figures coming and going were blurry, and the morning chill seeped into their clothes.
Hugh was wearing boots that added significant height and had a thick beard pasted on, making her look like a short man. Beside her was Fors, wearing a light brown cap.
Originally, Hugh hadn't wanted her friend to risk participating in the investigation, but ever since she learned that the price of that bracelet could endanger her friend's life, she completely changed her attitude.
Early in the morning, she dragged Fors, who was still sprawled in bed, and used her 'Arbiter' authority to force Fors to go out, preparing to help her friend accumulate enough contributions as soon as possible to exchange for a method to get rid of the influence of the full moon's whispers.
Fors rubbed her eyes groggily, about to yawn, but was choked by the pale yellow-white mist in the air. She coughed several times before recovering, though this did make her much more awake.
Fors felt like she was about to break. She had stayed up until dawn replying to her editor and organizing her manuscripts from this period.
Just when she finally fell asleep, she kept dreaming of her body mutating into a disgusting monster under the red full moon. After being startled awake several times, she finally stopped dreaming, only to be 'forcefully started' by Hugh.
Listening to her friend's constant grumbling complaints along the way, Hugh responded in a low, helpless voice:
"Alright, alright, I admit I was too impatient, but isn't this entirely caused by you scaring yourself? How about next time we leave at 9 o'clock, that should give you a bit more time, right?"
Fors chuckled, shamelessly leaning closer to Hugh and rubbing her head:
"How about 12? We can eat lunch first, that way we'll have more energy..."
Hugh immediately slapped away the hand on her head, fixing her friend with the authoritative gaze of an 'Arbiter'. Fors's voice grew lower and lower until it was inaudible.
Hugh withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and hurried on, looking exactly like the other early-rising pedestrians on their way to work. Fors pouted and quickly followed.
The two arrived at the 'Bravehearts Bar' deep within Iron Gate Street. During the day, Bravehearts Bar was sparsely populated; the drunkards clearly only came here to relax after finishing work in the evening.
Caspars Canning behind the counter no longer had the anxiety he'd shown a few weeks ago. He was humming a tune and wiping glasses.
Seeing a short man enter with a tall lady, he immediately whistled and said with a smile, "What can I get for you two?"
Hugh lowered her voice and said, "Caspars Canning, Mr. Lucifered Joseph sent us."
Hearing the familiar voice, Caspars Canning was slightly startled. He looked for a long time before recognizing that the short man in front of him was actually Hugh.
After confirming their identities, Caspars smiled again and personally led the two to the private room in the back. He closed the door, took out two identification cards from a drawer, which bore the emblem of the Backlund Police Department.
Caspars smiled and handed the two IDs to Fors and Hugh. Meeting the two ladies' slightly puzzled gazes, he said with a smile:
"These are the IDs Mr. Lucifered left with me. They can help you deal with some investigations, and you can even borrow some relatively official power."
Hugh took the ID and glanced at the smiling Caspars, still unable to help but ask, "You are now...?"
Caspars's smile widened. With this semi-official support, he no longer had to worry about the previous matters. He cleared his throat and said:
"Thanks to his regard, I also serve that important figure. Mr. Lucifered will leave your missions with me. Well, just like you used to pick up missions, but from now on, we'll conduct transactions in the private room."
Hugh nodded, put away the ID, and accepted the more detailed information Caspars handed her. She scanned it, pausing at a street name, "East Borough, Black Palm Street."
-----------------
Fors took out her fake reporter's pass and followed behind Hugh, who was dressed as a man, walking down Black Palm Street in the East Borough. The harsh environment made both of them frown involuntarily.
The two left the streets filled with garbage and waste and walked along a tributary of the Tussock River in the East Borough.
As they walked, Hugh saw a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties with graying temples, wearing a thick jacket, kneeling by the riverbank ahead. He was covering his face and weeping bitterly, with tools used for shoemaking lying beside his feet.
"Is he going to jump into the river to commit suicide?"
Not only in Loen, but throughout the entire Northern Continent, suicide was not only prohibited by the major Churches but also subject to legal punishment.
As for the reasons, Hugh hadn't been very clear about them originally. It wasn't until she encountered some strange things during bounty missions that she gradually learned about the relevant matters.
First, many who committed suicide chose to drown themselves, and if not discovered in time, there was a certain probability of them turning into Water Ghosts. Second, the emotions of suicide victims were often very wrong. In this state, ending one's life was like a 'sacrifice,' which could potentially resonate with certain strange and terrifying existences.
Therefore, the Seven Orthodox Churches all prohibited their followers from committing suicide based on their own doctrines, and the royal family also promoted corresponding legislation.
Hugh frowned. Although she didn't fully understand the specific situation yet, she still used her leg muscles to appear behind the middle-aged man and drag him away from the riverbank.
Pulled down by the sudden force, the middle-aged man raised his tear-streaked, wrinkled face, his eyes full of gloom.
Fors sighed, accustomed to Hugh's meddlesome nature, and also walked up, took out her fake reporter's pass, and spoke to the man using the original excuse of investigating missing persons:
"Sir, I am a reporter, here to research the living conditions of the people in the East Borough. You can tell me about what you've encountered, and perhaps I can help you."
The man's originally gloomy eyes instantly ignited with a spark of hope. His voice was hoarse but full of pleading as he looked at Fors, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly:
"Miss Reporter, please, please save my family. I'll do anything you ask."
Fors, who had only been pretending to take out her notebook, paused slightly. She exchanged a glance with Hugh, then somewhat helplessly helped the man up from the ground and led him to a nearby tree stump.
The middle-aged man hurriedly wiped the tears from his face, took off his jacket, and placed the cleaner side on the tree stump. He said respectfully, even humbly:
"Miss Reporter, please have a seat."
Fors sighed. She didn't sit down, but asked directly:
"You can tell me about your situation now."
A look of pain and daze flickered across the middle-aged man's face, finally turning numb. He spoke in a low, hoarse voice:
"My name is Kohler. I used to live in a broken shack next to Black Palm Street. Everyone called me Old Kohler."
"I used to be a decent worker. I had a wife and two lovely children, a boy and a girl."
"But two weeks ago, they suddenly contracted an infectious disease. I was lucky not to get sick, but I was in the hospital for a few days, and because of that, I lost my job, I lost everything."
Then his tone became agitated, and he continued pleadingly:
"Now I have nothing left, only my two children who are still lying in the broken shack. I can no longer afford the hospital fees."
Fors didn't foolishly ask where his wife was, but instead looked at Hugh for help.
Originally, she thought this Old Kohler's family was missing and perhaps they could find clues about human trafficking, but the actual situation was beyond her expectation, leaving her somewhat at a loss, especially since they didn't have much time left for the investigation.
Chapter 95: Jade Chain
Hugh sighed, looking at the tearful Old Kohler before him, and after a moment's thought, asked:
"How did this infectious disease appear? Have many people been infected?"
Old Kohler lowered his head and recalled painfully:
"My wife worked at Kapin's factory as a cleaner. More than two weeks ago, she suddenly fell ill and was fired by the factory."
"Many workers at Kapin's factory got this strange illness. Many reported it to the police station, but they were all beaten back by those East District police."
Kapin! Fors's eyes immediately lit up, and she exchanged glances with Hugh, both a little surprised.
"My wife fell ill, followed by my two children. I was also sent to the hospital. Since then, I've often been unable to find work..." Old Kohler said numbly, with a hint of recollection and sadness.
"All my money went to the hospital, hoping they could save my family. While they were hospitalized, to save money, I waited for opportunities to get into the poorhouse."
"But each poorhouse has a limit on the number of people. If I was lucky and got in line in time, I could live well for a few days, regain some strength, and then find a temporary job."
"Until the day before yesterday, the hospital sent my two children back." Old Kohler paused, adding, "And my wife's ashes."
"So I returned to that dilapidated house to take care of my children. My original job was shoemaking, but they fired me today, just saying my hands were shaking..."
Fors, after all, was not a professional journalist, and for a moment, she didn't know what to ask.
She looked around. Through the pale yellow mist, she only saw faces marked by clear signs of hunger.
Some were still relatively clear-headed, these were residents of the East District. Some were numb and exhausted, looking less than human, these were the homeless.
After a few minutes of silence, Hugh walked over, shoved a handful of copper pennies into his hand, and pulled him up:
"This is for the interview. Now, take us to see your children."
Old Kohler was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and led these two kind people to his small house.
They walked along the lower streets, occasionally seeing residents in rags, with numb expressions and malnutrition.
They even encountered two cases of natural death, both due to long-term hunger, poor health, and sudden illness.
As a former doctor and current writer, Fors rarely came to the East District, and even when she did, she wouldn't go deep. Although she had some expectations, she still found the scene before her difficult to accept.
As a bounty hunter who had long frequented the East District, Hugh already understood the true conditions of the lowest strata and was somewhat numb to it. He silently exhaled, and said in a low voice to Fors:
"Every month, I don't know how many people suffer and pass away here. However, bankrupt farmers and former slaves pouring in from the Southern Continent will quickly fill their places."
"Like an endless supply of straw, one crop after another."
Both fell silent, following Old Kohler through the choking mist.
East District, Black Palm Street. Old Kohler led the two to a simple, dilapidated house. There was almost no furniture inside. Two children lay on a bed made of straw, their bodies thin and faces bloodless.
As a former doctor, Fors immediately frowned. She took out the mask she had brought specially to protect herself from the smog from her pocket. After an examination, she actually found several diseases.
This was somewhat unusual. Fors secretly made a note, intending to use it as a clue. She then quickly wrote a prescription and a note, handing both to Old Kohler:
"This prescription can only stabilize your children's condition at best. Tomorrow, you can bring them to this place; only there can they be saved."
Old Kohler's face showed excitement and gratitude. He quickly took the note and prescription. The note read: "43 Westfier Street, Cherwood District, Backlund."
-----------------
Wednesday afternoon, Backlund suburbs, East Beller Manor.
Aaron sat on the sofa outside Michelle Vid's workshop, looking at the necklace in his hand with satisfaction.
The necklace was entirely made of emerald green spiritual crystals, with golden patterns running across the surface, exquisite and gorgeous. The pendant was a dark cyan hexagonal stone, carved and polished smooth, with a profound and complex rune engraved on its surface.
After placing it in an exquisite gift box, Aaron put it away with satisfaction and looked at Michelle Vid, who had dark circles under his eyes, listening to his introduction.
"Lord Aaron, this necklace basically meets the requirements you mentioned last time."
"Even ordinary people who are not Beyonders can use it, but the spirituality of the necklace itself can only support short-distance teleportation, not long-distance."
"The symbols and runes of the Sun domain are engraved on it. When worn normally, it can dispel negative effects to a certain extent. When performing Spirit World teleportation, it can disperse the influence of spiritual bodies, but it is still recommended that ordinary people close their eyes when teleporting to avoid seeing things they shouldn't see."
Aaron nodded, looking at the emerald green necklace lying quietly in the gift box, and said with a smile, stroking his chin, "Shall I call you 'Chain of Emeralds'?"
He then looked at Michelle Vid standing opposite him, pointed to the face-down paper on the table, and gestured for him to pick it up.
Michelle Vid stepped forward somewhat puzzled, picked up the paper, and saw it read:
"Sequence 8 'Barbarian';"
"Main Ingredients: One stalk of Frenzy Grass, the solid horn crystal of an Earth Rhino;"
"Auxiliary Ingredients: One Deep-Veined Walnut, one stalk of Lemon Balm, 10 ml of hydrolat steeped from Poplar bark, 100 ml of strong liquor;"
Barbarian formula! A hint of joy flashed across Michelle Vid's tired face with dark circles. After carefully noting down the formula, he destroyed the paper with the formula on it in front of Aaron.
When Michelle Vid looked up again, Aaron and the gift box containing the 'Chain of Emeralds' had already disappeared. After sighing inwardly, he quickly found his daughter, Sevina Vid.
He told her the Barbarian potion formula and warned her not to leak it, then returned to the workshop to continue the creation he had started a few days ago.
-----------------
Wednesday evening, 7 PM, the luxurious villa of Earl Hall in Queens.
Various luxurious carriages arrived one after another, stopping at the entrance, lined up. Many nobles, bankers, and merchants descended from the carriages with their wives or daughters.
As Earl Hall's eldest son, Hibbert Hall personally stood at the entrance to welcome guests. This was something he had requested himself, and Earl Hall agreed, thinking it would give his eldest son more practice.
Hibbert Hall greeted the guests with a warm and polite smile, noticing that many unexpected people were also attending the dinner, which made him sigh.
But as time passed, the guest he most wanted to see had not yet arrived, and a hint of anxiety couldn't help but appear between his brows. After he asked the butler for the time for the third time, an exquisite and luxurious carriage finally slowly arrived, adorned with the crest symbolizing the East Beller Family.
Hibbert Hall's eyes immediately lit up, and he directly went to greet them, which was somewhat against etiquette. Many of the guests still around, especially the nobles and bankers, exchanged glances, their eyes flickering.
The carriage slowly stopped, and the attendant opened the side door. Before everyone could react, a white figure suddenly darted out and disappeared without a trace.
Hibbert Hall was momentarily stunned. He saw a man who appeared to be just forty years old step down from the carriage. His blue eyes were deep, his face was thin, his features were not particularly handsome, but he somehow felt pleasing to the eye.
#96Chapter 96 Earl Hall's Party
"Bishop Elektra?" Herbert Hall looked at the Bishop of the Church of the Night's St. Samuel Church in North Backlund with some surprise. As a devout follower of the Night, he was naturally familiar with the Bishop.
Among the guests who had been paying attention, there were naturally many followers of the Night. They all recognized the Bishop, and Aaron followed Bishop Elektra down.
To avoid overly provoking the Conservative Party, Aaron had specifically gone to St. Samuel Church in advance to invite Bishop Elektra to attend the gathering.
He stated that he was only attending the Earl of Hall's evening party, as a significant follower of the Goddess of the Night, in his capacity as a follower of the Goddess of the Night, together with the Bishop.
Herbert Hall cleared his throat. With the Bishop present, he didn't feel comfortable going up to chat right now. He led Aaron and the Bishop to the banquet hall.
In the banquet hall, Earl Hall stood in the center, chatting and laughing with the guests. After Aaron entered, he went straight towards Earl Hall and began to converse with him.
"The weather in Backlund has been getting worse recently. There's smog everywhere. I even specifically had the 'Civilian News' do a survey about it. It said that similar weather has increased from around 60 days 30 years ago to about 75 days now."
"The Queen's Borough is okay, but the weather in other places is absolutely terrible."
Earl Hall put away his smile and nodded in agreement with Aaron's statement with a heavy expression. Many nobles around them, especially their wives, showed expressions of deep agreement.
Aaron chuckled, "Because of this, many insightful people have established organizations like the 'Soot Reduction Association' and the 'Flue Gas Reduction Association,' but for various reasons, these have had minimal effect and haven't achieved the results they should have."
The guests who were originally just nodding in agreement but lacked interest, like sharks smelling blood, stared at Aaron with fiery eyes. Some merchants who were originally smiling began to feel uneasy.
Looking at the slightly heated gazes around him, Aaron lightly coughed and continued:
"To prevent Backlund from being shrouded in smog, and to allow residents to no longer endure this harsh environment, I propose establishing the 'Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee' and granting it more power to thoroughly address atmospheric pollution."
As he spoke, he looked at Earl Hall, who was deep in thought, and then turned to Herbert Hall, smiling, and said:
"I've long heard that you wish for a more challenging job to train yourself. If this 'Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee' can be established, I believe you can also make significant progress within it. What do you think? Esteemed Earl Hall."
Looking at the confident and composed Aaron, a hint of admiration flashed in Earl Hall's eyes. He then looked at his eldest son, who could barely hide his joy, and slowly spoke with a smile:
"A very good proposal. After you officially submit the bill in Parliament, I will push for its discussion as soon as possible. But you must also understand that there is significant resistance and many interests involved, so we cannot rush things."
After speaking, he looked Aaron up and down again, smiled, patted his shoulder, and said with a laugh:
"Go, Audrey has been waiting for you for a long time."
Aaron cleared his throat and bid farewell to Earl Hall.
Aaron politely declined several nobles who were holding champagne and wanted to come forward to chat, and walked towards Bishop Elektra. After all, he was the one who brought him, so he should at least say hello.
As he approached, Bishop Elektra was having a lively conversation with a typical Ruen gentleman in his forties. He had black hair, brown eyes, a deep contour, a high hairline, and a slightly long and thin face.
Just as Aaron was curiously observing and guessing the identity of this gentleman, Bishop Elektra took the initiative to introduce him:
"This is Member of Parliament Mahat. He is my friend, a follower of the Goddess, and also a member of the New Party."
Aaron suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, but for a moment couldn't recall the source of the familiarity, so he could only politely exchange greetings first.
Just then, the Member of Parliament waved, and two ladies, clearly a mother and daughter, walked over from not far away.
After being introduced, Aaron learned that these were Mrs. Liana, Member of Parliament Mahat's wife, and their daughter, Hazel Mahat.
Looking at the young girl in front of him with wavy dark green hair and bright deep brown eyes, Aaron finally remembered the source of the familiarity. This was the student taught by the injured demigod of the Jacob family, and who was almost frightened into madness by Amon because of this.
He politely shook hands and then withdrew his gaze. He had activated his Spirit Vision just now and hadn't found anything unusual, and the Beyonder perception of the Sheriff also didn't sense anything strange.
He still couldn't be sure about the current state of that descendant of the Jacob family or whether they had taken any disciples. Putting away the doubts in his heart, Aaron decided to perform a divination after returning home that night to confirm.
Dealing with the various greetings and invitations from the guests, Aaron stepped out of the crowd and immediately saw Audrey at the corner of the second floor.
She was wearing a pure white long dress with gold lace trim. Her golden hair was casually styled, flowing smoothly and lustrously down. Her emerald green eyes were like the purest gems. Her features and face shape combined to create breathtaking beauty, and her temperament was elegant and pure, like a blooming white lotus.
At this moment, Audrey was stroking Evelyn, who was lying on Susie's head, and looking at him with a smile.
-----------------
West Balam, Southern Continent, north of the Star Plateau, west of the Pas River Valley, in a forest somewhere between the Northern State's Cookwa City and Caesar Port.
A young woman with light gold hair tied in a bun and azure eyes, and a young man with brown hair, were walking through the dense forest.
Many withered arms emerged from the ground, grabbing at their legs, but they only tore the hems of their trousers and skirts, leaving no wounds. This was the effect brought by a Sequence 6 "Living Corpse."
A strange laugh rang out, and the brown-haired young man's body instantly stiffened, making bizarre sounds from his mouth:
"Sharon, Maric, I've finally found you. You two traitors, there's no one to protect you now."
Maric's figure stiffly turned, his face becoming extremely distorted. In the reflection of his eyes, there seemed to be another person. This was the forceful possession and control of an enemy by a Sequence 5 "Wraith."
Sharon, her body covered in wounds and her face pale, looked at "Maric" walking towards her slowly. She let out a light breath and tightened the bracelet on her wrist. That was the last gift her teacher had given her.
Silently, the bracelet shattered, and an almost imperceptible fluctuation emerged and merged into the Spirit World.
Somewhere deep in the Spirit World, a translucent headless female figure quietly appeared. She had a bright and dignified appearance, wearing a complex and gorgeous yet dark and gloomy black long dress, but there was a clean cut at her neck, and she was carrying four identical heads.
The four heads were covered in cracks, as if they had just been shattered and reassembled. Their crimson eyes, like blood, suddenly opened, looking towards a certain place outside the Spirit World.
#97Chapter 97: "Divine Evil" Si'a
Maric's fingers grew sharp claws, his teeth elongated uncontrollably, and at the same time, he let out a shriek from his mouth that could pierce eardrums and harm spiritual bodies.
Invisible waves swept towards Sharon but quietly returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
The figures in Maric's two pupils were gradually occupied by a huge, illusory figure – that of a headless woman, holding four heads in her hand.
Simultaneously, a massive, almost sky-obscuring phantom appeared behind Sharon, precisely the headless woman.
A fleeting, unreal shadow emerged from Maric's body and fled into the distance without the slightest hesitation.
After regaining control of his body, Maric immediately sat down cross-legged, fighting the desires in his heart and the intense malice, and the various abnormalities on his body gradually returned to normal.
The head held in the right hand of the massive, illusory figure behind Sharon opened its crimson eyes and looked at the fleeing shadow in the distance.
A sharp, piercing roar was heard from afar, and the entire forest collapsed downwards into a large pit.
Points of light condensed and contracted to form a translucent crystal, appearing before the head that the illusory figure had opened its eyes with. This was the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 5 "Wraith."
The wounds on Sharon's body healed and disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye. This was the powerful self-healing ability granted to her by being a "Living Corpse."
Sharon didn't pay attention to the wounds on her body, nor did she look at the Sequence 5 "Wraith" Beyonder characteristic that had fallen beside her.
Sharon, who had shown little change in expression even when facing death, now had a tear tracing down her delicate, doll-like face.
Clutching the broken bracelet tightly in her hand, she looked up at the massive but very illusory figure and spoke in a low, slightly choked voice, "Teacher."
The other three cracked heads held by the massive illusory figure in its hand trembled slightly, as if they wanted to open their eyes, but ultimately failed. The only head that had opened its eyes used its golden hair to wrap around Sharon and the cross-legged Maric, instantly disappearing from the spot.
A moment later, a black gateway appeared, and an arm whose mere aura caused tremors extended from it, radiating undisguised malice.
The ordinary animals in the deep forest grew gray-black wolf fur, their mouths widened into grins, and viscous saliva constantly dripped from them.
Some lost their hearts and fell to the ground, yet got up as if nothing had happened. Some became transparent and ethereal, as if they had turned into shadows.
The tall, dense forest turned black, its branches twisted and mutated, yet they were as hard as steel.
The Abomination, Scythea, merely by the descent of its aura, polluted everything around, causing them to either collapse and die tragically or mutate into Beyonder creatures like werewolves and living corpses. Even plants were polluted by the aura and mutated.
After Scythea's arm was fully extended, a writhing mass of flesh covered in black viscous liquid followed, forming the body of this Abomination.
It was like a massive tree drenched in oil, its extending branches serving as numerous arms with strange things protruding from them.
On the "trunk," on the surface of the viscous black liquid, numerous bloodshot black and white eyeballs rolled around.
The viscous black liquid extended dozens or even hundreds of arms, rapidly reaching outwards. Some sealed the high sky, some drilled into the earth, and some surrounded from all directions.
At a small pit not far away, a black arm dragged back a slightly ethereal skull fragment. Sensing the familiar aura on it, more black arms surged out and probed into the Spirit World, directly sealing off the Spirit World in this area.
After searching for a while without success, the aura on the Abomination, Scythea, became increasingly violent and rampant. Dozens or hundreds of black arms lifted and then smashed down heavily.
With a loud bang!
The original forest instantly collapsed, forming a massive pit several kilometers in diameter, filled with black, disgusting viscous liquid, radiating an aura of indulgence and depravity.
Along with the destruction of this forest, the corresponding area of the Spirit World was also damaged and disrupted by the Abomination, Scythea, falling into chaos.
The figure resembling a massive black tree drenched in oil vanished without a trace, but its lingering aura continued to affect the living beings in this area.
Animals that had grown gray-black wolf fur, and living corpses and withered bones that had crawled out from underground, continuously converged from all directions towards the deep pit, jumping into it and plunging into the black, disgusting viscous liquid, as if embracing their final destination.
In a valley southwest of Orica Harbor, Sharon and Maric's figures appeared. The tall phantom in front of them began to shatter inch by inch, turning into points of light that drifted down and merged into the broken bracelet in Sharon's hand.
The bracelet, made of unknown material, also transformed into a mark that appeared on Sharon's right palm. Sharon felt the familiar aura from it, and her eyes became even more resolute.
Maric's bodily abnormalities had already recovered, and he silently looked at the mark on Sharon's palm, picking up the Sequence 5 "Wraith" Beyonder characteristic that had fallen nearby and handing it to Sharon.
The two exchanged a silent glance, then sprinted towards Orica Harbor to the northeast.
In an unknown area of the Spirit World, the massive headless woman figure that had appeared became increasingly ethereal. Her four pairs of eyes closed simultaneously, and the figure vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared.
On the Southern Continent, on the road from Bayam to the northern state of Koukwa City, a group of people moved slowly.
Chuck looked up at the red moon in the sky with some helplessness and quietly asked Bishop Montella, who had changed back into normal Southern Continent attire, walking ahead:
"Bishop Montella, when can we rest? I think it's still quite a distance to Koukwa City in the northern state. How about we rest and reorganize first? Only by conserving our strength can we deal with possible attacks."
Bishop Montella had just turned his head, intending to offer more encouragement, when a figure suddenly appeared above the team, wearing a plain white robe with brass-colored threads, with completely white hair and gray-green eyes.
Luca Brewster looked solemnly towards the southeast. He felt an aura of blatant and unrestrained malice spreading without any concealment.
Feeling the terrifying pressure mixed within that aura, even from such a distance, it still made him tremble. This was definitely an angel.
"Rose School's Indulgence Faction," he added in a low voice after a moment of silence, "Sequence 1 'Abomination' Scythea."
His figure then disappeared. This matter must be reported to the headquarters of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. A Sequence 1 angel on the Southern Continent had taken action for some unknown reason.
An existence of this level was far beyond what a demigod like him could handle. Regardless of the opponent's purpose, it had to be reported to headquarters.
Bishop Montella's ears twitched, and his expression also involuntarily darkened. After a moment of contemplation, he shouted loudly:
"Everyone, rest and reorganize. Double the number of guards tonight and raise your vigilance."
He then said no more and went directly to a carriage at the end of the team and got in.
Chapter 98 Gift
The carriage was empty, devoid of any figures, containing only a tidy desk neatly stacked with books and surrounded by numerous spiritual materials.
Bishop Montella skillfully arranged the ritual, inscribing complex symbolic patterns. This was a secret art that could directly contact the headquarters of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, created by a certain Lord Archbishop during his time as a 'Mystic Arts Mentor.'
Above the deep pit filled with black viscous liquid, a shimmering portal of starlight appeared, and Luca Brewster's figure emerged from it. This was a 'Traveler's Door' cast through the analysis and imitation derived from Sequence 6 'Erudite.'
Since the divination ability from his original Sequence 4 'Prophet' had not yielded any feedback of danger, he judged that the leader of the Asceticism Faction of the Rose School had left, and thus came to investigate personally for any clues.
Luca Brewster's originally neat clergyman's robe was now wrinkled and even somewhat damaged.
The spiritual world in this area was destroyed and chaotic, making it impossible to obtain any useful information from it. He, too, was affected by the transmission via the Traveler's Door.
Looking at the sticky black liquid at his feet and feeling the malice and indulgence within it, Luca Brewster frowned deeply. With a slight movement of his hand, a bright, pure light rose, transforming into symbols that connected to form a net of light covering the deep pit.
The spread of pollution was blocked. Luca Brewster was about to explore further when he saw a beam of light shooting towards him from a distance, his brows furrowed, and his figure gradually vanished.
The light stopped above the pit, and the figure of an old man wearing the robe of an Archbishop of the Church of the Eternal Sun appeared. It was Archbishop Otto Apocalipsis, the Archbishop responsible for the colonial diocese of the Intis Republic in the Southern Continent for the Church of the Eternal Sun.
Archbishop Otto first frowned as he looked at the spot where Luca Brewster had stood, then looked at the churning black liquid within the light net below. Feeling the disgusting aura, a clear expression of revulsion appeared in his eyes.
He spread his arms wide and shouted devoutly and solemnly: "Praise the Sun!"
His body erupted with pure and clear light, illuminating every corner of the surroundings, transforming it into a realm of no darkness, where not a single trace of gloom remained, leaving no shadows and allowing nothing to hide.
All the plants, animals, and living corpses around the deep pit that had been polluted by the aura of the "Divine Abomination" Sceâ were incinerated by the holy flame.
The black liquid in the deep pit evaporated little by little, gathering to form a mass of black gelatinous substance that constantly twisted and deformed.
Archbishop Otto emitted waves of warm radiance outwards, radiating power in the domains of purifying depravity, filth, corruption, darkness, evil, disease, and more. Aided by several 'Spears of No Darkness,' the black gelatinous substance quickly dissipated until only a piece of pure black crystal remained.
A more brilliant light burst forth from Otto Apocalipsis. Tidal waves of pure golden light surged from within him, condensing into a layer of light armor covering his body. He reached out and grabbed the black crystal along with the surrounding soil.
Lines of pure golden patterns appeared and surged into the mass of black soil in his hand until the soil no longer emitted an evil aura.
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In the Backlund Empress District, in the luxurious villa of Count Hall, on the second-floor study, Aaron and Audrey sat facing each other, while Evelina and Susie lay on either side.
Aaron cleared his throat and said to the surrounding footmen and maids:
"You may all leave for now. I will speak with Miss Audrey alone for a while."
The ordinary footmen and maids naturally dared not disobey the request of this Lord Viscount and left one after another.
Only the personal maid Annie remained standing there with a conflicted expression, looking at Audrey as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. By rights, she should be accompanying her mistress in such a relatively private space.
Audrey's face showed a faint smile, and the girl's voice was ethereal and pleasant:
"Annie, you can go out for now. Aaron and I are just chatting. Hmm, you can wait for me by the door, it won't be long."
Annie no longer insisted and was about to leave, holding Susie who was lying at Audrey's feet, when Audrey saw Susie's pitiful gaze and quickly spoke:
"Alright, Annie, just leave Susie here. It's very well-behaved and won't cause trouble."
Annie smiled helplessly, let go of Susie, and said with a slightly drawn-out tone:
"Alright, Miss. You just spoil Susie too much. You really need to manage it better. It just dug up the small saplings in the back garden yesterday, the ones that the Master specifically bought from South Wales."
Susie barked, quickly ran to Audrey's feet, and lay down obediently. Evelina skillfully lay down on Susie's head.
Watching Annie leave the study without closing the door, Aaron looked at the biscuits on the table, picked one up, and beckoned. Susie, with Evelina on its head, stuck out its tongue and trotted over again, biting the biscuit.
Aaron pointed to the open door. Susie wagged its tail, ran over, and pushed the door shut with its head.
Audrey, maintaining an elegant noble sitting posture, watched quietly. Although she didn't speak, the smile in her emerald-like eyes was undisguised.
Seeing the door closed, Audrey also let out a light breath, no longer maintaining the somewhat uncomfortable noble posture. She stretched out lazily, then suddenly remembered that besides Susie, there was also a person and a cat in the room.
"Oh dear, Audrey, you're too lax. You're used to secretly stretching after Annie leaves. This habit is too inelegant and must be changed in the future. You must maintain elegance."
"Hmm, he probably didn't see, right?"
Audrey quickly sat up straight, her emerald eyes slightly turning to look at Aaron, just as her gaze met Aaron's slightly smiling eyes.
Audrey immediately shifted her gaze, looking at Susie, who was trying to share the biscuit with Evelina but was met with a tragic refusal. Remembering the gaze they just exchanged, she couldn't help but want to cover her face:
"Oh no, he saw it. Should I say something to explain? Or pretend nothing happened?"
Aaron, who didn't know what Audrey was thinking, looked at the flustered Audrey with some amusement. He took out the exquisite gift box he had already prepared from his jacket pocket and placed it beside Audrey's hand.
Seeing that Aaron didn't seem to mind what just happened, Audrey felt relieved. She looked at the gift box beside her with some curiosity and politely asked:
"Excuse me, is this a gift for me?"
Aaron smiled and nodded slightly, indicating for Audrey to open it.
After politely thanking him, Audrey happily opened the gift box. What came into view was a necklace entirely composed of emerald-colored spiritual crystals.
Golden patterns ran across the surface, making it exquisite and gorgeous. The pendant of the necklace was a smooth, dark green hexagonal stone that had been carved and polished, with a profound and complex rune inscribed on its surface.
The more Audrey looked, the more she liked it. She picked up the necklace, and it felt smooth and warm in her hand, as if she were basking in warm sunlight.
#99Chapter 99 Backlund's Most Dazzling Gem (Additional Update)
Looking at Audrey's joyful and excited expression, Aaron smiled and introduced:
"Its name is the 'Chain of Emerald', a Magical Item specially crafted for you."
Audrey's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaiming in surprise:
"A Magical Item? Is this a Magical Item?"
"What does it do? Can it fly or turn invisible? Or perhaps shoot fireballs?"
Looking at Audrey's sparkling eyes, Aaron was momentarily speechless. In the eyes of mystics enthusiasts, these abilities were indeed very appealing.
Without directly answering the series of questions, Aaron took the Chain of Emerald and showed Audrey the smooth, dark green hexagonal stone that had been carved and polished, located at the pendant of the necklace.
Aaron pointed to an profound and complex rune carved on the surface and explained carefully:
"This is mainly for dealing with sudden dangers; it's a very good life-saving item. But wearing it normally will also give you a warm and comfortable feeling, and can dispel a certain degree of fatigue and other negative effects."
Audrey rested her hands on her cheeks, listening intently. Even though it wasn't her favorite flying or invisibility, and it couldn't shoot fireballs, she was still full of interest.
"Every time Father gives me a gift, he says it's related to extraordinary power, but each time I find no connection; they're all fake."
As she listened, Audrey recalled the disappointment of receiving previous gifts, puffing up her cheeks slightly, thinking unhappily.
"When you encounter danger, hold this pendant and say this syllable." With that, Aaron pronounced the sound of "Door" in Ancient Hermes.
Audrey was startled, her face slightly flushed. She thought perhaps she had been daydreaming and hadn't heard clearly, so she awkwardly asked Aaron to repeat it.
After hearing it again, Audrey repeated the strange pronunciation, committing it to memory.
Seeing that Audrey had remembered, Aaron put away his smile and said seriously:
"If you truly encounter danger, you must close your eyes when using this necklace."
Seeing the serious expression on Aaron's face, Audrey also nodded earnestly.
Aaron thought for a moment, feeling there was nothing else to emphasize. He glanced at the expectant Audrey and suddenly said with a smile:
"It might be a bit inconvenient for you to put it on yourself, and Anne isn't here."
He cleared his throat, "How about... how about I help you put on this necklace? We can see if it suits you right now, and if anything isn't quite right, it'll be easier for me to adjust it."
"Help me put on the necklace?" Audrey was stunned, momentarily at a loss. Usually, her maid or mother helped her put on jewelry.
Audrey's cheeks flushed. She stammered for a long time, and finally, as if possessed, she nodded.
Aaron stood up and slowly walked behind Audrey. He took out the Chain of Emerald, looked at the girl before him, and a delicate fragrance wafted over. He gently lifted her soft, silky golden hair with his hand, revealing her fair and smooth nape.
Aaron gently placed the necklace on Audrey. After adjusting its position, he let down and arranged her golden hair, then walked around to stand in front of Audrey, looking at Backlund's most dazzling gem.
Audrey wore a pure white long dress adorned with golden lace. Her golden hair was loosely styled, falling smoothly and lustrously. Her emerald green eyes were like the purest gems.
Aaron's gaze swept over the entirely emerald green necklace resting on her collarbone. The pendant, engraved with complex patterns, was "set" in the hollow where the two collarbones met, softening the lines of her neck and highlighting a sense of mystery and purity.
Aaron exclaimed sincerely, "Truly worthy of being Backlund's most dazzling gem, the beautiful Miss Audrey!"
Audrey felt her cheeks burning intensely and was a bit too shy to look up and reply. Although she was very happy inside, after muttering for a moment, she finally gave a faint hum, barely audible like a mosquito.
Not far away, Susie had long finished her biscuit and sat loyally by the door, like a guard. Evelina, perched on her head, looked at Aaron and Audrey, curled her lip disdainfully, scratched Susie's golden fur, and muttered in a voice only she could hear, "Hmph, humans."
Mist Sea, Lasha Island, Emerald City.
A magnificent castle composed entirely of emeralds. Bernadette stood on the balcony of the semi-open room within the castle that offered the best view.
Candlelight illuminated the spacious room behind her, where open books were scattered everywhere. On the central table lay three slips of paper, on which were written in the most common Loen, Feynach, and Intis languages respectively: "The Origin and Shadow of Order", "The Great Emperor of the Chaos Kingdom", and "The Lord of Order Who Governs Rules".
This method could minimize the connection with the existence pointed to by this honorific name. Bernadette had returned to Emerald City after her investigation into the strange spirit body at the Kingdom Museum yielded no results.
She had searched through all the books she had collected but found no clues regarding this honorific name, as if this name and the existence it pointed to had appeared out of thin air.
"Order, Emperor." Bernadette repeatedly chewed on these two words in her mind, feeling inexplicably restless. Suddenly, she had a feeling she wanted to go out for a walk.
A slight stir in Bernadette's heart. As a Sequence 3 "Prophecy Master", this kind of sudden impulse was often not a reflection of her own emotions, but more likely a feedback from peering into destiny.
Bernadette's body gradually became ethereal, surrounded by brilliant starlight. Star after star emerged, dense and dazzling. Subsequently, a pair of translucent eyes appeared before her; they had no eyelashes and were cold and indifferent. These were the "Eyes of Mystery".
After becoming a demigod, the "Eyes of Mystery" were no longer limited to the human body. They could be placed on others, and what they saw was equivalent to what she saw. Furthermore, once in a hidden state, they were very difficult for other means to detect.
Indescribable rays of light seemed to flash within the cold and indifferent pupils. Moments later, all of it vanished without a trace, as if the scene just now had been a false fairytale.
Bernadette frowned, muttering softly to herself, "Caesar Port?"
Bernadette was very familiar with this place. It was the first official port established by her father, Roselle, after he opened new sea routes. After Roselle changed the system to an empire and declared himself Caesar, this port was also bestowed the name Caesar Port.
After Roselle's demise, she followed in his former footsteps, came to Caesar Port, and lived there for a period.
Thinking of this, Bernadette's face showed an expression mixed with longing, disappointment, doubt, and other emotions. She then lowered her eyes, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and murmured:
"No matter how long it takes, I will definitely find the truth!"
The voice echoed in the air, but the figure had long since vanished. As the candlelight flickered, the three slips of paper on the desk spontaneously combusted without fire. Instead of producing smoke, burning generated colorful, fantastical bubbles.
Moments later, the dreamlike scene dissipated, and everything returned to calm. The slips of paper vanished without leaving a trace. The books that had been scattered haphazardly were all neatly arranged on the surrounding bookshelves. The light of the red moon shone down, quiet and peaceful.
Chapter 100 The Party Ends
Backlund, Queen's Borough, the luxurious villa of Earl Hall.
...His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the human skin on his body had long since vanished, turning into black skin that flowed with red liquid. His skin slowly became like that of a demon, deep black, flowing with red liquid.
His eyes also began to turn blood-red, and his whole body exuded a demonic aura...' Aaron described it vividly.
Susie was also lying between Aaron and Audrey, listening very seriously. Well, even though she couldn't understand, only Evelina was boredly pulling at Susie's golden fur.
Audrey's face was flushed, her fists clenched. She was a little scared but also wanted to keep listening. It wasn't until she heard that the demon named Jason Beria had been killed by Aaron that she finally let out a long breath.
This was something she couldn't fully understand from the newspaper. With the firsthand account, Audrey felt as if she were on the scene, witnessing the battle with her own eyes. This completely satisfied her fantasies about the Beyonder world.
'The kind and beautiful Miss Audrey, with the help of her assistant Susie, successfully apprehended the heinous murderer and punished evil while promoting good...' Audrey thought, her mind wandering slightly.
Looking at the expression on Audrey's face, Aaron thought for a moment and decided not to shatter this precious dream.
Aaron glanced at the clock on the wall, cleared his throat lightly, and said:
'Audrey, I think we should go downstairs, or the party will be over.' He even made a joke, 'If we don't go out soon, I'm afraid Annie will rush in and arrest me.'
Audrey also checked the time. It had already been half an hour! She immediately felt a bit embarrassed and mumbled a defense, 'Annie is very nice, she just sometimes adheres too strictly to the rules.'
As Audrey spoke, a sentence suddenly popped into her mind for some reason:
'Noble men and women are not allowed to stay alone in a room before marriage. Even during the courtship or engagement phase, if noble men and women are together, they are usually accompanied by a guardian to ensure proper conduct and avoid any situations that could cause misunderstandings.'
Audrey's cheeks instantly turned crimson. She got up flusteredly and walked towards the door, nearly tripping over Susie who was getting up with her.
Fumbling a bit, she opened the door while saying to Aaron, 'Let's go, the party should be ending soon.'
Annie, the personal maid pacing back and forth by the door, glanced impatiently at the clock in the hallway. This was the sixth time she had done so.
Clenching her teeth, Annie took a deep breath. Having prepared herself for a reprimand, she was about to step forward and open the door, but before she could push it, the door opened.
Audrey, her face flushed, was startled by Annie at the door as soon as she opened it. Aaron was following behind, also walking out.
Annie looked at Audrey, whose cheeks were flushed but whose clothes were tidy, and let out a sigh of relief. Her gaze lingered on the emerald green necklace around Audrey's neck, a flash of astonishment in her eyes. Seeing Aaron behind her, she immediately understood.
In the first-floor hall, the banquet was drawing to a close. Some people were chatting and laughing, but more were somewhat distracted, their eyes wandering as if searching for something.
It wasn't until they saw the two figures descending from the second floor that many people's eyes lit up. Councillor Macht proactively stepped forward and said with a smile;
'Beautiful Miss Audrey, your attire today is captivating. You and Lord Aaron are truly a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman!'
As a believer of the Evernight Goddess and a supporter of the New Party, he was naturally happy to see the Tudor family and the Hall family's relationship deepen. Furthermore, Lord Aaron's proposal perfectly aligned with his political aspirations, so he spared no effort in promoting it.
Aaron looked at Councillor Macht with great satisfaction, praising him inwardly: 'Very discerning, and knows how to play the game.'
He then followed the topic and exchanged enthusiastic greetings with him. Many Conservative Party members around them joined the discussion with smiles, all very interested in Aaron's previous proposal to establish the 'Kingdom's Air Pollution Investigation Committee'.
Some people stood on the periphery, watching Aaron being surrounded, but did not step forward to talk. Their expressions were shifting, and they quietly turned and left.
Audrey walked away, her face flushed, and found her mother, Mrs. Caitlin.
Mrs. Caitlin smiled as she looked at the blushing Audrey, gazed at the emerald green necklace, stroked Audrey's soft golden hair, and said nothing.
The banquet came to an end in this peaceful atmosphere. After Earl Hall's speech concluded, the banquet hall erupted in thunderous applause.
At the entrance of the banquet hall, Aaron vigorously rubbed Susie's head. After saying goodbye to Audrey, he took Evelina and boarded the luxurious carriage, returning to the villa.
.....
Queen's Borough, Tudor's luxurious villa, second-floor bedroom. After sending Evelina out of the bedroom, Aaron skillfully set up a Wall of Spirituality. His consciousness sank, passing through layers of illusory whispers, and arrived inside the magnificent giant palace.
Aaron sat upon the throne and reached out to summon the divination pendant. After thinking for a moment, he also accommodated the Black Emperor card within his body. The boundless dark golden mist seemed to gather into waves, forming a great wind.
An armor full of majesty formed on his body's surface. A pitch-black crown appeared atop his head, and a long cape of the same color was behind him. Lines containing divinity also immediately emerged on the armor.
Feeling the power surging within him, Aaron nodded with satisfaction. He closed his eyes and began to divine about Flora Jacob, the descendant of the Jacob family who had appeared in Backlund.
Vague dreams flashed by, and scenes of strange but ultimately meaningless patterns appeared. A moment later, Aaron opened his eyes in disappointment.
Even after fusing with the Black Emperor card, his Sequence had been greatly elevated, but lacking an actual divination medium that could provide accurate direction, he still couldn't divine a result based solely on the information he knew and his conjectures.
However, it wasn't a complete failure. The only thing that could be confirmed was that Madam Flora Jacob, the demigod of the Jacob family, had already arrived in Backlund. No other information could be obtained.
It seems she hasn't found the secret treasure left by the Jacob family yet. There is still some time before she suffers severe injuries, is sealed, and parasitizes a mouse.
'The treasure of the Jacob family!' Aaron's lips curled into a mocking smile. There's also an Amon clone hidden inside. It's fortunate it wasn't opened, otherwise, this demigod of the Jacob family wouldn't even have had the chance to parasitize a mouse.
Putting away the divination pendant, just as Aaron was about to return to the real world, he heard a slightly urgent prayer. It came from a man. Aaron looked at the contracting and expanding prayer light spot below; it was the prayer from Syd Watson.
Aaron extended his spirituality into it. From a strange perspective, he saw Syd Watson in a room, confronting a man and a woman.
The man and woman opposite him were both pale, with obvious burn marks on their bodies. Their eyes were blood-red, as if suppressing the malice in their hearts. It was indeed Sharon and Maric. And at their feet lay a strange dagger that was sometimes illusory and sometimes real.
#101Chapter 101 Chance Encounter and Prayer
Syd Watson looked annoyed, sighing inwardly that tonight was truly unlucky.
Originally, he was just going through the motions for the Spirit Lodge's task, going out at night to search for clues about those two people. He had been doing this for a week, each time he would just go out, circle around to pretend he was working, and then return, and nothing ever happened.
But who knew that tonight the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, perhaps having taken the wrong medicine, launched a city-wide search, and quite a few Beyonder teams were also dispatched.
By the time he realized it, it was too late to return home. To avoid those Beyonder teams, Syd Watson had originally planned to hide in a room that looked empty from the outside and go home after the fuss died down. But who knew that as soon as he climbed in through the window, he saw the two people across the way who clearly seemed to be in a strange state.
And upon closer inspection, he found that they were actually the two so-called defectors being jointly sought by the Spirit Lodge and the Rose School.
Those were people being personally pursued by a Sequence 5 powerhouse. As a Sequence 8 'Gravedigger' with no combat experience and no powerful mystical items, Syd Watson decisively chanted a True Name in a low voice, praying for help.
Sharon suppressed the surging malice in her heart, while Maric was already slumped on the ground fighting the evil thoughts in his mind. Both of them watched the black-clad man across the room who was making strange movements, and the room fell into a strange atmosphere.
Sharon frowned, planning to first knock out the unknown wild Beyonder across from her and switch to another room to continue avoiding the search. Just as she was about to act, the malice in her eyes nearly leaked out, and she could only concentrate on suppressing the malice and killing intent in her heart.
Originally, she and Maric were planning to secretly infiltrate Port Caesarea, lie low for a while, and find an opportunity to leave the Southern Continent for the Northern Continent.
But before they even reached Port Caesarea, they were discovered by a bishop of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun who was accompanying the archbishop on an outing, and he was a Sequence 5 'Priest of Light'. The Sun pathway's suppression of the Prisoner pathway, coupled with the fact that both of them were already injured, instantly put Sharon and Maric in danger.
Having no other choice, Sharon placed the 'Wraith' Beyonder characteristic onto her dagger, artificially creating a Sealed Artifact. Fortunately, fate favored them this time, the Sealed Artifact retained the abilities of Mirror Jump and Wraith State, and they successfully used these to escape and blend into Port Caesarea.
But this Sealed Artifact, which Sharon called the 'Wraith Dagger', also retained a stronger curse. When used, everyone would have their evil thoughts stimulated, becoming increasingly bloodthirsty and insane, while other negative effects, like ghoulification, were negligible in comparison.
Through the prayer light spot, Aaron, whose position had been elevated, could directly see the invisible connection between the dagger on the ground and Sharon and Maric. He also noticed the strange mark on Sharon's palm, which emitted the aura of a high-level existence.
'Hmm, that should be a remnant left by Reinette Tinekerr, the leader of the Temperance faction,' Aaron thought. 'The Temperance faction...'
After a moment of contemplation, Aaron, his pupils turned a mix of gold and black, slightly raised his hand, and dark gold mist converged in the palace, forming a magnificent dark gold figure.
From the back of the dark gold figure grew pair after pair of huge, jet-black wings covered in golden patterns, a full twelve pairs!
And on each pair of wings were feathers intricately inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols, alternating between light and dark.
Gold and black formed a stark contrast. The giant figure, driven by Aaron, spread its pairs of wings, shading the vast dome of the majestic palace, and directly surged into the prayer light spot.
Sharon and Syd Watson only felt as if they saw a dark gold figure with twelve pairs of wings on its back. Sharon had no time to be surprised, only to see the illusory, layered dark gold wings envelop herself, Maric, and the gentleman across from them, and all abnormalities vanished.
The malice and bloodthirsty desire that were about to erupt due to the negative effects of the 'Wraith Dagger' also dissipated. Sharon and Maric only felt their bodies lighten, as if a shackle had been temporarily removed, and their mental state significantly improved.
As Reinette Tinekerr's student, Sharon clearly knew more. Although her expression remained unchanged, she scrutinized the man across from her with wary eyes.
'With twelve pairs of wings on his back, did he receive the blessing of an angel?'
After a long period of silence, Syd Watson was somewhat fed up with the scrutiny from the two people across from him and the atmosphere, but he also had no intention of handing these two over to the Spirit Lodge.
Putting aside the fact that he didn't have the strength, the lady across from him clearly saw that figure just now; if they were truly captured by the Spirit Lodge, wouldn't his greatest secret be exposed?
Furthermore, after receiving a response to his prayer, that great existence did not eliminate them. This made Syd ponder extensively. After a moment of hesitation, he tentatively spoke:
'Sharon? Maric? Temperance faction?'
Sharon didn't answer, just nodded calmly. Seeing that he got a response, Syd immediately suggested:
'I have no ill intentions, you should be able to sense that. I can provide you with a temporarily safe place. If you trust me, just follow me.'
Sharon pondered for a moment, recalling the illusory figure with twelve pairs of wings on its back and her teacher's illusory, fragmented figure. Her eyes gradually became firm.
Without further hesitation, Sharon nodded, picked up the Wraith Dagger that had fallen to the ground, and followed behind Syd with Maric.
Along the way, they walked through streets and alleys, avoiding the search, and finally arrived at a warehouse near the dock area of Port Caesarea.
...
Southern District of Port Caesarea. A man wearing a bishop's robe, holding a compass-like item in his hand, was heading in a certain direction when he suddenly frowned and stopped.
The needle of the compass in his hand, which looked as if it were made entirely of gold, trembled incessantly, as if being interfered with by an invisible force, starting to spin non-stop and no longer pointing in a direction.
With a somber expression, he put down the compass in his hand and said to the few clergymen behind him:
'Search this area following this direction.'
-----------------
After confirming that the three had escaped pursuit, the prayer light spot gradually dissipated. Aaron withdrew his gaze and thought to himself:
'Sharon, having recovered her calm and rationality, wouldn't do anything out of line, and Syd should also understand the intent behind receiving a response to his prayer without being directly eliminated.'
'At the next gathering, I can use the Blessed's alias to guide things a bit. It would be best to also bring Sharon into the Chaos Council. At that time, the situation in the Southern Continent will be easier to open up.'
Amidst the surging dark gold mist, the figure on the throne slowly vanished.
-----------------
Queen's Borough, Backlund. Duke Negan's manor. The blood moon hung high.
Pallas Negan, wearing luxurious silk pajamas, frowned as he looked at the note in front of him, which detailed Aaron's various behaviors at Earl Hall's birthday banquet.
Including the proposal to establish the 'Kingdom's Air Pollution Investigation Committee' and Aaron's close relationship with Earl Hall's daughter, Audrey.
Pallas Negan put down the note in his hand, gazed expressionlessly at the red moon outside the window, and lightly tapped his fingers on the desk.
#102Chapter 102 Bernadette's Arrival
Port Caesar, South Continent. Sunlight pierced through the dawn, and the humid sea breeze blew, refreshing and pleasant.
Last night's commotion was a thing of the past, and the indigenous guards on patrol in the streets were listlessly inspecting.
After losing the trail, the Church of the Evernight Goddess gave up the city-wide search, leaving only the local indigenous guard team responsible for vigilance and strictly checking the identities of people leaving the port.
Syd Watson, dressed in the attire of a South Continent indigenous noble, pushed the door open from outside, smiled, placed two Dixie meat pies on the table, and said to Sharon and Maric:
"They've given up the search. Those Intis fellows have dumped the job on the local guard team. There's no need to worry anymore. As long as we lay low for a while, I can get you out."
Syd hesitated for a moment before continuing, "The Church of the Evernight Goddess might not disrupt the order of Port Caesar for you, but the Rose School of Thought and the Spirit Lodge..."
Sharon's expression remained unchanged, her face appearing even paler against the backdrop of her clean black Gothic court dress. Maric silently held playing cards, folding them into various shapes.
"I used a method left by my teacher. I just made them lose a Sequence 5 Wraith. The situation is tense now, so at least there won't be any big moves here in Port Caesar recently."
Sharon did not mention the figure with wings on its back from last night, and Syd did not ask Sharon what method she used to escape the pursuit of the Rose School of Thought and the Spirit Lodge. A tacit understanding was reached between them.
...
Bernadette, wearing a white Intis-style shirt and a dark black jacket, and an old-fashioned black soft hat, appeared at the dock. A fine mesh veil hung down, covering her face.
The guards checking people at the port and the passing merchants and passengers seemed not to see this lady, automatically avoiding her without realizing it.
Bernadette looked at the guards at the dock, then gazed into Port Caesar city in the distance. Her blue and deep eyes showed a thoughtful expression, and her figure faded and disappeared.
East Wall Street, Number 67, Port Caesar Port Area, the basement of the "Sea Shark Tavern".
Bernadette's figure emerged. Amidst the flickering candlelight, several members of the Element Dawn wearing wizard robes, who had been somewhat vigilant, relaxed upon seeing their leader. They put down the scrolls they had picked up and bowed in greeting.
A moment later, accompanied by a sound of footsteps, a man dressed in a mixed Intis and South Continent style, like a bartender, quickly entered the basement.
It was Galen Lin, the owner of the "Sea Shark Tavern" and known as "Sea Shark". He was also the person in charge of the Element Dawn in Port Caesar, a Sequence 6 "Scroll Professor".
He was responsible for both intelligence gathering and organizing underground extraordinary gatherings in Port Caesar. Due to the limited level of items traded at the gatherings, the local official organizations were unwilling to actively provoke the Element Dawn behind them and tacitly allowed the gatherings to exist.
Bernadette looked at Galen Lin, who was bowing, and spoke in a calm voice:
"What has been happening in Port Caesar recently?"
Galen replied respectfully:
"Your Majesty, the spy we planted earlier reported that a prominent figure from the Rose School of Thought apparently made a move in the forest southwest of Port Caesar for some unknown reason."
"This directly alarmed the Archbishop of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, Otto Apocalypsis. Later, it is said that two members of the Rose School of Thought infiltrated the city, which is why there was a city-wide search last night, but unfortunately, nothing was found."
Bernadette's eyes flickered slightly, remembering her sudden impulse last night. She carefully inquired about the location of that forest, only getting a rough direction. After instructing them to pay more attention to news about those two Rose School of Thought members, she turned into bubbles and disappeared.
Bernadette's figure appeared above Port Caesar. With a flick of her right hand, she threw out a brightly colored, somewhat unreal ball of yarn.
The ball of yarn rolled into the void, leaving behind a strand of yarn. Bernadette followed it, strolling through the Spirit World.
Until she saw the chaotic and violent area of the Spirit World ahead, Bernadette thoughtfully left the Spirit World and arrived above a massive deep pit covered in scorched marks.
She looked at the deep pit below, the large area of forest around it that had been deliberately burned, and the various strange patterns hidden beneath the dust.
The next second, Bernadette raised her right hand slightly, and then the All-Seeing Eye appeared.
At the same time, her skin instantly became as white as snow, her lips as red as blood, and her hair as black as ebony.
In her hand, there was an illusory, ancient mirror.
This was the "Snow White" from fairy tale magic. Bernadette used it with her Sequence 3 "Prophecy Master" status and abilities to improve the success rate and accuracy of her "prophecies".
Silently, she "saw" a scene:
A vast, illusory figure appeared, with a bright and dignified appearance, wearing a complicated, gorgeous, yet dark and gloomy black dress. However, there was a neat cut at the neck, and she carried four identical heads.
The scene shattered, and the next scene appeared.
A giant tree that looked like it had been doused in oil, its spreading branches consisting of numerous arms with various strange things protruding from them.
On the "trunk", on the surface of the viscous black liquid, countless bloodshot black and white eyeballs rolled around.
Dozens or even hundreds of arms extended rapidly outwards from the viscous black liquid, some blocking the sky, some drilling into the ground, and some surrounding from all directions.
Rumble!
The entire forest collapsed downwards, the viscous, ink-like black liquid gathering and emitting a degenerate aura.
Bang!
The pair of "All-Seeing Eyes" that were almost transparent suddenly shattered.
Bernadette's eyes immediately closed, as if she had seen an unbearable glare or suffered an unbearable injury.
Bloody tears, tinged with black, flowed from the corners of her eyes, and her face became considerably paler.
And on her body, pairs of illusory, holy wings unfolded, neutralizing a certain invisible pollution with the falling white feathers.
"Reinette Tinekerr, 'Divine Amalgamation' Salinger..."
As the words drifted, the figure wrapped in white feathers shattered and disappeared.
-----------------
East Tacc Family's luxurious villa in the Queen's Borough, Backlund.
Aaron put down the latest issue of "The Daily Mail", looking at the report on Backlund's atmospheric conditions, and nodded with satisfaction.
First, reveal the problem, clarify the harm, and then propose the establishment of the "Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee" in the parliament when public support is available. This is the feasible path.
Pulling back his thoughts, Aaron lightly tapped the table with his fingers, his mind wandering.
Fors and Xio's investigative reports in the East Borough also provided a lot of material for this report, but what interested Aaron most in their reports was that old Kohler, or more accurately, his child's illness.
The address provided by Fors and Xio, 43 Westfie Street, Cherwood Borough, Backlund, was the original residence of the current chief craftsman of the East Tacc family, Michel Wade.
After this craftsman gentleman "voluntarily" joined, he contributed this property for public use without compensation. Aaron then arranged for a Sequence 9 "Pharmacist" he had trained after coming to Backlund to live there.
Chapter 103 Will Auceptin's Visit
According to that pharmacist, the illness afflicting those two children is very strange.
Outwardly, it resembles symptoms of a cold or flu, but in reality, it's a mix of various diseases, many of which are unheard of and extremely difficult to treat. It only gradually improved after using a special concoction.
"A mix of various diseases... How is this so similar to the characteristics after being infected by the 'Painful Witch's' disease, yet the effects are far less severe? Even ordinary people don't die immediately..."
For some reason, Aaron inexplicably recalled the thin, black-robed man who bought all the blood of a Black Abyss Demon Fish, one of the main ingredients for Sequence 7 "Witch," during the gathering hosted by old Mr. "Eye of Wisdom."
"Witch..." Aaron pondered for a moment, then picked up a piece of paper and roughly wrote down his suspicion, planning to have someone deliver it to the "Bravehearts Bar" later.
He intended to remind the two ladies who were currently on an investigation mission, as a Sequence 7 "Witch" was not something Fors and Xio could handle at their current level.
After writing, Aaron grabbed Evelyn, who had walked past his desk for the fifth time. He had been lost in thought earlier and ignored her, but now he wanted to see what this fellow was up to.
Aaron lifted her by the scruff of her neck, looking at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation, and asked,
"Spit it out if you have something to say. You probably haven't digested your Sequence 8 potion yet. You don't want the 'Psychiatrist' potion again, do you?"
Evelyn wagged her tail, asking somewhat sneakily,
"Aaron, can I borrow a portion of the Spectator potion? I'll definitely return it."
Looking at the creature held in his hand, Aaron narrowed his eyes, peering down at her, and directly exposed her little scheme:
"You want to give it to Susie, don't you? I told you before that Susie isn't suitable to become a Spectator yet."
Evelyn wagged her tail, grumbling unhappily,
"Why not? Susie is so dumb now. The last time I talked to her, she didn't understand anything."
Aaron put her down and comforted her with a smile, "There will be a chance in the future, don't be impatient..."
"Exactly, exactly, you little cat are really impatient."
Before Aaron could continue, a slightly childish voice rang out.
"Who's there?" Aaron's expression changed instantly, and he looked towards the tea table by the door following the sound.