Darkwill stopped, panting, and ignoring his injuries, took out a bottle of yellowish-green potion from his pockets and quickly applied it to his body.
A decaying smell, similar to that of a corpse, instantly permeated the air, and only then did Darkwill breathe a sigh of relief. This was a special potion he had formulated, capable of masking his aura and hindering pursuit.
It had cost him a considerable amount of his precious mummified powder. If not for the fact that one of their pursuers was an artificial Vampire who worshipped the Primordial Moon and was extremely sensitive to scent, he would never have spent such a fortune.
Handing the bottle of yellowish-green liquid to Ademisaul, Darkwill then glared fiercely at Harry the Owl:
"Shut up, you stupid bird."
"How could I have been so blind as to find you? You're no help at all, and you're still gloating!"
The chubby owl rubbed the yellowish-green liquid that Ademisaul had poured into his palm with a hint of disdain, then retorted:
"Darkwill, please call me Mr. Harry."
"Besides, if it weren't for that letter you wrote, would we be chased by those people?"
Darkwill's expression changed slightly. Before he met Ademisaul in Desi Bay, he had written a letter to a member of the Life School of Thought he knew. He hadn't expected to not only receive no help but to also attract pursuers.
He glanced sheepishly at Ademisaul, whose expression hadn't changed, and Darkwill closed his mouth, feeling a little guilty, ending the topic and starting to treat his own injuries.
Pushing away the potion Darkwill offered, Ademisaul frowned and looked into the distance, covering Harry the Owl with one hand to stop him from flapping his wings and saying anything else, then flashed into a dilapidated room to the side.
Darkwill was stunned for a moment, as if he remembered something, his face twitching slightly, and he followed, hiding inside, his eyes vigilantly looking outside.
Two figures approached from a distance under the sparse Moonlight. The one leading was a lean but strong man with very short, spiky hair.
As he swung his arms, the tips of his hands reflected a metallic sheen, illuminated by the faint crimson Moonlight—these were long, dagger-like black fingernails!
Darkwill involuntarily touched his wounds, recalling some unpleasant memories, and recognized that this was the Werewolf who had been chasing them.
For Beyonders of the "Mutant" Pathway, their bodies are their best weapons, and for a Werewolf, his claws are his Beyonder weapon, capable of even tearing through steel and possessing a natural toxicity.
Behind him, a slender figure with dark brown skin emerged, with prominent cheekbones on his side profile, a high nose bridge that curved slightly at the tip, and eyes that were brownish with a hint of dark red. As he was only an artificial Vampire, he had not fully acquired the eye color of the Sanguine.
At this moment, several areas of his face were swollen and festering, looking somewhat disgusting. Around his body, a deep, profound Darkness surged, as if it would swallow everything.
Looking at the two Monsters who stopped in front of the abandoned town, unwilling to leave, and hearing Darkwill's slightly heavy breathing beside him, Ademisaul took out a small bronze bottle from his pockets, its surface inscribed with many strange symbols.
Inside it was the "Sun Holy Water" he had acquired through a transaction with Mr. World at the Tarot Club, which was highly effective against both Werewolves and Vampires.
This was also why he and Darkwill, despite not being skilled in combat, had repeatedly managed to escape before.
Upon discovering that the two Monsters were preparing to enter the abandoned town, Ademisaul sighed inwardly, already preparing to unseal the Wall of Spirituality on the small bronze bottle.
Just then, a blazing white flaming spear streaked across the night sky. The Werewolf, who was leading, was directly pierced through the chest as if he were made of paper, and the accompanying crimson fireball instantly engulfed his painful roar.
The undisguised malice in his eyes was instantly replaced by terror. After witnessing his companion's tragic state, the artificial Vampire's eyes immediately became bloodshot, and the swollen, festering areas on his face completely burst open, as deep and ethereal Darkness surged out from within.
Under the shroud of the Shadow of Death, he showed faint signs of losing control. From the dense black mist emanating from his back, numerous palm-sized ethereal bats flew in all directions.
A bright short blade, ignoring the pervasive black mist, continuously expanded in his bloodshot eyes. The frantic thoughts seemed to be doused with cold water, and his consciousness rapidly plunged into Darkness.
Shaking off the somewhat corrosive, viscous blood on his arm, Anderson's lips curled into a slight smile. He turned his head to look at Ademisaul, who was hiding nearby, and hummed a tune, saying:
"I've solved your pursuers for you. It seems rather impolite to just hide in the Dark and peep, doesn't it?"
Looking at the young man with short golden hair, Ademisaul's palms were sweating. It was hard to imagine that this seemingly amiable person had almost instantly killed two Sequence 7 Beyonders in a matter of seconds.
Since he had been discovered, there was no need to hide. Considering this was the location guided by his Lucky One ability, Ademisaul stepped out and cautiously asked:
"Thank you for your help, senior. May I ask who you are?"
His emerald eyes swept over the two people and one bird who emerged, his gaze lingering for a few seconds on the plump owl. Anderson squatted down and retrieved a black-green fang from the surging flames, which was indeed the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic.
Then, from the shattered head of the artificial Vampire, he took out a wholly dark red, heart-like ball of light, which was gently expanding and contracting.
Its surface was translucent, with faint human faces visible, and a liquid seemed to flow within it. This was the Beyonder characteristic left by a Sequence 7 Vampire of the Apothecary Pathway.
Holding these two Beyonder characteristics in his hand, Anderson lazily asked:
"These two are my spoils of war. Do you have any objections?"
Darkwill looked at the dark red "heart," and a strong sense of longing rose within him, but facing this ruthless person, he still shook his head repeatedly.
Anderson leisurely put away his spoils of war, the smile on his lips growing more pronounced:
"Hmm, as for who I am, I'll give you a hint: have you heard of the 'Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea'?"
The expected gasp of cold air did not sound. Anderson saw clear confusion on the faces of the two people opposite him, and the street, somewhat damaged by the battle, instantly fell into an awkward silence.
Due to being pursued by the Iron and Blood Cross Order, Anderson had fled from the Fog Sea to the Sonia Sea. Although the Iron and Blood Cross Order's wanted list was not as prominent as bounties issued by official powers like the Kingdom's Church, it was still second only to pirate admirals.
Talking to a brick wall... Sighing inwardly, Anderson stopped beating around the bush. After running his hand through his short hair, he casually said:
"My name is Anderson. Of course, you can also call me the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea. Duke Aaron has ordered me to safely escort you to Osel in East Tucker County."
---
Intis Republic, Capital Trier, inside a simply furnished room.
A tall, handsome young man with long chestnut hair sat cross-legged on the floor, facing the triangular holy emblem carved on the wall, his hands clasped together, eyes closed, devoutly praying.
On a narrow table beside him, there was a doll made of metal parts, and behind the doll, faint light intertwined.
Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes and looked to the other side.
A figure had appeared there at some point, its body transparent, its features reduced to a pair of abnormally cold, lashless eyes.
Without surprise or any extreme reaction, he looked at the transparent figure and said calmly, almost indifferently:
"What do you need me for?"
The pair of peeping eyes on the Invisible Servant swept over the strange doll on the narrow table, and Bernadette's equally cold voice followed:
"Just to ask you some questions."
"Where were you on the night my father fell, over 100 years ago?"
His eyes, almost as blue as Bernadette's, shifted slightly, his tone unchanged:
"That night, under the Church's arrangement, I was performing the ritual required to advance to Sequence 3 Arcane Scholar."
"Is that your question?"
Bernadette, controlling the Invisible Servant, stared at her brother. After a moment, she shook her head and continued:
"I've been going through some items my father left behind. In the year he was canonized as the 'Son of Steam,' the one you worship bestowed upon him an item symbolizing his identity."
"I want to know, after my father's fall, is that item still with the God of Church of the God of Steam and Machinery?"
Bornova was silent for a moment, then slowly rose, his back to the triangular holy emblem on the wall. Numerous symbols of unknown meaning flashed across his body.
Then, a golden token appeared in the Angel's hand, with something seemingly carved on it. His eyes were no longer cold; he seemed to have already seen through the loopholes in Bernadette's words, and he said in a low voice:
"That item is now in my possession!"
"Can you tell me who asked you to inquire about this matter with me?"
The Invisible Servant showed no change in expression, and Bernadette's voice was equally steady, but she did not answer the question. Instead, she said firmly:
"I want to exchange for this item in your hand."
Slowly shaking his head, Bornova spoke softly:
"You may leave. This is his last gift to me...."
Seemingly surprised by Bornova's reaction, the Invisible Servant did not respond for a long time.
The strange doll, entirely made of metal parts, on the narrow table was now lifted by an invisible force, floating before the Invisible Servant.
Bornova infused a flash of inspiration into the doll, then calmly lowered his eyes and said:
"Father's death is far from as simple as it appears on the surface. The truth is much crueler than you imagine."
"This doll is a gift to you. Once you truly advance to an Angel, do not come to the God of Church of the God of Steam and Machinery again. It will tell you some things on my behalf."
Without waiting for the Invisible Servant to speak again, this Sequence 2 Knowledge Magister gently raised his hand, making the doll and the Invisible Servant disappear together in a flash of light.
After the room returned to silence, Bornova slowly sat down, but this time, he did not face the triangular holy emblem on the wall. Instead, he quietly lowered his head, looking at the token in his hand.
On it, written in ancient Feysac, was a passage that sounded more like a blessing:
"I hope you can be more human, more emotional, and more yourself, rather than a devotee of a deity."
"—Roselle Gustav."
Outside Trier, at the confluence of the 2 rivers, Bernadette stood quietly by the riverbank, looking at the distant city, which was both familiar and strange.
After standing for a long time, holding the doll with its hidden charm in one hand, Bernadette's figure slowly disintegrated, turning into specks of starlight and disappearing.
---
Backlund West Borough, Intis Srenzo Restaurant, Raphael Private Room.
Aaron patiently listened to Bernadette's narration, his eyebrows unconsciously rising. He naturally understood what Bornova's words meant.
Although this Angel was unwilling to trade, for him, this was already the best news possible.
Neither in Roselle's hands nor in the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery's hands meant he avoided the risk of facing the Mother Goddess of Depravity or the God of Steam and Machinery.
Moreover, through Bornova's words, Aaron also realized that he seemed to have entered a cognitive bias, which was overly trusting Roselle's diary.
His habitual thinking led him to limit his impression of Bornova to the Angel who, according to Roselle, had been manipulated by the God of Steam and Machinery and was left with only divinity.
But since he had decided to resist the Seven Deities, especially after gaining some strength with the support of the Twilight Secret Order, apart from his eldest son Charles, who was indeed just an ordinary person, if Roselle could leave Bernadette three Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, why would he not leave some arrangements for Bornova?
At least from Bernadette's account, Aaron had already detected some anomalies in Bornova. At the very least, he was not the kind of fanatic who only had the God of Steam and Machinery in his mind, or rather, something was maintaining his humanity.
Aaron nodded thoughtfully, also breathing a sigh of relief. Such a Bornova presented an opportunity for negotiation, and the best medium for trade would naturally still be Bernadette, though it would probably have to wait until she truly advanced to an Angel.
Thinking this, Aaron took out a pre-prepared dark black box from his pockets. After removing the Wall of Spirituality, a dark, viscous liquid full of corrupted aura seeped out, instantly vanishing under an invisible force.
Once everything settled, only a curled, blood-stained umbilical cord with burn marks remained in the box. This was the umbilical cord of a child of an evil deity that Aaron had obtained earlier in Tingen City.
Feeling the strong aura of depravity, Bernadette's expression changed slightly, and she had already guessed the general origin of the item.
"This is the umbilical cord of the True Creator's offspring, conceived during his descent in Tingen. With your abilities, you should be able to use it to pinpoint the approximate location where the Aurora Order is preparing the descent ritual in Backlund."
"I must warn you that this sensation is likely bidirectional. You need to carefully consider how to use it."
"Also, remember to return it to me after you're done!"
Taking the dark black box that Aaron had sent over, Bernadette pondered for a moment, then already had an idea. A starlight cage instantly appeared, attaching itself to the surface of the box, isolating it from the outside world.