Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 78: Rapid Person Search

That night.

Two flatbed carts stopped at the edge of the woods. A black pinecone magic device that maintained combustion had been tossed into the campfire. Tongues of flame lightly licked over the firewood, producing crisp crackling sounds.

Inside the tent, Father Kalen tossed and turned.

The two squirrels sleeping in the crook of his arm were startled awake. They raised their fluffy tails and looked at the priest with concern.

Ever since he had “lost consciousness” in the underground ruins, Kalen had always felt a strange lightheadedness, like he had just recovered from a serious illness. For example, at this moment, his body was clearly exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t settle no matter what.

…Or perhaps his subconscious was restless because of the topic of the “Stargazers Society.”

He gently brushed the tips of the squirrels’ ears with his fingertips and took a few breaths of the crisp night air. His mind became increasingly clear. The two squirrels jumped to the edge of the flatbed cart. Under the moonlight, four round, shiny black eyes blinked.

Father Kalen grabbed his coat and finally jumped down from the cart.

It was a windless night, and the campfire flames pointed straight toward the heavens. The night sky was clear, and the stars spread across it were as distinct as diamond fragments. The moon was just a little shy of full.

Father Kalen liked weather like this. It made the boundaries of shadows tangible and clear. The shadow of a tree’s crown fell beneath his feet like a carpet before an altar.

The priest quietly walked to the center of that shadow, his back to the moon and stars, and knelt on one knee. Moonlight caused his own silhouette to merge with the tree’s shadows, deepening the darkness beneath Kalen’s kneeling form.

“May the Lord of Shadows bless us. May the journey to the capital be without wind or waves.”

“May His Veil shroud us, unseen and unharmed.”

Kalen prayed devoutly. His ears were filled with the rustling of leaves, like some response from the night.

“Shadow is the cradle of all things, and night is the supreme barrier. He equally protects all misfortune and suffering… He will surely watch over my brother…”

…But where exactly was Hermit?

The night was as deep as water, and in the wind, there was still only the rustling sound, as well as the faint, threadlike chirping of insects.

In truth, he knew that none of this felt quite right.

Those discordant details were hidden beneath everyday life, like tiny wooden splinters stabbing into flesh.

From the current situation, V.O.R would send three letters to his prey, and only the final one was the farewell letter. In the letters, he, or she, would hide the seed of the Abnormal Fruit inside a “god name.”

When the envelope was opened, the name of the god would disappear. The entire process was instantaneous. The victim would be planted with the Abnormal Fruit by the third letter, forming their own Divine Realm.

The Fallen Child, the Perfected Creation, the Prisoner of Dreams… none were exceptions.

However, Hermit hadn’t received the first two letters.

At the scene where he received the farewell letter, Hermit had left behind a pool of blood that looked like he had struggled. Kalen hadn’t discovered anything abnormal nearby, let alone some Divine Realm.

In Kalen’s memory, Hermit hadn’t even been a genius.

Hermit was two years older than Kalen. Their parents had died early. For as long as Kalen could remember, he had always toddled unsteadily after Hermit, following his older brother to cut grass, herd sheep, and do odd jobs.

Whenever night fell, Hermit would carry sleepy Kalen home on his back, then cook him a bowl of hot goat milk porridge. Occasionally, there would even be minced meat in it… Kalen had always followed his only relative around, and he had never seen Hermit use magic or possess any unusual power.

However, unlike other children who yearned for magic, Hermit was unusually resistant to Magibase and never went to participate in the summoning ceremony at all.

Everyone said that even a weak Magibase was fine. Even if one could only use basic magic such as lighting fires or condensing water, their quality of life would be much better.

But Hermit still refused to attend the summoning ceremony. Not only did he refuse himself, he also didn’t allow Kalen to summon a Magibase, even though Kalen had been born with a miraculous talent that drew animals to him.

“This is the test given to you and me by the Lord of Shadows.”

Hermit explained mysteriously to Kalen, “You possessed an exceptional talent, Kalen. Once you grow up, the Lord of Shadows will grant us extraordinary power.”

“Before that, we cannot receive those powers of unknown origin.”

Kalen believed this implicitly.

Because Hermit knew many wondrous stories—stories that not even the priests in the city knew. The legends of gods that Hermit told him were far more vivid, far more fascinating… and far more terrifying than those dry scriptures.

Amid the glow of other people’s magic, the brothers huffed and puffed as they carried old wooden buckets to the creek in the woods for water. When heavy snow flew, Hermit stretched out his purple, frozen fingers and tremblingly used a fire striker and flint to start a fire.

And in the deepest part of the night, Hermit would lead him under the starry sky to pray, requesting protection from that god hidden in the shadows.

During those years, Kalen’s time flowed slower than a stream, and his life was clearer than its waters.

All of Hermit’s peculiarities were childhood truths Kalen took for granted. He had never questioned them and had only assumed the world should naturally be that way.

Yet, that wasn’t the reality.

Amidst the cool breeze the felt like a flowing stream, Kalen rubbed the bone rings on both his fingers.

As his investigation progressed, the fog before his eyes hadn’t dispersed. Instead, it had grown thicker. He didn’t understand his closest kin, who had hidden secrets from him, and he didn’t understand his abnormally behaving teammates either.

Regarding that face identical to Kendrick Karn’s, that “Salaar” had come up with many absurd excuses.

During the trip underground, Professor Gentry’s reaction had been obvious enough. No matter how slow Father Kalen was, he could tell that “Salaar,” or at least his physical body, was Kendrick Karns.

Myss was even lazier about hiding himself. Father Kalen had never seen such abnormal power before. The priest often had a subtle illusion that he was walking toward a bottomless abyss.

…However, none of that mattered.

All along this journey, he was still carrying out the will of the Lord of Shadows. He was bound to keep walking forward.

Even if he had to travel with demons, he would bring his kin back. Somewhere in the shadows, Hermit was surely waiting for him.

Father Kalen stood up and patted the bits of grass from the hem of his coat. Only then did he raise his head and look toward the vast river of stars.

In a daze, the priest suddenly remembered some distant night.

It had been the same early winter season, the same cold night by the edge of a forest… and the same sky full of stars.

Hermit poked at the little campfire with a branch, and the fragrance of roasted potatoes drifted into Kalen’s nose. Kalen didn’t want to look too greedy, so he raised his head and looked toward the brilliant starry sky.

“The stars are so beautiful,” Kalen praised.

“Many beautiful things are dangerous.” Hermit poked the potato with a sharpened branch. “Just glance at them casually. Don’t look too closely.”

“Why?”

Kalen asked in confusion. “Last time, I heard Jack say that someone in the city specially makes… makes some kind of lens, so you can see them more clearly.”

Hermit’s movement of turning the potato paused.

He raised his face. The campfire lit up his flaxen hair, exactly the same as Kalen’s, and his water-blue eyes. Hermit was strikingly handsome, but unfortunately, two ugly scars marred the perfection of his face.

“Kalen, listen to me. Remember this.”

Hermit spoke slowly, enunciating each word. “The most foolish and hopeless act in this world is ‘stargazing.’”

A sharp pain throbbed at Kalen’s temple, and a piercing ringing came to his ears.

His vision blurred and cleared by turns. In front of him, within the dark tree shadows, a deeper, darker outline appeared, exactly like the older brother in his memories.

Kalen opened his arms and staggered two steps forward, but that shadow disappeared again.

Wind rose in the night, and the flames that had been calm just now swayed wildly, scattering countless sparks.

…It had to be a lingering aftereffect from the trip underground, Kalen thought.

They would enter the capital during the day. Once he found the notes of the Order of Shadows, all abnormalities would surely be answered.

He walked toward his own flatbed cart.

When he passed by the cart of the other two “mysterious people,” Kalen couldn’t help taking a look.

He saw Myss lying in Salaar’s arms, his limbs wrapped around Salaar like an octopus, sleeping especially sweetly.

Salaar, meanwhile, had both arms tightly around Myss, unconsciously assuming a protective posture. At the slightest movement, Salaar could instantly shield Myss beneath him.

Their breathing intertwined, and their faces carried a wondrous serenity, as if the ones they embraced in their arms were an entire world.

Kalen’s gaze softened.

He lightened his steps and lay back down on the soft straw. A few more squirrels came over and squeezed beside him for warmth.

“Good night,” he said to them.

The squirrels still raised their fluffy tails, their eyes blinking.

……

Serpentia City was magnificent and imposing.

Even from far across the horizon, everyone could see the castle spires of Aufon’s capital. Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds and turned into sword-like beams, making one unable to help holding their breath.

“What a huge lump of city,” Myss remarked.

Salaar looked at the erect spires of castles, finding himself plagued by certain, rather inappropriate, associations. He decided to forget that description.

“It’s much more spectacular than it was in my time,” he murmured softly.

Back then, people wouldn’t build castles too high. Everyone preferred to expand downward. In Salaar’s memories of Aufon’s capital, only the royal palace castle looked halfway decent.

As it turned out, today’s Serpentia hadn’t only built many new castles, but also absurdly exaggerated city walls. When Salaar brought Myss into the city, they attracted countless curious gazes.

“I already said, I can help you change your eye color.”

Tass emerged from Myss’s pocket watch and vigilantly looked around, afraid that some colleague might shoot Salaar dead.

“But Myss doesn’t have an extra hair ribbon, so it wouldn’t match well.” Salaar said this lightly and pointed at the lapis-lazuli scarf tied to the ends of Myss’s hair.

“What, color coordination is more important than your life?”

Tass immediately revealed an indescribable expression.

His expression wavered between “how did humans evolve into this for reproduction?” and “you two are utterly enslaved by your own desires.”

Myss, meanwhile, glanced at his mortal enemy in amazement.

As expected of Saint Salaar. In order to one-up him, he didn’t even let this kind of detail slip past!

“…The Karns family isn’t some third-rate small fry. This kind of trick won’t delay them for too long,” Salaar added with an air of grave seriousness, noting the varied looks on his companions’ faces.

Seeing that the group had devolved into chaotic chatter, the priest hurriedly interjected. “How are we going to find Miss Magnolia?”

“We just need to send her a message,” Salaar said.

He took a bag of sand from his pocket. While Tass and Kalen were still stunned, Myss already knew what this kid planned to do. He had seen this particular brand of reckless absurdity—if not a thousand times, no fewer than eight hundred—back when they were sealed together.

For the first time in his life, Myss felt a little sympathetic toward that lady named Magny… Magno… or whatever her name was.

Salaar gave Myss a toothy smile and raised his hand high.

Whoosh!

Brilliant golden magic wrapped around the sand and stones, flying into the sky and exploding into incomparably huge text.

[Magnolia Karns, hurry to the city gate to pick me up. Your Dearest Cousin☆]

It was early morning, and the sun hadn’t fully risen. This line of glowing words was more glaring than dawn itself. If it merely glowed, that would have been one thing, but the text also shimmered with vivid, kaleidoscopic iridescence—a sight so garish it was painful to look directly at.

Even in the early morning, the streets were far from empty.

Seeing such a huge spectacle from the Karns family, nosy passersby rushed forward one after another to see who had done such a deed.

Tass and Father Kalen rapidly averted their gazes, one looking left and the other looking right.

Myss: “…”

Damn it. He knew it would be something like this! He knew it!

When Salaar had commanded armies inside the seal, he had often used such a trick!

At first, Salaar had only used vivid warning colors like “blood red.” The orders he conveyed had also been unusually brief, mostly prearranged symbols.

But after Salaar lost all his teammates, he began using this thing to draw pictures in the dark. That blinding rainbow effect was something this guy had researched later, and the memory of it was etched into Myss’s mind with agonizing clarity.

Heaven knew how speechless the Archdemon had been the first time he saw that pile of huge arrows flashing with rainbow light.

After discovering that all those arrows were pointing toward Salaar himself, Myss realized in shock that he could become even more speechless. Countless giant-colored arrows had floated up and down, while the black dot at the end hopped around happily. Myss didn’t want to witness such an absurd scene a second time.

If one was tormented by this guy, even the Chaos Archdemon would find it hard not to develop emotions. Let alone humans.

In less than five minutes, an enraged figure broke through the crowd and rushed in front of the group.

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The author has something to say:

Myss: This is the biggest “prankster” in the human world. Can you maintain eye contact with him for ten seconds?

Myss: Therefore, it is very reasonable that I developed emotions!

Myss: [fireworks] [fireworks] [fireworks] [chin-propping emoji] [fireworks] [fireworks] [fireworks]

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