The wound disappeared, but the pain didn’t dissipate immediately. The shock gradually faded, and the panic engraved in biological instinct surged, filling the muscles with stiffness and astringency. Oliver knew in his heart that after just paying a huge sum of money, this group of people—perhaps the “Gatekeepers” according to Micah—would only use him to make an example and wouldn’t kill him so easily.
But suffering without death was never a pleasant experience.
The cold and severe pain left by the steel needle were still throbbing in his internal organs. The continuous loss of strength made breathing a tiring task. Oliver took small breaths, inserted his fingertips wrapped in his armor into the soil under his feet, and successfully stood up after about five minutes.
He had to look for other opportunities. Oliver thought for a while and decisively excluded any negative thoughts. At the moment, he could only rely on himself to find a way out and couldn’t let himself be eroded by loss and frustration. After all, the chance of escape was already slim. He needed to adjust.
It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand Micah’s thoughts. Oliver raised his head with difficulty and looked ahead, but unfortunately, the team had already moved forward for a while, and he couldn’t find Micah’s figure.
He was a dangerous person with a “high price”. Let alone acquaintances, they weren’t even friends. He wasn’t qualified to ask another party to simply trust a stranger wholeheartedly. He just tried to embrace hope, not wanting to leave the desperate person in front of him because of this suspicion.
However, this time, fate was not on his side, and he undoubtedly failed. That was the risk he took. Oliver had long passed the age of idealism, so of course he understood this truth.
He understood it well, but…
Oliver tried to swallow his spit. His throat rolled with dry pain, mixed with sad emotions. He thought he could accept the result relatively calmly, but the pain still gripped his heart.
He leaned on the Rest in Peace and struggled to get up.
The team walked forward in silence, and there seemed to be two huge carriages at the end. Oliver didn’t smell the familiar smell of livestock in the air. Horses didn’t emit such a strange smell. From his angle, he couldn’t see what was pulling the carriages in front of him, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t a horse. The sealed carriage was surrounded by a magic array and only had a narrow door.
The prisoners were divided into two groups, honestly filling the doorway of the carriage. Although there was only one guard, everything was in order.
Oliver decided to regain his strength first. He staggered along with the group, trying to lift his feet that suddenly weighed more than a thousand pounds. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t adapt to this suddenly weak body. Oliver’s left foot softened, and he slammed into the person next to him, almost twisting his ankle.
“I’m very sorry,” he whispered, raising his eyes after a few seconds.
He bumped into a man who was about a head taller than him. He had short steel-gray hair standing upright, fierce eyebrows, and fine scars on his face. The man’s figure looked extremely strong, and the muscles on his arms were bulging as hard as iron. He didn’t carry any sharp weapons; just a metal shield that was abnormally large.
The man squinted his eyes and looked at Oliver for a moment without making a sound. When Oliver thought he was about to be beaten, he simply nodded, moved his gaze away from Oliver, and looked at the carriage in front of him again.
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief and continued to move his soft legs with difficulty.
When he and the burly man were placed in the same carriage, Oliver guessed the reason. The people in this carriage weren’t civilians. They had some combat power, and almost all the people who had just shown joy were here, while there were no traces of those who were thin and numb.
There were about a hundred people, most of whom stared at the people who came in with a subtle smile on their faces.
Oliver wanted to approach the carriage, but the burly man suddenly squeezed him directly into the corner of the carriage. The man unceremoniously blocked his sight and sat down in front of him, leaving only a little room for him to move.
The purpose of that person’s action was obvious. It was definitely intentional.
Oliver curled up his legs and frowned uncomfortably, but said nothing. He had no intention of causing disputes, since it was unnecessary at this time. Every ounce of strength was precious, and it would be wasted to put it towards quarrels.
As the last person entered the carriage, the door of the carriage was closed forcefully, and then there was a soft sound of chain friction outside. The air of the carriage suddenly became muggy, and after a few minutes, the floor under their seats began to bump slightly. No one said a word. There was only the heavy breathing of dangerous people in the air.
The burly man’s eyes closed slightly, as if he was resting, but Oliver felt there was always a line of sight that was eyeing him.
“You…” Oliver felt that this wasn’t a good sign. He retracted his legs inward and spoke softly.
Before he could spit out half a sentence, the man put his index fingers against his lips and made a cold “shh” gesture.
Oliver swallowed back what he was about to say and curled up cautiously. He didn’t know when this weird silence would end, so he closed his eyes and began to quietly test his new collar with his strength.
Two hours later, he finally knew the reason for the silence.
The carriage door opened again, and people were driven out. Oliver moved his sore lower limbs and looked around, but there was nothing in front of him except the sparse trees of a woodland. This seemed to be just an ordinary forest… except for the slender black poles that stood silently in the distance under ordinary clouds.
“I think you know what will happen.” the man with a white cloth wrapped around his face said, causing a stir among the crowd. “Congratulations. You’ve been given the opportunity to say goodbye to death.”
“Fight. I’ll watch. You must prove your worth, and it’s time to rely on your strength to win status and glory.” He dusted the dirt off his clothes, as if his eyes could see through the white cloth. “The time limit is three hours, starting now.”
“Just a reminder, do not cross the border. Don’t forget the things around your necks.”
The man shook the magic whip in his hand. After the crackling sound of the whip broke the air, a rushing white arc of light instantly ignited between the black poles. It enclosed the small woodland into an airtight cage.
No. He didn’t know what to expect. Oliver stayed in place in a daze. A number of hostile and murderous expressions had been cast. His body instinctively forced him to draw out his sword, and the collar on his neck also stopped the seemingly endless sucking of his power, allowing him to temporarily be liberated.
But he was still at a loss and couldn’t squeeze out the slightest hostility.
At this moment, one hand suddenly grabbed the back collar of his armor, and Oliver only felt the wind passing by his ears before he ended in a violent impact. He flew far, breaking countless trees before he landed in a bush.
The burly man followed. His steps were fast and steady, and his momentum was like a galloping chariot. A few hundred meters behind him, people had already begun to fight excitedly. The smell of blood spread in the air, stimulating everyone’s senses. Oliver subconsciously raised his sword and assumed a blocking posture.
“You weren’t hostile to that mole. You wanted to save him.” The man’s voice was affirmative. He reached out his hand and his face was tight. “Now you still don’t want to kill. Coincidentally, so do I. We can cooperate.”
Oliver glanced at the big rough hands, but did not immediately put down the sword, and instead cast back an inquiring look.
“I can see it.” The man’s voice was low and hoarse. “Randy.” He pointed to himself.
“You are…”
“An assassin,” Randy replied indifferently. Under the fine scars on his face, the corners of the man’s mouth drooped slightly. His lips were tightly compressed, making him always look like he was in a bad mood. “I will never mistake hostility and murderous intent.”
“…” The corner of Oliver’s mouth twitched while he decided to give himself a few more seconds to think.
“In addition, a simple question.” The man who claimed to be an assassin was silent for a moment. He put the giant shield on the ground at will, and the heavy shield instantly smashed into the soft soil. “What is your relationship with Godwin Lopez? A piece of advice. You’d better hide this face.” He raised his chin at the crowd fighting in the distance.
“Don’t let them notice. Otherwise, you’ll meet an ugly death.”
Willard territory.
The coordinates given by Virgil were extremely accurate. After taking a few steps, Nemo saw the symbolic sign of the Mercenary Guild. The task of finding Ulysses’ skull should still be there, and this idea inexplicably surfaced from his chaotic mind.
How wonderful and ironic, he thought, as he touched his head.
It was just at this moment that he had no interest in guilds and missions. Nemo glanced at the logo and began to look for the nearest transfer station. The transfer station would have a distinctive red spire, which wasn’t difficult to locate.
Not so long ago, almost all the members of Tumbleweed stepped into the branch. Ann said she was going to confirm the situation in Alban’s prison while also trying to get news from the Insular Court through her contacts. Adrian Cross said nothing and walked directly into the entrance of the branch. Jesse stuck to him like gum and followed him every step of the way.
Now, Nemo just wanted to spend more time alone. He was happy to stay outside and take care of the goat.
How long had it been since his companions had stepped into the building? An hour? Maybe two? Nemo clenched the leash of the fuller goat in his hand. The gray parrot was shivering on his shoulder as it tried to reduce its sense of presence.
Nemo couldn’t help turning his head to look at Bagelmaurus. At this moment, the gray parrot no longer had those gorgeous and dazzling decorations on its body. It shrank its head and avoided Nemo’s gaze.
This was probably the member of the whole team who was closest to him in essence. Nemo showed a wry smile. Bagelmaurus probably noticed something.
He stretched out his finger and gently poked the feathers on the parrot’s chest. The touch was warm, but the gray parrot shrank tighter.
Nemo softly sighed.
He was temporarily unable to face his companion bluntly. The guilt of concealing what he knew had snowballed, becoming larger and larger, and finally turning into a cold sense of guilt. Worry, confusion, and anxiety were mixed into a heavy pile, almost crushing him. Nemo wanted to confess, at least just once, to find an outlet for the emotion that was about to burst.
“Bagelmaurus,” he said in a low voice. He turned his gaze away and stared at the red spire of the transfer station.
“…I can return your powers to you.”
The gray parrot stopped trembling instantly. Its claws loosened as it slid down from Nemo’s shoulders and fell firmly onto the stone brick ground.
The first sound he heard was the sound of cloth and leather armor rubbing against the ground, mixed with the muffled sound of metal objects. Oliver didn’t risk opening his eyes to confirm as he could hear noises all around him. The puppets dragged the fainted prisoner, like ants dragging a dead insect corpse, but it was mixed with a strange sound that came from all directions, as if following some grand momentum and astounding laws.
He had never heard such a sound before.
Then there was the smell. He could smell fresh blood, sour sweat, and excrement. Someone must have been incontinent and soiled himself. These unpleasant smells were mixed with a strange fishy smell that was similar to overcooked dried kelp; salty and humid.
Oliver opened his eyes with only a tiny slit, and he saw a large area of blue appear in his narrow field of vision.
It was the sea.
He had never seen the sea before, so he could only guess that this was it. There was no strong salty smell like this from the lakes. They were most likely on a certain coastline or an island. Considering the function and security of this place, Oliver thought it was the latter.
This wasn’t a good time to run away.
He had just seen Micah being dragged away. If their destination was the same, then they would be sent to a place called the Withered Castle. He didn’t hear any sound of towing in front of him, and the current mode of transportation didn’t seem to be a ship.
The sound of metal impact and dragging stopped. After the sound of a heavy object landing, only the footsteps of the puppets could be heard.
This was probably a teleportation array.
Oliver tried his best to suppress his heart that was beating like a drum. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Unless one was particularly assured of the teleportation entrance, few people would fixate a large teleportation array indoors. They were usually built in a separate building dedicated to it alone, or simply built on an open-air platform.
After the teleportation was over and before being transported, that was his chance, unless he was really unlucky and the destination was another island. Oliver prayed silently in his heart, tried to save every ounce of energy, and obediently let the puppet throw him onto the stone platform.
The light of the teleportation array lit up and pierced through the gap in his eyelids. The unique bumps of the teleportation array wrapped around him, then the dampness and fishy smell in the air instantly faded and the smell of vegetation became more pronounced.
Oliver knew he was right.
The next second, he hit the ground firmly. A biting cold diffused from the collar and penetrated his skin, deep into his bones. Oliver woke up in an instant. He wasn’t the only one. There were other prisoners around him who were struggling to get up, while the rest were still collapsed on the ground, letting out painful groans.
Olive staggered to his feet. The cold immediately turned into pain again, but it wasn’t severe this time. It was just enough for him to handle. It didn’t make him lose his mind from the pain, and it wouldn’t make him lose his concentration. The pain was sharp and fine, like a toothache that could spread throughout the entire body.
However, he ignored this. Adrian Cross had specifically trained him in pain tolerance. If it was just this level of pain, Oliver was confident it could be ignored. He raised his head slightly and looked around.
He saw that what surrounded him were high, white walls, and above his head was a rough sky divided by the wall. They seemed to be in a white pipe, and the soil not far away was moist and fresh. There were vague rustles that came from outside the wall. Ahead was only a single exit that was embedded into the white wall, like a stain.
Oliver stared at the exit and pursed his chapped lips. He carefully separated a little spider silk-like thread to test the sensitivity of the collar. There was a short time difference in its feedback on magic. This meant that if he held back his power and then applied a burst of it with full strength, it should be enough to explode the collar. He should be able to destroy it in time without losing his ability to move.
However, there were also disadvantages. This trick could only be used once. He was originally a high-priced item. Once his escape failed, his opponents would become much more vigilant. It would be harder for him to escape again, but right now he had no choice.
In this way, the moment he reached the exit, he would be able to escape.
Oliver cheered himself up blankly, feeling a bit relieved. Only then did his spirit have the opportunity to deal with the noise from the outside world.
Micah also woke up. Perhaps because the accident came too suddenly, unlike most other prisoners who were numb, he was still crying as tears and snot covered his fat mole-like face. He howled hoarsely and unpleasantly and would intermittently sob from time to time.
“It hurts!” he screamed in pain, pulling the metal tightly to the skin with his thick fingers. “Fuck, it hurts!”
However, in addition to him, dozens among these two hundred or so people were in extremely high spirits. To them, it seemed like they were hit by a greasy and thick pie that fell out of the sky. They even ignored the pain in their collars and their faces were full of joy.
Such a weird situation. Oliver frowned. Where’s the Withered Castle?
He almost spoke aloud, as if Nemo would be next to him and answer immediately. It was a pity that this warm illusion lasted only less than half a second. Oliver returned to reality again with a wry smile on his face. He had started to miss the feeling of Nemo by his side.
At the same time, Micah’s wailing became increasingly louder. “It was just a bottle of perfume. A bottle of perfume! Less than twenty gold coins—”
“Shut the fuck up!” The joy on the face of the man closest to him collapsed. He raised his foot and kicked Micah’s head mercilessly, kicking the short Mr. Mole to the ground and causing him to roll a few times.
Micah stopped howling instantly. The skin on one side of his head swelled visibly to the naked eye and his mouth was bloodied. He collapsed on the ground, touched his wound in disbelief, and saw that his fingers were covered with warm blood. He then put his fingers under his nose and sniffed hard in disbelief.
“Unnecessary conflict,” the man with his face wrapped in white cloth said in a cold tone. He shook a wooden handle in his hand, and a whip made of white light suddenly appeared on it. However, he didn’t take a single step. He didn’t seem to plan to do anything practical to stop the brutality. “Listen, don’t resist, don’t make trouble, don’t run away. Please supervise each other. The punishment of others will be turned into a reward for you.” He paused for a moment. “It’s my responsibility to remove inferior products from the good. Those who insist on disobeying orders… Please use your worst imagination.”
“Come with me now,” he said. “Line up by yourself.”
Micah stopped speaking immediately and shrank back, tightly covering the wound on the side of his head, not even daring to breathe. Oliver moved silently, swearing that he could hear Mr. Mole’s teeth chattering.
“Don’t panic,” he said in a very low voice.
Micah looked at him in horror and moved back. “Three hundred thousand,” he sighed in an angry voice as his tone trembled.
“And I still owe you a gold coin.” Oliver pretended to line up and moved slowly at the end of the line. He stretched out his hand to pull Micah up from the ground and stuffed the gold coin into the palm of his hand.
Micah clenched the gold coin tightly, showing a smile on his face that was uglier than his crying. “It’s useless.” He almost couldn’t hold back his tears as he held the gold coin tightly. “It’s useless.”
“Where’s the Withered Castle?” The team began to move forward. Oliver tried not to move his lips as much as possible as he forced his words out from between his teeth.
“I don’t know what will happen to you, but people like me… I can’t go to the battlefield. There’s only a dead end ahead.” Micah stuffed the gold coin into his pocket, then scratched his neck in despair, causing traces of bleeding. “We’ll become mice for the Gatekeepers… Oh god… It’s not fair. It’s not fair! Look, it was just a bottle of perfume…”
He stared at Oliver in despair as his figure was completely pale and drenched.
“I’m going to die,” Micah murmured, continuing to scratch the skin on his neck. “I’m going to die. Why?”
Oliver suddenly felt that his despair was a bit familiar. Those dim eyes were exactly the same as those of Nadine’s father back then. They were still some distance away from the exit. Oliver breathed tremblingly and made up his mind.
“Stay with me.” He pressed his voice even lower, so low that even he couldn’t hear himself clearly. “I’ll take you out.”
“You don’t understand at all. You can’t get rid of this thing—”
“With a powerful enough impact, I’m 90% sure,” Oliver muttered. “Don’t worry.”
“You’re crazy.” Micah shook his head uncontrollably. His fingers were full of his own blood. He finally scratched his neck to the point where blood had accumulated along the metal collar, dripping down to the side. “You’re crazy… You’ll be killed if you fail.”
“You stated that there is only a dead end ahead.”
“No, you don’t understand…” Micah moved his lips. His small eyes sank and were bloodshot. After a few seconds, he seemed to want to say something but swallowed it back. “Oh, okay… Okay. Let’s go together. Thank you. Thank you—”
Oliver nodded. “I’ll cough once as a signal in a bit. You need to pay attention.”
Mr. Mole showed a stiff smile. He turned his head and continued to scratch the wound on his neck with his fingers.
As he was waiting for the trial, Micah stood in front of him as the team slowly moved towards the only door. Oliver adjusted his breathing, tightened every muscle, and got ready. The moment he stepped out the door, the sun became particularly dazzling.
Now.
When his strength reached its peak, it was almost explosive. Olive coughed and held his breath.
But Micah didn’t tighten his limbs. He just collapsed his shoulders and slowly raised his head.
“My Lord!” he screamed at the man holding the whip a dozen steps away, pointing his finger at Oliver behind him. “This man intends to escape. He’s accumulating strength!”
Oliver stared at the person in front of him in disbelief, and then he realized he had no time for anger. After a second of shock, he decided to implement his original plan alone, but the distraction at that moment caused a leakage of power, and the delay of a single second made him miss the best time. The enemy’s attack came faster than he thought.
Several long steel needles erupted through the ground and easily pierced the Knight of Silence’s armor like a specimen. Blood dripped down from the steel needle in an instant, and almost into a line. There was a tear-like pain, and Oliver could feel blood rushing up from his throat and flowing down his cheeks.
His injuries weren’t as serious as they seem. Oliver judged with difficulty based on the amount of bleeding and pain. As if he was self-conscious, the steel needle roughly avoided important organs but nailed him firmly in place, creating an extremely terrifying visual effect.
“Good job.” The man with a white cloth on his face approached. He pulled out his left hand from his pocket, and a snake-like creature climbed onto his left arm.
It twisted its body, approached dangerously along the steel needle, and finally wrapped around Oliver’s neck. Oliver’s breathing hitched, and he tightened his muscles, trying to stop the blood flow. After the weird thing was wrapped around the collar, it made a crisp “click” like two metal parts that fit together.
The man gestured casually with his fingers, and the steel needle was instantly drawn away. Blood surged frantically along the black armor, and the man just glanced at it and threw a magic array on Oliver, moving so fast that he could hardly see clearly. Oliver knew that it would make all his wounds disappear within a second.
It was just that it wasn’t only his wound that disappeared, but also his only chance to escape.
There was no longer a feedback delay in the collar that the strange creature was wrapped around. It was a lot heavier. To Oliver’s surprise, it didn’t create new pain but continued to absorb his strength. Oliver’s legs went soft, and he half kneeled on the ground. Now he had to do his best to stand and breathe.
“No matter how many injuries you suffer, I can heal you.” The Gatekeeper member holding the whip said softly. It was undoubtedly a threat. “So you have the opportunity to experience all kinds of deadly torture. Don’t have any extra thoughts.”
Oliver turned his gaze to Micah.
The mole-like man looked as if he wanted to run away. He turned his gaze to the Gatekeeper. The latter tapped lightly on his fleshly neck, causing the metal collar to fall off and shrink into a thin card shape again.
“Return to the group,” the Gatekeeper said indifferently. “You can stay comfortably for a while.”
Micah knelt on the ground, panting like a person who had almost drowned. He shivered for a while, and finally moved his gaze in Oliver’s direction.
“I… I know. I’ve seen many things,” the mole-like man said stumblingly. “You must have had ulterior motives and were trying to use me as a diversion… You’re not sincere. I won’t fall for it!”
“You must be trying to use me,” he repeated stubbornly. “I’m not wrong.”
Oliver took a step back. His soles almost stuck to the filth on the ground.
He had dealt with many real businessmen, and the tone of this eccentric visitor meant he wasn’t interested in any discussion. This wasn’t a transaction based on a request, but more like an order or an explanation of the existing result. Oliver couldn’t see the expression behind the white cloth, but his intuition was screaming desperately for vigilance. He subconsciously held his breath like a beast, staring at the figure in the shadow.
“I’m afraid that won’t do, my lord,” another voice answered him. A thin old man slowly paced over and entered Oliver’s field of vision. His back was severely rickety and his ribs were unnaturally convex forward making him look like a living skeleton. “There’s still some value. Alban would be happy to execute a Knight of Silence in public.”
He rolled his eyes and glanced in Oliver’s direction, and stuffy laughter came out of his chest. “Young and handsome, very attractive.”
The man with the white cloth wrapped around his face didn’t say a word. He silently turned his face in the direction of the old man.
“Just kidding.” The old man continued to smile strangely. “I don’t think Alban will have trouble with you—ah, of course, of course.” He turned his head sideways, and Oliver saw the appearance of the other half of the old man’s face. The dry, wrinkled flesh was embedded with rough crystals, and the intertwined crystal columns seemed to be some kind of parasitic creature rooted in the skull. One of the crystals was flashing, but Oliver didn’t hear any sound coming from it.
“Originally, this kid… Well, he could sell for 400,000.” The old man turned his face again, rubbing his hands like a fly. “What Alban means—you see, you did contribute; 350,000 gold coins.”
The strange man still didn’t say a word.
“300,000. It can’t go any lower.” The old man was silent for a moment while his tone hardened a bit. “Alban’s side has been in a lot of chaos recently. They would be very happy to kill this kid and appease the people. There’s nothing more inspiring than fighting the Abyss.”
‘Three hundred thousand,’ Oliver thought stiffly. He and Nemo had been wandering around for so long with a reward of three hundred thousand gold coins. Not to mention the physical value of three hundred thousand gold coins, even the number on their team account had never been so big. He was in a daze for a moment. He glanced at the gap in the armor at his wrist and made sure that there was no flowing gold inside.
But this number sounded familiar. He seemed to have heard it once somewhere.
Forget it.
Is a Knight of Silence so valuable? Oliver recalled the capture process and didn’t think it was much harder than catching a wild pheasant. However, now wasn’t the time for wishful thinking. He bit his lower lip hard and focused his attention back. He didn’t even dare breathe loudly for fear of missing any details.
This time the strange man nodded.
“Then follow the process…”
“I said, I want him now,” the man said in a hoarse voice, turning around and walking towards the exit, as if he didn’t intend to leave any more bargaining opportunities for the other party. “Take care of it. We will take him away with today’s goods later.”
The half of the old man’s face facing Oliver was distorted, but he didn’t make any protest.
Things were very clear now. At least he could explain the mess before. Oliver remained in his cage obediently, as quiet as a real Knight of Silence, as if he didn’t understand the conversation between the two.
He was targeted. He was targeted before he came here. Looking at the other party’s eager attitude, he noticed that he shouldn’t have much time. After all, if they wanted to convict him, they could pin the destruction of Vincent Town on him, but they spent a lot of money for him. This shouldn’t be for profit, at least not for a direct benefit.
The group of people who were eyeing him obviously had some kind of cooperative relationship with this place. From his observations, this place seemed to be able to communicate with the armies of multiple countries. It wasn’t small in scale. It should be an institution similar to some kind of joint judicial court. That strange man also didn’t seem so polite just now…
Was he from the Mooney Sect? Oliver racked his brain frantically. No, no. The Mooney Sect clearly knew he wasn’t a true Knight of Silence. According to the judge, they also didn’t contact them after he was captured. The people who were anxious to convict him didn’t seem interested in his crimes. It also seemed farfetched that they bought him for religious purposes.
Rather than being uninterested, they even tend to hide the fact that “he wasn’t a Knight of Silence” from the people here.
Things may be worse than he thought. Oliver couldn’t figure out what else could make people conspire against him. He had ruled out all the possible reasons. There was only one answer left…
His powers.
It should be a third party he didn’t know. Oliver rubbed the hilt of his sword and confirmed his guess. While he was thinking, the old man directed two women to walk into his cell.
Rather, they were “things” that looked like a woman.
Oliver looked at the two women who were covered with a large piece of white cloth over their heads vigilantly. He could see convex and uneven lines underneath, but he didn’t approach them, nor did he touch the hilt of his sword. He didn’t plan to take these two people hostage; he thought in a place like this, they wouldn’t be stupid enough to give him such an opportunity.
It turned out his guess was correct.
They approached him softly. Suddenly, the white cloth was torn apart and was followed by the crisp impact of metal. Two terrifying-looking metal puppets were revealed behind the white cloth. One of them tightly bound him from behind, while the other drew spells with its twitching metal ribs, like insect feet. The array wrapped him like rain silk, covering every seam of his armor.
When the spell entangled the Rest in Peace, Oliver’s heart almost jumped out of his throat. Fortunately, there wasn’t an alarm sound, and the puppets didn’t respond.
“There’s no potential threat.” Ten minutes later, they finally reacted and reported stiffly.
“Lock the collar.” The old man nodded, and the grinning face disappeared without a trace. “Also, untie the shackles of sound.”
The puppet’s sharp fingers rubbed the skin of Oliver’s neck and tinkled with the metal collar. As if a cold blade had rubbed his skin, he instantly got goosebumps.
His throat loosened a bit, but Oliver didn’t make a sound.
His plan hadn’t changed. Struggling now was a stupid idea that would only attract the guards of this place. It was better to show weakness first and let his opponent relax their guard. The moment they took him out would be a great opportunity for him to escape.
A scream that made his hair stand upside down suddenly broke out from outside his cage. Within a few seconds, a puppet dragged a fat figure past his cell. Micah was spread out in a pile, like a sack of bulging acorns, and dragged away unconsciously. Oliver took a deep breath and tried to squeeze the forces inside him to prevent anything from leaking out.
The puppet pressed its fingers against his collar, and the next moment, a piercing pain went straight to his brain. It came very quickly and without warning, as if a spoon of hot molten iron had been poured directly into his head.
Oliver gritted his teeth. He was sure he had tasted his own blood in his mouth. The accumulated strength allowed him to hold on to a trace of sobriety, but the lingering pain didn’t disappear. Oliver threw himself to the ground without hesitation, closed his eyes, and tried his best to control the rhythm of his breathing.
One of the puppets walked around him a few times. The metal feet stepped on the thick filth, making a disgusting croak. Oliver had the illusion that it seemed to be stepping on his internal organs that were twisted with tension at this very moment. He didn’t know how long it took, but the puppet stood still for a moment, and finally grabbed Oliver’s armor and dragged him out “unconscious”.
‘Success or failure depends on here,’ Oliver thought to himself as he spread out his limbs and gathered his last bit of strength.
The edge of Roscoe’s forest.
“We first teleport to Kenyatta on the border, and then from Kenyatta to Noer. Finally, we’ll walk from Noer to Roadside Town.” Ann pointed at the map with her fingertips. “The identities of Nemo and Cross are too sensitive. The old school of the Laddism Church is popular in Alban. They will be torn apart if we go through the normal routes,” as she said it, she glanced up at Nemo. “…Let me make an analogy in terms of attitude.”
Nemo put his hair together hastily, still looking listless. Colestoro was wandering around him suspiciously, while Nemo ignored the other party. The gray parrot tentatively wanted to fly over and perch on his shoulder, but after Nemo glanced up at it, it made an emergency brake halfway and flew back to Jesse Dylan’s shoulder.
“I still have a remaining coordinate address here,” Virgil said, peeking at Colestoro, who was circling Nemo, with the corner of his eye. “You can reach the nearest Mercenary Guild branch through there, then you can easily find a transit station to Garland from there… I won’t go with you.”
“Thanks.” Ann unceremoniously accepted the piece of parchment with a homemade teleportation array painted on it. “Remember to sign our contract, boss.”
The vitality in her voice recovered, but the atmosphere was like a pool of stagnant water. The team faintly exuded a sense of rupture, which couldn’t be covered up by any positive attitude.
They were probably the only Black Chapter team as unlucky as them—they had just gotten their name and their leader was lost on their first mission.
The female warrior sighed in a low voice. She opened the palm of her other hand to reveal the blackened surveillance bugs. She lowered her head and looked at the disgusting bugs, which pressed against her heart like boulders.
What if she found them earlier?
She blamed herself and was so absorbed that she didn’t notice the sudden stop of Colestoro’s circling movements. The white demon came up to her and grabbed one mercilessly, then smoothly stuffed it into his mouth.
Ann, “……”
Virgil looked away silently.
“The Gatekeepers’ stuff,” the demon said softly, swallowing the bug down his throat. His tone was unusually cold and angry. “It smells like them.”
Nemo appeared in front of him the next second and directly grabbed the demon’s wrist. “Who?”
“The Gatekeepers.” Colestoro frowned at his hand.
“Sorry.” Nemo let go of the hand holding Colestoro’s wrist. Thanks to the collection of books in the Abyssal Church, he did know a little bit about the Gatekeepers. Even if the Gatekeepers watched the battle between Aurorae and the Abyssal Church, why would they be interested in Oliver?
“They are still there.” Colestoro’s smile looked distorted and unhappy, and a bloodthirsty light flashed in his eyes for a moment. “If you want to kill them and rescue your companion, I can help—”
“I… Let’s investigate first.” Nemo tried to squeeze out a smile. His voice was slightly dry. “And you need to rest.”
Colestoro blinked, and the unhappiness on his face quickly turned into pity. Virgil sighed slightly, signed his name on the mission parchment in silence, and the contract disappeared in the fire. “Calm down, Colesi.”
“The teleportation array is drawn.” It was Adrian who spoke.
This time everyone moved very quickly, but their mood was a bit different from before. Compared with the current state of mind, the anxiety and worry at the beginning were simply not worth mentioning. This time, Nemo was the first to step into the teleportation array, and his figure disappeared instantly.
“Don’t worry about us.” The words he left were short and solemn. “I hope you don’t have to be separated anymore.”
Ann sighed and led the goat in, followed by Jesse Dylan…
“I should have stayed with you… I don’t know how to express my gratitude,” Virgil let out a soft sigh and said to Adrian Cross, who was the last to enter. “Now I won’t delay your time. If Mr. Ramon needs our help, anything—just post the task directly in the guild, and I will respond as soon as possible.”
He smiled at him and bowed deeply. The huge bony hands behind him drooped slightly at his movements. “In addition, this is a personal thank you… Thank you for your ‘tolerance’.”
Adrian was silent for a moment, his complicated eyes sweeping across the bony hands. He nodded, and finally stepped into the array.
“Duri,” Colestoro stared at the destroyed teleportation array. “Are they okay? That Light smells a bit wrong—he didn’t even ask me about the ‘Gatekeepers’.”
“If you mean in terms of strength, I don’t think you need to worry.” Virgil looked at his hands. “As for intelligence…”
“I can smell them; we can find them—”
“…Mr. Light said you need to rest first.”
Colestoro’s expression became serious as Virgil stared at him in silence.
“What is ‘rest’?” After thinking for a long time, Colestoro asked calmly. This word had always been far away from him.
“I have been to many places, including the glaciers at the end of the world. We can help them in other ways—a softer way.” Virgil took a long breath and stretched out a trembling hand to the other party. “I plan to investigate the recent situation of the Gatekeepers. Would you like to go with me?”
“……Okay.”
The author has something to say:
Oliver’s worth instantly increased two hundred times! ……However, he still hasn’t even seen three thousand gold coins.
Trust me, they will have money in the end…
Kinky Thoughts:
I’m so happy for Virgil and Colestoro. They deserve to be with each other!!!
Colestoro firmly believed that he was about to die.
It seemed that the pain that would last until eternity suddenly stopped, followed by an unreal calm and nothingness. The molten iron surging in his soul turned into cotton wool, and the toxins that corroded his body turned into a warm wind. At that moment, his body seemed to no longer exist. This was probably the moment of death. He thought in a daze that his long nightmare had finally come to an end.
Colestoro waited quietly, but then he heard voices—vague human voices, low insect sounds, and the rustle of leaves rubbing against each other. The air was filled with the familiar smell of vegetation. He wrinkled his nose and opened his eyes with difficulty.
Virgil was lowering his head and staring intently at him.
Colestoro was silent for a few seconds. He raised his hand, slapped the opponent’s head mercilessly a few times, and directly tilted Virgil’s head to the side. The touch was real, and he was extremely surprised by this fact—Colestoro waited in horror for a moment, but the severe pain didn’t return.
He opened his mouth, and his vocal cords, which had not been used for a long time, were as stiff as dry cowhide.
“Duri.” Colestoro was still in a period of confusion. He tried hard to express his shock in one word.
“…You’re getting fat.” He used the second short sentence to give a dry greeting.
Virgil smiled a little reluctantly. He didn’t say a word and continued to look at the demon who was still trying to turn his head and look around. The festering pain that had been in the bottom of the exorcist’s heart was suddenly torn open, and the deeply embedded fangs were torn off, bringing out the pus, blood, and carrion that had accumulated for many years. Fresh blood rushed out with the outbreak of pain, and he knew that after the pain, the wound would eventually scab and heal completely.
Virgil stretched out his hands and hugged the demon tightly, burying his head in his shoulders and neck with tears constantly falling down his cheeks. The latter frowned and struggled. “It’s too wet.” The demon tried to clear his throat and protested in a low voice.
“Sorry,” Virgil muttered. “I can’t control it for the time being.”
“What’s the matter?” Colestoro’s eyes swept past the Tumbleweed members standing not far away, and finally stayed in the direction of the Church of Silence. The spire of the church had long since disappeared, and only the blackened tops of dead trees were left under the sky. He frowned. There was a little more urgency in his tone.
“Your… Uh, demon warlock entrusted us.” The rest of the group weren’t in high spirits, with the exception of Jesse Dylan, who spoke leisurely. “In any case, you’re now free.”
Colestoro stood up in disbelief, almost unsteadily. He took a few weak steps and closed his eyes, as if perceiving something. Those lavender eyes were full of ecstasy when they opened. His gaze turned to Jesse again. There was a bit more curiosity and vigilance in the ecstasy.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Jesse spread out his hands and nodded in Nemo’s direction. “I didn’t do it.”
Only then did Colestoro notice Nemo in the shadow of a tree. The wretched black-haired young man’s aura was very weak, close to nothing. He couldn’t even tell whether the other party was a real creature or an illusion.
“Thank you.” Colestoro couldn’t figure out the other party’s strength, so he could only thank him politely first.
But the other party didn’t respond to him. The black-haired young man leaned against the trunk of the tree, holding the staff tightly in his arms, staring at a non-existent point in the air. Obviously, he was in a daze.
Nemo was indeed in a daze. Everything in front of him seemed to be separated by a thick film of water. The sounds and colors of the outside world couldn’t really reach his spirit. They barely entered his mind, and then there was only a vague and ambiguous mass left. After making a plan, Nemo began to calm down…
Compared to stabilizing his emotions, his state at this moment was closer to sorting out his thoughts.
The skull fragment in the Church of Silence, just like the one in the Church of Repentance, contained part of Ulysses’ memories. In the battle just now, Nemo didn’t dare explore those vague memories, and now he finally had a relatively stable environment that allowed him to roughly disseminate and peep into them. It could briefly divert his attention from the fact that “Oliver’s fate was uncertain”, allowing him to regain the strength to breathe steadily.
However, all it brought was pain.
Nemo’s feet were cold. Even though they were scattered fragments, they were heavy enough for him now.
[My name is Flint Lopez, and I sincerely look forward to seeing you again.]
Nemo untied the gold pendant that had been hanging on his chest and held it in the palm of his hand. It was soaked in his body temperature, with a soft and reassuring warmth. He opened it, and the portrait of the young girl inside was exposed to the sun again. Her smile was full of sunshine, and at this moment, it seemed that the smile was inexplicably familiar.
This woman had never been his blood relative, and this pendant wasn’t proof that he was born as a human. On the contrary, its meaning may be even colder—it most likely represented deception and exploitation.
This was a thank you gift from Flint Lopez. Considering the topic Mr. Lopez was chattering about—Nemo put his hand on the pendant, and the black shadow instantly wrapped around the metal. Within half a minute, they squirmed and retreated, revealing a pendant that looked almost brand new, as well as a vivid portrait.
The signature of the pendant after the gift had also been restored. The words “Your Flint” were clear and beautiful.
Yes, if he guessed correctly, this woman should be Oliver’s mysterious mother. If Oliver was here, if he discovered all this under other circumstances, he would share this information with him with pride and joy.
How he wished he was really just what Flint called a “kind-hearted wanderer”.
But Nemo now remembered very clearly that those fragments contained memories of Ulysses before his death. He remembered sending Oliver’s father back to the team and the fierce battle in the dark after that. He now recognized the people in those clips, and even talked about them familiarly—the heroes he once admired, their beautiful and brilliant lives.
[My lover and companion are still waiting for me—I am so happy, I’ll definitely survive!]
Flint Lopez once proudly mentioned this in front of him, but those companions would certainly leave him behind.
During the previous adventures of the Tin Soldier Mercenary Regiment, he occasionally thought about this slightly negative question. Those who were as gorgeous as sparks would have a heroic end. They stood before evil, protected innocent people behind their backs, and died tragically in a dignified manner.
However, this wasn’t the case.
The facts should be more cruel and simpler. Their deaths were no different from others. Nemo still remembers the temperature of the blood when it sprayed on him, and the touch of his claws when they passed through their bodies. To make matters worse, the screams of the survivors who had lost their friends were also audible; so audible that they appeared to be etched into his brain.
They were killed by him, and at that time he didn’t have any emotions close to sadness. They shouted, fell down exhausted, and finally fell silent. Like a candle extinguished in a torrential rain.
Nemo also remembered the final blow Flint Lopez gave him. The mask of the head of the Tin Soldier Mercenary Regiment fell off in the fierce battle, and the brilliance of a magic array illuminated his young face.
The ensuing blade cut his neck was extremely cold, and death came with unprecedented pain, but “Ulysses” still didn’t harbor anger or sadness at that time, and instead was terribly calm.
There was indeed a plan. Nemo held the pendant in the palm of his hand. He didn’t believe that Flint Lopez would be stupid enough to be separated from the team, nor did he believe that he would simply send his opponent back to his team “out of kindness.” He personally told Mr. Lopez how to get the skull out…
At that moment, he successfully stood on the surface.
Nemo hugged his arms. The summer sun was extremely warm, but he had never been so cold. The sun had no weight, but at this moment he was almost completely crushed by it.
Suddenly, someone came over and stopped in front of him to cover the oblique warm light. Nemo raised his head slightly and saw the unique black of the Laddism uniform.
Adrian Cross was standing in front of him.
Of course, he thought numbly. This time he didn’t know how many flaws had been exposed. Virgil must have explained to them the identity of Colestoro, or even earlier, Dylan wouldn’t necessarily hide the secret about the Church of Silence. His “power” was no longer a hazy and ambiguous unknown, but a clear object of comparison…
He was stronger than Aurorae.
With his recent performance, the former Knight of Judgement commander had definitely noticed something odd. But not now. Nemo didn’t directly look into Adrian’s eyes. Please, not now.
“Those sacrifices are fine if it makes you feel better,” Adrian Cross said, his voice as low and calm as ever. “Dylan and I have sent them to a safe place.”
Nemo raised his head in surprise.
“I will discuss with Ms. Savage and try to find someone to keep an eye on the prisons in Alban to see if Mr. Ramon is among the recently transferred prisoners.” Adrian’s tone was a bit blunt. “You don’t need to do this alone.”
He nodded at him and walked away without asking any questions.
“Smart approach. Very smart.” After Adrian returned to his original position, Jesse whistled in a low voice. “I thought you were going to have a small interrogation. You see, Light is in a chaotic state right now. He might not be able to withstand your inquiry.”
“He’s in pain and he still hasn’t done anything out of line. Now that I know how powerful he is… It’s reasonable. I shouldn’t persecute him at this time.” Adrian shook his head. He stared at the flawless face of the blond young man. “I prefer to ask people with clear answers.”
Jesse was yawning and immediately closed his mouth when he heard the words. In an ambiguous tone, he replied, “Then how do you want to repay me?”
But Adrian didn’t respond, and instead turned the topic elsewhere. “…And compared to Mr. Light’s life, another thing is more worrying now.”
“What?”
“There was a burst of aura in the center of the battlefield just now… A bit familiar.” Adrian subconsciously stroked the suture of the fabric on his chest, which was originally the position of the holy emblem of the Laddism Church. “Even if the information is slightly insufficient, what I can detect, other Knights of Judgement must also be able to detect—regarding the immensity of Mr. Light’s power.”
“There will definitely be a reaction from the Laddism side.”
At the same time.
Oliver wasn’t too surprised at the moment of the conviction. It was better to say that if he really, inexplicably, became a knight to a king or archbishop on the surface, the horror of this incident would officially escalate. He didn’t plan to accept the accusation. Oliver racked his brains and couldn’t think of when he had an intersection with such a great figure.
This may be a trick from his opponent, he thought to himself as he tried to look calm. No matter what the so-called “Gatekeepers” wanted, his behavior would be revealed as malice. It seemed that the “Gatekeepers” wanted to convict him; the heavier the crime, the better.
However, he couldn’t imagine the purpose of the other party.
If this was related to Lopez’s bloodline, his dear cousin was doing well outside, and Oliver didn’t think Godwin Lopez would hype their relationship. If this was related to his power… He also didn’t think that being locked up in the depths of a prison would be of great use to the Gatekeepers.
“I don’t admit it,” Oliver’s tone was firm.
“We don’t need your confession.” The test inspector shrugged as he snapped back. “The evidence now is enough. It’s a pity. It seems that you’re really a dirty Knight of Silence. To be honest, you really almost tricked me… You do talk a lot.”
“It’s impossible for a Knight of Silence to pass this test.” Oliver made it clear. “You know, I have no malice.”
“There are many ways to hide your malice. Who knows if you have temporarily blocked part of your memory?” The nib of the quill pen quickly wiped the parchment as the test inspector muttered. “Well, Mr. Ramon, prepare to go back to your hometown in two days. For Alban, a felon like you is worthy of being locked up for ten and a half days before being slowly burned to death in the square.”
Oliver clenched his fists.
Don’t panic. He had to wait for them to let their guard down. He still had a chance. Oliver emphasized this to himself repeatedly. His only advantage was his awareness in his own strength, and he couldn’t expose this now.
The soldiers, who were tightly wrapped in iron armor, grasped Oliver’s arms from side to side, causing the chains to make a harsh rubbing sound. Oliver didn’t struggle. He was dragged all the way down the stairs and finally thrown into the unpleasant-smelling cell.
It was dark and humid, and there were no beds. The straw in the corner emitted a suffocating musty smell. The ground was covered with black sticky stains, and when he stepped on them, they made a sticky noise. It only added to the stench of rotten blood and excrement that was in the air. There was no smell of spoiled food scraps. Oliver sniffed. This wasn’t like the environment where prisoners were held for long. It should be a temporary place to hold death row prisoners. The prisoners waited desperately here before being transported back to their country for execution.
Oliver quickly looked at the surrounding environment, trying to find any omissions that could be exploited. It was a pity that the omission hadn’t been found yet, but he did reunite with an old acquaintance…
Micah was huddled in a small room not far away and was desperately banging his head against the wall. Oliver tried to greet him a few times, but before he could speak, the suffocating pain in his neck choked his throat first.
It seemed that he was temporarily unable to communicate with others. Oliver silently made note of this. He subconsciously put his hand on his waist. To his surprise, they didn’t take away his sword—although he couldn’t do anything with it now.
However, that gave him an inexplicable foreboding. All kinds of details revealed madness and abnormality.
It was like everyone knew what might happen, and he was alone in the dark. He didn’t like this feeling very much. He must escape as soon as possible. It was best to accumulate strength, lest he be unprepared when they transferred him…
However, Oliver didn’t expect the transfer to come so quickly, and it seemed that the destination waiting for him wasn’t Alban.
A visitor wrapped his face tightly with a wide white cloth that covered all his facial features. He stood indifferently in front of Oliver’s cell and pointed at Oliver casually.
“I want it,” the weird stranger said. His voice was hoarse and unpleasant. “I want it now. Let Alban make an offer.”
The author has something to say:
Oliver: ??? This time I feel as though I’m worth more than 1,500 gold coins.
Nemo: (Disk defragmentation, system overload warning)
Oliver sat on the cold slate. Impossible, he thought. He absolutely shot down every piece of metal without omission.
However, the scorched trees disappeared from his field of vision, and the smell of vegetation on the edge of the forest became the stale taste unique to a confined space. His sword was still in the scabbard, but his helmet was taken off when he arrived at his destination. He should still be at the campsite. Oliver touched his face subconsciously. He was still breathing, and his heart was beating fiercely.
This was a small room, and the surroundings of the room were densely painted with magic arrays. Oliver didn’t hesitate, and directly raised his hand to pound on the door.
Then the overwhelming sharp pain flooded him.
Before his power was successfully activated, his sword instantly fell to the ground. Oliver half knelt on the slate, gasping for air. If a person felt pain when they died, then this pain was roughly the same. It was like his flesh was being stuffed into a meat grinder and crushed or thrown into hot lead water. His brain boiled almost instantly, and if he did it again, he wasn’t sure if he could successfully stay awake.
His line of sight became blurred, and cold sweat dripped to the ground. He didn’t know how long it would take before the pain slowly dissipated. Oliver swallowed laboriously and carefully leaned his hand towards his neck.
A narrow and thin metal clung to the skin around his neck, as light as nothing, and the surface was uneven, like a weird decoration…
Or a collar.
Calm down. Oliver clenched the Rest in Peace and leaned his back into the corner. Calm down, Oliver Ramon. Previously, an unknown demon worshiper also experienced this. Except for Alban, the treatment of demon worshipers had always been more lenient. In other words, this wasn’t close to death row, but a place closer to a “detention place for suspicious people”.
He wasn’t even a demon worshiper, and the Black Chapter’s resume was verifiable, so there should be room for improvement.
Oliver wasn’t sure about the definition of “crime of not fighting”, but if his consideration wasn’t wrong, the knights only knew that Virgil was a demon warlock and didn’t confirm his identity. He was wearing a helmet when he was fighting, and he wasn’t teleported away in front of the knights.
The other party’s evidence was untenable.
There were countless religions on the surface, and the Mooney Sect was only second to the Laddism Church in scale. However, no matter which of the two, there was currently no power to directly execute people beyond the law. Even if the Bishop of the Abyss was apprehended, it stood to reason that they would be tried in their home country and dealt with in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.
He had an unfinished contract in hand. As long as he claimed he just happened to be disguised as a Knight of Silence to perform his task, it should make sense. After all, he didn’t actually create any chaos during this incident. The only thing to worry about was Alban’s strict laws on relationships with demons. He may suffer a little during the trial, and it may not be easy to solve that matter.
But in any case, sin did not end in death.
He must return as soon as possible to Nemo’s side. Oliver thought for a moment, retracted the sword into its scabbard, and shrank into the corner. He would try to cooperate and behave as harmlessly as possible. This should be beneficial.
He didn’t wait long. Less than half an hour later, a man as thin as a mummified corpse walked into the room. The man’s face looked as if he was dead, his voice was broken, and his tone was terrible. He looked at Oliver like he was a mouse with a skin disease.
“Come with me, boy.” He rolled his eyes impatiently.
After going out, Oliver discovered the source of that impatience. He wasn’t the only “sinner”. Thin metal collars gleamed on dozens of necks. Among the sinners were men, women, and children, all dressed differently. The only thing they had in common was their deteriorated spirits. Oliver stood there in the armor of a Knight of Silence, causing many people to straighten their necks in horror and retreat to the side.
The mummified body-like thin man clicked his tongue. He made a casual gesture, and the people who stood to the side stepped back suddenly and let out a bitter howl. They covered their necks and stood back in their original position.
“I am not a Knight of Silence,” Oliver hurriedly said, carefully breaking off the long thorns on the armor before standing in the line. “This is just a disguise for a mission…”
A numb tingling exploded in his neck, and Oliver gasped for air.
“It’s too early to defend yourself.” The thin man’s tone was still cold and impatient. “Be quiet.”
“How awesome, brother. Tsk, tsk. This outfit.” A small man standing in front of him turned his head around. His voice was extremely low, and his face was full of smirks. His hair was short and thinning, and his stature was small and fat. His small eyes were bright, and his entire body was like a mole with shiny fur. “Don’t worry about those bastards in charge. Their mouths always stink like dung pits. Is this your first time? Oh, I have a lot of experience in this place—”
Oliver sighed and caught the other’s stubby wrist that was touching the side pocket of his armor. “Sir, I don’t have anything valuable on me.”
Mr. Mole’s smiling face suddenly collapsed. He let out a cold snort and turned his head back.
‘Good,’ Oliver thought. Depending on this guy’s relaxed attitude, the situation should be similar to what he had guessed. He thought for a moment and patted Mr. Mole on the shoulder lightly.
“But I do still have a little money,” he said softly. Yes, he did still have it. This wasn’t his armor, and a true Knight of Silence wouldn’t have jingling coins in his pocket. Fortunately, he did have that gold coin that Mr. Virgil had just given him. “You said you’re experienced here?”
Hearing the word “money”, Mr. Mole’s ears twitched, and he finally turned his head again. “Mm-hmm.”
“If you can provide useful information, I can give you a certain reward.”
“How much?”
“If you can… I’ll pay you a gold coin after the trial.”
Mr. Mole swallowed the spit in his mouth. “Deal, what do you want to know?”
Since the other party didn’t raise any objections, it seemed that the trial wouldn’t take long, and the matter wasn’t too complicated. Oliver felt a little relieved.
“This is indeed my first time here.” In order to prove that he didn’t mean to be a white wolf with empty hands*, Oliver quietly pulled out the gold coin and shook it. Mr. Mole’s eyes instantly gleamed. “Where are we going? What process will follow next?”
*(空手套白狼) Derogatory term today referring to the deception used by liars who don’t make any investments and cheats other.
“Hey, it’s no big deal. You see this? They don’t dare treat felons like this. The people here are all guys who have been in touch with two or more demons. We’ll go to the Insular Court—what did you do?”
He had been involved with more than two. Oliver was speechless for a while. “Uh… The crime of not fighting?”
“Ow, ow. How terrible.” The short mole-like man clasped his cheeks and widened his mouth into an O. “I’ve been mixed up for so long, but I haven’t seen a demon warlock! You actually protected one? Which demon warlock? As far as I know, there are only a few famous ones now.”
“It’s not convenient to say,” Oliver replied vaguely. “His name is not known, and he shouldn’t have hurt anyone.” Aside from causing harm to others, other religions regarded Duran Virgil as a hero.
“Oh,” Mr. Mole suddenly sounded unenthusiastic. He scratched his thinning scalp. “Don’t worry. No one will die for the crime of not fighting—unless you help a lunatic commit a serious crime with conclusive evidence. If it’s just a little help that was justifiable, and the other party didn’t do much harm… At most, it’ll be a sentence of ten years.”
He couldn’t wait for more than ten years. Oliver rubbed his temples.
“I’m Albanian myself, a Black Chapter,” Oliver added some more information. “They shouldn’t have evidence that I helped him.”
“That’s hard to say! Do you have an ongoing task?” Mr. Mole deliberately lowered his tone. “It’s best to explain your circumstances.”
Oliver hesitated for a moment and nodded.
“I have seen a lot of this situation. You just have to put all the blame on the client. Even if the task isn’t recorded, as long as you say that it’s the client’s instructions and you had no clue about it, then everything will be fine!” The chunky man rubbed his hands. “There’s no evidence anyway. According to the rules, they have to arrest your client to confront him—believe me, things without evidence are very troublesome. Almost 80% of people are impossible to catch. At most, the wanted order will affect your client for a while, and after a few days, they will have to let you go.”
“No,” Oliver replied categorically. Mr. Virgil’s current situation was delicate. As a demon warlock with exhausted power with a superior demon, the last thing he needed was extra attention. “Is there no other way?”
“Then you can only insist that you ‘suddenly want to do good’ and know nothing about the object of your assistance.” Mr. Mole’s face twitched a few times. “I say, dear sir, why should you have to trouble yourself? Aren’t you a Black Chapter? Don’t be so hypocritical.”
Oliver said weakly, “No, thank you for your advice. I’ll insist that I don’t know.”
“Alright, but you have to think about it. This situation will be bad for you. If you’re a good boy, things are easier… A Black Chapter is not a likable identity.”
“In other words… There is no immediate way to get rid of the crime.”
“Unless you can guarantee to catch that demon warlock and make it worth their while.” Mr. Mole shrugged.
“Is there a difference in the handling of different crimes?” Oliver decided to find other ways to solve the problem, and he pointed to the metal collar around his neck. “We have to carry this thing all the time?”
“Of course not!” Mr. Mole muttered in a low voice. “What are you thinking? When your verdict is handed down, they will definitely take this thing back. This is something that death row inmates will keep… And it’s reserved for the kinds of death row inmates who are especially powerful. What? Do you think it’s very cheap and can be made everywhere?”
It seemed that the Mooney Sect had paid a lot of money this time. When the knights clean up the battlefield, they would probably have to pick up the pieces of metal he deflected one by one. He thought what a painstakingly tedious task that was.
That was fine. As long as he could take off this thing, he would have a means of escape. Oliver rubbed his chin. All he had to do was minimize his crime so that the impact of his escape wouldn’t be too bad. “Thank you, uh, you are…”
“Micah,” Mr. Mole—Micah said as he rubbed his nose. “And you?”
“Oliver Ramon.” Oliver stretched out a hand politely.
“Fuck, are you Ramon of the Black Chapter?” Micah widened his eyes and increased his voice subconsciously. A thin man glanced at him gloomily, which made him hurriedly shrink his neck and sharply drop his volume. “Are you the guy who rescued Adrian Cross?”
“…” It may be that Nemo gave him too much impact. Oliver had completely forgotten the influence of the former knight commander. “Yes.”
“You’re really courageous.” Micah rolled his small eyes and huffed. “Honestly, your trial is not looking so good. Didn’t that Cross hook up with a superior demon and betray his religion? This is a very typical pro-demon tendency… You have to pay the money early before they take you away.”
Oliver laughed dryly.
The line moved forward slowly, with no end in sight. Oliver clenched his fists as anxiety gnawed at his nerves. Hurry, he prayed quickly in his heart. Time had better pass faster. Nemo should have already dealt with the Church of Silence. He must be waiting for him, and they agreed to talk about it at the end of this matter.
He couldn’t leave him at a time like this.
Near the ruins of the Church of Silence.
Nemo’s fingernails were deeply embedded into his arm. The intense pain barely calmed him down. He pulled out his fingernails and stared at the bright red blood on them. At the same time, he could feel the holes left by his nails on the muscles of his upper arm squirming as they healed, and the pain he felt dissipated like an illusion.
He smiled weakly, grabbed the staff that rolled aside, and tried his best to lean on it. Nemo gathered all of his body’s aura and sealed them inside. If only looking at the strength of his momentum, he wasn’t even as good as an ordinary person in this moment. He was like an empty shell or a corpse. Several surveillance bugs finally dared to stagger closer, and the next second they were crucified in the air by abyssal magic.
This time, Nemo didn’t immediately create a rift.
Nemo recognized the holy emblem of the Laddism Church in the distance. The Knights of Judgement and the Knights of Silence were killing each other fiercely. After the fall of the church, the front lines of the Knights of Silence were shaken. They were retreating, and their movements became hesitant. The well-trained onslaught eventually turned into desperate madness. Aurorae was at the eye of the storm, slashing his big sword mercilessly, dyeing his armor red and with thick blood.
Roars were mixed with screams, sawing through the air and drilling into his ears.
Nemo could guess that Aurorae had no reason to leave. There was a lot of movement when Colestoro’s body returned to the Abyss. The superior demon killer was probably aware of what he had done and decided to determine the danger level of the culprit.
The whole world suddenly became distant. Nemo’s nose felt a little sour. He subconsciously touched the small bag around his waist, but it was empty. He froze for a while before he remembered that the sour sandpoint plums had sunk into the Abyss with the broken alter.
‘When he sees Oliver again, he should ask for another bag,’ he thought to himself.
Nemo clenched the staff, took a deep breath, and pressed the end of the staff against the black soil. The black rot was inhaled into the yellowish-white bone ball, turning it into a hollow pitch black. The surrounding land began to fade, revealing its original tan appearance. After the toxins were condensed, Nemo held the staff in both hands, trying to sense the life of every fighter on the battlefield. He could only sense the strength of the soldiers’ combat power. He couldn’t pinpoint the campsite, but it didn’t matter…
He carefully filtered out the magic through the transformed bone ball, allowing it to blend with the decay and withered qualities. He then locked all the people engaged in battle and let go of his momentum suddenly.
For an instant, the battlefield was silent.
It wasn’t out of self-righteous goodwill or blind shelter, but he had smelled enough blood for today. ‘If Oliver was here,’ Nemo thought… ‘If Oliver was here, he wouldn’t turn a blind eye to it. They always maintained an amazing tacit understanding of these “stupid” things.
He had no intention of intervening with the grievances of the Abyssal Church and other surface religions, but Aurorae was here for him, so at least he would take care of that matter.
A simple question—he had read enough books and he knew the answer in advance.
When will people stop warring?
…When a more terrifying common enemy appears.
All the people on the battlefield stopped their movements at the same time. Their waving blades froze midair, and the condensed magic array instantly dissipated. The aura was too heavy, too powerful to be real. In comparison, the strong killing intent in the air was like a lazy warmth in a bed. If Aurorae at the center of the battlefield was “dangerous”, the suddenly suppressed aura could only be described in one word. Whether it was the believers of the Abyssal Church or the Knights of Judgement, the reaction was unexpectedly consistent…
That was a “monster”.
Everyone was unprepared. Even the bravest warriors were also solidified in place by the sudden aura, as if time in space was completely frozen. The surveillance bugs circling back and forth in the sky cracked and fell into the mud. The eyeballs on their abdomen exploded, and their six insect legs twitched weakly.
Only Aurorae raised his head suddenly.
A few steps away from the blood-soaked superior demon, a hideous rift opened in space. A figure in a black robe appeared beside him. The smell of decay and withering became entangled in a chaotic mass. Aurorae couldn’t even distinguish the essence of that power empirically. The other party wrapped his appearance in a black phantom while deliberately concealing his magical characteristics.
Except for the fact that it was unreasonably strong.
“I have no intention of destroying the surface.” The voice, processed by magic, whispered with a flat tone. “Please go back… Please.”
The figure in the black robe didn’t look at the people who were comically frozen in place. It simply split a crack in space and disappeared at the other end of the crack. Aurorae inserted his big sword into the mud. The face behind his helmet was extremely ugly.
It wasn’t his illusion. The other party didn’t rely on some kind of prop or unique ability to send Colestoro back into the Abyss, but pure brute force. If so, even with these thousands of years of experience, he wasn’t a match for the black-robed demon.
When did such a dangerous thing appear on the surface?
Seeing his goal disappear, Aurorae put the large sword on his back. He ignored those who were still frozen and left the battlefield.
After dealing with Aurorae’s affairs in the shortest time possible, Nemo quickly moved towards his destination. He didn’t even need to sense it. Ann didn’t mention the gathering place, so it must be a place he knew. He walked through the cracks in space towards the vibrant forest in front of him.
Something’s happened to Oliver, he thought blankly. Although Oliver wasn’t as strong as himself, Oliver was still a powerful man. He had a clear mind and would never let his guard down. What could happen to him?
Nemo wanted to rush over in the next second, but he didn’t dare step forward. In the end, he gritted his teeth, accelerated his steps, and ran to the place where his aura was most concentrated.
He had thought about many situations in advance. Oliver was injured—or worse, seriously injured. Or he had suffered from some kind of mental attack, lost his will, or even been poisoned. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he seriously anticipated a myriad of miserable scenes. But it was still fine, Nemo thought. He could cure him. As long as Oliver still had a living breath, he could save him.
But he had never envisioned this scenario.
Ann stood leaning against the trunk of a tree with her eyes cast downwards. Virgil’s face was ashen while Colestoro was still asleep. Adrian Cross frowned tightly, with undyed sweat on his face, while Jesse Dylan stood beside the knight commander with a rare expressionless face. The gray parrot had shrunk into a ball on his shoulder.
Nemo looked around but didn’t find the familiar figure. He took a closer look without giving up and even probed with his magic.
Oliver wasn’t here.
“Where is he?” he asked in confusion, speaking very slowly, as if he was trying to recover something.
Ann threw out a few surveillance bugs, which were electrocuted by lightning, exuding a disgusting burnt smell. “We had successfully rendezvoused. These things seem to have put something on Oliver. He…” She retracted her previous careless attitude and glanced at Nemo cautiously. “He just disappeared.”
Nemo didn’t say a word. He stood still. His eyes had returned to their human appearance. The black robe on his body was covered with mud and blood, and his hair was scattered on his shoulders, with a slight smell of despair. The black-haired young man clenched the staff in his hand and looked straight at Ann, as if waiting for her to continue explaining.
“I don’t know.” Ann turned away with a forlorn look. “Sorry, I really—”
“Describe it.” Adrian Cross spoke this time. His tone was as calm as ever. He walked forward and pressed his left hand on Nemo’s shoulder. “Mr. Light, calm down. Don’t think about things too badly yet.”
“Nn,” Nemo responded obediently, looking a little at a loss.
“A blue arc. I saw a little reflection of metal.” Ann scratched her scalp fiercely. “That’s it. Then he’s gone.”
“We ran into people from the Mooney Sect,” Virgil quickly added. “They used that thing to capture a demon worshiper. It looks like a thin piece of metal, about the size of a playing card.” He stretched out his hand and gestured.
Adrian Cross frowned, and then he slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Nemo immediately cast his gaze on the knight’s face, as if the answer would be written on it within the next second.
“It’s not a big issue for the time being. I remember that thing,” Adrian said. “You encountered the Knights of Oath of the Mooney Sect. They like to call that thing a deed of sin. They will teleport people to one place.” Nemo’s state looked terrible, so he temporarily omitted its other function.
“Where?” Nemo asked immediately.
“The Insular Court,” Adrian replied, while Ann let out an “Ah.”
“Give me the place.” Nemo continued decisively. “I’ll pick him up.”
“You can’t.” It wasn’t Adrian who spoke this time, but Jesse Dylan. He stared at Nemo’s reaction with interest as he spoke with a somewhat indisputable meaning. “The defense of the Insular Court is impenetrable. I can probably guess what you want to do. Believe me, if you really do that, the entire Tumbleweed will become a public enemy on the surface, and what awaits us will be every day of constant shit.”
“I won’t hurt anyone,” Nemo said slowly, walking up to Jesse.
“It’s enough to ‘easily break through the defenses and take a person away’.” Jesse didn’t avoid Nemo’s gaze. “The Insular Court is not like Hailam’s dungeon. Your trick won’t work a second time.”
“…We know what you can do Nemo,” Ann’s tone was soothing. “Cross is right. There’s no big issue for the time being. Oliver’s not injured, and with his temperament, he won’t get himself into trouble.”
Nemo closed his eyes. He grasped the cloth on his chest and squeezed his lungs hard, trying to breath.
“I’m sorry.” He lowered his head slightly, as if his voice wasn’t his own. “I wasn’t very calm just now… Mr. Cross, you seem to know more about the Insular Court?”
“Somewhat.” Adrian Cross nodded. “According to my guess, Mr. Ramon is likely to be convicted of the crime of not fighting.”
“The crime of not fighting?”
“Being close to a demon and sheltering a demon warlock.” The former knight commander glanced at the bony hands behind Virgil. “The more times, the heavier the punishment. In my opinion, Mr. Ramon’s crime is not punishable by death—whether it was to take me in, or to assist Mr. Virgil, it’s still within the allowable scope of the surface agreement. Except there’s one tricky thing.”
Adrian glanced at Nemo, “The original incident in Roadside Town… Now that I know it was Flint Lopez, I believe his death has nothing to do with the two of you, but the crime has been recorded and if it’s used by someone with intentions, there can indeed be other variables, in theory.”
No, it mattered. That was done by the people from the Abyssal Church. It was done by his believers.
“As long as it’s not a capital crime, I think Oliver can escape by himself,” Ann quickly interjected. “Judging from his usual performance, his strength will definitely be underestimated. Although he’s a fool who follows the rules, he’s not really stupid enough to go to jail for a few years.”
“What if the crime disappears?” Nemo licked his chapped lips and spoke with some difficulty. “If that crime disappears, will he be absolutely safe?”
“…What are you going to do?” Ann’s tone was a little worried. “I understand your mood, but…”
“It was done by the Abyssal Church,” Nemo said slowly, and didn’t sound very comfortable. “…I just need to know who. If the real culprit is caught, it should be enough to overturn his conviction.”
“Mr. Light, how do you know this?” Adrian was direct. “This kind of thing can only be understood by the head of the church.”
Nemo pulled out a wry smile. “I know it may sound crazy, but I…”
Before he finished speaking, his collar was firmly held, and Jesse dragged him away from the group.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” After adding a mute array, the blond young man showed a meaningful smile on his face. “Have you forgotten who Cross is? ……And Savage. Believe me, you don’t want to know her reaction.”
Nemo looked at him sadly. “Should I thank you for not running away?”
“You are indeed stronger than me, but the pursuit of excitement is the greatest pleasure in my life.” Jesse licked the corners of his mouth, revealing an ill-intentioned smile. “You don’t want to confess now.”
“I’ll treat you as a diviner, Dylan.” Nemo stared into the other’s happy blue eyes. “Tell me, will Ollie die?”
“No.”
“…Will he be safe?”
“No.” Jesse’s smile looked a little gloomy under this answer. “To tell you the truth, your idea is very good. I strongly suggest you start quickly.”
Nemo turned around and directly raised his hand to destroy the mute array. That’s it, he thought. He would return to Roadside Town as quickly as possible, look for clues to find the real culprit, and then hand them over to the Insular Court himself. The sooner, the better.
“Mr. Cross, if it’s the worst-case scenario,” he looked at Adrian and spoke in an inexplicably calm voice, “how long does the process take from trial to a formal conviction?”
“If it’s a capital crime, three weeks.”
“Okay,” Nemo said, “I will find the real culprit within three weeks. As for my method of obtaining information… I don’t want to lie to you. I can only guarantee that the answer isn’t obtained by harming others.”
The former Knight of Judgment watched him quietly.
Yes. He would remove all possible hidden dangers, meet Oliver as soon as possible, and confess everything to him. Regardless of whether Oliver escaped or not, this would be Nemo Light’s last mission with Tumbleweed.
Until he was sure that his “true self” was no longer a threat to his companions.
On a remote island.
Oliver clenched the gold coin tightly, not sure if this small transaction could be successfully completed. It wasn’t because he wanted to die, but because the condition of his trading partner wasn’t very good.
“Capital punishment?” Micah screamed. His voice was frightened and desperate. “I just stole a bottle of perfume from that bastard! Just a bottle of perfume!”
“That ‘bastard’ you’re referring to happened to be the Duke of Helms.”
“I didn’t know he was a duke, damn it! Would a duke get drunk in a country tavern?”
“It doesn’t matter. The facts are very clear. As a refugee, you have stolen the legal property of a duke.”
“I’ll give it back to him… I can give it back to him. Please, please—”
“It doesn’t matter.” The elderly judge looked tired, and his tone was a little more impatient. Thick books were piled into towers on both sides of him, and the only place where books weren’t placed was a delicate bell.
“Please, my lord, I am a refugee. You know what will happen to me! Have mercy. I’m just trivial trash, and I will never come in handy on the battlefield—”
“The evidence is conclusive, and everyone has been caught. Send him to the Withered Castle.” The old man knocked on the bell on the table. “Next.”
Micah let out a high-pitched, sharp scream. His fat face was as white as a sheet of paper and was covered with beads of sweat mixed with snot and tears. Those little eyes turned wildly, as if a lifeline would suddenly stretch out in the surrounding air, but the floor under his feet cracked mercilessly, and he only had time to let out another broken wail before the door closed. Oliver stood in place where Micah was standing, with cold hands and feet.
“Oliver Ramon. Hm, Albanian… Alban’s law. Let’s see, let’s see.” The judge put on a pair of gold wire glasses and waved his hand. A book thick enough to kill a person flew out of the tower of books and spread out in front of him. “Oh, trouble.”
He glanced at Oliver from above his glasses. “Snake-level Black Chapter, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have anything to defend yourself?”
“What is my crime, sir?”
“Hmph, cunning boy. This is indeed most interesting.” The judge’s five fingers gently tapped the wooden tabletop. “Your deed of sin is marked. It was sent by the Knights of Oath of the Mooney Sect near the Abyssal Church, but we have not received any corresponding reports of allegations until now.”
Oliver cautiously remained silent.
“You can stay here for a few more days.” The judge moved his shoulders and picked up the small hammer that knocked on the bell. “Go back to your containment room, next—”
The bell rang frantically, and a letter appeared from the table in front of the judge. The old man’s voice stopped abruptly. He twisted the letter from the magic array, slowly opened it with a letter opener, and started reading it.
Then his brows tightened.
“…Take this upstairs.” The judge’s gaze became sharp, as if he had just woken up from a nap. “The Gatekeepers have a request to give him a full guilt test, and they will bear the cost.”
The “full guilt test” didn’t sound like a good thing. Oliver’s heartbeat stopped for a moment, and an ominous premonition strangled his heart tightly. He subconsciously wanted to resist, but with this thought, the metal collar on his neck began to ache faintly.
But right now, no one would let him inquire about what was to come.
It turned out that his intuition was correct. The full guilt test was like digging malice into every crevice of his bones. Oliver really couldn’t figure out when he had offended the so-called “Gatekeepers”, causing them to want him to be charged with such a felony.
But he carried out those strange tests.
He had a clear conscience about all his decisions in this life—no hatred, no remorse. There was no uncontrollable anger, no deliberate violence. He stood in a dim room for four hours, and except for the “known fact” that he “killed his father with his own hands”, the tester didn’t pick out any flaws.
“If you force it, using this to convict again would meet the requirements over there… It just takes too long.” The test inspector looked more tired than Oliver and kept mumbling incessantly. “More than three weeks… haa.”
The test went on flatly until the last item.
A shriveled human heart floated in a crystal container, pulsating slowly with an unpleasant sticky dark red color. It was placed in front of Oliver, who didn’t know if he was imagining things, but he felt as if the heart was looking at him.
“Do you have an allegiance?” The test inspector asked tirelessly.
“No.” Oliver lowered his head and stared at the chain on his wrist.
The beating of the dry heart suddenly became violent.
“Lies!” The sleepy test inspector immediately came to his senses.
“I really don’t.” Oliver frowned. “I am only loyal to myself.”
“…Are you saying you made an oath to a great being unknowingly, and you didn’t know anything about it?” The test inspector raised his eyebrows. “Do I look like a fool? Well, you’re not like a slave or a servant… Let’s start with the basics. Are you a knight?”
“No, I have never met any king.”
That weird heart was beating so violently that it looked like it was about to smash the crystal container.
“Lies! Another lie!” The test inspector squeezed the quill pen tightly and quickly made a record on the board. “Great, it seems that you’re a knight. Now let’s take a look at your status, your love, and loyalty—”
The chain pulled Oliver’s hand towards the crystal container. Unexpectedly, the touch of the container was very warm.
It seemed to be wrapped in liquid gold, and the disgusting dry heart gradually turned into gold. It pulsated steadily and powerfully, exuding vigorous vitality.
“It seems that you love your king deeply and have deep loyalty to him.” There was more sarcasm in the test inspector’s tone. “Finally can’t hide it, huh? Listen, kid. This test costs a lot of money. If you want to tease an innocent person, no one will spend this much to make such a joke.”
“…Is there really nothing wrong with this thing? I have never participated in any knighting ceremony,” Oliver murmured. He rummaged through all his memories that could be traced back but found no clues.
“There is no problem. This is a treasure that is rarely used. As long as the conditions are met, nothing can escape its perception. You must be loyal to a certain king, or someone of the same status as a king, and the other party recognizes your knight status and has performed a knighting ceremony.”
“So now, I’m going to start checking your identity, Mr. Ramon.” The tester turned around and took out a beautifully bound, thick booklet from the bookshelf. “If you’re not in the knight records of any country or religion on the surface, you’ll be in big trouble.”
He glanced at Oliver’s Knight of Silence armor. “A knight loyal to the Abyss… Do you know? With this alone, we can skip all the forensics processes.”
“In the laws of all countries, that is an unquestionable capital crime.”
The author has something to say:
Oliver: ……??? I’m really just an ordinary townsperson. Don’t be like this!
Nemo: Shit, that actually counted?!
It’s a really strict, cherished prop. Don’t challenge it.
Oliver guarded vigilantly in front of Virgil and Colestoro. After Aurorae noticed the abnormality of the Church of Silence, he only stayed in place for a few minutes and then moved on. It seemed that the camouflage array was successful, or the other party noticed something and decided to ignore them.
The figure that was getting smaller in their field of vision was no longer simply moving forward. He held the hilt of the big sword behind him firmly in his hand. The color of the armor was similar to the color of the great sword. Looking at it from a distance, Aurorae’s right arm seemed to grow a strange and abrupt hyperplasia.
Clenching the hilt of the sword in his hand, Oliver hesitated a little. According to Colestoro’s memory, counting the first time, Aurorae should have come to apply the seal for the third time. He just followed the agreement and tried to use the seal to lessen Colestoro’s pain as much as possible, but now that Colestoro had been taken out of the church by them, Aurorae had no need to move forward.
“Shall we inform him…?” He turned tentatively to Virgil.
“He knows,” Virgil shook his head and said in a dry voice. “Even I can feel it. The cracks in the law have opened, and Colesi’s body is falling back into the abyss. If he only had this purpose, he would never move on.”
But not only did Aurorae stay, he even made a posture to prepare for battle.
“Does he have any gripes with the Abyssal Church?” Oliver knew very little about that weird-tempered superior demon killer.
“I can’t guess what that Lord is thinking,” Virgil looked at the person in his arms. His tone was still mixed with a bit of vigilance but had eased a lot. “Even among superior demons, Aurorae is the one with the most eccentric temper… Personally, I’m very grateful for everything he’s done for Colesi, but I suggest you don’t intervene.”
“But if we leave it alone…”
“If Aurorae only relies on common sense to act, it’s best to unite with other surface religions, but I assure you that no matter you, me, or other surface churches; once they approach rashly, they will only be killed.” Virgil stroked Colestoro’s long hair.
“He’s the first superior demon to appear on the surface in recorded history. I have studied his intelligence for a while, and in recent years, Aurorae’s power has been constantly weakening… In this case, he insists on provoking a battle, so he must have some thoughts about it.”
The church sank by about a fifth. Countless black smoke appeared out of thin air and then condensed into an army. The open space in front of the church became crowded in an instant as the Knights of Silence drew out their bone swords one after another and rushed towards Aurorae, who was standing alone in front of them. The actions of the Knights of Silence were almost silent, which made the atmosphere of this bloody battle even more strange. There was only the sticky sound of flesh and blood being spilt; no dull hum or screams.
Aurorae wielded a big sword. With every swing, it reaped several lives. His movements were ruthless and accurate. The trajectory of the great sword swept through space as black spells were thrown out. The wind wrapped around the blade of the sword, making the harsh sound of silk being torn, and directly shattered the black helmet of the Knights of Silence. All the while, blood and internal organs splattered the ground and covered Aurorae’s breastplate, but the latter remained indifferent, as if he wasn’t chopping the flesh and blood of people, but rather some kind of succulent plant.
Even if Virgil claimed that this wasn’t Aurorae’s peak level, the momentum was still terrifying. If Nemo’s sense of oppression was like being buried deep in the soil and giving people the illusion of being choked to death, then Aurorae’s was more like thorns all over the skin, bringing dampness and tingling deep into one’s bones.
He could be sure with just a glance that he was not yet a match for Aurorae.
Oliver suddenly had a strange sense of familiarity, and the indifference of the ancient demon didn’t stem from contempt or arrogance. Aurorae’s aura was relaxed and casual, like that of a gardener hired by an inn; he skillfully sprayed the pesticides to remove the insects from the garden. The dying bugs fell on the soil in pieces, twitching.
However, a gardener wouldn’t feel sad or joy because of such a scene, just like the current Aurorae.
At this point, Virgil shouldn’t have provided him with false information to deliberately mislead him. That meant that Aurorae wasn’t an object that couldn’t be communicated with on normal terms. This type was the most dangerous.
Oliver added a few more camouflage arrays around him. He instinctively lowered his body’s center of gravity. The center of the battlefield was not far away, and it wasn’t a good idea to rush out to find Ann right now. The timing of the operation was very clear. When the armies of the other surface religions appeared, he would take advantage of the chaos between the three groups and escape. If he guessed correctly, in the absence of communication, everyone would reconvene at the same place.
Their original campsite. It was far and safe enough.
Oliver adjusted his breathing and stared at the sinking church. Although he knew in his heart that Nemo would be fine, he couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten with worry. Nemo’s mood hadn’t been very good during the period before they separated. Oliver could perceive the surging pain under the calmness.
If it weren’t for the circumstances that didn’t allow it, he really didn’t want the other party to face this alone.
The sleepy Colestoro suddenly let out a muffled hum, and Virgil, who was easily holding him, knelt to his knees. Oliver’s scalp exploded and rushed over as quickly as possible. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Virgil said reluctantly. His knees were kneeling against the soft soil. “We are just weakening… Mr. Light is probably disconnecting the flesh from the body. But this…” Even if Colestoro’s contract was incomplete, it wouldn’t be easy to disconnect. That meant that Nemo Light was not only more powerful than Aurorae, but he also had an amazing understanding of the origin of magic.
At least on the surface, such superior demons have never been recorded.
“Mr. Ramon,” Virgil gasped for a moment and lowered his voice, “Aurorae may have gone to Mr. Light.”
Originally, Virgil believed that Nemo Light could lift the seal, and to some extent, he exploited the weakening of Aurorae’s power, but now he wasn’t sure. If he was stronger than Aurorae’s during his peak… This kind of power is enough to disrupt the order on the surface.
Oliver’s movements suddenly stiffened, and he frowned. Virgil thought he would rush over to support his lover, but the young leader of Tumbleweed took a few deep breaths. “Your power is weakening… Can you still fight now?”
“I’m afraid it’s not much better than an ordinary person.” Virgil shook his head. “But you don’t need to worry about me. The camouflage array can still protect us. If you need to find Mr. Light—”
“I promised him,” Oliver’s voice was hoarse. “Nemo doesn’t like conflicts. Even if he fights Aurorae, he can escape with his strength. I promise him I will take care of you and send you out safely.”
He made a promise. Oliver thought he couldn’t do it; to leave the client who had lost his powers behind and go to Nemo to appease his “worries”.
“Let’s leave now.” Oliver glanced at the huge bony hand behind Virgil. As Virgil’s power weakened, he could feel the strong demonic aura around him. “If your power is weakened to this point, we have to leave before the troops from the other religions arrive. It’s better to be discovered by the Abyssal Church than to be discovered by them.”
Virgil stared at Oliver with complicated eyes and was silent for a long time before he nodded. He put Colestoro on his back and signaled that he was ready.
Oliver propped up the protective cover and rushed out of the camouflage array.
The start went smoothly. Thanks to the superior demon aura that leaked out from the two of them, they didn’t encounter any trouble from the guardian demons. They hurried through the dead woods as Oliver ran to the destination in his memory, leaving the bloody smell of the battlefield behind.
Suddenly, a burst of white light swept across the land under his feet, and there was a tremor of death.
Things were about to get worse.
Several screams came from far away. Virgil paused for a moment and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Oliver raised his Rest in Peace and looked around vigilantly. No problem, he repeated desperately to himself. They were already close to their destination, and they could even see the lush green on the edge of the dead land. It was far from the center of the battlefield, and other religions wouldn’t invest their troops in such a place…
His judgment was correct. There was only one team wandering there, but it wasn’t the Knights of Judgement he was familiar with.
They held up blue and white flags, and their cloaks were clean and pure dark blue. Several of them were half kneeling on the ground, inserting their broad swords deep into the soil. Wave after wave of white fluctuations spreads along the surface, like ripples on a lake.
“Willard’s Mooney Sect,” Virgil said in a low voice, firmly supporting a camouflage spell. “This is the junction of the three kingdoms. They won’t let the Laddism Church take advantage of it alone.”
“Characteristics?” Oliver held his breath and hid behind a scorched trunk. On the trunk of the tree above his head, a few surveillance bugs crawled slowly, almost integrated with the dark branches.
“They are good at guarding and restraining.” Virgil’s movements are still sharp. “Unlike the Knights of Judgment, who focus on attacking, this group is sticky like gum and is difficult to get rid of. It’s best not to fight them.”
During their conversation, a demon worshiper was discovered not far away. One of the knights, who had a solemn expression, raised his hand and threw out a few pieces of silver metal. They clung to the struggling demon worshiper like maggots to his ankle, and blue arcs of light flickered around him. Within a few seconds, he disappeared in place, leaving only a lone demon. The next second, it was nailed to the mud by a broad sword.
“What is that?” Oliver asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen it before.” Virgil’s expression was serious, “Mooney’s techniques are much more secretive than the Laddism Church, so their information is difficult to get.”
They were so close. Oliver could even smell the fresh vegetation not far away. If he was the only one, he could probably put up a fight, but considering he had a demon warlock who had lost his combat powers with him, it was safer to hide quietly. Unfortunately, they hid stiffly for nearly half an hour, but the knights didn’t have any intention of moving at all.
They were guarding the array, and it was too passive to go on like this.
“I’ll make a move in a while,” Oliver said softly. “I’ll use my greatest strength to create an explosion. It may be a bit uncomfortable for you, but it can temporarily force back that group for a while. Mr. Virgil, you should know where we first made camp. They seem to be guarding the array and will not pursue you desperately.”
“What about you?”
“I will catch up later. They can’t trap me.”
“…Thank you.” Virgil lowered his head solemnly.
Oliver grinned at him. He didn’t hesitate anymore, and directly pointed the Rest in Peace towards the sky.
This time he didn’t suppress his strength.
Cold blue-white beams of light rushed straight into the sky. With the bone sword as the center, waves of violent fluctuations like explosive winds shook around. The force left a lone passage that allowed Virgil to carry Colestoro on his back and rush through.
“It’s a demon warlock!” a knight yelled, but most of them were firmly nailed in place by the cold force and were unable to move forward a single step.
A few were still able to move. They rushed towards the fleeing Virgil, and the magic array suddenly spread out and broad swords swung towards the two of them.
However, the swords were blocked by a slender bone sword.
Oliver put his helmet back on to hide his face. He waved the Rest in Peace, unreservedly exuding a fighting spirit, and firmly blocked the group to one side. This “Knight of Silence”, who didn’t use abyssal magic, plunged the knights of the Mooney Sect into temporary chaos, but that didn’t last long.
“It’s a move from the Laddism Church!” the knight closest to Oliver shouted. “What the hell is this?”
Oliver closed his mouth tightly in his helmet; every nerve in his body tense. Countless pieces of metal shining with silver light flew towards him but they were all shot down to the ground.
The leader of the group of knights hissed after a burst of sparks from the collision of weapons, “You’re not a Knight of Silence. No matter who you are, we formally warn you—please stop. You’re sheltering a demon warlock, and according to the surface agreement, you’ll be convicted of the ‘crime of not fighting’.”
Oliver didn’t answer.
The demonic aura had not disappeared yet. He had to delay a while longer while Virgil escaped further.
Oliver drew his Rest in Peace in a semicircle in front of him. Its pure and majestic power repelled the three knights who rushed up. He didn’t think carefully as the knowledge Adrian Cross had taught him turned into instinct in this moment. The broad swords of the opposite knights were staggered from the blow, and even cracks started to appear. His spare hand kept drawing magic arrays, resisting the restraint props and spells that were thrown at him.
His coordination ability was terrifying. Under the stormy attack, the knights of the Mooney Sect were completely repelled, but no one had any serious injuries. The knights who had been on the battlefield knew that their opponent had done this on purpose; whether he did it out of kindness or ridicule, it was a desperate suppression of strength.
On the scorched branches, the surveillance bugs flew quietly, like a few pieces of ash that occasionally floated by. They approached the mud, picked up a piece of metal with a faint blue light, and then disappeared into the air.
“Priority is given to guarding the formation.” Seeing that the long struggle had no effect, the knights of the Mooney Sect decided to change their strategy. “Use the drift net to deal with him!”
Although he didn’t know what the “drift net” was, Oliver instantly found that the opponent’s offensive had weakened. Now that Virgil’s aura was so far away that he couldn’t detect it, he simply turned around and ran away.
Then he guessed the meaning of the drift net.
Two knights followed him from a distance that wasn’t far or near. They were sticky as spider silk, and it was difficult to get rid of them. He didn’t want to kill them, so he had to circle as hard as he could and shoot down those piecemeal harassing attacks. As time passed, Oliver’s speed became faster and stronger without showing any fatigue or omission.
He didn’t know how long it took, but the knights of the Mooney Sect seemed to realize they couldn’t take advantage of the supposedly decrease in stamina and decisively retreated.
After making sure that no one was following him, Oliver finally ran to his destination with confidence. Mr. Cross and Dylan weren’t there yet, but Ann had arrived at the camp early. The female warrior was taking care of their client, and for some reason, her expression wasn’t very good-looking.
Seeing Oliver coming back, Virgil struggled to stand up and bowed solemnly. He took out a gold coin from his pocket and put it in Oliver’s hand. “I know it’s not enough at all,” Virgil said in a deep voice. “If you have anything you need help with…”
“You’re too polite. This is a deal, and we’re just following the rules of the guild.” Oliver tugged the corner of his mouth, put the gold coin in his pocket, and turned his gaze to the bird nearby. The weird one-legged bird was flapping its wings beside Virgil, screaming unpleasantly. Oliver looked at the bird carefully for a moment, only to feel that all his hairs were about to stand up.
Virgil frowned. “…Are you sure nothing is following you?”
“No.” Oliver shook his head, still staring at the bird. “Why do you say that—”
A blue arc of light flashed across his fingertips. Oliver was startled and looked down at his hands. Ann took the crystal piece out of her pocket, opened her mouth slightly as if she wanted to say something…
In the subtle buzzing of insects, the world in front of Oliver instantly changed, and the unique discomfort of being teleported hit him instantly.
The church was collapsing at an accelerated speed. The sound of stone cracking was extremely harsh. The ground fell more and more rapidly, and as stone chips and dust continued to leak from the ceiling of the underground hall, Ulysses’ skeletal stone carving began to gradually collapse. The hideous cracks crept to the stone and brick floor, and the scene was as dark as the end of the world.
The superior demon who had just descended to the surface was crying. It wasn’t out of stinginess or grief. It was more like an instinctive reaction after losing all hope in an instant. The woman’s black skirt was scattered on the ground, and the several faces on her head were gone, leaving only an elegant and beautiful face behind. That should be what the Bishop of the Abyss should have looked like when she was still a human.
But it was now only Hagen Ingram’s body in name.
At the moment the contract was completed, the demon’s flesh would overtake the brain of the dependent and completely crush the original brain. The Bishop of the Abyss a few minutes ago was indeed no longer alive. She had disappeared quietly, with her answer.
“…She figured out the ‘truth of the existence of the Demon King’?” Nemo ignored the collapsing building. He stiffly loosened the preacher’s collar and walked towards the superior demon, who was paralyzed on the ground. “Tell me.”
“I don’t know!” the beautiful superior demon cried, crawling into the distance without any direction. If the previous Hagen Ingram had a fox-like temperament, the current demon was more like a frightened rabbit. Though her body was the same, she looked flustered and neurotic, as if she would collapse at any moment. “I only have the knowledge and memory of that human. It’s impossible to know what her specific thoughts were!”
“I understand, but is there no sign at all?” Nemo tried hard to suppress the trembling in his voice. He didn’t like the other party’s reaction of fear. She looked so scared, as if he would chew her into pieces in the next second. “Impossible.”
“She only said, ‘The law has not been broken’,” the superior demon sobbed, shrinking like she was about to freeze to death. “At that moment, she thought she had gotten a satisfactory enough answer, and the contract would naturally be completed. It’s really not me—”
Nemo shook subconsciously.
He did confirm his identity, and currently he had all his own memories, plus a little bit of fragments of Ulysses’ memory. The books in the Abyssal Church were all put into his mind, but even so, he didn’t question Bagelmaurus’ previous speculation. The law came from cognition, and he was able to erase his cognition and was able to leave. This was a relatively ambiguous explanation, but it barely made sense in theory.
However, Hagen Ingram wasn’t an empty-headed fool. She participated in the crusade and even climbed to the position of Bishop of the Abyss. According to the level of obsession by the Abyssal Church with the Demon King, her inference was obviously more valuable than Bagelmaurus’. The new information that the Bishop of the Abyss got was limited to only two points. He was on the surface, and he didn’t know why.
Referring to Adrian Cross’ first reaction,
[A complete superior demon cannot descend to the surface. This is the iron-clad rule.]
If the law wasn’t broken… then what exactly was he? Was there anything behind the “incomplete” him?
Unfortunately, the Bishop of the Abyss who had the answer was no longer alive, and no one could answer him. There were too many thoughts rampaging in his mind, like sharp nails shaking around in his flesh. Colestoro’s body was about to fall back into the Abyss, and Nemo could even feel the strange pull radiating from the cracks, as well as the illusion-like warmth.
Nemo stood in place. Behind him was a crazed believer who had fallen into madness, and in front of him was a demon who was stunned. The others in the church had withdrawn, and a bad premonition climbed onto his back like a swarm of poisonous spiders. Nemo gritted his teeth, and he directly grabbed the demon warlock who was still kneeling. At the same time, the intertwined cracks tore the floor apart, revealing an ominous fire.
The superior demon in the long black dress sat on one of the broken floors as the fragile rock was rapidly turning into a walnut-size piece. She seemed to have forgotten how to move, and she was about to fall back into the Abyss.
Nemo stretched out his hand to her. “Grabbed on!” His mind was blank as he shouted intuitively.
But the superior demon didn’t move. Tears kept flowing down her face. In the increasingly strong gravity of the Abyss, she finally moved her finger…
An incomplete and weak protective cover separated the two.
Nemo knew that he could smash it with his hand, but it made his arm suddenly heavier, and he hesitated for a moment. At that moment of hesitation, the superior demon moved to the edge of the collapsed slate and threw herself into the Abyss.
“Don’t come over.” Her voice trembled, full of fear, and it could be heard amongst the sound of debris collapsing around her.
Her figure was instantly engulfed by the cracks.
Nemo stopped breathing and stared at the burning crack for a second. He then cut open a space, grabbed the collar of the demon warlock, and immediately left the Church of Silence. They landed in a scorched open space behind the church. The sound of bombardment and the roar of magic arrays suddenly poured into his ears. The sound of a battle of the distant army came with the wind. Most of the demon worshipers who escaped from the church ordered their demons to rush to the battlefield, while a small number scattered and plunged into the scorched forest, not knowing what to do.
Before the ruins of the church completely sank, Nemo tore open a rift for the last time and fished out his staff from the cell. In the next second, the peeled spire of the church was completely swallowed by the cracks and the land aggregated like a liquid.
The Church of Silence had completely disappeared from the surface.
The corpses that were guarding the entrance to the church were scattered all over the place, and surveillance bugs flew frantically over the remaining ruins. The sun shone down unconsciously, making the metal staff warm to the touch. Everything in front of him revealed a dreamlike erratic and a false sense of absurdity. Nemo’s perception was no longer keen—rather no longer too keen—and his spirit didn’t allow him to feel it carefully.
He gasped hard, as if he was going to drown in this vast open space with plenty of air. He pressed all his weight on the staff so that he wouldn’t fall down.
“Don’t mention today’s affairs to anyone.” Nemo finally settled his mind and turned his face toward the demon warlock with only a mouth for a face. “I’m very sorry. Just in case… I have to put a silence spell on you.”
Nemo murmured something. A black spell wrapped around the demon warlock’s body like silk. It was a modified silence spell that would not cause substantial harm to the bound but would forcibly stop their actions when they were about to leak. Honestly, Nemo didn’t like this kind of one-sided forced seal, but he had to end the matter here as soon as possible…
Nemo didn’t want to stay here any longer. His uncontrollable thoughts upset him. If he didn’t find a place to relax again, he may have really collapsed for a moment because he couldn’t accept it.
Of course, the emotional breakdown wasn’t a big deal. Everyone had been overwhelmed by anger, sadness, or despair. They just needed to break something, scream or cry, and just vent.
But he couldn’t do it now.
Nemo knew better than ever before what his power represented.
Destruction was much simpler than repair. He firmly believed that he couldn’t afford the price of losing control of his strength and emotions. Just maintaining his calmness now was almost exhausting all his mental energy. The demon warlock a few steps away quietly maintained a half-kneeling posture until the dark spell disappeared into his body. After that, he raised his head slightly and let out a sigh.
Nemo turned around, not intending to have any more conversation with the other party. His eyes were sour, and there seemed to be a poisonous thorn stuck in his throat. The metal staff in his hand poked into the dark, dead ground, bringing up a little smelly mud. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, stopping for a few seconds at each step, trying to suppress the crazy tumbling emotions in his heart.
Then he saw blood. The bright red liquid came from behind and wetted his soles.
He didn’t want to see it, he thought, but he had to go back and confirm it.
The preacher was still kneeling there. A black erosion spell had already eroded his heart. Blood gushed out of his body from an incurable wound.
“I won’t divulge any of it.” He still had a happy and weird smile on his face. “My Lord… I’ll never add burdens to your plan.”
The red blood flowed into the soil and was immediately sucked in by the land, turning into disgusting black-red mud. The preacher was still half kneeling as the erosion spell was constantly gnawing at him. His body maintained that posture as it rotted and disappeared at a terrifying speed.
Until it all turned into pus and blood.
He didn’t want to kill that person. Nemo stopped forcibly as he supported his body with his staff. He had lost his last strength, and he slowly sat down on the empty, dead ground.
“I didn’t want to kill you.” He stretched out his finger into the wet soil and slowly tightened it. “Because I don’t know who you are, what your desire was to give your life to this. I don’t want to judge you based on your identity…” Just as I don’t want to judge myself based on my identity.
But the preacher was dead, and he couldn’t answer him either.
Nemo let the hem of the robe soak in the blood and stick to the mud. The whole world swept towards him at this moment, and the pain seemed to be quietly crushed, like a scream that couldn’t be heard.
Yes. It’s very quiet now.
This was a strange world, Nemo thought. In the not-so-distant past, he was weak and ordinary, and wasn’t worth mentioning at all. A drunken thug, a bloodthirsty beast, a galloping carriage; he could easily die from any of them. Even so, he would get up on time for breakfast, followed by work, and would talk to people. When night fell, he would quietly go to sleep.
Every day. In a small town with troubled times, he embraced a stable life like that, living smoothly and steadily. He didn’t need anyone’s help and he didn’t need anyone.
And now no one in the world could hurt him. Everything was soft and fragile. Even if the world was destroyed by fire, he would be the one who could survive in the end. He possessed absurd, crazy, and unreasonable power. He began to try to hold on to the people around him and finally turned everything into futility.
He had never felt so helpless.
This is inevitable, isn’t it?
He didn’t have the strength to escape, so he had to face the cruel facts. His favorite mercenary group, Oliver’s father’s mercenary regiment—their legends accompanied him through countless boring afternoons. He once lamented and was inspired by them because they made him smile.
Kind, powerful, and interesting heroes.
And they were almost completely annihilated by Ulysses—that was to say, they were destroyed by him.
He didn’t even know why, whether he was the perpetrator or the victim, or both. He didn’t remember his mood at that time. He didn’t remember their deathbed. Naturally, the Tin Soldiers mercenary regiment wasn’t the only group. From the so-called first-generation Demon King… No, since then, how many people had he killed? How many times had he been killed?
He probably never counted it himself. Perhaps only by restoring his memory could he find all the answers.
But now he… dared not.
This pain may be in his calculations. The former “Demon King” may be looking forward to his choice to restore his memory under the pressure of pain. The thoughts and memories accumulated over tens of millions of years were extremely heavy. Could the “sensibility” of more than twenty years really withstand it? No one believed that he had no other plans, not even himself. Would a life as powerful as this make such a sophisticated plan without a purpose?
He couldn’t think about it anymore. He must bear it, and before making sure that his “former self” was not malicious, he could not escape from this pain and doubt. The only thing he could control now was the “current self”.
Don’t run away. Don’t collapse. Don’t give up.
With trembling hands, Nemo drew the gold pendant to the outside of his robe. The golden metal glistened under the warm sun. Then he grabbed the only remaining blood-stained communication crystal chip.
He had to tell Oliver. Tell him everything, just as he had decided in advance. The calculated time should be almost up. He would go to his side and then make sure that there was another person—that person that would never leave him.
Like someone dying from thirst, reaching out for that last water source in the desert…
There was a small cracking sound. Nemo almost accidentally crushed the crystal chip. He twisted it carefully, and his breathing became rapid in an instant.
But the voice he was waiting for didn’t sound.
“Nemo,” Ann’s voice appeared with a bit of ominous caution. “How are you over there? You’d better come here soon.”
Ann was usually efficient when communicating. She rarely hesitated when speaking, but this time there was a short pause before she continued.
“Something has happened to Oliver.”
Don’t run away. Don’t collapse. Don’t give up.
…Don’t despair.
“I’m fine.” His voice was hoarse. Nemo clenched his arm holding the staff, embedding his nails into his flesh. Warm blood penetrated the black robe in an instant. “…I’ll come to you right away.”
As soon as his voice fell, the crystal chip couldn’t bear the burden and turned into powder in his palm.
…The dying traveler in the desert that stretched out his hand to the last water source could only grab a handful of yellow sand.
Kinky Thoughts:
This arc is over. Get ready for some angst. Ahhh, poor Nemo.
Just to provide a summary of this arc for clarity for those who are confused:
Colestoro is a superior demon that was dragged up forcefully from the Abyss. However, the laws of nature state that superior demons cannot come to the surface in their original form, so only a part of Colestoro (similar to Pandorater) was pulled out. Unlike Pandorater, however, whoever dragged him out couldn’t tame him (because he’s a fully grown demon that has already developed thoughts and feelings). Because they couldn’t utilize him and because he’s a superior demon, they decided to destroy him instead, but they couldn’t fully kill him, leaving behind a part of his body that was rotting and dying on the surface. Thus, for years, Colestoro suffers the pain of part of his body dying on the surface.
600-700 years ago, when the Trent Plague was spreading across the land, ordinary humans came to his rotting bones to find a cure for it and fed the sick with his remaining flesh that was still on the bones. Out of all of the bodies that ate the flesh, one survived and allowed his consciousness (or soul) to occupy the body. However, because of the Trent Plague symptoms, the body his flesh occupied no longer had brain capacity, so he couldn’t propose a “deal” with it, which meant the “contract” was incomplete. While Colestoro occupies the body, his soul is still bound to his original body in the Abyss and the surface.
Aurorae then gave him two options. He could consume his own flesh and become “free” so that he could take revenge on humans (since they were the ones that put him in this situation in the first place). Then he would be consumed by madness, and Aurorae would kill him, and he would die in excruciating pain and agony as his consciousness returned to his original body, or Aurorae would apply a seal to his original body and put him to sleep, which would alleviate some of the pain.
At first, Colestoro wanted revenge, until he met Virgil. Colestoro sees Virgil as a way for him to escape his original body and his current incomplete contract. He “befriends” Virgil in hopes that Virgil would make a deal with him. At first, Virgil acts oblivious until he is on the verge of death and reveals that he’s actually an exorcist and he knew all along Colestoro’s origins and history. Virgil said he’ll make the deal with Colestoro as long as Colestoro promises not to harm innocent lives. He understood Colestoro’s pain because he too, was dying and was suffering the pain of a dying body, but he wanted to die with dignity.
In a twist, Colestoro decided not to form a contract and instead willingly offered his flesh to Virgil to save his life and turned him into a demon warlock. He then asked Aurorae to seal him and put him to sleep. Hundreds of years later, the Church of Silence was built upon his bones. The Bishops know about Colestoro’s history and, in order to forcefully keep him alive, they continue to give him sacrifices. This wasn’t because they truly worshiped him, but because his bones, and the Church of Silence were the symbol of the Abyssal Church.
Ironically, Virgil, given new life, is determined to fulfill Colestoro’s wish and grant him everlasting peace. Through the years, he learned many exorcizing (erosion) spells that could destroy demons, in hopes of one day perfecting one powerful enough to destroy Colestoro’s current human body and his original body on the surface (thus permanently ending his suffering).
Then in comes Tumbleweed who he commissioned because two demon-related beings were needed to open the gate where Colestoro’s body lies. However, his plans went awry as Nemo presented him with a third option (an option that none of them except him could do because they lacked the power).
Nemo planned to send Colestoro’s bones on the surface back into the Abyss, and complete the incomplete contract with Colestoro’s current body. He did this by pretending to be the sacrifice for Colestoro in order to find out the secret array of how the Church of Silence was providing Colestoro vitality all this time. With that knowledge, he then sent Colestoro’s bones back into the Abyss (thus collapsing the Church of Silence) and completed the incomplete contract. Colestoro should now (theoretically) live on the surface as the human he currently possesses, feeling no pain or agony of his original body until that body dies in the Abyss, at which point he would die as well. The caveat was now Colestoro would no longer be as strong as before (since he’s no longer connected to his original body).
And yes, it is heavily implied that Colestoro and Virgil have a thing for each other, but it’s not explicit. You have to read between the lines~
Also in this arc, Nemo discovers his true identity, more mysteries surrounding Ann, Jesse, and Oliver have sprouted, and now something has happened to Oliver?! Stay tuned for the next arc~
Join my discord server and we can discuss! I really love this arc, from Colesi’s x Virgil’s story, to the philosophical discussion of (religious) beliefs. Let me know what your analysis of this arc is? Am I on the mark or did I miss something?
Hagen was walking in front. The unnatural outline of her head was looming behind the black veil. Nemo was no longer a guest of the Abyssal Church. The anomalies under the solemnity of the church began to climb out of the dark crevices. It wasn’t the terrifying scene outside the church, but some kind of spiritual distortion. They seemed to be entities, whispering ill-will in the corner. They walked underground, and the passage became darker. Nemo didn’t even dare exert much force on his legs, for fear of accidentally tearing apart the confinement of the erosion spell.
If this scene was placed on an ordinary person, it was probably tantamount to being firmly entangled by a poisonous snake whose venom was flowing through their blood and whose fangs were pressed against the arteries of their neck. Hagen generously turned her back towards the “uninvited guest”, firmly believing he couldn’t escape.
However, Nemo was quite certain that he could, even easily, break away, like brushing the twine threads that were stuck on his clothes. This fact didn’t make him feel happy or fulfilled, but brought him pain similar to frostbite.
He was getting stronger. Every second, he was getting uncontrollably stronger. It was like an invisible dam finally cracked and released the torrent of horror that followed. Nemo knew what this meant. Even if he used his feelings to deny the fact that “he’s the Demon King”, his reasoning was slowly accepting this unnatural power. As the cognition became clearer, the power became stronger. Truly a cycle of despair.
Hagen didn’t know the happenings behind her back. She reached out her hands and opened the heavy door in front of her. A pungent bloody aura enveloped by the strong smell of spices rushed out.
A huge underground hall appeared in front of Nemo. This was about the same height as the church’s nave above ground. On the wall was the familiar statue, except that this Ulysses had no flesh, only bones. The huge bones were embedded on the side of the hall with amazing courage, as if the entire hall would be torn in half in the next instant.
In front of the statue, in the center of the hall, a huge round stone platform stood high, and several magic arrays overlapped with each other, which were deeply engraved on the stone platform. After approaching, the rancid smell of flesh became more suffocating. The entire stone platform was covered with thick layers of dark brown dirt, reflecting an uncomfortable luster, and it seemed to be slowly squirming in the fire.
There were two demon warlocks in the room. The preacher with only a mouth on his face behind the sermon table, and the middle-aged man with a lot of movable tentacles sticking out of his facial features. The tar-like demon warlock had disappeared.
Together with Hagen Ingram and Nemo himself, there were only four people in the entire room, but it contained the three strongest combat powers of the Abyssal Church.
“It’s not like a prison here,” Nemo said. He knew he should look scared, but at this moment he was really powerless. He glanced at the stone-carved bones, and an indescribable sadness firmly grasped him.
“Yes.” Hagen turned her head, with a little smile in her voice.
Nemo knew where her confidence came from, and he found the familiar aura the first moment he stepped into it. He first came into contact with it at the Church of Repentance in Hailem…
Fragments of Ulysses’ skull were embedded in the skeleton statue.
It was in much better condition than the one in the Church of Repentance. It was well preserved and enshrined. The remnant power on the bones had long since lost mental control, and the sense of oppression was like a huge wave above to be photographed. If they didn’t make corresponding preparations in advance, let alone a demon warlock, a superior demon who wasn’t qualified couldn’t even put up a half-hearted resistance.
It should have been like this.
The spiritual dam completely collapsed, and the facts were cruelly spread out. Nemo couldn’t even lift his head with a sigh. Now he wasn’t a naïve fool who had vague cognition, or his strength was restrained, or the uncertainty that he was a demon warlock.
The power of the Demon King couldn’t interfere with him for even half a minute. Nemo tentatively touched the next power and found that he could easily take control, just as simple as picking up copper coins on the ground.
There was no doubt that it was him.
Since bringing Nemo into the area, Hagen had safely shifted her attention. She used her fingers to draw complex trajectories in the air in front of her. Light screens one after another appeared showing unobstructed images of the battle from all angles. “Cherick, our people are up against Aurorae. His condition doesn’t seem right. Go and have a look. Only me and Zachary are needed here. The outside command will be handed over to you.”
“Old rules. The church will automatically seal once the sacrifice begins. Pay attention and use the protective covers.”
The man with his facial features full of tentacles nodded, and made a suffocating whine, causing the tentacles hanging on his chest to sway up and down. Nemo stood silently in place, minimizing his sense of existence as much as possible.
“I’m very sorry, Mr. White.” After watching her colleague leave, the Bishop of the Abyss finally turned her attention back to Nemo. “Our sacrifices just ran away at this juncture. I think you might know something.”
Nemo shut his mouth tightly, without any intention of answering. Hearing that name, his gaze swept across the skull of the statue, showing a trace of sadness.
“…What a pity,” Hagen sighed softly. “Then let’s get started, Zachary.”
The demon warlock, with only a mouth on his face, nodded. The two reached out their hands together. Chains made of flesh stretched out from the dark brown dirt, entangled Nemo’s body, and dragged it unceremoniously onto the stone platform. The standard black robe previously used for camouflage was ripped open with two big mouths, and the mask that a demon worshiper would wear fell to the ground causing the black-haired young man to look embarrassed.
But he showed no resistance. He seemed to be completely subdued by the demon’s aura in the room and was obedient as a sheep.
Hagen was puzzled for a moment. It may be that the strength of this superior demon was really low, even worse than the nightmare leopard. Although it was a bit strange that he didn’t resist, it made sense to assume that he was subdued by the aura.
He couldn’t escape anyway. The demon warlock who was supposed to be used for sacrifice disappeared, and all the human sacrifices were rescued by unknown forces, but a genuine superior demon should be enough to make up for these losses.
The magic array under the dirt revealed a red light, reflecting the entire hall, and the skeletal stone carvings under the red light looked even more hideous. The chain of flesh tightened tighter, as if it was going to strangle the sacrifice alive.
The ceremony had officially begun.
The sacrifice would slowly and painfully die out, and his flesh would be swallowed by the Church of Silence and turned into pure power. Hagen patiently drove the sacrificial array that was carefully embroidered, ready to guide the coming power…
But no power poured out. No screams sounded. The Church of Silence was not automatically sealed.
The black-haired young man slowly climbed up from the stone platform. The flesh chains broke silently, and rancid blood gushed out from the cross-section. “White”, who was supposed to be a sacrifice, was expressionless. His hair was scattered by the rough dragging, and his damaged robe was wet with black and red blood. It looked like a pale corpse crawling out of a pile of corpses.
The cross-shaped pupils swept across the cloth bags scattered on the ground. Black and red particles the size of peas were scattered among the filth piled up by rotten meat. He struggled for a while, as if he wanted to bend over to pick it up, but in the end, he only let out a small sigh.
He straightened up and grabbed a broken flesh chain casually. A dark arc of light spread to all formations along the chain. Hagen felt a sharp pain in her chest and a fishy sweet smell rushed into her throat. The control of the magic array was taken away forcefully, and the overwhelming power made it impossible for her to resist.
“Thank you. Now I know how to manipulate it.” Their sacrifice finally opened his mouth. His voice was gentle and calm, but the intonation didn’t sound very pleasant. “I apologize for what I am about to do first. Sorry, I have to tear down this place.”
As the Bishop of the Abyss, Hagen’s most indispensable thing was combat experience. She didn’t plan to be in a daze for a few seconds. She had to quickly suppress the opponent. “Zachary, emergency plan!”
As she ordered, all the light screens went out. She concentrated all her strength on the attack. Countless arrays bombarded Nemo. The attack was fierce, like the sharp breath of a blade. The preacher reacted equally quickly. A snow-white bone floated out of the stone skull, and a majestic force rushed to the back of the black-haired youth.
It was a perfect attack with no weaknesses. Even if Aurorae himself was here, it was impossible to escape unscathed.
Hagen didn’t stop. As long as the other party had some breath left. She didn’t mind if the sacrifice’s limbs were broken and were dying. As long as he lived until the ceremony was completed, it didn’t matter what form that life was.
But to her surprise, the magic array was staggered in the light. The other party didn’t even raise their hand to make any gesture of resistance. “Mr. White” just stretched out a hand, causing the bone fragment to fly into his palm as if he had summoned it. Those sharp and powerful spells collapsed on their own in front of him, bursting like soap bubbles.
“You didn’t ask for Colestoro’s will and force him to live,” the black-haired young man said unhappily. He stood firmly in front of the stone sculpture of the Demon King’s skeleton. “You think he’s too ‘weak’, so his opinion isn’t important.”
The sacrifice clenched his five fingers. Hagen heard a slight crack that made her back cold. Her heart was beating wildly…
The man crushed the fragment of Ulysses’ skull.
“You said that there is only one person you really believe in, Ms. Ingram,” the handsome and pale young man continued, “but have you ever confirmed his will?”
“How dare you speak blaspheme—” as the white bone powder drifted in the air, the preacher roared. “Archbishop, we must immediately… Archbishop?!”
Hagen Ingram stopped her attack. Transparent liquid dripped under the black veil.
She had felt this exact hostility many years ago, at the bottom of the Abyss. She was certain it was her revelation; that intense hostility that felt as if a blade had scraped through her bones and a poisonous needle had shattered her brain. It was the miraculous power that crushed the soul.
The Bishop of the Abyss picked up her skirt with very slow movement and then knelt down without any doubt.
Ignoring the plasma-soaked skirt, she let out a hoarse cough, took off her veil, and threw it aside. “I’ve been waiting for you, master.” Her voice echoed in the hall. “I never thought I would see you again in my lifetime.”
A faint vibration came from the ground, and then it became more obvious. The whole church began to shake and slowly sink below. Hagen Ingram seemed indifferent to this. She maintained a half-kneeling salute, raised her deformed head, and looked eagerly at her God.
Nemo felt uncomfortable all over, mentally.
He took the magic array that was feeding Colestoro from the hands of the Bishop of the Abyss and used his softest strength to crack the array. The bag of sandpoint plums that Oliver gave him had fallen into the dirt and could no longer be ingested. His enemy was half kneeling in front of him, and he didn’t feel any emotion resembling pleasure at all.
He did what he had to do, but he didn’t get the slightest joy of victory.
“I’ll tell you very clearly. I don’t like this,” Nemo said slowly. Hagen Ingram recognized him, so at least this saved him the trouble of explaining. “I am not your God. I treat you…”
He clenched the empty small cloth bag with his hand, which was covered in blood. Not a single sandpoint plum was left in it.
“…Without mercy.”
The preacher stood still, and after a few seconds, he knelt down in a daze, without saying a word.
“I only have one question I want to ask you, my Lord.” The Bishop of the Abyss seemed to be completely immersed in her own world. Her several pairs of eyes were shining and full of tears. “Why did you come?”
“Coincidence. I don’t know.” Nemo pulled out a wry smile. “Besides, can you stop calling me ‘Master’? I don’t want to dominate you at all.”
“Yes, you don’t need to worry. We will naturally exercise your will. Our army is always ready to fight for you and is committed to transforming the surface into an Abyss suitable for you.” The preacher, Zachary, opened his mouth tremblingly. His voice was eager, and still in a trance. “Our knights are scattered all over the world, constantly summoning your family members to—”
Nemo’s heart beat violently for a few seconds. He flashed at the preacher and grabbed his collar.
“Your people…” he struggled to get his voice out of his throat. “Answer me. Have your people been to Roadside Town in Alban recently?”
Nemo could feel his hands trembling. He took a few deep breaths before he suppressed his hostility that was almost out of control. The church trembled more severely, and the cracked voice was mixed with countless anxious shouts. The people in the church were evacuating, but he was completely disinterested in their situation.
“If you really want to recognize me as a God so much,” he smiled bitterly, “I suggest you dissolve on the spot. Do you hear me, Ms. Ingram—”
However, the demon warlock with the deformed head was gone, replaced by an extremely beautiful woman. She had beautiful long dark gray hair, an alluring face, and rosy and plump lips, but her expression ruined all this. She looked panicked; her eyes were full of fear. Seeing Nemo’s gaze sweep over her, she almost cried.
“Our contract is completed!” She screamed and slumped to the ground. “She fulfilled her wish and is dead—”
“You’re her demon.” Nemo’s throat tightened for a while, and his emotions somewhat exceeded his tolerance. The voice couldn’t help but sound numb. “What was her wish? It’s not ‘to see the Demon King again’. You’ll never agree to that kind of condition.”
“Of course!” the demon yelled, awkwardly pulling back the black dress. “She just ‘wants to know the truth about the existence of the Demon King’. Who knows what she thought she had figured out! You… don’t come here. This flesh doesn’t have much power. You can’t use it—”
She may be the unluckiest one in the entire Abyss. A superior demon who had just descended to the surface wanted to return immediately. No one had ever told her that after successfully descending to the surface, there would be a risk of directly facing the Demon King.
She began to seriously consider the possibility of escaping by suicide.
‘It’s all that woman’s fault,’ she thought angrily. At first, she thought Hagen Ingram was just a mage who was focused on spell research, and the ‘truth about the existence of the Demon King’ was just a theoretical study. She just needed to provide the other party with a long enough life span. Considering Ingram’s excellent strength, she gladly accepted this wish.
And now, that crazy woman had completely disappeared. All that was left was ecstasy, lament, and relief from the bottom of her heart, and one last sentence.
“The law has not been broken… Well, I’ll be waiting for my God.” This was the last thing that was left by the Bishop of the Abyss. Her voice was so low that only she could hear it. “It’s a great honor to be born in this world.”
The author has something to say:
Nemo is sure he’s the Demon King, but he’s not happy…
Hagen did perceive the truth, and then gracefully typed GG*√
*Good game.
Kinky Thoughts:
LMAO. Hagen got her wish and was like peace out, all yours superior demon. Meet my God.
Well, it’s finally confirmed what most people suspected Nemo is.
Nemo considered this possibility when he stuffed the gray parrot into the cookie tin. The control and monitoring of external communication spells had not been neglected because of the huge size of the church, but he and Bagelmaurus could ignore this.
It wasn’t because of how unbreakable the contract between them was. The power that Bagelmaurus lost to him was like a river flowing into an ocean, leaving no traces. Tracing the location of the contractor was out of Bagelmaurus’ unilateral and clear will. According to the law, the contract only exists in name. Even if his power was greater than that of Bagelmaurus, he shouldn’t have known the location of the gray parrot.
But Nemo knew where it was. The existence of Bagelmaurus was like a dim star, flashing in the corner of the dark sky.
Right now, he was too lazy to think about the principle. After confirming the location of the gray parrot again, Nemo directly cut the space like a cake, and then unsurprisingly saw Jesse Dylan’s beautiful and annoying face on the other side.
Looking at the surrounding scene, Dylan and Mr. Cross should be near the dungeon where the sacrifices were being held. The cookie tin was in Jesse’s hand. The lid was open and Bagelmaurus slowly stretched out its head and glanced at Nemo, then retracted its head even more slowly.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Light?” Jesse’s tone was relaxed and pleasant, as if they were heading towards a picnic at a scenic spot rather than on a mission at the base camp of the Abyssal Church.
He wasn’t surprised by Nemo’s behavior of splitting space.
“This place is going to collapse.” Nemo didn’t plan to have a long talk with the other party. “How long will it take you to get all those sacrifices to a safe place?”
Nemo looked at Jesse Dylan very directly through the rift in space.
“Oh, about this matter. It won’t take more than a few minutes,” Jesse replied eagerly. “You don’t need to buy me time, darling…”
“Then please act now,” Nemo interrupted the blond young man. “The sooner, the better.”
He then unceremoniously closed the space rift. Before the rift closed, Nemo was pretty sure he heard Jesse Dylan’s aggrieved hum. When the cracks in space that were forcibly opened were completely closed, the gorgeous prison became extremely quiet again.
In order to make room for the gray parrot, the cookies that were poured out were scattered all over the table. Nemo released his staff, pressed one hand on the wooden table, and with the other hand, began to stack the pile of cookies neatly in vain. The wooden table was too warm, even a little hot. It could be seen that his hands were abnormally cold.
He couldn’t be nervous.
Stomach acid surged in his stomach. Nemo didn’t like what he was going to do next. Not one bit. Instinctively, he reached out his hand and grabbed a few sandpoint plums and stuffed them all into his mouth in a single breath. Don’t be nervous. Nemo frowned as he tried to focus on the cookie tower in front of him. The next part, when they negotiate, was extremely important. He had to put on a sufficiently inscrutable posture…
Hagen opened the door with grace and elegance. She arrived earlier than he expected.
Nemo hadn’t removed his hand from the cookie tower. His face was still affected by the excessive sour taste, so it was wrinkled with a hideous expression. Even the Bishop of the Abyss was stunned for a few seconds. She turned her face and looked suspiciously at the staff on the ground, then at the cookie tower, and finally at Nemo’s face. She didn’t step into the room.
Nemo: “……”
He took in a deep breath, slowly moving his hand away from the cookie tower, and at the same time gulped down the plums in his mouth.
“Where is Lord Bagelmaurus?” She wasn’t accompanied by any Knights of Silence this time.
“Ate it.” His nostrils were full of the sweet scent of cookies.
“…” Hagen’s face was hidden under the gauze veil, so Nemo couldn’t see her expression. From any point of view, this wasn’t a good start to negotiations.
“That’s not a very good joke.” The Bishop of the Abyss still stood at the entrance. Her wide black skirt didn’t cross the threshold. “Mr. White, I only have one question for you. Are you from the ‘Gatekeepers’ side?”
Nemo straightened his back and made no comment.
“If you are, there is no need for us to be so opposed. Judging by your actions, I can’t think of any other possibilities,” Hagen said, assuming that the other’s response was an implicit “yes”. “Although our philosophies are different—after all, I’m also a Gatekeeper—I understand. In a sense, we’re also fighting for the truth.”
“Are you angry? Ah, you have enough reason to be angry,” Hagen sighed softly. “I have to follow the rules of the Abyssal Church, and now I’m here alone. I only need a small contract from you. A transaction seal. As long as you promise not to take any threatening action against the Abyssal Church, I can ignore this impolite invasion on behalf of the church.”
“Well,” Nemo said, lowering his gaze. The surveillance bug outside the church flashed through his mind and he suddenly realized something—about the upcoming battle between Aurorae and the Abyssal Church, there may be more than one spectator on the sidelines.
“Don’t look at me like this. I miss our time too.” Hagen’s voice had a bit of a smile in it. “You see, the impact can be controlled to a minimum. If you make this promise, I’m sure the others will not pursue you too much.”
She was trying to woo him. He had to say that if he was really an ordinary superior demon, he would indeed seriously consider this proposal. He was at risk of being sacrificed, plus under the pressure of other superior demons. For a superior demon who wanted to live wantonly on the surface, retaining their power was the most realistic choice.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t an “ordinary superior demon”.
“You know, this church is alive.” He didn’t respond positively to Hagen’s proposal. “You have always known those sacrifices… are almost equivalent to ‘feeding’. You’re forcing it to live, not making sacrifices to the demon.”
“Do you care about this?” Hagen hid the surprise in her voice well. “Obviously, if there’s still a chance for revenge, who would want to die?”
“Have you asked him?” Nemo sighed. “If you really want to, you should be able to perceive his emotions.”
“Look at what you’re saying. If he doesn’t want to cooperate, this church wouldn’t open a protective array for sacrifices… Oh, sorry, I shouldn’t explain it to you like this.” Hagen shrugged. “So let us talk as Gatekeepers—so what?”
“He wants to die, so what? Lord Colestoro has become a ‘symbol’ and he cannot fall.” Hagen’s voice began to become cold. “In practical terms, he is just a nightmare leopard.”
“I thought you believed in the Abyss.” Nemo almost crushed the table to pieces, but he held back.
“Of course we believe in the Abyss, but that it’s not blind faith. All we really believe in is the one at the bottom of the Abyss. Don’t you know very well? Whether it’s us or a superior demon—for that one, we’re all just ants.”
“…That’s just your imagination.”
“I understand. I get it. After all, I also came from that period, but after I really witnessed that one up close, I realized my stupidity and insignificance.” There was a bit of fanaticism in her voice. “In that crusade, a superior demon planned to take advantage of the chaos to gain some benefits. Ah, just like those lovely pseudo-gods from those churches.” She casually pointed in the direction of the surface above her head. Her voice was getting softer and sweeter. “Guess what happened? Our God didn’t even make a move.”
“It just looked at the superior demon—a complete superior demon, my friend—and it turned to ashes. It’s the biggest joke that such a being died at the hands of the surface race. If this is not God’s mercy, what is?”
“I’m sorry. I decided to be an ant and not think about that one’s thoughts.” Nemo thought for a moment before squeezing out a somewhat cold smile. “I don’t plan to cooperate with you.”
The location of Bagelmaurus was moving quickly outside the church. Good.
“Just lock me up like this.” When Hagen finds that their sacrifices have escaped, she will only have one option left.
Hagen took off her veil and sighed. Her movements stiffened and she took out a spherical black crystal from her pocket, as if staring at the flashing text on it.
“Very well,” the Bishop of the Abyss said calmly. “It’s just that you need to change places.”
She took off her lace gloves and hooked her fingers at the door. The erosion spell moved from all parts of the room and wrapped around Nemo’s body. They were wrapped tightly, squeezing into his skin. Nemo struggled symbolically a few times and stopped moving.
‘Great,’ he thought.
Oliver stopped in the scorched forest. Virgil hugged Colestoro and stopped cautiously. He still had doubts about the purpose of this weird team, but the strength of their players was too terrifying, and he didn’t think the opponent was trying to take advantage of him.
Perhaps for a gold coin? He bent the corners of his mouth weakly.
“What are we going to do now?” Virgil couldn’t understand what they were planning. He didn’t like the feeling that he wasn’t in control.
“We wait,” Oliver said. He began to quickly paint a camouflage array nearby. The overflowing power frightened Virgil. “Wait for Nemo’s signal.”
“Mr. Light… No, what is that person going to do?” Virgil hugged the unconscious demon tightly in his arms. “If you really still think I’m your client, then I have the right to know.”
“To be honest, I don’t know either,” Oliver didn’t stop the movements of his hands, “But I can guess. Nemo will send Colestoro’s body back to the Abyss, and then cut off the incomplete contract. He can’t cure Mr. Colestoro, and he’s very sorry for this.”
“After the contract is completely cut off, Mr. Colestoro’s consciousness will no longer be troubled by the pain of his body. His power will be greatly weakened, but…”
“He’ll still have decades to live.” Virgil quickly understood Nemo Light’s plan.
It wasn’t just a few days without pain or consciousness, but decades of sobriety and stability. Colestoro would lose the power supplied by the main body, but the flesh on the surface would continue to survive until the nightmare leopard’s body in the Abyss died unknowingly. Virgil buried the tip of his nose in Colestoro’s hair. His nose soured for an instant.
“Yes. ‘Then you can go anywhere, even to the Abyss and end it yourself’,” Oliver said softly. “Give me a gold coin.”
“You–” Virgil was about to speak. His vigilance honed over the years immediately interrupted his voice. Oliver’s reaction was faster, and the camouflage array was launched immediately.
A lonely figure flashed from the air, calmly advancing in the direction of the Church of Silence. He was far away from them, but it was enough for the two of them to see the figure clearly. He was wearing twisted armor and had a big sword behind him. The two people present simultaneously recognized him.
Aurorae had arrived.
Oliver immediately looked in the direction of the Church of Silence. As if responding to his gaze, the beautiful and twisted magnificent building began to shake visibly to the naked eye, slowly sinking below the ground, as if the foundation had turned into a swamp.
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. Not far from him, a surveillance bug stopped on a dead tree trunk with its eyeball on its abdomen spinning frantically.
Not far away, Aurorae stopped. He wouldn’t unwind just for the scene in front of him. The fierce superior demon slayer frowned under his armor—the abyssal magic in the air fluctuated powerfully.
‘There was an extremely bad guy here, and he was wreaking havoc,’ Aurorae thought and took out a communication crystal.
“Telaranea,” he asked in a deep voice after the communication connected successfully. “I remember you had some friendship with Hagen Ingram?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Has she reported any unusual events recently?”
“It depends on what you want to know, Vance.” The demon on the opposite side of the communication crystal sounded like it was in a good mood. “Ah, no. I forgot you were working—okay, what do you want to know, Aurorae?”
The author has something to say:
Yes, Aurorae appeared a long time ago. XD Talbott Vance is just the name of his human shell~ Except for Nemo, there are no demons with a first and last name.
Kinky Thoughts:
Note: I previously translated Aurorae’s name as Aurora. His official name, as given by the author, is Aurorae. Previous chapters have been fixed, but for those who read them before the change, please make note of this.
I wasn’t expecting Vance to be Aurorae. I thought he would be Jesse. Now this begs the question, who exactly is Jesse?
The closer they got to their destination, the faster the colorful scenery around them faded. The space was dissolving in a strange way, and the edges were like the ends of moldy, rotten rags. The sound also began to blur, as if it was separated by a thick wall. They could no longer discern the contents of the broken scene and could only concentrate on moving forward.
It felt odd. The first foot was still on the soft, thick grass while the second foot was on hard stone bricks. When they approached the source of the nightmare, the surroundings had become extremely quiet; so quiet that only the breathing and footsteps of two people were left in the entire space.
Therefore, the sound of crystal fragmentation was particularly loud.
The robes of the Abyssal Church were simple in style. Nemo had put the crystal piece given to him by Virgil in his only pocket. Even if Oliver was standing by his side, Ann was outside waiting for them. Cognitive interference had no effect on Nemo. He carefully calculated the time since they had entered. It wasn’t sunrise yet. In order to prevent exposure, it was reasonable that Ann wouldn’t take the initiative to contact him.
The crystal chip wasn’t a communication crystal. Once contact began, no one could decide whether they wanted to receive it or not.
Nemo hurriedly took it out and quickly isolated it with magic, so it wouldn’t be crushed into dust by the surveillance magic here.
“I know this isn’t appropriate. Sorry.” Accompanied by the clattering sound of the crystal fragmentation, the voice of the female warrior came from the crystal chip. The speed of her speech was so fast that they could barely hear the content. “The armies of other surface religions will intervene. Be careful not to meddle too much. If the momentum doesn’t seem right, retreat immediately. They want to pick up a leak. Not only this church, but all around here will be sealed…”
Before she could finish speaking, the crystal broke into pieces.
There was only one crystal chip left in Nemo’s possession, and three more were with Virgil, which couldn’t be borrowed for the time being. The two held their breaths and stared at the only piece left.
But Ann didn’t communicate again.
“She should be considering retaining it as a last resort,” Oliver said. “Don’t worry.”
“I know.” Nemo let go of the hand holding Oliver. “We have to get things done as soon as possible and get out of here.” The last thing Nemo wanted to encounter in this world was the armies of other religions.
“Another way… What are you going to do?” Oliver clenched the sword in his hand. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Yes,” Nemo quickly thought about the plan’s details. “We’ll have to separate later. You have to take him away from here and meet up with Ann. Stay as far away from the Church of Silence as possible. I’ll go… Uh…” he paused for a few seconds, trying to find a relatively mild way to put it. “I’m going to deal with Colestoro’s body.”
“Ok.” Oliver nodded decisively. “I only have one question. Will you be in danger?”
Nemo wanted to give him a smile back, but accidentally mixed some bitterness into it. Obviously, he wouldn’t be in any danger. He was probably the biggest “danger” in the world itself. “No,” he answered the question softly, “I promise.”
“It seems I have to guard them alone… I can finally get rid of this thing.” As if perceiving the bitterness in Nemo’s smile, Oliver patted his helmet twice. His voice sounded cheerful and relaxed, with the same optimism as before. “It’s a good thing.”
After a few minutes, they finally saw the source of the nightmare.
Colestoro was lying in an open sarcophagus that seemed to be placed in the middle of a huge magic array. There were many chains wrapped in runes under the dim light around the sleeping demon. They came from all sides of this space, and the ends were hidden in darkness, firmly fixing him in the sarcophagus.
Virgil was half kneeling next to the sarcophagus. The burden originally carried on his back was thrown aside at will and the two huge bone hands behind him were exposed. The brushes were scattered all over the place showing that his preparation was completed. Countless black magic arrays hovered above the sarcophagus that had not fallen yet. He stared intently at the person in the sarcophagus, unaware of the proximity of the two behind him.
Duran Virgil had a hunch that he would succeed this time.
But he didn’t know if he should be happy about it. He had been working hard for this day since he awoke alone in the forest more than 600 years ago, but when it finally arrived, he began to hesitate. It was clear that even his sleep would not make the pain disappear, and what he wanted to realize was not his own imagination, but the other party’s true wish. This was the most reasonable option. As time passed, year by year, Virgil believed that he was ready.
But he wasn’t.
The black magic array floated in the air, like a crow circling carrion. Virgil reached out his right hand, caressed the other’s long white hair, put it to his lips and kissed it.
“This is the last time I’m coming to see you, Colesi,” he said in a low voice, as if he was afraid of waking the person up. “It would be great if the world after death really existed. That way, you can wait for me… Just wait for me for a while. In fact, I’ve been…”
“Forget it,” he said quietly. “You know what? Now I draw much better than you.”
Virgil suddenly felt exhausted like never before. His long journey was coming to an end. Just like after a festival, people began to dismantle the temporary stage, the music completely dissipated, and the exquisite set turned into rags and wood chips. This was the ending that had long been destined.
The erosion runes he created would quickly destroy the person in the sarcophagus. After the demon’s body was destroyed, it would take a while for the consciousness to return to the body. Before Colestoro’s consciousness returns to its body, he could ensure that this “church” would also disappear under the action of his erosion spell.
Virgil had studied for hundreds of years, so he knew how intense this spell would be. It would invade along the cracks of the Abyss like a virus, killing the part on the other side of the Abyss, and during that period of time—that short period of time when the consciousness was helpless—there would be no more pain.
The deadly array was getting lower. The lonely exorcist leaned down and kissed the demon’s forehead. “Good night.”
But the erosion array didn’t fall.
As the creator, Virgil could feel that it was instantly destroyed by an external force. Virgil suddenly raised his head. The eccentric demon worshiper was standing a few steps away, and the Knight of Silence he controlled was following him… No, that wasn’t a Knight of Silence. The leader of Tumbleweed, Oliver Ramon, who looked gentle and harmless, was standing with him.
Virgil didn’t perceive their aura at all. He didn’t even have time to hide the distortion behind him.
Nemo’s hand that wasn’t holding the staff maintained a spell-casting gesture.
Virgil quickly took two steps back, subconsciously adding a protective array to the demon in the sarcophagus, and then sent out hostility unreservedly. The two bone hands behind him danced like normal hands, and circles of black attack spells were ready to go.
“What do you want?” Since the other party could reach here by their own strength, Virgil didn’t plan to talk nonsense.
“Price increase,” Oliver said readily, raising his eyebrows at Nemo.
“That’s right.” Nemo was a little infected by Oliver’s smile. When his words were said, the feeling of worry was no longer strong. “For additional services, it will be an extra gold coin.”
Virgil sneered without showing any signs of relaxation. Nemo wasn’t surprised. He took two steps forward and squeezed the chain that bound Colestoro.
“That’s Aurorae’s seal,” Virgil said in a hoarse voice. “You’d better take your hands away. I don’t know who you are, but it will definitely—”
Nemo clenched his five fingers tightly, and not only did the chain not bite back, but it broke in response.
It wasn’t just the one he held that shattered. The chains in the entire space all turned into light that broke at the same time. The broken light went out like fireworks after just a few seconds, leaving not a single trace behind in the dim space. It seemed that what Nemo crushed was like a soft snow sculpture piled high with snowflakes. The fragmentation was perfectly isolated in this space without leaking even a trace of energy fluctuations.
The frowning brows of Colestoro in the sarcophagus began to twitch slightly, and there were some signs of awakening.
“You…” Virgil forgot the danger at that moment and rushed back to the sarcophagus.
There was no one besides him who knew more about demons. Now it seemed that his previous inability to detect his opponent’s aura was not because the “demon worshiper” was too weak, but because he was ridiculously strong. Not to mention the Abyssal Church, which hadn’t successfully lifted the seal for hundreds of years, other superior demons with whom he had befriended could not match Nemo Light’s strength. It was obvious that he was stronger than the one who had set up this seal—this meant that his strength was above that of the rumored ancient demon Aurorae.
For him to be able to do this, except for another superior demon at the peak of their strength, there was no other possibility.
If Nemo Light was at this level, then his lover…
Virgil felt chills for a moment.
“I will explain to you slowly on the way.” As if perceiving the other party’s thoughts, Oliver walked directly to the sarcophagus. “We have limited time, and you’re a trustworthy person, aren’t you? Take Mr. Colestoro with you and I’ll escort the way.”
Virgil didn’t move.
Their client didn’t seem to be as rigid as before. They didn’t know if it was because of their attitude or because he had noticed the gap in strength and decided that resistance was useless, but it didn’t matter. Nemo tugged at the corners of his mouth weakly. “I know that the unfinished contract will bind Mr. Colestoro to his body. Don’t worry, I’ll solve this problem. Ollie, please do the rest. I’ll be back when I finish.”
“Remember to inform Dylan and Mr. Cross.”
“Of course.”
“There’s still a piece of crystal on your side. I’ll contact you after I meet with Ann.” As if insisting on reassuring Nemo, Oliver still had a smile on his face. “Seriously, Mr. Virgil. I can knock you out and drag you two away. Let’s save the trouble, okay?”
Virgil didn’t seem to react until he successfully carried Colestoro out of the sarcophagus. The demon’s head hung weakly, and the nightmares around him began to dissipate like smoke and dust. Virgil stood still for a few seconds, trying to digest the reality. In the end, a little fire ignited in his eyes.
“We can leave,” he said hoarsely. His voice was trembling.
“You can lead the way.” Oliver shrugged. “We have taken your task and we must be responsible for it to the end.”
“The surveillance aura of the Abyss has disappeared.” Nemo stretched out his hand. “Give me back the pendant, Ollie.”
“I still want to keep it for a while,” Oliver said, a little dissatisfied. “There’s an engraving that is also quite romantic.”
“Stop joking around. In case you meet people from other surface religions later…”
“I know.” Oliver made a reluctant face and threw the gold pendant at Nemo, who caught it steadily. “Wait and see. I’ll never take back what I give you—”
“Oh, the engraving is gone. I can feel it.” He gave Nemo a big smile. “See you later.”
Nemo had always liked Oliver’s smiling eyes. Even in the most desperate moments, the hope inside had never completely dissipated. Oliver Ramon’s smile always carried a kind of happiness unique to ordinary people; a pure, carefree feeling. It always made Nemo feel that his feet were still firmly on the ground and that he wasn’t a lone beast on an ice sheet. Part of him was firmly nailed to that distant town on the border by this smile, and he could always feel the simple and ordinary warmth in his memory.
But this was the last time he saw Oliver smile like this.
Nemo still thought of this moment many years later. At this moment, they firmly believed that this was just a very short parting. For some reason, they all had an inexplicable confidence, believing that they would soon be reunited with each other, just like every separation in their previous adventures.
Unfortunately, no matter how powerful he was, he couldn’t turn back time.
If he could, he would never let go of Oliver’s hand at this time. Even if he had to take everyone with him, no matter how complicated the plan would be as a result, he wouldn’t let go—he shouldn’t have let go.
But right now, he didn’t know about such things.
Nemo didn’t intend to make any unnecessary concealment of strength. He determined the coordinates he had marked, and directly cut open the space, revealing a magnificent prison on the other side of the space.
“See you later.” Nemo turned his head and tried to smile back.
He didn’t like to destroy things. Nemo preferred repair to destruction. When he was in Roadside Town before, even if the small cooking pot was burnt or leaked, he did his best to fix it, and now he had exactly the opposite thought. Destroy this church. Destroy this order…
Finally, destroy the incomplete contract.
He stood still in the so-called watertight cell and picked up a piece of cookie. Nemo could perceive that Hagen Ingram was approaching there. At her speed, the Bishop of the Abyss would arrive here in more than ten minutes. No matter what her plans were, they would try to negotiate or confuse him, then sacrifice him…
Nemo took a bite of the cookie in silence.
He must be a sacrifice.
The author has something to say:
Mr. Virgil, after brewing emotions for a long time, was about to achieve a tragic BE*…
*Bad ending.
Then it was forcibly interrupted by an additional service for one gold coin√
Kinky Translations 