Chapter 395: The Story

Chapter 395: The Story

In the hidden space enveloped by peach blossoms, a stream, and a mountain peak, the figure of Buthis, the Mystic Saint of the Aurora Society, darted about swiftly, evading the encircling pea vines from all directions.

As a Sequence 4 Mystic Master of the Door pathway, he was an expert at escaping. However, the secret realm created by the Mystic Queen seemed to possess the attributes of imprisonment and disorientation, making it difficult to break free. His opponent was unwilling to give him the time he needed.

With a grim expression, Buthis glanced at the black powder on the ground during a brief moment of evasion, knowing that the Scion had been killed. This mission had not only been futile but had also placed him in grave danger.

"I came, I saw, I recorded."

Once again evading Bernadette's attack, Buthis opened the illusory book in his hand. A page flipped, and he transformed into a Black Knight, his body covered in black armor and his form expanding.

"Mystic Queen, I have no intention of being your enemy. Let me leave!"

Bernadette ignored his plea. A black-and-white Eye of Secrets appeared before her, and with a cold expression, she conjured an ancient spear and hurled it mercilessly.

Swish—

Even with Buthis's full effort to dodge, the ancient spear effortlessly pierced through his armor, pinning him to the wall. Blood gushed out, dripping to the ground.

The face of the Mystic Saint contorted in pain. He coughed up blood and internal organs, forcing a twisted smile.

Buthis extended his right hand, which now held a delicate ornament with intricate engravings. The three-tiered jewelry box was adorned with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds, exuding a regal aura.

While the combat abilities of the Door pathway were not lacking, it was unrealistic to expect him to defeat an experienced Sequence 3 fighter. To turn the tide, he had to use a Sealed Artifact.

This was the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact he had stolen when he defected from the Abraham Family—the Box of the Old Ones!

According to his knowledge, this jewelry box originated from an angel of the Abraham Family during the Fourth Epoch. The angel loved to wander the cosmos, traveling to different parts of the vast universe. One day, he died mysteriously in his palace, his face twisted in fear, as if he had seen something terrifying.

After his death, his remains and Extraordinary Trait combined to form this Sealed Artifact. Instead of attempting to break the seal and restore the Extraordinary Trait to strengthen the family, Berthold Abraham, the head of the Door pathway at the time, gave it this name.

Bernadette furrowed her brow, sensing an ominous aura from the box. She instinctively summoned a mask and placed it on her face.

Meanwhile, Buthis opened the first tier of the jewelry box.

Inside, the scenery was idyllic: lush green grass, blooming peach blossoms, and a magnificent peach grove. A cave entrance opened up, encircled by mountains, forming an impenetrable realm. It was the very secret realm created by Bernadette—the Origin of the Peach Blossoms.

In this realm, the doll-like Mystic Queen remained motionless, her skin losing its human luster and becoming a lifelike doll.

Buthis raised his head, a smile forming on his lips. Before him was the original room of the factory.

The first tier of the Box of the Old Ones could transform the target location into a miniature toy, swapping it with the internal space. Buthis had used this to achieve his goal with ease and cunning.

The second tier could transport people and objects to specific locations, but he had not dared to use it, leaving the coordinates leading to the cosmos inside.

The cosmos were too dangerous, and he did not dare to use it casually.

As for the third tier, he had never used it. Even a mere glance would fill him with trembling and fear.

With the crisis averted, Buthis prepared to use his "recording" ability to manifest a healing ability from the Alchemist pathway. However, a cold wind suddenly swept through, and the aura of death spread.

This...

Buthis's expression froze as he looked down.

He saw that the mask on the doll-like Bernadette's face was releasing waves of death, causing everything around to erode as if washed away by time.

This was the last Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that Bernadette had not been drained by Luke—the Pallid Death!

The Box of the Old Ones remained undamaged, but Buthis's arm holding it began to wither, rapidly spreading to his entire body. He let out a cry of shock and instinctively threw the toy from the first tier of the box.

Crack—Crack—

The toy's exterior aged and shattered in mid-air, and Bernadette reappeared at her original spot. She removed the Pallid Death, and an ancient spear reappeared in her hand.

Buthis glared at the Mystic Queen with venom, his body rapidly fading as he prepared to enter the Spirit Realm. With the Origin of the Peach Blossoms no longer present, as a Demigod of the Door pathway, he could still escape even if he couldn't defeat her.

Bernadette, ready to stop his escape, extended her hand, and ethereal light points appeared, preparing to use the Game of Ages to delay him.

"Aaaaaaaaaa—"

Buthis suddenly exited the Spirit Realm, his veins bulging like writhing snakes, his face contorted in excruciating pain. He let out a blood-curdling scream, then fell into unconsciousness.

Bernadette paused, her lips trembling, her expression a mix of incomprehension and disbelief.

The Empress Roselle emerged from the void, holding the Box of the Old Ones. Her stern gaze softened instantly upon seeing Bernadette.

She let out a gentle sigh and smiled at her.

"It's been a long time, my little princess."

...

Two shadows darted and chased each other.

Furion's Hound continuously traversed the Spirit Realm, sometimes igniting objects around him for a fiery leap, sometimes transforming into paper figures, and sometimes manipulating the threads of the spirit body, fully utilizing the characteristics of the Fortune Teller.

Even though the dog is now only a Sequence 4, it was once a Sequence 3.5, still stronger than a demigod-level wraith.

It toyed with the demigod-level wraith summoned by Ince Zangwill, pulling it away from the battlefield, rendering it completely useless and occasionally interfering with Ince Zangwill's actions.

No, no, everything is wrong!

Amid the rapidly changing scenery, Ince Zangwill's face was as dark as a thundercloud, unable to believe how he, who should have had an absolute advantage, had ended up in this predicament.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned a bronze gate that opened into the Netherworld. A chilling aura rushed out, and countless pale arms emerged, followed by a horde of twisted and evil wraiths.

Sizzle—

The wraiths that had just appeared melted like snow under the scorching sun, their agonized screams echoing as something continuously purified them.

Ince Zangwill, his eyes red with fury, looked toward the source of the purification. It was a young man in a tailcoat, exuding a scholarly air, with a warm-emitting emblem pinned to his chest.

That was... Kline Moretti, carrying the "Mutated Sun Saint Emblem."

Why had he overlooked this sealed artifact that restrained corpses and wraiths?

Ince Zangwill, in agony, clawed at his temples, his fingers sinking into the bloody, mangled flesh, but he felt no pain.

His mind was a chaotic mess, uncertain whether it was because the spirit threads had been repeatedly tugged, or because he had encountered too many "accidents."

Too many for him to even think about.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shaken from his shock, although he couldn't fully grasp the situation, Ince Zangwill confirmed that his enemies—Loy, Frye, and Koenlie—had aimed their guns at him, the former Archbishop of the Church of Nightray.

Holy bullets pierced through the dissipating wraiths and shot toward Ince Zangwill. Several wraiths resisted the "purification", weakening the impact of the bullets.

This was Ince Zangwill's prearranged defense, a skill from the "Gatekeeper" that turned his body into a small Netherworld, carrying wraiths with him.

The pain and the gunfire restored Ince Zangwill's senses. He clenched the "0-08" pen, preparing to write a disaster.

"Due to certain positions, a meteorite fell on Zotrall Street 2, directly hitting Black Thorn Security Company. All the Nightray members died, except for Ince Zangwill, who survived by chance!"

For his current Sequence 5 status, the Spiritual Energy required to write this sentence was too heavy a burden, only a Sequence 4 demigod could manage it.

But the sudden "disaster" had aided his plan. Although it would drain him, he could write it in this environment.

This was the revelation given to him by Spiritual Energy!

Just as he was about to write, his hand suddenly went empty.

The ancient quill pen vanished from his palm and reappeared in the hand of Frye, another Nightray member who possessed the "Vein Thief" ability.

Ince Zangwill only then noticed the three lines of text the "0-08" had written on his clothes during his moment of distraction.

"The 'Vein Thief,' an Extraordinary Trait from the 'Thief' pathway, successfully stole the '0-08' from Ince Zangwill."

"This was impossible, but Ince Zangwill's continuous use of the '0-08' to write mundane and illogical scripts had already enraged the '0-08'."

"The '0-08' finally broke free from the fool."

Ince Zangwill couldn't feel anger because his thoughts slowed again, the spirit threads tugging at him once more, leaving him no chance to resist.

Loy, perceiving the opportunity, placed a strand of hair on Ince Zangwill. The moment it touched him, his distorted face calmed, his flushed complexion eased, and he lost any desire to resist.

"Silent Strand"!

This sealed artifact forced anyone it touched into a state of forced "calm", as if their life force had been drained, leaving them silent.

When he regained his senses from the chaotic emotions, Ince Zangwill noticed something he had overlooked.

He realized that someone had been standing there all along, at Black Thorn Security Company, unnoticed by everyone.

It was a priest in simple white robes, with a light golden beard, his eyes clear and innocent, quietly observing everything, including himself.

"Psychological Invisibility", the true "Spectator", the true "Author"?

A more powerful "Spectator" than the "0-08"...

The memory of the text "0-08" had written on his clothes, which he had ignored, suddenly flashed in Ince Zangwill's mind.

"Question 4: Are we being watched?"

Was everything arranged?

Ince Zangwill mustered all his will to survive, his eyes trembling slightly.

He slowly lifted his head and saw the demigod wraith that had been turned into a puppet, the Netherworld gate slowly closing and vanishing, and the Nightray members approaching him.

Finally, he turned his gaze to Chanice Gate, where the "Saint Selena's Ashes", which he had long sought, were stored.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four gunshots echoed, and Ince Zangwill's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, fragments and fluid scattering everywhere.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end