Chapter Fifty-Eight: A Strange Ornament, The Company’s Deepest Secret
Within the dimly lit cabin, the fireplace crackled, casting flickering shadows on the two figures within.
A dark shadow lurked in the corner, silent and still.
“Cough…”
Philosopher, seated on a small stool, coughed violently. He looked even older than before, his wrinkled skin marked with dark spots resembling livor mortis.
In just half a month, he had aged considerably, seemingly on the verge of death, yet a powerful life force still flickered within him.
Educator sat on the sofa beside him, a connection established between them, his Myriad path ability sustaining Philosopher’s life.
The childish yet aged boy closed his eyes, his mind seemingly elsewhere, until after a moment, he opened them, Philosopher’s deep, cloudy gaze fixed on him.
“How did it go?”
“She is indeed a Grotesque-side Awakened One with unprecedented aptitude.” Educator said gravely. “Far more powerful than the three of us, perhaps even comparable to… a Grotesquery Apostle.”
Educator hadn’t left the cabin. It was an avatar created by Philosopher that had interviewed Alyssa.
“I didn’t see any trace of the Company in her fate, but I can’t be certain. The ‘old man’s’ power… is comparable to ours.” Philosopher said slowly. “Educator, can you rule out the possibility of her being a Grotesquery Apostle?”
Neither Philosopher nor the old man could constantly monitor all of Victoria. There were blind spots in their perception, a result of their ongoing power struggle.
Therefore, Saint Alyssa’s fate, as seen by Philosopher, was fragmented, though the general outline was clear, seemingly nothing unusual.
Educator remained silent for a long time, then shook his head. “We know too little about Apostles. I didn’t detect any signs, but I can’t be certain. Therefore, I only entrusted her with a basic task, revealing nothing else.”
It was Educator’s domain that had suppressed Luo Ling’s spores, capable of specifically targeting and neutralizing Grotesqueries within its range. In previous tests, this suppression would sever a Grotesquery Apostle’s connection to their power source.
However, it had no effect on Saint Alyssa, who showed no signs of distress, her expression unchanged.
Although Educator had feigned great interest in this new Harbinger, the “Theologian,” he hadn’t revealed anything substantial about the Harbingers.
Because he wasn’t certain.
He wasn’t even sure if she was a pawn planted by the Company.
Especially in this crucial period, they couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Historian had explicitly expressed support for Philosopher’s path to godhood, so he wouldn’t interfere, even offering assistance.
However, the three of them knew that the Harbingers’ complete plan wouldn’t be revealed to Historian, a precaution against betrayal.
“Very good, such caution is necessary. However… if she’s not a problem, once she grows stronger, she will be a valuable asset.”
Philosopher’s lips twitched slightly, as if smiling, but his wrinkled face made it hard to tell.
“Philosopher, if you still intend to pursue godhood, you should act quickly.”
Historian’s cold, emotionless voice echoed. “The Company isn’t just waiting.”
Historian fell silent again, its dark form merging with the shadows.
It rarely interfered with the other two’s decisions, only offering advice based on the Company directors’ actions… It was the same within the Company.
Like a thin thread connecting both sides, subtle yet unbreakable.
“Heh, this old body of mine can’t wait much longer.” Philosopher chuckled. “Don’t worry, when fate’s needle points to the right moment, I will ascend.
“It won’t be… much longer.”
…….
Unlike the bustling daytime, the Church of Light cathedral was silent and empty after evening mass, the blind nun sitting alone in the central hall, facing the altar, seemingly in prayer.
Religious, after escorting Alyssa back, had quickly left, as if in a hurry, likely to attend to his ascension preparations.
It seemed the arrival of the “Theologian” had put some pressure on him.
After Religious left, Luo Ling’s consciousness regained control of Alyssa.
“Again… addicted to fleecing me, are you? I’ll make you pay for this one day…”
Luo Ling grumbled, examining the object Educator had given her with her spore vision.
It was an ornament-like object, a dark stone sphere suspended within a metallic, openwork frame, resting on a stone pedestal.
It had been prepared by Educator beforehand. Luo Ling could sense the White Witch’s aura on it, even a faint semblance of her presence.
This aura likely came from the White Witch’s dormant fungal threads in Jiangcheng County, perfectly preserved within this strange ornament.
Luo Ling had sensed its unusual nature upon receiving it, but only now did she realize it was an incredibly intricate Sacred Tool.
Although she seemed to possess several Sacred Tools, especially with Fiona gifting her one every time they met, they were incredibly valuable.
Even an unsuitable Sacred Tool was rare.
For example, the combined points earned by the entire Twintails Supreme team during their recent Incubation Barrier clearing missions weren’t enough to redeem even the lowest-level Sacred Tool.
Crafting Sacred Tools was costly and time-consuming. Even the lowest-level ones were from Grotesqueries within the top three hundred Sequences. Anything lower wasn’t cost-effective, their power too weak, the success rate too low.
Such Sacred Tools were usually practice pieces for apprentice crafters, their effectiveness far inferior to ordinary Sacred Tools… yet they were still in high demand.
However, after a thorough examination, Luo Ling couldn’t discern this Sacred Tool’s purpose.
The aura was just that, an aura. Although it mimicked the White Witch’s presence, it lacked any real power.
After activating her “Kingdom” Authority, Luo Ling tried channeling the Puppet Ballad’s power into the ornament, only strengthening the aura, nothing else.
“How strange…”
Luo Ling placed the ornament on the altar, as instructed by Educator, then performed the sacrificial ritual.
The sensation of sacrificing to herself was strange…
But it was technically Alyssa sacrificing to the White Witch, and Alyssa was her Godchosen, so… it was normal.
In fact, this was what Godchosen and God’s Favored were supposed to do, even Iris. Her and Elsa’s relationship was an exception.
After the ritual, Luo Ling sensed that the Sacred Tool had gained a bit of the White Witch’s power, while she herself had lost a negligible amount.
Such a small amount, like scraping a bit of dust from a skyscraper, easily overlooked if she wasn’t paying attention.
“Not much different from before, except this lost power is now within the Sacred Tool.”
Luo Ling frowned. What could such a small amount of power do? Even accumulating it for years wouldn’t be enough to cause a Dangerous Grotesquery level disaster.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. She would figure it out later. For now, the Sacred Tool was in her possession. If anything happened, she could use Naraku’s power to change its ownership.
Normally, a Sacred Tool’s ownership couldn’t be changed, unless its owner was dead, but for Naraku, it wasn’t a problem. She could simply “rewrite reality.”
—Regardless of the previous owner, after rewriting reality, the owner would be her.
In a way, Naraku’s first ability, “Ensnare,” was quite versatile, capable of disrupting the established order, as long as… she didn’t use it on herself.
As Luo Ling was about to leave, allowing Alyssa to handle the Church of Light’s affairs, she heard a sound at the door.
Luo Ling paused, then realized who it was.
“…Sister?”
Stasha whispered.
“What’s wrong, Stasha?”
Luo Ling turned her wheelchair towards the door, seeing the flaxen-haired girl peeking in hesitantly.
Hearing her sister’s voice, Stasha sighed in relief and rushed over.
She tripped midway, and Luo Ling, anticipating it through her spore vision, moved her wheelchair slightly, catching Stasha.
However, since she was maintaining her blind persona, she didn’t reach out to steady Stasha, allowing her to fall into Alyssa’s arms.
A softness Alyssa didn’t possess cushioned Stasha’s fall, her face buried in it.
“Oh! Sister, are you… alright?”
Stasha struggled to get up, but somehow just shifted her position, still in Alyssa’s arms.
“I’m fine, but you, Stasha, should be more careful.”
Luo Ling was amused by her clumsy sister, her lips twitching slightly. After helping Stasha up, she asked, “Why are you here so early? Shouldn’t you come later?”
Alyssa usually had work to do, taking an hour or two, until the moon was high in the sky, before Stasha came to take her home.
“I… I was afraid…”
Stasha’s face was still slightly flushed, not from the physical contact, but from embarrassment.
She hesitated, not finishing her sentence, but Luo Ling understood her concern.
Afraid that, like before…
After a casual parting, she would find her sister missing her legs, or her eyes gone.
Or even worse, hearing that her sister had been dismembered. If Stasha hadn’t rushed to the church and seen her alive, it would have been a lifelong trauma.
The past tragedies were like nightmares, even these three months of unbelievable happiness couldn’t erase the shadows, Stasha still fearing their recurrence.
“That won’t happen again, Stasha.” Luo Ling stroked Stasha’s hair gently. “Sister… will be fine from now on.”
“Okay… I know, sister.”
Stasha felt like her sister had returned. She looked at her sister’s smile, a bright smile appearing on her own face.
“But I still have to finish my prayers. You can sit here and wait, and we’ll go home together later, alright?” Luo Ling said gently.
“Okay.”
Stasha nodded, finding a seat and taking out a notebook, reading under the moonlight filtering through the stained-glass windows.
This reminded Luo Ling of her high school days, always carrying notes for studying, a nostalgic feeling.
…No, best not to dwell on high school.
After reassuring her sister, Luo Ling withdrew her consciousness, allowing Alyssa to continue her duties.
She had considered helping, but she didn’t know how to do Alyssa’s work…
It was better to be a leader. That was a job she could handle, even without any specific skills, as long as she could manage her subordinates… which was practically instinctual for the Puppet Ballad.
Back in her body, Luo Ling heard Elsa’s snores, closer than usual, her warm breath brushing against Luo Ling’s collarbone, her arms wrapped around her, even her little feet pressed against Luo Ling’s.
“Is she afraid I’ll sneak away at night?”
Luo Ling chuckled, but didn’t move.
Night fell.
………..
Unlike the desolate Slocken District, Victoria’s most prosperous district, London, was still brightly lit, even the performances at the Victoria Opera House hadn’t ended.
However, Fiona, the opera house’s manager, wasn’t in her office, but in her room.
Contrary to most people’s expectations, her living quarters were simple, just a bed and a dressing table.
Even the bedside table was just a small stand, holding a candle that had been refilled countless times.
This wasn’t due to frugality, but a long-standing habit.
Fiona sat at her dressing table, her gaze fixed on the long-barreled firearm Sacred Tool, gently tracing its surface, then sighing softly.
Even after hearing from Luo Ling that Linna might still be alive, she still couldn’t quite believe it, especially since Linna hadn’t returned after all these years… she couldn’t understand.
Fiona’s expression turned serious.
She took out a lamp-shaped Sacred Tool. As the lamp was lit, something seemed to shift within Victoria.
Fiona’s presence…
Vanished from Victoria’s past and present. The Fate Society now had only two constellations, and even in the “Hunt” team’s file, Frick was now listed as the captain.
Although there were inconsistencies, they were difficult to notice immediately.
…Even Philosopher of the Harbingers and the “old man” of the Company.
“Now… it’s time to examine the results.” Fiona took out another Sacred Tool—as Victoria’s foremost Sacred Tool crafter, she had plenty.
This Sacred Tool contained the results of her half-month investigation. The information was sensitive, and Fiona didn’t want to risk exposure.
Her previous investigations had been fruitless due to interference, preventing her from finding any clues, let alone the culprit.
Only after Luo Ling’s information had she finally found a starting point.
Fiona’s high status granted her access to information far beyond Luo Ling’s surveillance network, especially the deliberately concealed truths.
Under the lamp Sacred Tool’s protection, Fiona began to examine the information.
“As expected…”
After reviewing some of the information, a cold smile appeared on Fiona’s lips, her gaze sharpening as she looked towards the door.
The other constellations were also involved, although not directly, their inaction a form of complicity.
The Fate Society’s three constellations didn’t have a designated leader, maintaining a delicate balance of power, but Fiona’s exceptional talent in Sacred Tool crafting had earned her the support of many members, her influence gradually surpassing the other two.
Of course, as fellow Fate Society members, they wouldn’t directly harm Fiona, merely withholding information.
The result was the “Hunt” team’s tragedy.
The “Hunt” team was Fiona’s most elite squad. Their annihilation was a devastating loss, and coupled with her years of grief, the other two constellations’ influence within the Fate Society had surpassed hers.
However, the Torchbearers weren’t a monolithic entity either. This operation had been highly classified, known only to a single leader and a few high-ranking officials.
If exposed, the Torchbearers would also face immense pressure.
Even so, they had still paid a price.
“You’re ruthless, Cheng Jianming…”
A glint of anger flashed in Fiona’s eyes. She wasn’t one to be bullied without retaliating.
As for who had obstructed her investigation…
—Everyone.
Including the Fate Society.
No one wanted the truth revealed, except for a mother.
“Simply saving the world… seems impossible now…”
Fiona looked at a photo on her dressing table, a young Linna with a serious expression, Fiona smiling gently behind her.
“Linna… this world is cruel, we’re struggling.” Fiona sighed deeply.
There were also some fragmented pieces of information.
Fiona examined them, sensing a connection.
She remembered something Luo Ling had told her.
“Victoria was about to experience a Taboo disaster, ‘Immortality’.”
“Wait, this…”
A terrifying thought formed in Fiona’s mind, connecting all the pieces.
“It… it can’t be!”
Fiona covered her mouth in disbelief.
“The ‘Immortality’ disaster was orchestrated by the Company, and…”
Fiona stopped the thought from surfacing.
It couldn’t be revealed, even thinking about it… could be detected, even in her current state, hidden from Victoria.
If discovered… she would be killed.
The directors would stop at nothing to silence her.
They had the power.
Because this thought, this truth, was the Company’s deepest secret.
Fiona took a small hammer-shaped Sacred Tool and struck her head, erasing the memory, but the unease lingered.
She knew… it might be too late.
And this truth couldn’t remain hidden.
“I should leave a message for Miss Luo Ling.”
Fiona took a deep breath.
But the next moment, the candlelight flickered and died.
The room was plunged into darkness.
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