Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 76: The Moment of Transcendence

Before the grand cathedral of the Church of Light.

A panicked crowd surged and jostled, their cries echoing like crashing waves as they desperately tried to escape the once sacred grounds.

The air was thick with the pungent stench of blood, mixed with the lingering scent of bloodlust. Even under the warm sunlight, a chilling dread permeated the air, like a descent into a hellish realm.

A young boy, his attire conspicuously out of place, stood amidst the crowd. For some reason, the crowd avoided him, forming a strange void around him.

A void filled with blood.

—Any commoner who dared approach him instantly turned into a pool of blood, evaporating under the sunlight, ceasing to exist.

Driven by terror and desperation, they rushed headlong into Silent Demise.

“I didn’t expect… this to happen.”

Educator looked towards the cathedral with shock, his childish face darkened.

After hearing Historian’s suggestion, he had indeed planned to use the Saint as bait to lure the Boy into an ambush, but… not at this time.

The reason was simple: Educator wasn’t prepared. The Blood Refining Barrier, his trump card against the Boy, was still in its planning stages. He hadn’t had time to prepare the sacrifices.

Although the barrier could be considered functional, it could only exert a fraction of its power, far from the seventy percent chance of inflicting irreversible injuries on the Boy that Educator had claimed.

The reason for this… was relatively easy to deduce.

…The suggestion came from Historian, who could easily leak Educator’s plan to the other directors before he was ready.

Or perhaps, the Boy himself was Historian, taking advantage of Educator’s unprepared state to launch a preemptive strike.

Educator knew this was his chance to severely injure the Boy, but it was also the Boy’s chance to severely injure him.

“Historian’s stance… remains unclear…”

Educator narrowed his eyes, looking at the gruesome scene outside the cathedral.

Besides the few people he had killed to avoid being swept away by the panicked crowd, the Boy had slain dozens in his attack. His Bloodlust Axe, when unleashed at full power, was difficult to control.

To avoid alerting the Saint within the cathedral, the Boy had to launch his attack from outside her alert range, with maximum speed and minimal noise.

This was the most efficient method, even if it meant sacrificing dozens of lives.

“How… cruel,” Educator sighed.

Normally, the Company would consider the consequences of such actions, but now, facing the inevitable Boundary collapse, even the directors had succumbed to a cold madness.

However, for Educator and the Harbingers, this cold madness wasn’t new; it had been their reality for a long time.

Since they were trying to return everything to nothingness, dying now or later only made a small difference. It wasn’t worth dwelling on.

“Fine, although the Blood Refining Barrier is only half-complete, it… can still increase my chances. If I miss this opportunity, I won’t have another chance to kill the Boy.”

Educator pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his hand, releasing his Authority.

Not just using it, but wielding it.

The surging crowd froze in place, their panicked movements slowing to a standstill, their expressions turning vacant.

At the same time, Educator’s face turned pale, an unhealthy pallor like a long-term patient.

—The Ember Domain unfolded, enveloping the Blood Refining Barrier.

Within the domain, all life was stripped bare, marked with the barrier’s ritualistic pattern, designated as blood refining sacrifices.

Once activated, all beings within the domain marked as sacrifices would become Educator’s blood slaves.

Only Harbingers or those with power comparable to Educator could avoid this fate.

“Unfortunately, the quality is too poor. Without Awakened Ones, the blood of ordinary humans… is too weak, but it’s better than nothing.”

Educator slowly walked towards the cathedral, sensing the changing situation within, waiting for the right moment.

He saw the Archbishop killed in the Saint’s place, the Saint narrowly escaping the Boy’s attack, and the Boy standing with his axe.

However, the Saint’s decision to willingly face death in her confrontation with the Boy was unexpected.

“How did her legs suddenly regain their function? No, wait… it’s not that her legs recovered, but that she’s being supported by some force.”

Like using crutches, forcing her legs to move.

And this power… was familiar to Educator.

“It’s… the White Witch’s power.” Educator’s pupils constricted. “Just a trace of the White Witch’s power from the Sacred Tool, Heaven’s Bead, combined with her own power… she can use it to this extent?”

Such extraordinary talent, a true prodigy for the Harbingers.

However, Educator scoffed at the Saint’s decision to sacrifice herself for her sister. Even if she survived now, what use was it? In the upcoming Great Annihilation, she would still meet her end.

“Such powerful talent, I can’t let the Theologian die in this battle. She’s too valuable.”

With this thought, Educator made up his mind, constantly monitoring the situation within the cathedral, ready to act at any moment.

Just as the Boy raised his axe, unleashing a bloody storm, Educator tensed, exclaiming softly,

“Now!”

All those marked with the Blood Refining pattern instantly transformed into blood slaves, their blood surging within Ember, attacking the Boy at his most vulnerable moment.

But… unexpectedly, the Boy had held back. He appeared to be attacking with full force, but it was just for show.

He had already sensed Educator lurking in the shadows, but he couldn’t pinpoint his location, so he had waited patiently, only using a fraction of his strength during his confrontation with the Saint, reserving the rest to counter the Harbingers’ ambush.

“What a… pity.”

Educator knew there was no point in hiding any longer. He shook his head and slowly entered the cathedral.

Countless blood-soaked figures stood inside and outside the cathedral, his blood slaves, fueling his Blood Refining Barrier, gradually becoming a part of it.

“As expected, it’s you, sir,” the Boy said, lowering his axe, its impact sending out a shockwave. “We haven’t seen each other in a few days, and you’ve shrunk again. It seems… your life is nearing its end.”

“The same could be said for you, Boy,” Educator replied calmly, his expression unchanged.

Years ago, they had been comrades.

Now, they were strangers.

Within the grim cathedral, the murderous aura and the pungent stench of blood intertwined, the once sacred grounds now a demonic hell.

Everywhere he looked, there were blood-soaked figures, stripped of their lives.

Lifeless and vacant, like fish on a chopping block.

“This… what is this?”

Stasha looked at the scene before her blankly. Everything seemed blurry, as if covered in a thick blood mist, impossible to see clearly.

“Sister… Sister…”

“Where are you…”

Where had her sister gone?

…Why couldn’t she find her?

She vaguely remembered her sister suddenly standing up, walking towards that terrifying demon to protect her.

“Live.”

Her sister’s words echoed in her mind.

“No, don’t…”

Sister, don’t go…

Stasha desperately reached out, wanting to grab her sister’s hand, to stop her from dying.

But where was her hand?

…Why couldn’t she move it?

No, not just her hand… her entire body was paralyzed…

Her sister’s figure was sent flying, her legs seemingly severed. Then, everything was engulfed in an impenetrable crimson.

Sister… was she dead?

“Stasha… Stasha…”

A confused, panicked voice, no longer gentle, only filled with fear and uncertainty.

Sister, I’m here!

Stasha heard it, Stasha was here!

Sister…

Stasha cried out desperately, but her sister seemed to hear nothing…

Why… was this happening?

Finally, the crimson gradually faded from her vision, and Stasha saw herself, and her sister lying on the ground, looking up at her.

Covered in blood, no longer the same as before.

So, she was dead…

Realizing this, intense pain surged through her body, as if a thousand knives were tearing her apart, every inch of her being in agony.

“It hurts… Sister…”

Her consciousness faded, but the pain intensified.

She couldn’t even move.

Seemingly hearing her sister’s call, Alyssa, using the last of her strength, stood up again, stumbling towards the blood-soaked Stasha.

As she approached, her movements slowed, and she gently embraced her sister.

“Sister’s here… Stasha, don’t be afraid… it doesn’t hurt… it won’t hurt anymore…”

Countless fungal threads emerged from Alyssa’s body, spreading and surging into Stasha, desperately trying to restore her life force stolen by the Blood Refining Barrier, to hold onto her fading consciousness.

“Hmm?”

Educator, sensing the unusual change in the Blood Refining Barrier, paused, his gaze shifting to the Theologian. He saw her embracing her sister, the fungal threads emerging, her flaxen hair now stained a shocking white.

…Could it be? Could she really achieve this with just a trace of the White Witch’s power?

Could it be…

Educator’s mind raced, but before he could ponder further, the Boy didn’t give him a chance to be distracted.

Their strength was comparable. Even in a direct confrontation, a moment’s carelessness could be fatal, let alone during such a tense standoff, to dare divert his attention to other matters.

The battle-hardened Boy naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity. His skin cracked inch by inch, releasing a near-tangible bloodlust.

His slender figure suddenly expanded. In the blink of an eye, the five-foot-tall boy had transformed into a ten-foot giant, the previously disproportionately large axe now fitting perfectly in his hand.

The Boy raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with madness and violence, yet a sliver of reason remained.

A ritualistic pattern unfolded on the axe as he merged with it, becoming the wielder of the Death Wish Authority.

—Grotesquery Sequence 19, Xing Tian of Sin and Thorn.

“Your life is mine!”

The giant roared, his voice shattering all the stained-glass windows of the cathedral. A single step created a large crater in the marble floor, the entire structure shaking violently.

Educator, momentarily distracted, was instantly at a disadvantage. The Blood Refining Barrier reactivated, the blood of the slain slaves surging forth to block the attack.

But… as mentioned before…

Few could withstand a direct blow from the Boy.

Educator was no exception.

Even with hundreds of blood slaves as a shield, Educator was still sent flying, crashing through the cathedral doors and landing outside.

The Boy wouldn’t give Educator time to recover. Myriad Path Awakened Ones excelled at healing, even if Educator’s Authority wasn’t specialized in this area.

He took another step, this time gathering his strength for a moment before exploding forward like a thunderbolt, chasing after the small, airborne figure like a kite with a broken string. His speed was so great that it created a series of sonic booms.

It was hard to imagine the amount of power required for such a giant to achieve this speed, but after this powerful leap, the already unstable cathedral finally began to collapse.

Countless stones and wooden beams rained down from the dome, burying the blood-soaked ground amidst the deafening roar of the collapsing structure.

But the next moment, the blood transformed into a sea of blood, instantly boiling. Educator hadn’t given up. Even at a disadvantage, even caught off guard by the Boy’s sudden counterattack, he wasn’t defeated yet.

The barely completed Blood Refining Barrier and the thousands of lives within it were Educator’s means of contending with, and even surpassing, the Boy.

A shocking crimson and a skin-prickling murderous aura erupted, turning the surrounding area into a battlefield.

The nearby cathedral was engulfed in dust and debris, the shockwaves from their battle accelerating its collapse.

As the entire dome caved in, the cathedral finally crumbled, a deafening roar marking the end of the Church of Light’s grand cathedral, once comparable to Victoria’s Anglican Cathedral.

Amidst the ruins and the pervasive crimson, a patch of white stubbornly resisted the spreading blood.

“Stasha, Stasha…”

Alyssa clutched her sister, whispering softly.

The small, bloody figure in her arms was completely enveloped by fungal threads, desperately trying to save her beloved sister, to reclaim her life from the Blood Refining Barrier.

Despite repeated failures, she persisted, her own body now oozing blood, refusing to give up.

At some point, a small, silver-haired figure appeared before the sisters, silently watching the scene.

“This is…”

Luo Ling reached out, touching Alyssa, a look of shock appearing on her face.

The moment she sensed Stasha’s death, her consciousness had returned to her main body, rushing here to use the Puppet Ballad’s power to save Stasha’s life.

But Luo Ling knew…

It was likely impossible.

Like Alyssa before her, Stasha was just an ordinary human.

An ordinary human’s consciousness and soul were fragile. Any damage to the body would inevitably affect them.

Especially… the brutal nature of the Blood Refining Barrier’s killing method made it impossible for an ordinary human to survive.

It was far more cruel than a normal death.

Even… more cruel than Alyssa’s sacrifice.

But at this moment, Stasha clung to the last vestiges of her consciousness, stubbornly resisting the call of death.

As if sensing something, Alyssa slowly raised her head. Her usually lifeless grey eyes now glowed with a faint, brilliant gold, despite the tears of blood streaming down her face.

“Save Stasha…”

She said.

“Save… my sister…”

She continued.

“…Miss Luo Ling.”

Alyssa said.

With Alyssa’s will, she spoke.

Even if… it was just a sliver of instinct and obsession, it originated from Alyssa herself, not the Puppet Ballad’s crude imitation.

“—Transcendence.”

Intense grief, genuine emotions, and the desperate desire to save her sister’s life erupted at this moment.

The Transcendence Path opened its doors to her, welcoming her into the ranks of saviors.

Alyssa became the first Awakened One to truly step onto the Transcendence Path, even before Luo Ling.

Alyssa, eternally lost to Silent Demise, was revived at the moment of Transcendence.

And it was her Transcendence that saved the last vestiges of her sister’s consciousness and life, until Luo Ling’s arrival.

Alyssa wasn’t just the White Witch’s God’s Favored, she was Luo Ling’s.

Luo Ling herself was an Awakened One on the Doomsday Path. Transcendence, the other end of Doomsday, was naturally also a part of Luo Ling’s power, although she hadn’t realized it yet.

But she hadn’t expected her God’s Favored to achieve Transcendence before her.

“…Mmm.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly, placing her hand on Stasha’s body.

Instantly, the life force stolen by the Blood Refining Barrier returned to Stasha. The small, bloody figure’s body gradually recovered, until she once again resembled the familiar flaxen-haired girl.

Perhaps Luo Ling couldn’t directly confront Educator yet, but reclaiming a life from his grasp was easy.

Because she was the White Witch.

The White Witch of Silent Demise.

“Thank you.”

After uttering these last words, the brilliant gold in Alyssa’s eyes faded, her consciousness falling silent once more.

Not into eternal Silent Demise like before, but simply because she had exhausted all her strength saving her sister.

Educator, far away, coughed up a mouthful of blood, sensing the damage to his Blood Refining Barrier.

Coupled with the injuries inflicted by the Boy during their battle, Educator was nearing his limit.

“Just who… is it?”

Educator’s expression was filled with shock, but he didn’t have time to investigate the barrier, as the enraged Boy raised his axe again, bringing it down upon him.

Educator, forced back several steps, endured his injuries, continuing to push the Blood Refining Barrier beyond its limits, barely managing to defend against the Boy’s attacks.

He had no chance of victory.

Looking at the increasingly intense battle in the distance, Luo Ling sensed Educator’s weakening strength and whispered,

“It seems the battle is about to end…”

Just then, a dreamlike murmur sounded beside her,

“…Sister?”

Stasha looked blankly at her seemingly lifeless sister, her trembling hands cupping her face.

Luo Ling turned her head, her expression turning serious.

Stasha had awakened so quickly?

It seemed that compared to the terrifying Doomsday, Transcendence on the other end was no less formidable…

Luo Ling sent a portion of her consciousness into Alyssa’s body.

Alyssa’s demeanor became more lively. Before Stasha could completely break down, she took her hand and softly called out,

“Stasha…”

“Sister!” A look of joy flashed across Stasha’s despairing face, but tears quickly followed. “I’m sorry, Sister… Stasha is so useless…”

“No, Stasha,” a gentle, childish voice sounded beside her. Stasha turned her head slightly and saw an unfamiliar girl looking at her tenderly. Her otherworldly beauty held an expression Stasha knew all too well.

“I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“…I’ve been deceiving you all along.”

Chapter 75: She Died p2

Screams, cries of children, and panicked shouts filled the air. Anyone who fell would be trampled to death in an instant, and even those moving with the crowd risked being injured.

In stark contrast to the surrounding chaos, the young man stared intently at the cathedral, a look of regret appearing on his face only when the terrifying aura within showed no signs of dissipating.

“Sigh, not even one death.”

He lowered the giant axe in his hand, its impact on the ground causing tremors like an earthquake.

Several terrifying cracks appeared on the ground, greedily swallowing the blood-soaked flesh and debris, staining the giant axe crimson.

“Let’s try again… this time, closer.”

The young man’s expression darkened as he gripped the axe and dragged it towards the cathedral.

His eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, exuded a bloody aura. His heart pounded like thunder, another bloody storm brewing.

Meanwhile, inside the cathedral.

The Anglican choir’s singing abruptly stopped, almost everyone frozen in place, the scene before them too unbelievable.

Not only the Archbishop on the pulpit, but also the followers below, anyone in a straight line between the cathedral’s entrance and the pulpit, had been reduced to bloody mist, staining the central hall crimson.

…Too terrifying.

So terrifying that almost everyone was paralyzed with fear.

Or rather… everyone was caught in this bloody scene, unable to escape.

They stared blankly ahead, their eyes filling with bloodshot veins, their expressions turning vacant.

Thud.

Thud…

In the silent scene, clear footsteps echoed, accompanied by the screeching sound of an axe dragging across the ground, gradually approaching the cathedral.

The shattered doors were slowly pushed open, and the handsome young man walked in.

His gaze immediately fell upon the pulpit, but seeing the mangled remains of the Archbishop, a look of surprise flashed across his face.

“Hmm? Why is Archbishop Johnson on the pulpit? Isn’t this the Church of Light’s territory?”

The young man then shifted his gaze slightly, finally noticing the blindfolded nun in the wheelchair behind the Archbishop’s body.

…His target.

“Unexpectedly, Saint Alyssa, you are so courteous. My respect,” the young man said, bowing slightly, but he quickly raised his axe, a violent aura surging forth. “But… my apologies, I need your life.”

This sudden turn of events also caught Luo Ling off guard. She hadn’t expected the Boy to attack so soon after Educator’s departure.

And the surrounding followers…

Luo Ling could sense something was wrong with them, and a strange, bloody scent lingered in the air, different from the murderous aura emanating from the Boy.

A suspicion formed in her mind.

Stasha, her legs trembling, cowered behind the wheelchair, clutching her head in terror.

What was that just now?

How… had the Archbishop been split in half so quickly?

Why was there blood everywhere?

Gruesome images flashed through Stasha’s mind, an urge to vomit overwhelming her.

She wanted to stand up and push her sister’s wheelchair to escape, but her legs trembled uncontrollably. She couldn’t even stand in front of her sister to protect her.

At the same time, Luo Ling couldn’t worry about the trembling Stasha behind her. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, her vision rapidly fading.

…The Spores scattered around her, replacing her lost sight, were being killed. The Boy was holding his axe, not preparing to attack, but already attacking.

This was the second time Luo Ling’s Spores had failed, the first being against Educator.

These Awakened Ones at the pinnacle of humanity, although unable to directly perceive the Spores, could still eliminate these omnipresent eyes in their own way.

In just a few breaths, Luo Ling’s vision was completely engulfed in darkness. She was blind again.

“Actually, I know, Saint Alyssa, you’re not the White Witch’s Apostle,” the Boy suddenly said.

“But I can’t gamble, hehe… whether the Harbingers have truly collaborated with the White Witch. Although it was important before, it doesn’t matter now.

“In any case, killing one more or less makes no difference. Enough people have died already.”

As his voice fell, the Boy’s bloodlust intensified.

The next moment, another bloody storm erupted, tearing apart countless followers within the cathedral, a heavy killing intent descending upon Luo Ling.

In a split second, Luo Ling stood up, scooping up Stasha at an almost imperceptible speed and dodging the attack with an ungainly roll, crashing to the ground.

The wheelchair shattered, along with the statue behind it, splintering into pieces.

The wall was completely breached, cracks spreading rapidly, shards of stained glass raining down from the cathedral’s dome, as if it was about to collapse.

The Boy didn’t seem to mind the missed attack.

Although his gaze remained fixed on the fallen Saint, he seemed to be constantly scanning his surroundings.

“S-sister…”

Stasha’s weak, tearful voice echoed, her trembling hands trying to help her sister up, but shards of falling glass struck her head, blood instantly flowing.

But she seemed to feel no pain, continuing to frantically support her sister’s arm, blood covering her face.

“I’m alright…”

Luo Ling sat up, supporting herself. In her briefly restored Spore vision, she saw Stasha, her face covered in blood, her expression filled with terror and confusion.

“Stasha, you’re hurt…”

Luo Ling’s Spore vision vanished again. She reached out blindly, gently touching Stasha’s head, healing her wounds.

“Sister…”

Stasha was in shock. The scene before her was beyond her comprehension, making her instinctively cling to her familiar sister.

Luo Ling turned to “look” towards the Boy, whose presence she could still faintly sense, her expression calm.

Luo Ling knew she couldn’t escape.

More accurately, Alyssa… couldn’t escape.

The Boy had come here with the intent to kill, and this wasn’t an avatar, but his main body.

Educator’s strength was terrifying, but the Boy seemed even stronger. He was clearly holding back, his attention not fully focused on her. Even so, he was an existence Alyssa couldn’t possibly contend with.

Even if Luo Ling descended personally, it would be difficult to save Alyssa.

But at least… she could protect Stasha.

“If it were you, Alyssa, you would make the same choice, right?” Luo Ling asked silently in her heart.

The answer… was obvious.

Alyssa loved her sister, just like her own sister loved her.

This emotion, even within Alyssa’s dead body, was an unstoppable instinct.

A strange sensation on her cheeks. Luo Ling reached up and touched them. They were wet.

Alyssa’s tears.

Not hers.

The next moment, Alyssa’s lower body was completely replaced by fungal threads, and she stood up, supporting herself.

The Boy seemed to notice, his attention finally shifting to Alyssa’s legs.

“This… is?” The Boy’s pupils constricted, his previously vague perception suddenly becoming clear. He murmured, “Unexpectedly… it’s true…”

His grip on the axe tightened.

“Your target… is only me, right?”

Luo Ling said softly.

“Correct,” the Boy nodded slightly.

He wasn’t bloodthirsty, but to kill the Saint efficiently, he would inevitably harm others in the process. That was all.

Unlike the Harbingers, after this battle, he would pray for the souls of those he had killed and observe three minutes of silence.

Three precious minutes for a Company director.

“Alright,” Luo Ling nodded. “I’m ready to die.”

She walked towards the Boy step by step. The Boy felt a surge of respect for the Saint’s willingness to face death. He could see that she was trying to protect the ordinary person cowering behind her.

Such righteousness deserved a swift death.

The Boy had heard that the Saint was very protective of her sister. If he could use her sister as a hostage to increase his chances of killing her, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Loyalty and love were admirable, but that wouldn’t stop him from exploiting them to complete his mission.

“If you weren’t the White Witch’s Apostle, I would personally invite you to join the Company,” the Boy said softly, raising his axe. “But now, Saint Alyssa, please make your way to the underworld.”

The Boy slightly adjusted the angle of his attack to avoid hitting Stasha.

If he could kill the Saint directly, there was no need to harm her sister, causing unnecessary casualties.

“Stasha,” her sister’s gentle voice echoed, as familiar as ever.

Stasha looked up blankly, seeing only her sister’s back.

“…Live.”

Before she could finish her words, the axe descended with a bloody slash.

But… the eternal Silent Demise Luo Ling expected didn’t come.

As the Boy struck, as if waiting for this very moment, all the followers within the cathedral exploded, turning into bloody figures, blood spraying everywhere.

Along with the blood already on the ground, it surged towards the Boy.

At the critical moment, the Boy held back his strength, using his axe to block the attack, but he was still sent staggering back.

At the same time, a small, childish figure appeared at the cathedral entrance, a look of disappointment on its blood-stained face.

“As expected!”

The Boy swallowed a mouthful of blood, exclaiming softly.

He knew Educator had been lurking nearby, which was why he had held back, reserving some strength to counter him.

“But unfortunately, I couldn’t inflict any significant injuries on you,” Educator said calmly.

The bloody figures all stood up, staring intently at the Boy, a terrifying sight.

Because the Boy had held back his strength, Alyssa’s body was only sent flying, bisected at the waist, not a fatal wound.

After a moment of shock, Luo Ling regained her senses, supporting herself.

Her first thought wasn’t about her own well-being, but whether Stasha would be traumatized by this horrific scene.

“Stasha, Stasha… where are you…”

Alyssa murmured, her instinct driving her to find and protect her sister.

But there was no response.

…No sound at all.

Within the domains of two peak-level Awakened Ones, Luo Ling pushed Alyssa’s body to its limits, releasing a brief burst of Spores.

Through the Spores’ fleeting vision, Luo Ling finally saw Stasha.

And she understood why Stasha hadn’t responded.

…She was just like the followers in the cathedral.

All the blood vessels in Stasha’s body had ruptured, her form barely recognizable, turned into a gruesome, bloody mess.

Her internal organs were mangled, mixing with her flesh and blood, flowing towards…

Educator’s hands.

—She was dead.

Silently, without a sound.

Chapter 75: She Died  p1

Before the fireplace, three figures stood in silence.

Philosopher, Educator, Historian.

A rare moment with all three Harbinger leaders gathered, but their expressions were somber, the atmosphere heavy.

The Harbingers were facing a grave situation.

“Performer… is confirmed dead,” Educator said softly, his gaze fixed on the fireplace, watching the dancing flames. His childish face was expressionless.

At the same time, Philosopher, perched on his small stool by the cabin wall, shakily reached out and removed a photograph of a stern-looking woman from the second row.

The woman in the photograph wore a suit and a grey fedora, holding a conductor’s baton, elegant and mysterious.

But… she was dead.

The photograph in Philosopher’s hand crumbled into fragments, scattering across the floor.

The floor was already littered with similar fragments, one tiny corner showing a faint, dark gold vertical pupil.

Several spaces were now empty on the wall where the photographs had been.

The Company directors had gone completely mad, wanting to tear apart the chessboard, as all their pieces had been taken, while the Harbingers had yet to lose a single one.

To contain the Harbingers as much as possible, the Old Man had abandoned maintaining the barrier that enveloped and monitored Victoria, diverting all his power to locating the Harbingers within the city.

The deceased Performer wasn’t the first casualty of this storm of madness. Five other Harbingers had already perished.

But Performer… was one of the few Ninth-Order Awakened Ones on the Oneiric Path. Even Artist had been slightly weaker than him, yet he still hadn’t been able to withstand the Company’s assault.

There was only one reason.

…The attacker was the Boy, one of the three directors.

This berserker, known for his bloodlust, belonged to the Judgment Path and was the most formidable combatant among all known Awakened Ones.

Even the Old Man and Philosopher, the strongest figures in Victoria, didn’t dare face his assault head-on. His brute force would tear apart any obstacle in his path.

Performer was indeed powerful. If it had been the other two directors, killing him wouldn’t have been so swift and decisive. Unfortunately, he had encountered a madman, all his Oneiric abilities useless against the enraged Boy.

Before he could even use his Taboo secret technique as a last resort, Performer was cut in half, literally bisected by a single blow.

Historian, still just a shadow, remained silent, seemingly lost in thought or contemplating a decision.

Philosopher, his face wrinkled and covered in age spots, managed a smile, a hint of amusement in his aged features.

“This isn’t entirely bad news, comrades. The directors’ reckless actions mean their plan has failed.

“Although the Harbingers have suffered heavy losses, it doesn’t matter. Soon… it will be our moment of victory—as long as the path to godhood proceeds smoothly.”

“That’s true, I know,” Educator sighed. “But the losses are too heavy. Six top-tier Harbingers died at the Boy’s hands. It’s not worth it.”

They could die, but their deaths had to be meaningful.

But the problem was… the Boy hadn’t even expended much effort killing them. The Old Man located their positions, the Boy attacked, one strike, or two at most.

Few could withstand two blows from him, not even Silent Demise Grotesqueries. They would die countless times at his hands until they were truly extinguished.

Dead beyond any possibility of revival.

“The other Harbingers have gone completely silent, but that doesn’t mean the Old Man won’t find them. There’s nowhere safe in Victoria now, not even here,” Educator said gravely. “If we can’t stop the Boy’s killing spree, even if the path to godhood succeeds… we might not have enough Harbingers left to lead humanity in the new world.”

Hearing Educator’s concern, Philosopher nodded thoughtfully.

“This… is indeed a problem.”

Their ultimate goal was still to save humanity, even if the process involved considerable sacrifices.

Even if the Harbingers ultimately won, they had to consider their responsibilities afterwards.

Just Philosophy, Education, and History weren’t enough. Humanity in the new world would need more knowledge.

“You encountered the Boy recently. What are your chances of winning against him?” the Old Man asked, turning to Educator.

“Mmm… it depends. In a surprise encounter, twenty percent. In a direct confrontation, about forty percent. But with the characteristics of my Authority, Ember, if I have enough time and space to prepare… seventy percent. I have a seventy percent chance of making him pay a fatal price.”

Educator was always calm and collected, never arrogant. If he said he could win, he could. If he said he would lose, he would.

His answer was carefully considered and wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Philosopher pondered for a moment. “So… under certain circumstances, you’re confident you can kill the Boy?”

“Killing him is uncertain; he definitely has some life-saving methods,” Educator said gravely. “But inflicting irreversible injuries… I’m somewhat confident.” He paused, then continued,

“But the problem is, the Boy always strikes swiftly and decisively, not giving me much time to prepare. And his movements are unpredictable. We don’t know when or who he will target next—we can’t wait until only one Harbinger is left before setting a trap, can we?”

Having all the Harbingers gather was even more unrealistic. They were scattered and hidden throughout Victoria. Gathering would make them easier for the Old Man to locate. They might all be killed by the Boy before they could even assemble.

“If we knew who the Boy’s next target was, could we prepare in advance?”

Historian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, their voice still emotionless, raspy and unreal.

“Hmm?”

Philosopher and Educator looked up at the shadow clinging to the wall, their gazes sharp.

Was Historian… finally making their decision?

“Please elaborate, Historian,” Educator said softly.

“The Company’s greatest fear is the White Witch, who can collapse Victoria at any time, and the Grotesquery that can annihilate Boundaries during a collapse, rendering all their efforts meaningless,” Historian said calmly. “We don’t know the specifics of the latter yet, but the former…”

“I understand,” Educator nodded slightly.

The words didn’t need to be explicit. The general idea was enough. He knew what to do.

“Use the Church of Light’s cathedral as the base for the barrier. When the barrier is complete… it’s time to set the bait and cast the net.” The tension in Educator’s expression eased slightly as his eyes flickered. “At that time…”

He didn’t continue, instead staring intently at Historian.

So, was Historian the Boy?

If so, this was a blatant declaration of war.

Or perhaps, they could now rule out the Boy. The Old Man’s probability was also low… Was it the Woman?

Although unclear, at least now, they had an opportunity to confront the Boy… or perhaps Historian.

And this was the opportunity Educator needed.

He didn’t waste any time, his figure dissipating within the cabin, leaving only a pool of blood on the sofa, which quickly evaporated under the fireplace’s warmth.

In the blink of an eye, Historian also vanished, leaving only Philosopher alone in the cabin.

The aged Philosopher remained silent, lost in thought, contemplating his next move.

“Hmph.”

He chuckled softly, a hint of disdain and mockery in his voice.

……

On a bustling street, a handsome young man walked through the crowded masses.

Besides his striking appearance and distinctive black hair, he seemed like any ordinary person in Victoria.

Perhaps only a few young women would spare him a second glance, but that was all.

The young man carried a large, rectangular cloth bag, taller than himself, bulging with unknown contents. But it seemed light, as he carried it effortlessly, his expression unchanged, not even breaking a sweat.

He walked casually through the crowd, listening to the familiar noise of the market, a hint of reminiscence in his cold eyes.

Long ago, he had also been just another face in the crowd, repeating his mundane, ignorant routine.

Until he saw the true face of the world.

Until he shouldered the responsibility he had to bear.

Until… he became a Company director.

The street was packed with people heading to the cathedral for the ceremony, but the young man moved through the crowd like a fish in water.

He saw the towering spire of the cathedral in the distance, solemn hymns drifting on the wind, as if all of Victoria was bathed in God’s glory, heading towards a future of peace and happiness.

“Nice weather,” the young man said softly, looking up at the sun hanging high in the sky. “A good day for killing.”

He untied the large cloth bag on his back and gave a thumbs-up towards the cathedral’s entrance, seemingly aiming at the pulpit.

The next moment, a bloody storm erupted. The crowded street instantly cleared—a powerful gust of wind pulverized a large swathe of people, flesh and organs mixing together, forming a river of blood that flowed slowly across the ground.

The onlookers witnessing this gruesome scene were terrified, scrambling to escape this hellish landscape, panic spreading rapidly.

But the people at the back, unaware of what had happened, continued to push forward, until the thick, nauseating stench of blood drifted on the wind, the crowd losing control and erupting into chaos.

Chapter 74: Blood-Soaked Cathedral 

Victoria had always been enveloped by the barrier cast by the Old Man, considered an extension of his ability, constantly monitoring everything within the city.

It was because of this barrier that the Harbingers acted with extreme caution, even Luo Ling’s puppets, scattered throughout Victoria, couldn’t find any trace of them. They were avoiding the Old Man’s surveillance.

It was also because of this barrier that when Fiona discovered the secret that could shatter the Company, the directors instantly detected it, nearly costing her her life.

If not for Linna’s intervention, Fiona wouldn’t have escaped.

Therefore, maintaining the Victoria barrier was crucial, whether for preserving the city’s stability or eliminating unfavorable elements. Even at great personal cost, the Old Man ensured the barrier’s continuous operation.

But now, this barrier showed signs of fracturing.

…Was it the Harbingers’ doing?

This was certainly a possibility, but Luo Ling didn’t think so. The reason was that the Harbingers hadn’t become more aggressive after the barrier’s fracture. Instead, their recent activities had strangely decreased, as if they were wary of something.

On the other hand, the Company hadn’t panicked due to the barrier’s fracture, instead continuing to steadily push forward with their plan to eliminate Incubation Barriers.

This meant… the barrier’s fracture was likely part of the Company’s plan, or rather, the Old Man’s plan.

“Maintaining such a large barrier requires an immense amount of power. Even with the Company’s other methods, the burden on the Old Man must be considerable.”

Luo Ling pondered for a moment. “Now that I think about it, the reason I almost succeeded in lifting Destined Death from Aunt Fiona was probably partly due to this barrier.”

The barrier’s fracture meant the Old Man had completely shed his burden and was operating at full power.

Coupled with the recent unusual activities of both sides…

“Are they finally going for a final showdown?” Luo Ling’s expression turned serious, but then a thought struck her, her gaze darkening. “Or… are they planning to directly initiate a Boundary collapse?”

From the secret Fiona revealed, the Company directors’ true objective was to seize a Taboo’s Authority. Even after their previous failure, they were still preparing another attempt, just like before.

But in the current situation, were they planning a desperate gamble, directly initiating the awakening ritual, or had they abandoned the plan and chosen to risk being devoured by initiating a Boundary collapse to thwart the Harbingers’ scheme?

“Small ripples before the tsunami…”

After digesting this information, Luo Ling’s consciousness returned to Alyssa’s body. Only then did she realize she was being carried.

Stasha, despite her slender appearance, was surprisingly strong, carrying Alyssa in a princess carry, puffing and panting as she moved her to the bathtub.

Of course, it might also be because Alyssa was quite light.

The blindfolded nun had a rather shapely figure, curvy in all the right places, unlike Luo Ling’s flat physique.

Of course, comparing Luo Ling to Alyssa was a bit insulting. Even Alyssa’s sister, Stasha…

Despite both suffering from childhood malnutrition, with Stasha’s situation even worse than Luo Ling’s, she was still more developed. Her loose, coarse clothing had simply hidden her figure.

Now, Luo Ling couldn’t use malnutrition as an excuse.

“……”

Luo Ling closed her Spore vision. Out of sight, out of mind.

Since her hands were full carrying Alyssa, Stasha couldn’t check the bathwater’s temperature, so she said,

“Sister, can you check the water temperature? See if it’s alright? It’s on your left.”

“Alright.”

Luo Ling reached out and touched the water—a superfluous action, as Alyssa had lost most of her senses and tactile perception after her Grotesquification, replaced by the Puppet Ballad’s unique senses.

In other words, Alyssa now only looked human on the surface. She was essentially a large fungal strain with some human organs attached.

“It’s perfect,” Luo Ling said softly.

“Okay!” Stasha said, carefully lowering Alyssa into the tub. “Be careful, sister. Move your right hand a bit to the left, yes, a little more, hold on tight.”

Only after Luo Ling had grasped the edges of the tub did Stasha release her hands.

With a splash, Alyssa’s body sank into the tub, sending water spraying everywhere.

“Ahh!”

Stasha yelped as the water splashed onto her, clutching her slightly reddened arm in shock.

She reached out to test the water temperature, but the moment her fingers touched the surface, they turned red from the heat. She quickly withdrew her hand.

“Sister, the temperature is wrong! Here, take my hand, quickly come out! You’ll be cooked if you stay in any longer…”

“Pfft.”

Luo Ling couldn’t help but laugh at Stasha’s words, but Stasha was on the verge of tears.

She thought her sister must have something wrong with her to not feel the water temperature.

“Just add some cold water,” Luo Ling said. “Maybe it’s old age, my senses are dull. It felt fine to me.”

How dull could her senses be…

Stasha’s eyes widened. Her sister wasn’t that old, was she? Only… thirty-seven?

Without time to think, Stasha quickly extinguished the fire heating the bathwater, then ran to a large bucket of cold water, scooping up a bucketful and pouring it into the tub.

After several trips, the water temperature finally returned to normal. She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

…Huh, not that tiring?

At the same time, Luo Ling withdrew her fungal threads.

Just a little life hack.

“Come here, Stasha,” Luo Ling beckoned.

“What is it, sister?”

Stasha approached cautiously. She saw her sister reach out and gently brush against her slightly burned arm, instantly soothing the pain.

Even the redness faded, the burn forming a scab that quickly fell off, revealing new, tender skin.

“There you go,” Luo Ling said with a gentle smile.

This was Alyssa’s awakened ability, consuming her inspiration to accelerate wound healing, limited to external injuries that could heal naturally.

Of course, this was a fairly standard healing ability. If it were Luo Ling’s Puppet Ballad… to heal this kind of injury, she would likely just sever the arm and regrow it. Generating a small patch of skin was more difficult. After all, healing wasn’t the Puppet Ballad’s specialty.

“Wow, so amazing!” Stasha touched her arm in disbelief, then looked up at Alyssa. “Sister, is this the power of God? But… does God really exist?”

Stasha, who had never witnessed supernatural powers before, was both amazed and confused.

Having read many books, Stasha was a rare materialist and atheist in Victoria. Her annotations on religious texts were based entirely on real-world knowledge, making her a heretic in the eyes of the Church.

Only in front of her sister did Stasha dare to utter such blasphemous words.

Unfortunately, this world… was no longer “material.”

“Perhaps,” Luo Ling said with a noncommittal smile.

This rare moment of warmth was short-lived. After her sister finished her bath, Stasha used the same water.

Of course, this time, the water temperature was perfect, and Stasha enjoyed a long, relaxing soak.

Although she was using her sister’s bathwater, Stasha didn’t mind.

This kind of life was an unimaginable luxury before. They used to only have the opportunity to wash their bodies with clean water once a month, and even then, it was just a quick wipe. A proper bath was unthinkable.

After her bath, Stasha busily helped her sister dress.

A large Mass was being held at the Church of Light’s cathedral today, officiated by the Archbishop of the Victorian Anglican Church himself, with countless dignitaries attending. It was a grand occasion.

Therefore, Alyssa needed to be as clean as possible. She rarely had the opportunity to bathe so thoroughly.

Clean water was a precious commodity in Victoria, unless one had access to a Water Elemental Path Awakened One, or… an Ice Elemental.

—The Twintails team’s daily water supply was provided by Cen Xiangyun. Perhaps… this could also be considered a life hack.

Even Stasha wore a smaller version of a nun’s habit today. Although she wasn’t the Saint, she was the Saint’s younger sister, practically a little Saint herself.

Except this little Saint harbored heretical thoughts.

When Stasha wheeled her sister to the cathedral, it was already packed with people, even the area outside overflowing with commoners.

Upon seeing Saint Alyssa appear, the noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Almost everyone knelt down, reverently performing the holy ritual.

Being worshipped like this still felt awkward to Luo Ling, but she didn’t withdraw her consciousness, as she sensed an uninvited guest within the cathedral.

Luo Ling maintained a calm expression, entering the cathedral surrounded by her followers.

The Mass preparations proceeded smoothly, leaving some time for the Saint’s private prayer.

Stasha pushed Luo Ling to the room where the Saint usually prayed alone. Luo Ling turned and said softly,

“Wait for me outside, Stasha. I want to be alone for a while. I’ll be out soon.”

“Mmm.”

Stasha nodded and stepped back, making way for Luo Ling to enter the room.

Luo Ling opened the door, and as expected, an excessively small child stood inside, wearing a slightly ill-fitting scholar’s robe, his childish face bearing a world-weary expression.

Only one person in all of Victoria dressed like this.

“Educator,” Luo Ling nodded slightly. “You seem to have… shrunk again.”

If he had looked like a twelve or thirteen-year-old child before, Educator now looked no older than ten, his complexion even paler.

“The Boy made his move,” Educator said gravely.

Luo Ling’s pupils constricted.

Her guess… was correct.

The Boy was one of the three Company directors. His personal involvement meant the Company had pushed all their chips into this gamble. Whether it was the awakening ritual or a Boundary collapse… it was imminent.

“Six of our Harbingers died at his hands, instantly, without exception. They didn’t even have time to activate their secret techniques,” Educator whispered. “I briefly encountered him. Unfortunately… I was slightly outmatched and sustained some injuries.”

Judging from his significantly younger appearance, it wasn’t just “some injuries”…

His injuries must be severe.

Luo Ling hadn’t known about this. Although her intelligence network spanned Victoria, it was limited to low-level information. Ordinary people couldn’t exist within Incubation Barriers, so her power couldn’t penetrate them.

This meant these events had occurred within Incubation Barriers.

“Theologian, don’t leave the cathedral during this time. Maintain the status quo. Leave the rest to us,” Educator continued, his voice pausing slightly. “Your talent is unparalleled, your future limitless, so rest assured. At least… protecting your life is not a problem for us.”

“So, do I still need to spread the White Witch’s aura in the various Incubation Barriers?” Luo Ling asked.

“No need. We’ve achieved our objective. Now…”

Educator seemed to realize something, carefully choosing his words before continuing,

“In short, you’ve done well, Theologian. A new ascension ritual is being prepared. You just need to wait a little longer and you will become the Harbingers’ fifth leader, after Religious.”

The Harbingers seemed to have a special method to forcibly ascend ranks. Religious had used this method, ascending from a Mid-Order to a High-Order Awakened One in three months, but… the price must have been considerable.

“…Mmm, thank you, sir.”

Luo Ling lowered her head in acknowledgement, a strange feeling rising in her heart.

This promise… seemed too good to be true…

A new ascension ritual?

A new sacrificial ritual!

She knew that Religious’s ascension would be part of Philosopher’s path to godhood. What about her?

As a fellow Myriad Path Awakened One, she would likely become the cornerstone of Educator’s ascension…

What a cunning plan.

“Be careful. I’ll be going now.”

Educator seemed to have other matters to attend to. He nodded at Luo Ling and dissolved into a pool of blood.

Under Victoria’s rare, warm sunlight, the blood instantly evaporated, disappearing without a trace, as if Educator had never been there.

Luo Ling remained silent for a long time, turning to look at the statue. The spherical Sacred Tool on its pedestal had been taken by Educator.

However, it carried Luo Ling’s power, allowing her to track its location and even spread fungal threads.

Stealing a Grotesquery’s Authority… especially from a human-like Grotesquery, wasn’t so simple. The “price” wasn’t always apparent.

“Let’s leave.”

Luo Ling wheeled herself towards the door. With a creak, the door opened, and Stasha immediately approached.

“Sister, are you done?” Stasha asked.

“Mmm,” Luo Ling replied softly.

Solemn hymns echoed within the cathedral, sung by Victoria’s top Anglican choir, their voices filling the central hall, spreading God’s glory.

When Luo Ling and Stasha returned to the central hall, the Archbishop of the Victorian Anglican Church was already standing on the pulpit, reciting holy scriptures to the devout followers below.

However, compared to the Archbishop, the followers were clearly more interested in the newly arrived Saint. Although they listened to the Archbishop’s sermon, when the Saint appeared, they all knelt down, performing the holy ritual in silent reverence.

The Archbishop was caught in an awkward position, unsure whether to continue or not.

He glanced darkly at the Saint behind him. It was he who had presided over the trial that expelled this rebellious girl who dared to interpret the scriptures from the Church. He hadn’t expected her to return in this manner.

Luo Ling, noticing the Archbishop’s gaze, smiled and nodded slightly.

A vague unease lingered in her heart, like a premonition of danger, but she couldn’t pinpoint its source, making her restless.

The Archbishop snorted softly, not moving from the pulpit.

Even the Saint had to yield before the Archbishop.

The reason the Archbishop had personally attended this Mass was to steal the limelight from the recently popular Saint, to remind all of Victoria who truly represented God’s will.

No one understood God better than him.

—Actually, it was mainly because the followers’ donations had all gone to the Church of Light recently, drastically reducing the Anglican Church’s income, making it difficult to sustain themselves.

Seeing the Saint seemingly subdued, a smug smile appeared on the Archbishop’s lips.

“Good, she knows her place.”

The Archbishop was satisfied, and as the followers rose, he continued his sermon.

But just as he cleared his throat, a sharp whistle echoed from outside the cathedral.

Before anyone could react, a fierce, blood-soaked aura surged in.

In an instant, a bloody path appeared from the cathedral’s entrance, leading straight to the pulpit.

The Archbishop, standing on the pulpit, instantly turned into a puddle of flesh and blood, a brilliant spray of blood erupting.

Chapter 73: The Disaster of Starry Sky, The Game Tilts p2

Whether it was to learn the White Witch’s secrets through Elsa or to use Elsa as bait to lure out the White Witch, both were suitable for a less restrictive approach. Elsa was even officially a Company member.

Therefore, Elsa had only displayed proficiency in one or two abilities, keeping her other Grotesquery abilities hidden.

Even under constant surveillance, Elsa remained inconspicuous. Coupled with her inability to keep secrets, this further diminished Elsa’s perceived threat level in the Company’s eyes.

“Anyway, as long as she’s safe,” Luo Ling nodded slightly. Even if the Company wanted to eliminate Elsa, it wouldn’t be easy.

“By the way, Luo Ling, there’s one more important thing,” Fiona said after a slight hesitation. “I learned a secret, a secret that could determine the Company’s fate.

“It was this secret that led to the directors’ attempt on my life.”

Due to the Kingdom’s characteristics, Fiona knew that saying anything here wouldn’t attract the Company’s assassins. But the problem was… Luo Ling would eventually leave. She was worried that the directors might notice when Luo Ling returned to Victoria.

“Just tell me, Aunt Fiona. Don’t worry about my safety. I have some special tricks to avoid the Other Shore Path’s prying eyes.”

Luo Ling recalled the fate of the old man who had dared to pry into her mind and suddenly wondered what would happen if the directors tried something similar.

However, there likely wouldn’t be another opportunity. If ordinary Other Shore Path abilities could affect her, her identity as the White Witch would have been exposed countless times already.

“…Mmm.”

Fiona’s expression turned serious.

“The Company directors’ true objective back then was to awaken the dormant Taboo, Guixu, and seize its Grotesquery Authority, Immortality… not a bestowed Authority, but the complete Authority.”

Luo Ling’s pupils constricted. She had learned the first part of this information from Miss Iris, but the second part…

“So, what the directors wanted… was true Immortality?” Luo Ling murmured.

No wonder the Immortality disaster had occurred in Victoria.

No wonder the directors had tried so hard to conceal it.

No wonder… they were willing to kill Fiona to keep this secret buried.

All the clues connected, and the truth behind the past conflict seemed to become clear.

“Can they really do it?” Luo Ling asked, looking up.

“…I don’t know. Why they failed back then, whether it was a mistake by the Company directors, or sabotage by a traitor among them, even they might not be certain.”

Fiona shook her head. Even as one of the three Grand Constellations of the Fate Society, she still couldn’t compare to the three Company directors.

The reason was simple: although she also possessed an Authority Sacred Tool, like Cheng Jianming’s Time, it wasn’t a complete version.

Only the three directors possessed true Authority Sacred Tools, wielding unique and absolute Authorities. There was a qualitative difference between them.

By using the secret technique to merge with their Sacred Tools, the directors were no different from Harbinger leaders wielding Authorities, their combat power comparable.

If… the directors truly managed to control a Taboo’s Authority, the balance of power would tilt drastically in their favor.

This shocking news couldn’t be revealed to the Harbingers or any other Order-side forces.

No one in Victoria would support the directors’ decision, not even the branch directors.

The Harbingers would fear the Company’s growing power, while the Order-side forces would worry about the Company’s actions backfiring. Any mistake involving a Taboo would have devastating consequences for everyone.

“This is very useful information, Aunt Fiona. I’ll put it to good use,” Luo Ling said, exhaling slowly, her eyes narrowing as thoughts raced through her mind.

The Harbingers’ path to godhood, the Company’s pursuit of Taboo… each side was plotting a decisive blow against the other. If either side succeeded, the other would face utter destruction.

No matter how much of an advantage they had gained before, it would be meaningless in the face of absolute power.

And for this, the directors were willing to sacrifice anything.

“This is truly… a thrilling game,” Luo Ling couldn’t help but sigh.

“Or perhaps… it’s simply human nature,” Fiona shrugged. She was no stranger to this. Even facing a common enemy, internal power struggles never ceased. The saying, “better to give to the enemy than to one’s own,” was a perfect example.

The serious conversation ended. Luo Ling checked the time. It had been almost a week since she left Victoria. It was time to return and check on the situation.

The Eve puppet in her perception was still safe, meaning Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing hadn’t encountered any danger. If their lives were threatened, the Eve puppet would sacrifice herself without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Eve in Starry Victoria had almost fully recovered. The life force lost due to Proliferation had been gradually replenished through recuperation.

She would find an opportunity to switch with the Eve puppet and transfer the puppet’s recent memories to Eve’s mind. With the Iron Fist Maid’s oblivious nature, she likely wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

Although Luo Ling’s actions had put Eve through a lot, she had saved her life from a Ninth-Order Awakened One’s attack. A little inconvenience was to be expected.

Anyway, it was Luo Ling who was inconvenienced, not Eve. In Eve’s perception, she hadn’t even slept. Her memories would continue from her meeting with Ms. Nightingale.

“Aunt Fiona, you should rest in the Kingdom for a while. Although Destined Death has been lifted, there might be some lingering effects,” Luo Ling said. “Linna, you stay here and take care of your mother. As for Elsa—”

Luo Ling looked at Elsa, who was still squatting in the corner, wiping away tears, a smile appearing on her lips. “When she wakes up, tell her I’ll be away for a while.”

“Miss Luo Ling, are you leaving again?”

Linna’s eyes lit up.

“…I’ll hide somewhere you can’t find me,” Luo Ling said, her eyelids twitching slightly. The last time hadn’t been a pleasant experience.

Dealing with one Linna was already difficult enough, now there was also Fiona…

As Linna’s mother, Fiona clearly had the upper hand in every aspect.

“I understand,” Fiona said softly, an unreadable emotion in her eyes as she looked at Luo Ling. “However, Luo Ling, they are all your Apostles. Don’t you… intend to include me as well?”

“……”

Luo Ling was silent for a moment, then shook her head. “Let’s not. No matter what… being involved with Grotesqueries isn’t a good thing. Elsa and Linna’s situations were unavoidable.”

Although Luo Ling herself was considered a Grotesquery, she knew what that entailed. It was best not to drag others into it unnecessarily.

“That’s… a pity,” Fiona said, her gaze unwavering, as if the answer to her question wasn’t important, only Luo Ling’s response was.

“I’ll be going now.”

Luo Ling felt her scalp tingle. She had to leave these two quickly. She felt like she would be devoured if she stayed any longer.

“Be careful,” Fiona said gently. “I happen to be free these days, and with the Kingdom’s amplification, I’ll craft Elsa’s Sacred Tool.”

Luo Ling had previously given Fiona a Sacred Relic, commissioning her to craft a Sacred Tool, but Fiona had been busy investigating the Company and had delayed it until now.

“Mmm.”

Luo Ling nodded, then quickly left the room.

Moments later, Linna clicked her tongue. “Miss Luo Ling has cut off her perception. Even I can’t find her.”

Although they were still in Starry Victoria, finding someone in the entire city was incredibly difficult, especially when Miss Luo Ling was deliberately hiding.

“Hehe.”

Fiona smiled noncommittally, turning slightly to look at her daughter.

She gazed at her daughter tenderly, then opened her arms, gently embracing her. Feeling the real presence in her arms, the long-held longing finally transformed into a deep love.

…A mother’s love.

“But Linna, being able to see you again… is enough for me.”

Linna simply lowered her head, nestling in her mother’s embrace like she did as a child.

“…Mmm.”

…………

Meanwhile, in the real world, within the grand cathedral of the Church of Light in Victoria.

The blindfolded nun sitting in the wheelchair slowly opened her eyes, a flicker of awareness flashing in her completely white eyes before they closed again.

The sound of splashing water echoed from nearby. Through her Spore vision, Luo Ling saw Stasha rolling up her sleeves and wringing out a towel. Only then did Luo Ling notice that Alyssa’s clothes were mostly removed, leaving only her undergarments.

The room was filled with steam, a faint mist obscuring her vision.

“So Stasha is wiping Alyssa’s body.”

Alyssa’s legs were paralyzed, making it difficult for her to bathe herself, so Stasha had always taken care of this.

During her time in the Church of Light, Alyssa only had the opportunity to bathe when she returned home once a month.

“But… is it appropriate for me to be here at this time?”

Just as Luo Ling was thinking this, she felt a warm touch on her back, and Stasha’s cautious voice asking, “Sister, is this… too hot?”

“The temperature is just right, Stasha,” Luo Ling replied.

“Mmm!”

Receiving the answer, Stasha quickly continued her task, a smile on her lips. She seemed to cherish these rare moments of intimacy with her sister.

Luo Ling felt it was inappropriate to interrupt their time together, so she quickly entered Alyssa’s consciousness, browsing her recent memories.

Religious hadn’t appeared recently, seemingly having completed his preparations for the ascension ritual, only waiting for the right time to begin. However, Luo Ling knew this wasn’t Religious’s ascension, but Philosopher’s path to godhood.

After receiving Educator’s instructions, Alyssa, using the Sacred Tool, had spread the White Witch’s aura in the various Incubation Barriers appearing throughout Victoria.

It seemed as if all the Incubation Barriers in Victoria were related to the White Witch, overwhelming the Company and forcing them into constant overtime.

Even the Star team, where Cen Xiangyun and the others were now assigned, was no exception. The Star team, despite its name, was actually a large group with several sub-teams.

Unlike top-tier single-character teams like the Hunt team, which consisted entirely of Eighth-Order Awakened Ones and above, the Star team had several levels. Cen Xiangyun and the others had joined the lowest level sub-team, befitting their current strength.

“It seems they’re really overworked, constantly on duty.”

In the Eve puppet’s memories, they had to deal with two or three Incubation Barrier incidents every day, most of them fake, running themselves ragged.

However, amidst this seemingly aimless busyness, Luo Ling noticed several anomalies.

“The Company’s barrier… is broken?”

Chapter 73: The Disaster of Starry Sky, The Game Tilts p1

Naraku of Chaos.

Compared to the White Witch, this was a much more infamous Grotesquery True Name, ranked eighth in the Grotesquery Sequence, a true terror known as a “Taboo.”

Of course, compared to the dormant Naraku and its scarce Apostles, the Order-side forces were more familiar with the Naraku Authority stolen by the Harbingers using their secret techniques.

For some reason, compared to other Taboos, the price for wielding Naraku’s Authority was much lower. It seemed unwilling to restrict access to its Omniscience, even encouraging its spread.

However, as one of the beings who understood Naraku best in this world, Luo Ling knew that this seemingly low price was just a superficial illusion.

There was a saying, “free things are often the most expensive,” and another, “you get what you pay for.” Naraku’s Authority was like this.

It wasn’t that it wasn’t useful, but once used, one would become addicted, eventually becoming a slave to Omniscience.

Everyone who attempted to access or use Omniscience met a gruesome end, driven to madness in their pursuit of it. Even Naraku’s Godchosen were despised in the Kingdoms.

“Luo Ling, could it be… that you’ve even replaced Naraku now?” Fiona asked, her expression shocked as she examined this new version of Luo Ling.

She could understand the previous White Witch avatar as Luo Ling’s true form, disguised as a black-haired girl.

But now…

Although her expression was still indifferent, a faint, seductive aura constantly emanated from her, adding an alluring charm to the purple phantom.

Three distinct forms, all within the same person.

Could this… be Miss Luo Ling’s true form?

“…What are you thinking? I can only use the same abilities as Naraku, I’m not Naraku itself.”

Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth. If she were Naraku, things in Victoria wouldn’t be so troublesome.

She would simply eradicate both the Company and the Harbingers, no need for hiding and playing the sixth man.

Sensing Fiona’s increasingly strange gaze, Luo Ling quickly transformed back into her original black-haired girl form.

“Don’t misunderstand, Aunt Fiona. This is my true form. Both the White Witch and Amethyst—the codename for my Naraku form—are just my avatars.”

For some reason, she felt a flicker of regret in Fiona’s eyes after hearing this.

Could it be… that compared to a girl or a loli, Aunt Fiona preferred tall, older sister types?

No, no, what she liked had nothing to do with her…

“So, your special ability is to obtain Grotesquery abilities and eventually replace them?” Fiona asked after a moment of thought.

“I’m not sure about replacing them, but I can indeed obtain their abilities. However… the specifics are unclear,” Luo Ling replied.

She had previously believed her Devour allowed her to assume new forms, but thinking back… the appearance of both the White Witch and Amethyst forms seemed related to her sister.

Although the White Witch form was activated after killing Li Tianming, Luo Ling had already unknowingly Devoured something before that, likely her sister.

And her transformation into Amethyst was on the train, while she was unconscious. She had awakened to find her sister gone, unaware of what had transpired.

Only recently, while ascending her Naraku abilities, had she finally glimpsed the truth. The Amethyst form… was also bestowed upon her by her sister.

Moreover, she had been raised by her sister for as long as she could remember. Perhaps her sister had many hidden secrets… not retained in her memories.

“I understand more or less,” Fiona nodded slightly, then glanced around the room, a nostalgic look in her eyes. She looked out the window at the starry sky and narrowed her eyes. “I suppose… this isn’t Victoria?”

“It is, and it isn’t.”

Luo Ling, not good with words, simply sent a memory package to Fiona, giving her a basic understanding of the situation.

As expected, Fiona was shocked by the concept of Kingdoms, but after calming down and analyzing the information, she murmured,

“No wonder… I see. The Grotesquery Apostles have always been elusive. The Company’s analysis suggested they were hiding outside the Boundaries, in unreachable locations within the Realm of Nothingness. Although their conclusion was wrong, it… wasn’t entirely baseless.”

All along, the Grotesquery Apostles had been a small, insignificant group. Although the Company and the Harbingers were wary of these eccentric fanatics, they hadn’t taken them seriously.

The reason was simple: these Apostles were scattered and posed little threat, occasionally causing minor damage, their scale incomparable to even a single Harbinger operation.

Only with the concept of Kingdoms did Fiona finally understand why the Apostles and agents were so elusive.

And… the scale of the Grotesqueries’ followers might be far more terrifying than they had imagined.

Even within a Kingdom, Fiona was still shocked by this god-like ability.

She walked to the window, looking out at the night scene, her eyes narrowing as if recalling something.

“If Kingdoms are born from Boundary collapses, I might know the characteristic of this Kingdom,” Fiona said softly.

“Hmm?”

Luo Ling and Linna looked surprised, but they quickly understood.

Fiona… had likely personally experienced the Boundary collapse that birthed this Kingdom. The presence of her room in Starry Victoria indicated that Fiona had already joined the Fate Society and become an Awakened One at that time.

“Luo Ling, take out the Sacred Tool I gave you, Gloomlight,” Fiona said, turning around.

“Wait a moment.” Luo Ling transformed into the White Witch and, as Fiona watched in stunned silence, began rummaging through her hair.

“Her hair… can be used like this too?”

Fiona turned to Linna, who shrugged, indicating she also wasn’t sure.

Miss Luo Ling’s way of using her abilities was always unusual, including attaching fungal threads to the back of someone’s head, something an ordinary person wouldn’t think of.

After a while, Luo Ling took out a beautiful and exquisite hairpin, emitting a faint, dazzling starlight, somewhat similar to the stars in the sky.

Fiona took Gloomlight, then took the long-barreled firearm from Linna’s back.

“Actually, Gloomlight and Linna’s Star Gun are a set, capable of both offense and defense, both crafted from the same Sacred Relic.”

Fiona skillfully brought the two Sacred Tools together, a faint resonance forming between them as they activated simultaneously.

Gloomlight’s shield could be generated near Star Gun, and Star Gun could fire from Gloomlight’s position—it wasn’t actually a firearm, but a staff disguised as one.

Moreover, during resonance, the power of both Sacred Tools would be amplified.

“The Sacred Relic that created them… was this starry sky.”

Fiona looked up at the star-filled sky, a hint of fear in her eyes. “Grotesquery Sequence 24, the Illusory Starry Sky of Calamity.

“A disaster that… nearly destroyed all of Victoria.”

A disaster caused by Grotesquery Sequence 24 seemed far less threatening than the Immortality disaster, but this was a misconception. The severity of a disaster wasn’t determined by the Grotesquery’s Sequence, but by the disaster itself.

Twilight Victoria still had ordinary people, even if it was just a fragment of a Kingdom, while Starry Victoria was completely deserted. This spoke volumes.

Fiona didn’t elaborate on this disaster she had personally experienced, quickly composing herself and saying,

“Under the Illusory Starry Sky, all Elemental fluctuations are masked and amplified by the starlight. When the disaster struck, many people spontaneously combusted without warning. You might find this characteristic useful later.”

“…Mmm.”

Luo Ling and Linna nodded seriously.

Fiona returned the two Sacred Tools to Linna and Luo Ling. Linna, taking the Sacred Tool, looked puzzled. “But Mother, since these two Sacred Tools amplify each other when used together… why didn’t you give it to me before?”

“Because…” Fiona replied, looking at Luo Ling with a smile. “I was waiting for a suitable wielder. Let me have this small privilege.”

“……”

Luo Ling briefly considered throwing away the troublesome Sacred Tool, but she ultimately kept it, storing it in her hair.

Just then, a whimpering sound echoed. The three looked over and saw Elsa, eyes closed, wiping away tears.

Elsa was currently viewing the memories Luo Ling had given her, likely the part where the Hunt team members were killed one by one. The sentimental Elsa was easily moved to tears.

Seeing this, Luo Ling felt like she was watching someone else react to a TV drama she had starred in… although these were her own experiences.

“Little Elsa is so cute,” Fiona said with a smile. “It reminds me of Linna when she was young…”

“Mother!”

Linna stamped her foot in exasperation.

“Alright, alright, I won’t mention your embarrassing childhood stories,” Fiona sighed, but her smile couldn’t be suppressed.

But then, as if remembering something, Fiona’s expression turned serious. “Fortunately, Elsa has always kept a low profile.”

“Hmm?”

Luo Ling immediately looked up.

“As far as I know, the Company has been monitoring Elsa, in a relatively gentle way, of course. The agent in charge… is Cen Xiangyun.”

Fiona continued after a moment of thought, “After all, according to her file, she’s not only the White Witch’s friend, but also the only mentally sound survivor from Jiangcheng County.

“Of course, Miss Cen likely accepted this secret mission to protect little Elsa.”

This wasn’t surprising to Luo Ling. Even Cen Xiangyun being the monitoring agent was within her expectations.

Chapter 72: Mother and Daughter 

The White Witch of Silent Demise.

Fiona wasn’t unfamiliar with this hellish Grotesquery True Name.

In fact, she was intimately familiar with it.

A High-Risk Grotesquery that emerged three and a half months ago, the first in history to replace an existing Sequence Grotesquery, its predecessor being the Puppet Ballad that wreaked havoc in Jiangcheng County.

Upon its appearance, the White Witch claimed the lives of 400,000 residents of Jiangcheng County as a sacrificial offering. Its brutality led both the Order-side forces and the Harbingers to unanimously classify it as the most dangerous Grotesquery in existence.

Although the White Witch’s Sequence 49 wasn’t particularly high, its demonstrated threat level and cruel nature made it the greatest concern for the currently vulnerable Victoria.

It didn’t need to defeat all the factions or even a single Authority Sacred Tool wielder.

The White Witch’s most terrifying aspect wasn’t its combat power, but its silent infiltration and unstoppable mass slaughter.

Simply by using its domination ability, which was incredibly effective against ordinary people, the White Witch could easily destroy Victoria, the “Origin Point of Change,” and plunge humanity into an abyss.

The most reliable information regarding the Puppet Ballad and the White Witch’s abilities came from the “Baiyan Village Operation Report.” Although written by the White Witch herself, several individuals involved confirmed its authenticity.

The report stated that dominated ordinary people appeared no different from normal humans. Only the fungal threads within their flesh and blood could confirm their status as Meat Puppets.

Therefore, shortly after the White Witch disaster, the Company, in collaboration with all Order-side organizations, launched a massive hygiene campaign across Victoria.

…Although it sounded absurd, this campaign allowed the Company to collect blood and tissue samples from ordinary people, checking for fungal threads and preventing the White Witch’s infiltration.

Fiona was, of course, familiar with the White Witch. Even disregarding her position in Victoria, she had been among the first rescue teams dispatched to Jiangcheng County when the disaster struck.

To everyone’s surprise, despite the team’s swift response, they were too late. Upon arriving in Jiangcheng County, they were met with a hellish scene of blood and carnage.

Only a few dozen survivors remained in the entire county, all mentally unstable except for Elsa, hiding in remote corners of the blood-soaked city.

The more they investigated, the more terrifying the Puppet Ballad’s abilities seemed, further confirming the horrifying nature of the White Witch, who had replaced the Puppet Ballad in the Sequence.

Especially the heavy blood debt of 400,000 further amplified the Grotesquery True Name’s bloody reputation. The small, white figure was the deepest nightmare for everyone who had witnessed the destruction of Jiangcheng County.

Fiona, as a firsthand witness, was no exception. Although she was an Authority Sacred Tool wielder, having experienced countless dangers and even entered cities destroyed by the Harbingers, she had never witnessed anything as horrifying as Jiangcheng County.

Four hundred thousand people, not a single intact body… no, not even a single intact limb. Everywhere she looked, there were only fragmented flesh and blood, and rivers of putrid blood.

And now, this nightmare stood before her, tilting her head slightly, staring intently at her with a serious, cute little face.

“……”

Luo Ling raised her hand, and Fiona instinctively took a step back, fear and wariness still lingering in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Aunt Fiona. I’m still the Luo Ling you know. From the very beginning, the White Witch is Luo Ling, and Luo Ling is the White Witch.”

Luo Ling knew Fiona would be afraid of her current form, perhaps even suspecting that the White Witch had dominated the original Luo Ling. After all, thanks to the Company’s relentless propaganda, the White Witch’s image was practically synonymous with a demon.

Even the White Witch’s picture on the Company’s wanted posters had been altered, perhaps to avoid her delicate and beautiful appearance evoking unwanted sympathy.

Even Elsa had complained about this, saying, “They turned the cute and lovely Sister White into a monster that would make children cry.”

Fiona looked at the nightmare standing before her in silence, seemingly coming to terms with the truth.

She then looked at her daughter, Linna, who had become a Grotesquery, her expression filled with complex emotions. She twitched her fingers, wanting to reach out and caress her daughter’s face, but she couldn’t.

“I… can’t accept this,” Fiona whispered, her gaze lowered.

In the end, she voiced her true feelings.

Hearing this, Linna stepped forward anxiously, but Luo Ling stopped her. Linna wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

As her master, Luo Ling had absolute control over Linna. Linna couldn’t resist her will.

Linna could only look at Luo Ling with confusion, unable to understand why she wasn’t revealing the truth.

“Aunt Fiona, don’t you… want to hear my explanation?” Luo Ling moved closer, gently cupping Fiona’s face in her hands.

Fiona’s gaze briefly rested on Luo Ling’s face. She stared at the unfamiliar face, listening to the unfamiliar voice speaking in a familiar tone, memories flashing through her mind.

The cold and indifferent yet kind-hearted black-haired girl had been a ray of light in her near-desperate life, but now she was one with the pale demon that had slaughtered countless lives, their images completely overlapping.

Had the White Witch completely dominated Miss Luo Ling, or had she always been the White Witch, everything a deception?

Either scenario was a devastating conclusion.

Fiona’s gaze shifted from the White Witch to the lifeless, armored figure standing behind her, grief and confusion flashing across her face.

Even her real daughter, Linna… had become a puppet of the demon.

Those dominated by the White Witch, although their appearance remained unchanged, were… no longer themselves.

Fiona had thought she had escaped the abyss, but she was met with even deeper despair, her heart turning to ashes.

As for the so-called explanation… anyone who had witnessed the carnage in Jiangcheng County would find it difficult to believe there were any extenuating circumstances.

But… what if?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Fiona mustered her spirits, forcing herself to look at the White Witch calmly. “Go ahead.”

In her vision, the pale doll stared back at her, her grey eyes filled with sorrow, her delicate cuteness tinged with a pitiful fragility.

“Aunt Fiona, you seem to have… quite a few misunderstandings about me… about the White Witch. Actually, the Company is wrong. I’m not cruel, nor bloodthirsty. Everyone in Jiangcheng County… was simply… liberated.

“I just liberated them from their flesh prisons.”

Fiona remained silent for a long time, her heart truly dying, as if the scene before her was the ultimate, most despairing outcome.

Wasn’t this rhetoric just a justification for murder?

As expected, was this all… just a deception by the White Witch?

On the verge of collapse, she clung to the last straw.

Fiona turned to the lifeless Linna and whispered,

“So, Linna… has also been liberated by you?”

She would rather her daughter be like the others in Jiangcheng County, at least dying quickly, than suffering under domination.

“No.”

The pale girl tilted her head and suddenly smiled.

The vibrant smile, which should have been radiant, appeared eerie and terrifying on the pale girl’s face.

It was like a twisted smile on a delicate, lifeless doll, her terrifying eyes unwavering.

“Didn’t I just tell you, Aunt Fiona? Your daughter, Miss Linna, is now a part of the White Witch… a part of me.

“We’re best friends.”

Fiona’s heart plummeted into an icy abyss. She had reached the worst possible future.

Facing the girl’s twisted gaze, she slowly closed her eyes and whispered, “So, Miss Luo Ling… or should I say, White Witch, will I be the next ‘best friend’?”

She never thought she would end up like this, a puppet in the hands of a Grotesquery.

Seeing the uncontainable emotions on Fiona’s face, a glint of mischief flashed in Luo Ling’s eyes. “Making you treat me like Linna every day, humph…”

Linna, dominated and unable to move, was anxious, worried that Luo Ling would go too far and truly frighten her mother.

But she could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything.

Just as Luo Ling was about to answer, a puzzled voice sounded from the doorway,

“What best friend?”

A small red head peeked into the room. Seeing Luo Ling awake, she ran over excitedly.

“Oh my, Sister White, you’re finally awake!” Elsa nuzzled against Luo Ling’s hair, then asked, “By the way, what best friend?”

“Uh…”

Just as Luo Ling was about to speak, she saw Fiona open her eyes, looking at Elsa with confusion.

Clearly, Luo Ling hadn’t anticipated Elsa’s sudden appearance and was caught off guard. This seemed like an uncharacteristic mistake for the all-controlling White Witch.

This meant Elsa wasn’t dominated, and their relationship seemed unchanged from their time in Victoria, even though Luo Ling’s appearance had changed.

So… what was going on between them?

Linna, seizing Luo Ling’s momentary distraction, forcibly broke free from her control and shouted, “Mother, Miss Luo Ling was just teasing you!”

Fiona immediately realized something more important. Linna also wasn’t completely dominated; she still retained her self-awareness.

Thoughts and suspicions flashed through Fiona’s mind, and she immediately acted on them.

She leaned forward abruptly, her face almost touching the doll-like pale girl’s, until she saw a flicker of panic in the girl’s indifferent eyes. A smile finally appeared on Fiona’s lips.

…As expected, even with her changed appearance, Miss Luo Ling was still the girl she knew.

Even if she was the White Witch.

“Knowing Luo Ling’s personality, her words just now… probably had a different meaning.”

With this thought, Fiona didn’t hesitate. She reached out and, as Elsa watched in stunned silence, wrapped her arms around the pale girl’s slender waist, lifting her up.

Before Luo Ling could react, she found herself enveloped in softness, warm breath tickling her ear, a gentle voice whispering,

“Weren’t you going to make me your ‘best friend’ too, White Witch?”

“Wait, Aunt Fiona…”

Luo Ling tried to struggle, but a force pushed against her back, sending her deeper into the soft embrace.

“……”

Luo Ling turned her head slightly and saw the knight’s face inches away, her eyes curved into crescents, a triumphant smile on her grotesque, fungal thread-covered face.

Linna, taking advantage of Luo Ling’s momentary panic, also embraced her. Mother and daughter sandwiched Luo Ling between them, soft embraces on both sides.

“Now, let’s begin,” Fiona said with a smile. “White Witch… Miss Luo Ling.”

Elsa was dumbfounded. She frantically tried to pry Linna and Fiona apart and rescue her Miss Luo Ling, but against two Ninth-Order Awakened Ones, what could her meager strength accomplish?

Even Elsa was almost pulled into their embrace. Together, she and Luo Ling in her White Witch form were probably smaller than either Linna or Fiona.

They were both undeniably older sisters, even taller than Luo Ling in her Naraku form.

Only after Luo Ling recovered from her panic and reasserted control over Linna did she manage to escape their terrifying embrace.

“Ugh…”

A rare blush appeared on Luo Ling’s face, her breath slightly ragged, her cheeks burning.

Elsa quickly stepped forward, protectively positioning herself in front of Luo Ling, her small face frowning as she glared at Fiona and Linna, as if declaring her ownership.

“A petite Miss Luo Ling… is also quite nice,” Fiona said, wiping a bit of moisture from the corner of her mouth, as if savoring the feeling, her smile unwavering.

Linna, looking quite pleased, stood behind her mother with a mischievous grin.

Miss Luo Ling had finally gained the upper hand, but under the combined assault of mother and daughter, she had been defeated, escaping only through her White Witch abilities.

…Actually, it was Elsa’s sudden appearance that had broken her concentration. Otherwise, she could have held out longer.

However, seeing the little girl bravely standing before her, glaring at Fiona and Linna protectively, Luo Ling couldn’t say anything, only sighing softly in regret.

She had wanted to see Aunt Fiona break down and cry in her arms. What a pity.

Luo Ling composed herself, her expression returning to its usual calmness, only a faint blush remaining on her ears.

“So, what exactly happened?”

Fiona asked seriously, her smile fading.

She still couldn’t understand why Miss Luo Ling, with her personality, would massacre the entire population of Jiangcheng County, taking 400,000 lives.

“It’s difficult to explain in simple terms. Let you experience it yourself.” Luo Ling’s white thread extended, brushing against Fiona’s cheek.

The next moment, Fiona found herself in Jiangcheng County, surrounded by crumbling walls and the residents going about their daily lives beneath them.

“This is…”

Fiona’s eyes widened slightly, shocked by Luo Ling’s ability to transmit memories so vividly that it felt like she was truly there. Was this also an ability of the White Witch?

This wasn’t just a metaphorical “being there.” Fiona could even smell the blood and dust in the air.

The next moment, an even more terrifying scene unfolded.

Fiona’s vision turned grey, like a black and white photograph, everything falling into another world. The people wandering among the ruins underwent a strange transformation.

Fiona saw fungal threads filling everyone’s flesh and blood, even though their wounds only bled normal blood.

At the same time, countless pained cries echoed in Fiona’s mind, all from the consciousnesses trapped within their flesh prisons.

Fiona’s head throbbed, her mind close to collapse. Sensing Fiona couldn’t handle it, Luo Ling quickly withdrew the Puppet Ballad’s vision and hearing.

“They are all…”

Fiona murmured, terror still lingering in her eyes.

“They are all Lambs, lost Lambs under the Puppet Ballad’s domination,” Luo Ling’s sorrowful voice echoed in Fiona’s mind. “I have to admit, ‘living’ like this… was true suffering for them.”

Death… was sometimes a form of liberation.

Especially under a Grotesquery of the Silent Demise Path.

This was true for Guixu, and also for the Puppet Ballad.

Fiona remained silent. Returning to the present, she looked at the frail, pale girl, an urge to embrace and comfort her rising within her heart.

Such a cruel reality, even a brief glimpse was almost unbearable for her, yet it was Miss Luo Ling’s lived experience.

The sorrow and despair contained within this memory were beyond anything Fiona had ever witnessed. In this regard, Miss Luo Ling… was more like Jiangcheng County’s savior, not the bloodthirsty butcher everyone believed her to be.

“…We misunderstood,” Fiona sighed softly.

She didn’t ask why Luo Ling hadn’t explained this to everyone, because she knew that any explanation regarding the White Witch would be futile.

Even sharing this memory wouldn’t help.

No one would believe a High-Risk Grotesquery would make such a choice. They would rather believe it was a grand, bloody sacrifice.

Even Fiona, only because she understood Luo Ling, was willing to believe that the deaths of 400,000 people in Jiangcheng County were a liberation, not a massacre.

However, within this memory, Fiona also saw more information.

“Luo Ling, the White Witch’s domination… doesn’t it… leave the flesh and blood untouched by fungal threads?” Fiona asked tentatively.

“Yes, when using Complete Control, no matter the detection method, it will only appear as normal flesh and blood,” Luo Ling replied softly, her eyes flickering.

This didn’t seem to be an inherent characteristic of the Puppet Ballad, as even Ji Ying hadn’t known about it. Her team had nearly eradicated the Puppet Ballad’s main body, but hadn’t discovered this.

Moreover, none of the Eggs that appeared in Jiangcheng County exhibited this characteristic. They all used fungal strains to replace flesh and blood for domination.

This terrifying concealment ability seemed more like… an ability possessed by her sister, that special Puppet Ballad individual. This was how Luo Ling could use Complete Control.

Fiona gasped, a bitter smile appearing on her lips as she shook her head. “So, all along… the Company’s efforts to defend against the White Witch were… futile.”

It wasn’t the Company’s vigilance that had stopped the White Witch, but the fact that she… had never intended to destroy Victoria. This Origin Point had been spared by her choice.

“But what about Linna?” Fiona looked at Linna, who was standing behind them with her hands on her hips, her gaze fixed on the fungal threads on her face.

“Her situation is even more special,” Luo Ling said, rubbing her temples. “Forget it, I’ll just let you see for yourself.”

“No!” Linna immediately jumped forward, stopping her. “Just tell her, Miss Luo Ling! If it’s too troublesome… I’ll relay it!”

“No, I want to see it.”

Before Luo Ling could respond, Fiona said with a smile, glancing at Linna, silencing her daughter with maternal authority.

“It’s nothing much…”

Luo Ling packaged the memories and sent them directly to Fiona’s mind.

After a few moments, Fiona opened her eyes, looking at Luo Ling with gratitude. She had clearly seen what happened in the Incubation Barrier.

And all the circumstances surrounding it.

Everything Miss Luo Ling had experienced during her month and a half of disappearance was finally revealed, a heartbreaking and sorrowful past.

Especially Linna’s calm words, “Please use Complete Control on me, Miss Luo Ling,” and the pale girl’s subsequent refusal, gripping her hand and enduring the pain, desperately trying to save Linna’s life, deeply moved Fiona, bringing tears to her eyes.

She hadn’t expected her daughters to have gone through such an experience…

Fiona’s gaze shifted between the embarrassed Linna and Luo Ling. She raised a trembling hand to her mouth and said, “I agree.”

“I disagree!” Elsa, who had been ignored, jumped up and down, puffing out her cheeks. “Miss Luo Ling, I want to see too! You haven’t shown me!”

“Haven’t I?” Luo Ling paused, thinking back. “Oh right, I haven’t shown you… It’s nothing much, really.”

After sending another package of memories to Elsa, finally appeasing the little girl, Luo Ling looked up and saw an unreadable emotion in Fiona’s eyes.

It had been there before, but not as strongly as now.

“Can I keep this memory? I want to… revisit it occasionally,” Fiona asked with a smile.

“Mother!”

Linna was almost frantic. Just thinking about that incident made her scalp tingle, especially the thought of her mother reliving it. It was mortifying.

“That’s not a problem.”

Luo Ling took out a few white hairs, stood on tiptoe, and attached them to the back of Fiona’s head. “Just use this ability when you want to see the memories.”

“So thoughtful, Miss Luo Ling, just like a little padded jacket,” Fiona said, looking down at the pale girl and gently kissing her forehead, leaving a soft mark.

Thankfully, Elsa was currently immersed in the memories, otherwise, seeing this scene would likely trigger another jealous outburst.

“However… I’m curious, when you saved Linna, you didn’t seem to be using the White Witch’s abilities?” Fiona asked, puzzled. The memories she saw were from Luo Ling’s perspective, so she hadn’t seen Luo Ling’s transformation.

“Oh, that’s right, I wasn’t. It was another Grotesquery’s ability,” Luo Ling said after a moment’s thought, transforming into her Naraku form.

Instantly, the small figure transformed into a tall, mature woman, a flash of purple disappearing as quickly as it appeared, a pair of terrifying black eyes with pinpoint pupils staring at Fiona.

Fiona looked at the purple-haired woman, only slightly shorter than herself, her face filled with astonishment.

Luo Ling… had this form too?

“The ability to rewrite reality comes from Naraku,” Luo Ling said calmly.

Chapter 71: A Lose-Lose Situation, A Part of the White Witch 

Victoria.

In a remote corner of a bustling market stood a dilapidated shop that looked like it had seen better days. Sparsely arranged on the shelves were various jars of spices.

No one would have guessed that the old man who had run this shop for decades was a Company director.

The Old Man who appeared here looked different from the one Luo Ling had seen in the cabin, appearing much older. The image in the cabin was like him from ten or twenty years ago.

“Cough, cough…“

Another bout of violent coughing wracked his body. The Old Man tossed the blood-soaked handkerchief into a nearby wastebasket, which was filled with similar handkerchiefs, not just from today, but stained with long-dried blood.

“…Your injuries are much worse than before.”

The Woman’s avatar stood beside him, her clear voice betraying no emotion. Even though the Old Man was on the verge of death, her expression remained unconcerned, as if it were nothing serious.

“Somewhat,” the Old Man said, his frail body hunched over, hands tucked into his sleeves. “Otherwise… I wouldn’t have called you for help.”

Like Philosopher, the Old Man carried lingering injuries, stemming from a battle with Philosopher years ago that had decimated the Harbingers.

Despite their victory, the Old Man hadn’t had time to recover, as he had to constantly maintain the barrier enveloping Victoria.

Whether it was monitoring Victoria or activating countermeasures against the Harbingers at critical moments, the Old Man had no choice, even as his injuries worsened.

“But… I couldn’t help much,” the Woman said, her expression darkening as she recalled the power she had encountered, seemingly lost in thought.

A power capable of completely annihilating abilities, not just the Destined Death they had inflicted upon Fiona, but even more terrifying… the Old Man and the Woman had temporarily lost the ability to use Destined Death.

Although they could likely regain this sure-kill move through trial and error, for the time being, it would be difficult for the three of them to fully control the situation in Victoria.

This power that could erase concepts reminded them of the Realm of Nothingness. There seemed to be some similarities, but they couldn’t be certain.

“If the Harbingers have obtained the power of the Seventh Path, the ‘Origin Point of Change’ will surely face a catastrophe,” Philosopher whispered. “Moreover, Fiona’s life has been saved by them. It’s only a matter of time before she reveals that secret. We’ve unknowingly… fallen behind, Woman.”

Everything had started with Fiona entrusting Luo Ling, a member of the Company’s Wellington branch, to enter the Realm of Nothingness. Victoria, which had been maintaining a delicate balance, was like a pond disturbed by a thrown stone, the ripples spreading and expanding, until a storm surged forth.

“We must admit, this time… we’ve failed.” The Old Man raised his head. The golden eye hadn’t faded, the ritualistic pattern within still faintly visible. This was the Old Man’s Authority Sacred Tool.

But unlike other Authority Sacred Tool wielders, the Old Man had embedded this Sacred Tool into his body, making it a part of him, the ritualistic pattern constantly active, completely fused with the Sacred Tool.

Therefore, this Authority Sacred Tool not only granted the Old Man its Authority in a unique way, but had also become a part of him.

The Grotesquery from which this complete Authority Sacred Tool originated had fallen into Silent Demise, leaving only its Sacred Relic, which was forged into this Sacred Tool, the foundation of the Old Man’s decades-long struggle against Philosopher.

Hearing the Old Man’s dejected voice, the Woman remained silent for a long time before slowly asking, “So, what… do you plan to do next?”

The Old Man didn’t immediately answer, instead closing his eyes and leaning back on the shop’s only recliner, gently rocking as if lost in thought.

The Woman wasn’t anxious, simply waiting quietly in the shop for the Old Man’s answer.

Customers entered the shop to buy spices, but the Old Man remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard them.

Instead, the Woman skillfully introduced the shop’s few remaining products, even making a few sales, neatly stacking the coins and banknotes by the counter.

Perhaps due to the Woman’s old-fashioned attire and the Old Man’s idleness, this odd couple seemed to be mistaken for something else by passersby, curious and strange gazes occasionally peering through the shop window.

It wasn’t until late at night, when a blood-soaked young man pushed open the door and entered the shop, that the seemingly sleeping Old Man finally opened his eyes and softly asked,

“Boy, what’s the situation?”

The Old Man had been waiting for another crucial reply, a reply that would directly influence his final decision.

“…It’s bad.”

The Boy’s deep, heavy voice echoed as he walked over and grabbed the water pitcher from the counter, gulping it down.

Only after he exhaled heavily did the intense bloodlust emanating from him subside, revealing an unconcealed killing intent.

The Woman looked up at the Boy, waiting for his report.

She knew nothing about the task the Old Man had assigned to the Boy.

But… this wasn’t the first time. Since they weren’t sure who among the three was the Historian, they often kept important matters hidden from each other.

This was true between the Old Man and the Boy, the Old Man and the Woman, and even between the Boy and the Woman, each having secret backup plans to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Even though the Old Man and Philosopher had been fighting for years, both severely injured, they still couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that the Old Man was the Historian.

The famous Eastern stratagem, “the empty fort strategy,” illustrated the danger of such schemes. They couldn’t let their guard down.

“Cheng Jianming is indeed dead. The cause of death is unknown, but I’ve retrieved a fragment of his soul.” The Boy took out a small cross pendant. A faint, male figure could be seen trapped within, its expression filled with pain.

This was a Sacred Tool for collecting souls. The more complete the body and the shorter the time since death, the more complete the collected soul and the more information it contained.

If the death was recent and only the physical body had ceased functioning, even the complete soul could be preserved. This was what Cheng Jianming had intended to do to Luo Ling.

Of course, the soul and consciousness were separate. Even if a dead person’s soul was revived, it would only give birth to a new consciousness. Even if it could recall the memories within the soul, it would still be a completely different person.

Judging from Cheng Jianming’s fragmented and mangled soul, his death… wasn’t peaceful.

The memories within were also fragmented, but they clearly showed him slaughtering the Twintails team, Luo Ling and Elsa turning into blood mist under his sword.

All the memories matched the scene they had found, with no signs of alteration, but that was all. The rest were just fragmented images.

The most striking image among them was a deep, heavy whiteness and a pair of terrifying grey eyes.

“It’s the White Witch. She actually took action herself…”

But… to kill Cheng Jianming, who possessed an Authority Sacred Tool, without even giving him a chance to escape, this didn’t seem like something the White Witch could do.

The Company directors had, of course, conducted a thorough analysis of this rare, active High-Risk Grotesquery, along with their investigation of Jiangcheng County.

Their conclusion was that the White Witch’s weakness was direct combat, but her infiltration abilities were top-tier, able to replace someone’s flesh and blood with fungal threads and control their actions unnoticed.

The Boy’s next words shocked both the Old Man and the Woman. “I found this fragment of Cheng Jianming’s soul in the Realm of Nothingness.”

Although the Boy didn’t specify which Realm of Nothingness, his serious and solemn tone implied only one answer.

The Realm of Nothingness where a Grotesquery capable of annihilating Boundaries was suspected to exist, a very real possibility.

“Where’s Time?”

The Old Man asked gravely.

More important than Cheng Jianming’s life was the Authority Sacred Tool he wielded. If it could be recovered and a suitable wielder found, the Order side’s strength wouldn’t be significantly weakened.

Among all the Boundaries originating from Victoria, Ninth-Order Awakened Ones weren’t common, but they were definitely more numerous than Authority Sacred Tools.

“…It’s lost, most likely taken,” the Boy sighed.

The loss was severe. Even the Company couldn’t easily produce Sacred Tools of this level.

The only one acquired in the last ten years was forged by Fiona, “Andromeda,” from the Sacred Relic obtained by Lu Fangling, director of the Wellington branch, after she killed a High-Risk Grotesquery.

Now… forget about finding a suitable High-Risk Grotesquery, even if they had a Sacred Relic, without Fiona, it would be difficult for the Company to produce another P9.

“Who do you think… is behind this?” The Old Man stared intently at the Boy. The Woman also watched him, awaiting his answer.

Although they all knew the answer…

“The Harbingers of Calamity.”

The three said in unison.

The collaboration with the White Witch, the disposal of Cheng Jianming’s body in that Realm of Nothingness, and the methods used to rescue Fiona, all clues pointed to the Harbingers.

This series of actions demonstrated the Harbingers’ continued strength, no weaker than their past glory.

“We have indeed failed,” the Woman sighed this time.

All their plans, from the very beginning, had fallen apart, an unprecedented defeat.

Finally, the Old Man made a difficult decision.

“I propose initiating a Boundary collapse to stop the Harbingers’ next move.”

The Woman and the Boy remained silent. The Harbingers now likely possessed the power to annihilate Boundaries. Initiating a collapse at this time seemed too dangerous.

Was the Old Man truly the Historian? Was he intentionally doing this to let the Harbingers succeed, achieving their goal of burying Victoria?

Was this risky decision because the Historian had finally chosen their side?

After a long silence, the Woman raised her hand first.

“Second.”

The Boy’s eyes flickered, looking at the struggling remnant of Cheng Jianming’s soul within the cross. He finally sighed and said, “…Second.”

No matter what, the Company and Victoria… were now at a dead end, teetering on the edge of a cliff.

But after making this difficult decision, the three seemed to relax slightly.

“Boy, you personally handle containing the Harbingers,” the Old Man quickly made arrangements. “Woman, you’re in charge of the Boundary collapse. The Gypsy Girl should be back by now. She’ll be very interested in this.”

The Gypsy Girl was the Harbinger of Disaster, never refusing any disaster, let alone one that could cause Victoria’s collapse.

Collaborating with the Company was a long-term business proposition that the Gypsy Girl couldn’t refuse.

That’s why she hadn’t leaked any information, even Fiona’s valuable favor and her skills as a Sacred Tool crafter couldn’t sway her.

If the Gypsy Girl wasn’t interested, even the Harbinger of Auspicious Timing couldn’t repay the favor.

The Boy, receiving his instructions, didn’t hesitate, nodding slightly at the Old Man before turning and leaving, taking the bloody aura with him.

The Woman looked deeply at the Old Man, as if trying to discern his true intentions, before her figure slowly dissipated.

Now, only the lonely Old Man remained in the spice shop. He sat quietly for a while before standing up shakily and walking towards the counter.

Like any ordinary shopkeeper, he meticulously organized the counter, rearranging the spices the Woman had disturbed, then collecting the neatly stacked money.

After tidying up the shop, the Old Man slowly walked back to the recliner and sat down.

At the same time, the ritualistic pattern on his right eye suddenly activated, the barrier enveloping Victoria showing signs of fracturing.

“Since I have no hope of success now,” the Old Man murmured, tears of blood flowing from his right eye, “But brother, I won’t let you succeed either.

“The path to godhood? Nothing but… a joke.”

……..

Under a sky full of stars.

Strange whispers and murmurs filled her ears as her consciousness fell endlessly, fleeting images and beautiful illusions flashing past, leaving no trace in her memory.

Finally, a heart-wrenching sob echoed. Before a dark, nameless tombstone, a small figure knelt despairingly on the desolate ground.

Fragmented memories quickly buried themselves deep within her heart. Her falling consciousness finally reached the bottom, but it wasn’t as hard as she imagined, but surprisingly soft.

As the whispers and sobs faded, she finally realized she was on the verge of awakening, between the real world and a dream.

Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.

“Was it a nightmare?”

A gentle, familiar voice sounded. Luo Ling looked up, a familiar golden hue filling her vision, along with a pair of eyes filled with tenderness.

“Linna? No, wait, you’re… Aunt Fiona.”

Luo Ling raised her hand, her consciousness returning only when her fingertips gently touched Fiona’s cheek, confirming she was back in the real world.

Fiona took Luo Ling’s cold, clawed fingers in her warm hands, rubbing them against her cheek and smiling gently.

“This isn’t a dream anymore.”

“…I know.”

Luo Ling blinked. She could distinguish between dreams and reality. Only now did she realize she was resting her head on Aunt Fiona’s lap, no wonder her consciousness felt so soft.

Luo Ling tried to sit up, but Fiona gently pressed her back down. “Rest a little longer, Luo Ling. You’re exhausted.”

Fiona gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Luo Ling’s eyes, carefully avoiding the grotesque teal-black scales on her cheeks.

Even though Luo Ling appeared calm, her struggles and turmoil in her dream hadn’t escaped Fiona’s notice as she watched her sleep.

What had Miss Luo Ling gone through?

Fiona didn’t know, but all she could offer now was this safe haven.

Worried that Luo Ling was still trapped in her dream, she used this physical contact to awaken her.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Aunt Fiona. Don’t worry about me,” Luo Ling said calmly, her eyes still glowing with their unyielding dark gold vertical pupils. “Did you feel any discomfort while I was unconscious? I might have accidentally hurt you.”

Luo Ling wasn’t sure if her Devour had harmed Fiona. This was her greatest concern. It was an Authority from Doomsday, a terrifying power capable of annihilating Boundaries.

Luo Ling could clearly feel how dire her own condition was. Devour seemed to have consumed something extraordinary, causing her Grotesquification to worsen unprecedentedly.

She could imagine how terrifying and monstrous she looked in the mirror.

But… the situation had been too critical. If she couldn’t counter the directors’ Destined Death when her inspiration was depleted, Aunt Fiona would surely die.

Therefore, at the last moment, Luo Ling had been forced to use Grotesquification, completely devouring Destined Death. Even now, she could still faintly sense its presence.

Unlike before, Destined Death hadn’t transformed into a new form, nor had it become nourishment for her Naraku form. Instead, it had become a special ability she possessed.

Of course, the actual Destined Death was a combination of three Paths: Sin and Thorn, Present, and Chaos. Luo Ling, currently only possessing the Chaos Path, couldn’t use it.

And the price she paid… was her current terrifying, monstrous appearance. She was one step closer to Doomsday and one step further from Transcendence.

“I’m fine, I’m completely fine…”

Fiona said softly, shaking her head.

“Mother,” a muffled voice sounded from the doorway. Before Fiona could speak, the voice continued, “It’s me, Linna, not Miss Luo Ling.”

“Of course I know, Linna,” Fiona said, raising her head with a gentle smile. “How could I not recognize my own daughter’s voice?”

“You misheard last time,” the muffled voice said, a hint of resentment in its tone.

“You remembered wrong, Linna,” Fiona said calmly, her voice unwavering.

“It seems you’ve already met,” Luo Ling said, sitting up abruptly, a strange panic rising in her heart.

It felt like being caught red-handed while sneaking a snack?

No, no, she hadn’t stolen anything…

Seeing Luo Ling escape from her embrace, a flicker of regret crossed Fiona’s face. She composed herself and said,

“We’ve met, and we haven’t. Linna refused to remove her armor and meet me face-to-face. She wouldn’t let me leave this room either, refusing to tell me anything, saying she would wait for you to wake up.”

Since it was her daughter’s arrangement, Fiona didn’t question it further, but she vaguely knew she wasn’t in Victoria anymore.

Even though this room was almost identical to her room in the Victoria Opera House, Fiona could still discern subtle differences.

She had many guesses, but she was willing to wait for her daughters’ answers.

“So Linna, you didn’t dare tell Aunt Fiona the truth directly?”

Luo Ling looked at Linna, who was hiding in her armor, and suddenly wanted to laugh.

“I just thought it would be better for you to tell her, Miss Luo Ling,” Linna said, much more subdued in front of her mother, like a dog with its tail between its legs.

“Isn’t it the same?” Luo Ling said.

“It’s not,” Linna insisted.

Fiona simply smiled at their bickering, tears welling up in her eyes, but they were tears of warmth.

She hadn’t expected to witness this scene alive…

All the hardships, the pain, the struggles—

It was all worth it.

“Alright, I’ll tell her.”

Luo Ling turned to Fiona, took a deep breath, and said gravely, “Aunt Fiona, I hope you can remain calm when you hear what I’m about to tell you.”

“Hmm?”

Fiona paused, a puzzled look appearing on her face.

Under her confused yet expectant gaze, Luo Ling touched her forehead.

Instantly, the girl’s black hair grew wildly, turning a grotesque white, her body shrinking significantly, even smaller than Elsa.

A pair of emotionless grey eyes stared coldly ahead, set within a beauty that defied description, giving her a distinctly inhuman appearance.

Her flowing white hair swayed without a breeze, filling the room. A childish, indifferent voice echoed,

“Aunt Fiona, you might have seen me like this before, but I still have to reintroduce myself.

“I am the White Witch. That’s right, Sequence 49 of the Grotesqueries, the White Witch of Silent Demise.”

Before the shock could register on Fiona’s face, Luo Ling reached out and removed Linna’s helmet, revealing her face covered in grotesque fungal threads. She continued,

“Your daughter, Linna, is now a part of me. Or, in terms you might understand better, she… is the White Witch, my agent.”

Chapter 70: Indulgent “Motherly Love” 

Within Starry Victoria, the tall, purple-haired woman slowly materialized, a look of astonishment still lingering on her face.

“Was I… just kicked out?”

Luo Ling’s expression gradually returned to normal as thoughts flashed through her mind, her eyes narrowing slightly.

It was rare to see the First Seat flustered, as if afraid that further questioning from Luo Ling might unearth more secrets.

“At least now it’s certain that the First Seat is definitely connected to Naraku, but… if she’s not Naraku herself, nor a Godchosen or God’s Favored, what kind of being is she?”

However, this wasn’t Luo Ling’s primary concern. The more pressing matter was saving Aunt Fiona.

One Floral Pattern could be exchanged for a single use of the Omniscience Authority.

Luo Ling originally had seventeen petals remaining, but after learning the function of the Floral Pattern from the First Seat, she had spent one. If she used another to save Aunt Fiona, she would only have six left.

“……”

After a moment of silent contemplation, Luo Ling decided against acting on her initial impulse. She didn’t dare gamble on whether the Omniscience derived from Naraku was truly harmless.

Aunt Fiona’s condition wasn’t so dire that it required paying the price of Chaos, a price with only a theoretical possibility of affecting her sister.

Using Naraku’s Omniscience in this way was no different from offering herself to Naraku. A Taboo was always a Taboo, and interacting with it required extreme caution. Gaining power always came at a price; this was true for any power.

If not for the fact that Aunt Fiona’s awakening was crucial to the current situation in Victoria, and “Destined Death” was likely more than just an eternal slumber, Luo Ling wouldn’t use an Omniscience that wasn’t hers. After all, there might be unforeseen consequences.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Ling manifested a complete Floral Pattern on her forehead, feeling the power emanating from its gradual dissolution.

“I can vaguely sense a gaze from somewhere in the unknown, as if within reach…”

Luo Ling raised her hand, but contrary to usual, her Devour couldn’t affect this gaze, even when actively triggered.

This was the first time she encountered something her Devour couldn’t affect. Perhaps… the Authority activated through the Floral Pattern truly originated from the Grotesquery itself, even a Taboo.

The First Seat had said “the deity you worship,” not “Naraku’s Omniscience.” This meant… if other Taboo Godchosen used it, the gaze would come from their respective Taboo.

Just what kind of being’s power was contained within the Floral Pattern given by the First Seat…

“Why am I suddenly interested in the First Seat?”

Luo Ling touched her chin, recalling the First Seat’s slightly panicked expression as she hurriedly dismissed her. “And… she’s not completely omnipotent either.”

Luo Ling quickly put the matter of the First Seat aside, her figure vanishing and reappearing within Fiona’s room.

Linna sat by the bed, gently wiping her sleeping mother’s face with a damp cloth, her eyes filled with longing and tenderness.

Elsa was carrying a basin to empty the water. Looking up, she saw Luo Ling suddenly appear, nearly dropping the basin in fright.

Fortunately, Luo Ling caught the basin in time, only spilling a little water, preventing herself from getting soaked.

“Be careful,” Luo Ling said, gently stroking Elsa’s hair. She was now so small that she barely needed to raise her hand to do so.

“…Miss Luo Ling? You’re finally back?”

Linna, seeing Luo Ling appear, looked surprised, seemingly not recognizing Luo Ling in her Naraku form at first glance.

But her face quickly lit up, and she stood up hurriedly. “How did it go? Can my mother… be saved? She… seems to be getting worse.”

Linna’s eyes filled with worry. Through the Puppet Ballad’s ability, she could sense that even with the fungal threads sustaining her life, her mother’s vital signs were still declining at an incredibly slow but irreversible rate.

It was as if some unknown existence was draining her life force, and the Puppet Ballad’s ability was only maintaining a stalemate.

Without the Puppet Ballad, Fiona would have fallen into eternal Silent Demise in her sleep. The Puppet Ballad’s intervention had only delayed the inevitable.

Luo Ling, now knowing the truth of “Destined Death,” understood what was happening. It was a fatal combination of Chaos and Present Path abilities, something the Puppet Ballad of the Silent Demise Path couldn’t reverse.

Without addressing the root cause, it was only a temporary solution.

However, the one using the Present Path Authority should be the Old Man. As for the one wielding the Chaos Path Authority Sacred Tool… was it the Boy or the Woman?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Luo Ling quickly regained her focus, nodding.

“Let me try.”

She didn’t make any promises. This was her first time using Omniscience, and she wasn’t sure of its effects. She had to be ready to interrupt the Authority’s activation at any time.

Linna immediately made way for Luo Ling, then led Elsa, who had returned after emptying the water, to the side, watching the sleeping “Sleeping Beauty” with anxiety.

Luo Ling gently touched her forehead, and the suppressed Floral Pattern reactivated. Naraku’s gaze descended, devoid of emotion, only cold, terrifying will.

As the Floral Pattern gradually dissolved, Luo Ling could feel Naraku’s gaze intensifying, almost solidifying.

But… even though this gaze was focused on Luo Ling, it wasn’t directed at her, but at the fading Floral Pattern on her forehead.

Clearly, this Floral Pattern was the price for using the Taboo Authority.

Finally, at the same moment the Floral Pattern completely disappeared, Naraku’s gaze vanished.

In its place, a small, black eye opened on Luo Ling’s forehead, a tiny white dot at its center twitching restlessly, completely beyond her control.

Like a single-use Authority Sacred Tool, all Luo Ling could do now was utilize this complete Omniscience once.

—This wasn’t an Authority she controlled. Using it wouldn’t provide any insights.

“As expected, it’s not that easy to use. The Floral Pattern can only do this much.”

A hint of disappointment flashed in Luo Ling’s eyes. She had hoped to gain some understanding through this use of the Authority, but it wasn’t to be.

However, this was Omniscience, belonging to a Taboo. Using it without paying a personal price was already a miracle.

“Let’s see if I can save Aunt Fiona.”

Luo Ling raised her hand, and the black eye on her forehead widened slightly, its twitching ceasing as it stared intently at Fiona.

At the same time, Naraku’s innate ability, Weave, slowly unfolded its web domain. Countless illusory black eyes with pinpoint pupils appeared within the domain, all staring at the sleeping Fiona.

An Authority… was the qualitative transformation of an ability after reaching its ultimate sublimation.

The innate ability Weave, the first ability Ensnare, the second ability Submerge, and the unknown third ability, all of Naraku’s power resided within Omniscience.

Now, within the web domain, everything about Fiona was revealed.

Including… Destined Death.

Thump—

Thump-thump—

Thump-thump-thump—

The sound of a heartbeat echoed clearly within the small room.

Not only Luo Ling, but even Linna and Elsa, watching from the side, saw two illusory chains emerge from Fiona’s chest, tightly binding her heart.

At the same time, the red threads connected to her heart turned dark grey, the discoloration spreading towards the extremities.

—Destined Death.

“The heart represents Aunt Fiona’s life, and the red threads are the threads of fate. Her current slumber is due to being bound by both Chaos and Present. This binding will continue until her death, irreversible.”

This was the result of two directors acting together.

Besides this, Fiona also had some physical injuries, likely inflicted by the third director, but these had already been healed by Linna’s Puppet Ballad.

Luo Ling’s expression turned serious, and the black eyes around her began to tremble. Ensnare activated, rewriting reality, attempting to break the chains binding Fiona’s heart.

Just then, in a bustling market far away, an old man sitting alone in a deserted shop seemed to sense something. He quickly covered his mouth with a silk cloth, coughing several times. Looking down, he saw blood staining the cloth.

“This is… the power of an Authority? It should be a Chaos Path ability. Is it Philosopher?” A sharp glint flashed in the old man’s eyes. A golden eye replaced his right eye, slowly revealing a ritualistic pattern. “Very well, let’s try it then, my brother.”

“……”

The chains binding the heart… were resisting Ensnare’s reality rewriting?

Luo Ling clearly saw the chains constantly shattering and reforming. Even rewriting reality couldn’t completely break their hold.

Within Ensnare, countless cycles of destruction and restoration played out, the rewritten reality constantly being repaired, seemingly endlessly.

“Ugh… is it the Old Man, maintaining Destined Death?” Luo Ling’s expression darkened.

Although Omniscience was powerful, Luo Ling’s inspiration was limited. This continuous confrontation consumed her inspiration at a terrifying rate. If not for the unusually large inspiration capacity she had gained from devouring the Boundary, she wouldn’t have been able to last this long.

Besides inspiration consumption, there was a more serious problem.

This battle wasn’t being fought in an empty space, but on the concept of Aunt Fiona’s “life.” Every struggle chipped away at her life force.

A look of pain appeared on Fiona’s previously peaceful, sleeping face. Linna, watching anxiously, her eyes filled with heartache, almost burst into tears.

But Linna knew that Miss Luo Ling was currently confronting the caster and couldn’t be disturbed by her grief, so she covered her mouth, suppressing any sound.

“How terrifying…”

Blood trickled from Luo Ling’s orifices, a sign that her inspiration was nearing depletion. This prolonged tug-of-war seemed destined to end in her defeat.

The Old Man on the other side wasn’t faring much better. He knelt on the ground, his already injured body weakening, but he still desperately maintained Destined Death, preventing Fiona from awakening.

However, there was only one reason the Old Man could win this battle: a young-looking woman, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, stood beside him.

Although the woman present was only an avatar, the combined power of two directors was enough to counter the Authority of Omniscience, turning this battle into a war of attrition.

The black eyes around Luo Ling gradually dimmed, signifying that her inspiration for maintaining Omniscience was reaching its limit. Further exhaustion could endanger her life.

Finally, Luo Ling’s vision blurred. The suppressed Destined Death returned, the two chains tightening around Fiona’s heart, her “life” concept falling silent once more.

Luo Ling alone couldn’t compete with the combined inspiration of two directors.

Just as her consciousness faded, the black eye on her forehead completely extinguished, a hint of mockery seemingly flashing within it as it disappeared.

“Did I fail?”

Luo Ling forced her eyes open, looking at the gradually dimming heart and chains as the web domain dissipated, a dark golden light igniting in her eyes like fireworks.

Just as Linna’s face fell into despair, and she and Elsa moved to support the near-unconscious Luo Ling, a nimble black figure suddenly lunged forward, its teal claws reaching for Fiona’s heart.

“Luo Ling—”

Before Linna and Elsa could finish their cries, they saw the fading heart reappear, along with the chains and the dark threads of fate, as the black figure grasped it.

“Come back,” a cold, commanding voice said, a simple command that brought back the Destined Death that could only be perceived through Omniscience.

“What!”

The Old Man, who had just relaxed after his victory, widened his eyes in shock. He felt as if his own heart was being squeezed by some unknown force.

No, it was Destined Death that was being squeezed.

But how could something conceptual be grasped!

Something even more shocking happened. The Old Man heard a strange sound, an ordinary sound, but… coming from Destined Death, it was incredibly bizarre.

He heard… the sound of gnawing.

Crunch, crunch.

Slow, but unstoppable.

Destined Death was disappearing.

The Old Man tried to maintain Destined Death, but… he failed.

Because Destined Death wasn’t being erased by Chaos, but completely disappearing, from its concept and root, as if it had never existed, as if… it had fallen into nothingness.

“The Harbingers actually control this kind of power?”

The Old Man was more shocked by this than the failure of Destined Death, as this was an unknown power.

It was… the legendary Seventh Path.

The woman beside him turned pale, as the other part of Destined Death she was maintaining was also completely erased by this power.

While the Company directors were shocked, Linna and Elsa in Starry Victoria experienced similar emotions.

The black figure tore at the chains of Destined Death, stuffing them into its mouth and gnawing on them.

As it gnawed, its Grotesquery features intensified, until it resembled a half-dragon Grotesquery girl.

“This is…”

Linna looked at Elsa for help, but Elsa wore the same confused expression.

After Luo Ling devoured all of Destined Death in this dramatic fashion, the heart finally began beating normally. The surrounding threads of fate, although still tainted, were gradually returning to normal.

The black figure stood up, turning slightly to reveal half of its grotesque face and its unyielding dark gold vertical pupils, saying softly,

“It’s done.”

Then, it collapsed.

“Miss Luo Ling!”

As Linna rushed forward to help Luo Ling, who had fallen onto Fiona, she heard a long-awaited voice, accompanied by a pained groan,

“Ugh… who?”

Fiona, her consciousness still hazy, felt a weight on her body. Opening her eyes, the lingering terror in her mind hadn’t completely dissipated.

As the scene before her came into focus, she saw a black-haired girl lying on top of her, her grotesque but undeniably beautiful face buried in her chest. All her fear turned into relief.

A familiar voice, choked with emotion, sounded,

“Mother… Mother…”

“Mmm…” Fiona’s gaze was completely fixated on the black-haired girl in her arms. She said softly, “Are you finally willing to call me Mother, Miss Luo Ling?”

Chapter 69: The True Iris, “Destined Death” 

“……”

The grey figure fell silent.

If what Iris said was true, it was an incredibly insane decision. This news, if leaked, would surely shake the Order-side forces to their core.

As for the Harbingers… they likely knew about this beforehand. Otherwise, how could they have so perfectly exploited this to facilitate Artist’s ascension?

The past conflicts in Victoria were no less dangerous than the current situation. It was only due to Luo Ling’s intervention that the situation had become even more unpredictable.

“However, Moonflower and the others seem to have also received some new information… but they refuse to reveal it. It likely concerns the core aspects of the path to godhood.”

Iris’s expression turned melancholic. She worried that the path to godhood could only be walked once. If someone else took the lead, she would truly have no hope.

Whether she became a god or not didn’t matter, but her deity, Jingwei, would remain on the verge of death, constantly enduring pain. This pained Iris deeply.

“Immortality” merely maintained a state of living. The critically injured Jingwei still suffered, her decay continuing.

Worse, as time passed, her condition would gradually worsen until she was eternally trapped on the edge of death, completely enslaved by Immortality.

This was why, despite knowing Amethyst’s malicious nature, Iris had gritted her teeth and agreed to cooperate, albeit with greater caution.

Even Iris could see that among the Tea Party members, Amethyst was relatively easier to deal with. At least her “evil” was openly displayed.

The other sisters, although always smiling and amiable, would likely devour even Lord Jingwei given the chance.

“Has there been a recent Tea Party meeting?”

Luo Ling was surprised. Otherwise, how would Iris know about the others’ situations?

“No, the First Seat has been silent,” Iris shook her head, continuing, “However, we have other means of communication, without a Tea Party meeting.”

“Hmm?” Luo Ling became interested. “Is it some kind of Sacred Tool?”

“Ah… no, it’s this.”

Iris took out something unexpected—a smartphone, seemingly the latest model, with a cute bird charm hanging from its case.

“……”

Luo Ling looked surprised.

Was this… a bit out of place?

Having stayed in Victoria for so long, Luo Ling had subconsciously overlooked many convenient modern inventions.

“Actually, we’ve created a chat group… but they said you’re too dangerous, that you might ‘dox’ them, so they don’t want to add you.” Iris opened a chat group in a messaging app.

—The group was called “One Big Happy Family.”

Only Moonflower, Camellia, and Iris were in the group. The First Seat and Snowdrop weren’t included.

The former went without saying, while the latter… according to Iris, Snowdrop rarely interacted with the other members, only uttering a few words occasionally. Even Luo Ling seemed loquacious compared to her, a true woman of few words.

Iris seemed to particularly like birds. Her profile picture in the messaging app was a beautiful bird carrying a stone in flight, likely Jingwei.

Camellia’s profile picture was a blooming peony, while Moonflower’s… was a 2D anime girl.

Quite fitting for their Tea Party personas.

“Is there even signal in a Kingdom?”

Luo Ling reached out to take the phone for a closer look, but Iris quickly snatched it back, looking at Luo Ling warily.

“Just modify it. There are many similar services in the Kingdoms, using Chaos or Order Path abilities. Don’t you even know this?”

A puzzled look flashed across Iris’s face, then she seemed to remember something. “Oh right, I almost forgot, Sister Amethyst was a… wild Naraku Godchosen before.”

Luo Ling glanced at Iris pointedly.

But she understood what Iris meant. Back in Jiangcheng County, even An Yu, a relatively new Order Path Awakened One, could modify a phone. The Godchosen, who specialized in such things, were even more capable.

“Alright, I understand the general situation,” Luo Ling nodded slightly. “By the way, I’m going to see the First Seat now. Do you want to come along?”

“Why are you going to see her?” Iris asked, then feeling it was inappropriate, shook her head repeatedly. “No, no, I’m not going. I’m still in debt. It’s useless even if I go.”

Having been completely drained of her petals by Luo Ling, Iris couldn’t afford anything. Her interactions with the other Tea Party members had also made her realize that she had little to offer for trade. Attending the Tea Party would only put her further in debt.

“Alright, then I’ll be going.”

Luo Ling didn’t insist, pressing her finger to her forehead, preparing to leave.

But then, looking at the nervous Miss Iris, a sudden thought came to mind.

Just as Iris breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have sent away the terrifying Naraku Godchosen once again, she saw the grey figure point a finger at her and softly utter,

“Ensnare.”

A pair of black eyes with pinpoint pupils appeared before her. The surrounding laws of reality twisted, even the mystical aura enveloping Iris fluctuated.

Quickly, the mystical aura shattered like a bubble, but what appeared before Luo Ling wasn’t a little old woman, but a petite, teal-haired girl with a slightly vacant expression.

Although the girl wore little makeup, crimson patterns and faint downy feathers adorned her cute face, adding a touch of wild beauty.

Her teal, shoulder-length hair was slightly messy, tinged with crimson at the tips. Most striking was the small bird’s nest perched on her head, a small, teal-colored bird with closed eyes nestled inside.

The bird’s colors were almost identical to Iris’s, or rather, Iris looked like the bird’s human form.

“Actually, Miss Iris, you’re quite cute.”

Luo Ling smiled faintly, then vanished instantly, leaving Iris still frozen in place.

Had she… just been exposed?

But after a moment, Iris came to her senses, quickly and anxiously checking the teal bird on her head.

After a careful examination, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, Lord Jingwei is alright…”

Iris carefully placed the teal bird back on her head, then covered it with her teal hair, completing her task only when the bird was completely hidden.

“Damn Amethyst…”

Iris gritted her teeth, angrily kicking a stone.

But soon, she realized something was amiss.

Why… hadn’t she aged?

Iris ran to a nearby lake, crouching down to look at her reflection. No matter how long she looked, she still appeared as a young girl.

Every time Iris returned to her Kingdom from elsewhere, her appearance would quickly age, turning her into an ugly old woman.

Now… somehow, due to whatever Amethyst had done, the side effects of Immortality were gone?

Wait—

Iris’s heart skipped a beat.

Could it be…

She hurriedly conducted several tests, the results obvious, confirming her suspicions.

Immortality was now avoiding her.

In other words, Iris had become the only being within her Kingdom immune to the curse of Immortality.

Whether this was good or bad… remained to be seen.

“Thankfully, Lord Jingwei wasn’t affected.”

Iris gently stroked the teal bird on her head, then gritted her teeth. “Moonflower and Camellia were right, Naraku Godchosen are all bad news! Every single one of them is wicked!”

How hateful! In a moment of impulsiveness, blinded by greed, she had signed a contract with that wicked being for a few petals. Now, that being could freely enter and exit her Kingdom, and she had no way to restrict them, as these were the terms she had personally agreed to.

Iris had nowhere to vent her regret, only hoping that Amethyst wouldn’t do anything else to her Kingdom or Lord Jingwei, even if it was directed at her.

“No, no, I can’t even keep Lord Jingwei with me anymore. I have to find a safer place to hide her…”

………..

Bizarre illusions flashed around her, and billowing black fog surged forward. Moments later, Luo Ling found herself in a dilapidated garden filled with gloomy colors.

The meeting place of the Witches’ Tea Party, the Kingdom, Lost Victoria.

The First Seat, as usual, leaned lazily against the head of the round table, her gaze fixed on Luo Ling with an enigmatic smile.

“Amethyst, this is the first time, and the last,” the First Seat suddenly said, her words seemingly out of nowhere. But Luo Ling quickly understood.

It was about what just happened.

Luo Ling had simply wanted to see if she could dispel the mystical aura and see Miss Iris’s true appearance, using Naraku’s first ability, Ensnare, as a test.

She hadn’t expected to succeed, and so thoroughly at that. Miss Iris had revealed her true appearance for the first time, even the disguise of Jingwei on her head was dispelled, completely exposed to Luo Ling.

This was the power of Omniscience, the power of Naraku, revealing someone’s true form as easily as drinking water.

This seemed to explain why Moonflower and Camellia refused to add Luo Ling to the “One Big Happy Family” group.

The mystical aura was clearly the First Seat’s power. Luo Ling’s action had dispelled the disguise granted by the First Seat to the Tea Party members.

If not for the fact that Miss Iris’s true form was already known to all the Tea Party members, the First Seat wouldn’t have let Luo Ling succeed so easily.

“Mmm, I understand,” Luo Ling replied indifferently, taking a seat at the table, furthest away from the First Seat.

“You came here to convene the Tea Party?”

The First Seat smiled, leaning forward slightly, her hands clasped elegantly on the table. “Amethyst, you should know… the price of convening the Tea Party, right?”

“I do,” Luo Ling replied concisely.

“Why don’t you tell me about your predicament first? Perhaps it would be cheaper to have me handle it… even without a discount.” The First Seat seemed eager to spend more time with Amethyst, her voice trailing off seductively.

Luo Ling hesitated slightly. She had considered this, but… she really didn’t want to be alone with the First Seat. This woman felt too dangerous.

Talking to her too much could lead to trouble.

However…

The other Tea Party members didn’t seem easy to deal with either. Regarding Aunt Fiona’s situation, if she had to choose one person to confide in, Luo Ling would choose the First Seat.

At least, she was the leader of the Tea Party.

“I have a friend,” Luo Ling said after carefully choosing her words.

“I understand, it’s about you,” the First Seat nodded. “Go ahead.”

“…A real friend,” Luo Ling said, twitching the corner of her mouth. She always spoke directly; there was no reason to be evasive when talking about a friend. “Her situation…”

Luo Ling briefly described Aunt Fiona’s current condition. After listening, the First Seat seemed puzzled. “That’s it? Isn’t it just ‘Destined Death’? You can handle it yourself. Why come to the Tea Party?”

Destined Death?

Luo Ling’s pupils constricted. This term sounded incredibly ominous, but why… was the First Seat so nonchalant?

Seemingly sensing Luo Ling’s confusion, the First Seat said lazily,

“For others, Destined Death is indeed troublesome. It’s a sure-kill move formed by the intertwining of Present and Chaos Path abilities. But you are… Naraku’s… Godchosen, the most powerful being on the Chaos Path. How could you be afraid of something so trivial?”

The First Seat’s voice paused almost imperceptibly before the word “Godchosen.”

“Rewrite Reality? But the side effects…” Luo Ling said hesitantly.

“You’re truly different, Amethyst. After using it only a few times, you’ve already recognized its seemingly omnipotent flaws.” The First Seat continued to gaze at Luo Ling, her eyes almost seductive.

“However, these are your flaws, not Naraku’s. Only the true Omniscience wielded by Naraku is truly omnipotent.”

Her voice rose, filled with unconcealed fervor. “Naraku… is a being of Omniscience and Omnipotence, knowing everything, understanding everything, capable of… everything.”

The First Seat lowered her gaze, her demeanor returning to its usual elegance, as if her previous outburst was just an illusion. “Now… do you… understand?”

“More or less,” Luo Ling nodded calmly.

“I thought you would have a more… dramatic reaction.”

“I thought you would say something more surprising.”

After a brief staring contest, the First Seat finally conceded, waving her hand dismissively. “Fine, fine. I’ve never seen a Naraku Godchosen like you. I’ll just tell you directly.

“Ensnare does have flaws. Rewriting reality is indeed effective, but the greater the degree of rewriting, the heavier the price, not just inspiration, but also more uncontrollable changes. This is the common characteristic of the Chaos Path.”

Chaos… was a state of extreme disorder and lack of order, the opposite of Order.

This explained why Luo Ling had experienced some malicious side effects when using Ensnare before. It was the price she paid.

Luo Ling’s expression darkened slightly.

But she was right not to rashly use Ensnare on Aunt Fiona. The price of reversing Destined Death might bring even more severe consequences.

“One petal, and I’ll tell you the answer,” the First Seat said directly.

“Alright.”

Luo Ling didn’t hesitate, separating a petal and handing it to the First Seat.

This time, the First Seat was taken aback. So straightforward? Was it because she had profited greatly last time, so she was willing to spend freely now?

“Free things are often the most expensive,” Luo Ling softly answered the First Seat’s unspoken question.

“Very clever.” The First Seat snapped her fingers. “Moonflower and Camellia didn’t tell you the function of a whole Floral Pattern, did they? They also wanted to earn this petal.”

After all, the only way to learn the function of the Floral Pattern, besides asking, was to use it.

And using it… meant consuming a whole pattern. If used at the wrong time, it would be a loss of ten petals. It was better to pay one petal beforehand to avoid such a situation.

…The Tea Party members were all quite calculating.

“A whole Floral Pattern allows you to use the Authority of your deity once, the complete Authority, once.” The First Seat raised a finger, then added, “Even Naraku’s Authority, Omniscience, is possible.

“However, you have to bear the inspiration cost yourself. Be careful not to deplete your inspiration, as that would be very dangerous.”

Luo Ling remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

She slowly raised her head, looking directly at the enigmatic and elegant figure at the head of the table, and finally said, “So, First Seat, are you Naraku?”

“Of course not,” the First Seat said, spreading her hands. “I knew you would ask this, but unfortunately, I am neither Naraku, nor Naraku’s Godchosen, nor Naraku’s God’s Favored.”

“……”

Luo Ling was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking of something, about to ask another question.

But just then, the First Seat waved her hand, and billowing black fog surged from all directions, engulfing Luo Ling. At the same time, her voice echoed,

“The Tea Party is over.”

Only after the black fog dispersed and the grey figure vanished did the First Seat breathe a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her lips.

“Sometimes, being too clever isn’t a good thing, hehe…”