Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 68: Linna’s Little Secret, The Full Picture of the Past 

Inside the room.

A silver-haired girl in a Lolita dress, arms crossed, looked down at the two figures kneeling before her, one tall and one small. Her long, unbound white hair was adorned with various accessories.

“Explain yourselves,” Luo Ling said, her voice as calm as ever, yet with a hint of an unspoken emotion.

She hadn’t expected these two to secretly plot against her. Elsa was easy to understand; she often came to hug her.

But Linna had kept her consciousness and memories sealed. Luo Ling couldn’t understand what the long-absent knight was thinking.

So… what exactly was this “bad thing”?

Luo Ling’s gaze turned subtle.

“Wu…” Elsa lowered her head and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Sister White, it was all Sister Linna’s idea… It’s all Sister Linna’s fault! It’s all her fault!”

“Heaven knows, Miss Luo Ling, I haven’t done anything yet,” Linna immediately raised her hands in surrender, an innocent expression on her face. “Your clothes, your hair, and everything else, it was all Elsa. I haven’t even touched a single strand of your hair.”

“Lies, that’s a lie!” Elsa retorted, but realizing it was indeed true, quickly changed her tune. “If Miss Luo Ling hadn’t come back… you definitely would have! You would have done bad things…”

“But, little Elsa, you have to admit… I haven’t actually done anything. Miss Luo Ling, please don’t look at me like I’m trash, I really haven’t.” The knight’s clear and sincere eyes made it easy to trust her, to believe in her integrity.

“Whether you have or haven’t, I’ll know after I check.” Luo Ling stepped closer, raising her hand and placing it on Linna’s hair.

Luo Ling’s expression was serious; she was clearly getting down to business.

Out of respect, even though Linna had kept her memories sealed, only sharing them when necessary, Luo Ling hadn’t crossed that line to peek into Linna’s mind, nor had she asked any questions.

But now, things were different. Linna had planned to do something to her that even Elsa considered “bad,” so Luo Ling had to be cautious. She had to ensure both her own and Linna’s safety.

Linna’s memory block was practically nonexistent to Luo Ling. She could break through it at will.

As she placed her hand on Linna’s hair, a look of panic finally appeared on the knight’s face.

“Wait, Miss Luo Ling…”

She realized what Luo Ling was about to do and even showed a hint of resistance.

“So, you’ve been influenced or corrupted by the Godchosen in the Kingdoms during this time…”

A sharp glint flashed in Luo Ling’s eyes. No matter what, she had to break through Linna’s memory block.

“No, don’t—”

Before Linna could finish her panicked words, Luo Ling had completely invaded her memories. All of Linna’s experiences, everything she had gone through during their separation, was completely revealed to Luo Ling.

“……”

Linna’s experiences in the Kingdoms were far from the carefree life she had described.

Although she was a God’s Favored, she was alone and helpless in the unfamiliar Kingdoms. Even the Godchosen who brought her there hadn’t acted out of goodwill, but out of a desire for her Authority, wanting to use her for their own purposes.

In the dangerous Kingdoms, relying on the abilities Luo Ling had given her and her own considerable strength, Linna had carved out a formidable reputation, but she had also suffered greatly.

Although the body created by the Silent Demise Path was difficult to kill, the Godchosen possessed many strange and unpredictable methods, some even bearing the shadow of High-Order Grotesqueries. Linna had been in mortal danger several times, nearly facing complete annihilation.

But… no matter how desperate or helpless the situation, Linna had persevered, because she was a knight with unwavering faith, a resilient warrior.

And the knight’s faith… was a fleeting glimpse of silver.

Luo Ling calmly observed the dazzling silver within Linna’s memories and instantly understood.

Linna’s faith… was her, the White Witch.

It was that small figure in the Incubation Barrier, clinging to a dying body, refusing to give up, desperately trying to save her.

Linna had once fought for the future of humanity, but upon being reborn, the only thing she protected was this unforgettable silver.

However…

Luo Ling also saw more… hidden aspects within Linna’s memories.

A tall, slender blonde woman, half-immersed in a steaming hot spring, her eyes slightly lowered, a seductive blush on her face, her mind completely occupied by the small, silver figure.

In the hazy mist, she slightly moved her scarred, beautiful body, seemingly doing something, whispering, “Miss Luo Ling, my Miss Luo Ling…”

Soft, melodious moans echoed. Luo Ling fell into a long silence.

She now knew what Linna meant by “bad things.”

How dangerous…

On the bright side, at least the knight hadn’t been influenced or corrupted by other Godchosen.

However…

“No wonder she refused to open her memories to me. So that’s what it was.”

The usually upright and rigid Linna was like this in private. Suddenly, Luo Ling understood why Linna had immediately assumed she and Odeletta were engaging in some special play when they first met.

…Although it did look like it.

“Next time I withdraw my consciousness, I should add a barrier to my main body,” Luo Ling thought, rubbing her forehead helplessly, then withdrawing from Linna’s memories.

The knight, her face unusually flushed with embarrassment, didn’t dare raise her head, kneeling properly on the ground and saying, “I’m sorry, Miss Luo Ling, I was wrong.”

She knew that everything she had tried to hide had been completely exposed to Miss Luo Ling, leaving nothing behind.

Luo Ling didn’t speak, only moving her face closer to Linna.

Elsa, sensing the unusual atmosphere, paused for a moment, then quickly said, “Actually, Sister Linna’s bad things… aren’t that bad…”

Her voice was weak, and her face was flushed crimson.

Ignoring Elsa’s plea, Luo Ling stared intently at the knight, whose gaze darted around nervously, and lifted her chin.

“Look into my eyes, Linna.”

Linna paused, seemingly surprised by Luo Ling’s action, a look of astonishment appearing on her face. Being so close to the silver-haired nun she longed for made her flustered, losing all the confidence she had during their secret plotting.

A faint blush added a touch of charm to the knight. Linna and her mother, Fiona, were quite similar in appearance, but Linna possessed a battle-hardened aura, while Fiona exuded mature gentleness and consideration.

The staring contest between the silver-haired girl and the knight didn’t last long. Just as Linna anxiously awaited the next move, Luo Ling suddenly released her hand and flicked her forehead sharply.

Bonk!

“Ow, that hurts…”

Linna clutched her forehead, which was now sporting a bump, tears welling up in her eyes.

“We’re even now, Linna. Don’t do it again,” Luo Ling said, massaging her slightly numb fingers, then added, “And don’t corrupt Elsa, she’s still young.”

Luo Ling then turned and pinched Elsa’s cheek, her voice softening. “Don’t listen to your Sister Linna’s nonsense, she’s full of bad ideas. Be good.”

“Ah… that’s right, that’s right, she’s full of them! Sister Linna always tries to corrupt me!”

Hearing this, Elsa knew Miss Luo Ling wasn’t angry with her, her heart filled with warmth as she snuggled closer to Luo Ling as usual.

But as the familiar gentle fragrance wafted over, Elsa suddenly remembered Linna’s words at the doorway, a different feeling arising in her heart.

Especially as she saw Miss Luo Ling bending down, her slightly loose Lolita dress inadvertently revealing a glimpse of her fair shoulder, Elsa couldn’t help but swallow.

“No, no, I can’t listen to Sister Linna…”

Elsa quickly shook her head, suppressing the thoughts that surfaced in her mind, encouraging herself not to be influenced by the devil’s whispers.

After this small incident, Luo Ling composed herself and asked, “Linna, how is Aunt Fiona these past few days? Has her condition worsened?”

“No, she’s still the same, no change,” Linna shook her head. “Her vital signs are like she’s asleep. With the Puppet Ballad’s fungal threads providing nourishment, there’s no need to worry for now.”

“I haven’t found any other solutions for now,” Luo Ling said after a moment of thought. “Although it’s good news that her condition hasn’t worsened, further delays might cause more problems… Tsk, I really don’t want to ask her.”

“Her” naturally referred to the First Seat. Not only were her prices exorbitant, but every interaction with her left Luo Ling feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Whether it was her overly enthusiastic attitude or her seductive words…

“Forget it, it’s for Aunt Fiona.” Luo Ling sighed inwardly, then straightened up and said, “I’ll be away for a while, Linna. Watch over the situation in Victoria for me.”

As a part of the White Witch, Linna naturally had access to the intelligence network and Alyssa, although she couldn’t use them as effectively as Luo Ling.

But simply monitoring the situation wouldn’t be a problem.

The main concern was the erratic flow of time in the Lost Kingdoms. Luo Ling was worried that too much time would pass in the real world while she was away.

Leaving again?

Hearing this, Elsa and Linna’s eyes lit up slightly. Linna quickly lowered her head and said, “No problem, Miss Luo Ling. You can leave without worry.”

“…Don’t get any ideas, this time I’m leaving with my main body,” Luo Ling said, seeing through Linna’s mischievous thoughts.

“Oh…”

Linna and Elsa replied in unison, both sounding slightly disappointed.

“Hmph.”

Luo Ling snorted, quickly transforming into her Naraku form.

The ill-fitting Lolita dress and hair accessories scattered on the floor, but before the two could see clearly, Miss Amethyst had already changed into suitable clothes.

Their disappointment deepened.

“Before I go to the First Seat, I’ll visit Twilight Victoria and see Miss Iris,” Luo Ling said, her expression turning serious. For some reason, after she experimented with the truth of the Immortality disaster in her Kingdom, Miss Iris had become somewhat cold towards her.

However, Miss Iris was still very concerned about the past events of Twilight Victoria, as it concerned her ascension to godhood and saving her deity, Jingwei.

Following the mark left by the Spider, Luo Ling’s figure gradually faded, leaving Linna and Elsa alone in the room, staring at each other.

“I didn’t expect Miss Luo Ling to react like this after seeing my memories,” Linna said, a subtle smile appearing on her lips. “I thought she would be more resistant. So that means…”

The reason she had kept her memories sealed wasn’t because of shyness, but because she was worried Luo Ling would be disgusted by her. Even encouraging little Elsa to approach the sleeping Luo Ling was a form of testing the waters.

A woman’s cunning could be deeper than the ocean, even a knight’s.

Only little Elsa was naive and easily fooled, jumping at the bait without hesitation.

She was truly an easy target.

“Sister Linna, what bad ideas are you thinking of again!” Elsa said, looking up at Linna with a serious expression. “I’m warning you, don’t do anything bad to Miss Luo Ling!”

“Really?”

Linna looked down at the red-haired little girl, who barely reached her armpits, her smile widening. “Haven’t you… ever thought about it?”

“No, no, absolutely not!”

Elsa said repeatedly, but her flustered expression and racing heart betrayed her. Her thoughts were written all over her face.

“Haven’t you ever thought about…”

As Linna spoke, Elsa started yelling and covering her ears, chanting like a mantra, “I’m not listening, I’m not listening, lalala, I’m not looking, I’m not looking, lalala…”

Despite her words, Linna clearly saw that Elsa was only covering one ear, and she was even unconsciously moving closer to her.

“If you really don’t want to listen, I won’t say anything…”

“Not listening… not listening…”

“I really won’t say anything.”

“……”

“Hehe… little Elsa is so easy to read.”

“…Not listening!”

Light, cheerful laughter and the girl’s frustrated grumbling filled the small room.

………

The pale yellow sun hung low on the horizon, its fading light casting a melancholic glow over Victoria. This was a place of despair shrouded by the Immortality disaster, the Kingdom, Twilight Victoria.

After a ripple of distortion in the air, a tall, grey figure appeared. But before she could even land, a small, elderly woman rushed over, shouting,

“Don’t move!”

“Miss Iris, it’s Amethyst,” Luo Ling said, turning around helplessly.

“Precisely because it’s Miss Amethyst… Don’t move!” The old woman’s wrinkled face couldn’t hide her anxiety. At the same time, she seemed to be manipulating something within the Kingdom.

…Probably the sapling, and her deity, Jingwei.

Luo Ling was speechless. She had said she wouldn’t do it again, and she always kept her word. When had she ever lied?

Even if she had, it was definitely because the other party was in the wrong first.

Luo Ling considered herself a person of integrity. Miss Iris’s anxiety was completely unnecessary.

After a while, Iris finally finished her preparations, wiping the sweat from her forehead and sighing in relief. “Alright, you can move now.”

“Iris, you’re not disguised,” Luo Ling kindly reminded.

“Ahh!”

Iris, seeing her wrinkled arm, yelped and quickly summoned a mystical aura, enveloping herself completely.

“But if you ask me, Iris, your disguise is unnecessary. In Twilight Victoria, you’re an old woman anyway. No one can see your original appearance,” Luo Ling added.

“…Mind your own business.”

Iris said grumpily. Amethyst’s words were sometimes really annoying. Which girl didn’t love beauty? Becoming an old woman was unsightly.

If it weren’t for this Kingdom sustaining Lord Jingwei’s life, she would have sold it long ago and found another Kingdom.

Dangerous, aging, unsightly, and… and with a giant hole created by Amethyst.

Thinking about this made Iris furious, her gaze towards Luo Ling turning hostile.

“How are things progressing?” Luo Ling asked.

Mentioning business slightly improved Iris’s attitude. After a moment of silence, she said, “It’s now confirmed that the Company triggered Guixu’s Immortality disaster. Multiple traces in the city prove this.”

“Not surprising,” Luo Ling nodded slightly.

She had suspected this before, but she couldn’t be completely certain.

“However… the Company didn’t trigger this disaster intentionally. The arrival of the Immortality disaster was the last thing they wanted.”

Iris paused, her voice turning heavy. “Their objective… seems to be… to summon the true Guixu.

“The tenth Taboo in the Sequence, Guixu of Silent Demise, the embodiment of Immortality.”

---

Chapter 67: Doing As She Pleases… To Her 

Sunset.

Though in Victoria, the difference between day and night was perhaps only the density of the fog that perpetually shrouded the city.

Everything was veiled in a thick mist, even midday feeling as gloomy as midnight.

Basking in the warm sunlight during this season in Victoria was a luxury. The sun only made fleeting appearances in the afternoon, followed by the lingering, pervasive fog.

Like the city’s current state, everything was filled with chaos and uncertainty, engulfing everyone within, without exception.

The blindfolded nun sat in her wheelchair, pushed by a slender girl who held an umbrella, shielding her from Victoria’s incessant drizzle, heading home.

“Sister, so… you won’t be praying alone in the church anymore?”

Stasha asked curiously. Usually, her sister would stay in the cathedral until the stars emerged before returning home. Today, with the sunset’s afterglow still lingering on the horizon, she was hurrying back.

Stasha felt that her sister’s mood was worse than usual today, as if she was worried about something.

Stasha empathized, but she was powerless to help.

Sigh, when would she be able to assist her sister…

“More or less,” Luo Ling replied softly, lost in thought.

Luo Ling’s consciousness still resided within Alyssa’s body. As Stasha guessed, she was indeed preoccupied with certain matters.

Luo Ling now understood the Harbingers’ leaders’ intentions behind the task assigned to “Theologian” Alyssa.

By having the “White Witch’s Apostle” appear, they aimed to divert the Company’s attention, making them believe that dealing with the alleged collaboration between the Harbingers and the White Witch was the top priority.

Even if the Company realized this collaboration might be a fabrication, they would still have to dedicate significant resources to investigate. Otherwise… if it were true, the Company would face utter defeat.

In other words, Alyssa was tasked with directly confronting the Company.

Although she had been assigned several Harbingers to assist her, it was still extremely dangerous.

Of course, this danger wasn’t to Alyssa herself, but to the “Saint Alyssa” persona.

As the White Witch’s God’s Favored, few forces could truly threaten Alyssa. To kill her, they would need to treat her as a High-Risk Grotesquery; otherwise, even death wouldn’t be permanent.

Therefore, Luo Ling was worried that if Alyssa was exposed to the Company, the useful “Saint Alyssa” shell would be ruined.

Even the Church of Light would be dismantled by the Company, severing Luo Ling’s intelligence network across Victoria. That would be a significant loss.

Besides this, there was another, more important issue.

Within her current Spore vision, the flaxen-haired girl was struggling to push the wheelchair.

Even with Luo Ling’s assistance, Victoria’s terrible road conditions made the wheelchair bump and jostle, sending pebbles flying. The vibrations made Stasha’s hands numb and purple.

“Stasha,” Luo Ling suddenly said.

“What is it, sister?” Stasha replied breathlessly, her voice strained.

“You…”

Luo Ling paused mid-sentence, as if remembering something.

“Sister, don’t stop talking halfway!” Stasha said, straining her ears to listen, but hearing nothing further.

“I just haven’t figured out how to say it.” Luo Ling’s gaze lowered. This familiar scene made her afraid. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t utter them.

Saint Alyssa of the Church of Light was now in a precarious position, a target for all. The Harbingers had placed her in the forefront, and the Company was targeting her.

Everything was like a raging fire, and Luo Ling’s only means of defense was a single sheet of paper, easily turned to ash with the slightest touch.

Victoria was now like a lone ship sailing through a storm, its occupants fighting amongst themselves while the storm raged outside.

Even Awakened Ones could barely protect themselves, let alone ordinary humans… who were incredibly fragile in this environment.

Any action by the Company, any plan by the Harbingers, could be an irreversible abyss for ordinary people.

And Stasha was just such an ordinary person caught in the storm, especially with her close proximity to Alyssa, who was in the eye of the storm. The slightest misstep could be fatal.

Luo Ling initially wanted Stasha to leave Victoria, this ship fraught with danger, but she suddenly thought of her own sister, her feelings becoming complicated, unable to speak.

The safest place was a Kingdom. So far, neither the Company nor the Harbingers were aware of their existence.

Luo Ling currently had access to a Kingdom: Linna’s Starry Victoria.

But… ordinary people couldn’t enter a Kingdom. A Kingdom was a distorted world. Even ordinary Awakened Ones who weren’t aware of Boundaries would experience cognitive dissonance within a Kingdom, let alone ordinary humans.

For example, Eve, who had accidentally entered a Kingdom the first time, had only avoided madness thanks to a precious sacred medicine. Otherwise… they wouldn’t have seen the Iron Fist Maid again.

As for Stasha, entering Starry Victoria would have only one outcome: becoming a complete lunatic. Even in a dormant state, she couldn’t withstand the distorted world.

“Stasha, do you have anything else to do these days?” Luo Ling asked softly.

“I… I don’t think so…”

Stasha stopped, wiping the sweat from her forehead, leaning against the wheelchair to rest.

“My teacher said I’ve completed all my lessons. If I want to learn more, I have to go to a formal school, but I’m thinking that if I go to school, I might not be able to pick you up from the cathedral every day, so… I’m still hesitating.”

“I see,” Luo Ling said softly.

Under normal circumstances, she would definitely encourage Stasha to go to school. The girl enjoyed studying. The only reason she hadn’t gone to a formal school before was lack of money.

Now, things were different. As the Saint’s younger sister, Stasha could attend any school she wanted, without even paying tuition.

Even if the school didn’t waive the fees, there would be plenty of wealthy individuals willing to donate as a form of atonement, to support the Saint’s sister’s education.

But now…

“In that case, Stasha, stay by my side these days. Don’t go anywhere.” Luo Ling reached out and gently held Stasha’s hand, which was resting on the wheelchair.

If everywhere in Victoria was dangerous, then staying by Alyssa’s side was the safest option. At least… she could protect her sister personally.

“Really?” Stasha said, surprised, but then she became hesitant. “But then… won’t that… bother you?”

“Of course not.”

“But you’re the Saint… If your followers see me like this, so unrefined, will it affect their image of you?”

For as long as Stasha could remember, their lives had been difficult. She hadn’t developed her sister’s elegant demeanor and grace.

Compared to her sister, she was like a country bumpkin.

At least in Stasha’s mind, her unrefined appearance, if frequently seen in public, might damage her sister’s glorious image as a Saint.

“What’s wrong with being the Saint? I’m the Saint, but I’m also your sister,” Luo Ling said gently. “As the Saint’s sister, your appearance and actions are acceptable. Moreover… the Saint’s sister can represent God.”

Luo Ling skillfully performed a gesture from Mass, then gently touched Stasha’s forehead, saying with a smile, “Alright, by the will of God, you are now also a Saint.”

Stasha touched her forehead, giggling foolishly, making Luo Ling chuckle as well.

However, under the pervasive fog, their light, cheerful laughter held a chilling undertone.

Back in the small house, looking at Stasha excitedly preparing dinner in the kitchen as usual, Luo Ling’s gaze softened, but quickly turned serious again.

“It seems the mixed bag that is the Speakers isn’t trustworthy. Even the Gypsy Girl… might be on the Company’s side.”

Luo Ling had initially intended to use a favor to inquire about Fiona’s condition, but now she couldn’t.

Fiona was undeniably important. Whether it was the dangerous secret she knew, her own strength, or her unparalleled Sacred Tool crafting abilities, each was significant to the current situation in Victoria.

This was why the Company directors had been so ambivalent towards Luo Ling before. Fiona truly held that much weight.

Unable to guarantee that the Speakers wouldn’t sell this information, potentially attracting the attention of both the Company and the Harbingers, Luo Ling could only abandon this idea.

Now, only one path remained.

The mysterious and unknown Witches’ Tea Party.

Luo Ling hadn’t shared her memories of the Tea Party, not even with Linna or Elsa, as she wasn’t sure if the First Seat could detect it.

The Tea Party was too powerful for them.

Moreover, Linna hadn’t encountered any information about the Tea Party during her time in the various Kingdoms. This loose, mysterious organization had always remained well-hidden. The true identities of its members—besides the naive and reclusive Miss Iris—were unknown.

There were two ways to convene the Tea Party: the First Seat could call a meeting, or a member could request assistance.

The former was self-explanatory, while the latter required offering additional petals to the one completing the request. Without sufficient compensation, why would the Tea Party members bother to attend?

Their true identities couldn’t be low… of course, except for Miss Iris. Luo Ling suspected that Miss Iris’s membership in this high-profile organization was largely due to Jingwei’s existence.

Not every God’s Favored could bring their deity along…

In Linna’s memories, although High-Order Grotesqueries occasionally appeared in the Kingdoms, they were few and far between. She hadn’t encountered one in all these years.

God’s Favored and Godchosen could usually only communicate with their deities through indirect means. This face-to-face interaction was likely unique to Miss Iris…

Of course, Luo Ling was an exception.

After arranging everything, as Stasha served dinner, Luo Ling withdrew her consciousness, leaving the remaining warmth to the two unfortunate sisters.

Under the dim candlelight, the simple, not particularly delicious meal was filled with a small, quiet happiness.

……

Returning to Starry Victoria after several days, Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, the ceiling of a staff room in the Victoria Opera House the first thing she saw.

Luo Ling trusted Linna and Elsa implicitly, leaving her main body in the Kingdom without even bothering to find a place to lie down. She knew Linna and Elsa would take good care of her.

But…

What was going on now?

Luo Ling looked down at the Lolita-style dress she was wearing, falling silent.

She could feel the weight of her long white hair, adorned with various accessories, all loose and unbound.

Because Luo Ling’s hair possessed a part of her consciousness and could arrange itself, it couldn’t be styled, only tied up.

“…Have I been turned into a dress-up doll?”

Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth. These two, instead of focusing on important matters, were always playing these games.

“Little Elsa, you have to do it like this… Hey, are you listening to me?”

Linna’s voice echoed from nearby, followed by two sets of footsteps. The light, quick steps belonged to Elsa, while the heavier, steadier steps were Linna’s.

“No, no, no, no…”

Elsa muttered, covering her ears and running to the doorway, but stopping before entering.

Luo Ling had intended to get up, but hearing their conversation, she became curious and decided to continue lying down, pretending she hadn’t returned.

“Let’s see what tricks you’re up to.”

“Hey, you’ve already played, dressing your dear Sister White in the clothes you wanted her to wear. You have to let me play too…” Linna said, following Elsa and continuing to persuade her patiently.

“You… you can also dress Sister White…”

Elsa said weakly, her voice lacking conviction, sounding guilty.

“No, little Elsa, this is something you want to do to Miss Luo Ling, but it’s not something I want to do. I’m not interested in this,” Linna sighed. “Besides, you’ve played enough now. It’s my turn, right?”

“No, no, no, Miss Linna, we’re different! You want to do bad things to Miss Luo Ling!”

Elsa shook her head vigorously, turning around and blocking the doorway with her arms, preventing Linna from entering Luo Ling’s room.

“This isn’t a bad thing, Elsa. You’re still young, you don’t understand.”

Linna shook her head, continuing her tireless teachings. “Trust me, Miss Luo Ling will definitely like it too, it’s just that she’s also quite young and hasn’t experienced it.

“Look, like wearing Lolita clothes, do you think Miss Luo Ling would like it?”

“Would… she?” Elsa hesitated. “I don’t know…”

“Would she hate it?” Linna asked.

“Probably not…” Elsa’s voice was uncertain, as if trying to convince herself. “Sister White just hasn’t worn them before. If she did, she would definitely like them…”

“See? Miss Luo Ling hasn’t experienced this before, so how can you say it’s a bad thing? Maybe she’ll really like it!” Linna said, spreading her hands.

Elsa tilted her head. It… seemed like Miss Linna had a point.

“So, little Elsa, just let me in,” Linna said, rubbing her hands. “Please, or… you can go first?”

“Huh? Me?”

Elsa was stunned by Linna’s words, her mind buzzing. She quickly seemed to realize something, her face flushing crimson to the tips of her ears.

Seeing Elsa wavering, Linna’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed her advantage. “Think about it, don’t you usually sleep with Miss Luo Ling in her girl form? Doesn’t she usually hold you?”

“Mmm…”

Elsa nodded.

“Little Elsa, don’t you want to try holding Sister White in her Loli form while sleeping? Moreover, Sister White is currently in a state where you can easily change her clothes.”

Like a devil’s whisper, a seductive smile appeared on Linna’s lips as she continued to paint a vivid picture.

“Imagine, a sleeping Sister White, her Lolita dress half-undone, her usually cold face relaxed and cute. You can hold her just like she used to hold you, feeling the warmth of her body…

“You can get close to her little face, smell her faint fragrance, and even… even! You can be even bolder, taste her cherry lips, the sweet aftertaste lingering…”

Elsa swallowed, wavering.

“I’m an adult, I should be more generous. I’ll let you go first, I’ll just watch from the side,” Linna said grandly. “If you don’t know how, I can also guide you!”

“R-really?”

Elsa was completely captivated by the prospect Linna painted, her face flushed.

In fact, the reason she had dressed the sleeping Luo Ling in a Lolita dress before was also due to Linna’s instigation. Initially, Elsa had only brought Luo Ling to the room to lie down, then sat beside her, mesmerized by Sister White’s cute sleeping face.

Then Linna, like a devil, had whispered temptations in her ear, encouraging her to do as she pleased to the sleeping silver-haired girl. And so… she had changed Luo Ling’s clothes and hairstyle.

Of course, the hairstyle was gone, leaving only the clothes.

“When have I ever lied to you? Didn’t you feel a sense of satisfaction when you changed Sister White’s clothes?”

Linna crouched down, putting her arm around Elsa and lowering her voice. “Trust me, little Elsa, listen to me, your satisfaction will be a thousand, ten thousand times greater.”

“This…”

Elsa hesitated, struggling.

“While Miss Luo Ling isn’t back yet, this is a rare opportunity! You won’t get another chance!” Linna said persuasively, her face sincere.

Hearing this, Elsa finally overcame her hesitation, gritting her teeth and saying,

“Okay!”

At that moment, the door opened, revealing a beautiful girl with long silver hair, her face dark as she looked down at the two scheming figures crouched on the floor.

Chapter 66: Miss Luo Ling, A Brick to Be Moved Wherever Needed 

The biting winds of early March still swept through Victoria, accompanied by a drizzling rain and a dreamy, hazy fog that enveloped the entire city.

Before Highgate Cemetery, three young women in black dresses and veils gazed sorrowfully at two tombstones, one large and one small, mourning in silence. Luo Ling thus achieved the feat of attending her own funeral for the second time.

However, Luo Ling’s consciousness had already withdrawn, no longer impersonating Eve. The Eve puppet’s actions were now driven entirely by Eve’s memories and emotions.

Previously, she had maintained the impersonation due to the presence of Ms. Nightingale, a powerful Myriad Path Awakened One who could perceive the essence of life, one of the furthest progressed individuals on the Myriad Path.

There might be other Awakened Ones of the same Path who were stronger in combat, but in terms of healing, Ms. Nightingale was second to none.

The fact that Luo Ling’s puppet could deceive Ms. Nightingale’s perception was a testament to the Puppet Ballad’s incredible power. However, the puppet’s empty consciousness could easily be detected during the healing process.

Outside of treatment, an empty consciousness wasn’t so easily noticed.

The main reason for withdrawing from the Eve puppet now was that Luo Ling felt she couldn’t perfectly impersonate Miss Eve. Her abilities were fine, but in certain situations, she couldn’t maintain the act…

She hadn’t had this problem when impersonating the stranger, Alyssa. Even Stasha, who had grown up with Alyssa, only vaguely sensed something was amiss.

Seeing her two teammates consumed by grief through Eve’s eyes, Luo Ling sighed inwardly. The three of them would soon join the Star team to hunt down the White Witch’s Apostle.

…Of course, it wouldn’t be Elsa. Elsa was currently safe and sound in Starry Victoria.

Clearly, this was a setup by the Harbingers, shifting the blame onto the White Witch…

“Truly worthy of being two organizations branching from the same root, even their scapegoating tactics are so synchronized, inexplicably dragging me into their conflict,” Luo Ling thought with a sigh.

Now that the three team members had returned to being cogs in the Company’s machine, there was nothing for Luo Ling to worry about. She had to hurry to the Harbingers’ side and investigate the situation.

How could the White Witch have made a deal with the Harbingers without her knowledge, so secretly that even she herself was unaware?

After withdrawing her consciousness from the Eve puppet, Luo Ling immediately descended onto Alyssa’s body.

The blindfolded nun sat in her wheelchair on the pulpit before the cathedral’s central hall, receiving the worship of her followers, facing the statue of the Sacred Heart and performing Mass.

Luo Ling didn’t immediately take control of Alyssa’s body, as she knew nothing about religious rituals. She began browsing the Church of Light’s recent memories.

“Good heavens…”

After browsing for a while, Luo Ling narrowed her eyes slightly.

No wonder the Company believed they had made a deal with the White Witch, possibly even forming an alliance.

The Harbingers had been quite active in these few days…

The Harbinger leader had directly ordered “Theologian” Alyssa to expand the number of priests in the Church of Light.

Previously, almost all priests in the Church of Light were from the Harbingers’ former cult, or if not, they were wicked individuals.

These people had all been killed by Alyssa and perfectly dominated, becoming complete puppets.

Therefore, despite the Church of Light’s recent popularity, it hadn’t expanded on a large scale.

At most, when encountering wicked individuals deserving of death, Alyssa would have them literally lay down their butcher knives and become Buddha on the spot, personally meeting God to repent, their bodies joining the Church of Light.

As a result, the number of priests in the Church of Light had remained at a few thousand, a relatively small number among other church branches, even with many people wanting to join.

Because of this strange behavior, rumors circulated in Victoria that only those most devout to God were qualified to follow the Saint.

…In a sense, this wasn’t wrong.

However, under the Harbinger leader’s orders, Alyssa, the newly appointed Theologian, had no choice but to obey and expand the church.

Due to the large scale of the expansion, they couldn’t find enough deserving sinners to instantly become Buddha, so Alyssa opened recruitment for priest positions in the Church of Light for the first time in Victoria.

This news was a bombshell in Victoria’s religious circles. Everyone had witnessed the Church of Light’s recent rise. Regardless of the benefits, just joining it would significantly elevate one’s status.

The recruitment ended a few days ago, bringing in nearly half ordinary people and expanding the church’s size by almost a third.

At the same time, the number of branch churches increased significantly. Looking at the map, one could see that the combined coverage of these churches now encompassed all of Victoria.

Clearly, Philosopher intended to use these churches for something.

Meanwhile, among the newly recruited personnel, the intelligence network had identified several unusual Awakened Ones. Alyssa judged them to be members of the Harbingers.

The Harbinger leaders hadn’t informed Alyssa about this, but judging from Religious’s recent actions, he seemed to be aware of it.

…Philosopher and the others still didn’t fully trust Alyssa.

This was normal. Theologian Alyssa was, after all, a newcomer to the Harbingers. Even the less favored Religious was a more trusted, older member.

Speaking of Religious, after relinquishing his position in charge of the church, he hadn’t taken on any major tasks. Perhaps he was preparing for his ascension ritual, or perhaps for other reasons. In any case, he was quite idle.

He would often visit Alyssa to discuss religious scriptures and explain things about the Awakened world, sometimes like an academic discussion, other times like he was trying to win her over.

Luo Ling could guess Religious’s intentions. He was going to become the fourth leader of the Harbingers. If he could win over the highly talented Theologian, his influence within the Harbingers would increase.

Where there were people, there were selfish desires. Even without infighting, power struggles would always occur in any organization, unless everyone was a saint.

It was during this expansion that the Harbingers infiltrated the church, using the costly secret technique to steal the White Witch’s Authority again, spreading the news of a collaboration between the White Witch and the Harbingers.

As for why the Company believed this information so readily…

Luo Ling recalled the strange object Educator had given her after her “interview,” the Sacred Tool.

Every time Religious visited, he would take something from this Sacred Tool. These items could mimic the White Witch’s Grotesquery aura, not just her abilities.

This was the true purpose of this Sacred Tool, not to collect the White Witch’s power, but to simulate her aura through its connection to her.

—The Company was well aware of the Harbingers’ secret technique. Stealing a bit of power wasn’t enough to convince the directors that the two powerful enemies had formed an alliance.

Only this unique Grotesquery aura could truly confirm their collaboration, forcing the Company to divert some of their attention to this matter.

The Harbingers likely weren’t afraid of the White Witch’s retaliation, as the Grotesquery aura was being simulated by church organizations throughout Victoria.

If she wanted to kill them, she could. It would further exhaust the Company, forcing them to deal with a rampaging High-Risk Grotesquery.

As long as they could divert the Company’s attention at this crucial moment, the Harbingers’ objective would be achieved.

Unaware that the “White Witch” had already planted a piece within the Harbingers, Philosopher’s calculations were quite thorough, their little scheme working perfectly.

“So, I’ve been played…”

Luo Ling’s eyes flickered. Even with her advantage in the shadows, she was still somewhat naive compared to these old foxes, easily used as a neutral pawn.

However, using her came at a price.

This was true for both the Company and the Harbingers.

The Harbingers’ success was partly due to Cheng Jianming’s death.

If Cheng Jianming hadn’t died, the Incubation Barrier nodes throughout Victoria would likely be in place.

The Company, holding the initiative, wouldn’t worry about an alliance between the White Witch and the Harbingers. They could simply risk initiating a collapse, putting the Harbingers at a disadvantage.

But now, with Cheng Jianming dead and the Incubation Barrier nodes incomplete, the Harbingers could seize the opportunity to turn the tables. Unfortunately… they had used the wrong piece and made the wrong move.

However, it had to be said that the game between the two sides was extremely dangerous. The slightest misstep could be fatal.

Just as Luo Ling finished browsing the key information in Alyssa’s memory, her Mass was also coming to an end.

After Alyssa descended from the pulpit, Religious, as always, was waiting for her behind the scenes in the central hall. Seeing the wheelchair approaching, he quickly went to greet her.

“Saint Alyssa, you’ve worked hard. How are you feeling today?”

“Thank you for your concern, sir. It’s the same every day. I’m used to it.”

Alyssa smiled gently, nodding slightly at Religious, then skillfully wheeled herself towards the back of the hall.

Religious quickly followed, entering the prayer room with Alyssa.

A barrier had been erected around the prayer room. Only now could Religious and Alyssa reveal their true identities and converse as Harbingers.

A joyful smile finally appeared on Religious’s face. “Theologian, the leaders have brought good news.”

“Oh? Mr. Religious, please elaborate.”

Luo Ling, now controlling Alyssa, was immediately intrigued.

“You’ve done an excellent job with the tasks assigned to you. Educator is very pleased. These are extraordinary times, and you’ve been exceptionally promoted. I can now tell you more about the Harbingers’ secrets.”

The joy on Religious’s face was genuine. He believed that Saint Alyssa, the Theologian, was firmly on his side. Her promotion was naturally good news.

“Thank you, sir.”

Luo Ling’s expression remained calm, her smile unchanged. For Alyssa, this wasn’t something to be overly excited about.

However… getting closer to the Harbingers’ core at this time was indeed good news for Luo Ling.

Religious took out a parchment scroll, an ancient ring, and a dagger as exquisite as a work of art.

“These are the Harbingers’ unique secret techniques, allowing us to utilize power far beyond our own, but at a price. Use them wisely.”

Religious first handed the parchment to Luo Ling. After receiving it, she scanned it briefly, her expression turning serious.

The scroll detailed how to inscribe rituals, construct inspiration circuits, perform sacrifices, and avoid being completely consumed by the Grotesquery’s price.

The Harbingers’ ability to contend with the Order-side organizations despite their smaller numbers was largely due to these secret techniques.

With these techniques, even a Mid-Order Awakened One (Fourth to Sixth-Order) could threaten a High-Order Awakened One (Seventh-Order and above).

But the slightest mistake could be fatal.

“However, the Company seems to have similar secret techniques. Cheng Jianming used one before his death, seemingly more complete… So, is this a modified version?”

Luo Ling calmly put away the parchment. Next, Religious presented the ancient ring, carefully holding it before Luo Ling and saying,

“This is a Taboo Ring, containing a trace of a Taboo’s power. Used in conjunction with the secret techniques, it allows one to briefly wield a Taboo’s Authority… However, it must be used with extreme caution.

“The path of Taboo is irreversible. Even with your talent, it would be difficult to fully control it, unless—”

Religious suddenly realized he had said too much, pausing before continuing, “You’ll understand later. For now, keep the Taboo Ring safe. It could save your life in a critical moment.”

“Wow, even Taboo items, given to ordinary members. The Harbingers are truly the Company’s greatest enemy.”

Luo Ling sighed inwardly, accepting the ring and hiding it.

She had an idea: if she Devoured this ring, would she further develop her Naraku form or gain a new form?

The former would be a waste. A trace of Taboo power was definitely more useful than mere sustenance. The latter would be excellent, but… Taboo existences were probably difficult to fully control.

Her Naraku form was already somewhat unruly, often malfunctioning when using its abilities…

The last item, as expected, was a Sacred Tool.

Judging from Religious’s envious gaze, this wasn’t something every new Harbinger member received.

Sacred Tools were precious everywhere, and the Harbingers were no exception.

Religious reluctantly handed the dagger Sacred Tool to Luo Ling, his envy unconcealed. “Theologian, this is a Sacred Tool bestowed upon you by Educator himself, called ‘Lifebreath.’ Explore its abilities and usage yourself.”

Religious couldn’t help but add,

“Sacred Tools are extremely precious. Ordinary Awakened Ones might never obtain one in their lifetime, even I only possess half of one… Educator has high hopes for your future, hence such a generous gift.”

Luo Ling, who possessed several Sacred Tools and had the backing of a master Sacred Tool crafter, nodded in agreement. She also felt that Sacred Tools were precious. This showed Educator’s favor towards Alyssa.

“Educator is too kind. I am unworthy of such a gift.”

Luo Ling accepted the dagger without any hesitation.

After sensing it briefly, it seemed to be crafted from a Silent Demise Path Sacred Relic, but the crafting technique was ingenious, giving the Sacred Tool Myriad Path characteristics.

In reality, it shouldn’t be called a dagger. It was a staff crafted in the shape of a dagger, its primary function being healing, quite fitting for Alyssa’s abilities.

After presenting the “welcome gift,” Religious’s expression turned serious. “Theologian, now that you’ve officially joined the Harbingers, there are some more important tasks… that must be entrusted to you.”

He pointed to the shrine beside them, saying gravely, “The matter of the White Witch must be handled by you… From now on, you are the White Witch’s Apostle. Use this Sacred Tool to activate your abilities, and it will carry the White Witch’s aura.”

“Huh?” Luo Ling paused slightly. “I’m the White Witch’s Apostle?”

“Of course, of course, I know you’re not. The White Witch is such a cruel devil. I know you detest her. How could you become her Apostle?” Religious quickly said. “It’s just that the Harbingers are currently implementing some plans that require you to… put on a small disguise and cooperate, understand?”

Religious had explained most things about the Awakened world to Alyssa, including the White Witch’s atrocities, naturally from the Harbingers’ perspective.

In his narrative, the Company was the greatest villain in the world, the evil organization preventing them from saving the world.

…Although Luo Ling felt the two organizations were equally bad, birds of a feather.

“May I ask, what do I need to do?” Luo Ling asked calmly.

Hearing the Theologian’s reply, Religious finally relaxed. He had worried that she would refuse to become the White Witch’s Apostle, even if it was just an act.

“Act secretly as the White Witch’s Apostle to divert the Company’s attention. During this time… the Harbingers absolutely cannot be disturbed.”

Religious thought for a moment, then lowered his voice further. “To be precise, I cannot be disturbed. I can’t tell you the details now, but you’ll understand later.”

Religious couldn’t help but smile. Educator had repeatedly warned him not to reveal his upcoming ascension to the fourth leadership position, so he had been keeping it bottled up.

Finally, he found an opportunity to hint at it, even just a little, to relieve his pent-up feelings.

To Luo Ling, who knew the inside story, these words undoubtedly revealed the Harbingers’ plan.

“It seems they need to distract the Company to prevent them from interfering with Religious’s ascension,” Luo Ling thought, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She nodded. “Alright, I agree. However… I can impersonate the White Witch’s Apostle, but not as the Saint.”

“Of course, of course. The Saint shouldn’t be an Apostle of a devil, even I wouldn’t agree to such an arrangement,” Religious said. “You just need to secretly leave traces of the White Witch in various locations in Victoria. As for how… that’s up to you.”

After giving these instructions, Religious stood up to leave.

But then, Luo Ling suddenly remembered something and called out to him, “By the way, Mr. Religious, may I ask a rather presumptuous question?”

“Hmm?” Religious paused. “Ask away.”

“Which Path do you belong to?” Luo Ling asked.

“That’s not presumptuous at all. I can tell you directly,” Religious said with a smile. “I’m an Other Shore Path Awakened One. As for my specific ability… that would be presumptuous.”

They weren’t close enough to reveal such details.

“Mmm, I understand,” Luo Ling said thoughtfully.

“What’s wrong, Saint Alyssa? Is there something you need me to clarify?” Religious asked, his expression turning serious.

“Shouldn’t all Other Shore Path ability users belong to the Speakers?” Luo Ling asked.

“Indeed, so I am also a member of the Speakers,” Religious said calmly. “However, I joined the Speakers after joining the Harbingers, so I’m considered an external member—although almost everyone in the Speakers, besides the Four Harbingers, is an external member.

“Almost all Speakers members have other affiliations, even members of the wicked Company.”

This was new information to Luo Ling. She knew the Speakers were a mixed bag, but she hadn’t expected it to be to this extent.

Judging from this, Religious should be a Mid-Order Awakened One (Fourth to Sixth-Order), not a High-Order Awakened One, at least not before.

Other Shore Path Awakened Ones were notoriously difficult to promote. Only the Four Harbingers within the Speakers were High-Order Awakened Ones.

“Saint Alyssa, any other questions?” Religious asked.

“No more. Be careful, sir,” Luo Ling said calmly.

Religious bowed slightly and hurriedly left.

“A Mid-Order Awakened One attempting a forced ascension ritual? It seems these three months… were spent preparing for this,” Luo Ling thought, watching Religious leave the cathedral through her Spore vision, her expression darkening. “And this ascendant happens to be an Other Shore Path Awakened One.”

Philosopher’s hidden Path was Present.

The other end of the Other Shore.

Luo Ling couldn’t believe there wasn’t some hidden connection between the two.

“It seems ‘sacrificial lambs’ are also quite popular within the Harbingers,” Luo Ling said, tapping her fingers on the table, a sneer appearing on her lips. “Truly worthy of being ‘branches of the same root.’”

Chapter 125: This World

Chi Di Nü sat slumped on the ground, her expression gradually calming as if she had realized something.

“I’ve always known that everything I did… wasn’t perfect,” Chi Di Nü said softly, regaining some of her former imposing demeanor. “But facing a great calamity, there has to be a path forward.

You have to understand, humanity now… no longer has the Heavens’ favor. The only ones we can rely on… are ourselves.”

She and Yao Ji had both personally experienced the Battle of Zhuolu and naturally knew its dangers. Even with the Heavens’ favor, humanity paid a heavy price.

If the ghost god disaster returned, even on a smaller scale, with humanity’s current weakened state, there was no chance of resisting it.

All of this was just a desperate gamble.

Yao Ji didn’t speak, turning to look at Chi Nü, signaling her to release her.

Chi Nü hesitated slightly, but still let go.

Yao Ji nodded to her, then walked step by step to Chi Di Nü and sat down before her.

“You know… I once divined the end of this world.”

“It was precisely because of the end you foretold that I made these drastic decisions,” Chi Di Nü said. “Your divination has always been accurate. Changing it requires a price.”

Free from the divine influence, she now admitted that these decisions were indeed drastic, but… if she had to do it again, Chi Di Nü wouldn’t change her mind.

Because from the beginning, these were Chi Di Nü’s own thoughts, the divine influence only strengthened her resolve.

“…I naturally know that.”

Yao Ji slowly closed her eyes.

It was precisely because she knew this that she had hesitated for so long.

After all, Yao Ji didn’t have an indifferent divine will to bear the burden of these decisions.

But could doing this truly save humanity from the destined ghost god disaster?

No one knew the answer.

“But Second Sister, they’re suffering too much.” Yao Ji opened her eyes and sighed softly. “Even now, I still remember the scenes of them wandering the wilderness for thousands of years.

Only when completely liberated by a miracle… could I see a glimmer of hope in their eyes.”

“After so many years, you’re still so weak.” Chi Di Nü shook her head, a disappointed look on her face, then turned to Luo Ling. “For this… you’re even willing to collude with ghost god minions?”

“…Your Majesty, you’re being quite rude.”

Luo Ling, initially intending to just watch from the side, not interfering in this family drama, couldn’t help but speak up after being called out by Chi Di Nü.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Chi Di Nü looked at Luo Ling’s hands, an unconcealed emotion flashing in her eyes.

Even Yao Ji looked at Luo Ling with a puzzled look.

Because the current Luo Ling, both in terms of aura and appearance, was undoubtedly a ghost god minion, completely different from the Miss Fairy she saw in the ruined city before, practically two different people.

“Of course you did!”

Chi Nü immediately retorted.

She didn’t care if it was right or wrong. This woman wanted to kill her Sister Yao Ji, so she was definitely a bad person.

And since she was a bad person, everything she said was definitely wrong.

“You’re… both right and wrong.”

Luo Ling walked over, casually stuck the Human Emperor’s Sword in the ground beside her, then sat down cross-legged, a strange look appearing on the faces of Yao Ji and Chi Di Nü.

Seriously, this was the Human Emperor’s Sword!

Although Yao Ji herself had just said that it wasn’t wielding the Human Emperor’s Sword that made one the Human Emperor, but the sword wielded by the Human Emperor that was called the Human Emperor’s Sword, regardless… this sword was the spiritual symbol of humanity’s will.

But in Luo Ling’s hands, it was treated like an ordinary weapon.

“The power I’m currently using is indeed… similar to the ‘ghost god’ power you mentioned.”

Luo Ling extended her grotesque hands. She used to be afraid of her own appearance, but after learning the truth, she could now face it calmly.

“But it doesn’t mean… I’m a ghost god minion. From the very beginning… ghost gods couldn’t affect me at all. The ‘ghost god’ power I wield doesn’t come from the ‘ghost gods’ themselves, but from myself.”

Just like the Authorities obtained and used by other ability users came from beings above the Sequence, Luo Ling’s were entirely her own. Her Doomsday and Transcendence were her own power, she just happened to be walking the same path.

Even when she first used this power, Luo Ling’s mind wasn’t deeply affected, only her personality slightly changed depending on the ability used.

Compared to now, Luo Ling in her usual state was much more reserved.

Unfortunately, Yao Ji and Chi Di Nü couldn’t understand Luo Ling’s words, their confusion deepening.

“But I saw you use the divine power bestowed by the Heavens before,” Yao Ji composed herself and continued, “How do you explain that?”

“What?”

It was Chi Di Nü who was surprised this time.

She looked at Yao Ji and Luo Ling in disbelief, her gaze shifting between them.

“Third Sister, do you mean… she still possesses the Heavens’ blessing?”

If it were before, Chi Di Nü would have just thought Yao Ji was making excuses for colluding with ghost god minions, but at this point, Yao Ji had no reason to lie.

So that meant…

Chi Di Nü looked at Luo Ling, who was sitting there with her arms crossed, her grotesque and alluring appearance making it hard to imagine any connection with the Heavens.

Moreover… the Heavens had abandoned humanity long ago, after the Battle of Zhuolu.

“It’s… both right and wrong.”

Luo Ling repeated her previous answer.

“Just like the ‘ghost god’ power, the ‘Heavens’ blessing’ I use doesn’t come from the Heavens, but from myself.”

Yao Ji and Chi Di Nü were still confused, while Chi Nü, unable to understand anything since the first sentence, stood aside and recovered.

She had just used the strange power bestowed by the “ghost gods” to save Sister Yao Ji from the Zhuxian Four Swords Formation, but it was her first time using this power, and she was a bit reckless.

Exhausting all her strength in that dangerous moment, afraid of the formation breaking through her ability, she now felt exhausted, leaning against a corner.

“Even so, I still have a question,” Yao Ji composed herself and said in a deep voice, “Why do you possess both the power of the ‘Heavens’ and the ‘ghost gods’? Wouldn’t they conflict?”

Luo Ling paused for a moment, then realized.

In this land of “Legend,” the concept of paths didn’t exist. Due to Mom Transcendence’s arrangements before its demise, this place directly connected to the source of the paths, Transcendence and Doomsday, without the six extended paths.

Therefore, they didn’t know that the paths had two opposing sides.

“What if I said… the so-called ‘ghost gods’ and the ‘Heavens’… are actually the same being… what would you think?” Luo Ling pondered for a moment and said.

“Absurd!”

Chi Di Nü scoffed, looking directly at Luo Ling, her face slightly pale.

“Even though the Heavens has abandoned us, It did protect us from the ghost gods in the past. If It is the ghost gods, why bother?”

Although Yao Ji didn’t speak, judging from her expression, she agreed with Chi Di Nü.

“This… is going to be a long explanation…”

Luo Ling couldn’t help but feel a headache. Explaining this from the beginning would take forever, and she currently couldn’t use Puppet Ballad, even if she had a memory packet, it wouldn’t be enough to contain all the details.

“Anyway, that’s the situation,” Luo Ling shrugged, “I can’t explain it. Believe it or not.”

“Heh…”

Chi Di Nü sneered, then her pupils constricted, and she coughed violently, her aura instantly weakening.

A large pool of foul-smelling blood appeared on the ground, corroding the surrounding sand.

“Second Sister, you…”

Yao Ji looked at the blackened sand, a shocked look on her face.

“Hehe, this day… has finally come…”

Chi Di Nü endured the pain, a bitter smile on her face.

“Could it be…”

Yao Ji looked at Chi Di Nü, suddenly recalling a long-circulating rumor.

“Exactly,” Chi Di Nü closed her eyes, “We, who personally killed Chi You, can’t escape the spread of the ghost god power.

First Ba, then Father, then me… and next… it’s your turn.

I’ve been using the power of the Human Emperor’s Sword to resist the spread of this injury, even at the cost of my own will, but after the sword was taken… my life has entered its final countdown.”

The Human Emperor’s Sword contained a trace of an outer god’s power. Although Chi Di Nü didn’t know this, she knew that the Human Emperor’s Sword was currently the only thing in this world that could resist ghost gods.

Yao Ji silently looked at Chi Di Nü. She didn’t feel much about her second sister’s impending death, but facing a similar fate herself, she felt at a loss.

It wasn’t that she feared death, but she was worried that, with her death, humanity would lose its last hope.

But if she took the Human Emperor’s Sword, would she become like Chi Di Nü?

Therefore, a rare look of struggle appeared on Yao Ji’s face.

This was a difficult dilemma.

Chi Di Nü struggled to stand up, strange characteristics appearing on her body, black qi surging.

Her fair skin began to decay in large patches, a putrid stench filling the air.

Her once beautiful face, ravaged by decay, became gruesome, although her expression remained the same.

Chi Di Nü looked up at the distant darkness and whispered, “Third Sister, it’s time for me to join Father. And you… what choice do you have?”

She gave Yao Ji a strange smile, then, using her last bit of strength, she rose into the air.

At the cost of completely burning herself out, she flew towards the distant darkness.

At the end of her life, Chi Di Nü made the same choice as the two Emperors, directly entering the ghost god domain.

Yao Ji silently watched her second sister leave, then looked at the Human Emperor’s Sword beside Luo Ling, her expression complex.

“If you want the Human Emperor’s Sword, just take it. I don’t need it,” Luo Ling said directly. “But… just like Chi Di Nü, using it… comes with a price.”

An outer god of unknown intentions, even Luo Ling couldn’t guarantee anything.

And she wasn’t sure if it was Chi Di Nü’s own choice that led to this, or the influence of the outer god within the Human Emperor’s Sword.

Luo Ling had taken all the other Authorities imbued into the Human Emperor’s Sword by Chi Di Nü, leaving only its essence, the part Luo Ling couldn’t interfere with.

After a moment, Yao Ji made her choice.

“Give me the Human Emperor’s Sword,” Yao Ji reached out and said, “I have to be responsible for all living beings.”

“Okay.”

Luo Ling pulled out the Human Emperor’s Sword and tossed it to Yao Ji.

Yao Ji caught the sword, gently holding the hilt, her expression turning even more complex.

She had once refused to bear this heavy responsibility, directly rejecting the chance to compete with her second sister for the title of Human Emperor.

But now…

She had no choice but to take this position.

“Miss Luo Ling, you seem to know… quite a lot.”

Yao Ji put away the Human Emperor’s Sword, looked up at Luo Ling, and whispered.

“Just a little more than you.”

Luo Ling said noncommittally.

“So, do you know… how to save this world?”

Yao Ji looked directly into Luo Ling’s eyes, a pleading look in her eyes.

“I… can’t say for sure,” Luo Ling shook her head. “The answer… you have to find it yourself.”

“Now it’s your turn to be cryptic.”

Yao Ji twitched the corner of her mouth, seemingly wanting to smile, but couldn’t.

“But I can tell you, the ghost gods… can’t be resisted, at least not by us.” Luo Ling said softly. “Chi Di Nü’s idea… was unrealistic from the beginning.”

No matter how much they sacrificed, when the final moment arrived, it would all be in vain.

“I see… actually, my divination also showed the same outcome, I just thought… we could still struggle a bit.” Yao Ji smiled wryly and shook her head.

“Since you already know it’s a hopeless endeavor, why… make so much effort?” Luo Ling whispered.

She knew her own answer.

But she wanted to know Yao Ji’s.

“Just… clinging to a pitiful, meager hope.” Yao Ji’s expression calmed slightly. “Even if I ultimately fail, at least I know… I tried my best.

My second sister is right, my personality is too weak. I can’t stand the suffering of living beings, even cherishing the smallest of lives, truly unworthy of being the Human Emperor.”

“No, no, that’s not true!” Just then, Chi Nü, who had recovered somewhat, jumped up, hands on her hips, and said, “That bad woman, the Human Emperor, can do it, why can’t my Sister Yao Ji?!”

“It’s not that simple…”

Yao Ji rubbed Chi Nü’s hair and said helplessly.

“Don’t belittle yourself! You’re not any worse than that bad woman!” Chi Nü said, puffing out her cheeks.

“These matters are complicated, not something that can be explained in a few words…”

Yao Ji smiled wryly. “You’re still young. You’ll understand when you grow up.”

“Then I’ll just… not grow up.”

Chi Nü squatted down, her cheeks still puffed out.

Luo Ling, exhausted after several days of high-intensity mental activity, found a place to sit down and said, “Yao Ji, I’ll probably be asleep for a long time, so listen carefully.”

“Hmm? Tell me.”

Yao Ji was slightly stunned, but suppressed her curiosity.

“Just like last time?”

Chi Nü was already familiar with this. Luo Ling slept for an entire month last time, even a pig couldn’t sleep that much.

“Yes.”

Luo Ling nodded and continued, “No matter what, don’t try to make any deals with the power within the Human Emperor’s Sword, even if you’ll eventually be consumed by the ghost god power and die.”

“Huh?”

Before Yao Ji could say anything, Chi Nü became anxious.

“How can you say that, Luo Ling? I trusted you so much, but you also want Sister Yao Ji to die?”

“Chi Nü, be quiet.” Yao Ji scolded Chi Nü, then said to Luo Ling, “I understand.”

“But…”

Chi Nü still wanted to say something, but Yao Ji glared at her.

“Because the consequence of accepting that deal… might be worse than death.”

Luo Ling said, recalling the tragic state of “Eternal Sky.” It was a failed attempt, although not entirely meaningless, the outcome… was truly heartbreaking.

Chi Nü still couldn’t accept this and turned her head away, crossing her arms.

But she couldn’t help but glance at Luo Ling, an indescribable emotion in her eyes.

“Also, don’t try to resist the ghost gods and start another ghost god war. Find… another way,” Luo Ling continued.

“This… okay, I understand.”

Yao Ji nodded reluctantly. Although she couldn’t stand Chi Di Nü’s cruel methods of preparation, she didn’t completely want to abandon this approach.

She only half-heartedly listened to Luo Ling’s words.

However, at this point, this was all Luo Ling could say.

An overwhelming drowsiness finally arrived, lulling Luo Ling to sleep.

The demon-like girl slowly closed her eyes, the scales on her body disappearing inch by inch, revealing her delicate face.

“Chi Nü, take Miss Luo Ling, from now on… you’ll take care of her,” Yao Ji said wearily, “I… have other matters to attend to.”

“Oh…”

Chi Nü was still slightly dissatisfied with Luo Ling’s previous words, but she carefully picked up the girl’s body and carried her on her back, just like a month ago.

“This world…”

Yao Ji held the Human Emperor’s Sword, looked up at the endless darkness in the distance, and sighed softly.

Chapter 65: Nightingale of the Red Cross, A Blood-Soaked Gift p2

Lu Manqing lowered her head, glancing towards Luo Ling and Elsa’s room. “I keep feeling like Miss Luo Ling will walk out of the room any minute now, with little Elsa following behind…”

Past scenes replayed in their minds, like a dream, but they were just illusions of their memories, fragile as bubbles.

“What we had… will never return,” Cen Xiangyun said, tears streaming down her face again. “I miss them, even if… it’s just to have another meal cooked by Miss Luo Ling…”

Grief and sorrow filled the apartment. Luo Ling could only place her hand on her teammates’ shoulders, offering a small comfort.

The vortex of Victoria was far beyond what this small team could withstand. All Luo Ling could do was prevent a repeat of the Hunt team’s tragedy. She could do nothing else.

“Knock… knock… knock…”

Just then, a knock came from the apartment door. They subconsciously looked up.

Just as they wondered who would come at this time, a familiar, elderly voice sounded from the door, “It’s me, Manqing, Xiangyun.”

It was Lu Manqing’s mother, Lu Fangling.

Lu Manqing opened the door. Seeing “Eve,” Lu Fangling paused, seemingly surprised by her quick recovery. She nodded and said,

“Eve, I’m glad to see you’re alright. How are you feeling?”

“Thank you for your concern. I’m fine now,” Luo Ling replied, nodding slightly. Her gaze was quickly drawn to the letter in Lu Fangling’s hand.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Lu Manqing asked hurriedly.

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing had already told “Eve” about the aftermath. They had reported the entire incident to Lu Fangling, leaving it to her to handle.

But hearing her daughter’s anxious question, Lu Fangling’s expression was unusually awkward. She clutched the letter tightly, and under their expectant gazes, sighed and said,

“This incident… was the work of the Harbingers of Calamity.”

“Huh?”

Not only Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing, but even Luo Ling couldn’t help but show a surprised expression. This wasn’t an act, but genuine shock.

How… could they shift the blame to the Harbingers?

“Impossible! It was clearly Cheng Jianming of the Torchbearers who did it! I saw it with my own eyes!”

Cen Xiangyun stood up excitedly, saying loudly, “I’ll never forget his face! If the Company doubts me, they can search my soul!”

“That’s right, we saw it with our own eyes. There’s no mistake,” Lu Manqing said gravely. “Mom, what’s going on… Just tell us.”

“……”

Lu Fangling was silent for a moment, then said softly, “This is the conclusion reached by the Company directors. As for the Cheng Jianming you mentioned, his death was confirmed yesterday. The Torchbearers are currently searching for his body.”

How could Lu Fangling not guess the truth?

The Harbingers were clearly scapegoats. Lu Fangling was certain that it was Cheng Jianming who attacked. The lingering Time aura at the scene was unique.

Moreover, Cheng Jianming’s actions were likely under the direct orders of the Company’s highest echelons.

Cheng Jianming, the sword, was well-known among the high-ranking members of the Order-side organizations. He was a sharp sword wielded by the Torchbearers, and the Company could also use this sword at an appropriate price.

As for the reason behind Cheng Jianming’s actions this time, Lu Fangling had a good guess. It was most likely related to Luo Ling. But why he failed and even died… there was no conclusion yet, but it was highly likely the Harbingers were responsible.

Therefore, the directors used this connection to shift the blame for the Twintails team’s misfortune onto the Harbingers. After all, the Harbingers couldn’t exactly come forward and claim their innocence.

They were convenient scapegoats.

The reason Lu Fangling didn’t want to tell Cen Xiangyun and the others the truth, like Ms. Nightingale, was to avoid further involving this team in the vortex of Victoria.

In this storm, even she, a branch director, might not be able to protect herself, let alone… the Twintails team, a weak, low-level team that could be easily torn apart by the slightest ripple.

“But we clearly saw Cheng Jianming’s face…”

Cen Xiangyun still refused to give up.

“It was all a ploy by the Harbingers to sow discord,” Lu Fangling interrupted Cen Xiangyun, saying indifferently, “They intended to frame the Torchbearers and cause internal strife within the Order side.

“For the sake of humanity, for the sake of Victoria, we should recognize the true enemy, not point fingers at our own people.”

Our own people…

Luo Ling sneered inwardly.

To the Company, who were the true “own people”?

And who were the true enemies?

Luo Ling didn’t blame Lu Fangling. She could guess the old woman’s intentions. These words clearly came from Company headquarters.

To protect the team, Lu Fangling could only say these words against her better judgment.

Even if Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing knew the truth, they were powerless to change anything. It might even bring more disaster upon them.

Cen Xiangyun slumped listlessly into a chair, saying blankly, ‘So… we’re just… letting this go?’

They couldn’t even avenge Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa?

Did they die for nothing?

“For now,” Lu Fangling sighed again. Even in her position, there were many things she couldn’t change. In the current situation, the conflict between the Order-side forces and the Harbingers… was the top priority.

If they lost, forget about Victoria, all of humanity might be plunged into an abyss by the Harbingers. That would be the true disaster.

A deathly silence fell upon the apartment. After a while, Lu Fangling, after a long hesitation, took out the letter and said, “And… there’s one more thing.”

“What is it?”

They looked at the letter in Lu Fangling’s hand, puzzled.

“The Twintails… team is understaffed. The Company has ordered its disbandment and reassignment to other combat teams. This is an invitation from the Star team.”

Single-character teams were established long ago. For example, Linna’s Hunt team. Its original captain was actually Fiona, and Linna inherited the position from her mother.

These teams had a long history, many retired veterans, and even the three Company directors were once part of the same single-character team. The resources they could access were unimaginable.

Joining a single-character team was the dream of most low-level Awakened Ones, but the requirements were high, even ordinary High-Order Awakened Ones weren’t qualified.

Clearly, Cen Xiangyun and the others didn’t meet the requirements, yet they still received an invitation. Even Elsa could understand the implications behind this.

“Is this an invitation bought with Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa’s lives?” Cen Xiangyun asked, her voice trembling as she fought back her emotions.

Lu Fangling didn’t say a word, only lowering her gaze.

“Sometimes sacrifices are unavoidable. We need to endure our grief and move forward.”

She wanted to say these words, but they felt too cruel.

This wasn’t a sacrifice…

Just a price to be paid.

“Let’s accept it.”

A voice broke the silence.

Unexpectedly, it was “Eve” who spoke.

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing looked at “Eve” in shock. They hadn’t expected her to be so cold-blooded, accepting this blood-soaked gift.

“We have to move on, don’t we?” Luo Ling said softly.

She understood Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing’s grief, but the problem was…

Don’t actually refuse it!

If they refused such a precious opportunity, how could she infiltrate the Company’s ranks, especially a highly valued single-character team…

Sensing the atmosphere turning tense, as if Cen Xiangyun was about to tear up the invitation, Luo Ling finally spoke up and accepted it.

“You!”

Cen Xiangyun trembled with anger, pointing at “Eve.”

“Eve, I never thought you were this kind of person! You’re benefiting from Luo Ling and little Elsa’s deaths! How can you face their spirits in the afterlife!”

Although Lu Manqing wasn’t as agitated as Cen Xiangyun, her eyes clearly expressed her agreement.

Having teammates with such deep feelings for you was also troublesome…

Luo Ling felt a twinge of pain. She was naturally taciturn and not good at socializing, especially in such a complicated situation. It was difficult to appease her two teammates with words.

Fortunately, Lu Fangling intervened, placing a hand on each of them and saying softly, “But you have to know that Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa, in heaven, wouldn’t want you to remain stagnant because of their deaths, would they?

“They… would also want you to live your lives well.”

Listening from the side, Luo Ling felt uncomfortable. What Lu Fangling said was correct, but she was still alive.

Sigh, she knew impersonating her teammates would be troublesome… Now she could only continue the act.

Lu Fangling’s words finally calmed her teammates down. They realized that accepting the invitation from the Star team was indeed the best option, but their expressions remained resentful, and their attitude towards “Eve” had become distant.

Clearly, this incident had created a rift within the team. Even though Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing didn’t say it aloud, they felt that for Eve, joining the Star team was more important than their teammates’ deaths.

Luo Ling could only silently apologize again in her heart…

I’m so sorry, Miss Eve.

“Report to the Star team this afternoon. Next… we have more important matters to handle,” Lu Fangling said seriously, her expression turning grave. “The Harbingers have made a deal with the White Witch. What we’re about to face is a terrifying existence that massacred 400,000 civilians in Jiangcheng County, a truly terrifying High-Risk Grotesquery.”

Hearing this, Luo Ling was completely dumbfounded.

What?

What deal?

With whom?

Why didn’t she know anything about this?

Chapter 65: Nightingale of the Red Cross, A Blood-Soaked Gift p1

Even with Luo Ling’s crafting skills, the Eve puppet wasn’t perfect. She couldn’t replicate the wounds with absolute precision and lifelike detail, but it didn’t seem to matter.

While it was unlikely Company headquarters would dispatch top-tier medical resources for a low-level team like the Twintails, Lu Fangling, as branch director, had considerable connections. Combined with Cen Xiangyun’s background, they managed to invite another branch director for treatment.

“You’re awake?”

A gentle and friendly voice sounded beside her ear. Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was vibrant emerald green hair, followed by the faint fragrance of flowers and herbs. A graceful woman sat by the bedside, looking at Luo Ling with concern.

—Ms. Nightingale, director of the Red Cross branch.

She shared the same name as the famous nurse from history books, but whether they were the same person… was unclear. She had never revealed any information about this.

However, it was certain that among all the Company branches, the Red Cross branch, led by Ms. Nightingale, was the most peaceful, its members mostly Myriad Path Awakened Ones.

This wasn’t because the Red Cross branch only recruited Myriad Path Awakened Ones. Unlike the Speakers, they had no restrictions on Path abilities.

It was simply because the Red Cross branch was so peaceful, their commissions mostly involving healing the injured. Moreover, their director, Ms. Nightingale, was the most renowned Myriad Path ability user.

There was a saying within the Company: “Under the light of Ms. Nightingale’s lamp, there is no injury, pain, or death.”

Although this was an exaggeration, it illustrated Nightingale’s powerful healing abilities, far surpassing Luo Ling’s unorthodox methods.

It was said that Nightingale’s Authority-level Sacred Tool, “The Lamp,” contained a trace of Guixu’s true Sacred Relic. Even in direct combat, her strength wasn’t far below other beings of the same level.

During the treatment, Luo Ling’s consciousness remained within the Eve puppet, not returning to the Kingdom or descending onto Alyssa.

Before a top-tier Myriad Path Awakened One, letting her consciousness wander freely would be easily detected, especially while receiving treatment.

Luo Ling could only forcibly seal her consciousness, remaining unconscious for several days, not receiving any outside information until Ms. Nightingale finally healed the puppet and she could awaken.

“Mmm…”

Luo Ling tried to sit up, but a slender hand gently pressed her back down. Ms. Nightingale, a gentle smile on her lips, said softly, “Be careful, little Eve. You’ve just recovered. Don’t push yourself.”

“Little… Eve?”

Luo Ling was startled by the address, but she quickly calmed down, searching through Eve’s memories.

Out of respect for her teammates, even though Luo Ling could access their memories at any time, she hadn’t done so. Even while impersonating Eve, she had avoided touching Eve’s private thoughts as much as possible.

But now, Ms. Nightingale clearly knew Eve, so Luo Ling silently apologized to Eve in her heart and began to browse her memories without hesitation.

After reviewing them, Luo Ling fell silent.

Eve… had been delivered by Ms. Nightingale.

Although lacking an Awakened world background, Eve came from a prominent family in Victoria, the daughter of a duke, deserving of the title “Lady.”

When she was born, her father, Duke Ste, naturally hired the best doctors and nursing team in Victoria. Ms. Nightingale was one of them.

Moreover, Eve’s mother was frail and sickly. After giving birth to Eve, she was ill for a long time and was cared for by Ms. Nightingale’s nursing team.

As a result, Eve had many childhood memories of this “Auntie,” and Ms. Nightingale’s influence was partly why she joined the Company.

Of course, Eve rarely saw Ms. Nightingale after that. Few people knew about their connection in the ordinary world.

So, in this reunion after so many years, Ms. Nightingale’s gaze towards Eve was filled with tenderness and heartache.

These feelings should have been directed at the real Eve, but now they were directed at Luo Ling.

“Sorry, Eve, I really didn’t mean for this to happen…”

Luo Ling had apologized to her teammates countless times in her heart. Impersonating them felt… strange.

Perhaps she should implant this memory into Eve’s mind later, conveying Ms. Nightingale’s concern.

Just as Luo Ling was thinking this, Ms. Nightingale spoke again,

“Little Eve, someone must have been secretly protecting you. With your injuries, anyone else… even me, would have died.”

Luo Ling’s crafting skills were crude compared to a top-tier Myriad Path Awakened One, but with the Puppet Ballad’s superb camouflage, she had still managed to deceive Ms. Nightingale.

Ms. Nightingale couldn’t understand how such severe injuries could be survived, ultimately concluding that some unknown method must have been used.

“I…”

Luo Ling didn’t know how to answer, only feigning a confused expression.

However, Ms. Nightingale didn’t press further. She had only casually mentioned it. Seeing “Eve’s” expression, she smiled gently and continued,

“Alright, if you can’t remember, don’t think about it. You’ve just recovered from serious injuries. You need to rest.”

Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief, nodding slightly. After a pause, she asked, “By the way, Sister Nurse, how are Xiangyun and Manqing… doing?”

Sister Nurse was what Eve called Ms. Nightingale as a child, and Luo Ling continued to use it.

Hearing the familiar address, a smile appeared on Ms. Nightingale’s lips. “They’re fine, just minor injuries. They were discharged the next day. They should be… at your apartment now.”

Then, she seemed to remember something, hesitating before saying,

“Little Eve, I know some inside information, but… for your own good, I can’t tell you. In short, don’t dwell on the attack for now. You won’t be in this kind of danger again, I can guarantee that.”

Because it was over.

Luo Ling’s expression darkened slightly.

Cheng Jianming’s primary target was her. Her teammates were merely collateral damage, especially Eve, the most innocent victim.

In any case, Cheng Jianming needed a suitable sacrifice to activate the Incubation Barrier. Whether it was Eve or someone else made no difference.

Now that the Incubation Barrier hadn’t been activated, the Purgatory larva was missing, and even Cheng Jianming, who was in charge of the plan, was dead, the directors’ scheme had hit a dead end.

“I… understand,” Luo Ling said, lowering her head to hide her emotions.

Ms. Nightingale had already said more than she needed to to “Eve,” even though she had delivered Eve and cared for her for a while.

But… Ms. Nightingale had delivered countless children in Victoria. Offering kind advice was in her nature, but that was all.

“Mmm, go home and rest well.”

Ms. Nightingale stood up, gently adjusting Luo Ling’s blanket.

“Your friends will be here to pick you up later. Remember to rest when you get back. There are no Myriad Path Awakened Ones in your team. If your injuries flare up, you can come to the Red Cross branch for help.”

“I understand, Sister Nurse,” Luo Ling replied.

Ms. Nightingale smiled gently and left the ward. As both a nurse and the director of the Red Cross branch, she had many other things to attend to.

Not long after, Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing, having received the notification, hurried into the ward.

Seeing that “Eve” had awakened, their anxiety eased somewhat. Cen Xiangyun even rushed to the bedside, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.

Sometimes, Luo Ling wondered if Cen Xiangyun was made of water. She cried the most in the team, even more than Elsa.

But considering the things poor Miss Cen had experienced in just a few months… and how she was almost always the last to know, it was understandable.

“Thank goodness, Eve, you’re alright… but Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa are…”

Cen Xiangyun’s voice choked with grief. Even Lu Manqing, usually playful, turned her face away, tears welling up in her eyes.

Luo Ling also wanted to cry, but the thought of crying for herself made it difficult. She could only lower her head, hiding her expression.

In reality, she even wanted to laugh… but laughing at this moment would be too cruel, so she had to hold back.

Gazes seemed to linger outside the ward from time to time. Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing knew this wasn’t the place to talk, so they quickly composed themselves.

Ms. Nightingale’s healing abilities were truly remarkable. She had completely healed the wounds created by Luo Ling’s crude crafting skills.

The Eve puppet was only slightly weak, due to not having eaten for so long. Eating something would restore her strength.

Thanks to the replicated Judgment Path physique, Luo Ling could move normally, although she couldn’t use Eve’s abilities.

However, this wasn’t a problem. Luo Ling had connected the puppet to the sleeping Eve in the Kingdom using the Puppet Ballad’s abilities. She could borrow Eve’s abilities from the Kingdom when needed.

Soon, they completed the discharge procedures and returned to the apartment.

On the way, Cen Xiangyun recounted what had happened, from Eve’s attack to the recent events.

These were things “Eve” didn’t know. As they reached the apartment, the scene of the incident, the three embraced and cried.

—Except for Luo Ling.

Luo Ling wanted to laugh, thinking about her two friends mourning her, but she could only cry along with them. The combination of wanting to laugh and cry made her expression somewhat distorted.

Of course, Luo Ling understood the reason for Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing’s grief, but… for whatever reason, she could only apologize silently and conceal the truth from them.

Back in the apartment, everything looked the same, but without two people, the large apartment seemed much emptier.

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing had decided to move out, as the apartment was filled with memories of Luo Ling and Elsa. Everything they saw reminded them of their lost friends.

To them, this was a place of sorrow.

Their friends were gone, but life had to go on.

“We’ve packed Luo Ling and Elsa’s belongings. After we move out… let’s build a cenotaph for them.”

Cen Xiangyun’s voice was tinged with bitterness. “Although we’ve experienced something similar recently, this time… there will be no miracle.”

The last time, they had mistakenly believed Luo Ling was dead because she was missing. This time… Miss Luo Ling had died right before their eyes, her death so brutal that it was difficult to even collect her remains.

“Even now, it still feels unreal.”

Chapter 64: Miss Luo Ling Dies Again

The candle flame that enveloped the graceful woman, briefly causing her to be “forgotten” by the world, suddenly extinguished.

At this moment, her thread of fate, for a reason as simple as an uncontrollable thought, became connected to another existence in the unknown.

Even the most powerful Awakened Ones couldn’t monitor the thoughts, memories, and actions of every single person in an entire region.

However, that didn’t mean they couldn’t protect an absolute secret in another way.

Every action taken by any being would drive their thread of fate, causing it to sever, pause, or… intertwine with others.

The Old Man, one of the Company directors, was an Other Shore Path Awakened One. Almost all Other Shore Path ability users could perceive the threads of fate, though in different ways.

The Old Man had cast a large-scale barrier over Victoria and was constantly using his ability to monitor the threads of fate within its range.

If a specific change occurred at a particular point on his own thread of fate, he could detect it immediately. His primary target was the top-secret information Fiona had inadvertently obtained.

It was this seemingly insignificant thought that would cause her thread of fate to briefly intersect with the Old Man’s in the future.

The moment the thought arose, the Old Man instantly sensed it. He immediately joined forces with the Boy and the Woman, using the Victoria barrier to trace the source, combining their Authorities to tear through the fog of “forgetfulness” and attempt to instantly kill Fiona, silencing her forever.

With three top-tier beings acting together, bearing a considerable price, Fiona should have had little chance of escaping this calamity. But unfortunately, the Old Man wasn’t the only one monitoring Victoria.

There was also Philosopher.

More accurately, Philosopher was monitoring the barrier enveloping Victoria, watching the directors’ actions. This was precisely why the directors were willing to bear a greater price to avoid any delay.

They knew that any hesitation would be met with the Harbingers’ counterattack.

As expected, the moment the directors acted, the Harbinger leader, having received the news, reacted immediately.

When Philosopher obtained the endpoint of the intersecting threads of fate, Educator instantly acted, using his Authority to protect Fiona’s life. The Myriad Path was unparalleled in its life-preserving abilities.

At the same time, several nearby Harbingers, upon receiving the news, headed directly to the Victoria Opera House, intending to take Fiona away before the Company arrived.

However, just as they were about to enter the opera house, they encountered an Awakened One team that had also received the news. A fierce battle ensued, lasting almost the entire night, with heavy losses on both sides.

And during this intense clash, a Kingdom entrance, unnoticed by everyone, silently opened within the room, taking away the heavily injured Fiona and the long-barreled firearm on the table.

This was why Luo Ling only found the Memory Hammer and the Lamp of Forgetfulness at the scene, but not the firearm. Linna had already retrieved her weapon.

Linna’s actions were quite risky. If not for the ongoing clash between the Harbingers and the Company directors, the Victoria barrier would have certainly detected the Kingdom entrance and Linna’s presence.

Fortunately, through a stroke of luck, Fiona mysteriously disappeared. The Company believed the Harbingers were responsible, while the Harbingers thought the Company had achieved their objective, considering the operation a failure.

After Linna recounted her experiences and everything she knew to Luo Ling, the two arrived at the Victoria Opera House within the Kingdom.

The opera house in Starry Victoria was significantly smaller. It was said that it hadn’t even been named Victoria back then, just a slightly larger opera house.

The staff rooms inside were simple. Luo Ling randomly chose a room to settle the sleeping Eve, then followed Linna to Fiona’s room.

Identical to the other rooms, and the one Luo Ling had visited before, Fiona’s room had no extravagant decorations, just simple furniture. It was hard to believe this belonged to a Grand Constellation of the Fate Society, known for its lavish lifestyle.

Even the Fate Society’s tokens were handcrafted by top jewelers. Each piece, even disregarding its function as a token, was a priceless jewel.

Fiona lay on the bed, the graceful woman who often called herself “Auntie” with her eyes closed, as if asleep. Her breathing was steady, and her vital signs showed no signs of decline.

Yet, she couldn’t wake up.

“I’m using the Puppet Ballad’s fungal threads to sustain my mother’s body and have healed all her physical injuries. Even her soul injuries have been treated with the medicine I’ve saved up, but… she still can’t wake up.”

Linna looked at Fiona, who was unconscious on the bed, gently holding her mother’s hand, worry and complex emotions flickering in her eyes.

She hadn’t seen her mother for a long time either, not only because she didn’t dare show herself in this state, but also because she had more important things to do.

Most importantly, the surveillance in Victoria was strictest against the White Witch. After all, she was an active High-Risk Grotesquery with the capability for mass slaughter and an extremely cruel personality. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call her the most dangerous existence currently.

To the Company directors, this danger wasn’t directed at them personally, but at all of Victoria.

If she were to cause several massacres in Victoria on the scale of Jiangcheng County, triggering multiple Boundary collapses, the Company’s plans in Victoria would be completely ruined.

Crucially, an unknown Grotesquery lurked in the shadows, capable of completely annihilating collapsed Boundaries. With the two working together, forget about playing a grand game, they could devour the entire chessboard, leaving nothing to play with.

All careful planning and scheming would be meaningless in the face of Boundary annihilation.

Therefore, if Linna dared to show herself in Victoria, she would surely be hunted down by the Company with all their might. Not only would she be in danger, but her mother and Miss Luo Ling would also face considerable trouble.

So, no matter how much she missed her mother, Linna could only endure the painful separation.

But now…

She hadn’t expected to reunite with her mother under such heartbreaking circumstances.

Luo Ling reached out, taking control of the fungal threads on Fiona. After a careful examination, she frowned slightly. Even with her methods, she couldn’t find the source of Fiona’s affliction.

Under Linna’s anxious and hopeful gaze, Luo Ling pondered for a moment, then said,

“Perhaps, Aunt Fiona’s current situation is like ‘Sleeping Beauty’—Linna, have you heard of this fairy tale?”

If even Luo Ling couldn’t find the cause, there was only one possibility she hadn’t considered yet: the realm of threads of fate, common to both the Other Shore and the present, the realm of curses.

By manipulating the threads of fate, one could influence destiny and the future, a mysterious and profound method.

Linna fell silent, a conflicted expression on her face. Finally, she hesitantly said,

“Miss Luo Ling, do you mean… that I have to kiss my mother for her to wake up? Or… do you have to kiss her?”

Hearing Linna’s reply, Luo Ling also fell silent for a moment, then said,

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Then… does Elsa have to?”

Linna turned to look at the red-haired little girl leaning over by the bedside. Elsa, suddenly hearing her name, looked up blankly.

“Huh? Do you need my help with something?”

“Not you, continue spacing out,” Luo Ling said, patting Elsa’s head.

“Oh,” Elsa replied, hugging her head.

Luo Ling composed herself, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll find a way to save Aunt Fiona. She doesn’t seem to be in immediate danger, so let’s maintain the status quo for now.”

Whether it was seeking help from the Speakers or making a deal at the Witches’ Tea Party, Luo Ling still had many ways to find the answer to Fiona’s coma.

Linna nodded, then said, “Really not going to try it?”

“Try what?” Luo Ling asked subconsciously.

“Try…”

“Stop, I know what you’re going to say.”

Before Linna could finish, Luo Ling raised her hand to cover her mouth, saying helplessly, “Still joking at a time like this… You and your mother are really alike in some ways.”

“Miss Luo Ling, that’s not quite right,” Linna said with a smile, removing Luo Ling’s hand. “I am her daughter, isn’t it natural for us to be alike?”

Luo Ling was speechless.

However, besides Fiona’s condition, Luo Ling was also very interested in Linna’s experiences during this time, including how she obtained the Kingdom, Starry Victoria.

After a moment, Linna opened the corresponding memories to Luo Ling.

After escaping the Incubation Barrier, Linna, due to the Grotesquery aura she carried, was hunted by Awakened One teams.

Although Linna could easily eliminate all the teams pursuing her, she didn’t want to harm innocent people, so she remained in hiding.

Until one day, by chance, she encountered some Grotesquery Apostles and officially entered the world of Godchosen and God’s Favored, the world of Kingdoms.

It could be said that everything Luo Ling knew about Grotesquery Apostles… or rather, Godchosen and God’s Favored, was just the tip of the iceberg, including her knowledge of Kingdoms. Luo Ling’s understanding of Kingdoms couldn’t even compare to that of an ordinary Godchosen.

For most Godchosen, the Kingdom was their real world, while the real world became an unknown existence.

“No wonder Miss Iris called me a ‘stray’ when we first met, because I hadn’t heard of Kingdoms… In a sense, she was right.”

Luo Ling rested her chin on her hand, continuing to browse Linna’s memories, learning more about Kingdoms.

“Besides Victoria, there are Kingdoms in other places, and…”

As she saw the information that followed, Luo Ling’s expression grew increasingly serious.

Only Boundary regions known as “Origin Points” could form Kingdoms during a collapse. Currently, among all the Boundaries in the world, the only known Origin Point was Victoria.

But in the records of the Godchosen and God’s Favored, there were four Origin Points:

The Origin Point of Change, Victoria.

The Origin Point of Corruption, Columbia.

The Origin Point of Demise, Valhalla.

The Origin Point of Silence, Great Xia Imperial City.

Each Origin Point had a varying number of remaining Kingdoms, each with different sizes and characteristics. The number of Godchosen far exceeded Luo Ling’s imagination, even Linna didn’t know the exact number.

“I didn’t expect there to be four Origin Points. More importantly… what’s the situation with the other Origin Points? Where are they? Or…”

Luo Ling thought of some terrifying possibilities and fell silent.

She knew the corresponding locations of these places in the world, but she was also certain that these locations were currently ordinary Boundaries, without the unique characteristics of Victoria.

Unfortunately, even among the Godchosen, information about Origin Points was extremely rare. Linna only knew their names; she knew nothing else.

That being said, Linna’s life in the Kingdom was quite comfortable.

Compared to the number of Godchosen, God’s Favored were few and far between. Organizations like the Witches’ Tea Party, composed almost entirely of God’s Favored, were extremely rare even among the many Kingdoms.

Because of her special relationship with Luo Ling, Linna was mistaken for a God’s Favored. In reality, she was a part of a god, her status slightly higher than that of a God’s Favored.

This identity afforded Linna many advantages and access to a lot of information, providing the foundation for her to seize a Kingdom.

Moreover, even among the numerous Kingdoms filled with strange and powerful beings, Linna wasn’t weak.

Linna possessed both her own strength, exceeding Ninth-Order, and a portion of the White Witch’s abilities. She could even, to some extent, utilize part of the Kingdom Authority, although it wasn’t complete.

Linna had spent considerable time planning and preparing for Starry Victoria, defeating all competitors and only recently seizing it. She was still recovering, bearing many injuries.

After reviewing these memories, Luo Ling pondered for a moment, then said,

“In that case, Linna, you should stay in Starry Victoria for now, take care of Aunt Fiona, recover, and explore the characteristics of this Kingdom. Leave the rest to me.”

Although there were still many unknowns about Godchosen and Kingdoms, Luo Ling’s current priority was the conflict in Victoria. The game between the Company and the Harbingers had just begun and was far from over.

Linna had obtained Cheng Jianming’s sword, Time, and the Purgatory larva he carried. The former could directly increase her combat power, while the latter was greatly beneficial to Linna’s Puppet Ballad ability, accelerating her recovery.

Linna was truly a master of spoils of war, always managing to gain something from every battle. Last time it was Frick’s armor, this time it was Cheng Jianming’s sword.

“Elsa, you should also stay in the Kingdom. There will be a time when you can help.”

Luo Ling ruffled Elsa’s hair, then added, “Don’t worry, I’m only leaving with my consciousness. My main body will mostly stay here.”

The “Company Specialist” shell was dead. Now, if Luo Ling wanted to appear in Victoria, she could only use the Eve puppet or the God’s Favored, Alyssa.

These two identities, one a Company member and the other a Harbinger member, complemented each other, allowing her to infiltrate both sides.

“Oh…”

Elsa nodded thoughtfully, then inadvertently glanced at Linna’s expression, blinking in confusion.

Why did it feel like Sister Knight’s eyes suddenly lit up when she heard Miss Luo Ling’s last words, and her expression seemed a bit mischievous…

After arranging everything, Luo Ling sensed a stir from the Eve puppet she had created. Sensing carefully, she narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Good, the Company’s rescue… has finally arrived.”

She closed her eyes, her consciousness descending onto the Eve puppet at the murder scene.

……….

Large patches of blood spread across the ground, almost forming a pool, mixed with scattered flesh and gore. The scene was gruesome and terrifying.

The surrounding civilians had been evacuated. The first to arrive was the Wellington branch’s rescue team, with Lu Fangling among them, her expression anxious.

Even though she was mentally prepared, upon seeing the scene, Lu Fangling gasped. She quickly sensed the lingering aura around her, her expression darkening.

“Cheng Jianming…”

As someone who also possessed an Authority-level Sacred Tool, Lu Fangling was naturally familiar with other beings of the same level, especially Cheng Jianming, with whom she had once fought alongside.

If Cheng Jianming’s plan had succeeded, he would have cleaned up the scene. Unfortunately, his plan had failed. The moment Lu Fangling arrived, she identified the killer.

But why would Cheng Jianming massacre this team? Whose orders was he following, and what was his purpose?

Lu Fangling knew the swordsman’s character well. He wouldn’t act without orders, especially against a low-level team he had almost no interaction with.

At the same time, Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing, who were less severely injured, gradually regained consciousness. Lu Fangling rushed to her daughter’s side and helped her up, but she saw unconcealed terror in her daughter’s eyes.

“Mom, they… they’re all dead…”

“Luo Ling… Eve…”

Cen Xiangyun stared blankly at the surrounding scene, the scattered flesh and clothing fragments a shocking sight. Her expression was close to collapse, her mind still occupied by the unforgettable scene.

Under the dark sky, Miss Luo Ling had stepped forward, only to be torn to shreds by the merciless sword glint, turning into a rain of blood and flesh.

And judging from the Lolita dress fragments at the scene, even Elsa, whom Miss Luo Ling had tried to protect, hadn’t escaped the sword’s wrath. The delicate little flower had also been killed in the most brutal way.

How… tragic.

Just then, a nurse hurried over and whispered something in Lu Fangling’s ear.

After hearing the nurse’s words, Lu Fangling’s eyes lit up, and she whispered to the two, “Manqing, Xiangyun, your captain, Eve, is still alive, but her injuries are severe. She needs immediate medical attention.”

Hearing this, the two finally regained some color in their faces. They quickly stood up, wanting to approach the doctors and nurses carrying the stretcher, but were stopped.

“Eve…”

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing looked past the doctors, seeing the figure on the stretcher twitch slightly. A Myriad Path Awakened One was using her ability to stabilize the injuries and attempting to heal her.

Awakened Ones’ injuries couldn’t be treated in a hospital, but the hospital environment was conducive to recovery, so they still had to be sent there.

“That’s great…”

Seeing this, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief. But thinking of Miss Luo Ling and little Elsa, who were dead beyond a doubt, they felt a surge of grief.

At the same time, Luo Ling, using the Eve puppet, slightly opened her eyes and saw Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing’s grief-stricken expressions. She suddenly felt a bit guilty about her plan.

“I’m really sorry, you two,” she silently apologized in her heart.

Chapter 63: Miss Knight, This is Called Getting Even p2

Now, with Eve’s body completely under her control, replicating a new Eve based on this body wasn’t difficult for Luo Ling. It would only take a little time.

Memories and emotions were even less of a problem. Read would reveal everything. As long as it wasn’t a relationship like Stasha and Alyssa’s, the fake Eve Luo Ling created would be perfectly realistic.

In this way, Luo Ling could even closely monitor the Company’s movements and protect her other two teammates at critical moments. It was killing several birds with one stone.

The objective conditions were met, but… the thought of impersonating a friend and mingling with other friends felt strangely awkward to Luo Ling.

“But besides this, there doesn’t seem to be any other way…”

Luo Ling scratched her silver hair, the scattered strands quickly rearranging themselves into a neat style. After pondering for a while, she sighed.

“Fine, I’ll just treat it as cosplaying as a maid lady.”

“Huh?”

Elsa, who was tidying the clothes of her unconscious teammates to prevent indecent exposure, looked up, a question mark appearing above her head.

“Nothing…”

Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth and began to sculpt a life-sized replica of Eve, even perfectly replicating the sword wound, leaving her with just a breath of life.

At the same time, she also created an Elsa replica—which she would destroy later as proof that Elsa had also died in the assassination, so there was no need for it to be too detailed, just adding some torn clothes and such.

As Luo Ling sculpted the figures, Elsa curiously peered over and saw the crudely made Elsa replica on the ground. She curiously poked it, then pinched her own arm.

“Wow, amazing, it’s exactly like me…”

A smile appeared on Elsa’s lips, then she watched as the crude replica exploded, blood and flesh nearly splattering onto her face. She froze in place.

“Uh…”

Why did it explode with just a poke?

Elsa’s brain was still buffering.

“Move aside, Elsa,” Luo Ling said, amused. “I’m setting the scene.”

She had to arrange everything carefully to steer the play towards the ending the Company expected.

After setting up the murder scene, Luo Ling moved the sealed Eve to a nearby house. The Puppet Ballad’s fungal threads would sustain her life until she fully recovered.

It had to be said that in Luo Ling’s hands, the Puppet Ballad’s Silent Demise ability was more versatile than even a Myriad Path ability…

“Almost done.”

Luo Ling clapped her hands, satisfied with her work.

The closing scene of “The Death of the Twintails Team” was complete!

At the same time, Elsa finally came to her senses, looking at the shattered remains of herself on the ground, her face aggrieved.

“Is everything taken care of?”

A familiar, cold voice sounded, accompanied by the clang of armor.

“Enemy?”

Elsa was instantly alert, but looking up, she saw pieces of armor clattering to the ground. A blonde woman she had never seen before, dressed in simple cloth clothes, walked towards them.

Hearing the familiar voice, Luo Ling paused, then nodded.

“Yes, it’s done.”

She was about to turn to look at the newcomer when she was suddenly embraced in a warm, firm hug, soft pressure against her back.

Elsa’s eyes widened instantly, as if witnessing something unbelievable.

“Linna…”

Luo Ling, in her White Witch form, was indeed excessively petite compared to the knight, looking like a delicate doll that could be held in one’s hand.

“Don’t turn around, Miss Luo Ling. Just let me hold you like this for a while.”

Linna’s breath tickled Luo Ling’s neck, carrying the scent of blood and dust, her voice tinged with tears. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Perhaps for you, our meeting wasn’t that long ago.”

Luo Ling opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but all the words turned into a soft,

“Mmm.”

Luo Ling knew that the flow of time within a Kingdom was unstable. Linna’s “so long” might not be a few years, but possibly decades, or even… centuries.

The body Luo Ling had given Linna could sustain eternal life, and the time they had been apart was long enough for Linna to seize a Kingdom.

The current Starry Victoria.

After an unknown amount of time, Linna finally released the delicate, silver-haired girl from her embrace. “Alright, Miss Luo Ling, you’ve repaid the hug you owed me all these years.”

“Hmph, when did I owe you one?” Luo Ling grumbled, standing on tiptoe and reaching out to rub Linna’s cheeks vigorously. “This is called getting even.”

Linna let Luo Ling pinch her face, only smiling.

“Who… who are you!”

Sensing the heavy, sorrowful atmosphere had dissipated, Elsa finally seized the opportunity, approaching cautiously and looking at Linna warily. Even she hadn’t hugged Miss Luo Ling like that.

Although it was because she was also small…

However, Elsa sensed something unusual about Linna, a sense of danger.

Not that Linna was dangerous, but… a certain unspoken danger to her relationship with Miss Luo Ling.

“Me?”

Linna was about to answer when Luo Ling spoke, “Right, Linna, send these people back to the real world first. Business first.”

“Mmm.”

Linna nodded, then said, “You should activate your Kingdom first. Otherwise, directly opening the Kingdom entrance might be detected by the Company.”

The Company and the Harbingers were constantly monitoring Victoria. Opening a small Kingdom entrance in secret was fine, but this place was now the focus of Victoria, definitely under heavy surveillance by the Company.

A Kingdom was most vulnerable when its entrance was open. Without Luo Ling’s Kingdom as support, it might be invaded.

Luo Ling nodded slightly, quickly activating her Kingdom, transferring the carefully arranged murder scene and her team back to the real world.

After arranging everything, Luo Ling and the others re-entered Starry Victoria and deactivated the Kingdom.

Even the oblivious Elsa understood what she had just witnessed. She looked at Linna in shock, and after a long silence, said, “Miss Luo Ling, when did you… secretly find another Apostle without telling me?”

Indeed, Elsa recognized this familiar and dangerous aura.

This blonde older sister named “Linna,” like her, was Miss Luo Ling’s Apostle!

When…

Had she ceased to be Miss Luo Ling’s only Apostle?

Was her most unique relationship gone?

Thinking about it, Elsa felt aggrieved, her eyes welling up with tears.

She knew it was wrong to feel aggrieved, but she couldn’t help it.

“Apostle?”

Linna was taken aback.

“Without telling you?”

Luo Ling was also stunned.

“I am not Miss Luo Ling’s Apostle,” Linna explained.

“I didn’t hide it from you,” Luo Ling explained.

The two answered Elsa’s questions in unison, their synchronization making them seem like the same person.

Before Elsa could ask further, they continued answering.

“Miss Luo Ling is my master. Everything I have belongs to her, even I am but a part of her,” Linna said, gently patting her chest and bowing slightly.

“Mainly because you never asked,” Luo Ling said frankly, spreading her hands, then turning to Linna with a slight frown. “Linna, your wording… feels a bit disgusting.”

“It was you who turned me into this, so you can’t just deny it now, my master,” the knight said with a smile. “But in stories, knights always accompany princesses, protecting them. So would you prefer me to call you Princess or Imperial Princess? I can use either.”

“…Just call me by my name.”

Luo Ling had a headache. Linna was still as sly as ever, and she couldn’t handle it.

“Hmph, even if your relationship with Miss Luo Ling is like that, it definitely won’t be better than mine,” Elsa said, stepping in front of Luo Ling and crossing her arms. “I sleep with Miss Luo Ling every day…”

“Hello, little master, what’s your name?”

Linna bent down slightly, trying to meet little Elsa’s gaze, a gentle smile on her lips. A peculiar scent wafted over, a faint bloodiness mixed with the earthy fragrance of soil.

However, Elsa wasn’t paying attention to this. She focused on how Linna addressed her.

“Little… little master?”

“Yes, Miss Luo Ling is my master, so you are my little master. Isn’t that right?” Linna said, puzzled. “Or is it…”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’m the little master!”

Elsa’s face quickly lit up, but then she seemed to remember something and tilted her head. “Well… there’s no helping it. Just call me Elsa.”

“Good, a very easy-going little sister.”

Linna, maintaining her smile, silently evaluated Elsa in her mind, her smile widening slightly.

“Alright, little master Elsa, I am also your knight.”

Linna knelt on one knee, taking Elsa’s small hand and performing a standard noble kiss on her hand, causing the inexperienced Elsa to blush and look at Luo Ling for help, blinking repeatedly.

“Alright, Linna, stop teasing Elsa,” Luo Ling said helplessly.

“As you command, my master.”

Linna released Elsa’s hand, and Elsa quickly ran and hid behind Luo Ling, not daring to look at Linna anymore.

“…And stop teasing me,” Luo Ling said, rubbing her temples. “How did you deal with Cheng Jianming?”

“Killed him directly,” Linna replied softly, the faint smile disappearing from her face.

“That’s it?”

Luo Ling was stunned. She thought Linna would at least torture Cheng Jianming a bit.

“Yes, that’s it.”

Linna understood Luo Ling’s thoughts. She said slowly, “Killing him is the result, everything else is superfluous. I am punishing the wicked, not becoming one.”

Linna was still the same Linna, even as a Grotesquery, even after spending an unknown number of years in the Grotesquery world. She still adhered to her knightly code.

“I’ve already dealt with the memories in his soul, according to your wishes,” Linna continued. “They’ve been transferred to the corresponding location in the Realm of Nothingness in the real world.”

“That’s good.”

Luo Ling nodded. This was roughly how she wanted it handled.

“I understand all your thoughts,” Linna said softly. “Even this Kingdom, Starry Victoria, is my gift to you, my dear Miss Luo Ling.”

“…I told you to stop teasing me.”

Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth. She wasn’t an easily fooled little girl like Elsa, becoming giddy and confused after a few words from Linna.

Just then, Luo Ling saw the Sacred Tool on Fiona’s back, the long-barreled firearm she had taken from Linna and returned to Fiona.

Her pupils constricted slightly, and she said,

“You’ve seen Aunt Fiona? Wait, could it be that you…”

“Yes, I saved my mother, preventing her from dying at the hands of the Company.” Linna sighed, continuing, “But… her condition isn’t good. Even the Puppet Ballad’s abilities can’t fully heal her.

“I only recently managed to seize Starry Victoria, at great cost. If I had succeeded earlier, my mother wouldn’t have…”

Linna didn’t continue.

Kingdoms were rare and coveted existences for Godchosen and God’s Favored. Seizing one wasn’t easy.

Even now, Linna still bore many hidden injuries, and the armor she had taken from Frick was almost completely destroyed. That was a top-tier Sacred Tool armor, worth at least 100,000 points in the Company, and usually unavailable even if one had the points.

“I’ll go see her,” Luo Ling said, a hint of anxiety in her expression. “And tell me what you’ve been through, Linna.”

Even though their consciousnesses were connected, perhaps due to some unknown reason, Linna hadn’t shared her memories with Luo Ling.

Looking at the small, silver-haired figure walking ahead, a complex emotion flickered in the knight’s eyes. In the end, she only softly replied,

“…Alright.”

Chapter 63: Miss Knight, This is Called Getting Even p1

The darkness that had enveloped the sky finally began to dissipate. At the same time, the crimson crescent moon gradually dimmed until it vanished without a trace.

In its place, countless stars emerged, scattered across the sky above Victoria. The clear sky was devoid of clouds, revealing a boundless expanse of stars, as if one could reach out and pluck them from the heavens.

Elsa tilted her head back, her mouth slightly agape. She had clearly never seen such a beautiful and brilliant starry night, her face filled with wonder.

“Wow, what a beautiful sky…”

“It is beautiful.”

Luo Ling looked up at the stars, suddenly thinking of a girl very similar to herself. A faint smile appeared on her lips. “I feel… Stasha would really like this.”

This would be the place of that girl’s dreams, the girl who chased fireflies and starry skies.

“Who?”

Elsa paused, turning to look at Luo Ling.

She seemed to have heard an unfamiliar name from Miss Luo Ling…

Could it be… the older sister Miss Luo Ling just mentioned?

“A rather well-behaved girl, you wouldn’t know her,” Luo Ling replied, stroking Elsa’s hair.

“Ah, I don’t know her…”

Elsa’s expression changed slightly. Hearing those words, it seemed this Miss Stasha wasn’t even the sister mentioned earlier.

When did Miss Luo Ling meet another girl she didn’t know?

“I’m well-behaved too,” Elsa said, puffing out her cheeks.

Luo Ling was taken aback by Elsa’s reaction and chuckled helplessly. “Yes, yes, Elsa is very well-behaved too.”

Elsa nodded with satisfaction, enjoying Luo Ling’s caress.

But soon, she came to her senses, realizing something was amiss. “Wait, wasn’t it midday when we left the apartment? Why is it suddenly night?”

Elsa looked around, noticing the scenery seemed different from the area around their apartment. It was desolate, almost completely devoid of people.

Turning her head, Elsa was startled. The three-story apartment building was now just a frame, filled with tools, as if still under construction.

It was different from what she knew, yet also… not much different.

“Is this… Victoria?” Elsa couldn’t help but ask. “It feels familiar, but not quite…”

“Yes, this is Victoria, but… not the normal Victoria. It’s a Kingdom.”

Luo Ling sensed everything around her. She could vaguely grasp everything within this Kingdom, but it was like through a thin veil, a slightly awkward feeling, an indirect rather than direct control.

It was simple: she was the owner of this Kingdom, but… also not.

This was Linna’s Kingdom.

—The Kingdom, “Starry Victoria.”

Luo Ling was indirectly controlling this Kingdom through Linna, which was why it felt awkward. Although Linna had become a part of her, she still possessed her own consciousness.

However, she hadn’t expected Linna to acquire a Kingdom…

Miss Iris had emptied her pockets, incurred a mountain of debt, and even risked her life to barely seize Twilight Victoria.

Although this was partly because the Kingdom Miss Iris desired had to possess the characteristic of immortality and couldn’t be just any Kingdom, it was… still extremely valuable.

Don’t assume that because Victoria had experienced seventy-four collapses, there were seventy-four Kingdoms. In reality, most Boundary collapses didn’t form Kingdoms, and under certain conditions, an indefinite number of Kingdoms could be born.

The number of existing Kingdoms was unknown, but it certainly wasn’t very large.

Of course, not all Kingdoms were solely owned. More often, a group of Grotesquery Apostles shared a Kingdom. Victoria was large enough to accommodate millions of people.

Even though Kingdoms were different from the real world, with extremely limited resources, supporting tens of thousands of people wasn’t a problem.

“Kingdom?”

Elsa tilted her head, confused.

Although she had entered Iris’s Kingdom, Twilight Victoria, before, Iris had erased all her memories of being within the Kingdom before she left.

“You can think of it as an abnormal Boundary, born during a Boundary collapse, preserving a fragment of the Boundary at a specific point in time.”

Luo Ling explained the concept of a Kingdom to Elsa while checking on her teammates’ conditions.

Among the three injured teammates, Eve’s injuries were the most severe. Even though Luo Ling had made thorough preparations and immediately used Puppet Ballad’s first ability, Proliferation, to heal her, the loss of life force was real.

Streaks of grey now appeared in the Iron Fist maid’s hair, wrinkles formed at the corners of her eyes, and her skin had taken on a sallow hue.

Grotesquery abilities weren’t without a price. This was the result of Luo Ling suppressing the Puppet Ballad’s instincts and not devouring Eve’s flesh and blood. Under normal circumstances, after such treatment by the Puppet Ballad, one would be half-dead.

Miracles and magic weren’t free.

Of course, this aging wasn’t permanent. With time and care, her body could recover. However, for a while, Miss Eve would become Aunt Eve, or even Grandma Eve.

The essence of the Puppet Ballad was still Silent Demise, not Myriad. Luo Ling couldn’t replenish Eve’s life force.

“At least she’s alright,” Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat reassured.

Surviving a surprise attack by a Ninth-Order Awakened One wielding an Authority was already fortunate. Expecting to be completely unharmed was wishful thinking.

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing’s injuries were less serious. Cheng Jianming seemed to have held back. Cen Xiangyun suffered from ability backlash and scattered inspiration. Although she looked frightening with blood trickling from her orifices, it wasn’t fatal.

With treatment from a true Myriad Path Awakened One and a few days of rest, she should fully recover.

Compared to Cen Xiangyun, Lu Manqing’s condition was slightly more serious, but she had merely fainted from blood loss.

Cheng Jianming, as a professional killer, was precise with his attacks. Lu Manqing’s blood loss could also be recovered through recuperation.

Awakened Ones’ physiques were still far superior to ordinary humans, including their ability to recover from injuries.

However…

While examining Lu Manqing’s injuries, Luo Ling inadvertently noticed something unusual. A glint of silver caught her eye, coming from near Lu Manqing’s ankle.

Luo Ling crouched down, pulling up Lu Manqing’s pant leg. Her expression immediately turned serious. “This is… Wait, why does Lu Manqing have this?”

A plain metal ring encircled Lu Manqing’s ankle, looking strangely familiar to Luo Ling.

She pondered for a moment, then took a ring from her hair. Comparing the two, her expression darkened. “Identical… How could Lu Manqing have something belonging to the Gypsy Girl?

“Oh wait, the Gypsy Girl knew her father, Old Ji…”

If they knew each other, Old Ji might have called in a favor from the Speakers, just like the plant Fiona received, which could be given to others.

Lu Manqing’s ring might have been given to her by Old Ji.

However… Luo Ling always felt that Lu Manqing was somewhat mysterious, her abilities not quite resembling those of the Myriad Path.

Of course, Lu Manqing wasn’t a Grotesquery. Luo Ling’s judgment on this was extremely accurate.

But regardless, at least towards this team, Lu Manqing’s feelings were genuine.

After treating her teammates’ injuries, Luo Ling pondered what to do with them.

Elsa was a given. She couldn’t stay with the Company any longer. Since Linna had acquired a Kingdom, Elsa, as her Apostle, now had a place to belong.

Within Starry Victoria, Luo Ling and Linna were the absolute rulers.

As for the others…

Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing both had influential backgrounds. Many of Cen Xiangyun’s family elders were P8-level specialists in the Company, holding managerial positions in various branches, and one was even a P9 branch director.

It could be said that Cen Xiangyun had been tied to the Company since birth. This was also why Cheng Jianming hadn’t killed her.

Lu Manqing’s background was no less impressive. Before his abilities were crippled, her father, Old Ji, was one of the top Other Shore Path Awakened Ones outside the Speakers.

Even though Old Ji was crippled, her mother was still the P9 director of the Wellington branch. These close family ties were enough to spare Lu Manqing from Cheng Jianming’s sword.

Luo Ling didn’t intend to do anything with these two teammates. They had witnessed “Luo Ling’s death,” and they clearly saw the killer, Cheng Jianming.

Most importantly, their safety wasn’t Luo Ling’s concern. Their families would naturally make arrangements.

Besides, taking Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing with her would only cause more trouble.

The question was… what to do with the Iron Fist Maid, Eve?

Although Eve was a duke’s daughter in the real world, a true lady of high society, that was merely a worldly identity, holding little influence in the Awakened world.

Unless she was like Odeletta, a princess whose influence extended across a region, and in a delicate foreign land at that. If young Odeletta had died back then, it might have triggered many unnecessary incidents.

It might even have directly affected the Company’s plans. That was why Frick, the traitor of the Hunt team, wanted to protect Odeletta and help her escape.

“Eve…”

A glint flickered in Luo Ling’s eyes.

She had initially wondered why Cheng Jianming had targeted Eve first, not her or Elsa. She only understood after seeing Cheng Jianming take out the Purgatory larva.

It wasn’t because Eve posed a greater threat. For Cheng Jianming, a Ninth-Order Awakened One wielding an Authority-level Sacred Tool, there wasn’t much difference between a Seventh-Order and a lower-ranked Awakened One. They were all just one sword strike away from death.

Killing Eve first was simply to quickly activate the Purgatory larva and reform the Incubation Barrier.

…How similar to what happened back then.

Judging from this situation, the Company had likely initiated a Boundary collapse plan similar to the one from back then, to erase any irreversible mistakes.

Back then, the Company had made some unknown error, leading to the arrival of the “Immortality” Taboo disaster.

Then the Harbingers intervened, and Artist conducted his ascension ritual. In the end, the Company turned the tables, using the Boundary collapse to rectify their mistake and interrupting Artist’s ascension, severing his future.

Even when they went to Jiangcheng County, Artist still held a deep fear of the Company.

This reactivated plan forced Luo Ling to shift her attention from the Harbingers to the Company, re-evaluating the game being played in Victoria, wondering how many pieces each side still held hidden.

“To be safe, Eve can’t go back.”

Luo Ling extended her hand, fungal threads spreading across Eve’s body, dominating her flesh and blood.

Of course, Luo Ling didn’t intend to turn Eve into a Grotesquery like Linna, making her a part of herself.

To most Awakened Ones, Grotesqueries were terrifying monsters.

Even back then, Luo Ling had only resorted to such drastic measures to save Linna’s life, willing to do anything to bring her back. She had even prepared herself for Linna’s resentment.

Eve’s injuries weren’t so severe that she needed to become a Grotesquery to survive. Luo Ling naturally wouldn’t make such a decision on her own.

Nor could she casually reveal her identity to Eve. After all… Grotesqueries were Grotesqueries, humans were humans, and the difference between them was vast.

Not everyone was like Linna and Elsa, able to accept the fact that Luo Ling was a Grotesquery.

So Luo Ling used domination to sustain Eve’s life, keeping her consciousness dormant until her lost life force was restored.

Otherwise, if Eve returned in her current aged state, it would cause a lot of trouble, both for Luo Ling and Eve herself.

The Company wouldn’t overlook any clues related to Cheng Jianming’s death.

However… taking Eve away without a trace might also raise suspicions.

Luo Ling thought for a moment, and a… slightly mischievous idea came to mind. Even she found it a bit strange.

“Should I… impersonate Eve?”

Through this experiment, Luo Ling had more or less mastered the technique of using Proliferation to create clones. The fake Luo Ling she created was indistinguishable from the real one, even to Elsa, who was closest to her.

Chapter 62: Starry Sky p2

On the other hand…

Luo Ling was also waiting for his backup plan.

Even a lion uses its full strength against a rabbit.

If Cheng Jianming had no backup plan, after being completely controlled, he would have lost any chance of turning the tables.

But now…

“Why does Cheng Jianming’s backup plan look so familiar?”

Looking at the complex ritual in Cheng Jianming’s eyes, Luo Ling felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

She thought carefully, and a strange expression appeared on her face.

“It seems like… the ritual used by Performer and Artist? Wait, isn’t this a secret technique of the Harbingers?”

Indeed, it was the secret technique used by the Harbingers to steal Grotesquery Authorities. This technique required a certain price to usurp the power that rightfully belonged to Grotesqueries.

However, it seemed that the secret technique Cheng Jianming used was more complete than the Harbingers’, and his target was the Sacred Tool Time in his hand, attempting to briefly possess the Authority in this way.

“Branches of the same root?”

Luo Ling’s gaze lowered slightly, recalling the half-sentence left by Aunt Fiona.

The connection between the Company and the Harbingers seemed even deeper than she had imagined, even their secret techniques were more complete, just not abused.

At the same time, Cheng Jianming’s secret technique was finally complete. His expression turned completely cold, just like the Time sword in his hand, their auras almost merging into one.

All the fungal threads were severed by the sharp sword glint, the Puppet Ballad’s Complete Control completely interrupted, unable to continue.

The dark sky spread once more, launching a final assault against the crimson crescent moon before its demise.

“Is this… merging with the Sacred Tool?”

Luo Ling’s expression turned serious. She hadn’t expected a Sacred Tool could be used in this way, although this ingenious method came at a price: merging with the Sacred Tool, which was originally a Grotesquery Sacred Relic.

Even if he could separate later, the lingering effects wouldn’t be small, the aftereffects possibly lasting a lifetime.

But… the resulting power was obvious. The most significant point was that Cheng Jianming now briefly possessed Sui’s Authority, Time, an unprecedented level of power.

“Not bad.”

Luo Ling’s expression became more serious. She wasn’t taking this battle lightly, even though her opponent was far weaker than her.

But the next moment, something completely unexpected happened. Luo Ling’s mouth opened slightly in shock, the first significant change in her expression since the battle began.

After breaking free from the Puppet Ballad’s control, Cheng Jianming didn’t hesitate.

The sharp sword glint was like a terrifying nightmare. With Time back under his control, Cheng Jianming no longer feared the White Witch’s domination and could use his abilities freely.

So, Cheng Jianming used Time on himself, then decisively launched an attack… backwards.

He fled.

A clean and decisive retreat.

Luo Ling hadn’t expected this. Even after building up the atmosphere to this point, even using a secret technique with lasting side effects, Cheng Jianming, seemingly ready to fight to the death…

Just ran away.

In Lu Manqing’s words, it was “popping your ultimate and running.”

…A somewhat comical outcome.

Elsa was instantly anxious. She knew the consequences of Cheng Jianming’s escape. The sisters in her team would surely die, and Sister White would face a lot of trouble.

She sent several “Proverbs” after him, but they had no effect on Cheng Jianming, who had merged with the Sacred Tool. He forcibly resisted the soul torture.

At the same time, Luo Ling’s fungal threads tried to control Cheng Jianming again, but they were all severed and shaken off by his sword glint in the blink of an eye. She couldn’t hold him.

“What do we do, Sister White? Use your invincible Puppet Ballad to think of something!” Elsa was almost crying. She wanted to chase after Cheng Jianming, but Luo Ling held her back.

“You can’t catch him,” Luo Ling said calmly.

Cheng Jianming had used Fleeting Dream on himself and, because he was merged with the Sacred Tool, was immune to most abilities. If she couldn’t defeat him instantly, there was no chance of stopping him.

Even the White Witch couldn’t fulfill these conditions.

However…

Just because the White Witch couldn’t, didn’t mean Amethyst couldn’t.

“Sometimes, a mischievous ‘rewriting of reality’ can have quite a nice effect.”

A faint smile appeared on Luo Ling’s lips, but she quickly sensed something and looked up.

Stars appeared in the dark sky, carrying a familiar yet strange aura.

And a long-lost sensation.

“Forget it,” Luo Ling whispered, releasing her hand, not even maintaining her Kingdom.

“Huh? But…”

Elsa was stunned, her cute face full of confusion.

If Cheng Jianming escaped like this, wouldn’t everyone be in danger?

“Don’t worry, Elsa. Everything will be fine.”

Luo Ling stroked Elsa’s hair, then, after a moment’s thought, pinched her cheek. “Leave the rest to another sister.”

She looked in the direction Cheng Jianming had fled, a complex look in her eyes.

“This sister has been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time.”

Elsa looked surprised, then confused.

“What? Sister White, you have… other sisters?”

How did Miss Luo Ling know so many sisters? Did she meet them at a time Elsa didn’t know about?

Ugh, Miss Luo Ling was so popular…

…….

“Run, run, as long as I can escape…”

“As long as I can escape her Kingdom, there’s still a chance!”

“The Old Man is monitoring all of Victoria. He’ll arrive immediately. Even the Harbingers won’t let the White Witch get away with this. They’ll definitely make a move!”

“Six beings acting together, even the White Witch won’t be able to escape!”

“I must… escape!”

The dark sky continued to spread, but the crimson moonlight was gradually receding. Cheng Jianming knew he was close to the light of victory.

As long as he could step out of the crimson moonlight’s range…

As long as he could reach that place…

All of Victoria would stand by his side, fighting alongside him against the enemy of humanity.

The surrounding scenery rapidly changed, blurs flashing past too fast for the naked eye to see. In just a few breaths, it felt like a century to Cheng Jianming.

The terrifying demon didn’t follow. The nightmarish crimson moonlight gradually dimmed until it retreated, the dark sky returning.

“Finally, finally…”

Cheng Jianming could no longer hold on, separating from his merged state with the Sacred Tool, collapsing to his knees, panting. The severe aftereffects clouded his consciousness.

But Cheng Jianming gritted his teeth and persevered. He took a shaky step, shouting with all his might,

“Old Man! Woman! Boy! Can you hear me? The White Witch has appeared! The White Witch is Luo Ling! Luo Ling is the White Witch! Come out and kill her!”

His roars echoed around him, but there was no response.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

No matter how long he waited, there was no movement.

Cheng Jianming’s consciousness had recovered somewhat, but his heart was filled with an uncontrollable chill.

Why… hadn’t they appeared yet?

Wait, where was this?

Cheng Jianming looked around. It was the Victoria he knew so well.

But…

It was deserted.

The desolate surroundings were like a lonely city filled only with deathly silence.

“Is this Victoria? This isn’t Victoria? Where… is this?”

Cheng Jianming walked through the streets, but no matter where he went, there was no sign of anyone.

And…

“Shouldn’t it be midday? Why is it night? Did Time malfunction again?”

Although the sky was still dark, it was now filled with brilliant stars.

But standing under such a beautiful starry sky, Cheng Jianming felt an inexplicable terror.

He didn’t dare look at his once trusted comrade, even feeling the urge to throw Time away.

The shadow and nightmare brought by the White Witch still lingered in his mind, fearing that fungal threads would appear again and steal Time once more.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Cheng Jianming finally confirmed that this was a deserted Victoria.

Just as he reached this conclusion, he heard the clang of armor, particularly loud in the silent city.

Looking up, he saw a familiar yet long-lost suit of armor, covered in blood and scars, but the person wearing it wasn’t the one he knew.

“Is this… Frick’s armor?”

Cheng Jianming’s expression was shocked. He slowly raised his head and saw the current owner of the armor, a blonde woman wearing a mask. “Who are you? Where is this?”

“Who… am I?”

Hearing this question, the blonde woman seemed to fall into a trance. She chuckled and replied, “Mr. Cheng Jianming, why… do you not seem to recognize me?”

Cheng Jianming vaguely felt that the armored knight was familiar, but there was no trace of her in his memory. He frowned slightly. “Have we met?”

“No, but I’m surprised you don’t recognize me.” The blonde woman shook her head, then said softly, “As for where this is…”

She looked up, as if recalling something. “This is where they died.”

“Who are ‘they’? What are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Cheng Jianming’s face instantly turned cold. He didn’t have time to talk to a rambling madwoman. He needed to contact the Company directors quickly.

“To not even know who I and they are…”

The blonde woman smiled, a hint of sorrow in her expression. She said slowly,

“Wilson, Helen, Lucia, Old Victor… joined the third branch of the Fate Society, the Hunt team, fifteen years ago. Completed three A-rank missions, seventy-six B-rank missions, three hundred and forty-five C-rank missions… sacrificed during the ‘Rescue of the Dawn Wind Theatre Troupe’ mission. I am their captain, Linna.”

Linna removed her mask, revealing a face covered in fungal threads, grotesque yet still beautiful. She said, “Now, do you understand?”

He hadn’t even remembered those who were “sacrificed,” yet he had set this trap.

“Linna… you’re Fiona’s daughter! You’re still alive! And you… became a Grotesquery!” Cheng Jianming was shocked and furious, his expression mirroring the traitor’s from back then, his words echoing those spoken to the traitor. “You actually chose to betray humanity! You will be hunted by all of mankind, your name forever etched in infamy! Even your mother will be disgraced! Your teammates will be ashamed of you!”

“Is that so?” Linna smiled faintly. “But they can’t hear you anymore.”

She took out a long-barreled firearm, the Sacred Tool that Luo Ling had taken, now back in her hands.

Cheng Jianming realized what Linna was about to do, but he was completely exhausted, struggling to even use his power once more, let alone…

The nightmarish fungal threads appeared again, completely extinguishing his hope of escape.

“Go apologize to them.”

A booming gunshot echoed.

All life drained from Cheng Jianming’s face. He slowly knelt down, his upturned head revealing eyes filled with terror.

Then, he fell into eternal Silent Demise.