Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter Fifty-Two: Shadows of the Rising Tide, A Truth That Must Be Told

An old-fashioned letter sat on the table, sealed with wax, addressed in elegant yet forceful handwriting.

“To Miss Luo Ling”

Eve continued, “Head Lu told me that Justice himself delivered the letter, intending to give it to you personally, but…”

She hesitated, glancing at Luo Ling, then trailed off.

The reason was simple.

Luo Ling hadn’t been going to work…

Or rather, she didn’t need to clock in at the office. After receiving the directors’ special privileges, even if she stayed home all day, it wouldn’t affect her attendance record or performance review.

Therefore, Cheng Jianming’s wait had been futile. According to Lu Fangling, he had handed her the letter with a regretful expression, asking her to pass it on to Luo Ling.

And now, the letter had reached Eve, not because Lu Fangling was avoiding Luo Ling, but because… it was convenient for Eve to deliver it on her way back to the apartment.

It wasn’t a Company matter, so simply relaying the letter was considered helpful enough.

Cheng Jianming seemed to understand his boundaries, not visiting Luo Ling’s apartment directly, even though she was nominally a Torchbearer member.

After the funeral fiasco, rumors about Luo Ling and Fiona’s relationship had spread.

Some said Luo Ling had joined Fiona’s faction within the Fate Society, others claimed they had become sworn sisters, and some even whispered about a more intimate relationship, kept secret from the public.

Regardless, none of these rumors were good news for the Torchbearers, the Fate Society’s long-standing rivals.

Within Victoria, the Company held absolute power. Among the remaining factions, only the Fate Society and the Torchbearers were influential, their combined strength equivalent to two or three Company offices.

The remaining factions combined… were likely weaker than a single office, lacking Authority wielders.

The Company had nineteen, the Fate Society three, and the Torchbearers four. This was the foundation of their power in Victoria.

Although the Fate Society and the Torchbearers were roughly equal in strength, they still had to defer to the Company.

Previously, Luo Ling’s status had been merely that of an “Awakened One with special abilities,” valuable but not crucial, even with her contracts with all three factions.

But after the recent events and the Company directors’ acknowledgment, her status had changed drastically, her connections to all three factions making her position incredibly delicate.

Furthermore, regarding the past incident… unlike the others, the Torchbearers knew the truth, and the Company directors’ hasty summons after Luo Ling’s return indicated that they had learned something.

The Torchbearers didn’t expect Luo Ling to be unaware of the past conspiracy, despite the Fate Society and Fiona’s current silence.

It wasn’t surprising that they were trying to appease Luo Ling.

However…

The Torchbearers’ true intentions regarding their tenuous contract with Luo Ling were unclear.

Luo Ling looked at the letter, then after a moment of silence, opened it.

It contained a single sheet of paper, not with written words, but a ritualistic pattern.

As Luo Ling broke the wax seal, a surge of Inspiration flowed into the pattern, activating it.

Eve tensed, reaching for her iron fists, but Luo Ling remained calm, simply watching.

As the ritual concluded, the letter turning to ash, several exquisite jade bottles appeared on the table, nothing else.

“These are…” Eve sniffed the air. “Sacred Medicines?”

Luo Ling picked up a bottle, pouring a few black pills with silver markings into her hand. They emitted a strange scent—neither pleasant nor unpleasant, somewhere in between.

Unlike the liquid Sacred Medicines produced by the Company’s alchemy department, the Torchbearers’ seemed to prefer this pill form.

Eve’s eyes widened, seeing the pills. “Miss Luo Ling, what did you do for the Torchbearers? This is incredibly generous!”

“Hmm?” Luo Ling looked up, tossing a pill in the air, much to Eve’s alarm. “Is it that valuable?”

“Hey, be careful… of course it’s valuable! These are high-order Sacred Medicines for high-ranking Awakened Ones, crafted from Sacred Relics of at least Dangerous Grotesquery level. Even the Company’s production is limited, you can’t buy these.”

Eve stared at the pills, her mouth watering.

“The Torchbearers’ pills all have markings. The color represents the Path, and the number of lines represents the rank. This one should be a high-order Judgment Sacred Medicine—its value is comparable to the suppression Sacred Medicine I lost earlier.”

Eve was a Judgment path Awakened One, so these Sacred Medicines were incredibly tempting.

The suppression Sacred Medicine was the one she had used when they first entered the Kingdom.

However, since Iris had erased their memories when sending them back, she had forgotten.

“I see…”

Luo Ling’s expression turned thoughtful.

It seemed the Torchbearers were also being cautious.

They weren’t sure how much Luo Ling knew, nor her stance. Words were meaningless, so they sent Sacred Medicines instead.

Luo Ling’s registered Path with the Company was Judgment. This gesture, whether appeasement or bribery, conveyed a clear message.

The Torchbearers didn’t want to dwell on this years-old incident. They were willing to pay a price… to bury it.

“A few bottles of Sacred Medicine…”

Luo Ling stared at the bottles, recalling Linna’s expression when she asked her to dominate her body.

The calmness of accepting one’s fate.

Linna knew that even if the truth were revealed…

It wouldn’t matter.

If they hadn’t killed Frick in the Incubation Barrier, he wouldn’t be held accountable later.

The reason was simple.

Humanity needed him.

Or rather, they needed a powerful, ninth-order Awakened One capable of wielding an Authority.

The sacrificed team was just that, a sacrifice.

“Miss Luo Ling, are you… going to accept these?” Eve asked softly, sensing the hidden emotions beneath Luo Ling’s calm facade.

Although not the sharpest tool in the shed, Eve understood the conflict between the Fate Society and the Torchbearers, and Luo Ling’s relationship with Fiona was clearly unusual.

But as Luo Ling’s other “employer,” and the Fate Society’s long-standing enemy, the Torchbearers’ position was awkward.

This complex relationship was beyond even Eve’s comprehension, let alone Lu Fangling, who wanted nothing to do with it.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I? There’s no reason to refuse a gift.” Luo Ling smiled faintly, putting the pills away.

Accepting payment and fulfilling a contract were two different matters, how could they be conflated?

Luo Ling understood the Torchbearers’ intentions, but she would still proceed as planned. A few bottles of Sacred Medicine wouldn’t deter her.

Honestly, these Sacred Medicines weren’t that valuable to her. She wasn’t a Judgment path Awakened One, so using them directly would be ineffective. Her Naraku form, at the third stage, wouldn’t even bother with such low-level items, and “Devouring” them would be a waste.

Luo Ling noticed Eve’s undisguised longing for the Sacred Medicines, practically drooling.

“Do you want them?”

Luo Ling took out a bottle, offering it tentatively.

Eve nodded eagerly, then shook her head. “No, no, they’re too valuable, I can’t accept them…”

She opened her pocket, extending it towards Luo Ling, still muttering,

“Really, Miss Luo Ling, I can’t accept them…”

Luo Ling: “…”

Had she learned this from Lu Manqing?

“I didn’t say I’d give them to you for free. Sell, transaction.” Luo Ling placed the bottle on the table. “There are three pills inside. What’s your offer?”

“My offer…”

Eve looked up, Luo Ling’s smile seeming familiar. Suddenly realizing something, she stepped back slightly.

“Miss Luo Ling, don’t do this. I’m not selling myself!”

“Selling yourself? What are you talking about?”

A small red head peeked out from the kitchen, her face slightly anxious.

“It’s nothing, Elsa, continue washing the dishes.” Luo Ling turned back to Eve, sighing. “Don’t spend so much time with Lu Manqing…”

It seemed Eve had been corrupted by Lu Manqing, her demeanor now more mischievous and comical…

Luo Ling composed herself and said, “Miss Eve, you should know what I truly value. Points and treasures, although rare, aren’t my priority.

“I can give you this bottle of Sacred Medicine, but in exchange, you’ll owe me a favor.”

Luo Ling pushed the bottle towards Eve. “What do you think, Miss Eve?”

Eve’s playful expression vanished, replaced by a thoughtful frown as she stared at the Sacred Medicine. After a moment, she looked up at Luo Ling, a wry smile on her lips.

“After just a few days apart, Miss Luo Ling, you seem to have acquired the aura of a shrewd businesswoman.”

In other words, a cunning merchant.

“Thanks to a recent… enlightening experience.” Luo Ling shrugged.

The Leader’s subtle hints at the last tea party, and Camellia’s eager gift, had deepened Luo Ling’s understanding of social interactions and “transactions.”

“The value of an item is fixed, but a favor can be priceless. Even I understand that.”

Eve sighed, taking the bottle. “But I do need these resources to advance to high-order Awakened One… Thank you for your generosity, Miss Luo Ling.

“Don’t worry, I understand what you truly value.”

She glanced towards the kitchen, or rather, at the small figure standing on a stool to reach the stove.

“Good.”

Luo Ling smiled, seeing Eve’s gaze shift towards her teammates, relieved.

After witnessing Linna’s fate, she had been worried about Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing, good people who had come from Jiangcheng County with her. She couldn’t bear for them to suffer the same fate as the “Hunt” team.

As for Elsa…

There was no need to worry.

Little Elsa was her Apostle, under the White Witch’s protection as long as Luo Ling lived.

Not just from death, but even minor injuries would heal instantly. That was the charm of the Silent Demise-Myriad path combination.

With Eve, a veteran, guiding them, the team would have a better chance of survival.

“However, Miss Luo Ling, you haven’t been on many missions with us. According to the Company’s records, you’re a member of our team, a crucial offensive force.”

Eve’s tone was lighter, perhaps due to her impending advancement.

It was true. The team originally consisted of four members.

Luo Ling, Judgment path, as the main attacker, Lu Manqing, Myriad path, as the healer, Elsa, Oneiric path, specializing in soul attacks, and Cen Xiangyun, Elemental path, for crowd control and support.

A perfectly balanced team.

But due to Luo Ling’s frequent absences, her role had been filled by Eve, who had temporarily led the team during their newbie mission.

Eve had been mostly carrying out low-level missions with them, earning little, which was why she still lacked the resources for advancement.

Of course, even working tirelessly for two months, she couldn’t have earned these three high-order Sacred Medicines. She was still at a loss.

“I was delayed by Aunt Fiona’s commission,”

Luo Ling said awkwardly, knowing she was at fault. “But I’m free now, so I can join you on missions. I don’t need any payment… you guys can keep it.”

Luo Ling’s operations didn’t require her direct involvement. The Church of Light, spread throughout Victoria, gathered information, processed by her memory sorting program and reviewed by Alyssa.

Even the research she had intended to conduct herself had been delegated to Iris, the contract prodigy. She just had to wait for the results.

“Sounds good.”

Eve beamed, hearing that Luo Ling didn’t want any payment.

Every little bit helped.

“There’s been a surge of Incubation Barrier incidents in Victoria recently. The Company is short-handed.” Eve said. “With you, our team’s efficiency will definitely improve.”

Although she had only worked with Luo Ling a few times, Eve remembered her remarkable learning ability. Incubation Barriers, with their Grotesquery rules, sometimes required more than just brute force.

And Luo Ling’s ability to traverse the Realm of Nothingness could also be useful, as many Incubation Barriers appeared near it.

“A surge of Incubation Barriers?”

Luo Ling paused, a sense of déjà vu washing over her.

“Yes, although they’re all low-level ‘eggs,’ easy to clear, they’re incredibly annoying, like weeds, constantly reappearing.” Eve nodded.

Luo Ling remained silent, searching for relevant information through Alyssa’s network. After a moment, she asked, “Has Victoria experienced similar situations before? Like… a few years ago?”

Eve thought for a moment, then replied,

“It’s quite common, happens every now and then, like the Grotesqueries have a scheduled egg-laying season… I don’t know the specifics. That’s something for the Company’s higher-ups to worry about. We just do our jobs.”

“I see…”

Luo Ling pondered. Alyssa’s information wasn’t fully processed yet, but there had indeed been a recent increase in Awakened activity in Victoria.

Not just the Company, but other organizations were also clearing out these Incubation Barriers. After all, although weaker than the main body, the “eggs’” Sacred Relics were still valuable materials.

It seemed like a cyclical event in Victoria, like the tides.

But Luo Ling hadn’t forgotten that it was such a cyclical event, years ago, that had led to the current situation, its repercussions still lingering.

The truth behind that Taboo disaster was likely known only to those involved.

Within the rising tide, the shadows of the Company and the Harbingers loomed.

“Indeed, the Harbingers are preparing an ascension ritual. The Company wouldn’t simply stand by… if my guess is correct, that mysterious person is likely playing the role of a balancer.”

Luo Ling exhaled, realizing that her information, and her conversation with the directors, had likely been relayed to the Harbingers’ leaders.

Therefore, it was best to keep a low profile for now.

Her Company persona, “Luo Ling,” was a useful shield, and she wasn’t ready to discard it yet.

“By the way, Miss Eve, are you going on a mission tomorrow morning?” Luo Ling asked. “Or in the afternoon? If it’s the afternoon, I can join you. I have some personal matters to attend to in the morning.”

Before Eve could answer, Cen Xiangyun’s eyes widened in shock.

“Miss Luo Ling, did I hear that correctly? You want to work on New Year’s Day? My god, I didn’t realize you were so dedicated to the Company! What kind of salary are the directors paying you?”

“Yeah, who works on New Year’s Day? Do you work? I definitely don’t.” Lu Manqing chimed in.

“M-me! I-if Miss Luo Ling wants to go on a mission, I’ll work!” Elsa peeked out from the kitchen, raising her hand earnestly.

“Just a reminder, this is Victoria. The Company doesn’t recognize New Year’s Day.” Eve sneered. “Wanting to take a day off during this shortage of personnel? Do you want a ‘C’ on your first-quarter performance review?”

Among them, Eve was the most senior, both in rank and age.

After a moment of silence, Cen Xiangyun mumbled, “Working on New Year’s Day… isn’t so bad.”

“Seriously, sis, you’re giving in that easily?” Lu Manqing stared at her incredulously.

Cen Xiangyun’s face turned red.

“Well, I do want this year’s annual bonus…”

Eve nodded in satisfaction. She had spent Christmas working tirelessly and wanted these youngsters to share her suffering.

“If you have other matters to attend to, you can join us in the afternoon. It’s just half a day, it won’t make much difference.” Eve’s expression softened as she looked at Luo Ling.

After all, Luo Ling didn’t have to worry about performance reviews, taking days off as she pleased.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Luo Ling smiled, then her expression turned serious.

She looked at the starlight hairpin in her hand and sighed softly.

“Everything is clear now. It’s time for her to know… the truth.”

This wasn’t out of malice or manipulation, but simply for a mother, to tell her what she deserved to know.

Nothing more.

Chapter Fifty-One: So, Miss Luo Ling, What’s the Price?

It was all like a fleeting dream.

When Luo Ling awoke, the heavy reality of the present world pulled her back from the ethereal dream.

She was alone in the empty room.

A slight… loneliness.

But it didn’t matter.

Luo Ling raised her hand, a lingering warmth on her fingertips, a smile appearing on her lips. She had finally confirmed it.

She… could do it.

Not Naraku’s empty promises, not her wishful thinking, but a tangible reality.

Luo Ling felt a surge of happiness.

Perhaps the only good news in recent days.

“The Leader actually gave me something useful, though that probably wasn’t her intention.”

Luo Ling pondered the memory, her understanding of the Transcendence path deepening, though the initial flash of inspiration was gone.

Perhaps it had been a momentary epiphany, revealing the existence of the Transcendence path, briefly transforming her Doomsday path into Transcendence.

But now, she still walked the Path of Doomsday, wielding only its Authority, “Devour,” not yet having embarked on the Path of Transcendence.

However, at least she now had a clue, a starting point for her search.

The memory from the Leader was worth far more than five petals, even a complete flower would have been a bargain.

Without it, understanding the Transcendence path would have required experiencing the rebirth of a Boundary from the Realm of Nothingness firsthand.

An incredibly unlikely event.

And for those unfamiliar with the Doomsday path, this memory was far less valuable, perhaps explaining the Leader’s price.

“It’s almost evening…”

Luo Ling looked out the window, the setting sun painting the sky, reminding her of Iris’s twilight Kingdom.

But the lingering winter chill in Victoria made it less pleasant.

“At this time… Elsa and the others should be getting off work.”

Luo Ling glanced at the clock. It was 6:30 pm, an hour before the Company’s closing time.

What should she do in the meantime…?

Luo Ling remembered Elsa’s breakfast, feeling a warmth in her heart. Little Elsa was growing up.

And it gave her an idea.

“Even Elsa, after just a little practice, can cook for me. I’m so much older than her, how can I lose to her in cooking?”

Luo Ling couldn’t let go of her previous culinary failure.

Despite her teammates’ disapproval, she didn’t believe it was her fault. There must be another reason.

After much deliberation, she finally reached a plausible conclusion: it must have been the ingredients, unsuitable for her sister’s recipes.

This was Victoria, not Jiangcheng County. The ingredients were different, so the results would naturally be different.

Even if it was the same vegetables, chicken, and such…

There must be a difference!

And that difference must have been the cause of her failure.

Details determined success or failure. Luo Ling had made up her mind.

To adapt to Victoria’s ingredients, she would cook local dishes, using local ingredients. Surely there wouldn’t be any problems then?

Regardless, it couldn’t be her fault. Even little Elsa could cook edible food, how could she fail?!

Luo Ling felt a surge of motivation.

Speaking of local recipes, she possessed the memories of countless priests, surely containing numerous cooking methods.

Not just recipes, but also techniques and methods, a housewife’s essential guide, perfect for her current situation.

New Puppet Ballad life hack acquired.

“Let me see… this guy used to be a chef? Hmm, the steps are so complicated… too troublesome. Something simpler… oh, this one, street food, so simple, potatoes, onions, carrots, and… just chop them up and boil them together, right…?

“I got this!”

Memorizing the recipe, Luo Ling felt confident. She was now a seasoned Victorian chef, ready to impress Elsa and the others with her culinary skills!

“First, I need to buy groceries.”

Luo Ling clapped her hands, ready to prepare a feast for her dear teammates, as a token of gratitude.

“I wonder how they’ll praise me?”

Luo Ling smiled, heading out the door.

……

“Damn capitalists, not even giving us a break on New Year’s Eve, making us work overtime…”

Cen Xiangyun grumbled. She had wanted to go home for New Year’s Eve dinner, but her entire family was working overtime. She had no choice but to return to the apartment with her teammates.

If they hadn’t finished their commission early, she would have been working overtime too.

It was early February in Victoria, coinciding with New Year’s Eve in her homeland.

“Xiangyun, this is Victoria, there’s no such thing as New Year’s Eve.” Lu Manqing reminded her kindly. “Therefore, overtime is normal.”

“Don’t worry, the Company also makes us work overtime on Christmas.”

Recalling that incident, Eve started rambling.

“I was infiltrating a Dangerous Grotesquery cult hideout. Even they had roast turkey, while the Company gave us nothing. I was practically drooling.

“Fortunately, the cult leader was sensible enough to return to the hideout before midnight. I knocked him out with three punches and stole their untouched roast turkey…”

Typical Eve.

The cult leader had almost thought she was a burglar, not a mystical investigator, stealing their sacred roast turkey.

While they chatted, Elsa walked ahead silently, her short legs moving quickly, seemingly impatient.

The others exchanged knowing glances, smiling.

“Little Elsa must be missing Miss Luo Ling.”

They wondered what Miss Luo Ling was doing alone at the apartment.

They pictured her quietly reading all day.

Soon, they returned to their shared apartment.

Opening the door, they heard a familiar voice.

“Yo, you’re back.”

“Miss Luo Ling!”

Elsa rushed forward and hugged Luo Ling, who ruffled her hair.

But the others stared at Luo Ling in shock.

“Luo Ling, what are you…”

Cen Xiangyun pointed at Luo Ling’s clothes with a trembling hand.

Or rather, the slightly stained apron she was wearing.

Not just that…

Luo Ling’s face and clothes were covered in soot, as if she had just emerged from a battlefield.

And she was holding a large ladle, dripping with a viscous, light green liquid.

“Me? I’m cooking.” Luo Ling said cheerfully. “I’ve prepared a feast. Don’t worry, it’ll be delicious this time!”

Luo Ling gave them a confident thumbs-up.

Everyone: “…”

Perhaps they shouldn’t have left Miss Luo Ling alone.

She hadn’t been quietly reading, but attempting to cook…

“Oh no, I should have known,” Cen Xiangyun rubbed her forehead, her expression pained. “No high school student would read during summer vacation after the college entrance exams…”

Luo Ling was currently in the post-exam relaxation phase, although technically, she should be in the final sprint…

“Trust me, everyone.” Luo Ling’s expression was unusually serious. “I’ve identified the problem with my cooking and solved it—and I’ve already tasted it.”

She brandished the ladle, the dripping viscous liquid alarming.

They exchanged worried glances.

“Is it Gul’dan this time?” Lu Manqing whispered.

“It seems so.”

Cen Xiangyun’s face crumpled.

Was her long-awaited New Year’s Eve dinner about to become her last meal?

“Who’s Gul’dan?” Eve asked.

“What are you talking about?”

Luo Ling, still holding the ladle, approached them curiously.

“N-nothing…”

Seeing the usually stoic Miss Luo Ling looking so happy, they couldn’t bear to discourage her.

Although they didn’t know why she was so cheerful today… perhaps because of the cooking, but regardless…

“Forget it, let’s eat.”

Cen Xiangyun took a deep breath, a look of resignation on her face, then marched towards the dining room.

They looked at her like a warrior heading towards certain death.

“Wait, let me serve you!”

Luo Ling followed Cen Xiangyun into the dining room.

Moments later, a bloodcurdling scream echoed, making their hearts sink.

They rushed into the dining room and gasped.

“What the hell is this…”

A bowl of white rice, covered in an unidentifiable, viscous substance.

Luo Ling stood beside them, holding the ladle, ready to serve more from a large pot in the center of the table.

The pot itself was even more alarming, filled with a bubbling, light green liquid, chunks of something floating within. And the black-haired girl, a sinister smile on her lips…

“So, Miss Luo Ling, what’s the price?”

Lu Manqing recited the line in a dramatic, ominous tone.

“What price?”

Luo Ling asked, puzzled, then ladled more of the substance onto Lu Manqing’s rice.

Cen Xiangyun stared at her rice, her soul trembling.

Luo Ling’s previous cooking had been bad, but at least it was recognizable as food.

But this…

Perhaps only certain individuals could consider it food.

“This is a local Victorian delicacy.” Luo Ling explained seriously. “Here, have some more.”

“Since when did Victoria have this thing?”

Eve, a Victoria native, stared wide-eyed, then a strange look appeared on her face. “Well… if you broaden the definition of ‘Victoria’ a bit, I guess it could count?”

“No! Don’t! No…”

Cen Xiangyun watched in horror as another ladleful of the unknown substance was added to her rice, her face a mask of despair.

The only one who seemed relatively unfazed was Elsa, who sat down, took a small bite, then looked up and said,

“The rice is a bit undercooked. I’ll reheat it.”

She glanced at the contents of Luo Ling’s pot and hesitated.

“It just looks a bit… unusual. It’s still edible…”

…Just a bit?

They suppressed their urge to retort.

It was hard to imagine this being edible…

But it wasn’t coming from Miss Luo Ling, but the usually honest little Elsa.

A glimmer of hope appeared in Cen Xiangyun’s eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then, overcoming her disgust, took a small bite.

Her eyes lit up.

“It’s edible!!!”

Although the taste was bizarre, the texture strange, and the appearance appalling, it was… edible!

A vast improvement over Luo Ling’s previous culinary disaster.

However, why did the rice feel both cooked and uncooked…?

“I’ll reheat the rice.” Elsa began clearing the table. “Miss Luo Ling, do you have any ingredients left?”

“I think so, they’re in the kitchen.” Luo Ling asked, puzzled, “Elsa, what are you planning to do?”

“Isn’t it New Year’s Eve? Curry alone isn’t enough for a New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Elsa efficiently cleared the table.

Of course, the contaminated rice wasn’t included… Miss Luo Ling’s curry was beyond “unusual,” even Elsa could only manage a small bite.

“New Year’s Eve…”

Luo Ling paused, realizing the date. She hadn’t been paying attention to time.

“New Year’s Eve…”

Luo Ling sighed softly, her expression turning distant.

Last New Year’s Eve, she had been at home with her sister, enjoying a rare feast, just like any other year, a tradition spanning over a decade.

Since Luo Ling could remember, it had always been this way.

But that ordinary, seemingly unchanging life had crumbled in just a few months, as the true world unfolded before her.

The others, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts, went to the kitchen to help Elsa.

Unexpectedly, none of them could cook, making Elsa, who had only basic skills, the head chef.

Her cooking wasn’t exactly delicious, but… at least it was normal, unlike Luo Ling’s rather unique dishes.

Soon, dishes emerged from the kitchen, even Luo Ling’s alchemically questionable curry had been salvaged by Elsa.

It might not taste much better, but at least… it was presentable.

The team had reached a consensus, even Elsa agreed.

—Miss Luo Ling’s cooking could either look good or taste good, never both.

When Luo Ling snapped back to reality, the table was filled with dishes, a seemingly lavish feast.

Although Luo Ling had claimed there were some ingredients left, she had actually bought quite a lot, and the nightmarish curry hadn’t used much, more than enough for another meal.

When Elsa’s modified curry was served, their simple New Year’s Eve dinner was finally complete.

“I don’t know how we would survive without Elsa…”

Cen Xiangyun was almost in tears, the other two nodding in agreement.

If it weren’t for Elsa, they would have had to endure that unspeakable horror, paired with undercooked rice, a truly unforgettable New Year’s Eve.

“Hehe.”

Elsa scratched her head sheepishly.

She had simply used the Puppet Ballad’s ability to access Luo Ling’s cooking memories, combined with her experience brewing medicine at Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.

Perhaps she wasn’t a professional chef, but compared to a group of culinary idiots and a cooking(?) demon, her basic skills were exceptional.

They sat around the table, Elsa carefully placing their favorite dishes before them, then scooting her chair closer to Luo Ling.

“We really are like a family now.”

Lu Manqing propped her chin on her hand, looking around with a smile. “It’s like I’m the husband, Xiangyun is the wife, and Luo Ling and Elsa are sisters…”

“Why am I the second generation?” Luo Ling frowned.

“Why are Miss Luo Ling and I just sisters?” Elsa grumbled.

“Wait, wife? And why are you the husband?” Cen Xiangyun looked at them incredulously.

“What about me? What about me?” Eve asked, interested. “What’s my role?”

“You’re my mistress.”

Lu Manqing put her arm around Eve, then looked at Cen Xiangyun, her voice dramatic. “Honey, I’m sorry, I cheated… but believe me, I love you more.”

“…”

Cen Xiangyun remained silent for a moment, resisting the urge to dump her rice on Lu Manqing’s head.

“Oh no, honey… why would I want an old hag like you? Let’s get a divorce and run away together.”

Eve played along, her exaggerated acting making Cen Xiangyun’s eye twitch.

“No, I can’t betray… wait, why are you wearing Xiangyun’s clothes? That’s it…”

“Lu…”

Cen Xiangyun grinned menacingly, and Lu Manqing’s rice instantly froze into a block of ice.

“Just kidding, just kidding…”

Lu Manqing quickly backtracked, punching the ice.

The frozen rice instantly steamed.

Luo Ling, seeing this, was slightly surprised. She claimed to be a Myriad path healer, but this didn’t seem like healing…

However, the others were unfazed, likely having witnessed similar displays of Lu Manqing’s abilities during previous missions.

Despite this slightly unpleasant interlude, the New Year’s Eve dinner was enjoyable.

After the meal, Lu Manqing and Cen Xiangyun volunteered to wash the dishes, while Elsa followed Lu Manqing, pestering her with questions.

“Why are Miss Luo Ling and I just sisters?”

Meanwhile, in the living room, Eve sat opposite Luo Ling, her expression unusually serious.

The last time she had looked like this was when she delivered the news of the Company directors’ summons.

This likely… wasn’t good news either.

“I have a letter. Head Lu gave it to me, she received it from someone else.”

Eve took out a letter and pushed it towards Luo Ling, her voice grave.

“It’s addressed to you, Miss Luo Ling.”

“The sender is Cheng Jianming—he’s from the Torchbearers, code name ‘Justice.’ You seem to have met before.”

Chapter Fifty: The Other Side of Doomsday, Her Voice

A violet figure materialized within the apartment.

Dark golden eyes opened slowly.

Luo Ling sensed the spider silk mark she had left in the twilight Kingdom, confirming she could travel back and forth freely, then reverted to her original form.

The tall figure shrunk slightly, the reflection in the full-length mirror now a black-haired girl with a cold expression, faint grotesque scales adorning her face.

“Unexpectedly, Naraku’s ability worked perfectly this time…”

Luo Ling carefully examined herself, checking for any worsening of her Grotesquery transformation, then nodded in satisfaction.

“It seems that within a limited scale, ‘Ensnare’ isn’t completely unusable. I just need to be careful.”

As for the twilight Kingdom, Iris herself had said that the Kingdom reset could erase all traces of the experiment. She didn’t seem to be exaggerating, so it should be… fine, right?

Overall, it had been a successful tea party. Luo Ling counted her gains. She had obtained twenty-four petals from selling information on the path to godhood.

Five petals were spent on purchasing information on the Realm of Nothingness from the Leader, three on the contract with Iris, and with the one she already had, she now possessed seventeen petals.

A complete floral pattern, formed by ten petals, seemed to have some special use. Luo Ling could sense that it could merge with her Inspiration, causing some kind of change.

But doing so would likely consume the pattern.

Unsure of its effects, Luo Ling didn’t dare to try, not knowing whether it was beneficial or harmful. A complete floral pattern was valuable…

“I should ask the Leader about its use… but even asking would probably cost some petals.” Luo Ling hesitated, then set the matter aside.

Besides the petals, there was also the gift from Grandma Camellia, a living, phenomenon-type Grotesquery.

Only high-order Grotesqueries wielding Authorities were called “Gods” by Apostles and Agents. Those below the top fifty Sequences were still considered Grotesqueries, used by the Grotesque-side forces to create Sacred Relics and Sacred Medicines.

However, compared to the human factions, their research in this area was far more advanced, even capable of capturing and containing living Grotesqueries.

So far, the only living, contained Grotesquery Luo Ling had encountered in the present world was the Forgotten River Child, nurtured by Performer at the cost of her own flesh and blood. Even the Grotesqueries within Elsa were dormant.

Luo Ling carefully took out the crystal bottle. The Grotesquery within, sensing the presence of the present world, thrashed violently, as if trying to escape.

But its struggle ceased instantly when Luo Ling transformed into her White Witch form.

As her grey-white eyes peered into the bottle, the Grotesquery recoiled, as if trembling in fear.

—It was terrified.

A faint, alluring aura emanated from the stable core, like a seductive dream.

“A Nightmare path Grotesquery? I could give it to Elsa, but… how should I handle a living Grotesquery? Crafting it into a Sacred Relic seems wasteful. But if I don’t, is it safe…?”

Luo Ling frowned, lost in thought.

The Grotesquery within the bottle seemed to understand her words, squirming uneasily, yet still terrified of the White Witch’s aura, burying itself deeper into the bottle, as if submitting to Luo Ling.

“Hmm, it seems docile enough. In that case…”

Luo Ling pondered. She hadn’t thoroughly investigated Elsa’s unique constitution as a Grotesquery vessel, mainly due to the trauma Scientist had inflicted.

Elsa used to have nightmares, screaming in terror, even though the White Witch’s power had suppressed the Grotesqueries within her.

Recently, perhaps because she had been sleeping with Luo Ling, Elsa seemed more at ease, her nightmares subsiding, seemingly recovering from that traumatic experience.

Besides, Scientist was dead, her remaining Sacred Relic absorbed by Luo Ling, contributing to her Naraku form’s second stage advancement.

“I’ll discuss it with Elsa later. Perhaps her constitution has other untapped potential, and this living Grotesquery could be useful.”

Luo Ling made up her mind. The Grotesquery within the bottle, sensing its reprieve, relaxed slightly.

After storing the crystal bottle in her hair, Luo Ling’s expression turned serious as she considered the sealed memory fragment from the Leader, hesitating whether to examine it now.

She was worried about being interrupted by her teammates’ return, and Elsa wasn’t here to handle them.

However, after glancing at the time, Luo Ling didn’t hesitate any longer.

“Huh, it’s only been ten minutes…”

Luo Ling was certain she had spent at least half a day, if not eight or nine hours, within the Kingdom, the experiment itself taking a considerable amount of time.

Yet, only ten minutes had passed in the present world.

However, after comparing it to her previous Kingdom experiences, Luo Ling gave up on calculating the time dilation. It was too erratic.

She had entered a Kingdom three times. The first time, she had stumbled in with her team, the second time, she had been taken to the tea party from the twilight Kingdom, and the third time was today.

The time flow within Kingdoms seemed unstable, each time different, with no discernible pattern.

Perhaps there was a pattern, but it was beyond her current understanding.

“Since it’s still early, I don’t have to worry.”

Luo Ling composed herself. The team’s work hours ended at 7:30 pm, though they usually worked overtime. They were regular Company employees, not freelancers like Luo Ling, required to be present even without a commission.

However, Luo Ling’s base salary was practically nonexistent, her payment technically considered performance-based, according to her contract.

Therefore, if Luo Ling didn’t provide sufficient value, the Company could stop paying her without violating their contract with Order.

Luo Ling hadn’t initially understood the concept of performance-based pay, only realizing it later after Cen Xiangyun’s explanation, feeling tricked by the Company…

—Truly a bunch of capitalists.

But Luo Ling didn’t need their paltry salary. Any item on her person was worth more than their entire payroll.

Besides, although the privileges granted by the three directors were a form of control and manipulation, others didn’t know that, at least not the finance department.

In their eyes, Luo Ling was practically on par with the board’s secretary, and Melissa’s status at headquarters was undeniable.

Therefore, with Luo Ling’s perceived importance, they wouldn’t dare to underpay her, likely even overpaying.

After preparing herself, Luo Ling carefully unsealed the memory fragment, then, in her original form, used the White Witch’s hair to activate her second ability, “Read.”

First, she scanned the memory, ensuring there were no traps or hidden messages from the Leader, before accessing it.

Luo Ling closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was surrounded by an endless void, everything seemingly nonexistent.

“The Realm of Nothingness?”

Luo Ling was familiar with this sensation, having traversed the Realm of Nothingness countless times.

However, while familiar to her, it was a unique experience for others, only truly experienced within such memories.

“Is this all the Leader gave me?” Luo Ling’s lips twitched. “If so… my five petals were wasted.”

Experiencing the Realm of Nothingness was easy. She could simply jump into any Boundary’s edge, a far more vivid experience, no need for someone else’s memory.

However, the Leader didn’t know about Luo Ling’s ability, so offering this memory for five petals was… reasonable, right?

…Bullshit!

She would demand a refund!

As Luo Ling considered whether the tea party allowed refunds, the long silence was finally broken. The Realm of Nothingness… was no longer empty.

“Hmm?”

As a faint light flickered in the eternal darkness, Luo Ling’s expression turned serious, watching intently.

She seemed to perceive something more about the Realm of Nothingness.

—Although the Leader’s prices were high, she always delivered.

This was the consensus among all tea party members who had dealt with her.

And it remained true.

The faint light grew, like in an instant, yet also like an eternity, expanding into a palm-sized spot of light.

As Luo Ling’s gaze shifted, she noticed countless other points of light scattered throughout the Realm of Nothingness.

These lights, like pieces of a puzzle, slowly converged, merging together.

Then, sounds appeared.

And wind.

Sunlight, trees, buildings…

In a blink of an eye, the sullen, black-haired girl found herself amidst a bustling crowd, the previous eternal void… like a dream.

She was in Victoria.

“This is… a Boundary?” Luo Ling looked around, her breath catching in her throat. “Just now, was that… the birth of a Boundary?

“Can an annihilated Boundary be reborn?”

No, wait…

Luo Ling recalled the sensation, her mind calming slightly.

It was a Boundary collapse.

A Boundary, having progressed to a certain point in time, under some undeniable force, would collapse to a previous era.

And in that previous era, what should have been the Realm of Nothingness was now occupied by the collapsed Boundary.

This process…

Luo Ling, having experienced it through the memory, seemed to grasp something.

She closed her eyes, no longer experiencing the Realm of Nothingness memory, but entering a familiar yet rarely visited place.

The depths of her consciousness space.

Opening the door at the end of the ancient corridor, she was met with an eternal void, and within this void, she saw herself.

Her usually tied-up, shoulder-length hair flowed freely, her half-closed eyes tinged with dark gold, faint red patterns at the corners.

Her arms, wrapped around her knees, were covered in blue scales, extending across her entire body, like a demon from the underworld, yet exuding a deep sadness.

Luo Ling reached out, gently embracing herself.

The girl slumbering in the void slowly awakened.

But her open eyes held only eternal sorrow.

[Doomsday – ???]

The girl walked the Path of Doomsday, towards the end of the world, everything returning to nothingness.

Only now did she know… that within the void, there wasn’t only Doomsday.

From the Realm of Nothingness, through a Boundary collapse, a new Boundary was born. Luo Ling, having experienced the entire process through the memory, understood this perfectly.

No one, not even the Leader who possessed this memory, could surpass her understanding.

Because they didn’t walk the Path of Doomsday.

“All Paths have two sides.”

Luo Ling reached out, as if sensing something within the void, a smile appearing on her lips, yet her sorrow lingered.

“The other side of Doomsday is Transcendence.”

—The Path of Transcendence.

The other side of the Seventh Path, Doomsday.

The Realm of Nothingness devoured everything, yet it could also create everything.

Therefore, the culmination of Transcendence…

Luo Ling trembled, an irresistible urge welling up within her.

Like the Realm of Nothingness, she had also devoured many beings, some becoming her power, while others she kept within her heart, unable to forget, unable to let go.

She was a vessel, preserving a lingering warmth.

“Sister…”

Countless images flashed through Luo Ling’s mind, each carrying a gentle smile.

She looked at her hands, the grotesque blue-black scales and sharp claws now shedding their darkness, turning a holy, pale gold, though the scales remained.

[Transcendence – ???]

Silver hair, tinged with gold, cascaded down, but Luo Ling’s gaze wasn’t on herself. She stared into the void, or rather, at the being she had “transcended” within the void.

Her sister’s memories, her emotions, her consciousness, everything…

It was all here.

Finally.

A gentle, unassuming woman materialized, dressed in a simple white dress, her hair loosely tied up, her face beautiful, yet unforgettable.

She opened her eyes slowly, seemingly seeing Luo Ling, a gentle, almost terrifying smile appearing on her lips.

“Xiao Ling…”

She looked at Luo Ling, her eyes filled with love and longing, just like that day.

In her world, there had always been… only her beloved younger sister.

She was no longer the Puppet Ballad.

She was Su Wan.

Luo Ling’s sister.

“Sister always knew, Xiao Ling has been working very hard.”

“Sister is watching…”

She smiled, walking towards Luo Ling.

But as she was about to embrace her, the light outlining her form scattered like butterflies, fading away.

The holiness and elegance vanished, the darkness and grotesqueness returning, her face turning demonic.

“But it’s not enough.” Luo Ling stared into the void. “My efforts aren’t enough.”

Luo Ling had only glimpsed the Path of Transcendence, not yet embarked on it.

This… was merely a miracle, nearly impossible to replicate.

Only by walking the Path of Transcendence, wielding an Authority similar to “Devour,” could she truly achieve her goal.

But regardless…

“There’s hope now, isn’t there?”

Luo Ling smiled softly, a smile only her sister could see.

She opened her arms, embracing the void, even though it contained… nothing.

But her sister had been there, hadn’t she?

Her efforts had been acknowledged by her sister… hadn’t they?

Even this much… was enough.

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Truth of the Taboo Disaster, A Ruined Kingdom

Iris’s worldview was astonishingly pure, her personality as innocent as a naive little rabbit, completely unlike any Grotesquery Apostle Luo Ling had encountered.

Even the other tea party members, the Leader, Camellia, Moonflower, and the taciturn Snowdrop, all exuded a sense of danger.

Despite Moonflower’s childish antics and Camellia’s gentle demeanor…

They were dangerous.

The mystical veil concealed more than just their appearances, hiding untold truths, their true natures unknown.

Luo Ling’s intuition told her that the personas they presented at the tea party were likely far removed from their true selves, a pervasive sense of falsehood.

Even Luo Ling herself was a fabrication, her true nature unknown even to the Leader, who only knew her Naraku form.

Of course, under the Leader’s watchful eye, despite the deception, the transactions at the tea party were genuine. The Leader could discern truth from falsehood, and Luo Ling trusted her judgment.

It was the Leader’s presence that guaranteed the integrity of their transactions.

…Therefore, the only truly innocent member of the tea party was Iris.

Her mystical veil merely concealed her face. Besides the secret of Jingwei’s injury, the other tea party members likely knew everything about her.

However, Iris posed no real threat…

Her innate talent for gardening made her seem almost pacifistic. Even her pursuit of godhood… didn’t concern the others.

They wouldn’t help her, but they wouldn’t hinder her either.

Because of Iris, Luo Ling began to re-evaluate the concepts of Grotesqueries and their Apostles.

In reality, both “Grotesquery” and “God” were merely human terms. Luo Ling hadn’t found such designations on the Taboo Slate.

Only “Sequence.”

Neither God Sequence nor Grotesquery Sequence, simply Sequence.

The beings humans encountered on the Sequence were mostly disasters, seemingly intent on destroying human civilization or the world itself.

However, Luo Ling, being a Grotesquery herself, having experienced a Grotesquery’s emotions firsthand, had her own theories.

Perhaps Grotesqueries weren’t deliberately harming humanity, or trying to save it in some twisted way. They were simply following their instincts, their Paths.

And in doing so, they caused disasters.

The Puppet Ballad’s instinct was to spread and expand, devouring flesh and souls, following the Path of Silent Demise.

Even after developing the persona “Su Wan,” she couldn’t stop it, her instincts overwhelming her, only finding release in true death.

Apostles and Agents followed their Grotesqueries, walking their Paths, therefore sharing some of their characteristics, human vessels for Grotesquery will. No wonder even the Harbingers called them fanatics.

But what if the “Grotesquery” or “God” itself was… peaceful?

Like… Jingwei?

Iris’s personality and actions hinted at her God’s nature…

However, humans rarely encountered such Grotesqueries and their Apostles. Iris, for example, spent most of her time gardening in her Kingdom. Therefore, humanity viewed all Grotesquery Apostles and Agents as dangerous.

And they were mostly right. Iris was merely an exception.

“Unexpected…”

Luo Ling sighed, looking at Iris with a hint of pity.

A little rabbit among wolves. Fortunately, the tea party members were relatively benign among Apostles, and the Leader’s presence offered some protection, preventing Iris from being completely devoured.

Iris looked at Luo Ling, tilting her head in confusion.

What was Sister Amethyst thinking about?

Even now, Iris had only revealed Jingwei’s injury, not offering to introduce Luo Ling to her God.

What if Amethyst, upon seeing Jingwei, succumbed to her instincts and took a bite…?

Even if it meant being devoured herself, she wouldn’t let Master Jingwei suffer any further harm!

“Since the contract is signed, can I conduct some experiments in your Kingdom now?” Luo Ling asked.

“Huh? So soon?” Iris was stunned. “Don’t you need to prepare…?”

“Not yet, just some small experiments.”

Luo Ling shook her head. “The events back then were complex, not easily investigated. I merely intend to witness the Taboo disaster.”

The Kingdom was a “snapshot” of Victoria before the Boundary collapse, containing a trace of the Taboo disaster’s power, hence its immortality.

But the true power of the Taboo disaster wasn’t fully manifested.

Five minutes was too short compared to the scale of “Immortality.”

However… with Naraku’s ability, the twilight Kingdom could bypass this five-minute limit, reaching the moment of the disaster’s true arrival.

“By the way, Iris, I must warn you, my ability might damage your Kingdom.” Luo Ling said directly, not wanting to deceive her. “Therefore, I’ll limit my experiment to a small area.”

“Damage? Are you planning to devour it again?” Iris asked nervously, despite the clause in their contract prohibiting it.

“…What kind of image do I have in your mind? A groundhog?” Luo Ling’s lips twitched. “I intend to use Naraku’s ability on your Kingdom to investigate the Taboo disaster.”

“Phew, as long as you’re not devouring it. Your ability is so strange, the devoured parts don’t regenerate…”

Iris frowned. “The sapling still has some missing parts. It breaks my heart.”

“I’m truly sorry…”

“But it’s fine, as long as you’re not devouring it. Naraku’s ability is for information gathering, right? No problem!”

Iris puffed out her chest confidently. “Everything in my Kingdom resets every five minutes. Any damage, unless permanently annihilated, like being devoured… will be restored.”

This was another important characteristic of a Kingdom, similar to Scientist’s “Retrospect,” but without any cost.

“In fact, including the five-minute time loop, everything within the Kingdom, the people, the buildings, everything… is a part of the Kingdom.”

Iris continued, “We, or anything brought in from outside, like the sapling… don’t possess these characteristics and aren’t affected by the time loop.

“As the Kingdom’s owner, I can control everything within, including the time loop.”

Iris snapped her fingers, and the setting sun froze, the birds in the sky, the people on the street, everything paused, like a frozen image.

But Luo Ling and Iris remained unaffected. They weren’t part of the Kingdom, considered “foreign objects.”

“How convenient.”

Luo Ling envied Iris’s control over her Kingdom. She wanted one too.

Of course, she wouldn’t deliberately cause a disaster and a Boundary collapse. She wasn’t that cruel. She would simply find an opportunity to steal one.

“But this is Naraku’s ability,” Luo Ling reminded her again. “It’s a Taboo’s power.”

“It should be fine, right?” Iris hesitated, then nodded. “I’ve used Master Jingwei’s Authority before, and everything was restored.”

An Authority was far more powerful than a mere ability, yet it hadn’t affected the Kingdom’s reset.

“Alright.”

Since Iris had said so, Luo Ling set up her experiment.

Although Iris insisted that no preparation was necessary, that she could use the entire Kingdom as her testing ground, Luo Ling’s intuition told her to limit the scale.

Besides, “rewrite reality” consumed a significant amount of power.

Luo Ling intended to use “rewrite reality” within the Kingdom to observe the Taboo disaster, even if Religious’s ascension ritual wasn’t directly related to Guixu’s Authority, it would still be beneficial.

Soon, Luo Ling found a secluded, open area within the twilight Kingdom. However, before beginning, she needed some living beings to test the effects of “Immortality.”

Although the humans within the Kingdom possessed all human characteristics, they were merely a part of the Kingdom. Even so, Luo Ling couldn’t bring herself to use them for her experiment.

She saw some birds in the sky and decided to capture a few.

“Sister Amethyst, what are you doing…?”

Iris looked at Luo Ling, puzzled, as she grabbed a few sparrows and placed them within the designated area.

“Conducting an experiment. I need some living beings.” Luo Ling replied.

“…Do you have to use birds?”

Iris seemed to feel sorry for the unconscious sparrows.

“Anything living will do, but I’m not comfortable using humans.”

“Then let me get you some lab rats. The nearby university has them. Can you release the birds?”

Iris looked at Luo Ling pleadingly. Luo Ling, although puzzled, agreed.

Soon, the lab rats replaced the sparrows, lying motionless on the ground.

Luo Ling’s expression turned serious. This was her third time using “Ensnare,” and the previous two times hadn’t gone exactly as planned.

It did “rewrite reality,” fulfilling her wishes, but the outcomes… were often unpredictable.

However, Iris had assured her that the Kingdom’s reset could handle any failures, so it should be… fine, right?

Luo Ling composed herself and unfolded her web domain, covering the designated area.

Threads of knowledge extended, taking root in Iris’s Kingdom, forming a domain.

Iris, as the Kingdom’s owner, felt a portion of her Kingdom slip from her control.

“Is this… Naraku’s power?”

To wrest control from a Kingdom’s owner, it truly was a Taboo.

Iris had anticipated this, simply watching, worried about Amethyst’s potential destructive tendencies, but also excited… this was a Naraku Godchosen using a Taboo’s power!

All Taboo Godchosen were known for their eccentricities. Naraku Godchosen were lunatics, Knight Godchosen were violent, and Guixu Godchosen… well, most of them were so modified they barely resembled humans.

Even among Godchosen and God’s Favored, witnessing a Taboo Godchosen using their abilities under normal circumstances was rare.

Iris didn’t know whether to consider herself lucky or unlucky, witnessing this within her own Kingdom.

“‘Ensnare,’ rewrite reality.” Luo Ling murmured, her dark eyes fixed on the area. “Accelerate time.”

The scale of “Immortality” was near eternal. Five minutes couldn’t reveal its true power. Only by accelerating time could its effects be observed.

The time within the area accelerated a thousandfold, even Luo Ling was surprised. “Ensnare” had gone out of control again.

However… this loss of control was acceptable. Luo Ling had intended to accelerate time anyway.

Soon, what she wanted to see appeared.

Under the accelerated time flow, the lab rats rapidly aged, their movements faltering, their eyes clouding over.

But aging didn’t kill them.

Their bodies withered, starved from lack of food.

But starvation didn’t kill them either.

Driven by hunger, they began to cannibalize each other. One rat bit off another’s head, crushing and swallowing it.

The decapitated rat, however… still lived.

Or rather, it was a curse.

Its consciousness remained within every part of its body, experiencing endless pain and torment, far worse than the residents of Jiangcheng County under the Puppet Ballad’s domination.

Even its decaying body screamed in silent agony, forever trapped.

This…

Was the disaster of “Immortality.”

“The elderly wouldn’t die, the injured wouldn’t heal, the sick would suffer eternally, the decaying would live forever… a world without the release of death, even hell couldn’t compare.”

The gift of immortality, the curse of eternal life.

Even having imagined it, witnessing it firsthand was horrifying.

These rats’ fate would have been Victoria’s, if it hadn’t been saved.

“So terrifying…”

Iris covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and fear. She had also never witnessed the consequences of a Taboo disaster.

Thinking that this was the source of her Kingdom’s immortality, the very thing sustaining Master Jingwei, Iris wanted to flee with her God immediately.

But she quickly calmed down. This was merely the result of accelerated time. As long as she healed Master Jingwei before it reached this point…

“Fortunately, the Authority isn’t complete.” Luo Ling said softly. “This wasn’t the Taboo itself. Guixu never manifested in Victoria.”

“This isn’t even complete?” Iris asked in shock.

“If it were the complete Authority, Victoria would have become a living hell, or even annihilated, before you acquired this Kingdom.” Luo Ling’s voice turned cold. “Because it’s incomplete, therefore…”

This was a man-made disaster.

Who had brought this calamity upon Victoria?

Was it the Harbingers of Calamity?

Using Artist’s ascension as a pretext, they had indeed contributed to the disaster, but… if they could cause a disaster of this magnitude, they wouldn’t have needed Artist.

Their ultimate goal was the annihilation of all Boundaries, with Victoria, the source, being their primary target. This disaster’s scale was sufficient, and the terror of “Immortality” was its insidious nature.

Look at this Kingdom, the twilight Victoria, so peaceful and beautiful, serene and tranquil.

Who would have thought…

That the most terrifying Taboo disaster had already arrived?

In this case, the Harbingers simply needed to wait, hidden in the shadows, until the disaster reached its irreversible stage, and they would have succeeded.

But that wasn’t the case. They had merely used the disaster for ascension.

Perhaps they had contributed to the disaster’s growth, but they weren’t the source…

Besides the Harbingers, who else could it be?

There were two possible answers: a Guixu Godchosen, or…

The Company.

Luo Ling didn’t want it to be the Company.

Despite the suspicious circumstances, like the Company’s preparations for the collapse, their meticulous planning, even managing to interrupt Artist’s ascension…

The three faces in the firelight, the elderly man, the woman, and the young man, their silent expressions, the shadows on their faces, weighed heavily on Luo Ling’s mind.

“It’s over.”

Luo Ling whispered, retracting her web domain, ending the brief disaster.

The pitiful lab rats finally embraced the sweet release of death.

“By the way, Iris, are you interested in a collaboration?” Luo Ling turned to the veiled girl.

“Wh-what…?”

Iris looked up, her eyes still filled with fear.

Clearly, she hadn’t recovered from the shock, never having imagined her Kingdom could be such a terrifying place.

“A collaboration, regarding the path to godhood.” Luo Ling said calmly. “From the memories I gave you, you should know what’s hidden within your Kingdom. That’s your bargaining chip.”

“Yes… you’re right.”

Iris calmed down slightly and nodded.

She was aware of the valuable secrets hidden within her Kingdom.

“I can provide you with more information on the Harbingers and the Company, allowing you to investigate the past and uncover the Harbingers’ true plan for the path to godhood. In exchange, you’ll share your findings with me.”

Luo Ling smiled.

“We’ll split the profits fifty-fifty at the tea party, fleecing those grandmas together.”

“Fleecing? Okay, okay! No problem! I agree to this collaboration!”

Iris’s eyes lit up. She was still deeply in debt, her pockets empty.

She still remembered Amethyst’s triumph at the tea party, amassing a fortune in petals. How could she refuse this collaboration?

Following Amethyst, she would surely become rich!

However, she was puzzled by Luo Ling’s term for the other tea party members.

“…Grandmas?”

“Alright, it’s settled then.” Luo Ling smiled. “We don’t need another contract, do we?”

“No, no, I trust Sister Amethyst!”

Iris puffed out her chest confidently. “Our collaboration will be seamless, our alliance unbreakable!”

“……”

Luo Ling fell silent.

What could she say…?

Truly a contract prodigy.

“I’m logging off. See you next time.”

Luo Ling left a mark within the twilight Kingdom, allowing her to return directly next time, then waved goodbye to Iris.

Iris beamed, waving until Luo Ling disappeared.

“Now, time to clean up.”

Iris examined the area where Luo Ling had used her ability, a shudder running down her spine.

The area, affected by the accelerated time, was now a zone of intense “Immortality,” any living being entering it quickly aging and decaying, yet forever unable to die.

“Good thing I have the Kingdom reset. Otherwise, having such a terrifying place in my Kingdom would be bad…”

Iris hummed as she manipulated the Kingdom’s time, accelerating from the paused state to the five-minute reset point.

The surrounding scenery shifted, the Kingdom reverting to its previous state.

But.

The area before Iris hadn’t reset.

Or rather, it remained trapped in the intensified “Immortality” disaster.

Even the Kingdom reset couldn’t restore it.

“W-why?”

Iris tried resetting several times, but the result was the same.

Looking at the horrifying scene, both lifeless and teeming with unnatural life, Iris’s eyes welled up, and she burst into tears.

“My Kingdom, my Kingdom… ruined by Amethyst again…”

“Waaah, I’d rather she devoured it…”

Chapter Forty-Eight: Please, Ravage My Kingdom

This wasn’t Luo Ling’s first time traversing between Kingdoms, but the experience was still novel.

Compared to entering a Kingdom from the present world, traveling between Kingdoms was far more bizarre, the distorted scenery always different.

Twisted colors and fleeting fragments of Victoria flashed past, like glimpses of countless possible futures, though these past futures were all filled with disaster and calamity.

Although Luo Ling’s devouring of the Boundary during the previous Incubation Barrier incident had resulted in an area of the Realm of Nothingness appearing within Victoria…

Luo Ling herself had benefited greatly, gaining a deeper understanding of Kingdoms.

During a Boundary collapse, the entire Boundary became unstable.

And Grotesquery Agents and Apostles seemed to possess the ability to somehow “capture” this unstable Boundary, creating a short-lived fragment.

Although different from a true Boundary, with its own drawbacks… these were insignificant compared to the benefits of a Kingdom.

It was practically a sanctuary for Grotesquery Apostles. All Kingdoms overlapped with each other and the present world in some way, making them almost impervious to invasion, which was enough.

Unfortunately, Iris’s Kingdom was an exception, invaded twice in a short period, and this third “invasion,” she had even led the invader herself…

“My sapling, my Kingdom… they’re going to be ruined…”

Iris’s expression was dazed, her face filled with grievance.

Why did such misfortunes always befall her? Her perfectly good Kingdom had been invaded three times, three times!

She glanced at the mysterious grey shadow beside her, vaguely seeing Amethyst’s eager expression, seemingly impatient to ravage her Kingdom… or perhaps devour it?

She had even ignored Moonflower’s words, dragging Iris away… Although Moonflower’s constant cuteness and high-pitched voice were annoying, Iris still felt that Amethyst’s eagerness stemmed from her desire to violate her Kingdom.

Wicked woman…

Luo Ling, seeing Iris’s tears, asked, puzzled, “Seriously, Miss Iris, you’re fifty or sixty years old, why are you still crying…?”

Iris’s eyes widened, as if hearing something unbelievable, her grievance forgotten as she quickly defended herself.

“Fifty or sixty years old? I’m… I’m not! I’m only seventeen, no, eighteen, eighteen years old!

“Time spent in a Kingdom doesn’t count towards age, even if I stay there for—”

Before Luo Ling could say anything, Iris began counting on her fingers, seemingly calculating her age if she included the time spent in her Kingdom.

The resulting number seemed to shock her, and she quickly covered her hand, then said, “If you count it that way, you must be thousands of years old, old lady—I mean, big sister!”

Iris almost blurted out “old hag,” then realizing her current predicament, her debt to Amethyst…

Besides, among Grotesquery Apostles and Agents, Iris was indeed young, even including the time spent in her Kingdom, likely less than a tenth of the other members’ ages.

Therefore, when frustrated, she would call the other members “old hags.”

However, this had little effect on Luo Ling, a genuine sixteen-year-old girl… soon to be seventeen, after her birthday.

“Perhaps.”

Luo Ling simply replied, a strange feeling welling up within her.

This was the first time someone had considered her a “big sister”…

It wasn’t bad.

Whether in her original form or as the White Witch, she was incredibly young compared to others in the Awakened world. The only one younger she had met was Elsa.

Elsa’s situation was unique, having been transformed into a vessel for a Grotesquery at a young age.

Among ordinary Awakened Ones… it was rare to find someone younger than Luo Ling.

The journey between Kingdoms wasn’t long. The bizarre, dreamlike scenery gradually faded, replaced by the golden light of dusk falling upon the streets of Victoria, tinged with a faint crimson.

They had arrived in the twilight “Kingdom” of Victoria.

“Is this Victoria before the Taboo disaster?” Luo Ling looked around. The twilight Victoria seemed perfectly normal, ordinary people walking on the streets, just like any other day.

There was no sign of an impending disaster.

Luo Ling knew that the Company hadn’t lied. She had used the Puppet Ballad’s true vision to observe Artist, seeing his fragmented and reassembled body.

…Therefore, the answer wouldn’t simply appear. She had to explore Iris’s Kingdom.

“Amethyst, p-please, ravage my Kingdom as you see fit…”

Iris bit her lip, forcing out the words, her expression pained.

She wanted to retreat, unable to bear witnessing her beloved Kingdom’s potential destruction.

And… she had to move the other being residing within her Kingdom.

The sapling being devoured was one thing, it had happened before, she could just nurture it again. But this other being… couldn’t be touched.

She couldn’t let a Naraku Godchosen target it! No, they couldn’t even know of its existence!

“Hey, wait… don’t go yet.”

Luo Ling quickly grabbed Iris’s hand.

She was puzzled by Iris’s eagerness to escape.

This was Iris’s Kingdom, not hers. Why was she acting like the owner…?

Luo Ling hadn’t intended to take advantage of Iris’s Kingdom just because of the six petals she owed her. She was planning to offer more.

Then she would do as she pleased.

After all, Naraku’s abilities… were unpredictable. Even Luo Ling wasn’t entirely sure of their effects. She had to inform the owner beforehand.

What if… she accidentally destroyed Iris’s Kingdom?

“…….”

Iris looked at Luo Ling, her eyes welling up. “Miss Amethyst, you’re too cruel! Do you really have to make me watch?”

Witnessing her beloved Kingdom’s destruction, powerless to stop it…

It was too cruel!

“What else can I do?” Luo Ling asked, puzzled. “If you’re not here, I’m worried I might accidentally break something…”

She saw Iris’s humiliated expression again.

“When did my communication with Miss Iris become so problematic? Why does she always look at me like that…?”

Even Luo Ling began to question herself. She hadn’t said anything offensive, had she? She had been perfectly polite.

Could it be that she had traumatized Iris by devouring her sapling last time?

“Don’t worry, I won’t touch your sapling this time.” Luo Ling said quickly.

“Then what are you planning to devour?” Iris looked up.

“I’m not devouring anything this time! Seriously, do you think I’m some kind of glutton?” Luo Ling’s lips twitched. It was definitely because of the sapling incident.

“You’re not going to take a bite out of my Kingdom?” Iris asked, her eyes still teary.

“…Of course not.”

Luo Ling averted her gaze slightly.

“…”

You’re lying, you’re definitely lying!

Iris’s face crumpled. “Just… take less… don’t take too much…”

“I told you I won’t!” Luo Ling flicked Iris’s forehead. “I apologize for last time. This time, it’s a proper transaction.”

“Really?”

Iris was surprised.

“Really.”

Luo Ling nodded.

“Write it down!” Iris almost jumped up. “Let’s make a contract! Swear on your God!”

“My…”

Luo Ling’s expression turned strange. Her God was… Naraku?

Swear on Naraku?

That seemed a bit unfair…

Swearing on their God was the most binding oath for an Apostle or Agent, as their power originated from the Grotesquery.

Breaking the oath was equivalent to betraying the Grotesquery, incurring severe punishment.

But Luo Ling’s situation…

Unfortunately, although she used Naraku’s power, she had no real connection to this Taboo.

Her oath was essentially meaningless.

However, seeing Iris’s anxious and expectant expression, Luo Ling sighed.

“Certainly, no problem.”

She had no intention of breaking the contract anyway, so a supervisor… was unnecessary.

Iris sighed in relief, then beamed.

She quickly drafted the contract and handed it to Luo Ling.

“Here, if you think anything is unreasonable, I can change it…”

“Okay.”

Luo Ling took the contract, but the title made her pause.

The Amethyst-Iris Non-Aggression Pact

Sister, do you know what happened the last time a pact had this title…?

But skimming through the contents, it was mostly Iris protecting her Kingdom, specifically the Kingdom itself and the two Grotesqueries she was nurturing within.

The first, Luo Ling recognized, the Bodhi Ancient Tree of Silent Demise, Grotesquery Sequence 145.

The second…

Iris hadn’t provided any details, only a true name.

—Jingwei.

Luo Ling’s eyes widened, recalling Jingwei’s Sequence and Path.

Grotesquery Sequence 18, Jingwei of Calamity, wielding the Authority… “Mountains and Seas.”

“Is this your God?”

Luo Ling looked up, noticing Iris’s fleeting panic.

“H-how did you know?”

She had deliberately omitted the Path and Sequence, how was she discovered?

If it weren’t required for the contract, she wouldn’t have even written the true name…

“…Have you forgotten already? I just gave you that information.”

Luo Ling said helplessly. “Not only is this God listed in the public Sequence, but… I have memories of seeing the Taboo Slate, how could I not know?”

“Oh, right…”

Iris hung her head, realizing her mistake.

Luo Ling added a few lines to the contract, then handed it back to Iris.

She erased three dimmed petals from Iris’s forehead, three petals also disappearing from her own.

“That should do it.” Luo Ling clapped her hands.

“Huh?”

Iris was stunned, then quickly examined the changes Luo Ling had made. She had only added one line.

“Amethyst pays three petals to rent Iris’s Kingdom for (blank) years.”

She… she paid?

Not a forceful takeover?

Iris felt a surge of gratitude.

Maybe Amethyst wasn’t so bad after all?

“Write down the duration you want to borrow it for, Miss Iris.” Luo Ling smiled. “I’d prefer longer, but… it’s your decision.”

She could even decide the duration?

Iris was even more grateful.

Amethyst was so kind… she was a good person after all!

Iris pondered, then gritted her teeth, writing down a number.

“Ninety-nine.”

“That’s it!” Iris thought. “As long as Amethyst doesn’t destroy my Kingdom, she can use it freely!”

“…….”

Luo Ling, a former high school student with a recent history of cramming knowledge, looked at the number and fell silent.

Miss Iris, you truly were a contract prodigy…

Seeing Iris’s expectant gaze, Luo Ling cleared her throat and swore softly,

“I, in the name of Naraku, make this oath.”

Iris quickly followed suit.

“I, in the name of Jingwei, make this oath.”

A gaze from an unknown source descended, observing them.

Of course, it only observed Iris.

Luo Ling, not a Naraku Godchosen, felt nothing. She even waited for a moment, hoping to see if Naraku would appear.

And whether His gaze could be devoured…

But nothing happened, much to her disappointment.

“Sister Amethyst, you’re so kind!”

Iris beamed, her face slightly foolish.

Not only had she not exploited her debt, but she had even paid extra, allowing Iris to write the contract…

And she had even agreed to swear on her God, despite the contract mostly benefiting Iris, restricting Amethyst’s actions, while Iris only had to grant her access to the Kingdom and allow limited experimentation, a normal use for a Kingdom.

She had misjudged Sister Amethyst!

“By the way, Iris, I need to know some details about your Kingdom. From the information I gave you, you should know that this Kingdom isn’t ordinary.”

Luo Ling’s expression turned serious.

“Oh, right… I haven’t examined it carefully yet, but it seems to be related to the Taboo disaster?” Iris’s expression turned slightly anxious.

“Tell me what you know.” Luo Ling said. “About the Taboo, and its Godchosen.”

Both the Company and the Harbingers, as human factions, knew little about this aspect.

Encountering Apostles and Agents usually didn’t end with a friendly chat. Those who tried usually died horribly.

“Hmm? Okay…”

Iris was puzzled by Luo Ling’s question, as this was common knowledge, but she answered honestly.

For Godchosen and God’s Favored, Taboos were indeed taboo, terrifying beings, practically embodiments of the Grotesque paths themselves.

The currently active Taboo Godchosen were the universally despised Naraku Godchosen, the incredibly violent and dangerous Knight Godchosen, and the self-modifying Guixu Godchosen.

Besides these three, other Taboo Godchosen were rare, rarely seen, even Iris had never encountered them, only hearing rumors.

In fact, Iris was a recluse.

After becoming Jingwei’s God’s Favored, she had spent over sixty years within Jingwei’s Kingdom, rarely leaving, except for the tea parties, spending her days cultivating strange plants.

She was a Calamity path Awakened One, corresponding to the Element path, capable of manipulating water and earth elements, a natural talent for gardening.

She couldn’t even remember how she joined the tea party. One day, she had encountered the leader, and after a brief chat, she had been recruited.

As for why the usually laid-back Iris was so fixated on the path to godhood, even acquiring the twilight Kingdom at great cost, it was related to her God, Jingwei.

“Jingwei… is injured?”

Luo Ling’s eyes widened in shock, hearing this from Iris.

Iris hesitated, then nodded.

“Yes, on the verge of falling to Silent Demise.”

Luo Ling’s expression turned grave.

The value of an injured High-Risk Grotesquery, its Sacred Relic and Sequence position, was incredibly attractive to many.

Especially after Luo Ling’s successful usurpation of the Puppet Ballad’s Sequence, many were itching to act.

Iris had heard rumors at the tea party that some Godchosen were already plotting to seize Sequence positions. If news of Jingwei’s injury spread…

The consequences would be unimaginable.

And Iris had revealed this to her, even though their contract was essentially meaningless, easily broken for such valuable information.

It could only mean that Iris truly trusted her.

And this trust… was a bit too much.

“Why do I feel like a wicked woman manipulating an innocent girl?”

Luo Ling shook her head. “No, no, that’s impossible, I’m a good person…”

Besides, she considered herself an innocent girl as well.

As for the injured Jingwei, Luo Ling wouldn’t target it, even though her contract with Iris was practically worthless.

Throughout history, such non-aggression pacts were always broken.

“It’s because of Master Jingwei’s injury that I had to acquire the twilight Kingdom, no matter the cost.”

Iris clenched her fists. “According to the tea party’s information, this is a Kingdom of immortality. No one can die here.”

Jingwei’s injuries were severe, on the verge of eternal oblivion. That was why Iris had acquired this Kingdom, despite the risks and the debt.

Previously, even Iris, the Kingdom’s owner, hadn’t known the reason for its “immortality.” Now, thanks to Luo Ling’s information, she finally understood. It was the lingering power of Guixu’s “Immortality” Authority.

“That explains why everyone in my Kingdom becomes old and wrinkled…”

Iris muttered. She was still shrouded in the mystical veil, but if it were removed, she would appear as a little old lady.

True immortality came at a price, an unspeakable price, even physical aging was merely a part of it.

Therefore, the injured Jingwei couldn’t rely on the Kingdom forever. To save her God, Iris had to embark on the path to godhood, becoming a true God herself.

Only then could she save Jingwei.

At least she could seek help from others, possessing the strength and status to protect Jingwei from those who might target her.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Miss Amethyst, I Have a Proposition p2

Conflicts between Godchosen were rare, for one reason.

Such conflicts were usually fought on behalf of their Gods, ending in a life-or-death struggle, incredibly brutal.

This also indirectly confirmed a previously established fact—the leader was indeed omniscient, her judgment never wrong.

Twelve petals merged into Luo Ling’s forehead, adding to her previous seven, a total of nineteen, almost two complete floral patterns.

Iris looked at the glowing floral pattern on Luo Ling’s forehead enviously. In just two months, Amethyst had acquired petals equivalent to her ten years of savings.

Of course, the main reason for Luo Ling’s success was the information on the path to godhood, something most tea party members, including the leader, were interested in, allowing her to sell the same information multiple times.

Only Snowdrop, for some reason, remained uninterested.

“Does anyone else have information on the path to godhood to trade?” The leader asked, looking around.

The others exchanged glances, their expressions wry.

How could they?

The information they possessed, compared to Amethyst’s, was insignificant. She was selling them for a single petal each, while their own… they would keep them for now.

Besides, Amethyst seemed to have an advantage in gathering such information. The other members were considering abandoning their own investigations.

It was better to find something Amethyst was interested in, exchanging it for her information.

The grandmotherly figures looked at Luo Ling with an almost predatory gaze.

Almost like the leader’s…

Luo Ling discreetly scooted her chair back.

These grandmas were a bit too enthusiastic…

“It seems there’s no more. Then let’s begin individual transactions.” The leader said slowly, then looked at Luo Ling intently, a smile appearing on her lips. “Amethyst, I have a proposition for you.”

Although she said “transaction,” her tone was… strange.

Luo Ling felt a strange sense of unease.

At the tea party, although the leader traded various items and information, her prices were always high. For example, information Luo Ling sold for a single petal would fetch three from her.

Therefore, unless necessary, the leader rarely participated in transactions.

However, although her prices were high, she was also a generous buyer, willing to pay handsomely for anything that interested her.

The leader rarely initiated transactions, but considering the target was Miss Amethyst…

It wasn’t that surprising.

The other members exchanged glances, then discreetly erected barriers, beginning their own transactions, leaving the leader and Amethyst alone.

“Come, Amethyst.”

With the others gone, the leader’s smile widened, her body leaning forward, her voice seductive. “Let’s… make a deal.”

“…….”

Luo Ling remained calm, facing the leader.

But she didn’t know how to react.

Sometimes, being alone was truly helpless.

“Don’t you have anything you want to know from me?” The leader’s tone was filled with temptation. “For the right price, I… know everything.”

Why did that sound so familiar?

Luo Ling looked at the leader, a question forming in her mind.

Was she the Naraku Apostle, or was Luo Ling?

She had considered this before, but after learning the truth about Naraku Apostles, she dismissed it.

Naraku Apostles were despised for a reason. They wielded incomplete power, paying a price to Naraku for each use of its “Omniscience.”

Not all Apostles’ “Omniscience” was as weak as Scientist’s. The higher the price, the stronger the power, though never the complete Authority.

The leader clearly wasn’t like that, but if she were an Agent or even an avatar…

It seemed improbable.

Regardless, although not truly omniscient, the leader had lived for a long time. The truths she possessed were far more accurate than the Company’s or the Harbingers’ speculations.

Her explanation of the Seventh Path had proven this. Both the Company and the Harbingers’ theories were flawed.

“What is the true nature of the Realm of Nothingness?” Luo Ling asked after a moment of thought.

This was a question she had pondered, especially after her experiences within the Realm of Nothingness.

Why did the Realm of Nothingness exist after a Boundary was annihilated?

Luo Ling had initially thought it was simply an empty void, but after her recent experiences, she realized it wasn’t truly empty.

The Spirit Walker and some Sacred Tools could traverse it. The Realm of Nothingness itself contained something.

However… humanity’s exploration of the Realm of Nothingness was limited. Even the Harbingers, judging by Artist and Scientist’s reactions, hadn’t progressed much further than the Company.

In fact, humanity’s combined knowledge of the Realm of Nothingness was likely less than Luo Ling’s alone. She had, after all, spent a considerable amount of time there.

It was important to note that neither Apostles nor Agents should be considered part of humanity’s forces.

Whether they could even be considered human was questionable. Even Luo Ling’s Apostle, Elsa, possessed some inhuman traits, necessary to control the Grotesqueries sealed within her.

“Five petals,” the leader said with a smile. “Considering it’s you, Amethyst. Otherwise… it would be a complete flower.”

“That expensive?”

Even Luo Ling, with her limited understanding of petals’ value, was shocked.

“Amethyst, you don’t seem to realize… what you’re asking about. You’re essentially asking about the root cause of this world’s disorder, something even I can’t fully explain.”

Despite this, the leader’s tone remained calm, as if discussing the world’s essence wasn’t a big deal. “Can’t fully explain” didn’t mean she didn’t understand it.

Such abstract concepts were perceived differently by everyone, difficult to convey through words… including the nature of the Realm of Nothingness.

“Of course, Amethyst, I must warn you, the information I provide might not answer your question. Knowing this… do you still wish to ask?”

The leader’s tone turned serious.

“Yes.”

Luo Ling nodded, offering five petals.

“So decisive, as expected of a little tycoon who just earned twenty-four petals.”

The leader raised her hand, her fingers tracing the petals before absorbing them.

“In that case… I’ll offer you another piece of advice. They owe you a considerable debt. Perhaps you can use this to your advantage.”

The leader’s gaze deepened as she looked at Luo Ling, a hint of something unreadable in her eyes.

However, her words gave Luo Ling pause.

She realized she had priced her information too low… the grandmas would likely make concessions in other areas.

“The transaction is complete. Here’s what you wanted.”

The leader pondered for a moment, then extended her hand, something seemingly swirling around her fingertips.

A sealed memory fragment entered Luo Ling’s mind, carrying an ancient and terrifying aura, momentarily disorienting her.

It was hard to imagine the consequences of receiving this memory unsealed.

“Examine it later. Thanks to your ability, I can do this. Otherwise, I would have had to let you experience it firsthand, which would be less effective.”

The leader smiled. This was what she had gained from Luo Ling, settling her previous debt.

Luo Ling was shocked. “Did the leader just learn the Puppet Ballad’s ability?

“No, wait…”

Not the Puppet Ballad.

Just a similar ability to transfer memories.

The leader seemed to have analyzed Luo Ling’s ability and replicated it in her own way, achieving the same result.

Luo Ling’s second ability, “Read,” had other uses.

But even this was impressive, deepening Luo Ling’s understanding of the leader’s power.

Luo Ling stared at the smiling leader, a truly unfathomable woman.

A bit terrifying, but fortunately, she was on her side, at least for now.

After the transaction, Luo Ling saw Iris fidgeting anxiously, although still seated, her gaze constantly shifting towards Luo Ling, her leg bouncing nervously.

Clearly, it was about the twilight Kingdom.

But… hadn’t they already made a deal?

After a moment of hesitation, Iris still didn’t approach. Instead, Camellia walked over, bowing slightly.

“Miss Amethyst, please forgive my rambling.”

Camellia seemed approachable, her gentle demeanor evident even through the mystical veil.

She offered Luo Ling an item.

“Our previous encounter was brief. I didn’t have a chance to properly introduce myself. This is a small gift, I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh…”

Luo Ling was stunned. She hadn’t even said anything, and Grandma Camellia—sister Camellia—had already given her a gift.

Whether it was a greeting gift or repayment for the previous favor… was unclear.

Luo Ling took the item.

Her heart skipped a beat, seeing what it was.

It was a palm-sized crystal bottle, containing a core-like object, surrounded by a faint aura, seemingly belonging to a Grotesquery.

But… it was alive.

A living Grotesquery, not a Sacred Relic.

Likely a phenomenon-type Grotesquery, sealed within the crystal bottle, in a light slumber.

Humanity possessed similar containers for restraining living Grotesqueries, but they were considered top-tier treasures, unlike Camellia, who offered it as a simple container.

As expected of a Grotesquery Apostle, even her gifts were unusual.

“Thank you.”

Luo Ling accepted it readily. Even if it was nothing to Camellia, the bottle itself was valuable!

Camellia was clever. Owing a favor was troublesome. Repaying it with an item of definite value avoided future complications.

After Camellia left, Moonflower, the grandmotherly loli, approached.

This supposedly oldest member of the tea party, besides the leader, always maintained a childish appearance, even younger than Elsa, and enjoyed acting cute.

However, upon reaching Luo Ling, she turned sideways, pouting and feigning anger.

“Sister Amethyst, why haven’t you come to see me? Hmph, I hate you!”

She turned her head away, looking up with a sulky expression.

“…”

Luo Ling suddenly understood why Iris called Moonflower an old hag.

Knowing her true age, and seeing her current appearance… it was unbearable.

And despite her efforts, Moonflower’s cuteness couldn’t compare to even a tenth—no, a hundredth!—of little Elsa’s.

A real loli was far more endearing than a grandmotherly loli.

Moonflower sneaked a glance at Luo Ling’s indifferent expression, wondering,

“Is tsundere no longer in fashion? She doesn’t seem to like it either…”

The cute loli act hadn’t worked last time, and now even tsundere loli wasn’t effective…

Could it be that she preferred… tomboys?

She hadn’t tried that before. This was a challenge…

As Moonflower pondered Amethyst’s preferences, she saw her turn to the sweating Iris.

“Iris, let’s go.”

“Huh?”

Moonflower was stunned. She had come over, like Camellia, to offer a gift! Didn’t she want it?

Luo Ling wouldn’t refuse a gift, but… seeing Moonflower’s current appearance, she wanted to avoid her at all costs.

So, without hesitation, she turned to Iris and practically dragged her away.

“Hey, hey, hey…”

Moonflower wanted to stop them.

At least acknowledge her presence!

But Luo Ling and Iris vanished into the black mist, leaving the lost Kingdom.

“…Damn it!”

Moonflower stomped her foot, then seeing Camellia’s mocking smile, she snorted and left the Kingdom as well.

“Heh…”

The leader’s gaze lingered on the spot where Luo Ling had disappeared, a faint smile on her lips.

Only after all the members had left did she close her eyes, seemingly savoring something.

“Truly… interesting.”

“My lovely Miss Amethyst.”

“The tea party is over.”

The swirling black mist engulfed the lost Kingdom, seemingly abandoned in a forgotten corner of the world.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Miss Amethyst, I Have a Proposition p1

If anyone in the Witches’ Tea Party was most enthusiastic about the path to godhood, it was undoubtedly Iris.

As the youngest member besides Luo Ling, she had significant room for growth and possessed a certain… ambition.

Ascending to godhood, wielding an Authority, although it was unclear why Iris, a God’s Favored, was so fixated on this seemingly blasphemous pursuit, one thing was certain…

Luo Ling could profit from it.

“Miss Amethyst, c-can I… pay later?”

Iris looked at Luo Ling nervously, fidgeting with her clothes, fearing that the unpredictable Naraku Godchosen would refuse or make an even more outrageous demand.

Having received such praise from the leader, the information on the path to godhood in Amethyst’s possession must be worth far more than six petals. If she missed this opportunity…

She might not encounter another one for a long time.

Such precious opportunities were fleeting. If she didn’t seize it now, she would regret it later.

It wasn’t that Iris hadn’t saved up petals. In fact, she was perhaps the most diligent among the tea party members. Unfortunately, acquiring the twilight Kingdom had depleted her entire savings.

And more.

To nurture the Kingdom, Iris had borrowed extensively, accumulating a significant debt, just to get it functioning.

…And her first business deal had been sabotaged by Luo Ling.

It had taken Iris a while to repay her debts, finally clearing her balance, only to spend her meager savings on the leader’s information on the path to godhood.

Now, Iris was practically penniless, only a single petal to her name, unable to afford the exorbitant price of six petals.

The other tea party members were understanding, allowing her to postpone payment, with some interest, of course. After all, the tea party was a loose alliance maintained by mutual benefit.

But Miss Amethyst…

This newly joined Naraku Godchosen had left a less than favorable impression, like a selfish and greedy glutton.

Therefore, Iris was truly afraid that Amethyst would take advantage of this opportunity, demanding an exorbitant price. She couldn’t afford to be exploited again…

She would be completely bankrupt…

“Hmm?” Luo Ling paused. “Iris, how long have you been a member of the tea party?”

“About… twenty years? Not including the time spent in my Kingdom.” Iris counted on her fingers, then asked hesitantly, “But Amethyst, why do you ask…?”

“Twenty years, and you haven’t even saved up six petals?” Luo Ling added.

“…….”

Iris fell silent.

“W-well, it’s not like I haven’t saved any,” Iris said, gritting her teeth. “It’s just that I spent twenty petals acquiring the twilight Kingdom recently, so now…”

“Just twenty? Can’t you earn that back quickly?”

Luo Ling asked, puzzled. “I’ve only been a member for a couple of months, and even with today’s earnings… I’ve already surpassed twenty.”

Luo Ling wasn’t being sarcastic, she genuinely thought so. She didn’t fully understand the value of petals.

Sincerity was the deadliest weapon.

The more sincere Luo Ling was, the more wounded Iris felt, like daggers piercing her heart.

“……..”

Another long silence, but this time, it wasn’t just Iris, but the other tea party members as well, only the leader maintaining a faint smile.

It seemed Amethyst truly didn’t understand the value and rarity of petals…

No wonder she offered such a generous discount. If, as the leader claimed, her information was genuine, even at the original price, they would have eagerly bought it… no, even at a higher price, they might not have hesitated.

However, they weren’t about to point this out.

Six petals was a significant amount, even the others would struggle to produce it all at once, as they needed to keep some for emergencies or other transactions.

Besides, the opportunities for godhood were likely limited. Iris was, in a way, their competitor. Why help a competitor?

Therefore, Iris hadn’t even asked Camellia or the others to borrow petals, knowing it was unlikely.

Her only hope was Amethyst’s mercy.

“You really don’t have any?”

Luo Ling asked again.

“I really don’t!”

Iris was on the verge of tears.

“Alright, in that case, I can allow you to pay later. After all, I’m not a bad person.”

Luo Ling nodded. “Besides, Miss Iris, I benefited quite a bit from you last time. I haven’t forgotten.”

She had devoured Iris’s sapling, advancing her Naraku form to the first stage, and Iris hadn’t even pursued the matter (because she didn’t dare).

Therefore, Luo Ling considered Iris a good person. Allowing her to postpone payment wasn’t a big deal.

“R-really?”

Iris was stunned. A Naraku Godchosen… could be so reasonable?

Wait, this felt familiar…

But regardless, this was good news! She could obtain the information on the path to godhood at such a discounted price, only needing to accumulate a small debt!

“Of course.”

Luo Ling smiled, a smile she considered friendly. “After all, I also have a proposition for you, a small favor.”

“Okay… wait, what favor?”

Iris’s initial agreement turned to wariness, remembering Amethyst’s infamous identity.

A favor… was it her life?

Or perhaps…

Iris recalled their previous encounter, her face paling.

She seemed to know what Amethyst wanted.

“Your twilight Kingdom.” Luo Ling said. “I have a use for it.”

Iris’s twilight Kingdom was a five-minute fragment of Victoria before the seventy-fourth Boundary collapse, a collapse caused by the Company, triggered by the impending Taboo disaster.

Artist had attempted to ascend during this disaster, and although interrupted by the Company, he must have left traces, valuable information.

Only with this information could Luo Ling gain leverage to usurp Religious’s ascension.

“…”

Iris fell silent, struggling internally, then said with a forced smile,

“Sister Amethyst, the sapling hasn’t fully grown yet. If you like, I can send you some branches and leaves in ten years or so…”

She could just nurture it for a while longer.

The Bodhi Ancient Tree could wait.

And she… could also wait, if she gritted her teeth… right?

As long as Amethyst didn’t take too much.

“I don’t need the sapling,” Luo Ling shook her head. “I just want to borrow your Kingdom.”

The sapling was no longer useful to her. Naraku’s advancement required increasingly more power.

Her first advancement had been thanks to the sapling, the second had consumed a significant amount of power, even devouring a Boundary wasn’t enough, requiring Scientist’s spider leg Sacred Relic.

For the third advancement…

Even ten saplings wouldn’t be enough. She would leave some for Iris, who was already pitiful enough.

Luo Ling felt a surge of selflessness. She truly was a good person.

“Even a sapling isn’t enough for her now…”

A chill ran down Iris’s spine, seeing the knowing smile on Amethyst’s face…

She was no different from other Naraku Godchosen after all!

Could it be that she wanted to devour her Kingdom?

“Iris, do you still want the information on credit?”

Luo Ling glanced at the other tea party members, who seemed impatient, and turned to Iris.

She could discuss the Kingdom transaction later. She shouldn’t delay the others, she still had other things to sell.

“Is this a threat? This is definitely a threat!”

Iris stared at Luo Ling, her intense gaze making Luo Ling self-conscious, wondering if something was on her face.

“So, this is the price for credit?”

Iris’s voice trembled, as if suppressing her humiliation.

First proposing the Kingdom transaction, then asking if she still wanted the information on credit… Amethyst’s intention was clear. No Kingdom, no credit.

What a vicious woman…

Even her smile seemed to hold hidden daggers.

Luo Ling, however, was confused. “Of course not, it’s a transaction, entirely voluntary.”

…If she wasn’t willing to make a deal with Amethyst, then Amethyst wouldn’t make a deal with her… was that it?

Tears of humiliation welled up in Iris’s eyes. Her sapling, her Kingdom… would they all be taken by this wicked woman?

She was completely at her mercy…

Iris couldn’t help but interpret everything in the worst possible light, due to Amethyst’s identity and past actions.

“I agree, I agree to everything… the Kingdom, the sapling, everything…”

All for the path to godhood.

Iris had no choice.

“Oh, alright.”

Although puzzled by Iris’s sudden emotional outburst, since the deal was done, Luo Ling didn’t delay, sending the memory fragment to Iris’s mind.

Several petals on Iris’s floral pattern dimmed, merging into Luo Ling’s.

A complete floral pattern formed, and Luo Ling vaguely sensed a change within her.

She would examine it later.

Their transaction was witnessed by the other tea party members. Moonflower and Camellia exchanged glances, wariness evident in their eyes.

This newcomer was dangerous…

They suddenly realized that the bulk discount wasn’t due to Amethyst’s ignorance, but a calculated move.

Iris, because of this, had been completely manipulated, forced to accept a deal she wouldn’t have otherwise.

Six petals was a significant yet not insurmountable amount, a carefully calculated threshold… Amethyst must have done her research.

They shouldn’t underestimate any Naraku Godchosen.

—Actually, Luo Ling had never sold anything before. Unsure how to proceed, she had consulted her sister’s memories of business transactions.

Most of them were from the marketplace…

Thus, Luo Ling had devised this sales strategy.

It seemed quite effective.

Her sister’s memories were truly useful.

“I truly am a genius.”

Luo Ling felt a surge of pride, discovering another hidden talent.

After receiving the memory, Iris examined its contents and gasped.

She looked at Luo Ling in shock, wondering how she had obtained such information…

But as the leader had said, it was a bargain.

However, for Iris… the price was steep.

Thinking of her Kingdom, about to be ravaged by the Naraku Godchosen, and her precious sapling…

Well, it was all for the path to godhood.

Tears of humiliation streamed down Iris’s face.

“Sister Amethyst, please… be gentle… with my Kingdom…”

Iris’s voice trembled, her last plea.

“Huh? No problem…”

Ignoring Iris’s rambling, Luo Ling looked at the other tea party members.

“So?”

The results were clear. The leader and Iris had confirmed the information’s authenticity. Camellia and Moonflower readily paid the price, several petals merging into Luo Ling’s forehead.

These two were veterans, their savings ample, unlike Iris, who had to sell her Kingdom.

After briefly examining the memories, their gazes towards Luo Ling changed, their perception of the newcomer shifting.

This Naraku Godchosen… was incredibly dangerous!

Fortunately, she was currently on their side. If she joined their enemies… the tea party would be torn apart.

They were grateful for the leader’s foresight, recruiting Amethyst and demonstrating the tea party’s value.

Otherwise… the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Chapter Forty-Six: An Unspeakable Secret, The Tea Party Turns Into a Marketplace p2

Within the desolate grey garden, in the seemingly abandoned lost Kingdom.

The elegant woman, shrouded in the mystical veil, sat languidly at the head of the round table, twirling her fingers.

Sensing the swirling black mist, she straightened up, a fleeting smile appearing on her lips.

“Amethyst, you’ve arrived.”

She looked at the hazy grey figure emerging from the mist, her voice soft.

“……”

Luo Ling looked at the empty round table and didn’t approach.

Was this another private summons?

Being alone with this enigmatic and dangerous woman, even knowing she likely meant no harm, was unsettling.

And…

Perhaps due to feminine intuition, Luo Ling felt a sense of danger, increasing her wariness.

Seemingly sensing Luo Ling’s hesitation, the leader’s expression turned serious.

“They’ll be here soon. You’re just early, Amethyst.”

The leader paused, her gaze lingering on Luo Ling. “However, are you this eager? Because of the tea party, or because of… me?”

Luo Ling ignored the leader’s suggestive tone, simply walking over and sitting down.

As long as she wasn’t alone with her.

The leader didn’t seem offended by Luo Ling’s coldness, simply observing her with a smile, as if Luo Ling was the only source of amusement in her otherwise boring existence.

Soon, the other tea party members emerged from the mist. Unlike Luo Ling, they had matters to attend to before arriving, preparations to make.

Unlike Luo Ling, who had been left alone in her apartment, with nothing to do.

However, upon entering the garden, they all noticed the leader’s intense gaze on Amethyst, but remained silent.

Only Iris, the last to arrive, asked directly, “Leader, why are you staring at Amethyst?”

“I wasn’t staring.”

The leader averted her gaze, returning to her usual languid posture.

“Oh…”

Iris looked at Luo Ling strangely. Why was the leader treating this newcomer so differently? Could it be, as the other members had suggested, that she had a thing for Naraku Godchosen?

This Naraku Godchosen wasn’t a good person. Last time, she had taken advantage of her, appearing in her twilight Kingdom and devouring her precious sapling.

It had cost Iris considerable resources to heal it, a painful memory.

Iris had decided that she wouldn’t allow Amethyst into her Kingdom again, no matter what.

“The tea party has begun.”

The leader said softly.

The members’ expressions turned serious.

“Amethyst, as the newest member, you may begin.”

The leader looked at Luo Ling, her eyes filled with interest. “I wonder if you’ve brought anything that interests me today.”

“…Perhaps.”

This was Luo Ling’s first word to the leader since entering the lost Kingdom. She hadn’t forgotten the information she owed her from their previous transaction.

“First, I have the information on the path to godhood, as promised.”

Snowdrop, the only one uninterested in godhood, promptly sealed her senses.

Luo Ling paused briefly, then listed the information she had. “Related to Philosopher, the Company, and the Harbingers of Calamity.

“Two pieces of information on Philosopher, three on the Company, and four on the Harbingers, all carefully selected and related to the path to godhood.

“Please, choose.”

Silence fell upon the tea party, even the leader was speechless.

After a moment, the leader finally spoke.

“I will verify the information’s authenticity. Any falsehood will be detected.”

“Certainly, be my guest.”

Luo Ling nodded calmly, looking at the others.

“Since this is my first transaction with you, I’m not very experienced. How about this, one petal per piece of information, buy three get one free, the entire package for just six petals.

“This is my best offer. Any takers?”

“…Amethyst, are you serious?”

Camellia couldn’t help but interrupt. It wasn’t that she was being impolite, but… who did business like this?

This was the Witches’ Tea Party, attended by Godchosen and God’s Favored, not a wholesale market!

Information on the path to godhood, even the leader wouldn’t offer such a bulk discount…

Although the discounted price was tempting, if this was just a joke…

It would be unforgivable!

Other beings might hesitate before such an outrageous act, but not Amethyst, Naraku’s Godchosen.

The infamous, universally despised Naraku Godchosen, anything was possible.

Even if the current Amethyst seemed normal, anything related to Naraku was suspect… who knew when these fanatics would suddenly snap.

Even among the eccentric Godchosen and God’s Favored, Naraku Godchosen were in a league of their own.

“Whether it’s a joke or not, why don’t you try it and see, ladies… sisters?” Luo Ling said with a smile, almost calling them “grandmas.”

Her answer didn’t alleviate their doubts, only deepening their silence.

Not just Camellia, but Moonflower, Iris, even the leader, all were stunned by Luo Ling’s wholesale offer.

In just two months, she had obtained so much information…

All related to the path to godhood.

Even if her God was Naraku, the being of “Omniscience,” even if she could wield a Taboo’s Authority, this was still… too much.

The tea party members had also been gathering information, using their own methods and resources, but two months was too short, only uncovering a few clues.

The purpose of this tea party was to combine their fragmented information, hoping to piece together a small part of the path to godhood, a gradual process.

Yet, one of them claimed to have excavated half the mountain already, offering it wholesale.

Gradual process?

More like a rocket launch!

It was hard to believe.

After a long silence, the leader finally spoke.

“I’ll pay.”

She offered six petals, which merged into the floral pattern on Luo Ling’s forehead.

Luo Ling felt a warmth on her forehead as the amethyst flower pattern became more complete.

Including the petal from their previous transaction, she now had seven, the pattern still incomplete, requiring about three more.

Unfortunately, the three petals she had received from Moonflower for her hair had already been used to repay her debt. Otherwise, it would have been a complete flower.

“I haven’t felt any benefits from these petals yet. Perhaps I need a complete flower?”

Luo Ling pushed the thought aside, gathering the information into a memory fragment and sending it directly to the leader’s mind.

With the hair strands, Luo Ling could use some simple Puppet Ballad abilities even in her other forms, though anything too complex required more than a single strand.

Sending a memory fragment was still manageable.

Seeing Luo Ling’s method, the leader was surprised, then a smile appeared on her lips.

“How interesting…”

Amethyst.

She was becoming more and more intrigued.

She wanted to…

The leader closed her eyes slowly, her smile widening under the watchful gazes of the tea party members, until she finally chuckled softly.

Although just a faint chuckle, it stunned the other members, even Moonflower, who had known the leader the longest.

The cute, childish grandmotherly loli’s jaw dropped as she stared at the leader, rubbing her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating from exhaustion.

She couldn’t understand why Amethyst, a Naraku Godchosen, could elicit such a reaction from the usually indifferent leader. Could it be… because of her Naraku Godchosen identity?

…Seriously? The leader had such a strange taste?

The leader opened her eyes, her gaze now intense and almost predatory, unlike her usual calmness.

But the oppressive feeling quickly vanished.

The leader returned to her usual languid demeanor, looking at Luo Ling with a smile. “Amethyst, you’ve kept your promise. Between us… we’re even.”

Meaning, Luo Ling had brought something she was interested in, settling the debt from their previous transaction.

But… this “something” wasn’t the information on the path to godhood, as the leader had already paid for it. She wasn’t in the habit of tipping.

As for what it was, the leader didn’t say, and Luo Ling didn’t ask.

However, settling her debt with this woman was a good thing. Luo Ling had been prepared to offer even more sensitive information, but it hadn’t been necessary.

“Okay.”

Luo Ling nodded, relieved.

The meaning of this exchange was clear to both the leader and Luo Ling, but to the other tea party members, it was a different story.

What promise?

What did she mean by “even”?

What was going on?!

They exchanged glances, their gazes shifting between Luo Ling and the leader, their suspicion growing.

Had these two been conducting secret transactions behind their backs?

Their relationship seemed to have developed beyond their understanding…

As if they shared secrets only they knew.

“Her information is genuine.” The leader declared. “And… worth far more than the price.”

Six petals for so much information, not just a few words, but complete memories.

Although Amethyst had filtered and concealed some information, mostly related to her identity and abilities, the crucial parts were complete and unaltered.

These memories, if carefully analyzed, were worth far more than six petals, perhaps even sixteen.

Of course, considering Amethyst was selling to multiple people, a lower price was understandable.

She would remind her next time.

Not just genuine, but a bargain!

The tea party members were stunned, their shock evident even through the mystical veil.

This was coming from the leader, who, although possibly involved with Amethyst, was always truthful regarding tea party transactions.

She was the leader. If even she engaged in deception, the tea party would lose its purpose.

“I’ll pay!”

Iris was the first to speak, rushing towards Luo Ling, then hesitating, her expression turning awkward.

“B-but… can I pay later?”

Chapter Forty-Six: An Unspeakable Secret, The Tea Party Turns Into a Marketplace p1

First, disbelief.

Then, uncontainable ecstasy.

Yet, before his teacher, he had to maintain a semblance of composure.

Religious’s expression contorted, his lips twitching, before he finally bowed deeply, his voice trembling.

“Thank you… sirs…”

Educator simply looked at him, his calmness almost unnerving. “There’s no need for thanks. This is what you deserve.”

“Yes, yes…”

Religious looked up, his eyes burning with fanaticism.

Wielding an Authority didn’t just mean possessing unprecedented power, but also becoming an equal to the three leaders, the fourth leader of the Harbingers of Calamity.

And it meant…

In the Harbingers’ dream of a new world, Religious would undoubtedly be among those standing at the pinnacle of humanity.

Either way, it was enough to send him into ecstasy, especially since it was within his grasp.

It truly was a blessing, just for him.

“Delegate your current tasks as soon as possible. The ritual preparations will take three months. You’ll be in seclusion with me.” Educator said gravely. “After three months, the ascension ritual can officially begin.

“This time… we will ensure your success.”

The Harbingers’ previous defeat had been devastating, leaving them weakened and vulnerable. They couldn’t afford another failure.

If they failed again…

The Harbingers’ leaders themselves might be next to fall.

“Yes.”

After his initial ecstasy, Religious calmed down.

Their previous failure was still fresh in his mind. Artist, the most likely candidate for the fourth leader, had been crippled, reduced to an ordinary high-order Awakened One.

And due to the influence of the “Immortality” Authority during the Taboo disaster, his flesh and blood were tainted… his life hanging by a thread.

Even if he hadn’t died in Jiangcheng County, he wouldn’t have lived much longer.

That was why Artist had chosen to go to Jiangcheng County, seeking a glimmer of hope in his final moments.

The mysterious High-Risk Grotesquery Sacred Relic there might have healed his injuries and allowed him to continue his path to godhood… Of course, with his decision to face the enemy alone on the train, his fate was sealed.

Next in line was Scientist. If Artist failed, she would have been the next to ascend, a fact she was well aware of.

Being able to command even Philosopher, Scientist’s status within the Harbingers was evident.

Unfortunately, she had also died in Jiangcheng County, seeking to retrieve her experimental subjects.

And after that…

There were no other suitable candidates.

The remaining Harbingers were all relatively equal, none clearly deserving of becoming the next leader. That was why Religious had reacted so strongly to this opportunity.

“Prepare yourself. I’ll come for you tomorrow.”

Educator said calmly, then turned to leave.

But before leaving, he glanced at the spot where the shifty-looking man had died, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

“…Is that the intuition of a top-tier expert?”

Luo Ling murmured, watching the scene. She was certain that although essentially fungal threads, the shifty-looking man would appear as an ordinary human under any examination.

Even the Taboo Slate… couldn’t detect him.

The Puppet Ballad in Jiangcheng County had awakened for some time, yet the Taboo Slate hadn’t revealed any information, a testament to the Puppet Ballad’s exceptional concealment.

But intuition was unpredictable, difficult to counter.

Fortunately, perhaps because this was the most suitable time and place he could find, Educator, despite his nagging suspicion, had still chosen to reveal this crucial information to Religious.

After Educator left, Religious remained there for a long time, lost in thought.

He looked towards the Church of Light, seemingly having made a decision.

This must have been when Religious decided to entrust all the churches to the Church of Light, despite his incomplete assessment.

Compared to wielding an Authority and becoming a Harbinger leader, such trivial matters… were insignificant.

But Religious hadn’t anticipated that he was inadvertently handing a significant power to another entity.

“Should I thank him?”

A smile appeared on Luo Ling’s lips as the scene faded to black.

The shifty-looking man’s memory ended, her consciousness withdrawing.

“It seems… I’ve learned something quite significant.” Recalling the information within the memory, Luo Ling tapped her fingers on the table, lost in thought.

An opportunity for the Harbingers to gain another powerful combatant, disrupting the delicate balance between the Company’s three directors and the Harbingers’ three leaders, was indeed a matter of great importance for Educator.

However, his precautions weren’t thorough enough.

Luo Ling didn’t believe that the Harbingers lacked a more secure location for such an important discussion, allowing her intelligence network to intercept it.

Educator’s position wasn’t low. Only the other two Harbinger leaders were his equals. Therefore, his decisions shouldn’t have required such secrecy from other Harbingers.

Choosing a Harbinger for ascension was the prerogative of the three leaders. Even if others were envious, it wouldn’t matter. Absolute power brought absolute authority.

There was only one explanation.

Educator wasn’t avoiding other Harbingers.

But… the other Harbinger leaders.

The Harbingers did have secure locations, but they were also under the surveillance of the other leaders. That was why Educator had chosen to meet Religious on the street.

Luo Ling’s expression turned strange.

“Could it be…?”

Was there a traitor among the Harbingers’ leadership?

Judging by Educator’s words and actions, it seemed to be another Harbinger leader… and the target was obvious.

Philosopher knew about this conversation, having even helped erase its traces, creating this opportunity for Educator and Religious.

The only one unaware of this was… Historian.

If there was a traitor among the Harbingers, it could only be Historian.

But then Luo Ling realized that if she could deduce this from the information, Philosopher and Educator must also know.

Yet, even knowing this, they still chose to remain with Historian… why?

It couldn’t be simply because of brotherly bonds, could it?

Such a naive notion wouldn’t even convince Elsa.

Therefore, there must be a hidden reason.

Luo Ling quickly thought of the Harbingers’ nemesis, the Company, the current leaders of humanity’s Order-side forces.

She already knew that there was a traitor within the Company, someone high-ranking enough to access and tamper with the Taboo Slate.

What if the Harbingers’ traitor was a leader, and the Company’s traitor was a director?

Luo Ling pictured the three figures in the dilapidated cabin, the elderly man, the woman, and the young man, their faces shadowed by the firelight.

Those three directors were incredibly shrewd. If another high-ranking official was a Harbinger traitor, they would have noticed.

But what if… the traitor was one of them?

That would explain everything.

And if she were even bolder, what if the Company’s traitor and the Harbingers’ traitor were the same person?

A double agent known to both sides?

“…”

Luo Ling pondered this thought, feeling it was too audacious.

It was… unbelievable.

But having eliminated all other possibilities, this improbable scenario, however bizarre… was the only remaining answer.

Among their highest-ranking leaders, there was a mutually acknowledged traitor.

Among the Harbingers, it was likely Historian, but she didn’t know which of the Company’s three directors it was.

And both sides were likely aware of this.

“Those old geezers are playing a dangerous game…”

Luo Ling rubbed her temples and sighed.

There must be complex machinations and hidden dangers behind this delicate balance of power.

Perhaps the details were slightly different, but this conclusion could be considered a fact.

However, compared to the old geezers’ power struggles, Luo Ling was more concerned about Religious’s ascension ritual.

“Three months from then…”

Meaning, there was only about a month left.

The Harbingers’ previous ascension ritual had occurred during Victoria’s seventy-fourth Boundary collapse, utilizing the Taboo disaster.

This seemed to be their established method, likely how the three leaders obtained their Authorities.

In the past few years, the Harbingers had been in hiding, evading the Company, unable to make significant progress. Therefore, Religious’s ascension would likely follow the same method.

However, Luo Ling currently lacked information on Artist’s ascension ritual. The Company directors had been vague, unlikely to reveal any details.

And obtaining such classified information from the Harbingers was practically impossible.

The Church of Light was still at the grassroots level. One month was too short to gain access to such secrets.

However, Luo Ling thought of another place where she might find the details of the ritual, though she wasn’t sure if its owner would agree…

After all, she had caused her quite a bit of trouble last time.

It was the “Kingdom” formed during the seventy-fourth Boundary collapse, the twilight Victoria, controlled by an unknown Grotesquery’s Agent, Iris, a member of the Witches’ Tea Party.

Luo Ling’s Naraku form’s first advancement had been thanks to nibbling on that young lady’s sapling, her distress indicating its value.

“Perhaps I could offer her something from the White Witch? She seemed quite interested last time.”

The thought of selling something had been on Luo Ling’s mind ever since she realized she was a walking treasure trove.

Of course, Luo Ling knew her limits.

The White Witch’s greatest strength was her stealth, her ability to act undetected.

If this were discovered, her threat level would decrease significantly, perhaps even to the Dangerous Grotesquery level.

Therefore, Luo Ling had been cautious, only selling her hair once, an item that would lose its power soon.

She felt slightly guilty towards that cute, childish Moonflower…

All the tea party members were like grandmothers to Luo Ling.

She was a genuine sixteen-year-old girl, her birthday hadn’t even passed yet.

“If I knew the details of the ritual, could I steal Religious’s path to godhood?” Luo Ling wondered. “I wonder what would happen if I, a Grotesquery, performed the ascension ritual.”

Luo Ling wanted to try it, embarking on the path to godhood without using “Devour.”

Would she gain a new form and Authority, or would her existing form advance?

Or perhaps…

Luo Ling was eager to find out.

If the opportunity arose, she wouldn’t hesitate to steal the Harbingers’ hard-earned fruits of labor, as long as it didn’t cause a disaster.

Although she had witnessed countless sacrifices for the sake of a single person’s ascension, she still couldn’t accept it.

Especially after witnessing the “sacrifice” of the “Hunt” team alongside Knight Linna.

As Luo Ling pondered, she felt a warmth on her forehead, the signal for the tea party.

“It’s time.”

Luo Ling’s expression turned serious as her violet hair cascaded down. She touched the floral pattern appearing on her forehead.

The next moment, dark mist swirled around her, engulfing the violet figure and carrying her away.

The apartment was now empty.

…….

 

Chapter Forty-Five: The Lonely Luo Ling, A New Ascension

After a brief, heartwarming night, Luo Ling watched Stasha sleep peacefully, a faint smile lingering on her face, and couldn’t help but smile herself.

As a younger sister, she understood what Stasha needed.

Although Luo Ling couldn’t give her everything, offering some comfort was still possible.

Unfortunately…

“Stasha… must have guessed something.”

Luo Ling sighed inwardly. This was beyond her control.

The Puppet Ballad’s disguise and domination were near perfect, but against true emotions… they were powerless.

Luo Ling couldn’t give Stasha back her real sister, only temporarily fulfilling her heartfelt wish.

“It’s… time to leave.”

Luo Ling turned away from Stasha’s sleeping face and activated the final review mechanism, a flood of information pouring into her mind, all related to the Company and the Harbingers.

Much of the information in the Awakened world was inaccessible to ordinary people, even in Victoria. Therefore, the Company and the Harbingers often didn’t bother concealing their actions from them.

But these puppets weren’t ordinary people. They only appeared human, essentially no different from the Puppet Ballad’s fungal threads. Perceiving this information wasn’t a problem.

Therefore, the thousands of puppets scattered throughout Victoria acted as Luo Ling’s eyes and ears, gathering information.

A vast intelligence network, hidden within the world, deeply rooted in the Company’s territory.

Most importantly, this network didn’t require communication between its nodes, minimizing the risk of exposure, and they would never betray Luo Ling.

Even if someone detected a puppet and killed it, they couldn’t trace it back.

This was the Puppet Ballad network’s greatest advantage.

“…Perhaps I could become an information broker?” Luo Ling considered, but dismissed the idea.

She lacked the personnel.

Alyssa was suitable, but she was now the Saint, unable to handle another demanding task.

Elsa…

This little girl would sell herself before selling any information.

Elsa was too young and naive for such a task.

And Linna was a super soldier, empowered by the Puppet Ballad, capable of facing Dangerous Grotesqueries, her combat strength exceeding Luo Ling’s. Wasting her talent as an information broker would be a shame.

Besides, Linna was currently who-knows-where.

And Luo Ling herself couldn’t operate openly. This idea had to be shelved.

For now, Luo Ling wasn’t lacking anything.

After gathering the information, Luo Ling left the system running automatically.

Alyssa, during her solitary evening prayers, would filter the information.

Luo Ling placed a few empowered strands of hair on Stasha’s head.

Although Alyssa was with her, Stasha might still encounter danger.

After using the hair on Odeletta, Luo Ling found this method effective, especially for ordinary people.

Ancient wisdom, though it might involve copyright infringement.

She couldn’t leave too many strands. Too much power would attract attention.

At this level, unless used in front of a high-ranking individual, it wouldn’t be detected.

The power within these strands was temporary, lasting a month, then dissipating, becoming ordinary white hair.

However, the hair given to Stasha belonged to Alyssa, since Luo Ling wasn’t physically present.

Luo Ling closed her eyes, her consciousness returning. Alyssa opened her eyes, her blind gaze filled with affection as she looked at her sister.

Stasha stirred, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, meeting her sister’s gentle gaze.

…Yet, it felt empty.

“Sister…?”

Stasha felt a strange sense of loss.

“Yes, I’m here.”

Alyssa replied gently.

……

Lying on the familiar soft bed, Luo Ling knew Elsa had carried her again.

But she felt… lighter?

Luo Ling sat up, realizing she was alone in bed.

“Elsa?”

Luo Ling called out, but received no response.

The apartment was empty.

“Not in her own bed either…”

Luo Ling touched Elsa’s bed. It was cold.

Luo Ling went to the common area.

The team shared the apartment. Only Eve didn’t live here yet.

Besides their private rooms, there was a shared living room, kitchen, and dining area, rarely used.

Initially, Cen Xiangyun had envisioned them living like a family, but she had lost interest after cooking a few meals, and after Luo Ling’s culinary disaster, the kitchen had been abandoned.

But today was different. The stove was warm. Luo Ling entered the dining area and saw a glass of warm milk and two slightly burnt fried eggs.

A note was placed under the glass, written in clumsy Chinese—clearly Elsa’s.

Elsa had been a vessel for a Grotesquery, ordinary childhood experiences out of reach.

Perhaps because of this, she was more mature than other children her age.

Luo Ling picked up the note, deciphering the clumsy handwriting.

“Miss Luo Ling, I’m going on a mission with Sister Cen! This was planned before you came back, so there’s no spot for you. Rest at home.

“Hmph, Elsa will become stronger too! I’ll fight alongside Miss Luo Ling one day!

“The milk and fried eggs are made by me! It’s my first time, so don’t dislike it! Finish everything!

“—Elsa.”

Luo Ling smiled, picturing Elsa struggling to write the note.

She had worked hard.

Luo Ling sat down, looking at the food.

The apartment was empty, only her remaining.

Saint Alyssa was at the cathedral, Linna was somewhere else, likely in a Kingdom.

Only Luo Ling was free.

“…Everyone’s busy.”

Luo Ling sighed, feeling melancholic.

“It’s good to be busy.”

She drank the milk and ate the eggs.

Although Elsa claimed it was her first time, it wasn’t bad, though not as good as her sister’s… but much better than Luo Ling’s own cooking.

After breakfast, Luo Ling returned to her room.

She still had information from the puppet network, much of it related to the Harbingers.

One entry, marked as “most important” by Alyssa, caught her attention.

“…….”

Luo Ling found herself in a slum.

The Puppet Ballad’s “Read” ability allowed her to experience memories vividly.

She saw a shifty-looking man peering over a wall.

“Sir, there’s no need for you to come personally.”

Luo Ling recognized Educator’s voice.

She saw a tall man dressed as a priest, bowing respectfully.

And before him stood…

A small, childlike figure.

He looked like a five or six-year-old boy, but his expression was solemn.

A monocle covered his right eye, and he wore a scholar’s robe, like a child prodigy.

Despite his appearance, he exuded the aura of an old scholar.

“We’re comrades, no need for formalities.” The boy said, his childish voice strangely world-weary.

“Who… is this?”

Luo Ling frowned. Religious’s position wasn’t low. For him to be so respectful, it could only be one of the three Harbinger leaders.

Philosopher was easily ruled out.

Of the remaining two… Historian had never appeared, while Educator was a middle-aged man.

Luo Ling stared at the boy and realized.

It wasn’t Historian, but Educator.

“…Is this some kind of price?” Luo Ling wondered.

Despite the age difference, the boy’s face retained some of the middle-aged man’s features.

The memory continued, Religious still respectful, “No, I’ll always be your student, sir.”

Educator remained silent, seemingly sensing something.

The shifty-looking man convulsed, his flesh churning, then boiling from the inside out.

He died before he could scream, his body dissolving into a foul-smelling liquid, quickly evaporating.

“Now, for ten miles around, there is no life.” Educator said softly.

He had casually eradicated all life within ten miles.

“This… is a domain formed by an Authority.” Luo Ling’s eyes narrowed, recognizing it instantly.

Educator possessed an Authority, not merely using one. The difference in power was vast. Even mid-order Awakened Ones couldn’t withstand it.

Even high-order Awakened Ones couldn’t escape unscathed.

And ten miles wasn’t Educator’s limit.

…Stronger than the Puppet Ballad, far stronger.

Terrifying.

But why had Educator come here to meet Religious?

Luo Ling checked the timeline. It was before Educator’s seclusion, when the Church of Light was growing.

Due to the fragmented nature of the memory, Luo Ling hadn’t noticed it earlier.

So, this was the reason for Educator’s seclusion.

“Sir, do you have something important to discuss?” Religious asked. “But why… not in the cabin?”

Educator paused, then shook his head. “There are reasons I can’t disclose.”

“Yes, sir.”

Religious understood.

The Harbingers were also secretive. The leak during Artist’s ascension remained a mystery.

“What I’m about to tell you is incredibly important. It must not be revealed to anyone, including other Harbingers.”

Educator whispered, “I’ve had Philosopher use ‘Traveler’ to erase all traces of this area. Even Auspicious Timing can’t scry here.”

“…Okay.”

Religious listened.

Educator had taken every precaution, except for one.

The slain man was now a part of a Silent Demise Grotesquery. Conventional death… was merely another form of existence.

Therefore, even as a dried stain, he still provided Luo Ling with his memories.

“We’ve decided. You’ll be the next to wield an Authority.”

Educator looked at Religious.

“You’ll walk the path to godhood, killing a High-Risk Grotesquery, usurping its Authority, and ascending to a Sequence position.”

His words carried a defiant power.

Religious looked up in disbelief. “Sir, this… this is…”

An Authority!

The ultimate power!

No one could remain calm.

“This is a blessing,” Educator said calmly, “a blessing only for you.”