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Chapter 64: Miss Luo Ling Dies Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was also Philosopher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yet, she couldn’t wake up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But now…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Then… does Elsa have to?”

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

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

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

“Oh,” Elsa replied, hugging her head.

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

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

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

“Try what?” Luo Ling asked subconsciously.

“Try…”

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

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

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

Luo Ling was speechless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Origin Point of Change, Victoria.

The Origin Point of Corruption, Columbia.

The Origin Point of Demise, Valhalla.

The Origin Point of Silence, Great Xia Imperial City.

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

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

Luo Ling thought of some terrifying possibilities and fell silent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Oh…”

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

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

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

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

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

……….

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

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

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

“Cheng Jianming…”

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

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

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

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

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

“Mom, they… they’re all dead…”

“Luo Ling… Eve…”

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

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

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

How… tragic.

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

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

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

“Eve…”

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

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

“That’s great…”

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

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

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