Chapter Forty-Three: Naraku’s Second Ability, Lost and Scattered Memories p2
The scene vanished, leaving only the eternally moving train, carrying the past towards an unknown destination.
And the violet-haired woman beside her, her eyes open.
Her deep black eyes held a single white speck, a faint smile playing on her lips, yet she remained silent.
Luo Ling looked at her calmly, seeing her own reflection in the woman’s eyes.
A hazy grey shadow, formless.
This was Luo Ling within her consciousness, similar to her state within the Kingdom.
Amethyst closed her eyes slowly, as if her brief awakening had been merely an illusion.
“That scene replay… was it a manifestation of Naraku’s ability?” Luo Ling wondered.
It had felt so real…
Even within her consciousness space, it had been incredibly vivid.
She reached out, as if still sensing her sister’s presence.
An unbearable longing.
“Could this be Naraku’s scheme?”
Luo Ling stared at Amethyst, at herself. She had heard from the Godchosen about Naraku’s specialty: temptation and corruption.
Almost all Naraku Godchosen were merely pitiful playthings, trapped within its web.
But it wouldn’t succeed.
“Soon, once I reach the third stage of my Naraku form, even without the ‘Omniscience’ Authority, I’ll be able to do it.”
The first and second abilities were already so powerful, the third ability…
Judging by the Puppet Ballad’s third ability, it would integrate the previous two, resulting in a complete transformation, with the final Authority being the culmination of this transformation.
She didn’t need, nor would she pursue, Naraku’s “Omniscience” Authority.
“Soon, very soon.” Luo Ling whispered.
She remained calm throughout.
The ancient corridor crumbled and dissolved, sinking into the endless void, Luo Ling’s consciousness returning to the present world, slowly awakening.
Pale moonlight filtered through the window, the faint chirping of insects in the night the only sign of life.
Elsa lay beside her in bed, her face slightly puffed up, fast asleep.
Luo Ling glanced at the time. It was almost Elsa’s usual waking time.
She had begun her advancement shortly after lunch, and now, half a day had passed.
Perhaps the scene replay on the train had taken a while, but…
It didn’t matter.
She didn’t mind.
“Hmm…”
Luo Ling’s movement as she sat up disturbed Elsa, the lingering winter chill waking her. She instinctively reached out, then jolted awake, realizing Luo Ling wasn’t there.
“Oh!”
She sat up quickly, meeting Luo Ling’s gaze.
“Oh, Miss Luo Ling, you’re awake.” Elsa sighed in relief, having thought she had disappeared.
She was no longer embarrassed about being caught snuggling in Luo Ling’s bed, her expression calm, as if it were an everyday occurrence.
“Yes.”
Luo Ling nodded, slightly distracted.
The sleepy Elsa yawned, then noticed a glint on Miss Luo Ling’s cheek in the moonlight.
Looking closer, she asked with concern, “Miss Luo Ling, did you… have a nightmare?”
“A nightmare?” Luo Ling paused, then shook her head. “Not exactly.”
“But… you seem to have been crying?”
Elsa gently wiped away the tear stains on Luo Ling’s cheek with her sleeve.
“I…”
Luo Ling opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But tears welled up, choking her words.
Elsa looked at Luo Ling, saying nothing, simply wiping away her tears.
This was the second time she had seen Miss Luo Ling show emotion. She usually wore a mask of cold indifference, only revealing her vulnerability in moments like this.
It reminded her that even the strong Miss Luo Ling sometimes needed comfort.
Who had comforted Miss Luo Ling before…
Elsa seemed to know the answer.
She had always known who Miss Luo Ling cared about the most, whose presence filled her heart, making her seem so aloof.
But it didn’t matter.
Elsa had already accepted it. Even if she couldn’t enter Miss Luo Ling’s heart, as long as she could stay by her side, always… it was enough.
She would always be the White Witch’s Red Witch.
The rare display of emotion was brief. Luo Ling quickly composed herself, her slightly red and swollen eyes adding a touch of vulnerability to her appearance.
Unfortunately for Elsa, her sleeve was now soaked with Luo Ling’s tears.
“Sorry.”
Luo Ling apologized, seeing Elsa’s wet sleeve.
“It’s alright…”
Elsa waved her hand dismissively, then yawned again.
Although she had been in bed all day, she hadn’t slept—Miss Luo Ling was right beside her, how could she sleep?!
Now, her biological clock was catching up. Even if she wanted to comfort the unusually vulnerable Miss Luo Ling, she couldn’t. She could only force herself to stay awake, yawning repeatedly.
Luo Ling, however, having slept for half a day, was now wide awake.
“Let me change your clothes.”
Seeing Elsa’s drowsiness, Luo Ling knew she couldn’t change her own clothes, so she went to Elsa’s closet.
“Okay… wait, what?!”
Elsa, despite her drowsiness, was startled, a surge of excitement coursing through her.
What?!
Was Miss Luo Ling going to… change her clothes?
“Come on, take them off. Or should I do it for you?”
Luo Ling approached with Elsa’s pajamas, but seeing Elsa’s sleepy state, she didn’t wait for an answer, starting to undress her.
A rustling sound echoed as Luo Ling’s clumsy fingers fumbled with Elsa’s clothes, occasionally brushing against her skin, even touching sensitive areas a few times, eliciting soft, involuntary moans.
Luo Ling had never done this before. Her sister hadn’t needed her help changing clothes. It was Luo Ling who had been dressed by her sister many times.
After some struggling, Luo Ling finally managed to change Elsa’s clothes, looking at the freshly dressed Elsa with a sense of accomplishment, like a mother who had just taken care of her daughter.
Elsa’s face was crimson, steam seemingly rising from her head, as she hid under the covers.
Miss Luo Ling’s actions were so rough… but it wasn’t bad, was it?
But why did her back feel cold, and her front tight…?
The question lingered in Elsa’s mind, but she couldn’t resist her drowsiness, soon drifting off to sleep.
Luo Ling, like a mother, carefully adjusted Elsa’s position, tucked her in, and wiped the nonexistent sweat from her forehead.
She had done it, after all. She could do it if she tried.
But now…
Luo Ling’s expression turned serious as she touched her forehead.
The location of the petal.
“The tea party will be held tomorrow… ?”
A message entered her mind, making Luo Ling’s expression turn serious. She had plenty of information and items to trade at the tea party.
This would be her first official participation in the tea party.
The first time, she had been dragged there mid-meeting by Iris, following the leader’s instructions, after causing trouble in the twilight “Kingdom” of Victoria.
The second time, the leader had summoned her privately, wanting to learn something from her, and both had achieved their goals, to a certain extent.
And this time…
There would likely be new developments.
“However, before the tea party, I have other matters to attend to.”
Luo Ling composed herself, sitting at her desk.
She looked out at the night sky, her gaze fixed on a certain direction, the slum where the Church of Light was located.
“I wonder how the seeds I planted earlier have grown…”
Luo Ling didn’t constantly monitor her puppets’ activities. It would be too tiring, unnecessarily multi-threading her mind.
Her previous attempts had proven Alyssa’s competence. As a saint, she had managed to consolidate the church, its rapid growth surprising even Luo Ling.
She couldn’t have achieved that herself.
Because she only possessed Alyssa’s memories and emotions, not her way of thinking. Even if she did, she wouldn’t have done it this way.
Integrating another person’s way of thinking could affect her sense of self.
There had been an Awakened One with the ability to merge with others’ consciousnesses, enhancing their own power.
But in the end, this Awakened One had lost their original self, completely becoming another person.
“I should check on the situation.”
It was still early in the night, and Luo Ling, having slept for half a day, was wide awake. A little activity wouldn’t hurt.
Luo Ling closed her eyes, her consciousness shifting, quickly merging with Alyssa’s.
When she opened her eyes again, she was in…
Wait, where was this?
Luo Ling’s eyes widened, staring at the scene before her.
A grand and solemn cathedral, with magnificent stained-glass windows on both sides, rows of neatly arranged pews, clearly well-maintained.
Nothing like the previous slum church.
“Could this be…”
Before Luo Ling’s surprise could subside, a flood of memories, accumulated over two months, surged into her mind, overwhelming even her, her expression contorting slightly.
After sorting through the memories, Luo Ling gasped. How had the Church of Light grown so much in just two months?
All the churches listed in Educator’s detailed distribution map were now under the control of the Church of Light and Alyssa, almost all the wicked priests dominated and turned into puppets.
As Luo Ling’s Agent, although Alyssa’s strength was only equivalent to a sixth-order Awakened One, weaker than Elsa, she could utilize the Puppet Ballad’s third ability, “Complete Domination,” due to her closer connection to the Grotesquery itself.
Elsa was merely an Apostle, while Alyssa was an Agent, practically an avatar. The difference was significant.
However, dominating so many puppets also had its drawbacks…
“So many memories, so chaotic…”
Luo Ling sighed, her mind almost overloading.
Dealing with a small number of dominated individuals had been easy, but now it wasn’t just dozens or hundreds, but thousands… and the number would likely continue to grow.
The sheer volume of memories made it difficult to find anything specific.
She had to find a way to categorize and manage these priests’ domination, filtering their memories, only receiving those that were important or related to her and those close to her.
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