Chapter 73: The Disaster of Starry Sky, The Game Tilts p2
Whether it was to learn the White Witch’s secrets through Elsa or to use Elsa as bait to lure out the White Witch, both were suitable for a less restrictive approach. Elsa was even officially a Company member.
Therefore, Elsa had only displayed proficiency in one or two abilities, keeping her other Grotesquery abilities hidden.
Even under constant surveillance, Elsa remained inconspicuous. Coupled with her inability to keep secrets, this further diminished Elsa’s perceived threat level in the Company’s eyes.
“Anyway, as long as she’s safe,” Luo Ling nodded slightly. Even if the Company wanted to eliminate Elsa, it wouldn’t be easy.
“By the way, Luo Ling, there’s one more important thing,” Fiona said after a slight hesitation. “I learned a secret, a secret that could determine the Company’s fate.
“It was this secret that led to the directors’ attempt on my life.”
Due to the Kingdom’s characteristics, Fiona knew that saying anything here wouldn’t attract the Company’s assassins. But the problem was… Luo Ling would eventually leave. She was worried that the directors might notice when Luo Ling returned to Victoria.
“Just tell me, Aunt Fiona. Don’t worry about my safety. I have some special tricks to avoid the Other Shore Path’s prying eyes.”
Luo Ling recalled the fate of the old man who had dared to pry into her mind and suddenly wondered what would happen if the directors tried something similar.
However, there likely wouldn’t be another opportunity. If ordinary Other Shore Path abilities could affect her, her identity as the White Witch would have been exposed countless times already.
“…Mmm.”
Fiona’s expression turned serious.
“The Company directors’ true objective back then was to awaken the dormant Taboo, Guixu, and seize its Grotesquery Authority, Immortality… not a bestowed Authority, but the complete Authority.”
Luo Ling’s pupils constricted. She had learned the first part of this information from Miss Iris, but the second part…
“So, what the directors wanted… was true Immortality?” Luo Ling murmured.
No wonder the Immortality disaster had occurred in Victoria.
No wonder the directors had tried so hard to conceal it.
No wonder… they were willing to kill Fiona to keep this secret buried.
All the clues connected, and the truth behind the past conflict seemed to become clear.
“Can they really do it?” Luo Ling asked, looking up.
“…I don’t know. Why they failed back then, whether it was a mistake by the Company directors, or sabotage by a traitor among them, even they might not be certain.”
Fiona shook her head. Even as one of the three Grand Constellations of the Fate Society, she still couldn’t compare to the three Company directors.
The reason was simple: although she also possessed an Authority Sacred Tool, like Cheng Jianming’s Time, it wasn’t a complete version.
Only the three directors possessed true Authority Sacred Tools, wielding unique and absolute Authorities. There was a qualitative difference between them.
By using the secret technique to merge with their Sacred Tools, the directors were no different from Harbinger leaders wielding Authorities, their combat power comparable.
If… the directors truly managed to control a Taboo’s Authority, the balance of power would tilt drastically in their favor.
This shocking news couldn’t be revealed to the Harbingers or any other Order-side forces.
No one in Victoria would support the directors’ decision, not even the branch directors.
The Harbingers would fear the Company’s growing power, while the Order-side forces would worry about the Company’s actions backfiring. Any mistake involving a Taboo would have devastating consequences for everyone.
“This is very useful information, Aunt Fiona. I’ll put it to good use,” Luo Ling said, exhaling slowly, her eyes narrowing as thoughts raced through her mind.
The Harbingers’ path to godhood, the Company’s pursuit of Taboo… each side was plotting a decisive blow against the other. If either side succeeded, the other would face utter destruction.
No matter how much of an advantage they had gained before, it would be meaningless in the face of absolute power.
And for this, the directors were willing to sacrifice anything.
“This is truly… a thrilling game,” Luo Ling couldn’t help but sigh.
“Or perhaps… it’s simply human nature,” Fiona shrugged. She was no stranger to this. Even facing a common enemy, internal power struggles never ceased. The saying, “better to give to the enemy than to one’s own,” was a perfect example.
The serious conversation ended. Luo Ling checked the time. It had been almost a week since she left Victoria. It was time to return and check on the situation.
The Eve puppet in her perception was still safe, meaning Cen Xiangyun and Lu Manqing hadn’t encountered any danger. If their lives were threatened, the Eve puppet would sacrifice herself without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Eve in Starry Victoria had almost fully recovered. The life force lost due to Proliferation had been gradually replenished through recuperation.
She would find an opportunity to switch with the Eve puppet and transfer the puppet’s recent memories to Eve’s mind. With the Iron Fist Maid’s oblivious nature, she likely wouldn’t notice anything amiss.
Although Luo Ling’s actions had put Eve through a lot, she had saved her life from a Ninth-Order Awakened One’s attack. A little inconvenience was to be expected.
Anyway, it was Luo Ling who was inconvenienced, not Eve. In Eve’s perception, she hadn’t even slept. Her memories would continue from her meeting with Ms. Nightingale.
“Aunt Fiona, you should rest in the Kingdom for a while. Although Destined Death has been lifted, there might be some lingering effects,” Luo Ling said. “Linna, you stay here and take care of your mother. As for Elsa—”
Luo Ling looked at Elsa, who was still squatting in the corner, wiping away tears, a smile appearing on her lips. “When she wakes up, tell her I’ll be away for a while.”
“Miss Luo Ling, are you leaving again?”
Linna’s eyes lit up.
“…I’ll hide somewhere you can’t find me,” Luo Ling said, her eyelids twitching slightly. The last time hadn’t been a pleasant experience.
Dealing with one Linna was already difficult enough, now there was also Fiona…
As Linna’s mother, Fiona clearly had the upper hand in every aspect.
“I understand,” Fiona said softly, an unreadable emotion in her eyes as she looked at Luo Ling. “However, Luo Ling, they are all your Apostles. Don’t you… intend to include me as well?”
“……”
Luo Ling was silent for a moment, then shook her head. “Let’s not. No matter what… being involved with Grotesqueries isn’t a good thing. Elsa and Linna’s situations were unavoidable.”
Although Luo Ling herself was considered a Grotesquery, she knew what that entailed. It was best not to drag others into it unnecessarily.
“That’s… a pity,” Fiona said, her gaze unwavering, as if the answer to her question wasn’t important, only Luo Ling’s response was.
“I’ll be going now.”
Luo Ling felt her scalp tingle. She had to leave these two quickly. She felt like she would be devoured if she stayed any longer.
“Be careful,” Fiona said gently. “I happen to be free these days, and with the Kingdom’s amplification, I’ll craft Elsa’s Sacred Tool.”
Luo Ling had previously given Fiona a Sacred Relic, commissioning her to craft a Sacred Tool, but Fiona had been busy investigating the Company and had delayed it until now.
“Mmm.”
Luo Ling nodded, then quickly left the room.
Moments later, Linna clicked her tongue. “Miss Luo Ling has cut off her perception. Even I can’t find her.”
Although they were still in Starry Victoria, finding someone in the entire city was incredibly difficult, especially when Miss Luo Ling was deliberately hiding.
“Hehe.”
Fiona smiled noncommittally, turning slightly to look at her daughter.
She gazed at her daughter tenderly, then opened her arms, gently embracing her. Feeling the real presence in her arms, the long-held longing finally transformed into a deep love.
…A mother’s love.
“But Linna, being able to see you again… is enough for me.”
Linna simply lowered her head, nestling in her mother’s embrace like she did as a child.
“…Mmm.”
…………
Meanwhile, in the real world, within the grand cathedral of the Church of Light in Victoria.
The blindfolded nun sitting in the wheelchair slowly opened her eyes, a flicker of awareness flashing in her completely white eyes before they closed again.
The sound of splashing water echoed from nearby. Through her Spore vision, Luo Ling saw Stasha rolling up her sleeves and wringing out a towel. Only then did Luo Ling notice that Alyssa’s clothes were mostly removed, leaving only her undergarments.
The room was filled with steam, a faint mist obscuring her vision.
“So Stasha is wiping Alyssa’s body.”
Alyssa’s legs were paralyzed, making it difficult for her to bathe herself, so Stasha had always taken care of this.
During her time in the Church of Light, Alyssa only had the opportunity to bathe when she returned home once a month.
“But… is it appropriate for me to be here at this time?”
Just as Luo Ling was thinking this, she felt a warm touch on her back, and Stasha’s cautious voice asking, “Sister, is this… too hot?”
“The temperature is just right, Stasha,” Luo Ling replied.
“Mmm!”
Receiving the answer, Stasha quickly continued her task, a smile on her lips. She seemed to cherish these rare moments of intimacy with her sister.
Luo Ling felt it was inappropriate to interrupt their time together, so she quickly entered Alyssa’s consciousness, browsing her recent memories.
Religious hadn’t appeared recently, seemingly having completed his preparations for the ascension ritual, only waiting for the right time to begin. However, Luo Ling knew this wasn’t Religious’s ascension, but Philosopher’s path to godhood.
After receiving Educator’s instructions, Alyssa, using the Sacred Tool, had spread the White Witch’s aura in the various Incubation Barriers appearing throughout Victoria.
It seemed as if all the Incubation Barriers in Victoria were related to the White Witch, overwhelming the Company and forcing them into constant overtime.
Even the Star team, where Cen Xiangyun and the others were now assigned, was no exception. The Star team, despite its name, was actually a large group with several sub-teams.
Unlike top-tier single-character teams like the Hunt team, which consisted entirely of Eighth-Order Awakened Ones and above, the Star team had several levels. Cen Xiangyun and the others had joined the lowest level sub-team, befitting their current strength.
“It seems they’re really overworked, constantly on duty.”
In the Eve puppet’s memories, they had to deal with two or three Incubation Barrier incidents every day, most of them fake, running themselves ragged.
However, amidst this seemingly aimless busyness, Luo Ling noticed several anomalies.
“The Company’s barrier… is broken?”
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