"You really didn't flee."
Mithra, having just finished cleaning herself, met Nino who had come to visit. He still maintained that serious and dignified posture, but beneath the surface, a subtle weariness was evident on his face.
Hearing Nino's words, Mithra took a sip of water and commented: "We've only met a few times. You trust me not to disappear?"
"Anyone who attains this rank and lacks a certain judgment of character probably wouldn't last long," Nino stated. "You didn't run even when you were initially considered a primary suspect. That provides even stronger reasoning not to flee now."
"A sound rationale. It seems you have been genuinely exhausted lately. So, what is the verdict? Did the city elders take seriously what I conveyed to you previously?"
"No. Although they did slightly escalate certain security arrangements, it's clearly just a measure to placate me. Having been safeguarded by the Sun Creation for so long, nobody truly believes it could suddenly fail," Nino said, gazing at the sunlight streaming in through the window.
"And that's because I'm merely an individual from the Enchanted Realm, correct?" Mithra observed.
"Yes," Nino nodded.
"Then why do you place your trust in my assessment on this matter?" Mithra pressed again.
Nino paused in thought, then looked up at Mithra: "Guarding against the unforeseen is my sworn duty. The Patrol team exists precisely for that purpose. Allowing those Flesh Transmutation Believers to infiltrate the city and compromise the Sun Creation node was already a dereliction of my duty. Consequently, I cannot afford to be careless or negligent going forward."
Mithra nodded: "Not bad."
"Over these past few days, I've reinforced the defenses surrounding us and am conducting a comprehensive census of the population in the Southwest City District and the adjacent regions, actively searching for any trace of those Flesh Transmutation Believers. Temporarily, there have been no confirmed sightings," Nino reported.
After speaking, he looked toward Mithra: "So, would you be willing to share some of the findings you obtained?"
Mithra concealed nothing, directly informing Nino about her discovery of the procedure to enter the Eternal Night Phantom World and her subsequent investigation into matters concerning Chrysalis within that domain.
"Eternal Night Phantom World! That place genuinely still exists!" Nino's eyes widened slightly; he was deeply shaken.
"Oh?" Yet, the Mithra before him remained quite composed.
"A theory circulated within Xyrin City a long time ago, but it was swiftly dismissed as mere rumor. The Eternal Night, once breached, didn't vanish; it persists deep inside Xyrin City. The function of the Sun Creation node is certainly not as simplistic as we usually perceive!" Nino declared earnestly.
Mithra nodded, then inquired: "Then, regarding this Wandering God, Chrysalis, does Xyrin City hold any historical records?"
This time, Nino shook his head: "During the Wandering God era, countless Wandering Gods assaulted Xyrin City. The sheer numbers were staggering, and historical documentation from that chaotic period is sparse… But I will assign someone to investigate immediately. If those Flesh Transmutation Believers are indeed targeting the Wandering God left behind in the Eternal Night Phantom World, this could prove to be a major breakthrough."
"Then I have delivered the essential clue; the rest falls under your jurisdiction," Mithra stated casually.
Nino nodded sincerely: "Thank you for your assistance. Although the city administration has no intention of acknowledging it, I, in my personal capacity, offer you my apology for the initial cursory handling of your report."
Mithra waved her hand dismissively while drinking water: "It's nothing significant. I didn't take it to heart. The worst-case scenario is merely a broken net and dead fish, nothing more."
Nino's mouth twitched momentarily, but he maintained his serious demeanor, treating Mithra's words as a passing jest. After thanking her once more, he advised Mithra to rest well, then stood and departed.
Once Nino left, Mithra requested the steward assigned to her to bring some sustenance.
She was hungry—she was hungry, not the wide mouth (referring to a previously mentioned entity or a general observation on needing to feed others).
...
Nino returned to the guardhouse. After issuing his directives, he received a report from a subordinate that two young individuals from the Enchanted Realm requested an audience.
They appeared to be students from that academy situated within the Enchanted Realm.
Nino held no specific bias toward people from the Enchanted Realm. In his view, individuals from the Enchanted Realm were often indistinguishable from many residents in the Dream Nexus. He had, on a few occasions, mentored students from that academy.
Although the majority indeed lacked sufficient practical training, he didn't inherently dislike them. If all facets of the Dream Nexus could attain the scale of the Enchanted Realm, that would be preferable. Young people generally being able to explore without immediate existential worry also reflected some of the disparities between the two realms.
As he happened to have a brief window of free time, he granted permission.
Soon after, Leon and Redwyn were ushered before Nino.
"I recall you two are acquainted with Mithra…" Nino recognized the pair.
"That is correct. We heard earlier that Mithra appeared to be missing. Has she been located now?" Redwyn inquired cautiously.
"She has returned, and not long ago, she was even moving about covered in blood, causing minor public alarm," Nino replied with a slight trace of humor. "Are you solely here to inquire about your associate?"
"That is only secondary. The main objective is this. I have reorganized the information into common vernacular. Please review this, sir," Leon stated, handing a document made of paper to Nino.
Nino accepted it: "What is this?"
"By combining our Earth's historical data with Xyrin City's local records, we have compiled intelligence concerning Xyrin City's Wandering God attacks throughout the years, alongside partial data on the Wandering God named 'Chrysalis' found in the Holy Sanctuary's records from the Wandering God era," Leon explained.
Nino, upon hearing this, rapidly set aside his initial casual demeanor and began reading the documents in his hand.
He had only just returned from Mithra's location, and only then remembered the urgent need to research the information concerning the Wandering God behind those Flesh Transmutation Believers. He hadn't anticipated that this student from the Enchanted Realm had already compiled such detailed materials.
"Pardon my candor, but I hold little regard for those of you who are inefficient and reluctant to advance the Dream Nexus. Therefore, I took the initiative to investigate the data on the 'Chrysalis' Wandering God, cross-referenced it with some of your local historical archives, and discovered that 'Chrysalis' actually targeted this location. That is likely the motive for those criminals," Leon stated, looking up. Being only slightly shorter than Nino, his surging confidence currently gave him the upper hand in the interaction.
"Damn it, you requested my assistance with the translation, and now you're showing off, you deceased crustacean," Redwyn grumbled in exasperation.
"I paid you for your work. Furthermore, you are sluggish. I was concerned the quality wouldn't justify the fee, you primate," Leon retorted without even glancing at Redwyn.
Nino ignored Leon's jabs and meticulously reviewed the information provided.
At the dawn of the Wandering God era, the "Chrysalis" Wandering God, whose origins lay in the activation of the "Flesh Transmutation" Self miracle, caused immense catastrophe, assimilating countless lives across dozens of city-states and scattered kingdoms at the time, wielding an army of flesh-simulating monstrous creatures that ravaged the land.
Not long after, it was met with a ferocious counterattack.
The first Master of Self Miracles, "Tuman," a monumental figure who pioneered and mastered "Self" type miracles for humanity, personally commanded a large contingent to confront this Wandering God born from Self miracles.
Ultimately, the army of flesh-simulating monsters was annihilated, and "Chrysalis" was defeated in the "Harmonious Light Plain" campaign.
However, Chrysalis did not perish.
Its life force, stemming from "Flesh Transmutation," rendered it incredibly difficult to be utterly destroyed. Its entire form shattered into countless fragments, scattering in panicked retreat.
The majority of these fragments were instantly eliminated by Tuman, but some managed to escape. For a substantial period afterward, tales of Tuman leading forces to eradicate the reassembling and reviving Chrysalis fragments persisted throughout the Dream Nexus.
And Xyrin City was one location central to this narrative.
Xyrin City, once the premier city-state, still retained a relatively intact population during that chaotic epoch, which attracted the attention of the escaping Chrysalis fragments. They massed together and launched an assault on Xyrin City.
They breached Xyrin City's wall, planning to invade and revive within Xyrin City.
Facing such a sudden assault from a Wandering God's fragment, Xyrin City at that time, in order to avert further calamity, directly initiated the use of Sun Creation to strike at the concentrated Chrysalis fragments.
Eventually, the Chrysalis fragments were defeated, leaving behind the rupture in the city wall that is now famously known as "the village."
But after such a long passage of time, it seemed that few within Xyrin City itself recalled this historical event; it took two earnest young people from the Enchanted Realm to finally uncover the truth.
"Most of Chrysalis's fragments will lose their activity and perish if they cannot reassemble for an extended duration. To this day, only a few scattered remains persist. In the Dream Nexus, hardly anyone believes in such peculiar occurrences, which is why they are reduced to recruiting personnel from our Earth," Leon stated.
Redwyn, clearly disliking his grandstanding, seized the opportune moment to interject: "Based on Holy Sanctuary records, only three arms, one leg, and one heart belonging to Chrysalis's highly threatening reassembled fragments are known to exist. The arms and leg, according to Earth's archives, have reportedly fallen into the hands of the 'Chrysalis' organization. However, the heart had a very ancient record within the Holy Sanctuary, after which its location became unknown. The time when the heart reassembled roughly coincided with a month prior to Xyrin City's attack, and the spatial distance is not considered significant."
Leon shot Redwyn a dissatisfied glance but offered no further commentary.
Nino listened while reviewing the documents. A moment later, he slowly placed them down and looked at Redwyn and Leon, stating: "Very insightful; you two have performed excellently."
"Hmm, just basic initiative, nothing more," Leon waved his hand dismissively.
Redwyn, on the other hand, showed no pronounced reaction. At this moment, he appeared significantly more composed.
Nino inquired: "Do you require any remuneration? This document is indeed vital information for us."
"No remuneration necessary. I am not financially strained, old man. Just cease your petty little machinations. Mithra is currently working for you here as if she were pledging devotion to my great-aunt, understand? Don't let me hear her complaining to me later," Leon declared haughtily.
"She would complain to you?" Redwyn looked at Leon, utterly speechless.
Nino permitted himself a slight smile: "Naturally, we will not mistreat her. In fact, she also provided us with considerable assistance not long ago."
"Hmm, that's good. Let's depart, monkey," Leon waved his hand and turned to leave.
"I am not your younger brother, you obtuse crustacean," Redwyn cursed back.
Nino watched the backs of the young pair, feeling a touch of wistfulness.
"This side is indeed progressing too slowly."
...
The two walked down a street in Xyrin City. Redwyn remarked: "With an internship abruptly postponed like this, what is your next plan?"
"Just wander around for a bit and then return to rest. I'm fatigued from all the recent information foraging," Leon said casually.
"I plan to check on Mithra, and then head back to school," Redwyn stated after a moment of thought.
"Hmm, why are you acting like a hatchling? While relying on the strong is comfortable, this kind of behavior is immature. You seem to have changed since the winter break, but this dependency might lead you into another dead end," Leon taunted her as usual.
Redwyn, confronted with this remark, did not rush to refute it as he typically would, but calmly responded: "I am just a hatchling. The next course of action should not be forcefully flapping my wings to fly, but diligently learning from such a powerful individual… encompassing both their strength and their profound state of mind."
Leon seemed slightly surprised but paid it little mind: "Alright, whatever you say."
The two walked side by side for a while longer, maintaining silence.
If it weren't for Mithra, they truly shared nothing in common and could hardly be called friends.
As they were about to part ways at an intersection, Leon's gaze suddenly fell upon a pregnant woman, significantly advanced in her term.
She was dressed as an ordinary commoner, seemingly very close to giving birth. Traversing the distance with her swollen belly appeared arduous; supporting her lower back as she walked looked taxing.
But Leon didn't immediately look away.
The pregnant woman's hand just now seemed to twist in a manner that violated normal human skeletal structure, but it rapidly corrected itself. Concealed by her sleeve, an average person would have missed it entirely, but it did not escape Leon's keen Pure Water Eyes.
"What is it?" Redwyn noticed Leon's fixed gaze and inquired.
Leon didn't answer, but walked straight toward her: "Ma'am, wait a moment."
The pregnant woman was brought to a halt, turning around in confusion.
Leon again scrutinized her limbs, focusing particularly on her fingertips, and then her hair. These were the most challenging features for Flesh Transmutation to perfectly replicate.
But this time, there was no immediate tell-tale sign of error.
However, Leon's intuition told him his eyes hadn't erred, so he got straight to the point: "I apologize for the inconvenience, but please accompany me to the guardhouse."
The pregnant woman and Redwyn, who had caught up behind, were both stunned speechless.
"What are you talking about? Is something wrong with her? Don't distress her; she is heavily pregnant," Redwyn quickly protested.
"Are your eyes as sharp as mine? Quiet down and observe obediently." After saying that, Leon loudly hailed a nearby guard. After persuading the guard, regardless of how the middle-aged pregnant woman protested or questioned, he forcibly escorted her away.
Passersby nearby murmured amongst themselves. It seemed some neighbors recognized the pregnant woman, and they all watched the commotion unfold.
Redwyn watched their retreating figures, his brow deeply furrowed.
...
Mithra awoke from her sleep.
First, she instinctively cast Calmness, fearing that Calmness might disappear while she was asleep.
In her dream, she saw herself being chased by an ugly walking corpse and a black-and-white large dog. In the end, a large mouth saved her with its tongue, and her mind was filled with "hungry, hungry, hungry."
What was happening?
Was the dream's bias a bit too strong?
Shaking her head, she got up, donned her cloak, and intended to eat some breakfast. However, she discovered that the leftover food she had set aside before sleeping was gone.
A tongue quietly and stealthily offered a strand of dried meat.
"Hungry…"
"…You eat it yourself. Next time, don't be so benevolent as to leave so much for me," Mithra said, glancing at the wide mouth residing on her chest.
The wide mouth regretfully retracted.
She quickly pushed the door open and stepped outside.
The origin of the dream was her beast form attempting to communicate something to her. Then, the autistic Stranger next to her probably found the "barking" of beast-form Mithra too disruptive, leading to a fight. In the midst of the altercation, she inexplicably assumed Mithra's form.
Very peculiar, indeed.
In any case, what her beast form urgently needed to convey eventually got through:
It smelled the aura of Eternal Night.
Mithra quickly set off, heading towards the direction where she sensed the aura.
The location was a two-story mansion. It was a considerable journey, crossing several streets before she located it. As Mithra approached, the guards at the main gate immediately intercepted her: "This is…"
Mithra clapped her hands.
Clap!
After the crisp sound of clapping, the two guards instantly lost sight of Mithra. Then they heard the sound of the main gate being forced open.
Turning around, they discovered Mithra had already breached the mansion's courtyard, her target directed squarely at the mansion's second floor.
"Halt!"
"Intruder!"
Mithra clapped her hands again. Her figure instantaneously teleported from the courtyard to the building's wall, then she directly smashed through a window and burst into the room.
Figures inside the room flickered, all staring in astonishment at Mithra's sudden, forceful entrance.
Mithra's gaze swiftly locked onto a middle-aged man holding a familiar scepter.
It was the scepter of the Nightborne branch bishop. The Crystal of Eternal Night at the scepter's tip glittered, and the man was simultaneously holding another Crystal of Eternal Night in his hand.
Suddenly, two branch collection items materialized. She felt a burst of elation.
"Why the heck is it her again!"
Someone else beside them also cursed. A glance confirmed four familiar faces. Besides the original brother, the other four members of the Chrysalis organization were all present.
"I was wondering how you Chrysalis members found the Eternal Night Phantom World," Mithra stated slowly, standing firm before these people.
Nightborne Church, long time no see; she missed them dearly.
The branch bishop frowned: "What is happening to you? Are you being pursued?"
The four Chrysalis members were at a loss for words.
"It has nothing to do with them. It just so happens I recently transformed into a beast, and it seems I haven't fully reverted from that state. My sense of smell is quite keen, so I detected your aura of night and followed it here," Mithra explained proactively, waving her hand to address their confusion.
The four Chrysalis members, and even the surrounding Nightborne faithful, all looked toward the middle-aged man.
Branch Bishop: ?
So, he was the one who led her here?
"Then why have you come looking for us?" the Branch Bishop asked, his brow furrowed.
Mithra drew her hammer from her body: "Hand over the Crystal of Eternal Night; it is useful. And also tell me the locations of the other Crystals of Eternal Night. I'm not greedy; that much is sufficient."
The Branch Bishop gripped his scepter tightly.
Anyone familiar with the Nightborne Church knew that the Branch Bishop's ceremonial scepter was inlaid with a Crystal of Eternal Night. Mithra's request was thus equivalent to demanding the locations of the other Branch Bishops.
"Fool, you are provoking…" The Branch Bishop was about to utter a threat, when he saw Mithra swing her hand and strike the nearby wall with her hammer.
Bang!
The dull thud resonated, and a black blur flashed. Mithra vanished from everyone's sight.
Dong!
The Branch Bishop's scepter shifted. The Crystal of Eternal Night emitted a glow, then outlined a night totem.
As Mithra, who had instantly appeared beside the Branch Bishop, brought her hammer down, a black curtain enveloped her. Her originally swift movements immediately stiffened, rendering her unable to move.
["Viscous Darkness": Miracle of Divinity. Mobilizes the darkness to form a tangled black curtain, which immobilizes and dispels the power of whatever it covers.]
Mithra was tainted by the black curtain. Not only were her movements severely restricted, but the miracles attached to her body were also largely dispelled, making immediate reactivation difficult.
The Bishop's scepter shifted, aiming at Mithra, and another night totem was outlined.
["Somber Blackness": Miracle of Divinity. Grants weight to the darkness, dispelling, crushing, and shattering other miracles.]
Another mass of blackness was released from the scepter's tip. This time, upon contact with Mithra, she felt an intense crushing pressure.
Bang!
Mithra felt as if she had been struck by a speeding vehicle; her entire body was flung through the air, spinning in a highly comical manner, before falling heavily to the ground.
Her entire skeletal structure was largely shattered and twisted.
With her Vitality miracle largely neutralized, taking such a direct hit meant Mithra was severely wounded instantly.
"She possesses Eyes of Night. She has practically delivered herself to us. Remove her eyes," the Branch Bishop stated indifferently.
Several believers immediately followed orders and approached Mithra.
Suddenly, Mithra's neck, twisted nearly ninety degrees, abruptly straightened. She crawled up from the ground and seized the nearest Nightborne believer.
Before the surrounding believers could even react with shock to Mithra's "corpse reanimation," Mithra directly embraced the seized believer tightly.
The believer felt a broad and warm embrace.
Then, several tentacle-like tongues extended, seizing her head, directly swallowing her into the mouth. She didn't even have time to struggle; her entire form vanished into Mithra's chest.
Mithra's regeneration straightened her posture. She stood up, trembling slightly: "Cough, cough, it seems to be a girl. Not good. I didn't mean anything indecent."
The four Chrysalis organization members exchanged bewildered glances.
"How does she feel more like one of us than we do ourselves?"
Mithra swayed, using her other hand to pull the Hunter Greatsword from her back. The hammer and sword chimed lightly as they made contact.
After a crisp clang, Mithra vanished from the spot again.
The Branch Bishop rose from his seat, swung his scepter, and "Viscous Darkness" swept out around them, but this time it failed to ensnare Mithra.
With sharp clanging sounds, Mithra's figure flickered back and forth in the cramped room. Coupled with her still-incomplete regeneration and contorted body, she resembled a strange, ghostly phantom.
Around them, believers were constantly being smashed, cut down, or enveloped in the Branch Bishop's black curtain miracle, unable to fight back.
The four Chrysalis members also could not remain idle in this situation. Their bodies shifted as they moved to surround and assault Mithra.
Mithra flashed away, dodging one person's attack. Another believer, pressing forward, launched flesh-transformed spikes. Mithra slashed with her sword, severing the spikes and sending the person sprawling to the ground.
Yet another believer launched flesh-transformed projectiles from afar. Mithra struck her sword and hammer together twice in quick succession, flashing away from the impacted zone, and the previous teammate who had just recovered suffered another calamity.
The last person, whose hands had morphed into heavy hammers, seized the opportunity and swung them down towards Mithra's head.
Thump!
Mithra was hit. Her body, which had just stabilized slightly, twisted again. Simultaneously, "Viscous Darkness" once more enveloped Mithra.
The Branch Bishop took a deep breath.
["Rifted Darkness": Miracle of Divinity. After covering the target with a black curtain, sever or tear it. When the darkness dissipates, everything within it vanishes.]
A slender black claw formed from the shadow beneath the Branch Bishop's feet, then tore towards Mithra.
The four Chrysalis members also simultaneously cast Flesh Transmutation miracles, launching flesh-and-blood projectiles in a coordinated attack.
Suddenly, the darkness was torn apart.
But it wasn't torn open by the Branch Bishop's miracle. Instead, it was horizontally cleaved by a wave of sword energy—a dark blue light that seemed capable of drawing all sight, and even all sensory inspiration, into itself.
Boom!
The ceiling also buckled as a section of the mansion's roof was lifted. Amidst the howling wind, three of the four Chrysalis members were instantly decapitated; they died outright. Somewhat unexpectedly, they seemed to possess no life-lock protection; they all perished immediately. Only one showed shattered red dots and began regenerating, clinging to life, but then another wave of sword energy sliced him in half across the chest.
The Branch Bishop's eyes widened. Even though he had detected the attack early and tried his best to defend, under two consecutive sword slashes, he could only watch as his scepter-wielding arm was abruptly severed.
The severed hand still clutched the scepter, which made a clanging sound as it hit the ground.
Staggering out from the receding darkness, the black-and-white mane on the back of Mithra's head slowly shortened and fell, transforming back into her dark, shoulder-length hair.
The eyes on the Hunter Greatsword in her hand slowly closed.
Only the Branch Bishop remained standing among those present.
"Hunter… you're revived?!" The opponent, sweating cold due to pain, gritted his teeth and spoke.
Mithra did not answer, first reapplying Calmness to herself.
Ding~.
Comforting.
"Could it be Egov… Damn it, he claimed he could transform this power for his own use, but then he vanished without a trace, and ultimately, he still let you out!"
Mithra stepped forward, swinging her hammer a few times to crush a mass of flesh that had already transformed into a Cursed Being and was preparing to ambush her, leaving it for the wide mouth to consume.
When she looked up, the Branch Bishop knelt, raised the Crystal of Eternal Night he held in his hand, and suddenly brought it down onto the Crystal of Eternal Night embedded in the scepter lying on the ground.
Bang!
The moment the two crystals connected, Mithra suddenly felt a familiar, chilling coldness.
"Screech!" A Lightless Dweller, appearing out of nowhere, lunged at Mithra.
Mithra swung her hammer, flipping it over with one hand, but then a massive bat-like monster directly pounced onto Mithra's face. After a brief struggle with Mithra, it was impaled by the Hunter Greatsword.
Realizing the situation, she directly utilized Anderét's gift, "Dusk."
The daylight before her eyes instantly transformed into twilight. In front of the Branch Bishop, where the two Crystals of Eternal Night intersected, a rift tore open into the Eternal Night Phantom World.
Moreover, unlike the rift suppressed by the Sun Creation node, this rift was clearly two-way. Light from the real world shone into the rift, penetrating that lightless realm.
As for the entities within that world and their madness toward light, Mithra had been aware of this long ago.