Lilith and Mr. Harry sprinted down the dimly lit street.
More than ten minutes later, only after confirming that no one was pursuing them did they dare to slow their steps and catch their breath.
But just then, Mr. Harry suddenly dropped from the air and whispered, "Something's wrong!"
"What's wrong?"
"Everything around us feels wrong. Normally, at this time of night, the surrounding houses should all have their lights on. And…that bar over there shouldn't be this quiet either!"
Mr. Harry's large eyes widened as his head rotated a full three hundred and sixty degrees, scanning their surroundings. "Something's wrong! Seriously wrong!"
Phoenix suddenly swooped out of the darkness, landing on Lilith's shoulder, startling Mr. Harry. "What is that?!"
Lilith grew furious the moment she saw it. "Phoenix, why didn't you come out to help just now?!"
"I was—ugh, those things don't matter!" Phoenix cut itself off mid-excuse and quickly continued, "I just tried to go find Edward, but…but there's a terrifying creature lurking in the Spirit World. I could feel that if I dared to enter, I'd die miserably!"
Lilith looked somewhat puzzled, not fully understanding Phoenix's words.
"Look at the die!" Mr. Harry urged.
Lilith hurriedly took out the jewellery box and immediately heard a faint rustling from within. As soon as she opened it, she saw the die spinning wildly—
There were no dots on it at all.
"What does this mean?!"
Mr. Harry was dumbfounded. His knowledge of the die only came from Roy King, who had told him that it was a Sealed Artifact related to luck: rolling one to three represented misfortune, while four to six signified good fortune. However, the die always tended to land on lower numbers, deliberately killing its possessor.
But…simply spinning without producing any number? Roy King had never mentioned that!
Phoenix's pitch-black eyes suddenly turned deep. "It means…it's afraid. It doesn't dare reveal any number."
"Why?"
Phoenix swept its gaze around them. "Because nearby, there's someone—or something—it fears."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
As if to confirm its words, an unhurried set of footsteps echoed.
Two men approached. One was an old man with dusky skin, deep wrinkles etching ravines into his face, and sparse white hair like the last autumn leaves. The other was a middle-aged man with a tall, sharp nose, thick slightly curled black hair, and the appearance of a mixed-blood.
"A brat and two birds?"
Even for members of the Rose School of Thought, whose minds were far from normal, the sight of this odd trio seemed bizarre.
The old man, Shanks, turned to the middle-aged man and asked, "Which one is it?"
"I don't know."
Shanks nodded. "Then kill them all."
He opened his mouth wide, releasing a piercing, shrill wail.
In an instant, Mr. Harry spun once in midair and dropped stiffly to the ground. Only Lilith—empowered by the physical enhancement of the Lilith's Leg Ring—and Phoenix managed to endure the searing pain.
Phoenix then spat out the Death Ring. A ripple flickered in its pupils, and a massive bronze gate materialised out of nothingness. Immediately, a tide of undead surged forth. A small portion lunged at the two enemies, while the majority formed a towering wall of layered corpses, encasing Lilith and Phoenix within.
This was the technique Phoenix had learned from the Admiral of Hell Ludwell and the Numinous Episcopate's sacrificial ritual. With the aid of the high status of the Death Ring, it was more than capable of stalling even a demigod for some time.
"Hopefully…Edward can make it here in time."
Yet in its heart, a troubling doubt arose. Even if Edward managed to arrive…would it really matter? That terrifying being hidden in the Spirit World…
At the very least, it had to be an angel!
And an existence powerful enough to frighten the die into endless spinning—just what kind of terrifying entity was that?
———
Carrying these doubts, Edward left Oravi Island and returned to Bayam.
He kept Councillor Ricciardo's warning firmly in mind. This was hardly his first time dealing with the Rose School.
Although a few of their encounters could be chalked up to "coincidence," during the hunt for Botis, the Rose School of Thought had clearly targeted him. With all the old grudges piled on top of new ones, it was perfectly natural for them to seek vengeance against him.
What was unnatural was the description Ricciardo had given…it was far too chilling.
"I saw the shadow of the apocalypse."
The shadow of the apocalypse…could it be referring to the Mother Tree of Desire behind the Rose School of thought?
But the Rose School had worshipped the Mother Tree of Desire for centuries. Ever since "She" had captured and corrupted the Chained God and the 'Son of God' Suah was born, the Rose School of Thought had taken on the form of the Mother Tree for at least several hundred years. If such "shadows of the apocalypse" were truly visible, they should have appeared long ago!
Could it be…that the Mother Tree's erosion of Earth was intensifying?
"Tsk, what are you Seven Gods even doing as goalkeepers? Don't guard the net for half a day only to let someone score seven - zero!"
Edward was still grumbling when he suddenly sensed something abnormal:
The surroundings were far too quiet.
It was nothing like the atmosphere of early evening.
He drew his wand and approached the nearest window, peering inside. The room was pitch-dark, broken only by the occasional sound of snoring.
"Asleep so early?"
He went to several other houses nearby and found them in a similar state. Judging from the untouched food still sitting on some dining tables, it was clear their sudden sleep had not been voluntary.
Immediately, he donned the Invisibility Cloak and, exploiting air buoyancy, vaulted onto the roof of a taller building. From there, he surveyed the scene: the vast city of Bayam lay in complete darkness, as though it were not just after sunset but already the dead of night.
"Something major has happened."
Yet in the face of such an event, how could the demigod governor of Bayam remain silent? And what about the Sea King of the Church of Storms stationed not far from Bayam?
(Admiral Amyrius: Away on business, do not disturb.
'Sea King' Jahn Kottman: To hell with Amyrius, I don't care!)
"Lilith!"
Panic stirred in Edward's heart. He was about to teleport to her side, but the instant the thought formed, his spirituality flared in violent warning:
Do not enter the Spirit World!
Danger! Fatal!
Edward froze, suddenly recalling a similar moment—back when he had hunted the Admiral of Blood Senor and was pursued by demigods of the Rose School of Thought. Then, too, he had sensed this warning, because the Rose School's 'Son of God', Suah, could descend through the Spirit World to assist their followers in launching attacks.
Combining this with Councillor Ricciardo's words…could it be that Suah was now lurking in the Spirit World?
But then…
Why had "He" not attacked him directly?
For a Sequence 1 Angel, did it really require ambushing a mere Sequence 5 from the Spirit World?
Edward could not understand. He did not waste further time. Raising his wand, he performed dowsing: "Lilith's location."
The wand quivered, then tilted decisively in one direction.
Edward immediately leapt forward, continuously exploiting and distorting the air to propel himself faster in the direction indicated.
Everything around him blurred into rapid retreat, while his anxiety mounted. He had only one thought left in his heart: Lilith must not be harmed!
After several successive leaps, Edward had traversed nearly the whole of Bayam in a short span. Yet just as he launched himself once more, the surrounding air suddenly thickened into a viscous medium.
He was like a bullet shot into water, slowed by resistance from all directions, until he reached a critical point and dropped straight down from midair.
Edward immediately activated the Invisibility Cloak's Concealment, phantom pages turning in his eyes as he prepared at any moment to use the last recorded Emperor's New Clothes upon himself.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Light footsteps echoed. Edward turned his head.
A woman in the attire of a Rorsted native walked toward him. Though the darkness obscured her features, that very indistinctness allowed Edward to recognise her instantly—she was the very woman the Naturism Sect had asked the Church of the Sea God to send into the governor's mansion!
Soon, she stepped beneath the scarlet moonlight, revealing a smiling face. Edward's heart skipped violently.
How could it be her?!
How—how could it possibly be her?!
Christine!
The Abraham family's Christine, the one who had died and then returned to life!
Hadn't she sailed out to search for her family's treasure, to seek the sunken Laurel? Why was she suddenly here, and why had she become the one the Naturism Sect wanted delivered into the governor's mansion?
What in the world was going on?!
When Christine was five or six meters away, she stopped. With a faint smile, she said, "At last, I found you."
"???"
Edward was stunned. At last found me?
In the next second, he felt an unbearable sting surge through his spirituality. It was a sensation unlike any he had ever experienced. His spirituality could not even cry out for him to flee as it once had, but fell mute under sheer terror, leaving him only to tremble instinctively.
Why was this happening?
Even if Christine carried a polluted object infused with the aura of the Mother Tree of Desire, it should not have driven him into this state.
Unless…the being before him was no vessel at all but the Mother Tree itself—the blasted shadow of the apocalypse!
"You are…the Mother Tree of Desire?" Edward forced the words out, enduring the sting in his spirituality.
Christine shook her head. "No. But I am here because of "Her"."
"The knowledge you spread has drawn "Her" attention and allowed "Her" to gradually pinpoint your location. Next, "She" will mobilise all "Her" forces on this planet to erase you…or, as with the Chained God, to corrupt you completely."
Edward: I really know how to dig my own grave.
"And I," Christine continued, "am here to save you."
Edward gritted his teeth. "Why?"
"Because I want you…to give me a child."
…I'm supposed to give you a child?
But I'm a man!
For a brief moment, Edward was utterly dumbfounded. Then his mind exploded:
Bloody hell!
F*ck!
This wasn't the Mother Tree of Desire. No, this was something far more terrifying—Mother Goddess of Depravity "Herself"!
"I want to play a game with you."
Christine's smile deepened. "From now on, if you ever call out to me for help, you'll have to give me a child. If you never ask, then this matter ends here."
"Well?"
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.