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Sid Watson was filled with regret, sighing inwardly that he was simply out of luck tonight.
Originally, he was just handling a task for the Numinous Episcopate, going out at night to search for clues about those two people. He had been doing this for a week, always just going out for a quick circle to fulfill the task before returning, and nothing had ever happened.
Who knew that tonight, the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, for some unknown reason, was conducting a city-wide search, with many Beyonder teams also dispatched.
By the time he realized it, it was too late to return home. To avoid the Beyonder teams, Sid Watson had intended to hide in a room that looked empty from the outside, and then return home after the commotion died down. However, as soon as he climbed in through the window, he saw the two people opposite, who were clearly in an abnormal state.
And upon closer inspection, he realized they were precisely the two so-called 'deserters' that the Numinous Episcopate and the Rose School of Thought were jointly searching for.
Those were individuals being personally hunted by a Sequence 5 powerhouse. As a Sequence 8 Gravedigger with no combat experience and no powerful Mystical Items, Sid Watson decisively whispered a honorific name, praying for help.
Sharron, suppressing the surging malice in her heart, and Maric, who had collapsed to the ground fighting the malice within him, both stared at the black-clad man across from them, who was making strange movements. An eerie atmosphere enveloped the room.
Sharron frowned, intending to knock out this unknown wild Beyonder across from her and move to another room to continue avoiding the search. Just as she was about to act, the malice in her eyes almost leaked out, and she could only concentrate on suppressing the malice and murderous desire in her heart.
Originally, she and Maric had planned to secretly infiltrate Port Kaiser, lie low for a while, and find an opportunity to leave the Southern Continent for the Northern Continent.
But before they even reached Port Kaiser, they were discovered by a Bishop of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church who was accompanying an Archbishop on an outing. He was a Sequence 5 Priest of Light. The Sun Pathway's suppression of the Prisoner Pathway, coupled with their existing injuries, instantly put Sharron and Maric in a perilous situation.
Under duress, Sharron placed the Wraith Beyonder characteristic onto her dagger, artificially creating a Sealed Artifact. Fortunately, fate favored them this time; the Sealed Artifact retained the abilities of Mirror Flash and Shadow State, which they used to successfully escape and blend into Port Kaiser.
However, this Sealed Artifact, which Sharron called the 'Wraith Dagger,' also retained a stronger curse: when used, everyone would have their inner malice stimulated, becoming increasingly bloodthirsty and insane, while other negative effects, such as Zombie-like transformations, were hardly worth mentioning.
Through the prayer light, Aaron's elevated status allowed him to directly see the invisible connection between the dagger on the ground and Sharron. He also noticed the strange mark on Sharron's palm, which exuded the aura of a high-level existence.
"Hmm, it must be a remnant of Reinette Tinekerr, the leader of the Temperance Faction. The Temperance Faction, huh..."
After a moment of contemplation, Aaron's pupils turned a mix of gold and black. He slightly raised his hand, and dark golden mist gathered in the palace, forming a magnificent dark golden figure.
From the back of the dark golden figure grew pair after pair of huge, pitch-black wings covered in golden patterns—a full twelve pairs!
And on each pair of wings were feathers inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols, alternating between light and dark.
Gold and black formed a stark contrast. Under Aaron's command, the massive figure spread its wings, obscuring the wide dome of the majestic palace, and directly plunged into the prayer light.
Sharron and Sid Watson felt as if they saw a dark golden figure with twelve pairs of wings on its back. Sharron had no time to be surprised; she only saw the illusory, overlapping dark golden wings envelop herself, Maric, and the man opposite them, and all abnormalities vanished.
The malice and bloodthirsty desire that were about to erupt due to the negative effects of the 'Wraith Dagger' also dissipated. Sharron and Maric felt a lightness throughout their bodies, as if a shackle had been temporarily removed, and their mental state significantly improved.
As a student of Reinette Tinekerr, Sharron clearly knew more. Although her expression remained unchanged, she scrutinized the man opposite her with vigilant eyes.
"Twelve pairs of wings on his back... Did he receive the blessing of an angel?"
After a long silence, Sid Watson grew somewhat tired of the two people's scrutiny and the atmosphere, but he also had no intention of handing these two over to the Numinous Episcopate.
Not to mention he lacked the strength, but the lady opposite had clearly seen the figure just now. If they were truly caught by the Numinous Episcopate, wouldn't his greatest secret be exposed?
Moreover, after his prayer received a response, that great existence did not directly eliminate them. This made Sid think deeply. After a moment of hesitation, he tentatively spoke:
"Sharron? Maric? Temperance Faction?"
Sharron did not answer, merely nodding calmly. Seeing a response, Sid then suggested:
"I have no ill intentions, which you should be able to feel. I can provide you with a temporarily safe place. If you trust me, just follow me."
Sharron pondered for a moment, recalling the illusory figure with twelve pairs of wings and her teacher's illusory, fragmented figure. Her eyes gradually firmed.
Without further hesitation, Sharron nodded, picked up the Wraith Dagger that had fallen to the ground, and followed behind Sid with Maric.
They walked through streets and alleys, evading the search, and finally arrived at a warehouse near the dock area of Port Kaiser.
......
In the Southern District of Port Kaiser, a man dressed in a Bishop's robe held a compass-like object and was heading in a certain direction when he suddenly frowned and stopped.
The compass needle in his hand, which seemed entirely made of gold, trembled incessantly, as if disturbed by an invisible force, and began to spin continuously, no longer pointing a direction.
He grimly put down the compass in his hand and said to the few clergymen behind him:
"Search in this direction for me."
-----------------
After confirming that the three had escaped pursuit, the prayer light gradually dissipated, and Aaron withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself:
"Sharron, now calm and rational, won't do anything out of line. Sid should also understand the meaning behind the prayer being answered without direct elimination."
"At the next gathering, I can use the 'Blessed' persona to guide them, preferably bringing Sharron into the Chaos Council as well. That way, the situation in the Southern Continent will be easier to open up."
Amidst the surging dark golden mist, the figure on the throne slowly vanished.
-----------------
Empress Borough, Backlund, Duke Negan's mansion. The blood moon hung high.
Pallas Negan, dressed in luxurious silk pajamas, frowned as he looked at the note in front of him. It detailed Aaron's various behaviors at Earl Hall's birthday banquet.
This included his proposal to establish the "National Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Committee," as well as Aaron's close relationship with Earl Hall's daughter, Audrey.
Pallas Negan put down the note, gazing expressionlessly at the red moon outside the window, his fingers lightly tapping the table.
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