Later that morning, Seth sat in his apartment chair as he deeply contemplated last night's event...
He had missed one important detail!
Back when Alyanna had attacked him using mud to trap his foot...
He had experienced her power directly, but Seth did not receive any notification from the authority of the Sin of the Meaningless!
'Was it because of that statue...?'
Not only did that statue cancel out his [Null Presence], it even interfered with the authority of the Sin of the Meaningless!
'If that truly is the case, it's either that statue is some sort of demonic weapon, or the entity being depicted in it must be quite powerful...'
Just then, a soft but urgent knock came from Seth's apartment door.
He opened it to find Phoebe standing there, her face a mixture of excitement and worry.
In her hand, she held a single piece of parchment paper.
"It's here."
She said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
"The letter from my mentor, Danica."
Seth closed the door and took the offered letter.
The script was elegant and precise.
He read it aloud, his voice low and thoughtful.
"'As we had previously suspected, your uncle Fredero and his wife Alisha truly do possess the Sin of Filth. From the situation you described, it also seems that their daughter, Alyanna, has inherited the same Sin, though she appears to be only at the First Circle.'"
He continued, summarizing the details Phoebe already knew.
"'At the First Circle, their abilities are mostly about sensing and creating minor filth. They can conjure mud, mess with your sense of smell, and make simple, nasty concoctions from garbage that can make people terribly sick.'"
Seth read on, his brow furrowing,
"'At the Second Circle , their power becomes more destructive. They can rust metal with a touch, give people rashes or minor infections directly, and even decompose a living person's body at an alarmingly dangerous rate."
"Do not go near them at this circle."
He looked up at Phoebe, his expression a bit grim.
"And the Third Circle is worse. They can make small problems into big disasters—a tiny leak becomes a flood of sewage. They can transfer diseases from one place to another. They can even curse someone so that filth constantly clings to them, making them weak and driving others away."
He set the letter down on his small table.
"At higher levels, they're incredibly dangerous. Just being in the same room with them could make you ill. Their disease-based curses are stronger and more potent than that of a Sin of Revenge's [Curse of Disease]."
Seth picked up the letter for the final part.
"As for your cousin, Anthony, he might be an ordinary person, or he may possess a different, unknown Sin. Either way, you must be careful. The unknown is often more terrifying than a known threat."
"Sadly, I do not know anything about the creature being depicted in the statue that you found. However, I will try to ask some of my colleagues regarding it..."
He took a deep breath before delivering the mentor's final advice.
"For now, you must keep safe and cease your investigations regarding that household. Be patient and wait for a good opportunity. I understand that you are eager to carry out your revenge, Phoebe. However, an opportunity will not present itself out of nowhere. Carry out more precise and tame investigations. Gather more allies... And only then will a real chance present itself..."
Seth was silent for a moment, contemplating the letter.
'An entire family with the Sin of Filth... that explains the state of their house. But I don't believe for a second that Anthony is ordinary...'
Seth leaned back in his chair, the memory of the revolver's barrel still vivid in his mind.
"I agree with your mentor."
He stated, his voice flat and practical.
"I was almost shot and killed last night. It's not something I can just ignore. If you want me to keep helping you, you need to come up with a more detailed and plausible way of handling things."
He didn't mention the other reason for his caution.
'Although I can resurrect... it has the condition of being "meaningful".'
'Dying in a messy break-in because I was sloppy doesn't qualify... I need to figure out what a "meaningful death" even looks like before I throw this life away.'
Phoebe looked down, a flicker of guilt crossing her face.
She knew he was right.
Her eagerness for revenge had clouded her judgment, and he had paid the price.
"You're right. I acted too rashly."
She murmured.
Seth gave a small nod, then leaned back in his chair.
"It's clear that last night was just a taste of what your uncle and his family can do. If you want me to keep helping you, a direct assault is suicide. We need a new strategy, and the first part of that is acknowledging we are severely outnumbered."
"We'll need more people. We can't handle something like this alone. How long have you been a witch, anyway? There should be others you can contact, right?"
Phoebe froze. For a second, she looked like a student being scolded by her teacher.
"I… aside from my mentor, I only know two others..."
She admitted, her tone hesitant.
Seth raised an eyebrow.
"Only two?"
She nodded quickly.
"The first one's busy with his own affairs, and the other… well, I haven't seen him in a long time."
Seth's mouth twitched slightly.
'Didn't she threaten me before... saying she had connections to 'numerous witches'?
He sighed inwardly but decided to keep the thought to himself.
"Who are they?" He asked instead.
"It's worth a try to contact them. Even one ally could make a difference."
Phoebe hesitated again before answering.
"The first one already moved away at a municipality near Matamisan. Apparently it's for his studies, but I never asked which school he transferred to."
'That's basically the same as saying you don't know him at all...'
Seth silently added.
Seth hummed thoughtfully.
"Alright, then what about the second one?"
Phoebe's expression darkened.
"The second one…" She paused.
"I'm a bit afraid of him."
That caught Seth's attention.
"Why?"
Phoebe's eyes softened with a mixture of memory and regret.
"His name is Jake Williams. He was an old friend. We grew up together. Back then, before my father's death, he told me something strange—he said my father's life was about to end soon."
Her voice grew quiet.
"I didn't believe him and took it as one of his usual cruel jokes. My father was doing well then—he was close to taking over my aunt's business. It didn't make sense. So I argued with Jake. I said awful things and told him never to speak to me again."
Seth stayed quiet, letting her continue.
Phoebe swallowed, her voice turning softer.
"Then, just as he said… my father's life fell apart. His business failed, debts piled up, and one night… he killed himself."
Seth's lips twitched again...
'Maybe he cursed you...?'
The air in the room grew still.
Even the faint hum of the city outside seemed to fade for a moment.
"I remembered Jake's words..."
Phoebe continued.
"And that was when I realized he wasn't lying. After I became a witch—after I signed the Book of Revenge—I thought of him again. That's when I understood he was like me. A witch. Someone who walks the Path of Damnation."
She gave a small, bitter laugh.
"I tried to seek his help... however, his home was empty and only a note that said "help will come to you soon" was left there. To which a few days later, I eventually met my mentor, Danica, for the first time."
Seth rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"So he predicted your father's death, disappeared, and left you that message?"
"Yes." She affirmed.
"So he is a prophet type of witch?"
Seth said, his tone measured.
"Someone who can see fragments of the future.... If that's the case, he should know we'd need him again, right?"
Phoebe looked at him curiously.
"You think so?"
"It's possible." Seth replied.
"If he can foresee things, then he'll probably predict our visit too... We could check his old home again and ask around his neighborhood for his contact details... Maybe he left something behind for you to find later."
Phoebe thought about it for a moment, her expression uncertain.
"It's been quite awhile since I last went there. The place might be completely abandoned now... From what I know, his family is long gone."
"But we can attempt to visit later this afternoon..."
Phoebe agreed, then added.
"My mother and sister are going out this morning to enjoy the first few days of the Sunfall Festival. The main festivities start next week, but the market square is already decorated, and there are early performances. We were supposed to go on Monday, but we were too busy. They're going this morning instead."
She glanced at him.
"Do you want to come? We could go to the festival for a bit, then head to Jake's old neighborhood in the afternoon."
Seth pondered the schedule.
'The meeting with Reymond and the Iron Jackals is at 8 PM tonight. A morning at a festival and an afternoon following a lead should fit without any conflict.'
It was also a chance to see more of the city and its people, to better understand the world he was now stuck in...
"Alright." he agreed.