Silas had no idea he'd nearly been torn to pieces.
After returning to his bedroom, he quickly concealed himself and went into hiding.
Only after confirming there were no pursuers did he relax and emerge from the shadows.
"Meow."
The black cat Luna seemed to guess his thoughts, jumping onto the windowsill to look down at him.
"Did I startle you, showing up like that?"
He spoke to Luna, reaching out to ruffle the fur on her head.
She tolerated it for a few seconds before finally breaking free, leaping from the windowsill to the top of a tall wardrobe, watching him with reproachful eyes.
Silas smiled at the black cat.
He didn't bother the cat any further.
Instead, he created a spiritual wall in the bedroom to isolate the interior from the outside world, then took out today's prize: that Tarot card.
Now that he was in a relatively safe place, he could finally examine it properly.
His fingers lightly touched the card's surface, channeling spirituality into it.
The "Blasphemy Card" then transformed, becoming something like a small book that could be flipped through page by page.
Silas gently leafed through this booklet.
On the first page, the left side depicted a portrait of Roselle.
He held a weapon, his face full of malice, and the card read: "Sequence 9, Criminal."
"Body and mind filled with malevolence, colder than ordinary people.
Physically very strong with sharp senses, skilled in various crimes, proficient with all kinds of weapons, including both cold weapons and firearms."
The right side displayed the complete potion formula.
Silas only glanced at the formula without trying to memorize it, then continued to the next page.
On the second page, the Roselle on the left had broken wings behind him, sneering cruelly, seemingly devoid of any humanity.
The description read:
"Sequence 8, Unwinged Angel."
"Beyonders of this sequence were called 'Cold-Blooded Ones' in ancient times.
They have completely extinguished conscience and humanity, their bodies becoming twisted and demonized.
They may also possess some demonic spells."
Silas flipped further.
The third page, the fourth page... each page had a similar structure. On the left pages, Roselle either stood among piles of corpses, looking back with madness, or transformed into a demon, dominating humans.
On the right pages were the corresponding potion formulas.
Among them, Silas saw familiar introductions and formulas for Sequence 6 "Devil" and Sequence 5 "Desire Apostle."
"Sequence 9, Criminal; Sequence 8, Unwinged Angel... Sequence 1, Filthy Monarch; Sequence 0, Abyss."
He read aloud softly as he browsed.
Just as Roselle's diary had stated, the "Blasphemy Card" recorded an entire Abyss Pathway's potion formulas and advancement rituals.
He had successfully obtained a complete pathway!
The pages closed, and the Blasphemy Card automatically returned to its single-card form, grasped in Silas's pleased hand.
Although this pathway was extremely dangerous and its related Beyonders weren't exactly good people, this was still the first complete sequence he'd obtained.
It even contained the potion and ritual to become a true god. Its value was immeasurable!
That demon must be furious, if he's even still alive.
Silas thought to himself.
***
Jowood District.
The street was burning, the flickering blue flames gradually dying out.
The demon's hideous corpse lay scattered in pieces across the street, its only intact face frozen with visible terror and rage.
"Replace him immediately!"
Soul Assurer, Soster said in a deep voice.
A group of Nighthawks immediately rushed out, pushing a bathtub filled with hot water to the street, positioning it in front of the silver-white armor.
"Clank."
The silver-white armor moved.
A hand reached up to push open the face guard, revealing a handsome face with black hair and green eyes, carrying a poet's temperament.
Leonard Mitchell.
He was inside the armor!
Leonard didn't waste words.
He rapidly removed the armor, then submerged his entire body in the hot water, not even leaving his nose exposed.
His skin quickly turned bright red while strange silver ripples seeped from his body's surface, like the invisible blades that had cut through the ground earlier.
Those silver patterns spread from inside his body to the outside, merging into the hot water.
Soon, the steam rising from the bathtub disappeared, and the silver patterns transformed into cold air, forming a thin layer of ice on the surface.
Only after the silver glow had completely separated did Leonard emerge from the bathtub.
"Huff, huff... Captain!"
He gasped for breath, saying urgently, "I just encountered the [Blood Reverend]..."
***
"Why isn't he back yet?"
Audrey Hall paced back and forth in her home, glancing from time to time toward the courtyard outside the window.
She was waiting for her father to return to the mansion and tell her the outcome of the incident.
The storm over Queens had ended hours ago.
Wester Palace at its center had long been sealed off, monitored by the kingdom's military and MI9.
Even well-connected nobles couldn't get information. In its place came all sorts of rumors.
All you could say was that people were people. Even nobles were just like common folk, loving to watch the drama and gossip.
Audrey didn't participate in these pointless topics because she had a more reliable source of information.
Her father not only possessed immense wealth but also held significant influence in Loen's political circles.
Of course, Audrey's father supported the New Party and disagreed politically with Duke Negan, but both sides maintained aristocratic restraint and wouldn't resort to crude methods like assassination.
After waiting a while longer, she finally saw her father's carriage enter the courtyard through the manor gates.
More than ten minutes later, Earl Hall walked into the room, unable to hide his exhaustion.
"Father!"
Audrey immediately approached, asking urgently, "How did it go?"
"I'm very sorry."
Earl Hall shook his head with a grave expression.
"Kons died in the line of duty, and his family also met with misfortune."
"Ah..."
Audrey opened her mouth but said nothing. She felt as if her heart had been plunged into icy water.
"What about Duke Negan?"
After composing herself slightly, she asked again.
"Duke Negan also failed to escape the assassination."
Earl Hall spoke with extremely complicated emotions. Before his daughter could ask more, he waved his hand.
"All right, my dear daughter, please let your poor father rest for a moment.
He still has to go meet the Emperor and report the situation with the Prime Minister."
"Yes, Father."
After seeing her father off, a bewildered expression rose on Audrey's beautiful face as she slowly sat down.
Kons was dead.
Her friend had left this world without warning, simply because he'd been caught up in a high-level assassination.
Even though she'd worked so hard to notify all parties, even though she'd prayed to Mr. Fool, she still couldn't save his life.
This Beyonder world she'd once yearned for was gradually revealing its cruel and mad side to her.